Dr. David Hankins, Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2019. This newest announcement comes in the wake of a number of other recent highly visible SBC personalities stepping aside from leadership positions for various and sundry reasons.
Many people might know that Dr. Hankins and I have had our disagreements over the years but I wish he and his family nothing but the best as he transitions on to a new chapter in his life. Dr. Hankins was a faithful pastor, is a gifted speaker, and cared very much for the Southern Baptist Convention. I have said on numerous occasions, he has been one of most powerful men in the SBC for the last couple of decades.
His absence leaves a significant void in the Louisiana Baptist Convention. I am very hopeful that as the LBC moves forward, we will find a leader who will unify our convention, will encourage a big-tent mindset, will be deliberate in bringing various and diverse voices to the table from around the state and will help to lead our state further toward a 50/50 split as we seek even greater cooperation with our SBC entities.
You may find the full story at Baptist Press.
Will be interesting to see what changes a new generation of SC CEOs brings. There are quite a few in transition.
Change is coming in the SBC.
I also think change is in the wind. I don’t know why I am thinking this, but I think in my lifetime, and I’m 75 right now, there will a fairly marked change in leadership in the SBC — starting at the top. Specifically, I predict that we will have a president of the Southern Baptist Convention who is NOT a pastor or a former pastor. The person will be one of these: [a] a modern day incarnation of Charlotte Diggs Moon, or [b] a businessman or business women who is not ordained, [c] someone with former government and/or military… Read more »
I’m not sure that “non-pastor” and “non-networked” are necessarily equivalent. In fact I would imagine there are many non-pastors of high social status that are very much connected with many of the well-known sbc pastors. Conversely, I could imagine there are many pastors who are not.
And while I don’t necessarily thing friendship with a past president is an automatic disqualifier, or is somehow nefarious, I do agree that perhaps going a different direction could be good, and do think that last years non-celeb pastors conference is a good model to follow.
To the rank and file SBC’er, do y’all think the difference will be noticed? Aside from ‘not a good ole boy’, what do you think will change?
Blake, as a very average rank, very rank and file SBC pew sitter based on past history the I think, the average SBC’er will not know or care about the changes that are happening. The old guard is being replaced in all areas by the new guard as the frog in the frying pan guys like me does not notice. It is a generational and cultural change that is inevitable as the majority of SBC members are trusting and complacent. I do not think ti will end well for the SBC as an organization as when the “majority” of conservative… Read more »
In most everything I see and read leadership is as committed to The Bible as ever. I think we are seeing them grapple anew with longstanding issues we have, such as race relations, but I don’t really sense a mass defection toward progressive theology.
Blake, of course the leadership of the SBC are committed to the Bible. It is the emphasis, interpretation, understanding and teachings from the Bible that may “evolve” as they say. I see a little of the creeping in that while abortion is important , a prime issue but how we treat people After they are born is just as important, that “we” only care about people who we are similar to, racism , pro immigration law enforcement is not Biblical, sexist and Islamophobia is on the same level as being opposed to abortion of unborn , innocent babies. Just seeing… Read more »
Just curious. Do you see the cultural and generational changes as inherently bad?
MIke Richardson, of course generational and cultural change is not bad, the only thing that does not change is that there will always be change. We pass on our knowledge and our heirs build upon it. Generational and cultural change can be good or bad. In the SBC for instance I would like to see more transparency, more accountability, less top to bottom bureaucratic structure and more involvement from the SBC members I believe the SBC should rethink it where it is going on new church plants, relationships with non SBC groups that “morph” into having SBC influence and moving… Read more »
steve, [or is it clint?](-: The dress code was wrong to begin with. Most NT Christians didnt have but one set of clothes. Millions of Christians today, especially those living south of the equator dont have Sunday best clothes. And many here in the USA do not own a suit or can afford one. America is a rich country and someties we let our way of being to be the norm for right thinking when it is not. The idea that we must dress upto go to Gods house, the church building, belied the truth that we were God’s house,… Read more »
M White, I stated it was a terrible analogy but my point was not lobbying for a dress code but now once “change” is set in motion there is no going back. Of course no person would advocate for a formal dress code and of all the issues on the subject of change this is the least but it is illustrative. Children use to know that going to church was special and it was a special day . As most people attend churches in their neighborhood or social economic group the definition of Sunday best was relative. I refer to… Read more »
Steve et al: I think you are on to something. I don’t want to put words in your mouth but one aspect of what you are saying is that because the “social fabric” is unraveling, any organization, such as the SBC, is becoming a dinosaur. People are so unattached that they just sit home and stare at the TV or hang out in their favorite chat room. They don’t join any church or go to the Elks Club or the local lodge or anything else. They don’t even hang out with their friends playing poker on Friday night. I guess… Read more »
Sorry to hear about your wife having to go to the care center.
Change is coming. I don’t know what it will be.
Many of the younger leaders tend to have a more collegial style – less imperial. But that is not universal. We will see. I don’t know whether the change is good or bad, but change we must.
I am hoping a lot will change and we will be as fruitful and cooperative as I think we were in Dallas this year.
Blake, a change in the Exec brought a massive chance to Florida. We went from a 57/43 split with Florida keeping 57% to 51/49 real with the 51% going to the CP. Dr. Tommy Green announced this week that in addition to the 51% we send to the CP, that everything above our $30 million budget with go to the CP in its entirety. We gave our whole state missions offering to Send South Florida (over $700,000). If you think I am proud of being a Florida Baptist, you’re right.
An exec can make a big difference.
Wow. That is a difference. An awesome one.
That’s impressive. I’ve always doubted that the CP split could be adjusted incrementally. Different states have differing issues.
Ya gotta love this from the Baptist Press article: “he grew Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles from 2,500 members to nearly 3,500.”
No need for the Holy Spirit or for any laymen, I suppose?
Paul planted, Apollos watered; but David Hankins gave the increase? (1 Cor 3:6, New Baptist Press Version).
If change is coming, I hope it starts with this foolishness.
Roger, you mentioned that SBC agencies/institutions could function with fewer trustees. Actually, several institutions have downsized their trustee boards. I know that Southern Baptist Seminary did this; and, if I remember correctly, so did the IMB. Beyond that, the IMB trustees meet less often than in the past. The institutions made these changes in order to save money. The large boards (many trustees) were an effort to give all the state conventions representation on the various boards. We can understand that motive, but it resulted in big boards and expensive meetings.
Mark: I did not know that some agencies had trimmed the number of trustees and/or reduced the number of trustee meeting per year. I wonder if the management of any entity been negatively changed because of fewer trustee meetings per year or fewer trustees at any given meeting. My guess is the answer is no. Similarly, couldn’t we eliminate one whole layer of machinery in our overall setup? Right now we have associations, state conventions, and then the national entities. These both cooperate, and sometimes “compete”, with each other. For example what used to be “home missions” — now NAMB… Read more »
Roger, you’ve raised good questions. Sixty years ago this is the way the SBC functioned. The Sunday School Board (now Lifeway) staff would decide to implement a new program. The staff would call a meeting and communicate this to the Sunday school directors for the state conventions. They in turn would call a meeting and pass on the information to the associational directors of missions, and they would call a meeting of the pastors and Sunday school directors at the churches in their associations. Now, of course, because of the internet information is available instantly. You are right in stating… Read more »
I am sure that is better than it decreased under his leadership.