Adam Blosser and I were able to attend the Young Pastors Summit today at the SBC of Virginia office near Richmond, Virginia. I've attended this meeting every year since 2014. The fellowship and networking is always refreshing. SBC of Virginia leadership does a good job of a putting together a quality program too. I know we had Tom Elliff a few years ago. Kevin Ezell joined us by video conference one year. This year Clyde Meador of the IMB was with us and Thom Rainer spoke by video conference as well. The Young Pastors Summit is a helpful event that affords pastors the opportunity to … [Read more...] about SBC of Virginia Young Pastors Summit
SBC Institutions & Entities
NAAF President Dr. Marshal L. Ausberry, Sr. Responds to SBTS Report on Slavery & Racism
As President of the National African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention, I commend Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Mohler’s commissioning the study and releasing the internal report on the history of slavery and racism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is clear leadership akin to the men of Issachar. (1 Chronicles 12:32 (ESV) 32 Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do...) Dr. Mohler clearly understands the times and knows what to do! I am sure that Dr. Mohler … [Read more...] about NAAF President Dr. Marshal L. Ausberry, Sr. Responds to SBTS Report on Slavery & Racism
James MacDonald Withdraws from 2019 SBC Pastors’ Conference
SBC Pastors' Conference President Danny Wood released a statement today announcing that James MacDonald will not be speaking at #SBCPC19. MacDonald had been named as one of the speakers back in October. Recently a World Magazine article about MacDonald and Harvest renewed some earlier concerns and brought new information to light that reflected poorly on MacDonald. There were growing questions and discussion about MacDonald's participation in #SBCPC19. Wood announced the following via the Pastors' Conference twitter account: Statement from Dr. Danny Wood, president of #SBCPC19: James … [Read more...] about James MacDonald Withdraws from 2019 SBC Pastors’ Conference
Dr. David Hankins Announces Retirement
Dr. David Hankins, Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2019. This newest announcement comes in the wake of a number of other recent highly visible SBC personalities stepping aside from leadership positions for various and sundry reasons. Many people might know that Dr. Hankins and I have had our disagreements over the years but I wish he and his family nothing but the best as he transitions on to a new chapter in his life. Dr. Hankins was a faithful pastor, is a gifted speaker, and cared very much for the Southern Baptist … [Read more...] about Dr. David Hankins Announces Retirement
The Missing Emphasis in SBC Life: Local Associations
Throughout the vast majority of my pastoral ministry, if I were to think about SBC life, I would first think about the local church and then the national entities. I'd think about the Annual Meeting, the notable pastors, the entity heads, denominational strategies, the Cooperative Program, Lottie, Annie, and all of this work that we do together. I'd consider the state conventions too, especially my own, and then I'd think about my local association, primarily quarterly when we'd have our executive meeting, which was always over lunch. I participated, but I didn't put a huge amount of effort … [Read more...] about The Missing Emphasis in SBC Life: Local Associations
BREAKING: Dr. Chuck Kelley Jr. Announces His Retirement from NOBTS
This morning during the Founder’s Day Chapel Service on the campus of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), Dr. Charles “Chuck” S. Kelley Jr. announced he will be retiring from his role as the seminary’s eighth President effective July 31, 2019. Dr. Kelley was elected President of NOBTS on February 23, 1996 taking office on March 1 of that year. At the time his retirement begins he will have served approximately 23 years as president of NOBTS which will make him the longest tenured president in the school's 100 year history. Dr. Kelley responded to God’s call to preach the … [Read more...] about BREAKING: Dr. Chuck Kelley Jr. Announces His Retirement from NOBTS
Women and Seminary: Should You Go?
When I graduated high school I had one primary goal and that was to play softball. The education part would follow, but my dream was to play college ball. At the end of my senior year I signed to play college at a small Division III school, but by the end of my first semester I knew that God was calling me into "ministry." As a young woman who grew up in an SBC church I thought that meant I either went to Africa for missions or I would teach children. Since I wasn't too fond of children I figured Africa was my next step. I enrolled at Criswell College not knowing anything other than I … [Read more...] about Women and Seminary: Should You Go?
Why I Cannot and Will Not Sign the “Social Justice and the Gospel Statement” (by Ryan Burton King)
This article originally appeared at Ryan Burton King's website and is crossposted here with permission. We're thankful for Ryan's thorough and strong response to the statement released yesterday. Throughout history, Christians have banded together to examine and respond to various crises, real or perceived. Creeds from the days of the Church Fathers, and confessions from the time of the Reformation are joined by petitions and tracts from the Puritan era into our own, local church confessions, associational, conventional, and denominational resolutions, and parachurch statements from a … [Read more...] about Why I Cannot and Will Not Sign the “Social Justice and the Gospel Statement” (by Ryan Burton King)
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, SJW? (by Casey McCall)
This article was originally posted at Prince on Preaching, the website of Dr. David Prince, and was written by Casey McCall, pastor of Ashland Oldham County in Buckner, KY. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) is rightly known today for his preaching. The pioneer mega-church pastor attracted weekly crowds numbering in the thousands to his Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England. His sermons were distributed all over the world with an estimated 100 million copies being sold by the time of his death. By all accounts, Spurgeon’s ministry stands as one of the most numerically fruitful in … [Read more...] about Charles Haddon Spurgeon, SJW? (by Casey McCall)
NAMB goes high profile on evangelism
Baptist Press reported: Johnny Hunt to lead NAMB evangelism leadership group The group Hunt will be leading will be focused on championing the cause of evangelism among Southern Baptist churches and pastors. It will also equip pastors with tools and leadership skills that will allow them to lead their churches to become more evangelistically active. NAMB critics should be satisfied with this, since they have found NAMB's lack of an evangelism staff to be a profitable route to gripe about the SBC's declining baptism numbers. Predictably, no evidence links the two unless you are a big fallacy … [Read more...] about NAMB goes high profile on evangelism