SBC Voices

We were all stunned a couple of years back when David Platt stood before us and laid out, gruesome detail by gruesome detail, exactly what was going on financially at the IMB. In the previous 5 years, the IMB had overspent by 210 million dollars. Platt did several things right in that moment. He was open and honest about the problem. He did not try to scapegoat or pin blame. He was the new IMB president and it would have been easy for him to throw shade on previous leadership, but he did not do that. He presented a clear path to fix the problem and expressed his determination to do … [Read more...] about Entities, Trustees, Crises, and Trust: Thoughts about the SBC’s Future

Yesterday I saw a post on Facebook from a retired police officer, security expert, and security consultant: “The best thing a church CAN do is to LOCK THEIR DOORS right before the services begin.” I know this gentleman. He was not coming from a theological perspective. He was coming from a cultural perspective. His views were reinforced by his year of police and security training. Still, there is something inherently wrong with a Christian taking this stance, and believe me, many people hailed his post with resounding cries of “Amen!” The image of a church with their doors locked is one of … [Read more...] about Moving Forward after Sutherland Springs (Joseph Giles)

The hostility toward Christianity is reaching a boiling point in some circles of our society. Evidently, a large segment of our society is offended and angered by the fact that we pray for one another when tragedy strikes. California representative Ted Lieu walked out of Congress' moment of silence that was honoring the victims of the massacre at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs - a stunt to get attention to promote gun control legislation. When Paul Ryan tweeted a relatively benign blessing it set off a Twitter firestorm. The people of Sutherland Springs need our prayers … [Read more...] about And So We Pray: Answering the Anger over Christians’ “Thoughts and Prayers”

The good Dr. Scott posted this on Facebook yesterday and gave me permission to post it here. It is great wisdom for us to hear.  A WORD OF CAUTION TO SOUTHERN BAPTIST PASTORS In the aftermath of the murder of many of the members of a sister church in Sutherland, Texas is not a time for statements of bold bravado as to what you would or would not do if such an evil came upon the church of which you serve as pastor. However, it is a time for us to pray and reflect seriously upon the perilous times in which we live and minister. The truth of the matter is that when an act of violence … [Read more...] about Wise Words from CB Scott: A Word of Caution to Southern Baptist Pastors

It's just not safe.  Those are the words I recently heard from a man I invited to church.  We were hosting our Fall Festival at a central location in the community.  As I went around talking with families and inviting them to church, some expressed interest in coming.  Others said that they already have a church.  Still others came up with some other reason why they would not be able to come. But one response caught me off guard.  The man was a veteran.  And based on our brief conversation, it seemed clear that he was dealing with some emotional and psychological issues resulting from his … [Read more...] about It’s Just Not Safe – Reflections on the Massacre in Sutherland Springs

An evil man fires on helpless people at a concert in Vegas and we are sickened. A lone wolf rents a truck and mows down helpless people on a bike trail in New York and we are angry. But then a man entered a church - one of ours - in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and opened fire and we have no words. Counts say that 27 people may be dead, among them the 14-year-old daughter of the pastor, Frank Pomeroy. Somehow, that gets me the most. I know it's selfish, but as a pastor, the idea that Pastor Pomeroy lost his daughter strikes a cord in my heart. I search for something to say, something … [Read more...] about What Do You Say When Words Fail?

That's what is being reported by numerous sources - here, here, here. Excerpt from WaPo: The Republicans’ bill would make it legal for ministers and other religious leaders to endorse candidates from the pulpit but stops short of allowing other political participation such as financial contributions from churches to campaigns. The bill stipulates that a religious institution wouldn’t be found to have violated the law “solely because of the content of any homily, sermon, teaching, dialectic, or other presentation made during religious services or gatherings.” That’s the protection that … [Read more...] about Tax bill would allow churches to endorse candidates?

I was engaged in a Facebook discussion today with two eminent Southern Baptist scholars who said some of the most inane, silly things in defense of the National League's refusal to join the 20th Century (yes, I know it's the 21st Century) and adopt the DH. They were not even persuaded by the fact that David Worley agreed with them - which should have been a warning to them. I think it is high time that we focus on the things that matter in America and take a strong stand here. I'm having a World Series hangover and am not ready to give up baseball until February, so let me stir the pot a … [Read more...] about Time to Take a Stand: Make the Designated Hitter Universal

  Why did Jesus need to be filled with the Spirit? Luke 4 records the temptation of Christ and the beginning of his ministry here on earth. In verses 1-2 we are told, “Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil.” Then, when the forty days were over, verse 14 tells us how Jesus began his ministry. “Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity.” Jesus was led by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit from the beginning … [Read more...] about Baptist in the Spirit, Part 5: The Spirit in the Life of Jesus