Guest Blogger

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)

(Caison Jones is a contributor at Apologia Appalachia: Theology from Them There Hills.  I thought this article would be a blessing to the readers.  Another one of their writers was the author of the post yesterdaty about the convention name-change.  There is some quality writing being done at their group blog site!) "The trouble is that, nowadays, there are so many who receive the testimony of God only so far as they can satisfactorily account for all the reasons and grounds of His conduct,..." A.W. Pink I've heard this referred to as "Cafeteria Christianity", where we pick and choose only … [Read more...] about Accepting the Hard Things (by Caison Jones)

(Editor's Note: Matt McGlamery is a contributor at Apologia Appalachia.  I'll confess, I'd never seen that blog until I asked for posts and contributors.  They are posting some top notch stuff at that blog.  Check it out. We have another guest post from one of their contributors that will be up in a day or two.) The idea of a name change for the Southern Baptist Convention has been discussed for years. A quick survey of the Baptist2Baptist section of the SBC website shows the issue was discussed in 1975, 1998, 1999, and in 2004 when the proposal for a study of a name change was defeated by … [Read more...] about (Fill in the Blank) Baptist Convention (by Matt McGlamery)

(One of the things I'm learning is that there are a lot of really good bloggers out there.  Jim Collins blogs at "Viewed Skewed" and has a great perspective on things.  Here's one of his recent posts.) I have not forgotten the Reformation adage of showing unity in the essentials, liberty in non-essentials, and charity in all things. But I wonder if all things means literally everything, or does this apply only to theological matters? I hope it is the latter, because I have trouble being charitable toward some things. De gustibus non est disputandum. There is no accounting for taste. When … [Read more...] about Holy Kitsch! (by Jim Collins)

(Bob is a frequent commenter on this blog, and always has a wise perspective to share.  This is a repost from his blog "Eagles Rest." Enjoy) While all the multitasking bloggers were typing the live blogs at the ID Conference in Jackson, I was making notes of ideas. Dad always said to use all the brains I had, and all I could borrow, so I'm usually on the lookout for ideas I can steal. Let me put it this way: I have ELEVEN pages of ideas I want to write about. I figure, all in, I got about 15 cents apiece in them. BIG bargain. But the idea I want to wax warm about, now, has nothing to do … [Read more...] about What the World Needs to See (by Bob Cleveland)

(William Thornton is the "SBC Plodder" and shares his perspective on SBC and cultural issues.  This post seemed like one that SBC Voices readers might like to discuss.  Discuss amongst yourselves!) Would someone with above plodder intelligence please make a cogent case for or against Sunday sales of alcohol here in Georgia? At the moment the legislature in our fair state is in session, always a dangerous time for freedom-loving, sensible and hardworking taxpayers, and will probably pass a bill making Sunday sales of alcohol a local option, allowing a county or municipality to put the … [Read more...] about Making the Case Against Sunday Alcohol Sales in Georgia (by William Thornton)