It's our system. Why should anyone be surprised? My mantra on the SBC Annual Meeting, specifically in response to the clamor of the remote voting crowd has always been, "Show up. Vote. Go home." We had over 15,000 registered messengers in Nashville. There was heavy, strident, and sometimes dramatic competition for their individual votes. As long as that is the case, we will have the kind of stuff we've been having. Ed Litton won the presidential race by around 500 votes, out of over 13,000 votes cast. I'll say it again. Votes for Mike Stone were negatively affected by release of … [Read more...] about Ah, our Grand Old Convention: Politics, leaks, dirty tricks doth infuse, infuriate, energize and electrify us
SBC Issues
The Man Who Understood Christmas
I haven't had time to enter into the fray here, so I thought I'd drop by leave a Christmas message here. I know our audience isn't always motivated unless there's something to fight about, but this is what I'm writing and working on these days. Do you ever wonder during all the hullaballoo of the Christmas season if anyone understands what the season is all about? We celebrate frenetically but seem to have little clue about the season’s true meaning. This phenomenon is not new. There is little evidence that those who experienced the events of the first Christmas fully understood what was … [Read more...] about The Man Who Understood Christmas
2022 SBC Pastor’s Conference
The SBC Pastor's Conference has announced their speakers for the 2022 meeting. Baptist Press: SBC Pastor's Conference speakers spread across multiple ministry settings The list of pastors speaking at the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference stretches across a variety of backgrounds, from small congregations to megachurches and combat veteran to former Division I college football player. I'm not planning to attend the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim unless convention expenses drop from the clouds or dollar bills start growing on the trees in my yard. Being retired means a lot of things one of … [Read more...] about 2022 SBC Pastor’s Conference
Taking a Prophetic Stand: Die Hard is NOT a Christmas Movie
This was originally posted in 2016, but since heretics like Jay Adkins continue to troll social media promoting Die Hard as a Christmas Movie, people who stand for truth, justice, and the ho-ho-ho way have to continue to stand. I read a post the other day differentiating trolling and taking a prophetic stand. Trolling is when someone takes a strong stand with which I disagree. When I agree, that person is taking a prophetic stand. I am taking a prophetic stand against a great evil I've seen on several of my friends' Twitter and Facebook posts. On lists of great Christmas movies, … [Read more...] about Taking a Prophetic Stand: Die Hard is NOT a Christmas Movie
Should Mid-America Seminary be put on SBC ‘probation?’
My answer at the top here: "NO." I'm an alumnus of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and I'm embarrassed by recent actions of my beloved alma mater. I arrived at the seminary in 1978 and, after three full years including one full and fun summer of Hebrew, I received my MDiv. I haven't been on the campus in quite some time and am not connected in any way. MABTS was a great seminary in my day. I would think that it is still a good place to get a solid theological education with an emphasis on practical missions and evangelism. The seminary is the chosen "partner" school of the … [Read more...] about Should Mid-America Seminary be put on SBC ‘probation?’
A Voices guy, a CBN guy, and a duck walk into a bar…
The Voices guy says, "Give me a shot of the strongest stuff you've got. We gotta guy here who writes stuff, every word his own and under his own name and people blame the rest of us for it. Then he deletes it all by himself and people complain that we deleted it - sucker punched both ways." The CBN guy, sitting as far from the Voices guy as he can get, says, "You think you've got problems. Nobody likes our conspiracy movie. I watched it myself and now I'm depressed." The duck says, "I'm going to another bar. I don't have a single friend anymore. They all became Southern Baptists like you … [Read more...] about A Voices guy, a CBN guy, and a duck walk into a bar…
A Word (Well, a LOT of Words) about SBC Voices
I am emerging from my personal hibernation to address an issue and give some information about SBC Voices. I am coming out of probably the worst 2-year period in my life - I won't bother to regale you with all the details, but COVID hit me hard and hit my church hard. Two years ago, both my parents went on hospice and I lost both of them and that kinda knocked me back. Ministering in the post-COVID era has been a challenge unlike any I have faced in 40 years. I had surgery recently and I am recovering. All of that has led to a period of significant discouragement in life - yeah, my doctor … [Read more...] about A Word (Well, a LOT of Words) about SBC Voices
It May Be Time for the SBC to Break ALL Ties to MABTS
Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary has no formal ties to the SBC, but has always had an informal relationship with our convention. In my younger days, before the changes brought by the CR at our six official seminaries, many pastors encouraged young men called to the ministry to go MABTS for theological education because it was solidly conservative. The former president there had a rule that those involved with the school were not to criticize the SBC or the CP. The current president, Mike Spradlin, has taken a different tack, choosing to spread divisive lies meant to tear down our … [Read more...] about It May Be Time for the SBC to Break ALL Ties to MABTS
I’m embarrassed by my alma mater, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
MABTS was a new, different kind of Southern Baptist seminary in 1978 when I matriculated. I persevered through three plus years of seminary education, complete with Greek and Hebrew. It was a great time. I graduated in 1981. Gray Allison, founder and president at the time (he died in 2019) was a great man by any measure. He started the seminary with nothing - no money, no Cooperative Program, no denominational backing, just an idea for an alternative to the six SBC seminaries. Somehow he made it work. Now, MABTS is a partner with the Conservative Baptist Network. Fine. I understand … [Read more...] about I’m embarrassed by my alma mater, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
The weird world of retired clergy: I’ve been retired for a full decade this week.
The strangest day of my life was November 21st a decade ago. That was the Monday following my last Sunday at the church I'd served for fifteen years and from which I retired. Monday morning with no sermon to think about for next Sunday, no hospital visits to make, no office to go to, no Christmas events, revivals, vacation Bible schools or other church events to think about. No budget to worry about...and...no more paychecks to pick up semi-weekly. Weird, but your humble hacker and plodder blogging pastor managed to cope (and is anything more retro than blogging?). Ten years later, not … [Read more...] about The weird world of retired clergy: I’ve been retired for a full decade this week.