SBC Voices

Jay’s Top Ten from Anaheim

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For the last few years, I have offered on this site what I would identify as my top 10 takeaways, favorite things or memorable events from the Annual Meeting. This year there were a few more than 10, but I’d like to try to keep my commentary to that number with this one caveat: Can we all agree that the real number one thing that happened in Anaheim was the passage of the Sexual Abuse Task Force Recommendations? With that surely being the unanimous decision, I will move on with “the rest” of that Top Ten. These are things that I personally witnessed. I will also say that Todd Benkert's … [Read more...] about Jay’s Top Ten from Anaheim

History Made at the 2022 Annual Meeting

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Every week on the SBC This Week Podcast, Amy Whitfield offers a moment of history. And then every year on the recap episode after the annual meeting, her moment of history is the whole meeting itself.  Make sure and check out the episode for an excellent summary of the weeks events.  This years meeting felt particularly eventful, and I want to offer a few moments  of history that occurred during the week. These are in no particular order, and some are definitely more important than others.   Sexual Abuse Reforms -  The recommendations presented by the SATF are good first steps … [Read more...] about History Made at the 2022 Annual Meeting

Trauma-Informed Ministry: A breakout session at the SBC Annual Meeting

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? Tuesday night at the SBC Annual Meeting, SBCvoices sponsored a breakout session introducing trauma-informed care and how it can be used in local church ministry. The session is divided into three sections: Rachael Denhollander began with an overview of what trauma is and how it affects a person mentally, physically, and physiologically. Todd Benkert tackled the question "Is Trauma-informed care biblical?" and encouraged the audience to learn about trauma and its effects, and use the whole counsel of God when addressing trauma so that we have the biblical vocabulary to address the … [Read more...] about Trauma-Informed Ministry: A breakout session at the SBC Annual Meeting

My Reflections from #SBC22 (by Aaron Swain)

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My heart was heavy as I packed up my bags and prepared to fly out to Anaheim for the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention last week. Many Southern Baptists have been pushing, in spite of great resistance, towards fixing some of the problems in our Executive Committee and in our convention of churches, especially related to sexual abuse. We have done some good work over the past few years. But the work is not finished. Heading into the annual meeting, I knew we needed to take some decisive action this year if progress is to be made. By God’s grace, we did. A LITTLE CONTEXT For at … [Read more...] about My Reflections from #SBC22 (by Aaron Swain)

A Plea to Angry Baptists

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I spent four days pounding on this phone, either on this site or Voices Twitter. Once the gavel fell, I gave my fingers a bit of a break, but I've heard from friends that Saul of Tarsus did not have any harsher words on the road to Damascus than some of those being posted by certain 1689ers and CBNers. Many are threatening to leave the SBC over our liberalism,  our wokeness, our sinful worldliness, our failure to fully embrace abolitionist views - the grievances are many and the passions are strong. I have been in several discussions where people said, "I wish they'd just leave." Two … [Read more...] about A Plea to Angry Baptists

Resolutions, Advocacy, and the SBC

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As we could have expected,  Bart Barber and the Resolutions Committee did a great job of bringing forward solid, biblical resolutions that express our united view as Southern Baptists. If you look at some of the rejected resolutions, it is clear that some are weaponizing the process to force the SBC to adopt their narrow views on controversial issues. Southern Baptists are united in our opposition to abortion.  There is a resolution expressing that. It unifies us as a pro-life convention. Under that pro-life umbrella,  we differ on strategy.  Resolutions that seek to politicize and … [Read more...] about Resolutions, Advocacy, and the SBC

Jay Adkins’ Statement to the EC

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Jay was given the opportunity to address the EC today in regards to the response to his motion last year, concerning legal conflicts of interest at the EC. Here is his statement. Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity to speak to this particular concern of mine. May I start by offering a word of thanks that after a bit of a faux pas yesterday morning, I was approached by our new lawyers, our chief parliamentarian and our interim EC President yesterday afternoon. They were very kind in their engagement with me and our Brother, President Willie McLaurin (of whom I’ve become a big fan) … [Read more...] about Jay Adkins’ Statement to the EC

That Time I Was Wrong

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A few years back there were 5 or 6 openings for leaders at our entities. Here at Voices we strongly advocated for at least one of those leaders to be a minority.  The best chance for that to happen was New Orleans Seminary where one of the final candidates was an African American. I wanted him to be selected so badly and was disappointed when Dr. Jamie Dew was announced. I know you folks think I am always right and can never imagine me being wrong (right?) but I was wrong that day. So wrong. Jamie Dew is my favorite entity leader of all of them. That is not an aspersion on others,  … [Read more...] about That Time I Was Wrong

Wednesday Schedule Revised

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There's preaching,  prayer, and praise, but there's also business. 8:55 Election (Fourth) First Vice President Get to the hall now! 9:00 EC recommendations 9:55 Election (Fifth) Second Vice President 11:35 Previously Scheduled Business This is, I believe,  when the motion to defund and disband the ERLC will be brought forward. 11:45 CoB report Third Afternoon 2:50 CoB (Fourth) 3:00 Committee on Resolutions (Part 2) 3:30 Previously Scheduled Business … [Read more...] about Wednesday Schedule Revised