It's no secret that this year at the Southern Baptist Convention is shaping up to be a contentious one, especially when it comes to resolutions. Several have already been released, and more are in the works. Anyone who is a member in good standing can submit a resolution to the SBC meeting, where a committee will decide whether or not to present it to the convention at large during the business sessions. The SBC has done a remarkable job of keeping track of all the resolutions ever presented at their website, with a very handy searchable database. My rough count shows somewhere over 600 … [Read more...] about History and Notes of Resolutions at the SBC Annual Meeting
Video: Hear Dr. Ed Litton’s Vision for the SBC
As SBC 2021 draws near, don't miss this message from Ed Litton, who will be nominated for SBC President by Dr. Fred Luter. Litton lays out his positive vision for our convention, including three priorities: Unity - A great commandment heart and a great commission determination; commitment to the Baptist Faith & Message Gospel Engagement - Renew our commitment to evangelism strategies Diversity - continue broadening ethnic diversity on our boards to reflect who we actually are Watch for yourself and hear from Ed in this 4 minute introduction. … [Read more...] about Video: Hear Dr. Ed Litton’s Vision for the SBC
The Next Chapter
In the '90's we used to watch the TV Guide channel for what seemed like hours, waiting for something interesting to pop up on the schedule. Then, a classic or favorite movie would appear. We would change the channel to TNT or TBS, maybe USA, and watch a movie we'd seen dozens of times. If we were lucky enough to catch the beginning of the movie we would see this disclaimer- This film has been modified from its original format. It has been edited for content and to run in time allowed. Years later, thanks to streaming, no network censors are editing those old favorites for time and … [Read more...] about The Next Chapter
This day eighty years ago the ‘Mighty” HMS Hood was sunk; will the SBC follow?
In one of the great naval battles of history, the HMS Hood, pride of the British Navy, for years the largest, most powerful ship of its day, was sunk on May 24, 1941 by the giant and famous German battleship, the Bismarck. The Hood, launched in 1918, was getting a bit long in the tooth but along with British battleship Prince of Wales engaged with the Bismarck and German heavy cruiser Prince Eugen in the battle of Denmark. The Hood was hit by several German shells and sank in three minutes. There were only three British survivors among the Hood's crew of around 1,500 souls. Over 46,000 … [Read more...] about This day eighty years ago the ‘Mighty” HMS Hood was sunk; will the SBC follow?
2020 SBC Covid year statistics, not all that bad
This is the time of the year, just prior to the SBC Annual Meeting, when Lifeway Christian Resources releases the dreaded Annual Church Profile data collected for the previous year. Baptist Press story: Southern Baptists grow in number of churches, plant 588 new congregations amid COVID-19 pandemic. I'm in favor of emphasizing the positive so long as we're given all the data, not just the headline worthy stuff. Last year was a statistical mess with the pandemic; churches weren't meeting for much of the year, much less having intimate events like baptisms where hugs and close contact … [Read more...] about 2020 SBC Covid year statistics, not all that bad
Why Ed Litton Will Be A Good President for the SBC
This is a post about why Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church just north of Mobile, Alabama, will be a good president for the SBC. I'm not writing about the other candidates up for election next month in Nashville, so this isn't meant to be a comparison. We have enough of that going on. But, I wanted to write about my knowledge of Ed and his wife Kathy and what I've seen of his life and ministry over the past 5 years. This is my first post here at Voices in a couple of years, but I was motivated to write about Ed Litton because I believe him to be a good man. I first met Ed and Kathy at … [Read more...] about Why Ed Litton Will Be A Good President for the SBC
A Statement, Not A Creed
The 1963 SBC Annual meeting in Kansas City was highly anticipated. At the previous year’s meeting the SBC Executive Committee recommended that a committee be appointed to examine the Baptist Faith and Message. The committee was to be led by the current SBC President Dr. Herschel Hobbs, and made up of state convention presidents, among others. The motion from the EC instructed the committee to “...present to the Convention in Kansas City some similar statement which shall serve as information to the churches, and which may serve as a guideline to the various agencies of the Southern … [Read more...] about A Statement, Not A Creed
Russell Moore Leaving ERLC for New Role at Christianity Today
Big news last night for the SBC and larger evangelical world: Russell Moore is leaving our ERLC to take on a new role with Christianity Today. Moore's resignation is effective June 1, with VP Daniel Patterson serving as acting president at that time. In an article at his own website, Moore says, "I am excited today to accept the invitation from Christianity Today to join their team as public theologian and as director of a new venture, the Christianity Today Public Theology Project, which is devoted to cultivating a forward-looking, joyful, consistent gospel witness." CT News Release: … [Read more...] about Russell Moore Leaving ERLC for New Role at Christianity Today
Southern Baptist don’t have a theology of ordination, do they?
One of the most common questions I've fielded over the past few decades is about the ordination of Southern Baptist clergy. The most common misconception in regard to ordination is that seminaries confer ordination after the individual graduates, along with the degree earned. Nah. Seminaries confer a lot of stuff but not the thing that lets the pastor or prospective pastor be properly addressed as "The Reverend," "Rev" in rural South Carolina, as in "Hey, Rev...". Here are a few facts and opinions on Southern Baptist ordination: There is no Southern Baptist theology of ordination, or … [Read more...] about Southern Baptist don’t have a theology of ordination, do they?
Is this the most aggressive, most contested SBC presidential contest in history?
I recall one of the moderate candidates, Winifred Moore, back in the day of the original Conservative Resurgence having a campaign that included airport stops with news interviews. The idea was, one supposes, to get on television news or in print. Moore was quite the avuncular preacher with homespun stories but rather unsuited for this type of campaigning. He looked like he'd rather be doing anything but what he was doing but then running against Adrian Rogers and Charles Stanley was an unenviable task. My youthful observations back in that day were that, Adrian Rogers didn't need to … [Read more...] about Is this the most aggressive, most contested SBC presidential contest in history?