Guest Blogger

William Thornton is the SBC Plodder. The list of largest churches in the SBC include just nine with reported weekly attendance over 10,000. My curiosity over just how Southern Baptist these churches really are led me to their public information. Most interesting was Village Church, ninth on the list and a church that has their constitution and by-laws on their website. The SBC at the national level has on occasion kicked out (or taken action to "cease their relationship" if you are picky about the language) churches for being too homosexual friendly and the basis for that action has been … [Read more...] about Elder Rule and the Baptist Faith and Message (by William Thornton)

Alan blogs at Downshore Drift, where this article was originally published. We are witnesses to history. Before our eyes, the Civil Religion of America that consisted of "God and Country" is being dismantled piece by piece. One might blame liberal activists as they go after cultural institutions that Christians have depended upon to bolster morality and the idea that America is a Christian nation. But, is that the right place to look?  Al Mohler thinks so.  Yesterday, he addressed the Boy Scouts for changing their policy of forbidding Gay Scouts and Scoutmasters to participate in their … [Read more...] about Al Mohler, the Boy Scouts, and the Great Unraveling (by Alan Cross)

Bill blogs at "Broken and Undone." where this was originally published. I read a good article yesterday by David Jones over at The Gospel Coalition blog.  The article offered a biblical look at the issue of Cremation or Burial.  If interested, you can read it here. I do not intend to get into that discussion in this post, but would be interested in hearing your thoughts on that article in the comments section. What I would like to give attention to is Jones’ comment in his conclusion.  He said, “…within the Christian tradition funerals aren’t simply ways of disposing of dead bodies, … [Read more...] about The Glory of Funerals (by Bill Gernenz)

Andy Hynes is a PhD candidate at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Follow him @ABHYNES on Twitter. This is a question I continue to have concerning the plethora of extremely young children being led by parents or church staff to “ask Jesus into their heart,” or “make a decision to follow Jesus.”  To be honest, what young child that is raised in a “Christian” home and church environment wouldn’t say yeah, “I want to do that?” The problem does not lie in the decision making of the child but the overeager, self-reliant parents and pastoral staff. Infants have historically been … [Read more...] about Paedo Baptists: Is the SBC Abandoning a Doctrinal Cornerstone? (by Andy Hynes)

Andy Hynes is the Director of Admissions and Dean of Men at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and a PhD candidate there. Follow him @ABHYNES on Twitter. We all get it that Jesus is the head of the Church and the Church is His beautiful bride.  Paul speaks to us in Colossians about His position as the Head.  But when you get to the daily functioning of the church, who is supposed to call the shots? Who gets to provide vision and direction to the body?  Have you ever served in a local church that had a skewed view of church polity?  If so, what do you do? Who hasn’t been … [Read more...] about Who’s the Boss? (by Andy Hynes)

Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift, where this article was originally published. He graciously allowed me to repost this here. In the days after the Sandy Hook Massacre, Gun Control advocates have pushed their agenda to center stage in the national debate. Or, maybe the whole issue about what we do with guns, why we have so many, and whether or not we even should have them took center stage all on its own in the wake of such a horror. The argument goes that since the mass murders that take place on occasion in America almost always involve semi-automatic "assault" rifles with high magazine … [Read more...] about Evangelical Christians and Guns: Are We Doing It Right? (by Alan Cross)

Andy Hynes is the Director of Admissions and Dean of Men at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and a PhD candidate there. Follow him @ABHYNES on Twitter. The battle within me Today’s society is enthralled with self.  We live in an era of persistent narcissism. The constant clamor of people bragging about themselves; engaging in constant self-promotion, seemingly drowns out other voices. However, it may be that there are times when focusing on self is really not a bad thing.  When it comes to how we understand the qualities and characteristics of God, and apply them to our lives, it … [Read more...] about Meeting God and Remaining Unchanged? (by Andy Hynes)

William Thornton is the SBC Plodder.  Pastor pay is up! Happy days are here again! Look at it this way. On the first of every month, you go to your church office and are handed a check for $5,064.50. On that day you also can feel good that the church is paying your health insurance along with some contribution to your retirement. It all adds up to $72,840 which does not include cash payments that most ministers receive as accountable reimbursements (mostly for use of their car, calculated by mileage) or for incidental reimbursements for convention, books, etc. Ministers who live in … [Read more...] about 2012 Average SBC Sr. Pastor Pay: $60,774 (by William Thornton)

Joel Rainey is the Director of Missions at Mid-Maryland Baptist Association, an adjunct professor at Capital Bible Seminary and blogs at Themelios. Like most parents, I've taken stock the past two days of the time I spend with each of my children.  And like  most, I'm unsatisfied.  In the wake of Friday's tragic shooting in Connecticut, many parents admit that they don't spend the time with their kids that they would prefer.  Still, there are a few dates that have become traditions to block out on my calendar. Friday morning was just such a date.  Though it was my last day in the office … [Read more...] about Christmas in Newtown, and in Your Town. Where is the Hope? (by Joel Rainey)

 Dr. David W. Manner is the Associate Executive Director for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. He blogs at  http://kncsb.org/blogs/dmanner . You can follow him on Twitter:  @dwmanner.  When we are at a loss for words we must be reminded that a text has been prepared for us in the Psalms. When disaster threatens to consume us, the psalmist gives words to express our most profound despair. When our hymns and songs fall short with clichéd platitudes, the psalms provide hope beyond unexpressed emotions. John Witvliet reminds us that, “when faced with an utter loss of words and … [Read more...] about When Lives Are Lost, What Do We Sing? (by Dr. David Manner)