Less than a month ago, my dad dropped dead of a heart attack. This was shocking, unexpected, and disorienting for our family. As much as we wanted to pretend it didn’t happen or distract ourselves with other things, we have been helped through the process by talking about it, expressing our emotional responses, and letting each family member grieve in his or her own way. We knew we were going in the right direction when my 3-year-old said, “I miss Grandpa. I feel sad. Grandpa was a pilot. Grandpa died. He’s dead now.” Perhaps because the loss of my dad was so fresh on my heart, I was hoping … [Read more...] about Lament, Power, and the Future of the SBC
Social Issues
Thoughts on J.D. Greear’s Comments on Homosexuality
I was once asked to officiate a wedding for a young couple that had been attending our church. The young man had waited for me outside the building and he was very nervous. I knew the couple had been living together, and when he asked, I looked into his face and said, "I don't normally marry couples who are living together. That's against what God's Word says, so we'll have to talk about that." I'll never forget that conversation. I was right. However, I did a poor job of loving my neighbor. I loved being right more than I loved that young man, and it cost me the opportunity to influence … [Read more...] about Thoughts on J.D. Greear’s Comments on Homosexuality
The World Needs More Foster Dads
With our journey into foster care, I’ve stepped into the social media pond of foster parenting to find resources and make connections with others on the journey. One thing I’ve noticed is that there are a whole lot more foster moms on social media than foster dads. We could assume that these moms are simply more media-engaged than their counterparts. Yet, it’s been my experience that many of these are single foster moms or ladies who lament that their husbands aren’t more engaged. In my face to face experiences, I’ve found the latter to be far from universally true, but you still hear the … [Read more...] about The World Needs More Foster Dads
Yes, Resolutions Do Matter
Leading up to the SBC annual meeting every year, much is made of the resolutions that are being submitted. Many of these resolutions are posted online for all to see even as they are being submitted to the resolutions committee. With this comes the inevitable pontificators stating how resolutions really do not mean anything at all. So what’s the point? On one hand, it is true that SBC resolutions are non-binding. As you surely know, resolutions are considerably different than motions offered on the floor during the meeting itself. SBC churches are not bound in any way by the resolutions … [Read more...] about Yes, Resolutions Do Matter
SBC Speaks On Immigration In a Romans 13 Moment
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." - Romans 13:1-2 How do we reconcile Romans 13 with speaking out on Immigration policy that differs from current law or what the government proposes? How can we be "subject to the governing authorities" while also calling for our government to behave differently than it has when we believe it to be wrong? And, how can we affirm … [Read more...] about SBC Speaks On Immigration In a Romans 13 Moment
SBC Women: Where Do We Go from Here? (Kathy Litton)
Ironically, we find ourselves in the midst of two pivotal, transforming moments in the life of our denomination in regard to women. The first is the significant centennial anniversary of the SBC Constitution being amended in 1918 by the necessary two-thirds majority to seat the first ever female messengers at the annual meeting. This event occurred two years before our country granted women the right to vote. It was a powerful, pivotal moment. The second is the present moment in time. Conditions are rising for a monumental shift in the way women are valued, treated, and welcomed into … [Read more...] about SBC Women: Where Do We Go from Here? (Kathy Litton)
Book Review: God’s Amazing Grace: Reconciling Four Centuries of African American Marriages & Families by Pastor Terry Turner
A response to a question Blacks have been asked for years, is finally answered in this great book of epic insights by Terry Turner entitled, God’s Amazing Grace: Reconciling Four Centuries of African American Marriages and Families. “Why don’t you just get over it,” is a question many non-Blacks often ask of African Americans, in regards to any civil rights matter. For most Blacks, the answer is not a simple reply because it is so complex. In this book, Turner does an excellent job of breaking down the issues in the Black community that have stifled growth and positive outcomes in their … [Read more...] about Book Review: God’s Amazing Grace: Reconciling Four Centuries of African American Marriages & Families by Pastor Terry Turner
#SBC18 Annual Meeting Recap (Karen Swallow Prior)
Last week’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention garnered more attention than others in recent memory. Controversies mounting over recent weeks and months for Southern Baptists and evangelicals—from presidential politics to #ChurchToo—led to intense media coverage in the days leading up to and surrounding the meeting. Countless news outlets reported on the issues that would define the event, from the firing of longtime SBC leader Paige Patterson from the top post at a Baptist seminary, to Patterson’s last minute withdrawal from the honored spot of delivering the meeting’s … [Read more...] about #SBC18 Annual Meeting Recap (Karen Swallow Prior)
Refugees & Gospel Heritage
My mom was born in Havana, Cuba. My uncle who turned 12 right at the beginning of the Castro regime was one of the 'Pedro Pan kids' whose story was full of heartache and loss as he was sent alone to foster care in Florida to help flee the communist regime. My grandparents and mom waited a long 8 months for their time to leave which culminated in a moment of stepping on a plane with the clothes on their backs and two diapers. The government took everything. Their house, their money, and savings, cars, even their wedding bands. They left everything they knew to start a new life void of … [Read more...] about Refugees & Gospel Heritage
Mike Pence & the SBC – It’s a Mixed Bag (Dave “Tarheel” Cline)
I want to say from the outset that I would strongly prefer that no elected politician, candidate, or official speak at the Southern Baptist Convention. I would even go so far as to suggest that the host city send a tourism or chamber of commerce representative to welcome us to their fair city instead of a mayor or councilperson. I hope the SBC exec committee will, as a result of the referred motions regarding this, propose a formal nix going forward of our historic practice of inviting and granting space on the platform and/or on the schedule to elected politicians or candidates for secular … [Read more...] about Mike Pence & the SBC – It’s a Mixed Bag (Dave “Tarheel” Cline)