SBC Voices

Last year, Thom Rainer predicted that the pandemic would cause the deaths of many churches. I did not disbelieve him, but I hoped his prediction would not come true. Sadly, at least in our association, several churches have died or soon will.  I serve on the Mission Team of the Kauf-Van Baptist Association, which includes the Southern Baptist churches in Kaufman and Van Zandt counties in Texas. Our area lies to the southeast of Dallas, and our member churches include some in the eastern suburbs of Dallas and many in the small towns and countryside east of the DFW Metroplex. At our recent … [Read more...] about Concern for Dying Churches

When the SBC was formed in 1845, it started with two main entities, the "Board of Domestic Missions"  and the Foreign Mission Board, later to become NAMB and the IMB.  Over time the entity list has grown to include 6 seminaries, Guidestone, Lifeway, and the ERLC. Most of these institutions have easily understood purposes, such as the seminaries to train pastors.  Recent events in the SBC show that many misunderstand the reasons behind the formation of the ERLC and what role it plays in the SBC today.  The following is a brief history about the work of the ERLC, their purposes, and their … [Read more...] about A brief history of the ERLC

Yesterday, the Executive Committee’s ERLC task force released their report. You can find the Baptist Press story here. The task force was formed at the February 2020 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. The rationale given at the time was anecdotal concerns related to churches withholding Cooperative Program dollars because of disagreement with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. I will begin by saying that I am thankful they released the report prior to the EC’s meeting later this month. Too often over the last couple of years the EC has acted in … [Read more...] about The full EC should reject the ERLC task force report outright

One man's crusade to clean up the SBC is reporter Julie Roy's podcast with SBC presidential candidate Randy Adams. The interview is a roundup of the usual SBC suspects. Adams is a heavy NAMB critic. Fine, we can disagree about church planting philosophy and spending policies. While NAMB has several recent incidents that have not helped, I still don't favor the suggestion of returning to the good old days where NAMB would fling money at state conventions and the state conventions would do a stellar job of planting churches. Maybe he would address how NAMB could put over eight million … [Read more...] about Randy Adams favors an SBC sex abuser database?

Randy Adams is one of four announced candidates for SBC president. Baptist Press covers his announcement with links to the other three (Al Mohler, Ed Litton, and Mike Stone) in this article. Adams was to be nominated this past year but the virus gave the SBC JD Greear for another year. I doubt I would vote for Adams but his strong stance on SBC openness and transparency tempts me even though I disagree with some of his other views. More on those at another time. Here's what he says about openness and transparency, from his blog, A Path to Reforming the SBC SBC entities must submit to … [Read more...] about Randy Adams and reforming the SBC: Entities should disclose salaries and most everything else

I stared at the test, willing the pink lines not to appear. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be pregnant again. It was too hard. I couldn’t bear the thought of another miscarriage, and I was terrified of what another birth would do to my already broken body. As the results became clear, and relief washed over me, one thought burned in my brain- “so this is what this feels like.” I knew that if the test had been positive I would have dealt with it. I would have been cautiously happy and hopeful that this time would be different (and by God’s grace less than a year later we did have a second baby, … [Read more...] about The complicated feelings of being both pro-life & pro-Kamala as VP (Emily Snook)

Yesterday, Baptist Press reported that Fred Luter will nominate Alabama pastor Ed Litton for SBC President this summer in Nashville. Litton becomes the third announced nominee along with SBTS president R. Albert Mohler and Georgia pastor Mike Stone. In his announcement, Luter cites his relationship with Litton that grew from pursuing racial reconciliation together, but even more so his shared commitment to evangelism and discipleship. Luter explains, “That’s why I am honored to nominate Ed Litton as the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention. With Ed’s commitment to the Great … [Read more...] about Pastor Ed Litton to be nominated for SBC President

More accurately, both my wife and I are getting the first of the two shots today and it has been a strange journey to get to this spot. The way it has worked here in Georgia, the health departments had the vaccines. You had to go sign up, which, seems to me was a waste of time. I don't know anyone who got a call back. Word of mouth told us that you had to talk to someone which meant holding for hours while the software told you where you were in line ("You are number 54...45...22..." etc.). Several times my wife got down to the single digits ("You are number 6") and then the call was … [Read more...] about I’m getting the COVID vaccine today. Ouch!

The hallmark of our country's governance has always been the peaceful transfer of power. The capitol insurrection was an utter disgrace and the most serious challenge to the transfer of power in our history. (Well, we did have that other insurrection 160 years ago.) Utter disgrace. The more that is know about it the uglier it gets. The profaning of the halls of government. I didn't vote for Joe Biden but I will support him in every way, except in policy decisions where I cannot. He is the legally elected president of our country. It may be considered providential. Deal with it, … [Read more...] about Inauguration this week; prayers for the new administration