We are a few days away from another SBC Annual Meeting. Usually, I await this annual pilgrimage with eager anticipation. I love the fellowship, networking, reunion with old friends, meeting of new people, learning about the work of our entities and auxiliaries, politicking, tweeting, free books, preaching, prayer, testimonies and general camaraderie of gathering with messengers from across the nation. This year, however, I have a healthy dose of dread to go along with it. These past few weeks and months have been draining and disheartening to say the least. There are still major questions up … [Read more...] about In Light of All This Mess – My Hopes for the SBC
Voting Greear, Could As Easily Vote Hemphill, Tempted To Nominate Beth Moore, For SBC Presidency
When Trayvon Martin was shot and killed because he simply looked “suspicious,” initiated by the fact that Zimmerman viewed him as “suspicious” and chose to pursue him against the order of the police department, it was a personal, powerful, picturesque and emotional moment for me to hear Dr. Fred Luter address this matter as President of the SBC. I never thought I would live long enough to hear a SBC President redemptively, righteously and prophetically address a matter when a young Black man was needlessly shot because the idea was stimulated by unfounded suspicion and his killer not following … [Read more...] about Voting Greear, Could As Easily Vote Hemphill, Tempted To Nominate Beth Moore, For SBC Presidency
Breaking: Statement from SEBTS Administration on Internal Investigation & Patterson Documents
Southeastern Seminary has released a statement tonight responding to a letter from Paige Patterson's lawyer. The full text is below. Noteworthy: SEBTS asserts "there has been no evidence discovered that disputes or discredits our former student’s account" An internal review is still ongoing, awaiting the return of documents SEBTS believes are owned by the seminary. SEBTS still seeks the return of documents they believe should be under the SEBTS possession. No request for arbitration has yet been received by SEBTS, thus there's been no opportunity to accept the request. SEBTS … [Read more...] about Breaking: Statement from SEBTS Administration on Internal Investigation & Patterson Documents
SBC Voices Down Much of the Day, 6/4/18
Our apologies for the significant downtime today. We ended up making an emergency move to a new web hosting company. We could tell the site was running poorly last night and eventually stopped working altogether for a few hours. Then by morning time the front end (the side our readers see) was functional and scheduled posts still went up, but we were locked out of any admin capabilities. Then it went down altogether. After some troubleshooting and work and talking with the hosting company, they explained what was going on. Because of high traffic and server load, the server had … [Read more...] about SBC Voices Down Much of the Day, 6/4/18
One Question for Each Entity Head at #SBC18
The Q&A time after the reports by each entity head at the SBC Annual Meeting can get interesting. There is usually at least one question and answer each year that is worth witnessing. Unfortunately, Wiley Drake will not be present in Dallas to question the salvation of any of our entity heads. The Q&A time is not the best forum for fruitful discussion, but it is a time when messengers can be sure that their question will be heard. The clarity and thoroughness of the answer you receive is, however, at the discretion of the entity head being questioned. When the entity heads are … [Read more...] about One Question for Each Entity Head at #SBC18
The Handwriting on the Wall: What We Can All Learn From the Paige Patterson Scandal
In many ways, I am a son of Paige Patterson. Some would describe me as a son of the Conservative Resurgence, the movement he helped spearhead. Over the course of my fifteen-year ministry, I’ve been able to serve in conservative churches and on conservative boards because of a conservative convention, and I have Paige Patterson to thank for it. Not personally. It’s not like he pulled any strings for me. We don’t have that kind of relationship. But he did spearhead a movement from which I’ve benefitted. However, like many, I’ve been disheartened and demoralized by the recent scandal … [Read more...] about The Handwriting on the Wall: What We Can All Learn From the Paige Patterson Scandal
The Annual SBC Statistical Release Weepfest
Just prior to each year's annual meeting LifeWay releases the previous year's Annual Church Profile statistical summary. Baptist Press reported on it yesterday, ACP: Worship attendance rises, baptisms decline. Last year I had an article on the previous year's data: ACP 2016 Stats: Add a chapter to Lamentations. There's a pattern here and I have the freedom to be more creative in my titles than BP. Here are some highlights and lowlights from the 2017 data: 1. Baptisms are down, and by almost 10 percent. We in the SBC are highly spiritual and prefer not to talk about money. Baptisms are … [Read more...] about The Annual SBC Statistical Release Weepfest
Parents and Children (Ephesians 6:1-4): From the Voice that Matters Most
We share our opinions and insights at SBC Voices, but we believe that the Voice that matters most is the one that comes from God's Word. We present these daily expositional devotions, beginning with a tour of Ephesians called, "Walk Worthy," in hopes of encouraging our readers to remember to Voice above every voice. Passage Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. And fathers, don’t stir up anger in your … [Read more...] about Parents and Children (Ephesians 6:1-4): From the Voice that Matters Most
What is next? Some ponderings for the SBC as we move forward
Well, in case you missed it, there has been a rather massive shift in the Southern Baptist Convention. I'll not rehash the waters gone by about the events at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. There's about four million blog posts, tweets, and Facebook streams about it (give or take a few million). Something I've been trying to think through is what happens next? Where do we go from here? I'd like to offer my musings on that, and you can do with them what you will. First, we need to pay attention to the fact there are very likely more victims who will come forward. And the instinct … [Read more...] about What is next? Some ponderings for the SBC as we move forward
You CAN come to #SBC18 even when money is tight
My first SBC annual meeting was in Atlanta in 1999. I was a young church planter and like many young ministers, we had very little money. I wanted to go and participate in our denomination's annual meeting and attend my first Convention. I made the decision to go late, actually 1 week before the meeting. But I also had the problem of funds. I asked my wife if I could go and she reluctantly gave me her blessing… if I could do it for $100 because that’s all we had available at the time. I accepted the challenge and attended my first Convention. I made a quick plan. I made a reservation at the … [Read more...] about You CAN come to #SBC18 even when money is tight