I love Southern Baptists. They are some of the most compassionate, forgiving, and understanding people on the face of the earth. I love the fact that there are so many that hate injustice. I like others have felt the cruel tentacles of injustice. I grew up in the Jim Crow south. My dad was a […]
Historian Nathan Finn on SBC Fundamentalism, Then and Now
I believe this is helpful historical context for understanding the current tensions within the SBC. While some in the SBC are concerned about progressive drift, they seem more like the denominational fundamentalists of the 1960s than the resurgent conservatives of the 1980s. Institutional mistrust, populist concerns about leaders, the attraction to conspiracy theories, and the influence of far-right views of culture echo mid-20th century denominational fundamentalism in the SBC. More important, they reflect current trends in the wider culture. To be sure, there are real progressive threats out there. But the SBC doesn’t need a new Conservative Resurgence.
Why the Loss for an SBC Splinter Group Was Greater Than Just a Few Hundred Votes (by Michael Linton)
I know there is concern about the rise of Populist* Fundamentalism in the SBC and the push of a certain group to gain power. While this isn’t going to be an exhaustive list, and I could be wrong in my optimism, I believe the tide is pretty obviously away from that group. It is also […]
So, you couldn’t get to a mic at SBC21?
Please, grow up and let’s not hear so much whining. It’s not a good look. Over the years dissenting groups have made plans to stack the mics with those friendly to their cause. It’s part of what you get when you have a democratic mass meeting like our Annual Meeting. I don’t particularly like this but I don’t know of a better system than the one we use.
But, what if you are really keen on a motion or resolution and feel compelled to speak to the assembly? Here’s one way to do it.
A history of SBC presidential elections since 2000
This year’s presidential election was very close. Since I only started attending the convention in 2013, I was interested to look back and see how close previous SBC presidential elections have been. Combing through old SBC annuals is tedious, but there are a lot of interesting nuggets to be discovered. I love that Wiley Drake […]
Eight Key Victories in Nashville at #SBC21
#SBC21 is in the books and it’s a convention we’ll all remember for years to come. I went in unsure of what to expect, and came home encouraged. Here are eight key victories I believe we saw last week in Nashville. 1. Motion for convention-wide voluntary assessment of abuse Leading up to the convention, most […]
Seven Reflections on #SBC21 (by Jon Glass)
I’ve had the opportunity to attend 11 SBC Annual Meetings. This year was different than all the rest. It was the largest in 25 years with over 15,700 messengers. This was an historic meeting and I’m glad I was in the room. If you weren’t there and you followed along in the media, online, or […]
Reflections on #SBC21 (by Aaron Swain)
I returned late Wednesday night from a whirlwind trip to Nashville, TN where I attended the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is the sixth annual meeting that I have attended in person. My first was in 2005. This was the largest annual meeting in 25 years, having a total of 15,726 messengers […]
Annual meeting registration and voting is basically on the honor system
Imagine that. In a meeting of followers of Christ membership and balloting relies heavily on individuals acting like, well, followers of Christ, exhibiting things like telling the truth, not being deceitful, following agreed upon rules, and the like. #SBC21 was the most important annual meeting in a generation. The attendance was higher than it had […]
When Southern Baptists Share the Gospel with Democrats, You May Get Christian Democrats! Can You Handle That? (by Dale Huntington)
I grew up in a liberal family in Southern California. I belonged to the Bahá’í faith and was raised by two hippies. My grandfather was the first civil rights writer for the L.A. Times and was offered the position of press secretary for Bobby Kennedy. My mom participated in Freedom Summer in Jackson, Mississippi when […]
What does it mean to have a voice in the SBC?
I just read an article where one of the loudest voices in the Southern Baptist Convention in recent years complained about having no voice. He said that his church gave over $200k last year to the SBC, but they feel like they do not have a voice in convention affairs. His comments caused me to […]
A Black Man at the Southern Baptist Convention #SBC21 (by Erik Vance)
This week will be an experience that I will remember all of the days of my life. Being a black man from the South, and attending a historically black seminary, at Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center, learning Baptist Polity was a part of the curriculum. During my studies we learned about […]