SBC Voices

With the recent announcement that Ed Litton will not be running for a second term as SBC President, rumors have been flying about the open position and who will run for it. Florida pastor Willy Rice has already been announced as a candidate by the man who will nominate him, Clint Pressley. There will undoubtedly be another candidate, especially given the current climate of the SBC. It’s expected that the Conservative Baptist Network will announce a candidate that they choose to support, and there are plenty of names being bandied about. I don’t wish to discuss the relative merits … [Read more...] about Who can be president of the Southern Baptist Convention?

Willy Rice doesn’t need this California normative-sized SBC church pastor to endorse his nomination for the SBC presidency. Pastors of far bigger and more effective churches have already endorsed this nomination and deservedly so. Anyone at SBC21 with ears to hear and eyes to see realized we heard a timely message from a true man of God as Willy delivered last year’s convention message. Many others know Willy far better and can testify to his giftedness in leading his church and Florida Baptists to effectively engage a lost community, state, and world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Still … [Read more...] about One California Pastor’s Experience with Willy Rice (Christopher Cole)

Since the moment Ed Litton was elected, elements of the SBC have been seeking his destruction, fault-finding and nit-picking in ways that are not of Christ. They did manage to find a fault, one Ed readily admitted to and apologized for, and one for which certain segments of the SBC showed absolutely NO grace. They dragged him through the mud. This is a good man, a godly man. Not a perfect man, but one who has served Southern Baptists well.   A message to the SBC. https://t.co/RWMBfTWeZr — Ed Litton (@EdLitton) March 1, 2022 I deeply regret not being able to vote for him a … [Read more...] about Ed Litton is NOT Running for Reelection as SBC President

SBC22 in Anaheim, California is just around the corner! And with the convention center being literally across the street from Disneyland Resort, many Southern Baptists and their families will be taking advantage of the opportunity for some great family memories at the parks. As a former Send Network planter and now SBC pastor of a church in Los Angeles, I’m thrilled to be welcoming everyone to our great state. And as Disneyland annual passholders for the past decade, my family has a lot of experience with how to best navigate the parks. Consider this my best advice and a helpful guide to all … [Read more...] about SBC22 Disneyland Guidance (by DJ Jenkins)

My average sized congregation in South Carolina, ministerially speaking around 100-150 on Sunday mornings, had a Homecoming Sunday. It was a Big Deal. Always on the church calendar for the same date, third Sunday in September. Always a special preacher, mostly former pastors or guys from the church who had been called out to preach. Predictably for an SBC church, a cardiologists dream in regard to food, copious quantities of heavy casseroles, healthy fresh vegetables often seasoned by tasty fatback, desserts galore. Then there was the special hash. In that area of upstate SC some … [Read more...] about The Gospel of the Hash House

The Bible contains 1,189 chapters in total. The question I am asking our Voices readers is this: Which is the greatest chapter in the Bible? Some might say, “Well, they are all great.” For sure, that is true, but it is fair to say that Romans 8 influences our faith more than Leviticus 15. Another might say, “All the chapters are equally inspired.” Again, I would agree with that, but that response does not address my question. In your humble, but accurate, opinion which is the greatest chapter in the Bible? I’m asking you to offer your opinion and then explain why you chose that chapter. So, … [Read more...] about What Is the Greatest Chapter in the Bible?

I have been isolated these days and am not privy to anything going on behind the scenes, but I just saw a statement by the Executive Committee of the SBC. Evidently, this is some part of a settlement but I do not know what went on behind the scenes to make this statement happen. Here is the statement.   Here is what I know. Jennifer Lyell was abused in a most despicable way by a Southern Baptist leader. She did not have a "consensual affair" - she was groomed, abused, and mistreated horribly. Every single one of our leaders who examined the details of her abuse agreed … [Read more...] about The Executive Committee Has Apologized to Jennifer Lyell

I suppose I'll never be on board with these prepackaged, prefilled, partly fake grape juice communion cups. Yeah, I understand it's where we are and perhaps the alternatives, as in real bread and real juice without plastic and foil, are unacceptable to our health and safety conscious worshippers. I'll use them but I don't have to like them. The one pictured in my wrinkly octogenarian paw is from the church service yesterday. I didn't steal it. I picked up two when walking in thinking my wife in the choir would need one. Seems the choir had their own. Call me crazy but I don't think … [Read more...] about Recognize this?