Guest Blogger

Editor: William Thornton is the SBC Plodder and a keen observer of SBC life.  This is a repost from his site It follows up on the discussion of the two previous articles he posted here, "SBC Presidents and the Cooperative Program" and "Dropping Like a Rock: The Cooperative Program." My humble conjectures about the decline of the once mighty Cooperative Program. Every Southern Baptist is a denominational pundit. Plodder's punditry, not in order of magnitude or importance: 1. It’s the moderates’ fault. Sure, SBC moderates were generally very strong givers to the cooperative program and were … [Read more...] about Why the Cooperative Program has been dropping like a rock – Part One (by William Thornton)

(Dr. Roger D. Duke brings us another excerpt from the writings of  John Bunyan.  Dr. Duke is cowriter with Phil Newton of "Venturing all on God: Piety in the Writings of John Bunyan." This volume is one of in the Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series of Reformation Heritage Press and is slated for publication sometime in 2011.) “WHAT IT IS TO BE OFFERED” A Portion of Mr. Bunyan’s Exposition of 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Taken from PAUL’S DEPARTURE AND CROWN [1] [2] Paul, by saying he was ‘to be offered,’ alludeth to some of the sacrifices that of old were under the law; and thereby signifieth … [Read more...] about What It Is to Be Offered (from John Bunyan’s Writings)

Todd Littleton blogs at "The Edge of the Inside."  There is much to consider here and much to discuss. The Ring of Fire just gave us a tectonic shift punishing Japan with a devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake. Tsunami waves washed over acres of land, destroying property and killing people.  There will no doubt be someone with an Internet connection firing up the keyboard to announce that Japan suffered judgement for ancestor worship, or some social ill. (Paragraph 7) Quickly the suffering and pain will be marginalized as the train wreck of such wretched projections make the rounds on the … [Read more...] about The Excluded Middle, the Ignored Edge, and The Battle for the Empire in the SBC (by Todd Littleton)

Editor: William Thornton is the SBC Plodder and a keen observer of SBC life.  This is a repost from his site It follows up on the discussion of the previous article he posted here, "SBC Presidents and the Cooperative Program." A 2007 survey yielded the unlikely statistic that 87% of SBC pastors were "generally satisfied" with the Cooperative Program. Come on, 87% of SBC pastors will not agree that the sun rises in the east...but there you have it - SBC pastors happy with the CP. So, why is it dropping like a rock, a trend over three decades long? We may have more mental angst over … [Read more...] about Dropping Like a Rock: The Cooperative Program (by William Thornton)

Editor:  Dr. McKissic is well-known and respected among Southern Baptists.  This article was written in response to issues raised here at SBC Voices and on other blogs.  I offered this respected brother in Christ the chance to state his views related to this recent debate. The largest animal the Jews knew in biblical times was a camel, as the gnat was the smallest. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! …Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:24) “Straining out a gnat” describes the custom of the strictest sect of Pharisees who strained … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Animal Kingdom by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr

Editor:  Ricky Kirk, a pastor from Ohio, blogs at Panta ta Ethne, where this post recently appeared. Thanks for sharing this with us. Our church as recently been studying/exploring evangelism as we prepare for an upcoming revival and Easter weekend. I am modifying material from several sources and approaching evangelism as something more than the Romans Road or the rote memorization and sharing of a few particular verses. I am also challenging our church to have a greater understanding of God's overarching story of the Bible, so we have covered God, creation, man, fall, Christ, and … [Read more...] about Evangelism. Storying. Gospel. Sex-Offenders. (by Ricky Kirk)

Editor: William Thornton is the SBC Plodder and a keen observer of SBC life.  This is a repost from his site. What shall we say about SBC leadership and their support, or lack thereof, for our grand Cooperative Program? Here is a summary of the past SBC presidents and their Cooperative Program support over the past 32 years: Less than 4%: Rogers, Smith, Stanley, Vines, Young, Elliff, Merritt, Graham, Hunt, Wright. Above the contemporary average: Draper (7%), Chapman (11%), Henry (10%), Welch (15%), Page (12%). Between 1979 and 1992, the year the Conservative Resurgence was … [Read more...] about SBC presidents and the Cooperative Program (by William Thornton)

At the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention held in Greensboro, NC, there was a breakout session lead by Paige Patterson, the President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary on "Reaching Today's World Through Differing Views of Election." Here are some quotes from both men... Quotes and implications from Patterson: 1. "My fervent prayer is that whatever your beliefs are about the sovereignty of God … you will join me in taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.” 2. "I would caution my non-Calvinist brethren against … [Read more...] about Paige Patterson And Al Mohler “Why Calvinism Should NOT Divide the SBC”

(Dr. Roger D. Duke is our guest blogger today.  The author, though, is the great John Bunyan.  Dr. Duke is cowriter with Phil Newton. Venturing all on God: Piety in the Writings of John Bunyan. This volume is one of in the Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series of Reformation Heritage Press and is slated for publication sometime in 2011.) Christ Jesus:  An Advocate Who is Always Ready to Defend the Believer[1] A . . . [particular] privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate is this, He is always ready, always in court, always with the judge, then and there … [Read more...] about Christ Jesus: An Advocate Who is Always Ready to Defend the Believer (from John Bunyan)

(Editor's Note:  Todd Littleton was one of the prominent early Baptist bloggers.  Like most of the pioneers, he has mostly laid down his keyboard for other pursuits.  But he has an interesting perspective to share on the TD Jakes/Jamar Jones conflict that went on last week - to which I contributed.  Our desire here is to be "SBC Voices" - which means we will have as many voices chime in as possible!) Kenneth Scott Latourette noted, As in the Apostles' Creed, so in the Nicene Creed, painfully, slowly, and through controversies in which there was often lacking the love which is the major … [Read more...] about Heretics and the SBC Blogosphere (by Todd Littleton)