When I teach church planting, I always talk to the students about basic church documents. A new church needs some basic documents that provide it with a good, solid foundation. Older churches need these foundational documents, also. Ok, what are they? All churches need a statement of faith, a church covenant, and a constitution and by-laws. Why so? Statement of Faith Churches should be certain of their beliefs, and they should be able to point prospective members to a statement of faith. A statement of faith will guide the preachers and teachers in the church as to what … [Read more...] about Basic Church Documents
A Tribute to Billy Graham
Yesterday we learned that Billy Graham had passed away at age ninety-nine. He was one of us, a Southern Baptist. He was ordained by a Southern Baptist church in Florida in 1939, and he was a member at First Baptist Church of Dallas. When I heard of his passing, immediately, I thought of Genesis 25:8, which says of Abraham: “Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years…” (NKJV). Truly, Billy Graham died at a “good old age,” and his years were full of fruitful service to the Lord. In this post I’ll not repeat the biographies you can find on any news … [Read more...] about A Tribute to Billy Graham
An Appeal for Honesty in References
I’m appealing to all our readers to be honest and forthright in the references we provide. What prompts this appeal? An unforgettable experience does. Some years ago our church called a new youth pastor. He applied for the position at our church, and he supplied several references from the church he was serving. After he arrived, everything went fine for several months; however, after he made a trip to scout out a summer mission project, our church’s financial secretary raised some questions about his spending. A CPA served on our church’s Finance Committee, and he performed an audit on the … [Read more...] about An Appeal for Honesty in References
David Platt’s Administration in Retrospect
In the interest of full disclosure—I am a retired IMB missionary. My wife and I served 24 years with the IMB in Southeast Asia. I have taught missions at Southern Baptist Seminary and now at Mid-America Baptist Seminary. This post reflects my personal opinions, and they do not represent the position of any institution. What follows has been informed by conversations with active and retired missionaries, staff members of the IMB, trustees of the IMB, and missions professors at Southern Baptist seminaries. The IMB announced on Monday, February 12th, that David Platt had asked the IMB trustees … [Read more...] about David Platt’s Administration in Retrospect