SBC Voices

When a great tree splinters, it loses the strength to stand and eventually it crashes to the ground.  Is that the future of the Southern Baptist Convention? There can be little doubt that the SBC is splintering.  In a Baptist Press article yesterday, Gary D. Myers referenced a series of articles by Steve Lemke, the provost of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, which were published recently at SBC Today.  The articles explored the doctrinal and stylistic divides that are pulling Southern Baptists apart. I wrote an article last October at sbcIMPACT that touched on many of the same … [Read more...] about SPLINTERED! Can Anything Stop the Fall of the SBC?

Confession of the day—I tend to be a natural cynic and a pessimist.  Okay, that’s really not a confession to those who know me.  Once when I worked as an administrator at a private school I ate a Dove chocolate and found an “inspirational” message I actually enjoyed—“A pessimist is simply an optimist with experience.”  If you ask the question, “Is the glass half empty or half full?” I respond by drinking what’s left in the glass and tell you to stop asking silly questions. And again: this is my natural tendency—my fleshly one… so that means it’s not good.  It also means that I tend to have … [Read more...] about Joy… a struggle, a hope, and what I learned from a piece of chocolate

Stay in missions long enough and you’ll hear the stories, accounts of faraway events.  Somewhere, a missionary has discovered the Grail, the Promised Land, and the Ark of the Covenant all rolled into one.  Yes: it’s a church planting movement. I’ve been working in missions for about 10 years.  I’ve seen the work in 5 countries among various people groups.  I have yet to see, experience, or begin a church planting movement.  In fact, from what I have heard, only people in certain far-off inaccessible parts of the world get to see this elusive goal; you know, places I’ll never get to see, … [Read more...] about The Other Guy’s Church Plant

(William Thornton, the SBC Plodder, shares another of his articles with us.) Our wonderful CP, an eminently sensible concept, is shrinking and churches have dropped from over ten percent to the CP to around six. One complaint about the CP is that state conventions keep too much of each CP dollar. SBC Executive Committee statistics show that the percentage of CP dollars kept by the states is around 63% and in the last 50 years has ranged between roughly 61% and 67%. There seems to me to be a growing criticism that more of each CP dollar fails to get out of the states. Bryant Wright … [Read more...] about Cooperative Program Confusion (by William Thornton)

(Micah Fries, pastor of Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Joseph, MO, blogs at MicahFries.com.) Osama Bin Laden is dead. After a decade of reining as the most well known face of terror and depravity, Bin Laden will no longer have the privilege of presiding over a culture of terror. As a result of his death, American’s have filled the streets of their respective cities, setting off fireworks and jubilant celebrations. As I think through the implications of Bin Laden’s death, particularly as I thought through how to explain it to my daughters this morning who never lived through 9/11, I … [Read more...] about Let us not dance on his grave (by Micah Fries)

On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and laid waste to the area.  In 2006, 2007 and 2008, I went on mission trips to the area with my church and its youth group.  We went to Pascagoula, MS; Bay St. Louis, MS; and then to New Orleans itself.   In 2007, I had to fly in and out of New Orleans for the Bay St. Louis trip.  At the end of the week, I was dropped off in the New Orleans airport for the flight home and I noticed something interesting.    The airport was filled with small (and some fairly large) groups of young people in matching t-shirts.  It was youth groups from all … [Read more...] about The Church Shines Brightest in the Darkest Night

A while ago, I published a challenge that we help CB Scott and the people of Westmont Baptist Church.  Bob Cleveland, who blogs at Eagle's Rest and is a frequent imparter of wisdom here at SBC Voices, got the ball rolling.  I saw his post, which I am reprinting here (with his permission) and then contacted CB.  Here is Bob's post describing some of what is going on. From Bob Cleveland: It started with a text message: "I have very limited phone service. We are OK. NO power. This area would make a great partnership ministry between Westmont and 1st Pelham. We are feeding all we can, but … [Read more...] about “Church, Behaving Like Church” (by Bob Cleveland)

Mostly, bloggers talk.  We analyse, criticize and examine what is going on in this SBC and the larger Christian world.  Today, we can take the next step.  We can do something important.   In a time of crisis, of great need, can we come together and make a difference.  We have an opportunity to help people whose lives have been devastated in recent days.  One of our own, a fellow-blogger named CB Scott is at ground zero of this tragedy and is trying to minister in the name of Christ.  You and I can help him. I talked to CB tonight.   He is the pastor of Westmont Baptist Church in Birmingham, … [Read more...] about “BloggerAID”: We Can Help Alabama Tornado Victims