Being a Southern Baptist is a joy in my ministry. I am thankful to be a part of this diverse group of Christians that have chosen to partner with one another to do together what we could not do alone. I understand that sometimes we will have differences in the ways we see theological issues, differing […]
A Preview of the Pastors Conference Nomination Form
As you may have heard, the nomination process officially begins on Monday. You can read more about it here and here. For this post, I wanted to give you a sneak preview of the nomination form questions and a brief explanation and rationale for the things we are asking. We are looking forward to your […]
Pastors’ Conference 2017 – an idea for a different kind of conference
I am nominating Dave Miller for pc president this afternoon on the basis of a new idea for 2017. The vote for Pastor’s Conference President will take place shortly after 2:00pm today, at the conclusion of Jack Graham’s message. Here is my nomination speech: My name is Todd Benkert, messenger from East Lake Baptist […]
Why a “small church” Pastors’ Conference? (or Why I am nominating Dave Miller for Pastors’ Conference President)
I wanted to write and give some clarity to why I am nominating a small church pastor to lead the Pastor’s Conference in 2017 and why I support the idea of a conference of small church preachers focused on biblical preaching. This article is meant to provide some clarity on my own thinking about why […]
Reflections on our Unity in the Gospel — Will We Be Together?
God’s people gathered across denominations bound by a common theology, multiple sermons over a few days that are relevant and theologically robust, glorious music saturated with expressions of the sovereignty of God, great times of fellowship with other pastors over good food, being together in a room filled with a sense of the very presence […]
Thoughts on Baptist Cooperation — A Guest Post by Dr. Rick Hillard
Dr. Hillard has led the churches he served to give generously and sacrificially to the Cooperative Program. He has a passion for partnership missions and for reaching unreached peoples with the gospel of Jesus Christ. As he has shared his thoughts with me, I invited him to present them in a post here at SBCVoices. […]
In Pursuit of Unity – Small Steps for Everyday Baptists
As a followup to our proposal for a Baptist future, I wanted to offer a few thoughts about unity – especially unity in SBC life. Unity doesn’t just happen. In fact, our natural tendency given our various opinions, personalities, temperaments, priorities, callings, contexts, theological bents, and our common sin nature all make DISunity the more natural outcome. […]
Reluctance to Lead – 10 Reasons NOT to be a pastor
When I was first considering becoming a pastor, I remember many wise men counseling me to “make sure you are called” and “if you can do anything else and be satisfied, do it.” After 20 years of ministry, now I know why. Wherever these thoughts come from, they are real, and from time to time make […]
The Bible and Homosexuality — A Panel Discussion
I was recently invited to participate in a panel discussion on “The Bible and Homosexuality” at our local high school. The panel is being hosted by the Gay/Straight Alliance student group. Given the time constraints, I probably will not get to say everything you see here, but this is what I have prepared. Please be […]
‘Tis the Season for Lottie Moon:
In many churches of which I have been a part, I have felt that our goal for the Christmas missions offering was quite low given the number and financial make-up of the congregations. Yet, at the same time, Christmas is a time where people are being bombarded with requests for money from a variety of […]
Do you have an outward focus?
A few weeks ago, I suggested to my wife that we might consider selling our house and moving to a different, more convenient community. She was not opposed to the idea, but suggested that now was not the right time. The reason? She has ongoing relationships with several of our neighbors whom she is trying to […]
Do we need State Conventions? Yes!
One of the questions on the table in this new era of SBC life and the rethinking of our institutions is whether the State Convention is still useful going forward or if they should be dismantled in favor of Associations and the National Convention. I would argue that there is indeed an important ongoing role […]