SBC Issues

Few things are more universal in churches than summer camps.  They vary in size, location, and amenities, but almost every church goes to a camp of some sort.  I wasn't able to ascertain exactly when camps started, but I can say for certain that they have evolved over the years. An older lady at my church told me they used to take live chickens with them to camp in order that they could have eggs all week. The big treat of the week then came at the end when they had fried chicken.  While many churches still have cooks who go with them to prepare meals, I doubt there is any slaughtering of … [Read more...] about Baptist Summer Camps

It doesn’t seem possible, but I enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Seminary fifty years ago. In August 1972 I drove to Fort Worth and began my seminary studies. I went to Southwestern because my pastor recommended it, and I’ve never regretted that decision. When I enrolled, I had two goals in mind—to qualify for missionary appointment by the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) and to learn to preach. My wife and I had written the FMB and informed them of our call to missionary service. The Personnel Department said, “Great, now go to seminary.” So, off we went to Fort … [Read more...] about Fort Worth Memoirs

The weather is odd these days. Here in western Iowa, farmers are suffering through a drought that is threatening our corn crops. In Eastern Kentucky, something completely different is happening. I spoke at length over the weekend to an old pal of SBC Voices, the Reverend Dr. C.B. Scott, who less than two weeks ago returned to his previous church, McDowell First Baptist Church, as pastor, after leaving a few years ago first o be Director of Missions and recently the Vice President of a Kentucky Baptist boarding school. He told me about the devastation brought by storms during the middle of the … [Read more...] about Eastern Kentucky Needs YOUR Help

Dave Miller's insightful article about his and his church's recent travails was excellent. It was also paradigmatic of thousands of SBC churches. Dave's church was not a small or average-sized church and I'm thinking here of the average-sized SBC church, somewhere around 125, and the median sized SBC churches, somewhere around 70. Generally, these are churches that can support a full-time pastor and most of the opportunities for being THE pastor (senior pastor, lead pastor, etc.) are in churches of this size. There are tens of thousands of SBC churches in this range and below. Many of them … [Read more...] about Can these average sized and below SBC churches survive?

I was chatting with the guys about our mutual enemy COVID and what is happening with it across the nation. My doctor says it is an ever-present reality now, and isn't going away. My anecdotal evidence tells me that it is not yet time to hang the "Mission Accomplished" banner. There may be some new variations ready to throw curve balls at us. Several of us in that group either have COVID or have had it recently, and at least three of us are members of the "long COVID" club, one you never want to join. After you recover from the acute symptoms of the disease, annoying effects linger, like … [Read more...] about I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This

A friend gave me a coffee table book about church signs. I thought I might share some that caught my attention. Inspirational For Hope—Worship with Us; We Have a Real One Be a Fountain, Not a Drain There’s a Mighty Go in Gospel The Mind Grows by Taking in, But the Heart Grows by Giving Out God Grades on the Cross, Not the Curve If God Had a Refrigerator, Your Picture Would Be on It Clever Come Inside for Free Faith Lift God Wants Full Custody, Not Just a Weekend Visit Psalms Read Here Visitors Welcome—Members Expected God: Let’s Meet at My House … [Read more...] about Considering Church Signs!