Willy Rice is our new SBC president and is a likable fellow. That goes a long way in my book although I don't know if I would have voted for him or not. He has been running for the office (and function) of SBC president for quite a while and has said a lot of things. I don't think anyone argues about how he has been designated as "a reformer" in the secular press and inside the SBC. Will Willy reform the Cooperative Program? Highly doubtful. His quote above is from Ben Cole's podcast where Willy is asked nicely but pointedly about his church giving record. Credit due BC for pursuing … [Read more...] about Willy Rice: “The future of the Cooperative Program is in question.”
The Mohler amendment
Work with me here. Al Mohler’s guy, one Colin Smothers, not only speaks stridently in favor of the motion but makes a smarmy, cheap shot parliamentary move to disallow any opposition to speak. That was a low class no matter that the assembled messengers, snarling with the smell of the red meat of victory, agreed. A true leader, and the three piece suit guy is not one, would have finessed the matter and equalized the discussion. There was a time when blurting out “call the question” was not considered a proper motion. Find a pattern here. We amended the BFM with no discussion. We create … [Read more...] about The Mohler amendment
The SBC can always be relied upon to make messes messier
Give Mike Law credit. He didn't like his kids to look up and see a woman behind a pulpit so he found out how to fix that. He was straight up about it even though ridiculously zealous and wild eyed. He even admitted that the women (whom he patronizingly called "sisters living in disobedience," as if they were shacked up somewhere) were saved. Neither Lottie Moon nor Bertha Smith would have been amused. He failed but you can count on the misogynists/sexists/chauvinists in the SBC to keep at it. Juan Sanchez failed. Well, he admitted he knew nothing about the deep weeds of amending our … [Read more...] about The SBC can always be relied upon to make messes messier
Gonna nail down this women thing once and for all (or maybe not)
The "Truth and Unity Amendment" sayest the SBC's formerly smartest person, Al Mohler. The truth and unity concerns females in the SBC serving as pastors, overseers, and elders or exhibiting any of the functions of a pastor or an overseer or an elder or preaching to the assembled church or using any other job title such as minister, associate/assistant, shepherd etc. depressingly etc etc. This is the most laughable, cynical, and absurd title applied to any of these recent similar efforts concerning women who serve in SBC churches. The last attempt was by a guy who said he wasn't qualified to … [Read more...] about Gonna nail down this women thing once and for all (or maybe not)
Criminalizing adult, ‘consensual,’ sexual contact by clergy
A bill is working its way through the Georgia state legislature that would criminalize sexual contact between clergy and adult individuals. This is an important issue and not one that can be reduced to a thousand world blog post. While I have no questions about the intent of the legislators, supporters, and lobbyists for this, a number of difficult questions arise. The matter is summarized in this article from Ministry Watch: https://ministrywatch.com/ga-senate-committee-unanimously-advances-bill-addressing-clergy-sexual-abuse/ I am not optimistic that the discipline and patience exists … [Read more...] about Criminalizing adult, ‘consensual,’ sexual contact by clergy
Another ‘one time’ opt-in window for Social Security: If it passes, take it!
Another “one time” opportunity for clergy who opted out of Social Security to jump back in may be offered. A bill is progressing through congress to do just that. Baptist Press reports the latest news on it. https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/clergy-act-advances-from-house-ways-and-means-committee/ I’ve been retired for 14 years now and don’t circulate among the pastors’ conferences, conventions, and meetings where a lot of pastors and clergy staff congregate and gab. But, on occasion, I will run into some on the pickleball court or elsewhere. A short while ago it was … [Read more...] about Another ‘one time’ opt-in window for Social Security: If it passes, take it!
The dark centennial of the beloved Cooperative Program
This year is the year of celebration of our flagship giving program: the beloved, touted, often revered Cooperative Program. It has been our common and cooperative pool of funding that for 100 years has been divided among the state conventions, mission boards, seminaries, and smaller denominational entities. It think someone had a CP cake in Nashville. I paid for part of it but didn't get a piece. It's not like the centennial slipped up on us unawares; denominational leaders have had years to prepare for it. From my view in the SBC heartland the centennial consisted of a resolution, a … [Read more...] about The dark centennial of the beloved Cooperative Program
Obituaries, JMac, and speaking ill of the dead
Everyone's mother used to say, "Don't speak ill of the dead," but it sounds so quaint these days. If you want nice, sanitized, and gauzy words about someone who had died, family obituaries rarely disappoint. Obituaries are like those histories that all churches have written and printed: you get history but not truth. If it's a lie to fail to tell all of the truth, then all church histories and all obituaries are printed lies. But there's a time and place for everything. I rather liked John MacArthur's commentaries and owned a few. They were fairly reliable, occasionally insightful and … [Read more...] about Obituaries, JMac, and speaking ill of the dead
The myth of the world’s largest deliberative body (or, when it comes to women, how the SBC loses its mind)
One of the brag points about our Grand Old Convention, back when we were doing well enough to think about bragging and strutting, was that the SBC in annual session was The World's Largest Deliberative Body. Everyone has a vote and can speak and stuff like that. Now we excel at doing stupid stuff like passing motions that led to incredible, wasteful and perhaps endless squandering of assets, all of that for no discernible benefit at this time. Add to that the recent announcement that the SBC is "losing members at a rate that we have never experienced in modern American Christianity.” (Ryan … [Read more...] about The myth of the world’s largest deliberative body (or, when it comes to women, how the SBC loses its mind)
The joke of ‘the world’s largest deliberative body’
Our Grand Old Convention , The Southern Baptist Convention is in those two days that the convention is actually in existence between gavels at the annual meeting touted to be “the world’s largest deliberative body.” I use the word "deliberative" ministerially, brethren and, in spite of goofballs, circus acts, and impenetrable machinations and motions at the meeting, I rather like the idea that one duly registered SBC messenger from the tiniest Southern Baptist church can make a motion, offer to amend a committee report, nominate himself for president or other action. We are congregational even … [Read more...] about The joke of ‘the world’s largest deliberative body’