Guest Blogger

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.  In an effort to appease multi-generations and minimize conflict, leaders either attempt to seek stylistic and musical common ground or they divide themselves along age and preference lines.  Except in rare instances, it appears from both efforts that the worshiping community suffers and all generations lose.  The impasse is a result of trying to accommodate the musical tastes of a congregation … [Read more...] about Is Multi-Generational Worship Even Possible? (by Dr. David W. Manner)

Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. He blogs at Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. This post is a clarification of his previous post which went up on Sunday. I recently published a Blog Post that inaccurately and unfairly conflated the published positions of Ed Stetzer and Richard Land as it relates to how these Southern Baptist Convention leading figures view Mormonism. The purpose of this writing is to briefly and accurately make the distinction between their beliefs crystal clear and to publically apologize to Ed for having done so. Here is my … [Read more...] about Clarifying the Distinction between Stetzer and Land on Mormonism (by Wm. Dwight McKissic Sr.)

Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. He blogs at Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. While touring the Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit recently, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with President Paige Patterson, Governor Rick Perry, and twenty other Dallas-Ft. Worth pastors and Christian leaders, I was privileged to meet for the first time the pastor of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX, Pastor Robert Jeffress. Recognizing who he was from television appearances and public photos—upon seeing Dr. Jeffress, I immediately extended my hand and said to him, … [Read more...] about The Jeffress-Graham Switch and the Black Vote by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr.

Ricky Kirk blogs at Panta ta Ethne. I was listening to Pastor Mark Sparks, youth pastor for Journey Youth Ministries at Tri-State Worship Center last night. He mentioned something that served to be a missing piece of the puzzle I've been working on this last 18 months. In beginning the initial exploration stages of planting a missional community, I have read much about engaging culture, reaching neighbors, and building long-term discipling relationships. Part of that is examining my tendency in relationship building as well as listening to the stories of others. Here's what I have stumbled … [Read more...] about We’ve Been Asking the Wrong Question! (by Ricky Kirk)

Bryant Laird serves as the Family & Student Pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Cayce, SC.  He previously worked at the North American Mission Board and was in charge of recruiting, hiring and training Summer Staff for the ministries of World Changers and PowerPlant from 2006-2011.  Bryant also served at First Baptist Church Yazoo City, MS as Minister to Students from 2002-2006 and has a history with World Changers that includes time as a participant (1991-1995), Summer Staffer (1996, 1998-2000), Coordinator (2001-2005) and Group Leader (2003, 2005, 2012).  Bryant is married to Olivia, … [Read more...] about Do Hard Things, the Easy Way: Concerns about the Changes at World Changers (by Bryant Laird)

Dr. David W. Manner is Director of Worship and Administration at the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. He blogs at  http://kncsb.org/blogs/dmanner . You can follow him on Twitter:  @dwmanner.  Evangelical churches have rejected the old covenant practice of designating priests as a special class of religious hierarchy.  And even though Anglican and Episcopal congregations have retained the title, their priests function in a pastoral role as ministers rather than interceders.  The belief that someone else must mediate our relationship with God for us or dispense God’s grace to us … [Read more...] about Are Pastors Functioning As Protestant Priests? (by Dr. David W. Manner)

In the aftermath of President Obama’s public affirmation of same-sex marriage, a high profile Black pastor not only supported the President’s position, but also gave a robust defense of the government sanctioning of same-sex marriage. Pastor Otis Moss III serves as Senior Pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, formerly pastored by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Pastor Moss is making a mark and stamp on the social order, contemporary culture and the Black church at large as did his predecessor and his beloved father, Rev. Otis Moss Jr., a retired Baptist pastor and iconic Civil Rights … [Read more...] about THE MOSS “EPISTLE” vs. THE TREASURE BOX: Equipping Black Christians to Respond to Pro Same-Sex Marriage Pastors (by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr.)