I've often written articles about the Cooperative Program, usually after the Executive Committee's monthly CP report. The theme has consistently been about declining revenues. But not today. Baptist Press reports National CP giving nearly $11M above budget halfway through fiscal year. This is significant enough that even longtime critics like our mod/lib friends report on it: Against the odds, the SBC is experiencing a double-digit increase in giving. Why the good news? Could be a lot of things but, clearly, the increases in giving express Southern Baptists' confidence in and … [Read more...] about To the surprise of many CP giving is up substantially
So, what’s the problem with choirs?
Here I am in retirement, free to worship where I please and not currently the pastor of a church. Were I, I suppose they would expect me to show up most every Sunday. I'm not a music person, other than I know what I like and don't like. In church music it's mostly don't like. But music isn't a deal breaker with me and the church I attend. Recently, my wife and I made a move back to my home church in part because she is an outstanding singer and the church has - GASP! - an actual volunteer choir that sings every Sunday. They're good. The congregation appreciates them. The choir members … [Read more...] about So, what’s the problem with choirs?
You gotta problem with this?
Up the road there lives a patriot...or a Christian...or...some melding of the two. Any problems here? Not that I would complain. It's private property and free speech. I've seen churches do worse like the one that covered up the cross on their sanctuary wall with a giant American flag. Only for a single Lord's Day. Around Easter, crosses abound sometimes draped with cloths of different colors. But I've never seen this one. … [Read more...] about You gotta problem with this?
Great Commission Giving. Trads and Cals now love that giving metric?
Does the love fest between the rabid Cals and the formerly militant, though now meek, Trads extend to Great Commission Giving, the SBC giving category that can't get any respect? I'm just trying to manage all the consequences of recent SBC political developments that have my head spinning. You'd think my Christian, Baptist, Southern Baptist colleagues would have more respect for their elders than to jerk their head this way and that with convention politics. Fantasyland, SBC style. So, the Trads love their presidential candidate, longtime follower of Jesus and John Calvin, Tom Ascol. I like … [Read more...] about Great Commission Giving. Trads and Cals now love that giving metric?
Tom Ascol, Voddie Baucham and what a time to be in our Grand Convention!
While the SBC isn't 'woke' it may be drowsy at times and the joint announcement of the campaigns of anti-wokesters Tom Ascol and Voddie Baucham should rouse any sleepyheaded SBCers. When I've heard Tom Ascol, he has always handled himself well, at least on the floor of conventions. There has been a bit of a downgrade recently, recall the scurrilous trailer presented in Birmingham. Not his best moment, but, as Shelby Foote says, "Longevity conquers scandal every time." Ascol is the original rabid Calvinist and to the surprise of many is now allied with the old Trad anti-Cal faction. I … [Read more...] about Tom Ascol, Voddie Baucham and what a time to be in our Grand Convention!
Look for the lone, the sole, the indefatigable stalwart ONE AND ONLY pastor in most US congregations
"And, behold, I looked and saw a vast number of churches in the United States of America. I looked again and, behold, in most of these churches there was a single, solo, lone pastor serving them." I love these religion in America studies and surveys. This one presents what we all think is the ideal and normative US church: a rather small church that has a pastor, and only A pastor, not a team of pastors, not a lead/chief/senior/CEO pastor and a gaggle of sub/assistant/associate pastors. The National Congregations Study from the non-basketball side of Duke University has more data that you … [Read more...] about Look for the lone, the sole, the indefatigable stalwart ONE AND ONLY pastor in most US congregations
There be three SBC things that are an embarrassment, yea, four an absurdity [by William Thornton]
The Baptist Faith and Message. What is an embarrassment is that so many SBC entities and institutions feel compelled to append multiple paragraphs and inferior paragraphs that were composed by a self-appointed, unelected small groups of Southern Baptists. No church has to affirm the BFM, certainly not approve or adopt any ad hoc add-ons to qualify as a cooperating Southern Baptist church. It's been almost a generation since Adrian et al put this together. Time to start denominational WWIII and clean it up. Or, we can just 'wink-wink' our way forward. Some say we can rally around it. Hasn't … [Read more...] about There be three SBC things that are an embarrassment, yea, four an absurdity [by William Thornton]
The Gospel of the Hash House
My average sized congregation in South Carolina, ministerially speaking around 100-150 on Sunday mornings, had a Homecoming Sunday. It was a Big Deal. Always on the church calendar for the same date, third Sunday in September. Always a special preacher, mostly former pastors or guys from the church who had been called out to preach. Predictably for an SBC church, a cardiologists dream in regard to food, copious quantities of heavy casseroles, healthy fresh vegetables often seasoned by tasty fatback, desserts galore. Then there was the special hash. In that area of upstate SC some … [Read more...] about The Gospel of the Hash House
NAMB, our entity with the big red bulls eye, is doing a great job
We have in our Grand Old Convention a cadre of "tire slashers." These are folks who contribute nothing to forward progress but are happy to disable and destroy. Our North American Mission Board seems to attract the most of these people but, alas, it is the birthright of Southern Baptists to act in this way. Those people, loud though they be, are best ignored. Here are a few recent facts about NAMB gleaned from public documents and news reports. [In the interest of full disclosure, I have a bunch of swag from NAMB, picked up at recent SBC annual meetings. My favorite is the small … [Read more...] about NAMB, our entity with the big red bulls eye, is doing a great job
Recognize this?
I suppose I'll never be on board with these prepackaged, prefilled, partly fake grape juice communion cups. Yeah, I understand it's where we are and perhaps the alternatives, as in real bread and real juice without plastic and foil, are unacceptable to our health and safety conscious worshippers. I'll use them but I don't have to like them. The one pictured in my wrinkly octogenarian paw is from the church service yesterday. I didn't steal it. I picked up two when walking in thinking my wife in the choir would need one. Seems the choir had their own. Call me crazy but I don't think … [Read more...] about Recognize this?