SBC Voices

The Southern Baptist Convention must restore the practice of traditional congregational polity, especially when it comes to the creation, staffing and reporting of our leadership structures. With each passing year, we have grown more complacent in our commitment to congregational polity, having practically surrendered to a style of church government more suited for elders and bishops than congregationalists. In each example below, I will first state a principle of leadership I consider to be consistent with traditional Baptist practice. I will then offer one example to show how this … [Read more...] about Restoring Southern Baptist Polity

Sometimes we are told that we cannot come to Christ unless the Father draws us, that without Christ we can do nothing, and that if we live, it is not we, but Christ who lives in us.  Now these views tend to hide pride from man, to create a diffidence of ourselves, and to center our hopes and dependence on Christ; but lest the slothful and wicked servant should make his impotence his excuse, we are called upon to turn and make ourselves new hearts; we are exhorted to ask and we shall receive; and we are assured that God will give the Spirit to them who ask Him…(John Jennings, Christian Pastor’s … [Read more...] about The Danger of Not Letting the Text Speak

As a pastor, one of the greatest encouragements is to hear the words “I’m praying for you.” Truly, one of the great blessings of being a pastor is knowing that prayers are being lifted up on your behalf. Often, people ask how they can be praying for me. While there are particular needs that I have from time to time, here are some prayers for pastors that are always in season: Pray that we stay vitally connected to the Lord in our personal devotion. Like everyone else, the tendency is for people is to drift. Pray that we would maintain a constant fellowship with the Lord, day by day, hour by … [Read more...] about How to pray for your pastor

I have been reading a lot of blogs, and I have been reading a lot of opinions on Calvinism, and it seems to me, most people tend to despise what they hear and don't really get.  I don't mean to sound condescending, but I think it's becoming a prejudice, we all band together to despise something we don't understand.  It's sort of human nature.  I have come to the point that I have stopped describing myself as a Calvinist, because people automatically make assumptions about me.  That I don't do evangelism (I wrote a book of evangelism) and that I don't want to do church plants.  I don't share … [Read more...] about Maybe we hate Calvinism because we don’t understand it.

With reference to our present Southern Baptist denominational controversy, there has been more than enough talk of "wackadoodles" and "bogeymen." I am not interested in characterizing pejoratively those who disagree with me by calling them names. I now reject the notion that the existence of a full-scale Southern Baptist takeover or "quiet revolution" is in any way a conspiratorial idea, a stretch or a lark. It is not a conspiracy. It is a reality. My earlier post simply asked the question, "Are we being reformed?" In developing my article, I wasted far too many words disclaiming conspiracy … [Read more...] about Who Is Reforming Us?

Chris, a frequent commenter here at SBC Voice, blogs at "Seek the Holy."  We appreciate this post. No matter who you are or what you do, people have certain expectations for how you should fulfill your office. Whether you are a corporate executive, a mail room clerk, a state senator, a librarian, or a general lackey, someone somewhere is ready to tell you what you should be doing in that position. This is especially true for those holding the position of pastor in a church. It doesn’t take long to identify many of the expectations people have of their pastors. Those expectations generally … [Read more...] about The Pastor’s Duty (by Chris Roberts)

I saw an interesting article at Trevin Wax's site "Kingdom People" called "Looking for a Church? 3 Suggestions." It discusses (watch Dave state the obvious) how to find a biblical church.  In the article, he uses three words that I would like to apply to the future of the SBC.  He mentions three "orthos" - words that describe a genuine church.  Orthodoxy. Orthopraxy.  Orthokardia. A church must be orthodox in doctrine - Bible-believing and faithful to the fundamental doctrines of the faith, especially those that relate to the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. A church must have orthopraxy … [Read more...] about Is Orthodoxy Enough? The Future of the SBC

1)  What happened to two spaces after a period?  That's what I was taught back in good old days, but now it seems no one likes two spaces anymore.  What's up? 2)  Should I capitalize divine pronouns?  I was taught that as respect to God.  But even modern language Bibles don't do it.  What's up? These are weighty issues which I hope we can discuss in a calm and rational way! … [Read more...] about Two Crucial Theological Issues We Need to Discuss