Our church keeps a lost and found box in the church office. Folks leave behind Bibles, umbrellas, sunglasses, coffee mugs, and all sorts of things. Probably, you have a lost and found box, too. I’ve been thinking that in 2020 our churches lost some things and found some things. Lost Things Twelve weeks of in-person […]
Some under noticed SBC news stories from 2020
These are not prioritized: Boy Scouts bankruptcy could leave churches liable in future sex abuse claims. This Baptist Press article from October advised SBC churches “who chartered or have ever hosted a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) troop should seek legal counsel now in case they are named in future sex abuse claims against the […]
Breathless, melodramatic update from the Georgia senatorial runoff race!
Jupiter and Saturn have passed alignment but the stars in the heavens may or may not align Georgia republicans Purdue and Loeffler. Will the solar system survive the election of two more Dems to the senate? The galaxy? The universe? Humanity and huwomanity? BBQ grilling? Gas lawnmowers? Sweet tea? Hundreds of millions of dollars are […]
A Letter from Dr. Jamie Dew to the NOBTS Faculty
We received this letter from a friend of the NOBTS community. It was addressed to the faculty of NOBTS which was circulated around noon yesterday. After receiving the letter we contacted Dr. Dew for permission to post it here. Upon our request and our encouragement to him that this is an important statement which we […]
Top SBC news of 2020 (Part One, maybe)
COVID-19 and churches. Need anything more be said? The seminary president’s statement on CRT/I blows up. This is ongoing as I write. Messy. Alaska Baptist state convention votes to destroy the Cooperative Program. Very poor move by one of our smallest state conventions. As Ronnie Floyd said in response, “It’s the CP program, not the CP cafeteria.” […]
Winter solstice today, thank God
No. I’m not having a pagan party to celebrate but might indulge in a swig of ridiculously sweet egg nog, sans hard likker, to celebrate. I mean, we’re only getting 9 hours and 53 minutes of daylight here. That’s not enough for civilized people. After 5:02 this morning we get a little more sun each […]
Jill, don’t worry about that doctorate…at least from SBCers
Seems there’s some sort of dust up over the proper title of Jill Biden, wife of the PRESIDENT ELECT, Joe Biden. Some business about “Dr. Biden” being the proper designation rather than just Jill or Ms. Biden or whatever. I confess that I thought she was an M.D. rather than an Ed.D. She has a […]
The Sufficiency of Scripture and Resolution 9
There is a phrase which I’ve seen tossed around lately in all our talks about critical-race theory and other issues of social justice. The phrase is even one which has become a hallmark of the relatively newly launched Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) You can see the phrase in their Twitter tag-line: “Sufficiency. The Bible, alone.” That […]
Response to Seminary Presidents’ Statement (Marshal Ausberry)
SBC First Vice President and President of the National African American Fellowship of the SBC Marshal Ausberry, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax, VA, released the following statement this past Friday. You can also see the statement along with an interview with Baptist Press here. December 11, 2020 Over the last week and a […]
Why I Signed Up for the Vaccine Trial
Like most people, 2020 has been a whirlwind of emotions, confusion, and stress. Being a pastor during a pandemic has been the most challenging thing I have ever had to deal with. In the early stages, just trying to make a sound decision on when or if to stop gathering for worship was difficult. No […]
From Boys to Men: My Response to the SBC Seminary Presidents’ CRT Statement
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.” (I Corinthians 13:11 CSB) I am often asked the question, why do I remain in the Southern Baptist Convention? A recent joint statement on race […]
Time to come together and pray for president elect Biden
Our venerable Electoral College votes today in their respective states. Diehards still see options, probably extending to Inauguration Day and beyond. Let them exercise their first amendment rights loudly but peacefully, but Joe Biden won. Donald Trump lost…and lost…and lost…and lost. One need not agree with any of Biden’s positions, policies, appointments, or nominees but Christians […]