I don't recall a more widely discussed departure from the SBC than that of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta. In my memory only a few high profile, moderate churches leaving the denomination generated as much publicity. Christianity Today has the most comprehensive story about this: Atlanta Church Splits With SBC for Downplaying Racial Issues [Pastor John] Onwuchekwa, who grew up in Houston, the son of Nigerian immigrants, said the SBC tried to make him feel welcome. But from the beginning, he had concerns. “We got on the bus with skepticism, nine years ago,” he said. In 2015, with help … [Read more...] about Leaving the SBC behind? This has to be discussed about Cornerstone Church
Put John Lewis statue in the rotunda, Alexander H. Stephens in a museum
This is a totally parochial article, pertains to the state of Georgia. Each state gets to put two statues in the Capitol Rotunda. The last time I was in the place, I gazed absentmindedly at our state's statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens while some group's tour guide blathered on about the statues. Stephens was the Vice President of the Confederacy and a virulent racist. Find his pre-Civil War quotes about the struggle being about white supremacy. Not much nuance about his views. A perpetually sickly person, it is said that he never weighed over 100 pounds. He made up for that with his … [Read more...] about Put John Lewis statue in the rotunda, Alexander H. Stephens in a museum
So, wear a stinkin’ mask…
...if that doesn't exert you too much. Here I am in my blogging sanctum sanctorum, my basement of course, all masked up but only for illustrative purposes. I don't quite get it when I see people in their car alone with a mask. I stay pretty close to home these days but venture out to Lowe's or Kroger's when we need stuff. I'm under authority here in my domicile and a room needs painting; thus, not one but several trips to Lowe's to get the right color and all that. I wear a mask. Thus far, no one has screamed at me, looked askance at me, or sneered at me for doing so. Lucky … [Read more...] about So, wear a stinkin’ mask…
“Woke” won’t work here
“Woke” is a dog whistle, a red flag signal; a brainless, thoughtless, mindless, vapid bit of freshman frat boy drivel. If the word is snarled out in a comment it’s a lead pipe cinch that the comment is a flash of drive-by nonsense. There are good arguments for and against renaming SBTS buildings. “Woke” or lack thereof isn’t one. Editors here differ on some of these questions. Contributions are welcome for and against. If we were gamblers there would have been heavy odds that this piece by DMcK would generate a record number of trashed comments. We’re ultimately on the same side, or so … [Read more...] about “Woke” won’t work here
Some of our entities funded by the Paycheck Protection Plan
Retirement plus quarantine may provide too much time. Thus, the huge Small Business Administration database listing some of the recipients of the Paycheck Protection Plan loans. I make no moral judgment about those who chose or declined to choose to apply and receive these government backed loans. Generally, all the SBC leaders gave advice about these loans without approving or condemning them. Let the individual church or SBC entity make their choices. I have said that were I a pastor I would try and do without government guaranteed loans, even if they were forgivable. But, I don't have a … [Read more...] about Some of our entities funded by the Paycheck Protection Plan
Humble advice for the passive pastor in the parsonage
I'm retired now but served three churches as pastor. For most of that thirty-year period my family and I lived in homes owned by the church, the parsonage. An article earlier this year on the subject, Behold, the lowly parsonage, covers much of the details on this. Comments were generally positive towards living in a church-owned home which was a bit of a surprise to me. I appreciate that my clergy colleagues prefer to see the cup half full on the parsonage. But, what can the beloved brother pastor do to improve his situation and plan for a future where no one will provide him a "free" … [Read more...] about Humble advice for the passive pastor in the parsonage
Is the small, single full time clergy staff church a luxury churches can no longer afford?
The adjectives in the title have meaning. I'm referring to the thousands of small churches, somewhere around the SBC median of about 70 in average weekly attendance, that have a single clergy staff, the pastor, who is fulltime and not bivocational. My first church, it was in rural South Carolina, was an example of this: around 70 in attendance and I was the only staff member. I was fulltime and not bivocational. Seventy is the median church size in the SBC. LifeWay's latest Compensation Study, 2018, showed churches in the 50-100 attendance range as paying their senior pastor a package … [Read more...] about Is the small, single full time clergy staff church a luxury churches can no longer afford?
Cooperative Program, under considerable stress these days
I love an optimist and Baptist Press "staff" reports on our beloved Cooperative Program are invariably positive and optimistic. "Staff" should get a raise. Latest CP story headline: Cooperative Program giving highest in three months, down only 1.47% for year This is the Executive Committee portion of the CP, funding mostly for the mission boards and seminaries, not the whole thing. State conventions still keep around 60% of every CP dollar from the churches and a progress report that combines all of the states isn't issued monthly like the SBC portion. Numbers: CP at the national … [Read more...] about Cooperative Program, under considerable stress these days
God bless America
This is the closest church to my house if you don't count the bird house church in my backyard, a little box with a steeple that someone gave me. The church pictured isn't my church but it's Southern Baptist. I know the pastor who is a good guy. Good church. Good pastor. God bless them. Like many churches in the area they decorate the property with American flags around Independence Day. One of the largest SBC churches in my area must have a hundred or more medium sized flags lining their property, along the driveway and parking areas. Very colorful. I don't have any issue with any of … [Read more...] about God bless America
On the pastor having a good reputation in the community
Jay Adkins, occasional contributor here, was honored with an award as Citizen of the Year in his lovely town, Westwego, Louisiana. Well-deserved. Jay is the goateed guy on the left. Some of the pastors I looked up to were of the school where the pastor was not only to represent God in the community but, seemingly, was to make himself odious in the community, since the world is going to Hell and he, alone, is there to fight sin and the devil. Others preferred to be ensconced in their paneled study, alone with the Almighty like Moses, and without the time to mix and mingle with ordinary … [Read more...] about On the pastor having a good reputation in the community