On The One Hundredth Anniversary Of Women as Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention 2018 – Dallas, TX WHEREAS, May 15, 2018, marked the one hundredth anniversary of the invitation for women to serve as messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention; and WHEREAS, women have served in a variety of ways throughout the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, including elected offices, service on committees and boards, missions education, ministry through entities and agencies, positions in higher education as well as within our local churches; and WHEREAS, the Scriptures (Mark … [Read more...] about Resolution on the 100th Anniversary of Women as Messengers to the SBC (Kathy Litton & Susie Hawkins)
SBC Annual Meeting
Reflections the Day After Patterson’s Removal
Last night Southwestern Seminary released a statement that caught most of us completely off guard. The Executive Committee of the trustee board, a smaller group of the trustees, unanimously decided to terminate Dr. Paige Patterson effective immediately. Only a week ago the full trustee board had met in a long, likely contentious meeting that resulted in his removal from the role of president of the seminary, but with a visible continuing role on campus as President Emeritus, Theologian in Residence, living quarters, and continued salary. There was little focus on the executive board meeting … [Read more...] about Reflections the Day After Patterson’s Removal
Breaking: Paige Patterson Has Been Terminated Immediately from SWBTS
A statement has just been released by the Board of Trustees of Southwestern Seminary that Dr. Paige Patterson has been immediately terminated as a result of the information concerning the handling of the sexual abuse allegation at Southeastern. All of the previous benefits granted to Dr. Patterson have been revoked. The full statement can also be found on the SWBTS website. During the May 30, 2018, Executive Committee meeting of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) Board of Trustees, new information confirmed this morning was presented regarding the handling of an … [Read more...] about Breaking: Paige Patterson Has Been Terminated Immediately from SWBTS
Can you jettison “DOM” for “AMS” in our Baptist lingo?
Our annual sweatfest, the SBC Annual Meeting, is only a couple of weeks off. With the Greear/Hemphill presidential contest and the Patterson messes having consumed all the pre-convention publicity, you could be forgiven for forgetting that other things will take place. One of these is the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (SBCAL) which meets in Dallas a couple of days prior to the annual meeting. This year the SBCAL, as a part of their year-long study A fresh look at the time-honored work of associations within SBC life, will recommend a name change for what most of us … [Read more...] about Can you jettison “DOM” for “AMS” in our Baptist lingo?
Toilet Paper & the SBC President (by Jacki C. King)
“Can you pick up toilet paper on the floor in the bathroom?” This was one of the first questions I got in my very first interview as a young and arrogant Bible School student from my future boss. I thought he would come at me with what my view of women in ministry was, my eschatological views, or what places I would be leading within the specific ministry I was being hired under, but instead he impressed two things in that interview; one that he was looking for a servant leader. Someone who would pick up toilet paper and hold open doors. The second he said, “You need to constantly be aware of … [Read more...] about Toilet Paper & the SBC President (by Jacki C. King)
Dr. Jason Allen’s Resolution on “On Affirming the Dignity of Women and the Holiness of Ministers”
Dr. Jason K. Allen, President of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has released a resolution which he has submitted for consideration at the SBC Annual Meeting. It is signed by entity heads, by President Steve Gaines, by both presidential candidates, by past SBC presidents, many of our state executives (I did not check to see how many did or did not sign), and by many mega metro pastors. The resolution is printed below in full. Dr. Allen's commentary on the resolution can be found at his website and is well worth reading. This resolution is well-written and much-needed. As the … [Read more...] about Dr. Jason Allen’s Resolution on “On Affirming the Dignity of Women and the Holiness of Ministers”
At the Crossroads: An Endorsement of J.D. Greear (by Michael Cooper)
In a time of change within the culture and the church at large it is imperative to look for a leader who will set the example of maximum Gospel engagement. Closer to home the Southern Baptist Convention is at a crossroads, seeking to push back lostness while struggling to find its identity. This is why I believe #SBC18 in Dallas is so important. The churches of the Southern Baptist Convention have an opportunity to establish an identity as a disciple-making and gospel-proclaiming unit. This is why I'll be raising my ballot for Pastor J.D. Greear on Tuesday afternoon. So why am I voting for … [Read more...] about At the Crossroads: An Endorsement of J.D. Greear (by Michael Cooper)
The Role of SBC President: Does This Year Matter More?
This is the most highly contested SBC presidential contest since the end of the Conservative Resurgence. I think the 1990 election in New Orleans where Morris Chapman defeated Dan Vestal by 15 percentage points was the last white hot election. We've had contested elections since but none like this year's. One group casts this election as one to turn the convention around, reclaim the convention, etc. Steve Gaines and others call it "pivotal" but doesn't explain how it is so. Maybe it's supposed to be self-evident. Is the SBC president that big of a deal? In the light of current events, … [Read more...] about The Role of SBC President: Does This Year Matter More?
To Publish or Not to Publish? Resolutions in a Social Media Age
Last Thursday, our own William Thornton helped potential resolvers by laying out the steps to properly submit a resolution, along with a few details on what happens after the resolution is submitted. Monday Resolutions Committee chair Jason Duesing provided an extended explanation of their committee's work and process in Baptist Press. If you're interested in the resolutions process and some of the more technical details, you'll find a ton of good info there. So you already know the official process. But there's a trend recently that goes beyond those official steps. More and more people … [Read more...] about To Publish or Not to Publish? Resolutions in a Social Media Age
2018 may be the SBC’s annus horribilis
My apologies to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, from whose 1992 speech I borrowed the Latin phrase. The royal family had a number of personal difficulties that year...and Windsor Castle caught fire. Sometimes royalty, even in the SBC, has difficulty. In the Grand Old Southern Baptist Convention we'd like to catch a different kind of fire but it looks like we will have to deal with extensive damage first. To Americanize annus horribilis, try Judith Viorst's 1972 children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. All of those descriptors work well. Some of the … [Read more...] about 2018 may be the SBC’s annus horribilis