Talk about a blow to your self-esteem. The prophet Samuel showed up to Jesse's home to anoint the man who would be the next king of Israel since God had rejected disobedient Saul. Jesse paraded his seven oldest sons before Samuel, bursting with pride that one of the young men before him would be king. But as Samuel reviewed each one, the Lord told him no. "This is not the one." Finally, Samuel asked Jesse if this was all his sons and Jesse finally remembered little Davey out with the sheep. Can you imagine that? David was so insignificant that his own father did not consider him worth … [Read more...] about Seeking David: On Filling our Entity Leadership Positions
Jacob Deshazer and Hebrews 11
Wednesday, April 18, will mark the 76th anniversary of the famed Doolittle raid over Japan. I love reading and learning about the Dolittle raiders. They faced impossible odds which became even more impossible as they were forced to launch their surprise raid hundreds of miles before the intended launch point. The raiders each have their individual stories, and there’s one raider I learned about this week who had a unique and fruitful life after World War II. Staff sergeant Jacob Deshazer was the bombardier of the last Mitchell B-25 to lift off the carrier deck of the USS Hornet that … [Read more...] about Jacob Deshazer and Hebrews 11
The Looming Civil War in the SBC? A Response to Lorine Spratt and Others
The recent MLK50 Celebration in Memphis was a phenomenal success: Almost 4000 in attendance; over a million have listened online; 25% of the live audience were minorities, predominately African American; incredibly powerful, persuasive prophetic, biblical and redemptive preaching, teaching, panel discussions, fellowship and networking across racial lines. The most diverse gathering in my 40 years of observing SBC Life, with approximately 1000 Blacks in attendance. The Annual Convention of the SBC has nowhere near that kind of Black attendance. Obviously, with a million listeners online, it has … [Read more...] about The Looming Civil War in the SBC? A Response to Lorine Spratt and Others
A few stray observations about the Grand Old SBC these days
Seems that "objectify" is the term du jour in our circles. Many of the brethren need help understanding this. I suggest asking the closest female. Steve Gaines says we are at a "pivotal" time. In my best curmudgeonly way, I'd call it the wrong term. We are clearly in the midst of a generation change, and that whether the youthful J. D. Greear or the senior adult Ken Hemphill is elected. But "pivotal," is ridiculously overused these days. The SBC doesn't pivot. It shifts direction by tiny degrees and fractions of degrees. Regardless of the election outcome, we will change little. The new … [Read more...] about A few stray observations about the Grand Old SBC these days
The SBC, Racial Reconciliation, and Rhetoric: An Appeal
I have been a fairly consistent and often annoying advocate for racial diversity and reconciliation in the SBC since the day I met Dwight McKissic. It was at the SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando in 2010, and Dwight walked up while I was talking to someone else. I'd heard him speak many years before and he had read some of my posts at sbcIMPACT, where I blogged at the time. Dwight offered a resolution or motion (he can probably remember the details, at my advanced age, I cannot) which failed and I sought him out. He pointed something out to me that day, something I simply hadn't noticed. He … [Read more...] about The SBC, Racial Reconciliation, and Rhetoric: An Appeal
IMB: Too Valuable to Lose, Part 5 (Anonymous Emeritus IMB Missionary)
This is the fifth in a series by this retired missionary. When Barnabas saw he needed help in Antioch, he went off to find a missionary whom he had seen in action, had cross-cultural mission experience in several locations, and who had been fulfilling his missionary calling for about 8 years. That is, Paul. What Paul may have learned from Barnabas was that he should always be expanding the mission team. What has been described as Paul’s mission expansion is also the story of the expansion of Paul’s mission team. The later split between the two veteran missionaries is often interpreted as … [Read more...] about IMB: Too Valuable to Lose, Part 5 (Anonymous Emeritus IMB Missionary)
How many churches give around the Cooperative Program?
This is a bit of a trick question and certainly a tricky question to answer. There has always been available to churches a manner by which they might bypass their state convention and give directly to the Executive Committee for distribution to the seminaries and mission boards and other entities receiving funds through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. The church sends directly to Nashville and the EC what would ordinarily be sent to the state as Cooperative Program money. While this is cooperative in the sense that it joins with other churches in funding SBC missions and education, … [Read more...] about How many churches give around the Cooperative Program?
Great Commission Giving is a mess…but has usefulness
Great Commission Giving was intended to be a metric that lumped all SBC giving, Cooperative Program and societal, into one sum for each church. The latest figure for GCG was $646,017,306. That's a pretty good sum and being the veteran braggers that we SBCers are, it's a good figure to toss out there. But it is a flawed statistic. Consider the following. Baptist Press reported on the giving record of the church pastored by the announced nominee for First Vice President. For 2016 -- the last year for which data is available from the SBC's Annual Church Profile -- New Seasons classified … [Read more...] about Great Commission Giving is a mess…but has usefulness
Why We Can’t Wait: The SBC’s Continual Need to Pursue Racial/Ethnic Diversity In Leadership
As the MLK50 Conference sponsored by the ERLC and TGC came to an end last night, I was both encouraged and discouraged. I was incredibly encouraged with what was said, the amazing people I met, the hard truths expressed, and the desire of 4000 people to bring racial healing to the church under the blood of Jesus and the Cross of Christ. But, upon reflection I was also a bit discouraged that it has taken so long to get here, and I left concerned that we would easily fall back into our centuries old pattern of “going slow” when it came to all of us coming together in sacrificial love and unity … [Read more...] about Why We Can’t Wait: The SBC’s Continual Need to Pursue Racial/Ethnic Diversity In Leadership
CP is up by millions: Can we live with prosperity or mess it all up?
Our venerable Cooperative Program is doing well this fiscal year. Baptist Press reports from the SBC Executive Committee that National CP 4.9% ahead of mid-year projection. The $100,706,826.63 received by the Executive Committee for the first six months of the fiscal year, Oct. 1 through March 31, for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget represents 104.90 percent of the $96,000,000.00 year-to-date budgeted projection to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. The total is $2,358,588.29 or 2.40 percent more than the $98,348,238.34 … [Read more...] about CP is up by millions: Can we live with prosperity or mess it all up?