LifeWay Research is meddling again with a survey on sermon length. Great work guys. Now it's confirmed that most pew-sitters prefer a sermon of 20-40 minutes. Personally, I have sat in churches and listened to sermons both short and long that robbed me of 20-40 good minutes. That string of jokes, stories, and guffaw-bait probably didn't even qualify for being called a "sermon." Adrian Rogers would preach over forty minutes and it was was too short. I have preached twenty minute sermons that were probably fifteen minutes too long. My informal survey reveals that most pastors are … [Read more...] about Revival may indeed break out…pastors are preaching shorter sermons.
COVID, my county, and implications for the next novel virus
I was informed, breathlessly, that my county had seen a huge jump in virus cases just last week. Are we experiencing an exponential expansion of the illness here that requires even more stringent measures by the population? No. Seems the National Guard had been asked to test everyone in a large nursing home. About sixty percent of the residents tested positive. Add to that staff who were positive and the single location accounts for about half of the county's entire virus count. In percentages, the county's infection rate is about one-tenth of one percent. It's difficult to arrive at … [Read more...] about COVID, my county, and implications for the next novel virus
Counting attendance in the age of COVID-19
You figure it was coming - some guidance, explanation, advice about how to count attendance during this time of cancelled physical services. My church's last in-the-building service was March 15th. Since then we have had some variety of online services each Sunday and two drive-in services. Our plan is to have drive-in services each Sunday this month, except for on Memorial Day weekend, and then have inside services starting in June, the latter if nothing changes with the current situation and governmental orders. Southern Baptists are gonna count. Around three-fourths of them are gonna … [Read more...] about Counting attendance in the age of COVID-19
So, who’s getting Uncle Sam to pay your clergy salaries?
I wouldn't expect all to admit to it, frankly. This is the strangest of strange occurrences: government guaranteed loans paying the salaries of pastors and other church and church related workers. If you're applying or have received the loan and want to explain your church's thinking, feel free. I doubt that there will be a question on the ACP about it. I've seen some SBCers weigh in against it as a general principle. The only serious warning I've seen on this was this. Let’s assume that 100,000 religious organizations receive federal funding through the CARES Act and that 5,000 of … [Read more...] about So, who’s getting Uncle Sam to pay your clergy salaries?
Let’s have a conversation about Ridgecrest being sold
Our flagship conference center, Ridgecrest, is for sale trustees have decided. Just 21 months ago I wrote on this site What's the reason for the Ridgecrest renaissance? I've always been relatively close to Ridgecrest while living and serving in South Carolina and Georgia. I would estimate I've stayed there a couple of dozen times. My kids always enjoyed going there ("Indian Day Camp" back then; wonder if they got all politically correct and changed the name?). Ridgecrest saw more attendees that year, 2018, than in a generation. Things were looking up. From the LifeWay Q&A: Unlike … [Read more...] about Let’s have a conversation about Ridgecrest being sold
Our little SBC world – upside down now.
One might think that our six seminaries are the safest and most secure of all SBC entities. The combined revenue streams of tuition, Cooperative Program, private gifts and other income sources would insulate the schools from disaster. After all, no hurricane would reach Louisville. Now, the pandemic has shut off tuition revenue. Southern seminary announced a staggering $16 million budget reduction - from $53.2 million to $37.2 million. Tuition accounted for close to one-half of Southern's income. The Cooperative Program, around 19 percent. Southeastern has announced that they plan to apply … [Read more...] about Our little SBC world – upside down now.
Some COVID-19 vignettes from the hinterlands
In my part of Georgia we've been locked down for weeks. The last in-person church service I attended was March 15th. Here are a few things I've noticed. You can add yours in a comment. If you think about it, it's absolutely amazing that the populace has responded quickly and cooperatively to the crisis. Almost all churches immediately stopped having physical gatherings. I don't know of an SBC church in my area who blithely continued with in-person services. I don't know how typical my 12 year-old church is but the congregation is doing well while not congregating. Giving for the five … [Read more...] about Some COVID-19 vignettes from the hinterlands
There’s a new, independent database for Baptist clergy abusers and alleged abusers
The longtime goal of some abuse victims and their advocates is for the SBC to fund and manage a database of convicted, confessed, and credibly accused clergy abusers. The Executive Committee of the SBC has long declined to take this step. The concrete proposals I have seen call for the Executive Committee to create and fund an independent panel of abuse experts that would receive and investigate reports. The panel would also maintain records of reports received. Some hierarchical churches utilize this system. I don't know of any organization of autonomous churches that does this. If you know … [Read more...] about There’s a new, independent database for Baptist clergy abusers and alleged abusers
So, Al Mohler will vote for Trump?
Mohler, somewhat long winded, in his own words, here. The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., one of the key leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, plans to vote for President Trump in the fall, a reversal of his position in 2016 when he argued that support of Trump risks destroying evangelicals’ credibility. One of the country's best religion reporters, Sara Pulliam Bailey, in The Washington Post yesterday. Trump formerly "The Great Evangelical Embarrassment" (Mohler's phrase in WAPO, 2016), is now his guy for 2020. Boom! One might say that he just blew up his credibility but more likely, … [Read more...] about So, Al Mohler will vote for Trump?
Will COVID-19 see 2,500 SBC churches close over the next twelve months?
LifeWay Research director Scott McConnell was interviewed about our current health care crisis where almost every church in the country is not holding physical services. In an article entitled, Empty pews, empty collection baskets, coronavirus hits U.S. church finances he said: “It would not surprise me at all if 5% of churches close over the next year,” McConnell said. That is five times the typical annual closure rate estimated by The Christian Century, a U.S. mainline Protestant magazine. If his speculation holds true (and he did not apply it to just SBC churches) that would … [Read more...] about Will COVID-19 see 2,500 SBC churches close over the next twelve months?