...and it's a well-deserved, well-aimed roundhouse kick against remote voting. For the umpteenth time, the Executive Committee had a motion referral that asked for an examination and approval of a form of remote voting for the SBC Annual Meeting. Yawn, here we go again. You have to register and be approved as a messenger, receive your ballots to be optically scanned (a technology at least as old as I am), get your physical self into the convention hall at the time a vote is taken, cast your paper ballot and await the results. No phone votes. No votes from the hallways. No proxy votes. … [Read more...] about Remote voting for the SBC Annual Meeting gets yet another kick in the teeth…
Let’s Fire Everyone Opposed to Resolution 9
Let's fire everyone at an SBC entity who is opposed to Resolution 9 of 2019. That's not really a serious proposition, but it is the logical conclusion of a recent string of tweets by SBC presidential hopeful Tom Ascol. At the 2021 convention, Tom's brother Bill presented a resolution on abortion (found here), which includes the language: "RESOLVED, that we affirm that the murder of preborn children is a crime against humanity that must be punished equally under the law." Based on this resolution, Tom Ascol called for the immediate firing of Brent Leatherwood from the ERLC. Leatherwood's … [Read more...] about Let’s Fire Everyone Opposed to Resolution 9
2021 SBC data is out; round up the usual suspects but note a few quirky things
If you want to see autonomy in action, look at all the footnotes from the 2021 Annual Church Profile. The ACP is collected by the state conventions, 41 of them. Fully ten states don't collect some of the data and the vocabulary and terms used for some categories differs. No big deal but each of the state conventions is autonomous and doesn't have to do what LifeWay asks. The states could collect data on left-handed clergy if they wished, not a bad idea. And no church has to give all data or any data. Carol Pipes has an informative story on the 2021 ACP here. Generally, all statistics … [Read more...] about 2021 SBC data is out; round up the usual suspects but note a few quirky things
Guidepost report to be released May 15th; Some EC members get a preview this coming Tuesday
The day is drawing nigh for the report of the Sex Abuse Task Force, the Guidepost Solutions, LLC report that forms the basis and body of the SATF report and "suggestions" for convention action in June. [An important note: I have no complaint about the SATF, their work, their public statements, or anything else on the matter. I was wary of the whole process and wrote about it here and here. It's fair to say that among the SBC Voices team I am the most concerned about where this will lead us as a convention; nonetheless, I remain optimistic about the SATF suggestions, that they will be … [Read more...] about Guidepost report to be released May 15th; Some EC members get a preview this coming Tuesday
On the Value of Local Association Ministry (Phillip Powers)
Cooperation between local churches has long been a hallmark of Baptist identity. Going all the way back to the earliest English Separatists, Baptists have always understood that, though local churches are autonomous, we are better able to accomplish the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations when we partner together. Our history is filled with example after example of local churches that have worked together to fund, train, and send missionaries around the world. In many ways, these precedents are the foundation for the denominational structures that exist today. Whether it is the … [Read more...] about On the Value of Local Association Ministry (Phillip Powers)
SBC Voices’ #StandWithSurvivors project in Anaheim
SBC Voices* will be active this June at the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim to give a voice to SBC abuse survivors, educate messengers about the need to support structural reforms on the denominational level, and help SBC churches minister well to survivors of abuse. We’ll be hosting a booth at the Pastors’ Conference and a breakout session on Tuesday night. The first objective of this project is to give SBC abuse survivors the opportunity to speak directly to Southern Baptist messengers about abuse. At the same time, we want to introduce SBC pastors and messengers to resources to help … [Read more...] about SBC Voices’ #StandWithSurvivors project in Anaheim
Debbie Vasquez and the fallacy of the “angry survivor”
Debbie Vasquez, now in her mid-sixties, was molested by a minister in her church beginning when she was 14 years old and was later impregnated by him. The perpetrator went on to pastor for decades, most recently at an SBC church that withdrew from the Convention when the credentials committee began an inquiry. If you don’t know her story, you can read about it here, and here, but I warn you, it’s a horrific story. Debbie has given me permission to share part of her story and our interaction with each other in this essay. I met Debbie Vasquez in 2019 at the close of the ERLC’s Caring Well … [Read more...] about Debbie Vasquez and the fallacy of the “angry survivor”
Inerrancy, the Resurrection, and Reconciling Gospel Accounts
I have been doing a sermon series called "Creation, Cradle, Cross, Crown" since the first of November. It was rooted in a story we told in Africa called "Creation to the Cross" which tells the Bible story from Creation to the Fall to the Law, to the Cross, and so on. I thought it might make an interesting sermon series. With a couple of preliminary sermons in November, I covered the Christmas story and then hit the highlights of the life of Christ leading up to Easter. Now, I am taking a few weeks to look at the post-Resurrection appearances of Christ and seeking to finalize the series on June … [Read more...] about Inerrancy, the Resurrection, and Reconciling Gospel Accounts
Interview with Daniel Dickard: Candidate for SBC Pastors’ Conference President
Up until a few weeks ago, I had personally never heard of Daniel Dickard. When he was announced as a candidate for SBC PC president, I reached out to him. His heart for ministry, for the SBC, and his passion for ministry exuded from him and I was greatly encouraged by our conversation. I asked if I could interview him for SBC Voices and introduce him to our readers here. _________ Daniel, you were telling me a little about how your family legacy is a key part of your story, can you share that with our readers? It is difficult to share my story without giving the broader story of God’s … [Read more...] about Interview with Daniel Dickard: Candidate for SBC Pastors’ Conference President
The sex abuse database, surely coming to a denomination near you
I am not the SBC Voices expert on sex abuse, nor on any component of SBC sex abuse solutions. But, I do read the things that pertain to it. Last week I wrote an article about the Sex Abuse Task Force and the deadline that is drawing near for the report of the investigative firm, Guidepost Solutions, LLC, to be released to the SATF. We are less than a month from that. The SATF gets an additional week after the report to digest it and make "suggestions" to the SBC. After that week the full Guidepost report plus the SATF suggestions must be released so we can all read it. We have less than … [Read more...] about The sex abuse database, surely coming to a denomination near you