My suitcase is packed. I am headed for Dallas. This will be my sixth Southern Baptist Convention. My first was in Houston in 2013, and I haven't missed one since. I am excited to hear reports of what God is doing among and through Southern Baptists. I am excited to enjoy some tasty tex-mex. And I am excited to get together with friends that I interact with all year but only see once a year. But before we gather in Dallas, I thought I would put together a brief list of questions that I have heading into #SBC18. Surely there are other questions. Surely there are things that will come up that … [Read more...] about Five Questions Heading into #SBC18
SBC Annual Meeting
Breaking the SBC’s Addiction to the Wrong Kinds of Power
How big is your church? Small? Medium-sized? Large? Mega? How many baptisms? How much money do you take in? How much money do you give? How much money do you give to the Cooperative Program? How many were in church last Sunday? What kind of impact are your making? How many have you led to Christ? How hard are you working? What are the results? The measurables? How effective is your leadership? We did everything "right." Why didn't we see the same success as the church down the street? Why are they "stealing" our people? Who do they think they are? They're just growing because the … [Read more...] about Breaking the SBC’s Addiction to the Wrong Kinds of Power
Breaking: Patterson Has Withdrawn from #SBC18 Convention Sermon and Evangelism Task Force Report
Being reported by SBC This Week and other sources on social media: BREAKING: Dr. Paige Patterson has withdrawn from the convention sermon and evangelism task force report. #SBC18 #SBCAM18 — SBC This Week (@SBCthisWeek) June 8, 2018 Scott Coulter, Patterson's former chief of staff, said on Twitter a full statement will release shortly and that the move was "in an effort to bring full harmony to the Southern Baptist Convention." We'll update this post with the statement when it's released. Update: 11:25 Statement is posted at the Southern Baptist Texan Website. Full … [Read more...] about Breaking: Patterson Has Withdrawn from #SBC18 Convention Sermon and Evangelism Task Force Report
5 Lessons and Reasons for Hope In Spite of the Recent Tensions in the SBC (Chris Hefner)
As a Southern Baptist I have been following the recent controversies and tensions at a distance. There is no shortage of opinions, commentary, criticism and defense. The tenor leading up to next week’s convention in Dallas promises to be eventful and significant. There is ample reason for self-examination personally and denominationally. There are lessons we can learn and reasons we can have hope in spite of the controversy and tension. The SBC is an affirmation of the biblical narrative. When you look through the scriptural storyline, you will not find biblical heroes, but rather you … [Read more...] about 5 Lessons and Reasons for Hope In Spite of the Recent Tensions in the SBC (Chris Hefner)
Miami Church Planter Fabian Portunato on Why He’s Attending #SBC18
My name is Fabian Portunato and I am a Send Network planter in Miami, FL, in my 3rd year of this plant. This will be my 4thconsecutive year attending the SBC. It is a commitment I made to myself and my church, that if we were to be Southern Baptists then we would be involved in Southern Baptist life at the local, state and National level. The first year I attended was part of a requirement for my Baptist History class at SEBTS. It was pretty wild seeing characters from the books I had read about the conservative resurgence and it was like seeing those stories jump off the pages into real … [Read more...] about Miami Church Planter Fabian Portunato on Why He’s Attending #SBC18
Three Reasons I’m Looking Forward to #SBC18 (Jim Drake)
With all the controversy surrounding this year’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, I have seriously considered canceling my hotel reservations and staying home. With each new “revelation” and Twitter storm, I have thought it might be emotionally easier to skip the trip to Dallas. After all, a 15-hour drive, wall-to-wall mini-conferences, meetings, and crowds are exhausting—not to mention the added ministry weight of planning and preparation that’s required to be away from our small church during the height of gearing up for summer ministry. With those things in mind, it … [Read more...] about Three Reasons I’m Looking Forward to #SBC18 (Jim Drake)
How to Destroy Good Men
I think there's a union somewhere - the Difficult Deacons Association. They send out one or two to almost every Baptist church (hopefully only one or two). When one member of the DDA moves on, another one is appointed to take his place. I also have had a trickle of folks from the Cantankerous Members Union at my churches. We get upset about the Difficult Deacons (or Exasperating Elders) or the Cantankerous Members and try to figure out ways to silence them. I've actually known of pastors who sought to put such people on church discipline because of their lack of support for his "vision" for … [Read more...] about How to Destroy Good Men
The Time is Now: Why I Will be Voting for J.D. Greear (James Merritt)
I have been attending the SBC for over 35 years and was a buck private in the army that fought the battle for the Conservative Resurgence. I have been humbled and honored to be around some of the finest men of God who have ever lived who served as SBC president. Adrian Rogers, the greatest preacher of my generation, Jimmy Draper the quintessential statesman, Bailey Smith, the fearless evangelist, and the list goes on of men who led us to believe that this mighty evangelical battleship could be turned from running aground into the shallow waters of theological liberalism to the warm waters of … [Read more...] about The Time is Now: Why I Will be Voting for J.D. Greear (James Merritt)
Try Something Different at #SBC18: 10 Suggestions for Dallas
Go to the Messenger Orientation. It's Monday, June 11 in the Convention Center - Level 2 , Room D221, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Augie Boto, SBC Executive Committee Interim President, led it last year and it was helpful and informative. Since he has additional responsibilities as interim leader of the EC, I don't know if he will do so this year. I have a report on it in which I mislabeled the event as "New" messenger orientation. Even seasoned old salts who have been to a couple of dozen annual meetings will learn something. Don't greet folks this way...with a firm handshake, a 'great to see you … [Read more...] about Try Something Different at #SBC18: 10 Suggestions for Dallas
In Light of All This Mess – My Hopes for the SBC
We are a few days away from another SBC Annual Meeting. Usually, I await this annual pilgrimage with eager anticipation. I love the fellowship, networking, reunion with old friends, meeting of new people, learning about the work of our entities and auxiliaries, politicking, tweeting, free books, preaching, prayer, testimonies and general camaraderie of gathering with messengers from across the nation. This year, however, I have a healthy dose of dread to go along with it. These past few weeks and months have been draining and disheartening to say the least. There are still major questions up … [Read more...] about In Light of All This Mess – My Hopes for the SBC