Guest Blogger

Why does the President of the West Virginia Baptist Convention support the GCR? 1) The GCR says out loud, what I have been thinking for a long time. The Southern Baptist Convention is losing ground in an increasingly lost culture. In the United States, we baptized 33,000 fewer people in 2008 than in 1950, and we have 17,000 more churches than we did then, while at the same time the population has effectively doubled. The demographics and population centers of North America have changed rapidly and we have not kept up. Two thirds of Cooperative Program dollars are remaining in states with … [Read more...] about Why One State Convention President Supports the GCR

Chuck Warnock On Pentecost, the community that was divided by God at the Tower of Babel is recreated in the miracle of communication at the coming of the Holy Spirit. Babel Revisited Acts 2:1-21 1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled … [Read more...] about Pentecost Sermon: Babel Revisited

The following is a post by Kevin DeYoung. A lot of our readers are pastors so I thought it would be good to post here. The gospel minister must help his people live well. But more importantly, he must prepare his people to die well. Those of us who are young and healthy can scarcely imagine what comfort the gospel of Jesus Christ provides for dear saints in their dying days. John Newton tells a story of visiting a young woman who died too soon from “a lingering consumption.” She was wise, but plain. She could read her Bible, but had read little else. Newton supposes she never traveled … [Read more...] about Kevin DeYoung: Realities Indeed

A GREAT COMMISSION RESURGENCE END-VISION By Dr. Rodney L. Hammer I’d like to express deep gratitude for the work of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force.  They have demonstrated courageous leadership in helping us evaluate how we move forward with greater focus.  I support each recommendation of the GCRTF Final Report and pray we will embrace the challenges. I’d like to suggest our SBC family also consider adopting a “SBC 2020 End-Vision”. An end-vision can be called a picture of a preferred future.  While not comprehensive in detail, such a picture revealed to us from the … [Read more...] about A Great Commission Resurgence End-Vision

Someone that I have really come to appreciate in the blogosphere wrote this and he gave me permission to post it at length- Josh Collins.  While I consider Josh a "blogosphere friend" he is also quick to challenge some of my thoughts, which I appreciate. Enjoy the post!- Matt Svoboda For the record, I’m just a lowly blogger with a readership of about 2 (3 if my mom is in town).  I don’t really know the pressures of consistent blogging that many of you face.  I honestly get more hits per day often when I don’t write anything. That said, in a recent comment thread I was in, the topic … [Read more...] about Subverting Negative Expectations in Blogging

This post is by Kevin Howard: Southern Baptists owe much to Lottie Moon.  As a missionary, I probably owe her more.  She did much for what is now the IMB. Her work was risky, exhausting, and commendable, to say the least.  (Listen to Danny Akin's sermon, The Power of a Consecrated Life Lived Out in the Ministry of Lottie Moon.) While I'm no expert on her life, I've read a bit about her from various sources.  I'm currently reading Catherine B. Allen's, The New Lottie Moon Story, 1980.  Allen is undoubtedly an admirer of the great Moon and seems to give a fair portrayal of her subject's … [Read more...] about Women Preachers: Is Lottie Moon Our Standard?

This post is written by Kevin L. Howard Should Southern Baptist women use the Scriptures to teach or train men in Sunday school or other settings?  It's a simple thesis with many implications, so let's get into it. The Baptist Faith & Message of 2000 and Scripture Article 6, The Church, of the BF&M 2000, says, "While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture." I agree with this BF&M statement.  I just wished it went further.  Scripture doesn't say, "Women can't pastor or hold the office of … [Read more...] about Women and SBC Ministry: Clarifying the 2000 BF&M

Multi-Site Churches: Not A Good Option Our family was once involved in a multi-site church at its satellite location. We began that experience with enthusiasm and anticipation. The possibilities seemed endless. It was located in a brand new community development. We had the weight of the mother church and all its resources behind us. The mother church had installed a strong Bible expositor as its pastor. Over time, however, the difficulties of this arrangement seemed to outweigh its benefits. To be sure there were many positives in our experience, but we finally concluded that the model was … [Read more...] about Diverse Voices Debate: Multi-Site Churches- Good Option?

This rebuttal is only my attempt to challenge Dave Miller’s thoughts and theological understanding concerning the church’s responsibility to oversee baptism.  I appreciate what he has written and hope that further debates over essential doctrines in the Southern Baptist Convention can be as cordial as ours.   In Dave’s paper he proposes that, “…the view that all valid baptisms must be performed under local church oversight may be argued from historic confessions, but not from scripture.”  I beg to differ in that to argue against church oversight of Baptism is to make scripture say what … [Read more...] about Diverse Baptists Debate: Church Oversight of Baptism- Foster’s Rebuttal of Miller