SBC Voices

The WHY and WHO of Tough Calls

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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

Helpful Articles on the SBC Name-Change

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Is the SBC going to remain the SBC?  That question is at issue right now.  Obviously, our president Bryant Wright's appointment of a task force to study the issue has ignited a firestorm in the SBC and especially among us house-coat wearing basement-dwellers.  Our traffic yesterday was incredible as this dispute broke out - we usually only see those kinds of numbers during the Annual Meeting. People are interested in this topic. I thought it might be helpful to list some of the helpful blog posts for those who want to acquaint themselves with this issue.  Obviously, I have published … [Read more...] about Helpful Articles on the SBC Name-Change

The Name Change Won’t Matter Unless We Have a Heart Change (by Alan Cross)

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(Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift) Juliet: O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet. Romeo: [Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? Juliet: 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, … [Read more...] about The Name Change Won’t Matter Unless We Have a Heart Change (by Alan Cross)

Why the Overreaction?

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As I have read blogs and comments today, I am again discouraged about the way that some Baptist Bloggers blog. Bryant Wright announced yesterday that he is forming a task force to study the ramifications of a name change.  There are, I believe, some good reasons to change the name.  There are some very good reasons to be careful about jumping into that - legal issues, money, the question of whether it will really work.  Some of the commenters here have raised those issues and I thought they made sense. Why can't we just have a discussion of the merits of the case? Why must some act as … [Read more...] about Why the Overreaction?

The ??? Baptist Convention: Considering Bryant Wright’s Task Force Recommendation

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I thought that Bryant Wright did a great job leading the SBC last year in Phoenix.  Now, he is at the top of my buddy list again for appointing a task force to study the issue of changing the name of the SBC.  I've been through this debate before and I have made my views clear - that our regional name is an unnecessary hindrance to SBC growth outside of the deep south.  I would love to see the name change happen, but I doubt that it will anytime soon. Bart Barber has written a very different look at this, one that I understand but believe misses several points.  You can read Bart's opinion … [Read more...] about The ??? Baptist Convention: Considering Bryant Wright’s Task Force Recommendation

The Simple Beauty and Complex Challenges of Discipleship

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So many churches seem to strive for some sort of identity—something they can hang their hats on and say “this is who we are and this is what we offer.”  We use different monikers: seeker-sensitive, reformed, traditional, contemporary, family-based… we use different models of “doing church”… and we employ all sorts of purpose statements, some which are short and pithy while others require some sort of advanced degree in biblical linguistics to even begin to know what they say. Yet Jesus wrapped up the whole purpose and identity of the church in a simple statement: “All authority in heaven … [Read more...] about The Simple Beauty and Complex Challenges of Discipleship

Young, Restless, and Newtonian

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Recently, I have been blocking off a little more time to work on a book I hope to write on John Newton.  I believe Newton to be a great model of a pastor-theologian that provides a wonderful pattern of effective soul-care and evangelical Calvinism. One particular area that I feel we “Young, Restless, and Reformed” can learn from Newton is in the way he held his Calvinism, and how he debate it—or rather how he did not debate it. In June of 1772 he published a letter On the Doctrines of Election and Final Perseverance (you can read that here).  Shortly thereafter a Methodist preacher by … [Read more...] about Young, Restless, and Newtonian

Did Homosexuality Exist in Biblical Times?

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I read this article by a former SBC pastor and was greatly disturbed by his exegesis and thought process. I like his spirit of grace and humility toward the LGBT community, but this is just insulting to Scripture: [T]he concept of homosexuality was unknown for centuries after the Bible writers lived. It was not until the 19th century that the word “homosexual” was used for the first time. That being the case, the Bible writers could not have written about homosexual people or anything they did. Read his full argument here. Thoughts? … [Read more...] about Did Homosexuality Exist in Biblical Times?