SBC Voices

Joel Rainey leads the Engagement Team for Evangelism and Missions at the Mid-Atlantic Baptist Network. He is on the adjunct faculty of two seminaries,and the author of three books. He blogs at Themelios, where this was originally posted on Monday.    October 3, "Left Behind" will debut in theaters across America, and its release will prompt a fresh discussion among evangelicals about our view of the end times.  Additionally, the movie will encourage general discussion about what happens after we die, who goes to heaven, and how they get there.  These are very important subjects, and for that … [Read more...] about Speculative Theology and the Great Commission (Joel Rainey)

Micah works at LifeWay and blogs at MicahFries.com. Living in an area where one is in the religious majority changes the way you see the world. In America, those of us who are Christians often feel like the world is changing, and not in a way that is positive for us, but the truth is we are still part of the largest religious segment in our culture. Often, one of the most difficult things for a member of the religious majority to do is to accurately understand the faith of religious minorities. I see this happen all the time in the US as Christians struggle to understand those of other … [Read more...] about The Faith of Another (Micah Fries)

From my 15 years of fundraising as a senior pastor and later Development Director, listed below are lessons I have learned and hope they may benefit you in your nonprofit.  Some may be adjusted for your church but much can be applied for a special fundraising campaign: Elements of a Successful Fundraising Campaign FOLLOW THE PLAN Select a campaign chair--an influential, rainmaker in your community who people (vendors, coworkers, potential vendors, clients, etc) want to make happy!  Do not select a politician or other nonprofit leader who themselves will be asking people money for their … [Read more...] about Fundraising ideas gleaned from nonprofit fundraising

You can read part one of this missive, Despair, Interrupted, here. The last few months have been a long slow slide towards a familiar companion. I no longer view Despair as the enemy; we've been together too long for that sort of animosity.  In many ways we're old friends, the type that go their separate ways for months and years, and yet remain able to resume their relationship without hesitation when next they occupy the same address.  We need no introduction, no explanation for our reunion. Heavens of stone and heart of glass.  A heart devoid of love and a soul emptied of grace. … [Read more...] about Hope, Interjected (Anonymous)

We pick up with entity reports again this morning. Again, I try to reproduce the words of the speakers in summary and am not providing commentary of my own (unless my choice of their words can be seen as commentary in itself).  SWBTS: Paige Patterson. Dr. Patterson told a long story about how he recently transferred the Chair of Evangelism to Dr. Matt Queen. He has been called to create a stronger emphasis on evangelism in and through the seminary. It has had a huge effect and faculty and staff are out leading students in personal evangelism and witnessing throughout the community. … [Read more...] about SBC ExComm Plenary Session Day Two

I have to say that I was pretty impressed with the tone and the content of the Plenary Session. The focus was on Christ and on our work together. I learned more from this meeting in hearing the entity heads speak this way than I have from the conventions that I have been to. I left edified and encouraged about the direction of the SBC and the work of the entities. Below is my best representation of what was reported. I do not give commentary here, but try to reproduce the words of the speakers. Lots of good information here, in my opinion. After introduction of new trustees and recognition … [Read more...] about SBC ExComm Plenary Session One

I am attending the September trustee meeting of the Executive Committee in Nashville today and tomorrow. My reason for coming was to make a case before the Communications Workgroup concering the motion that I submitted at the SBC in Balitmore which stated: "In light of the upcoming 20th anniversary of Southern Baptist Convention's 1995 Resolution on Racial Reconciliation, I move that the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Baltimore, MD, June 10-11, 2014, authorize the president of the Southern Baptist Convention to form a task force to bring a report to the Southern Baptist … [Read more...] about How Can Southern Baptists Increase Ethnic Leadership Throughout the Convention? SBC ExComm Trustee Meeting Day One: Consideration of Motion on Racial Reconciliation Report

(This post was written by a friend of mine. He feels it necessary to keep his identity a secret, because he works in a Christian organization that might react punitively if it found out that one of its personnel struggled with this kind of issue. It is sad to me that such is the case, but I appreciate my friend for sharing this.)  I remember the first time I fell. My immature heart failed to recognize the abyss into which it stumbled; no one spoke of depression in the early 80's, especially not in our highly-conservative Baptist circle.  I retain a vague impression of blurry faces and … [Read more...] about Despair, Interrupted (Anonymous)

Ken Hamrick blogs at SBC Open Forum.  Instead of arguing for or against the scientific evidence, or arguing the merits of possible exegetical ways to reconcile Scripture with a billions-of-years chronology, I propose that---for the sake of argument---we eliminate the evidence question all together. We can do this by accepting all the scientific claims at face value, and still insisting on a recent supernatural creation out of nothing. In other words, we would not posit a young earth, but an old earth that was recently created by divine fiat. When God creates out of nothing, He is not limited … [Read more...] about Helping Old-Earth Creationists Face the Supernatural Question (Ken Hamrick)