SBC Voices

This Is Not Your Grandfather’s SBC, Part 3 (Mark Terry)

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From Dave - in my advanced senility, I neglected to changed the author designation from my name to Dr. Terry's. My apologies. In this third part I’ll focus on three aspects of SBC life from sixty years ago. Again, these are my memories and experiences. My memory may fail me at times, and your experience might have been different. I should emphasize that I’m not contending that the past was great and the present is terrible. No, some contemporary things are better; but, then again, just because something is old does not mean it’s bad. Some things are just different. Local Church … [Read more...] about This Is Not Your Grandfather’s SBC, Part 3 (Mark Terry)

Why Would a 192 Year-Old Church Join the SBC? (Joe Radosevich)

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In 2024, our church joined the Southern Baptist Convention. Why would a 192-year-old church decide to join the SBC? Here are four reasons why we joined. First, our goal requires help. Our church is healthy by many metrics. We are healthy financially and have a large reserve. We have people from birth to 98 attending in a normal week. We worship, disciple, and do outreach. We give over 10% of our income to missions. We support church planters in 7 countries. If all we cared about was being a healthy church, then the main thing we need from the SBC is good seminaries to train future pastors. … [Read more...] about Why Would a 192 Year-Old Church Join the SBC? (Joe Radosevich)

You should always ask for compensation, not salary.

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SBCers in the pulpits and pews get played in a thousand different ways by those on the payroll. It's a disgrace, a travesty, and a black eye to the Christian ministry. My view on denominational leader transparency hasn't change in decades: Entity heads, perhaps entity executive leadership, should disclose their compensation each year in a manner where ordinary SBCers, the ones who pay the bills, may access it. There is no good reason for the pay of entity heads to be kept secret. There are a world of bad reasons and we see these each time the subject arises. Secrecy is demanded because: … [Read more...] about You should always ask for compensation, not salary.

With a half century of steady decline the Cooperative Program hits it’s centennial

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I suppose there will be all manner of celebrations, somewhere, over the centennial anniversary of our venerable flagship denominational giving scheme, The Cooperative Program. I don't recall seeing much about it but we have about six months to go. Here's the most salient fact about the Cooperative Program: It provides the longest running trend in Southern Baptist life. The CP has been consistently declining as a percentage of church undesignated giving for about half of its life. It is still a huge source of funding for denominational entities, although the sums to distribute have … [Read more...] about With a half century of steady decline the Cooperative Program hits it’s centennial

Advice to a New Pastor (John Fariss)

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I don’t know about you guys, but when it became known that I had surrendered to a call into the ministry, I got a good deal of advice. Some of it was pretty good; for instance, our Associational Missionary prayed that I would allow God to make the best pastor He could out of me. His prayer was both affirming and humbling. But much of the advice I received was—well, let’s just say that it was less good. One minister, for instance, gave me a printed sheet “proving” that his view on millennialism was correct and the only possible position for anyone with half a brain. At this point, some forty … [Read more...] about Advice to a New Pastor (John Fariss)

Shepherds Must Care for the Sheep (Steve Ammons)

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The Importance of Pastoral Care “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28, CSB) Let me share a story with you. This story is about a church member several years ago who said something to me that has stuck in my heart. This member was having surgery. I prayed, called, and got the details of the procedure, and on the day of the surgery, I showed up. I prayed with them, talked, and encouraged them. As a rule, I will generally stay until I know the … [Read more...] about Shepherds Must Care for the Sheep (Steve Ammons)

The College Football Playoffs Have RUINED Bowl Season, and RESCUED It

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Having watched quite a few of the 357 bowl games leading up to the 12-Team College Football Playoff, it is hard to argue a few points, though some of you probably will argue those points anyway. Here's my thoughts and observations. 1. The CFP with 12 teams has created a two-tiered system for bowls. If a team makes the playoff, teams take their games seriously and their players go all-in to win, to seek the national championship. Teams that do not make the playoff have lost interest in their bowl games. 2. The bowl games outside the CFP have become little more than a December version … [Read more...] about The College Football Playoffs Have RUINED Bowl Season, and RESCUED It

This Is NOT Your Grandfather’s SBC, Part 2

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In Part 2 I’ll discuss changes in the SBC that I’ve observed in my lifetime (75 years). I’m not suggesting these are negative things, but they are significant things, at least in my opinion. One big change is the rise of Calvinism in the SBC. In the 1950s Calvinism was barely a blip on the SBC’s radar. I studied for my Master of Divinity degree at Southwestern Seminary from 1972-1975. The only time I remember Calvinism being mentioned in class was in my church history class. We spent lots more time in class discussing dispensationalism and the Charismatic Movement, which was roaring at that … [Read more...] about This Is NOT Your Grandfather’s SBC, Part 2