SBC Voices

Some Southern Baptist churches would ordain a ham sandwich. One pastor told me that his ordination was a joke. One ordination council in which I participated would have been a joke if I had not been present. No one seemed to know why they were there. Ordinations are quickly given but rarely revoked. Ordinations are not registered with any SBC body that I know of. Ordinations have no recognized requirements in the SBC. We Southern Baptists are not sacerdotalists but what are we? Ordinations require no particular education even though many laypeople think that a seminary … [Read more...] about The ordination scandal in the SBC

  NOTE: I just read the third installment, and to be honest, I may be sick. It is hard to read. Wow. Demented men. NOTE: the second installment is out and is more specific, more maddening, and more saddening than the first. I will turn your stomach. I appreciate the research of the journalists at the Chronicle. They have done an excellent job of showing the problem. I read the first installment of the Houston Chronicle's "Abuse of Faith" story with much fear and trembling. The fact is that for those of us who have been following this story, there was little new there. The details … [Read more...] about Responding to “Abuse of Faith” and the #Metoo Movement

Update: Since the posting of this blog on Saturday, the Houston Chronicle report has now been released. You may access the article here. ______ Tomorrow, an investigative article will be released in the Houston Chronicle that will tell the story of hundreds of persons who have been sexually abused in SBC churches. Even before I know the content of the article, I have a few suggestions about how we as Baptist pastors and members should respond to it.   1. Listen. Hear the voices of the persons in this report and let the story have it’s effect. Digest it, listen to the stories, … [Read more...] about “Abuse of Faith” – A report on Sexual Abuse in SBC churches: How should we Baptists (and we Christians) respond to this report?

Eleven day ago two former SBC presidents, megapastors both, and another prominent SBC pastor wrote the Search Committee for the SBC Executive Committee and asked if minority candidates were interviewed for the open position and if not, why not. The letter was leaked to one of the Baptist state papers. The SC issued a statement yesterday that while the question of a minority interview was not answered, attempted to reassure Southern Baptists of the Committee's committment to "ethnic diversity" in their work. Nothing happened in the ten days between except that conversation ripped and roared … [Read more...] about Search committee fundamentals, tawdry messes, and the bovine vote

I made the assertion in a previous post, based on solid information that has been given to me, that there have been no minority interviews in the hiring processes at our entities. I asked, even begged for information to correct that. If one of the search teams has interviewed a minority, I would love to be corrected and will publicly and loudly publish that correction. To this point, I have received no such corrections. So, assuming that there have been minority applicants (there have - qualified ones) and that these minority applicants have not gotten through the vetting process to the … [Read more...] about Is Racism the Reason We’ve Had NO Minority Interviews?

Edith lived along the highway a few miles down from the church. With her in the modest frame house was her infirm husband who had been ill for some time. She was an authentic "shut in" in the ecclesiastical lingo of that rural church, confined to her home because of the condition of her husband who needed constant care. Would it be immodest if I said that I, the new pastor and latest in a string of short term ministers, was her favorite? My occasional visits would be brief but sprinkled with her effusive praise like, "We're so lucky to have you" and "You're the best pastor we've ever … [Read more...] about About being their “favorite” pastor