SBC Voices

I received an email from someone who was "in the know" relative to some of the decisions that I have been critical of here.  I'll call him Jason Bourne (Obviously, NOT his real name).  He responded in a reasoned and forthright way to some of the comments that I (and others) have made here about Dwight McKissic's motion about racism in the SBC. It is really important to see all sides of things.  Jason gently shared a different perspective than the one I had formed and I learned from it.  He has asked that I protect his identity but granted me permission to share some of his thoughts and … [Read more...] about The Racism Motion: A Response from the Inside

(This post originally appeared on my blog: Borrowed Light) Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression, every thought of unbelief would be atheism, might it grow to its head…every rise of lust, might it have its course, would come to the height of villainy: it is like the grave, that is never satisfied.   -John Owen If you want to see this principle in full force then look … [Read more...] about When the Strong Man Gets His Way

I got an email a couple of days ago telling me what I had already heard. Sometime this year, the SBC's best state executive director will be retiring. We Iowa Baptists don't have a lot to brag about. We are one of the smaller conventions - so small we don't even get representation on our boards and agencies. We struggle to plant churches.  Its not easy to get "Southern" Baptists to venture to the frozen north to serve our churches.  Iowa is often difficult soil in which to plant the seed.  But we have had the best exec in the convention. Don't argue with me. I'm right on this one. I … [Read more...] about I Wish Every Baptist Executive Was Like Our Jimmy Barrentine!

(Editor's Note:  Todd Littleton was one of the prominent early Baptist bloggers.  Like most of the pioneers, he has mostly laid down his keyboard for other pursuits.  But he has an interesting perspective to share on the TD Jakes/Jamar Jones conflict that went on last week - to which I contributed.  Our desire here is to be "SBC Voices" - which means we will have as many voices chime in as possible!) Kenneth Scott Latourette noted, As in the Apostles' Creed, so in the Nicene Creed, painfully, slowly, and through controversies in which there was often lacking the love which is the major … [Read more...] about Heretics and the SBC Blogosphere (by Todd Littleton)

Homosexuality is a hot-button issue within the church.  The issue is not one that is between the church and the world; as in the church says its wrong the world says its evil.  There are many that seemingly love Jesus that make arguments that homosexuality is an okay option for a believing Christian.  And there are certainly those that take the position that homosexuality is wrong and they do so in anger and pride. For those like me, that feel the biblical position on homosexuality is that it is sinful, one thing that is often lost in the middle of discussing homosexuality and … [Read more...] about Review of Wesley Hill’s “Washed and Waiting”

Dwight McKissic said something to me the other day that absolutely shocked me.  He had called me about another matter, and but he told me something that really disturbed me. The podium at the SBC Annual Meeting last year was just like me - lily white!  When he made his motion to make racism as serious an offense as homosexuality in the SBC bylaws, there was not a single person of color involved in making the decisions.  He claimed that there was not a single black man on the stage during the entire convention. Here's the thing:  I never noticed.  It never occurred to me that the … [Read more...] about The SBC, Racism and the Future: My (Lily White) Brothers, We Can Do Better!

I’m going to be straight up from the start: this post is as much (if not more) directed at me than at anyone else.  I’m just the average Joe…or, um…Mike (hey, my first name was the most common boy’s name in America for years on end, only recently usurped—you can’t get much more “average” than that!).  I have no fancy letters before or after my name and I pastor an average-sized church in a typical small town.  There are days I wear a plastic smile, there are days I lay awake at night staring at the ceiling and wondering “is this worth it?”, and there are days I just want to take my dog and … [Read more...] about What If?