The lawsuit against Judge Paul Pressler is convoluted and complicated - it is the most bizarre legal document one can read. But the poor quality of the filing doesn't decide the truth of the accusation. It will have to play out in a court of law. A friend made an interesting statement about this case when we were discussing it a few months ago. He said that if the accusations were true there would likely be many more such accusations come out. I don't know how many there will be, but one more has surfaced. An affidavit filed in New York County by a man named Toby Twining makes a clear … [Read more...] about New Accuser(s) Step Forward against Judge Pressler
Who are the heirs of the Conservative Resurgence? (Luke Holmes)
I eagerly attended my first SBC Meeting in Houston in 2013. It was the closest it had ever been to me and the church had the money to help me. I signed up for every breakout and meeting I could find, and I sat through much of the business sessions and reports. I wanted to soak it all in. I finally got to see and listen to in person many of the names and faces I had only seen from a distance over the years. At one breakout, I don’t remember which one, Danny Akin, president of SEBTS referred to himself as a “child” of the Conservative Resurgence. By this, I took him to mean that he … [Read more...] about Who are the heirs of the Conservative Resurgence? (Luke Holmes)
Reprint from BRNow.org: Setting the record straight: An exercise in brotherly love by Danny Akin
The following is reprinted in its entirety from BRNow.org, the website for the Biblical Recorder. (Any errors in formatting are entirely Doug's fault.) Setting the record straight: An exercise in brotherly love April 2, 2018, by Danny Akin When the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) convenes in June, at least two men will be nominated for president: J.D. Greear and Ken Hemphill. Both men are my brothers in Christ and my friends. I love them, and I am extremely grateful for their ministries. I have nothing negative or unkind to say about either one of … [Read more...] about Reprint from BRNow.org: Setting the record straight: An exercise in brotherly love by Danny Akin
IMB – Too Valuable to Lose (4) (Anonymous Emeritus Missionary)
This is the fourth in a series of posts by this retired missionary. I write anonymously as an emeritus missionary to draw attention to several important issues for Southern Baptists to consider about our mission future. I only speak for myself, but I believe that many missionaries agree with much of what I am saying. The IMB must continue to affirm and strengthen its core business of sending long-term, God-called missionaries in focused teams to plant reproducing indigenous churches among all the nations. This requires ongoing evaluation of trendy new directions that can actually … [Read more...] about IMB – Too Valuable to Lose (4) (Anonymous Emeritus Missionary)
Crushing the Serpent: A Good Friday Reflection
Ever wonder how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden before the Serpent showed up and everything went south? Was it on the eighth day, the 80th, the 800th? We’ll never know until we see Jesus, but we know they were living lives of blessing in a world of beauty beyond anything we can imagine. Their marriage was all God meant it to be - companionship and pleasure without any of the things that tear people apart today. There was no curse of sin – no allergies or sickness, no disasters or heartaches. No snow. Hallelujah – no snow. Most of all they enjoyed the presence of God, experiencing his … [Read more...] about Crushing the Serpent: A Good Friday Reflection
Good Friday at Golgotha and the Slave Market: Isaiah 53, MLK50, and Redemption
This morning, like many of us observing Good Friday, I started with a reading of Isaiah 53. But, while I've read Isaiah 53 many times before, have preached from it, and know it well as one of the primary Old Testament Messianic prophecies about the torture and crucifixion of the Messiah, as well as about his substitutionary atonement for sinners, the last part of the chapter hung around me throughout the day, coming to mind over and over. The first part of Isaiah 53 is familiar and quoted often. The last part is there and read, but we have usually already experienced the impact of the first … [Read more...] about Good Friday at Golgotha and the Slave Market: Isaiah 53, MLK50, and Redemption
Steve Gaines Committee On Resolutions Most Diverse in History
It was reported by Baptist Press yesterday that SBC President, Dr. Steve Gaines, named the 2018 Resolutions Committee. From BP: Jason Duesing of Missouri was named as the committee's chairman by Gaines. Duesing is provost and associate professor of historical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City and a member of Antioch Bible Baptist Church in Gladstone, Mo. The members are: -- Ken Alford, pastor, Crossroads Baptist Church, Valdosta, Ga. -- Byron Day, pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Laurel, Md. -- Candi Finch, assistant professor of theology in … [Read more...] about Steve Gaines Committee On Resolutions Most Diverse in History
Have You “Cleaned” Your Membership Rolls?
As ships pass through the water, they accumulate barnacles. The barnacles can grow to the point that they impede the ship’s speed considerably. Then, the ship must go to a dry dock, where the barnacles are scraped off. Church rolls are like that—they tend to accumulate inactive members who impede the church’s progress. Periodically, churches need to remove barnacle members from their church roll (list of members). William Thornton and I are old enough to remember the time when most churches had two membership rolls: resident members and non-resident members. Today, some churches call these … [Read more...] about Have You “Cleaned” Your Membership Rolls?
Martin Luther King, Jr. & Destiny Will Meet April 3-4, 2018 at the SBC ERLC King Celebration, MLK50
If Dr. King were alive, he would be utterly amazed that the Southern Baptist Convention, this year will be hosting a party in his honor in Memphis, Tennessee. When he penned “The Letter from The Birmingham Jail,” King had his “Christian and Jewish brothers” in mind, including Southern Baptists, when he wrote the following words in April 1963: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities ‘unwise and untimely.’ I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the … [Read more...] about Martin Luther King, Jr. & Destiny Will Meet April 3-4, 2018 at the SBC ERLC King Celebration, MLK50
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Much of the SBC world is still reeling this morning from the news that Executive Committee President Frank Page resigned yesterday due to moral failure. I won't rehash the details here, but you can read Dave Miller's post from yesterday here. It includes a link to the Baptist Press story. I love the great hymn Come Thou Fount. The whole song is great, but I have some favorite lines. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it Prone to leave the God I love Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it Seal it for Thy courts above Those are the words in my mind and on my heart today. If Frank Page can … [Read more...] about Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it