There is a good bit of misinformation circulating around the internet regarding military chaplains in general and Army chaplains in specific. I’ve seen posts that claim that Army chaplains cannot pray in Jesus’ name when they conduct their worship services. Some people claim that chaplains are forced to conduct services for other religions. Hopefully this […]
Suggested Ethics for Online Theological Discourse, Part 2 (Phillip Powers)
In my previous post, I began to outline the general contours of a biblical ethic for theological discourse. The ability to discuss questions of theology and biblical interpretation Christianly, especially where there is disagreement, is a primary indication of a person’s maturity in Christ. However, in this current cultural climate, godly virtues like humility, gentleness, […]
Should SBC employees be allowed as messengers at the Annual Meeting?
There’s been some discussion lately about the appropriateness of employees of SBC entities serving as messengers to the SBC Meeting. Much of this was sparked by a post on Twitter from Tom Buck. Undeniable fact: If the votes of SBC employees were removed from the vote in Nashville… and only the votes of […]
What was lost has been found: Spurgeon’s earliest sermons
The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon are back in production after a nearly two-and-a-half-year hiatus. Originally planned as a 12-volume set, the project will only produce 9 volumes — one per notebook of Spurgeon’s earliest sermons. I reviewed Volume IV earlier this year and noted what had changed under the new editor and research […]
Autonomy, abuse, and the Executive Committee
While the subject is before us, it may be helpful to provide some context. The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention is critically important even though it has a small budget (around $6 million, set at 2.95% of Cooperative Program national receipts) and a small staff. They do a lot. But here’s what they […]
Bunyan’s Badman: Why buy the cow when the milk is cheap?
John Bunyan is one of the most famous Baptists in history, though I suspect he’s less well-known today than at any other time in the last 50 to 100 years. Google would seem to agree. In case the name is unfamiliar to you, Bunyan is famous for writing Pilgrim’s Progress. This is a beloved Christian […]
The independent Sex Abuse Task Force: Questions and observations [unusually long, but read it anyway].
The Sex Abuse Task Force authorized by convention motion in June is living and active and has a website with updates. On June 16, 2021 the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, TN overwhelming passed the following motion: “I move that the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting June 15-16, 2021, in Nashville, TN, ask the newly elected […]
Time Keeps Ticking Away: 8 Steps to Time Management in Youth Ministry
While deployed as an Army Chaplain on Operation Enduring Freedom in Europe, God taught me some lessons about time management. While my unit was not in a combat area, the deployment made me think about the brevity of my life and how I had spent my time up until that point. I grieved over time […]
Obituaries and news reports in the COVID-19 era
A well-known Southern Baptist evangelist died yesterday of pneumonia and COVID-19. While I wasn’t acquainted with the 51-year old man, the Baptist Press report of his death quoted a couple of pastors local to me. It was a tragic death that is being mourned all over the SBC. I join those who pray for comfort […]
Preaching Effectively to Generation Z
In practice, too many youth leaders portray a subtle skepticism about the power of the Word of God to change lives. I’m still shocked that I continue to receive invitations from youth pastors to preach to their students. I’m convicted that I have nothing to offer students to whom I preach but the hope of […]
Most SBCers, naturally, live in SEC country
The SEC ventures west of the Mississippi to poach the University of Texas and Oklahoma University from the Big 12. The Big 12 was mostly the Big 1 and Eleven Others. Whatever, the SEC was already the dominant college athletic conference and adding Oklahoma, four college playoff appearances, enhanced that. Maybe Texas being in the […]
Social Media: 7 Tips for Christians
Last night I experienced a first on social media. A person claiming to follow Jesus Christ questioned my salvation. This individual did not know me nor anything about my beliefs — other than the fact that I differed with him regarding a political issue. A third person who also commented on the Facebook thread said […]