SBC Voices

C.S. Lewis once quipped: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."  (Problem of Pain, 140) I agree with Lewis that this is true most of the time.  But then again, there are times when our suffering causes us to be so broken that we cannot even hear (or respond positively) to the voice of God.  Consider Exodus 6.  God gives a long list of what He is about to do in the lives of the Israelites.  He promises all this: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians I will deliver … [Read more...] about It Doesn’t Change the Promise

I got into blogging to "fight the power." I did not like the now-infamous IMB policies, which prevented Baptists who were in full cooperation with the BF&M 2000 from serving as missionaries if they did not kowtow to a narrow view of Baptist identity.  I was infuriated by them and motivated to do what I could to make a change.  Since about the only route available to me was blustering on blogs, I blustered. I saw myself as some sort of modern day Don Quixote tilting against the powers-who-were who were trying to take our convention the wrong way.  I was especially put off by the … [Read more...] about My Journey: Changing Views of SBC Leadership

Read this article. A 14-year-old boy was disciplined and suspended by the administration of Western Hills High School in Ft. Worth, TX. He is an honor student who is never in trouble. However, he evidently committed an egregious crime - he expressed an opinion to a friend that homosexuality is a sin.  His teacher, according to reports, went ballistic and sent him to the principal's office where he was given a day of in-school suspension and then two days of full suspension.  Principle James Wellman and the administration of Western Hills evidently prize political correctness over free … [Read more...] about If You Want a Glimpse of the Future, Look at Ft. Worth Schools!

The Yankees are in the playoffs.  Rejoice. In lesser news, NCAA football is being played. And in the who cares category, there is NFL football as well. Talk amongst yourselves. … [Read more...] about Celebrating the Yankees: The SBC Voices Weekly Sports Forum

At Between the Times, Nathan Finn has just posted a powerful call to civility during the discussion of the name-change.  It is called, "The Southern Baptist Convention: Name that Denomination."  If I say "pretty please" will you promise to go read it? He explains his ambivalence toward the name change, and then issues a call for civil debate of the topic. I’m urging my fellow Southern Baptists (even those who don’t want to be called that anymore) to be as civil and Christ-like as possible. I seriously doubt that the overwhelming majority of those who want to change the name are closet … [Read more...] about Dr. Nathan Finn: Words We Need to Hear!

Rick Warren tweeted this in response to Rob Bell leaving his church: Speaking tours feed the ego=All applause&no responsibility.It's an unreal world. A church gives accountability& validity Someone then asked him, "Do u think well-known pastors who leave their churches have more or less impact?" His response: Always less.No base 4credibility I think there is some good truth to this. I am not opposed to itinerant ministries or anything of the sort, but there is no "institution" on earth promised God's blessings other than the church and the accountability factor cannot … [Read more...] about Rick Warren on Rob Bell

Originally published at From Law to Grace on September 23, 2011 Its exact origin is uncertain, but spin doctor is often used to describe public relations experts as well as political or corporate representatives (emphasis added) whose job it is to put a 'positive spin' on events or situations. ("What is a Spin Doctor?") Before most grassroots Southern Baptists (including me) became aware of SBC President Bryant Wright's un-constitutional end-run around the messengers and churches that he was elected to serve, Twitter was all abuzz Monday night with tweets about the "unofficial" Name Change … [Read more...] about Grassroots Guide to Understanding SBC Spin Doctors

(Our favorite Plodder has another insight into the workings of the SBC that he has generously shared with us.) Lost in the highly increased internet SBC talk on a possibility of a potential unnamed name change for the Southern Baptist Convention is another action taken by our Executive Committee. Baptist Press reports on XComm President Frank Page's challenge to churches to give another 1% to the Cooperative Program. The recommendation from the EC's Cooperative Program subcommittee asked executive directors of the 42 Southern Baptist state conventions to "encourage their churches to give … [Read more...] about Frank Page’s One Percent Solution (by William Thornton)

“I can’t stop” The young man in my office was broken by his continuing lapses into the darkness of pornography.  He truly wanted to stop, at least it seemed.  He hated pornography.  But he kept going through seasons of “feast” and famine.  Sometimes he could quit for months at a time.  At other points he was engaging in sexual deviance multiple times per day. Did he have a disease?  Yes, it is quite true that pornography probably had changed his brain structure.  So there really is legitimacy to his saying, “I can’t stop”.  But isn’t the gospel more powerful than brain structure?  And … [Read more...] about Review of “Addiction and Virtue” by Kent Dunnington

You may have noticed that some decisions in church life are less popular than others.  It's easy for people who may not have all the facts to make unfair assumptions about the motivations, strategies and choices being handed down.  At times, church leaders somewhere in the "chain of command" may be called upon to explain a difficult decision to the church as a whole or to one specific group within the Body.  If a reasonable chance for misunderstanding exists, the best way to promote unity in the fellowship is to carefully explain the LOGIC of the decision rather than merely citing the … [Read more...] about The WHY and WHO of Tough Calls