SBC Voices

Ryan is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Orange City, IA, and blogs at "By His Grace." This year so far two pastors in Iowa have died by suicide. The job fatality rate is higher than the police department my dad works for, which is located in a high crime area in Pittsburgh. My heart is heavy when I hear that a shepherd is slain by falling on his own sword. I’m not writing to analyze what goes on in the heart of a man who chooses this end. Nor am I going to offer a list of suggestions on how to prevent pastoral suicide. There are others more qualified to do that. But I do … [Read more...] about Pastoral Suicide (by Ryan Perz)

Dr. Eric Hankins is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Oxford, Mississippi. He is the author of the much-discussed Traditionalist Statement and was central to the Calvinism Task Force appointed by Dr. Page, which reported at the Houston Annual Meeting. This is part 4 in the series. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.  In this final post, I offer a response to the second question Nathan Finn puts to Traditionalists in his recent essay in the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry. Finn asks, “Who are the New Calvinists, and what have they done?” (68). Finn understands the preamble to … [Read more...] about A Response to Dr. Nathan Finn, Part 4: The New Calvinists (by Dr. Eric Hankins)

Tom Law was the Interim Executive Director for the Baptist Convention of Iowa. If you have never been what would it take for you to go? If you have been what would it take for you to go back? What do you wish that you had known before you went? Finally, what would it take for you to organize a group to go with you? I am putting together a group to go to Israel in October 2014 of Iowa pastors and their wives. As I have researched this and seen what others have done I have come to the conclusion that this is something I should have done years ago. I am trying to understand why I … [Read more...] about What Would It Take for You to Go to Israel? (by Thomas L. Law III)

There are a couple of passages I want to look at today, and contrast who the people are who are being talked about, specifically if they are groups or individuals.  We must be careful and diligent to study correctly, and not work to make scripture match our theology.  The first passage we find in Romans Chapter  9, so let’s look and see if this is talking about individuals or people groups. In Chapter nine, Paul begins talking about his kinsmen from Israel, those who are unsaved, wishing they would be saved.  It’s clear he begins by talking about individuals from within a certain people … [Read more...] about Who are “The People”

Paul spends much of the early part of Philippians chapter three detailing the externals that will never lead us to salvation.  He then calls attention to his own earthly, cultural, fleshly qualifications for holiness and salvation: circumcised in accordance with the Law; born of the tribe of Benjamin (the tribe of the first king of Israel AND the only tribe to remain faithful to the house of David when the kingdom split); offspring of a non-mixed marriage (no-half Jews); a member of the most strict sect of orthodox Jews; dedicated more than others to the Jewish faith, even to the point of … [Read more...] about Shoveling Dung – Spiritually Speaking

We have so much to learn! Once the Post-Nicene Church Father era ends with Augustine, we see an emergence of authority take place. What happened leading up to this point? Five Ecumenical councils took place, a claim to succession from Peter began , Christianity moved beyond the borders of the Empire, and in 476 the last Emperor is deposed. I consider the broader Medieval Christian period to last from 451-1516 AD. I know there are ways to subdivide this time, and I will mention some throughout the next few articles, but as a whole, this entire time period is marked with difficulty and … [Read more...] about Early Medieval Christianity

Ever feel like you were born in the wrong time period?  Maybe the wrong century?  I feel like that sometimes, because I get excited about Sunday School.  Lots of churches still have Sunday School, but I am not sure it gets much attention or energy these days.  In my opinion, a church that puts it's Sunday School program out front, promotes it, resources it, grows and expands it will be a healthy, growing, disciple making church.  I've seen it.  I've done it.  It's real and I've seen it happen outside the Bible belt.  In fact, I've never served inside the Bible belt. Sunday School sort of … [Read more...] about Has My Passion Gone Out of Style?

“NEVER WASTE A CRISIS” Did Donald Sterling's Adultery Expose His Racism? By Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr. Donald Sterling's racism is well documented and has been appropriately redressed by Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner. But his adultery has gone largely unaddressed.  No one of stature has related the impact of his adultery to this crisis. Wasn't Sterling's adultery the precursor to him receiving the death penalty, as a result of his racist rant? Wasn't it a recorded conversation with a female friend—that his wife was suing for having interfered with her marriage—the conversation that … [Read more...] about NEVER WASTE A CRISIS: Did Donald Sterling’s Adultery Expose His Racism? (by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr)

Yeah, I know. Corny. Remember, I am an Iowan. We don't have good weather. We don't have oceans or mountains or any major sports teams. So, we make puns. I thought that one was pretty good, regardless of the grief I took from it when I tweeted it yesterday. Before I say anything else about this mess, let me say this - Donald Sterling is a racist pig who deserved everything he got. Adam Silver gave him the bionic elbow and I cheered. Would that every scandal was handled with the firm justice Adam Silver meted out. And there is no point in trying to put Sterling's racism in any kind of … [Read more...] about Mining for Gold in the Sterling-Silver Confrontation

Let me start off saying that I'm a Jars of Clay fan, and as you may know, the lead singer Dan Haseltine sends a tweet that was unpopular.  Reading his blog I completely understand his point of view, and it's a place I struggle too.  As American's, we live in a country that is free and prides itself on our freedom.  As a Christian, I can practice what I believe, I can attend worship and pray freely.  Jews and Muslims are free to keep dietary rules, but I am free to eat bacon and ham.  With the issue of homosexuality, we have a different issue, and so what do we do with that issue? As a … [Read more...] about When To Stand Up and When to Sit Down: The Legislation of Morality