We are waiting for IMB to follow in NAMB’s footsteps and name a new president. My hope is that when they make their nomination, they will forgo the “We have found God’s Man” tactic that was used by NAMB trustees and their search committee. Ted Traylor, Bryant Wright and others put on a full-court press […]
Cooperative Program Reality Check: Is the CP Really Our Sacred Cow?
Before I say some things that might rankle some feathers here, let me say that I am a supporter of the Cooperative Program. In the nearly 30 years that I have been a pastor, I have served 4 churches (3 as “senior” pastor). Two of those churches gave 20% or more through the CP. My […]
How Can We Remedy Jesus-Detracting Issues in the SBC?
In a recent interview with Baptist Press, SBC President Bryant Wright listed his five primary goals as president: I want to call Southern Baptist Christians to return to their first love of Jesus Christ. We’ve let so many other priorities and influences of the world become more important than our relationship with Jesus Christ. That […]
Silent Statues in a Graceless Garden
If I was still climbing, you’d steady the ladder. If I were in pain, you’d ask what was the matter. So why all the silence when you saw me falling? Why turn away slowly when you hear me calling? If grace flows so freely, then why are we silent? If God says to give it, […]
CB Scott’s Personal Playground: A Sports Blog for SBC Voices
Since CB Scott has insisted on publishing constant drivel about the Albalama Crismon Tripe football team (yes, I’m bitter – my Hawks lost this week), I thought the best thing to do would be to provide him his own dedicated blog post which will be specifically for sports-related posts. Here are the rules: 1) Trash-talking, […]
AN IRAQI MEET AND GREET
A member of our Sunday School class asked if any of we ladies would be interested in visiting with an Iraqi lady for an hour or so a week to teach her conversational English. The class-member is a soldier and knows her husband from Iraq (he’d been his interpreter there). Now he is here furthering […]
Does Blogging Interfere with Real Ministry?
Bart Barber punched me in the gut today! He posted an article entitled “Why I Almost Never Blog Anymore” accompanied by this graph, which basically shows that the more he blogs, the fewer people his church baptizes. Bart is not suggesting that this is a scientific sample, as best I can tell. But his simple […]
Ways to Show Appreciation for Your Minister’s Wife
Offer to babysit so she can have a date-night with her husband. Bring her homemade goodies for the children. Give her a pedicure gift certificate. Give her a spa treatment day. Take her to lunch, or invite her to your home for lunch. Have a card shower for her–have everyone send a dollar in the […]
Advice for Kevin Ezell and NAMB
I’ll admit it. I was torqued off by Dr. Ezell’s words to his church that disdained bloggers who criticized him. I was not among those bloggers, but I still felt the unfairness of the criticism. That thread was really active yesterday. But as the day wore on, the comments started to trend a little too […]
New Voices Feature – “Brotherly Advice” – What Are the Mandates of the Church?
I need your help. I’m beginning a new series on Voices called “Brotherly Advice.” A few weeks ago, one of our regular commenters wrote anonymously to ask our advice on a situation in his church. We had a pretty good discussion of the issues he faced, and he received, I think, some helpful advice. I […]
Disturbing Comments by Kevin Ezell
(NOTE: Kevin Ezell was elected as President of the North American Mission Board. The BP article did not tell what the vote count was. Congratulations Dr. Ezell!) I have not been involved in the debate about whether Kevin Ezell is qualified to be the president of NAMB. From everything I have been told, he is […]
Biblical Requirements for Pastors: Older, Married, and with a Proven Family?
I want us to wrestle with an idea/question: when it comes to the biblical requirements for a pastor, should the pastor be an older man who is married and has a family that has proven faithful? Certainly throughout history there have been a plethora of younger men in the pastorate, we have plenty who post […]