Vanderbilt, currently the league doormat, was formerly an SEC powerhouse. Tulane used to be in the SEC, dropped out in 1966. Tulane has more SEC football titles than Mississippi State and Kentucky, as well as Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri and Texas A&M, which have never won the conference. Georgia Tech was another SEC powerhouse but in the worst decision Bobby Dodd made, left in 1964. Tech's record against rival Georgia is something like 12-46 since then. The ACC can have the Jackets. The SEC headquarters is in Birmingham. Most SBC conventioneers walked past it when we had … [Read more...] about Things you didn’t know about the SEC
There are a few million reasons why two SEC teams are playing for the championship
If Alabama played Cincinnati a dozen times they would beat them a dozen times. If Georgia played Michigan a dozen times they would beat them a dozen times. The players are that much better. It doesn't hurt that both Saban and Smart are paid more than other coaches. It doesn't hurt that both schools have assistant coaches who make over a million a year. I love shocking staid friends by telling them the highest paid state employee is Kirby Smart, head football coach. It ain't close, either. Money, money, money...big money wins football games unless you for some strange reason like … [Read more...] about There are a few million reasons why two SEC teams are playing for the championship
2022 declared “The Year of the Real Pastor”
You can say you read about it first here. The declaration was made about an hour ago by your humble hacker and plodder retired pastor. Here's to the Real Pastors among us! The guy who looks out on Sunday morning and sees the SBC median and average and below attendance, or no more than a couple hundred souls. That's about as many as the Senior/Lead/Top Dawg Pastor can actually pastor. The guy whose membership and community, when someone asks who the pastor is of his church, replies with his name only. God bless all the associates, assistants, age-category sub-pastors but THE pastor … [Read more...] about 2022 declared “The Year of the Real Pastor”
Top SBC events of 2021
1. Creation of the Sex Abuse Task Force. To be cussed and discussed for a generation. 2. Ed Litton elected SBC president. A surprise that Mohler didn't make a runoff. Litton's sermon practices later became top news. 3. SBC Executive Committee CEO, Ronnie Floyd, resigns. Vision takes a back seat to perceived leadership failure. 4. Mass resignations of Executive Committee members. The CBN exits for reasons they think are compelling. Bye. 5. Churches mostly back to normal after COVID. 6. Russell Moore resigns as CEO of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. And goes Presby … [Read more...] about Top SBC events of 2021
Voices Top Ten Articles of 2021
If something big happens this week, like the Second Coming, I'll let one of the other guys handle that. So, here are the top ten articles. We keep score here...on everything. Russell Moore Letter to SBC President on the Current Crisis in the SBC [Full Text], Brent Hobbs, June 5th. Copy and paste job of Moore's letter to J. D. Greer, a pre-election surprise. J. D. Greear's powerful message to the SBC Executive Committee, Brent Hobbs. February 23rd. This was an address by Greear back in February. The article linked the video of Greear. SBCers wanted, I presume, to see him and listen … [Read more...] about Voices Top Ten Articles of 2021
Has the SBC reached its winter solstice?
Today's the day. The sun comes to a slow stop from going southward and inches back up. I'm a little depressed but things will literally be sunnier from now until beyond the contentious SBCAM in June. My fair locale has 9 hours and 53 minutes of sun today. The farthest north I've ever been, North Pole, Alaska, has a meager 3 hours and 44 minutes of sun today. Gimme a handful of vitamin D pills, quick. But how's the SBC looking, metaphorically speaking, in regard to sunlight and darkness? From where I stare out at the gray, cloudy, chilly, leafless dimness it looks pretty bad. I have … [Read more...] about Has the SBC reached its winter solstice?
Ah, our Grand Old Convention: Politics, leaks, dirty tricks doth infuse, infuriate, energize and electrify us
It's our system. Why should anyone be surprised? My mantra on the SBC Annual Meeting, specifically in response to the clamor of the remote voting crowd has always been, "Show up. Vote. Go home." We had over 15,000 registered messengers in Nashville. There was heavy, strident, and sometimes dramatic competition for their individual votes. As long as that is the case, we will have the kind of stuff we've been having. Ed Litton won the presidential race by around 500 votes, out of over 13,000 votes cast. I'll say it again. Votes for Mike Stone were negatively affected by release of … [Read more...] about Ah, our Grand Old Convention: Politics, leaks, dirty tricks doth infuse, infuriate, energize and electrify us
2022 SBC Pastor’s Conference
The SBC Pastor's Conference has announced their speakers for the 2022 meeting. Baptist Press: SBC Pastor's Conference speakers spread across multiple ministry settings The list of pastors speaking at the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference stretches across a variety of backgrounds, from small congregations to megachurches and combat veteran to former Division I college football player. I'm not planning to attend the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim unless convention expenses drop from the clouds or dollar bills start growing on the trees in my yard. Being retired means a lot of things one of … [Read more...] about 2022 SBC Pastor’s Conference
Should Mid-America Seminary be put on SBC ‘probation?’
My answer at the top here: "NO." I'm an alumnus of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and I'm embarrassed by recent actions of my beloved alma mater. I arrived at the seminary in 1978 and, after three full years including one full and fun summer of Hebrew, I received my MDiv. I haven't been on the campus in quite some time and am not connected in any way. MABTS was a great seminary in my day. I would think that it is still a good place to get a solid theological education with an emphasis on practical missions and evangelism. The seminary is the chosen "partner" school of the … [Read more...] about Should Mid-America Seminary be put on SBC ‘probation?’
A Voices guy, a CBN guy, and a duck walk into a bar…
The Voices guy says, "Give me a shot of the strongest stuff you've got. We gotta guy here who writes stuff, every word his own and under his own name and people blame the rest of us for it. Then he deletes it all by himself and people complain that we deleted it - sucker punched both ways." The CBN guy, sitting as far from the Voices guy as he can get, says, "You think you've got problems. Nobody likes our conspiracy movie. I watched it myself and now I'm depressed." The duck says, "I'm going to another bar. I don't have a single friend anymore. They all became Southern Baptists like you … [Read more...] about A Voices guy, a CBN guy, and a duck walk into a bar…