William Thornton

Here's the way he puts it: 5. Operate in the Light – The SBC should be the toughest place to hide corruption, abuse, and poor stewardship, operating at the highest level of integrity and accountability. We must eliminate organizational tools, structures and processes that help hide wrongdoing and abuse. The SBC and its entities should end the use of, and recall, all remaining Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). We must not hide corruption and we will not protect predators at the cost of harming victims. There must be transparency in how we make decisions and how we spend money. Records should … [Read more...] about Randy Adams’ good idea for the SBC: transparency and openness in all entity matters

Randy Adams is the second person to be a declared candidate for SBC president. Baptist Press had a story on him on January 15th. I'm pleased there is more than one candidate (Al Mohler) and there are some things Adams has written that I like. The idea of remote voting for the SBC Annual Meeting bubbles up every year and is one that I don't like. It's a bad idea. For a little background on the idea of remote voting take a look at EC not going to waste missions money on remote SBC voting... Satellite SBC meetings and remote voting: the best, terrible idea around More about satellite … [Read more...] about Randy Adams’ bad idea for the SBC: remote access to SBC annual meeting voting

The continuing rancor triggered by Paige Patterson's invitation to speak at a church in Florida makes me ask this question: Has the SBC while in annual session, the SBC Executive Committee, any of the 41 state conventions affiliated with the SBC, or any of the 1,146 local associations of Southern Baptist churches ever blacklisted an individual minister? I don't know that any of these ever have taken any formal action to do so, the Convention at every level relating to churches not ministers. If any employees of these entities speak to the matter, they speak they speak as individuals, just … [Read more...] about Has “the SBC” ever blacklisted ministers?

...that can't get any respect. I can't think of the last time I heard a pastor say anything positive about the fact that he lived in the parsonage. Maybe never. I don't see data on it but church-owned housing seems to have been declining for a long time. Younger pastors are aghast at the idea of being tied to the church by living in a house owned by the church. Each of the churches I pastored had a parsonage and my family and I lived in it because that was the only option available. For the two rural churches I pastored the only way the pastor could live on the church field, where his … [Read more...] about Behold, the lowly parsonage…

Here are a few reasons why: We'll elect a new SBC President in sultry Orlando in June. It was announced back in November that Al Mohler will be nominated for SBC prez. The early timing of the announcement was an eyebrow raiser. Mohler quickly responded that he would accept the nomination. Hey, I'm just glad he didn't say that he would accept the presidency. Ordinary SBCers get to vote. He'd get my vote if I decided to attend the meeting and swelter it out in what used to be a perfectly good swamp. Surely, someone else will also be nominated. There's an announced candidate for 2nd Vice … [Read more...] about Already? 2020 and it looks like a very interesting year for the SBC

Here are the Southern Baptist national entity heads in 2010 with a look at what happened during the 2010s. International Mission Board, Jerry Rankin. Rankin was a short-timer in January, 2010. He left in July of that year. Tom Elliff was his replacement, serving from 2011-2014. David Platt took the top job in 2014 and served until late 2018. Paul Chitwood was elected and took office late in that year. Our oldest, largest, richest, and most important entity went through the 2010s with four CEOs. It wasn't a good decade in many respects. We went from a career missionary as leader (Rankin), to … [Read more...] about 2010-2019, a decade of disasters for SBC entities

I'll go with just these three, mainly because I didn't keep a record all year. There is a tipping point, though, at which genuine advocacy slips into routine outrage, especially regarding a large and lumbering religious system that has managed to ride by most cultural reforms on the backs of those who have preserved a dangerous status quo. The labeling of some sex abuse advocacy as "routine outrage" is the key here. Susan Codone and Megan Lively, both abuse survivors, co-authored the article, The Credentials Committee, A Call for Patience.  “…if we ask women to do something spiritually … [Read more...] about What are your top quotes from SBCers for 2019?

Bill Tolar, December 29, 2018 (late year death not reported until early 2019). Longtime SWBTS professor. Rick Stanley, January 7. Step-brother to Elvis and evangelist. Jimmy Allen,  January 9. Last of the moderate SBC presidents, 1977-1978. His successor was Adrian Rogers. The changeover was permanent. One of the most energetic and capable SBC presidents. A family member of mine did some financial services for him. When Dr. Allen was told "Oh, my brother is a Southern Baptist preacher", he insisted on sending greetings. Bailey Smith, January 14. He followed Adrian Rogers as president, … [Read more...] about Notable SBC deaths of 2019

These are in order from the most popular. Doctrinal Concerns of Southwest Baptist University Alumni. SWBU Alumni. This and the one below were of intense local interest. Not on my radar and not of much impact to the SBC as a whole. This follow-up article added to the controversy but was not as well read here. I look askance at the use of anonymous websites aimed at damaging any individual. We can handle things better. Too much of the worst of the old Conservative Resurgence in this brouhaha. Southwestern Seminary: Painful Recalibration. Dave Miller. Judging from attention or lack thereof … [Read more...] about Top Ten Voices Articles for 2019