William Thornton

The proposal by professors Whitfield and Yarnell, of Southeastern and Southwestern seminaries respectively, is serious, comprehensive, and deserves due consideration. In my reading of their 2500 word article, Addressing Abuse in the SBC: A Proposal, it seems to me that the key sentence is this: We must leverage our autonomy to call our churches into a covenant of protecting the vulnerable. I do not know if their article previews the conclusions and recommendations of the work currently being done by SBC President J. D. Greear's Sexual Abuse Presidential Study Group a partnership with … [Read more...] about Can autonomy be “leveraged” in the SBC to guard against abuse?

One hundred years ago last month the necessary number of states ratified the 18th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, which banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquors. The Amendment went into effect the following year. Thus, next January, my fellow dry Southern Baptists may raise a toast to the time when our great republic gave a black eye to demon rum and the evil alcoholic beverage industry. Or, maybe not. I recall Prohibition being taught in history classes as a failed experiment. That it failed is manifestly true since the country, after a dozen years of … [Read more...] about A century after prohibition

In regard to child protection in SBC churches and entities, whatever solutions are proposed or adopted in the various levels of Southern Baptist life if they prove ineffective in local churches the effort will have minimal value. Our convention has 50,000 or so individual churches that voluntarily cooperate on associational, state, and national levels. The country crossroads church needs to protect children just like the multi-campus megachurch franchise operation. In my church we have used MinistrySafe child protection system for about a year now. It is not a perfect system but works well … [Read more...] about Protecting children in your church

Some Southern Baptist churches would ordain a ham sandwich. One pastor told me that his ordination was a joke. One ordination council in which I participated would have been a joke if I had not been present. No one seemed to know why they were there. Ordinations are quickly given but rarely revoked. Ordinations are not registered with any SBC body that I know of. Ordinations have no recognized requirements in the SBC. We Southern Baptists are not sacerdotalists but what are we? Ordinations require no particular education even though many laypeople think that a seminary … [Read more...] about The ordination scandal in the SBC

Eleven day ago two former SBC presidents, megapastors both, and another prominent SBC pastor wrote the Search Committee for the SBC Executive Committee and asked if minority candidates were interviewed for the open position and if not, why not. The letter was leaked to one of the Baptist state papers. The SC issued a statement yesterday that while the question of a minority interview was not answered, attempted to reassure Southern Baptists of the Committee's committment to "ethnic diversity" in their work. Nothing happened in the ten days between except that conversation ripped and roared … [Read more...] about Search committee fundamentals, tawdry messes, and the bovine vote

Edith lived along the highway a few miles down from the church. With her in the modest frame house was her infirm husband who had been ill for some time. She was an authentic "shut in" in the ecclesiastical lingo of that rural church, confined to her home because of the condition of her husband who needed constant care. Would it be immodest if I said that I, the new pastor and latest in a string of short term ministers, was her favorite? My occasional visits would be brief but sprinkled with her effusive praise like, "We're so lucky to have you" and "You're the best pastor we've ever … [Read more...] about About being their “favorite” pastor