SBC Voices

To my SBC brothers and sisters, from the experiences of one local pastor, Most in our church don't think a lot about the SBC. Most are content with our collective mission and happy we give to it at a rate triple what we gave just two years ago. That all changed this past week after the departure of Beth Moore. I'm fielding MANY more questions than I used to, from many people who have never asked before and who I never thought would take a critical interest. In the past week I've responded to emails, talked on the phone, and over private messages on social media with a noticeably … [Read more...] about Perspective on the Ground: Questions from Church Members about Beth Moore’s Departure (by Joel Rainey)

It surprised me, the catch in my throat. In the last year we’d visited that playground almost 100 times. But today was different. A year ago today, the playground equipment was roped off. We brought our own toys from home and played with no other kids. There was an uncertainty and anxiety that hung in the air. Isolation. Today was different. Almost normal. We played with other kids (cousins, masked) and had little worry of what tomorrow’s news may bring. But the specter of last year lingered. It caught in my throat again as we drove home, winding down streets that I had walked every day … [Read more...] about Don’t Forget to Remember (by Emily Snook)

Until the Reagan presidency, Evangelicals often shied away from activism. Activism is defined as “a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action, especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue.” It can help bring about justice as well as social, economic, and political change, yet the word itself evokes mixed emotions and reactions within the evangelical community, perhaps because it was often associated with more liberal causes and connoted unbiblical rebellion or images of hippies protesting American military involvement in the Vietnam … [Read more...] about Christians and Activism (by Sonja Dosti)

As awareness of Ravi Zacharias’ sins and abuse spreads on the internet, there have been a number of reactions. There has been a great deal of disgust and anger (and properly so). Some have offered opinions (“I never liked him anyway” or “I’m throwing his books away.”) Others have shared guidelines like the Billy Graham Rule (never be alone with a woman who isn’t your wife (Another version of this rule adds the clause, “without your wife present,” perhaps to give more latitude for ministry). There have been helpful, harmful, and ignorant comments. One thing has struck me: Pastors need to do … [Read more...] about Pastor, be ready to believe (Keith Myer)

1 John 3:13 states, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” In a wonderfully bold statement, John reminds us that we should not be surprised or startled if the world hates us. To hate expresses here an emotion of loathing coupled with malice. Some languages render it by a phrase such as, “not to see a person in the eye,” which means that one cannot stand that person under any circumstances. I do not truly understand why we are so confused when the world hates us and hates what we stand for. However, I think one of the reasons we are so shocked by this is that we do not do … [Read more...] about Jesus Doesn’t Want Us to be Hated For Being a Jerk

You probably haven't heard, because they've pretty much kept it out of the news, but there was a little interview given by a couple of formal British Royals named Harry and Meghan that created a bit of a stir across the pond. I am not an expert in the royal family and cannot speak to the truthfulness of what Ms. Markle and her husband said about them. Last night, I was involved in the last-minute cancellation of a trip to Senegal and did not watch the interview, but today I saw a clip that struck me deeply. Meghan shared how deeply depressed she was after the intense coverage by the British … [Read more...] about British Royals, Protecting Institutions, and the SBC

Some of the SBC alphabet is under constant internal attack. The ERLC always has critics that are loud, dedicated, tireless, and often senseless. Witness the recent  Executive Committee ERLC Task Force report, generally characterized as a throwaway item, as in 'no action needed,' 'no action taken.' NAMB is a big, red bullseye target. Church planters may feel more valued than ever before in the SBC and church planting may have crossed over from a temp job sought by pastors of limited skills to a cool job that has become increasingly popular among highly motivated, skilled, and bearded … [Read more...] about Our oldest and most important entity, IMB, is doing OK

If you travel through the country side of Oklahoma, and prob other places too, there is one thing you can be certain to see. They go by different names depending on where you live. I've seen them called stone cribs, corner posts, or the ever descriptive "rock piles."  Every so often at the corner of a property there is a pile of rocks, 4 or 5 feet tall, with fencing wrapped around them to hold them together.  Some of these rock corner posts have been there for generations.  It was easier to stack rocks than dig holes in the ground, and provided a good place to pile up the rocks that littered … [Read more...] about Fences Aren’t For Sitting