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Reflections on Renewal in the SBC

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The SBC is in an unprecedented time of transition and turmoil. We are about the fill the third of the five open entity head positions (the EC votes on its new president next week). Throughout all this turmoil we endure a presidential election last year in which the man who is now our president endured an unprecedented stream of slander and false accusation. Southwestern Seminary had the mother of all bad years. Division over our nation's politics have split our convention that once united politically. Racism continues to be an issue. The #metoo/#churchtoo scandal in the SBC hit the front pages … [Read more...] about Reflections on Renewal in the SBC

Hello. My name is William and I’m an alliteraholic

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I think it started with the best of intentions. A preacher I held in great esteem drank deeply from the cup of alliteration. If it was beneficial for him, why not me? Slowly, I began with simple sermonic points (rich, real, relevant) but the thing began to grip me and I spiraled down into secondary alliterative points (the route he chose, the result he gained, the reason he perished) and then, I'm ashamed to admit it, total depravity in the form of double alliteration (His life of luxury, his lament of languor, his lash of lambaste). I'm not proud of spending more time searching for … [Read more...] about Hello. My name is William and I’m an alliteraholic

Reflections on Counting the Cost of Pursuing Unity (with Editor’s Statement)

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  Editor's Statement: Todd and I (Dave) consulted on the construction of this post and I was the one who personally verified the information about the conversation that took place that caused all of the controversy. We would like to clarify that the purpose of this post was to ask the question as to how to address the issue of whether the election of a minority president would actually cause a donor problem. Todd was careful to express his admiration for Dr. Kelley and did not lay the charge of racism at his feet, though some have falsely accused him of such.  I was told that the … [Read more...] about Reflections on Counting the Cost of Pursuing Unity (with Editor’s Statement)

J.D. Greear – Bringing REAL Change to the SBC

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How do you change the SBC? It is no canoe that shifts course easily with every stroke of the oar. It is a giant aircraft carrier and changing its course is not easy. Recent history has shown that the appointment of blue ribbon groups such as the Great Commission Task Force and such end up as little more than blips on the radar. Name Change. Blip. Calvinism. Blip. If I didn't believe that blogging and other social media had an impact, I wouldn't continue to engage this way. Our impact is often as negative as it is positive, but we have an impact on public opinion. We shine a light where … [Read more...] about J.D. Greear – Bringing REAL Change to the SBC

Ten things you may or may not have known about LifeWay

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LifeWay put itself in the news by announcing the closure of all of its stores..so have some more attention, brethren and sistren: Future Plans — The future of LifeWay Worship Resources is more exciting than ever. In 2017, we partnered with the LifeWay Christian Stores Division to better coordinate the development and promotion of church supplies, music, and DVDs in our stores. This partnership has already begun to blossom and will provide more access to biblically sound resources for church and individual customers in LifeWay Christian Stores. We are currently experimenting with some … [Read more...] about Ten things you may or may not have known about LifeWay

Facts are Our Friends – About LifeWay’s Bad News

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I read a tweet this morning by Jonathan Merritt that spoke triumphally of the fact that LifeWay was closing all its stores. He pointed out that while LifeWay was closing, Jen Hatmaker and others whose books LifeWay had stopped selling were still going strong. As is normal in the Twittersphere, there was a piling-on without much attempt to garner facts. The prevailing idea was that LifeWay was going under and to them, it was just desserts for LifeWay's failure to embrace the LGBTQ+ and progressive Christian agenda. Others in the so-called progressive Christian movement have joined in the … [Read more...] about Facts are Our Friends – About LifeWay’s Bad News

It’s Springtime in the Southern Baptist Convention

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The Spring Equinox today at 5:58 pm, Eastern Daylight Time. The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing...the Doxology, either that or the Sevenfold Amen, except for in Nashville where something about tears and beer have to be worked into every song. The Executive Committee has a guy, the celebrated God's Man, who will be announced March 31st and voted upon two days later at the Dallas-Ft. Worth Grand Hyatt. Plaudits to the EC leadership for not scheduling the vote on April Fool's Day. That shows some insight and careful planning. And, what's it cost to get the 80 … [Read more...] about It’s Springtime in the Southern Baptist Convention

The SBC Will NEVER Fix the Problems in the SBC

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We discuss a lot of issues about what has gone wrong in the SBC. When I first started blogging, we were still experiencing minimal growth and we could argue that while we are not exactly in our halcyon days when the SBC was busting at the seams, we were not doing as badly as "those guys." That bubble has burst. We've had nearly a decade of consistently poor statistical reports revealing declines in most of the numbers we care about. We've had systemic divisions over soteriological viewpoints and a host of other issues, scandals that rocked us to the core, and general denominational malaise. I … [Read more...] about The SBC Will NEVER Fix the Problems in the SBC