My first church was, literally, in the middle of the national forest. Privately owned land was all along the highways and the church was a strong country church. Naturally, the congregation included a game warden, Buddy, who was also a deacon. The area was populated, infested some drivers might say, by deer and wild turkey. […]
You know that only about 80% of SBC churches are anglo, don’t you?
Dominant ethnic composition, in percentages, below for churches: Anglo 81.9 African American 7.0 Hispanic 4.7 Korean 1.6 Native American 0.8 Haitian 0.8 Chinese 0.4 Filipino […]
What would less autonomy look like?
I confess to giving this some thought but without much in the way of an answer. The call is often heard that “the SBC” should relinquish some of its cherished autonomy in order to keep kids safe at church. Here’s how the most recent case was explained. “The SBC views itself as a network of […]
This is the future of SBC missions
Atlanta area megachurch Johnson Ferry Baptist announced the results of their annual Great Commission Offering. It was suitably mega with over $5 million given. The offering was divided: $2.7m Lottie Moon, $1.7m Johnson Ferry missions budget, and $680k Annie Armstrong. That’s a single SBC church giving about 1.5% of the total Lottie Moon offering.
Phillip E. Johnson, my kind of creationist, RIP
When I first read Johnson’s book, Darwin on Trial, it was a revelation of a sort, my background being steeped in simple (“there’s oil because all the dead dinos sank to the bottom of the one-earth ocean”), succinct (“6,000 year old earth, ten thou at the max is all you’re going to be allowed if […]
CP sort of up for 2019-2020; designated giving definitely up
No one pays attention to Cooperative Program this early in the fiscal year (runs Oct 1 to Sep 30). Sage Baptist bean counters tell me to wait until January to see how things are going. But the Executive Committee gives a report every month, partly to keep their positive headline writing skills sharp, so I’d […]
And now “credible accusations of misconduct” has currency in the SBC because of Al Mohler
Abuse survivors and their advocates have long called for the creation and funding of an independent investigatory body in the SBC and staffed with experts on sex abuse. Part of the task of such a committee would be to investigate “credible reports” of abuse in SBC churches. So far as I know, no SBC leader […]
Top Ten State Conventions in total giving to IMB
Baptist General Convention of Texas……..$30.0 million Alabama…………………………………………….. $24.8 Tennessee………………………………………….. $24.3 North Carolina…………………………………… $22.7 Georgia……………………………………………… $22.1 South Carolina…………………………………… $17.8 Mississippi………………………………………… $15.9 Florida……………………………………………… $15.2 Oklahoma…………………………………………. $12.2 Southern Baptists of Texas Convention… $11.9 ________________________ Source: 2019 SBC Annual. Figures are rounded and are for the year ended September 30, 2018. The amounts given are for total revenue to […]
A simple way to bankrupt your church and lose your job in the process
The administrative assistant in charge of financial matters was a long term employee and completely trusted. She was also a brazen thief and by the time the organization started paying attention to her spending she had stolen at least $1.3 million over a period of years. The theft finally came to light when a check […]
The strange world of autonomous Southern Baptist churches
I was in conversation with a search committee about being their pastor. We did the usual tapdance of questioning each other. I asked what their procedure was for voting to extend a call to a new pastor. One committee member jumped the question and answered, “We require an 80% congregational vote but I moved that […]
IMB has 3,681 total field personnel headed toward 4,200
The great majority of these are full time, career overseas personnel, mostly couples but some singles. We all know that IMB counts spouses as missionaries; thus, a couple is two. Not rocket science for most SBCers but the counting policy should be understood. Some of the 3,681 (the number reported on IMB’s site) are not […]
Dear SBC churches: Give something, anything to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
The days are shorter, skies are grayer, birds aren’t singing, and flowers aren’t blooming as much these days. So how about my adding a depressing thought. Paul Chitwood, CEO of the IMB said: A look back over the last decade of LMCO receipts reveals that 10 percent fewer churches contributed in the past five years […]