This is shaping up to be a momentous weekend in Southern Baptist life. On Sunday, at 4 PM Eastern, the Sexual Abuse Task Force will be releasing its report and all indications are that the effects will be nuclear. There are reports that the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe vs. Wade may be released on […]
Remote voting for the SBC Annual Meeting gets yet another kick in the teeth…
…and it’s a well-deserved, well-aimed roundhouse kick against remote voting. For the umpteenth time, the Executive Committee had a motion referral that asked for an examination and approval of a form of remote voting for the SBC Annual Meeting. Yawn, here we go again. You have to register and be approved as a messenger, receive […]
Let’s Fire Everyone Opposed to Resolution 9
Let’s fire everyone at an SBC entity who is opposed to Resolution 9 of 2019. That’s not really a serious proposition, but it is the logical conclusion of a recent string of tweets by SBC presidential hopeful Tom Ascol. At the 2021 convention, Tom’s brother Bill presented a resolution on abortion (found here), which includes […]
2021 SBC data is out; round up the usual suspects but note a few quirky things
If you want to see autonomy in action, look at all the footnotes from the 2021 Annual Church Profile. The ACP is collected by the state conventions, 41 of them. Fully ten states don’t collect some of the data and the vocabulary and terms used for some categories differs. No big deal but each of […]
Guidepost report to be released May 15th; Some EC members get a preview this coming Tuesday
The day is drawing nigh for the report of the Sex Abuse Task Force, the Guidepost Solutions, LLC report that forms the basis and body of the SATF report and “suggestions” for convention action in June. [An important note: I have no complaint about the SATF, their work, their public statements, or anything else on […]
On the Value of Local Association Ministry (Phillip Powers)
Cooperation between local churches has long been a hallmark of Baptist identity. Going all the way back to the earliest English Separatists, Baptists have always understood that, though local churches are autonomous, we are better able to accomplish the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations when we partner together. Our history is filled […]
SBC Voices’ #StandWithSurvivors project in Anaheim
SBC Voices* will be active this June at the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim to give a voice to SBC abuse survivors, educate messengers about the need to support structural reforms on the denominational level, and help SBC churches minister well to survivors of abuse. We’ll be hosting a booth at the Pastors’ Conference and a […]
Debbie Vasquez and the fallacy of the “angry survivor”
Debbie Vasquez, now in her mid-sixties, was molested by a minister in her church beginning when she was 14 years old and was later impregnated by him. The perpetrator went on to pastor for decades, most recently at an SBC church that withdrew from the Convention when the credentials committee began an inquiry. If you […]
Inerrancy, the Resurrection, and Reconciling Gospel Accounts
I have been doing a sermon series called “Creation, Cradle, Cross, Crown” since the first of November. It was rooted in a story we told in Africa called “Creation to the Cross” which tells the Bible story from Creation to the Fall to the Law, to the Cross, and so on. I thought it might […]
Interview with Daniel Dickard: Candidate for SBC Pastors’ Conference President
Up until a few weeks ago, I had personally never heard of Daniel Dickard. When he was announced as a candidate for SBC PC president, I reached out to him. His heart for ministry, for the SBC, and his passion for ministry exuded from him and I was greatly encouraged by our conversation. I asked […]
The sex abuse database, surely coming to a denomination near you
I am not the SBC Voices expert on sex abuse, nor on any component of SBC sex abuse solutions. But, I do read the things that pertain to it. Last week I wrote an article about the Sex Abuse Task Force and the deadline that is drawing near for the report of the investigative firm, […]
What Do YOU Do with Old Bibles?
My dad devoted his life to studying and preaching God’s word. He was kind of an old-fashioned guy, with fundamentalist leanings. He’d gone to Bob Jones until he got chased out of the school, but he never completely shook off his old-school ways. He spent hours daily studying his Bible (I mean 8 hours, 10 […]