William Thornton

No one pays attention to Cooperative Program this early in the fiscal year (runs Oct 1 to Sep 30). Sage Baptist bean counters tell me to wait until January to see how things are going. But the Executive Committee gives a report every month, partly to keep their positive headline writing skills sharp, so I'd like them to know that at least one person reads these articles. As of October 31, gifts received by the Executive Committee for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget totaled $15,207,651.44. This exceeded October 2018's budget contribution of $14,454,637.36 by … [Read more...] about CP sort of up for 2019-2020; designated giving definitely up

Abuse survivors and their advocates have long called for the creation and funding of an independent investigatory body in the SBC and staffed with experts on sex abuse. Part of the task of such a committee would be to investigate "credible reports" of abuse in SBC churches. So far as I know, no SBC leader supports this proposal. Yesterday, Al Mohler, president of our oldest seminary, announced nominee for president of the SBC, and one whom many would say is the SBC's most visible spokesperson, made a statement to the public about an SBC pastor, SBTS grad and adjunct professor. The statement … [Read more...] about And now “credible accusations of misconduct” has currency in the SBC because of Al Mohler

The administrative assistant in charge of financial matters was a long term employee and completely trusted. She was also a brazen thief and by the time the organization started paying attention to her spending she had stolen at least $1.3 million over a period of years. The theft finally came to light when a check was needed to pay an obligation and there were no funds in the account. After the matter was investigated it was found that the trusted employee would ask one or the other of her supervisors to sign blank checks. Sometimes the requests were verbal, other times she left sticky … [Read more...] about A simple way to bankrupt your church and lose your job in the process

I was in conversation with a search committee about being their pastor. We did the usual tapdance of questioning each other. I asked what their procedure was for voting to extend a call to a new pastor. One committee member jumped the question and answered, "We require an 80% congregational vote but I moved that we add one additional point for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit." I'm pretty good at math and that makes an 83% vote necessary. I think the size of that church was such that they might have 60 or 70 voting members present for a pastor-call vote. The 83% … [Read more...] about The strange world of autonomous Southern Baptist churches

The great majority of these are full time, career overseas personnel, mostly couples but some singles. We all know that IMB counts spouses as missionaries; thus, a couple is two. Not rocket science for most SBCers but the counting policy should be understood. Some of the 3,681 (the number reported on IMB's site) are not career but mid-term people, a few years commitment and some are IMB team members overseas who are filling jobs for the mission but not funded by IMB. Paul Chitwood, IMB CEO, in his recent address to trustees said there were currently 3,700 overseas personnel (I'm assuming a … [Read more...] about IMB has 3,681 total field personnel headed toward 4,200

The days are shorter, skies are grayer, birds aren't singing, and flowers aren't blooming as much these days. So how about my adding a depressing thought. Paul Chitwood, CEO of the IMB said: A look back over the last decade of LMCO receipts reveals that 10 percent fewer churches contributed in the past five years than in the five years prior.                                                                                                                                                  Paul Chitwood, September 26, 2019. I understand that our oldest and most valued entity, The International … [Read more...] about Dear SBC churches: Give something, anything to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions

The internet blew up last week with responses to John McArthur’s comment that Beth Moore should “go home.” He meant that she should focus her energies on home life rather than Bible conferences. He made this comment at a pastors’ conference at his church in California in response to a question about women who preach and teach. It is fair to say that he maintains a very narrow view on women teaching and preaching. Of course, after his comments became known both sides on the issue came out swinging, and strong comments ruled the day. John McArthur’s comment caused me to ask myself—Should Beth … [Read more...] about Should Beth Moore “GO HOME”? [By Mark Terry]

  I'm in therapy having worn out my facial musculature, exhausted by SBC events. Used to be that regular SBC news caused a single eyebrow to be raised and I could alternate between the two of mine. Now the demand is always for both. To wit: May I, ahem!, tout my own humble stuff on complementarianism? That is, the definitive, succinct, 319 word piece that declared "complementarianism" not to be worth diddly-squat any more. Southern Baptists love adjectives and thus will flood the comp market with them: hard, soft, broad, narrow, traditional, etc. Is this the hill we want to die … [Read more...] about Not gone unnoticed: The complementarianismness mess, CaringWell/abuse, hanging around past your shelf life…and bacon, brethren.

What does it say about the future of Southern Baptist state conventions that the movement among them is to voluntarily reduce their revenues by cutting the percentage of Cooperative Program offerings that are kept and spent within a particular state's borders thereby reducing their ability to hire staff and do ministry? What it says is that the work done within a state (and I'd add to that especially within the legacy southern states where most Southern Baptists live and which receive the great majority of CP revenues) is less important than that which is done through our two mission boards … [Read more...] about What does the future look like for state conventions?