As all informed SBCers know, the Southern Baptist Convention employs no one, fires no one, has no CEO, and doesn't exist except for a couple of days each year when in annual session. The SBC has, though, a number of entities: mission boards, seminaries, Executive Committee, ERLC, etc. that are governed by separate trustee bodies. If the ERLC wants to hire or fire a CEO, their trustees do it, not the Executive Committee, not the SBC in annual session. What's complicated is how the various entities arrive at their trustee body makeup. A recent Baptist Press story, IMB study to examine trustee … [Read more...] about The complicated world of SBC trustee representation
The Unemployable: When Missionaries Return
Time was when young men attended seminaries, became pastors, and moved outward to international harvest fields. They lived and preached in situ, aging for 30 years towards an eventual retirement in the U.S., a retirement filled - if desired - with revivals and interim pastoral roles. Not so much any more. Young men and now women attend seminaries and move directly towards the field. Sometimes they lack US-based ministry experience, but that's alright. Increasing numbers of workers in non-ministerial roles find themselves called to missions; they earn sufficient seminary hours to qualify … [Read more...] about The Unemployable: When Missionaries Return
Young Leaders Advisory Council Survey
The SBC Executive Committee appointed a 22-member Young Leaders Advisory Committee to explore ways to engage young leaders in SBC life. Baptist Press reported on the council and their initial work last week. Quoted from the BP article, SBC EC Vice President Ken Weathersby said: "The council is working to provide concrete ways for young leaders to actively be involved in the life of the convention. We want to know what steps we need to take to make sure their voices are heard and that they are providing leadership in every aspect of the convention." You can help by completing an online … [Read more...] about Young Leaders Advisory Council Survey
What are you doing for Easter?
It appears that our contributors around here are either feast or famine. Last week I had lots of things to post. This week the queue is empty. So here I am trying to come up with something to post. Easter is such an exciting time in the life of a church. While every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, Easter is a special day set aside to focus on the resurrection of Jesus. Celebrate our resurrected Savior. What a great thing for the church to do! I thought I would share with you what our church is doing for Easter and ask you what your church is doing. It may be a little … [Read more...] about What are you doing for Easter?
Five Lies People Tell about the Church (by Joel Rainey)
As a pastor, I've had many unfortunate encounters with domestic violence and its consequences. I've sat in my office across the table from a woman wearing sunglasses to hide the bruises. I've tried to comfort children as their father was handcuffed and taken from their home for beating up mom. In a few situations, the husband was escorted to jail as he simultaneously declared his love for the woman he just battered. But no one--not the police, his children, or me--was buying it. The violence and vitriol that brought all of us to that house was evidence enough that he didn't truly love … [Read more...] about Five Lies People Tell about the Church (by Joel Rainey)
PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON KINGDOM UNITY IN THE SBC AND THE NATION
I plan to present a “Resolution On Kingdom Unity In The SBC And The Nation” to the SBC June 2017 Phoenix Resolutions Committee that if accepted and adhered to will advance the Southern Baptist Convention toward the goal(s) of reconciliation, healing, unity, cross-cultural respect, appreciation for freedom of expression, and diversity of viewpoints; based on one’s convictions, conscious, cultural considerations, and more importantly—the Spirit of Christ. When the Southern Baptist Convention become one in the Spirit and be empowered by the Spirit—we will be the most potent Kingdom … [Read more...] about PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON KINGDOM UNITY IN THE SBC AND THE NATION
SBC PC: A Video Interview with Jimmy Meek
This year’s SBC Pastor’s Conference is June 11-12 in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference will feature 12 preachers who all come from average-size SBC churches. They will be preaching through the book of Philippians over the course of the two day conference. As you know, the speakers for the conference met at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for a colloquium back in February. The speakers gathered to get to know one another and study Philippians with Dr. David Allen and other preaching faculty members from SWBTS and NOBTS. I had the privilege of attending the colloquium, and one … [Read more...] about SBC PC: A Video Interview with Jimmy Meek
What it Means to be Someone’s Pastor
I was in my thirties before I understood what it meant that I was someone's pastor. This is saying a lot, because I’ve pastored since I was twenty years old, and I’m now thirty-three. I understood pastoring in an intellectual sense, but it took a decade before I understood the fundamental nature of the calling, which is that the pastor is the living, breathing example of the gospel to God’s people. This is well illustrated in Titus 1:5-9. Titus was called to serve as a pastor on the island of Crete. His charge was to “set right what was left undone,” which is a phrase with medical … [Read more...] about What it Means to be Someone’s Pastor
Whither Henceforth? Moore, Unity, and a Path Forward
What are we going to do about Dr. Russell Moore and the ERLC? It seems that the main question has been answered, at least for now. The Board of Trustees of the ERLC has spoken forcefully that they are behind Dr. Russell Moore and a chastened Moore has announced his intention to go forward as president of the ERLC. The appeal for unity from Moore and the ERLC seemed to hit the right chords and most people seem ready to move forward, closing the curtain on this act and seeing what drama might exist in the next. Dr. Russell Moore has been the most discussed, most targeted, and most vilified … [Read more...] about Whither Henceforth? Moore, Unity, and a Path Forward
How we pray for those we know who aren’t followers of Jesus
As a pastor, I often ponder how my church can be more effective at sharing the love and gospel of Jesus with our community. Ours is not a large town. We are a community of roughly 1700 people in a county of around 18,000. This presents certain challenges to evangelism: many people are commuters, we don’t really have a “town center” where large numbers of people regularly gather (well, maybe the football field in the fall), and many people said a prayer and were baptized as a kid in VBS or the likes, so they don’t think they need anything else despite the fact that little in their life … [Read more...] about How we pray for those we know who aren’t followers of Jesus