SBC Voices

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

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?

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?

In SBC circles, the issue of female pastors has been the subject of a lot of discussion during the past several days. I, personally, am a complementarian and believe that the office of elder-pastor-bishop in the local church is reserved, according to biblical teaching, for qualified males. At the same time, I recognize that there are authentic, bona fide followers of Jesus (i.e., my brothers and sisters in Christ) who interpret and/or apply the Bible differently than I do on these matters. Thus, I also believe I am enjoined by Scripture to have spiritual fellowship with those who may not hold … [Read more...] about Some Thoughts on Female Pastors and Cooperation in the SBC

Al Mohler has an article this morning called, “Women Pastors, Women Preachers, and the Looming Test of the Southern Baptist Convention.” I certainly share his convictions regarding women serving as pastors and/or preaching when the church is gathered on the Lord’s Day. I believe Scripture is very clear with the answers it provides to those questions. I agree with Dr. Mohler that 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 are the most helpful biblical texts in answering these questions. But while I share Dr. Mohler’s convictions, I do not share his feeling of alarm. Dr. Mohler quotes from 1 Kings … [Read more...] about There’s no Looming Storm: A Response to Dr. Mohler

Seminary professors Malcolm Yarnell and Keith Whitfield wrote an article put here on February 16, 2019, Addressing Abuse in the SBC: A Proposal. Keith Whitfield is Professor of Systematic Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Malcolm Yarnell is Research Professor of Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is the only concrete proposal I have seen from any in the SBC that goes beyond providing resources and educating SBC pastors and churches. For some time now, SBC seminaries have been requiring students to take some level of training in the area of … [Read more...] about ICYMI, Yarnell and Whitfield proposal for addressing abuse in the SBC

Dr. Danny Akin recently held a chapel Q&A session with students at Southeastern. As you might imagine, several of the questions he received were about critical race theory. You can watch him answer those questions in the video below. Start at the 38:52 mark. Some highlights of Dr. Akin's response include: First of all, you should always be concerned about any accusation about our institution. They could be true. And they could also be false. And the way that you find out is by being a good thinker and investigating the accusation. Not playing the fool and listening to what are … [Read more...] about Dr. Akin on Critical Race Theory

Somewhere it is inscribed in stone, as if by the finger of God, that there must be SBC state conventions and that they must receive the lion's share of Cooperative Program revenues. Such is not inscribed by the finger of the Almighty but by the finger of respected but not omnipotent denominational bureaucrats. Our venerable Cooperative Program is almost a century old. It is not vigorous in it's old age and even though it is rather weak of eye and has been in declining health for generations, still transfers $467 million dollars from church offering plates to a variety of destinations. … [Read more...] about Does the Cooperative Program make state conventions lazy and inefficient?

The following is a guest post by Dee Miller, former FMB missionary and long-time survivor advocate. See her post from last week #LONGbeforeMeToo: SBC’s Oldest Survivor Advocate Speaks Out for important background. ______________ It’s a Set-Up! A total Set-Up! Not only for survivors who’ve waited years in hoping the SBC might someday hear their cries. It’s also a set-up for everyone on the Credentials Committee. And they know it, I discovered in the opening remarks made by chairman Mike Lawson in a Zoom call I’d been waiting to have for weeks. If the EC had asked me for input … [Read more...] about Who’s Caring Well Now?