Pity the exalted, yet poor group of "SBC Elites." Seems the group is always in the bulls eye for one dissenting group or another. They get to sit at the cool kids table at lunch, and, if critics are correct these folks only deign to talk to each other. Communication with lesser SBCers is made by pronouncements, instructions on how to think and act, and by divine fiat. We aren't a convention of churches, as we've been told ad nauseum. We are a convention of pastors, and other clergy who are on the denominational payroll. An elite, self-selected group among these drives the SBC bus. Who … [Read more...] about OK, so who are the SBC elites who sit at the cool kids table at lunch?
I Remember Revival Meetings
This post is about revival meetings. For some, it will be a trip down memory lane, while for others it may be more like a church history lesson. When I was a boy in the 1950s, most churches had two or three revivals each year. They would hold a fall revival, a spring revival, and often a summer youth revival. The churches hoped to energize their members and evangelize the lost. Sometimes the churches would invite a full-time evangelist, and they would invite a music evangelist, also, if they could afford it. Other times, the pastor would invite another pastor to preach, and there were a lot of … [Read more...] about I Remember Revival Meetings
The Pastor and Visitation
I pastored a church in Virginia long (long, long, long...) ago and ran into a culture I wasn't used to. Many of the people there thought that ministry was preaching a decent sermon on Sunday (one that let out on time, of course) and then going from house to house the rest of the week doing visitation. This wasn't evangelistic, but simply calling on people to see how they were doing. This church was in a very small rural town. Then I moved to Iowa, where I served two churches over the past 32 years, both in cities of more than 100,000 people. In these cities, drop-in visitation was not only … [Read more...] about The Pastor and Visitation
“I Prayed about It”
“I prayed about it.” These common words can be both comforting and annoying. My wife and I have been in a transition time in recent months and have prayed for wisdom on every decision, every option. Sometimes, I feel like Abraham on his journey “to a land I will show you.” God isn’t giving us anything but day-by-day, step-by-step guidance. We should not make decisions without praying, seeking the guidance of God’s word, and being led by the Spirit. Praying about things is important in our walk with Christ. Still, there is a problem when we act as if saying “I prayed about it” or “After … [Read more...] about “I Prayed about It”
What’s Wrong with Us? Facing Our Problems
Few would argue that the American Evangelical church (or our convention) is in a golden period of health and vibrancy. There are healthy churches, of course, but overall, things are not good. The church is badly divided. Christ prayed that we would be one. Of course, we should not unite with false teachers, but church of Jesus Christ, those faithful to the gospel, is fractured contrary to Christ’s prayer. My dad traveled to well over 100 churches in a couple of years when he was doing Bible conferences and said that he could count on one hand those that were not badly divided. When we … [Read more...] about What’s Wrong with Us? Facing Our Problems
On the Annual Celebration of Christmas and Easter (Phillip Powers)
The Insatiable Desire of Christians for Scandal
There was quite a brouhaha on Christian Twitter over the holidays focusing on the scandal-mongering of Christian magazines. Christianity Today released its Top-20 news stories of the year , based on readership (online clicks, I think) and as you might imagine, the vast majority of these focused on scandals within the church - a good number of them on Southern Baptists and our troubles with sexual abuse. My article on giving standing ovations to men like Matt Chandler, which appeared here and then was carried there, made the list at #9 (yeah, it was a tough year for me so I'm bragging a … [Read more...] about The Insatiable Desire of Christians for Scandal
Pastor Jay’s Lists of Stuff You Should Know for #SBC23 in New Orleans
Once I knew the #SBC23 Annual Meeting was coming to New Orleans I immediately thought of assembling a list of things to taste, touch, smell, hear and see while messengers visit this most unique of American cities. The following "list of lists" is certainly not exhaustive but I believe it's a good start. I will likely tweak, add to, or otherwise update these groupings from time to time. I will also be Tweeting out individual portions of these lists from now until convention time. Also, be sure to take a look at the website NOBTS has put together as a resource for visitors. It is fantastic. … [Read more...] about Pastor Jay’s Lists of Stuff You Should Know for #SBC23 in New Orleans
Is Your Church a Friendly Church?
Some years ago, I served as the interim pastor of a county-seat First Baptist Church in Kentucky. One week I received a note from a woman who had visited our church. She told me that I was the only one who greeted her when she visited. Her note prompted two reactions in me. I was relieved that at least I had greeted her, but I felt dismayed that no one else had done so. In reaction, I shared this with the congregation both in a service and in the church newsletter. I encouraged them to greet all our church guests. Well, how well does your church do in welcoming guests? I discussed this with … [Read more...] about Is Your Church a Friendly Church?
