SBC Issues

The NAMB controversy concerns mainly smaller, non-south state conventions but the great consumer of Cooperative Program dollars are the large state conventions. If we are to engage in finger pointing over declining statistics, a popular game in the SBC if not a productive one, the fingers should point to the places where we're spending the most money. But, for now the conflict is between NAMB and non-south states. Again, take the time to read Joe Westbury's long, long article here. One  of the statements made in Westbury's article caught my attention,                       Adams, in … [Read more...] about NAMB and the State Conventions.

A major issue in the SBC 2021 presidential election is the relationship between NAMB and state conventions, especially state conventions outside the south. One candidate, Randy Adams, has made NAMB his main platform as he campaigns for the highest elected SBC office. Charges of mismanagement, secrecy, top-down authority, rejection of historic patterns, partnerships, and principles, heavy handedness, and a lot of other things have been aimed at NAMB. The phrase "forensic audit" is being brayed  incessantly. The whole business of relationships, cooperation, partnerships, agreements, church … [Read more...] about The conflict between NAMB and the State Conventions; take some time for weekend reading

It would be understandable if E.W. Perry was nervous as a silence fell over the hushed crowd. He had stood before large congregations of all sizes for most of his life. But never before had someone like him stood before a group like this. The seasoned preacher did what he always did. He opened his Bible and began to expound God's word. Over the next hour, those attending the mostly-white Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Oklahoma City in 1949 sat spellbound as his heart poured out the Gospel. The son of former slaves preached before the convention founded so that slaveholders could be … [Read more...] about Baptists You Should Know: EW Perry

This past year has proved trying for everyone, especially those in the ministry. We’ve dealt with sickness and dying on a scale beyond our experience. Circumstances have forced us to serve in ways that are unfamiliar. (I still don’t like preaching to a camera instead of people!). We’ve had to learn new things and temporarily abandon normal ministry practices. When was the last time you made a hospital visit? Beyond the stresses of church life, we’ve struggled with personal issues. Last year Dave Miller lost his father. My father died of COVID19 in October, and neither I nor my sisters could … [Read more...] about Recovering Our Joy in Ministry

I asked a close acquaintance, ministry colleague, if they liked Ravi Zacharias. "Not any more," was the quick and laconic reply Dave Miller's article of last week lumped the whole sordid matter under "The Ravi Zacharias Problem" and I'll presume that readers are familiar with that squalid and deplorable mess. One aspect of it that has arisen is that the BG Rule, the man of God (pastor, evangelist, or other male Christian figure) will not be alone with any woman not his wife, Billy Graham and his team establishing that practice early on in his evangelistic ministry. The rule has been … [Read more...] about The venerable Billy Graham Rule gets some new looks

The evidence is in. Ravi denied it and his friends supported him and attacked those who made accusations, but now there is incontrovertible, undeniable, factual evidence that Ravi Zacharias was a sexual predator - a despicable man who leveraged his ministry position for sexual favors from women. It is an ugly story. A friend asked a question today that we are called on to answer often in other contexts. "What do I do with all my Ravi Zacharias materials?" (A paraphrase.) It isn't an issue for me since I do not believe I have any books or materials from Zacharias. I didn't dislike him, I … [Read more...] about The Ravi Zacharias Problem

Over the last few days, both houses of Virginia’s legislature have passed bills that would end the practice of capital punishment in the Commonwealth. Sen. Scott Surovell (D) of Fairfax as well as Sen. Bill Stanley (R) of Franklin sponsored this bipartisan bill. For me, this is a sign of hope on many levels. There is a love/hate relationship with the death penalty in the United States, and it falls largely upon red and blue party lines. However, I think it would surprise many people to know that there are those who vote blue that strongly believe in capital punishment while there are those … [Read more...] about A Right to Kill? A Pastor’s Perspective on the Death Penalty (Joseph Giles)

Last Monday I posted a letter I received from John V. Rutledge, that was clearly racist and expressed low regard for the intellectual capacities and Christian understanding and commitment to the biblical faith. A common response to the Rutledge letter from some Southern Baptists (SB) was that he was not representative of the SBC, and he has not been active in the SBC for the past 20 years (although he was active for 50 years). The reason I posted the Rutledge letter was to make people aware that racist attitudes exist among some SB; and I raised the question, “what percentage of the SBC is … [Read more...] about Rutledge Letter vs. the Patterson Letter

Adam Greenway and SWBTS announced today that there has been a settlement in the lawsuit that they and Baylor University brought against the trustees of the Harold E. Riley Foundation (HERF) over their attempt to take control of the foundation and redirect its assets. Mr. Riley was a longtime benefactor of SWBTS and Baylor, and set up this foundation to continue to support those institutions after he died. When Dr. Paige Patterson was fired from Southwestern, friends of his took control of the board of HERF and there are allegations that the intent was to redirect money from the HERF … [Read more...] about Patterson Allies Capitulate in HERF Lawsuit with SWBTS

If there is a bias in SBC life it is in favor of larger churches. Not that denominational leaders and employees deliberately discriminate against average churches (median attendance, 70; average attendance around 120), or their pastors; it's just that most of the revenue, most of the trustees, all of the leadership, all of the elected presidents come from large or megachurches. The guy soldiering away in the hinterlands as the single staff of a "normal" sized SBC church, a church that is probably rural, probably has a budget no more than $100,000, who's pastor is not likely to be asked to do … [Read more...] about The single staff, single income, paycheck-to-paycheck SBC pastor