Editor's note: This article was written by Roger Simpson. Roger is a regular commenter at SBC Voices, a retired software engineer, and decades long Southern Baptist. His statistical analysis in this post is very much appreciated. I. Introduction The International Mission Board is again facing a shortfall in recurrent sources of funding. Recurrent revenue sources are received periodically such as a portion of Cooperative Program gifts from the churches forwarded to the IMB via the Executive Committee, Lottie Moon offering monies, and other gifts. Many will remember the “hand raising … [Read more...] about Financial Overview of the IMB: A Ten Year Summary (by Roger Simpson)
The Dangers of Study Bibles and Why I Prefer Plain Text Bibles
I don't use study Bibles. No, smart-aleck whippersnappers! I didn't say that I don't study the Bible. I said I don't use a study Bible. I have a couple of them. One of my first Bibles was the original, inspired, Scofield Reference Bible. I've had a Thompson Chain. The ESV Study Bible is on my phone and tablets. I just don't use them as my main Bible and I think that in general, it's kind of a bad idea to do so. Use them as a reference, essentially as a commentary? Great. But I like the idea of my main Bible being a plain text (or bare text) with perhaps a few translation and textual notes … [Read more...] about The Dangers of Study Bibles and Why I Prefer Plain Text Bibles
Steve Gaines to be Nominated for 2nd Term as SBC President
Grant Gaines announced today to Baptist Press that he will be nominating his father, Steve Gaines, for a second term as President of the Southern Baptist Convention when we convene next month in Phoenix, Arizona. This is expected news, but is certainly worth noting. I look forward to hearing Grant's nomination speech. Surely it will be a special moment for both father and son. Grant Gaines mentioned three reasons that he plans to nominate his father for a second term as SBC President: First... "First, he has been a consummate statesman in a year full of political and moral turmoil in … [Read more...] about Steve Gaines to be Nominated for 2nd Term as SBC President
Text-Driven Preaching at the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference
The Following is a guest post by Dr. David Allen: Pastors love to preach and love to listen to preaching! Every year Southern Baptists converge at the annual Southern Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference to hear good preaching. This year’s Pastor’s Conference will be a first! Twelve pastors will preach paragraph by paragraph through Philippians. When I first heard of President Dave Miller’s brainchild, I was excited and skeptical—excited that Dave would foster expositional preaching through a book of the Bible at the Pastor’s Conference; but skeptical as to how it might work. Dave … [Read more...] about Text-Driven Preaching at the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference
Trevin Wax’s Definitive Article on SBC Cultures: Cosmopolitan and Conventionalist
Trevin Wax has published an article at the Gospel Coalition blog, entitled “Southern Baptists and Conventional and Cosmopolitan Cultures” in which he lays out the cultural divide in the SBC in a clear, concise, understandable, and fair way. Any attempt to summarize a divide such as ours is going to be difficult, of course, and there are going to be those who don’t like his terminology (that’s always the problem), don’t agree with his descriptions, or don’t fit his categories. But this article encapsulates the present condition of our denomination as well as any I’ve seen and has the … [Read more...] about Trevin Wax’s Definitive Article on SBC Cultures: Cosmopolitan and Conventionalist
H. B. Charles Lays Out Vision for 2018 Pastors’ Conference
Last week the news broke that H. B. Charles would be nominated for President of the 2018 SBC Pastors' Conference. It was big news and widely welcomed in news and social media. Brad Graves, who had previously been announced as a nominee withdrew his name from consideration in support of Charles' nomination, which made a noteworthy announcement even more significant. Today H. B. Charles posted at his blog an article titled "My Nomination for SBC Pastors’ Conference President" where he gives some personal reflections about his nomination. The post is well worth reading for several reasons - … [Read more...] about H. B. Charles Lays Out Vision for 2018 Pastors’ Conference
The Blessings of Resistance to Change
In a few weeks we will convene the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. The year 2017 marks the first time in my life when I have spent far more time thinking about the Pastors' Conference than the Annual Meeting itself. Without bothering to do actual numeric research, I'll offer my impression that the same has been true of this blog: Much more has been written here about the Pastors' Conference than the Annual Meeting, for obvious and understandable reasons. The storyline of the Pastors' Conference this year is one of innovation. Dave Miller and the boys had an amazing, impossible … [Read more...] about The Blessings of Resistance to Change
Cooperative Program, Great Commission Giving, and giving trends
One of the things I like about our Executive Committee is their straightforward reporting of giving. The current issue of SBC Life, the EC's "Journal of the Southern Baptist Convention" sent to churches and pastors and published online several times annually, has a nice article by Roger S. Oldham, the EC's Vice President for Convention Communications and Relations, on the Cooperative Program: The Cooperative Program, A Three-Legged Stool. The three legs are: the local church, the state conventions, and the Southern Baptist Convention. I'd like to think that all SBC pastors and lay church … [Read more...] about Cooperative Program, Great Commission Giving, and giving trends
Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Executive Board pens open letter to Russell Moore and ERLC Trustees
The ERLC controversy of a month or so ago has thankfully died down. I do not wish to revisit that controversy except to say that I am thankful for an open letter that was released today by the Louisiana Baptist Convention's Executive Board. This letter was written because a motion was made at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention asking the LBC's Executive Board to “study the recent actions of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission with regard to issues of concern to Louisiana Baptists.” The messengers voted to refer the matter to the Louisiana Baptist … [Read more...] about Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Executive Board pens open letter to Russell Moore and ERLC Trustees
H.B. Charles to be Nominated as SBC PC President
It was announced today in Baptist Press that H.B. Charles Jr. will be nominated to serve as the president of 2018 Pastors' Conference in Dallas, TX. He will be nominated by Ken Whitten. It was previously announced that Brad Graves would be nominated for the office, but he has announced that he is stepping aside to clear the way for Charles to be elected as the first African American president of the Pastors' Conference. H.B. Charles is the pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He was one of the preachers for the 2016 conference in St. Louis and is scheduled … [Read more...] about H.B. Charles to be Nominated as SBC PC President