SBC Voices

The state conventions in the south (and, counting some border states one might take sixteen of these which would account for ninety percent or so of all SBC metrics - churches, members, money, CP giving, mission giving, etc.) have been around for a long time, many preceding the founding of the SBC in 1845. Some SBC history nerd can inform me as to which state convention will be celebrating their bicentennial soon. My state, Georgia, has a state convention that was founded in 1822. Likewise, several institutions that are or have been connected with the GBMB and which are funded in part by them … [Read more...] about State conventions and legacy spending; unchecked financial hemorrhaging here in Georgia

It's fitting to write this while our church is hosting a weekly homeschool community through Classical Conversations. CC's motto is "To Know God and make Him known." It permeates everything they do. I hear my wife singing to her group of "Apprentices" about the Boston Tea Party and the class directly across the hall is using a clap/stomp beat to learn Latin. At the core of the CC curriculum is knowing God, who is the author of Truth and has revealed Himself to us. Recently the 2020 State of American Theology report was released by Lifeway Research. For research nerds this was like Christmas … [Read more...] about Nine Takeaways from LifeWay’s Theology Report (Scott Douglas)

Life always gets in the way of blogging, and it has happened again. I started a series a few weeks ago called “Building Better Baptists.” My premise is that our problems are not denominational or structural, but heart problems. Today, I read a Facebook post in which a pastor accused our president of defunding the IMB. If you know anything about J.D. Greear, you know his church is our most active in sending missionaries and funding the IMB, yet this pastor had no guilt about publicly posting an accusation against the character and integrity of this man of God. This kind of false accusation is … [Read more...] about Building Better Baptists: Forging a Solution

I’ve tried to avoid rants recently, but sometimes us old codgers (after Sunday, I’m one year more codgery after all) just need to codger. Our president, J.D. Greear just announced the theme for the 2021 convention in Nashville. We should be rejoicing that there are VOWELS in it, but I saw several people grousing about his chosen theme, “We Are Great Commission Baptists.” Back in the dark ages, we appointed a name-change committee to see about the possibility of changing from being the SBC to something more reflective of who we had become – a nationwide Baptist convention. We ran into two … [Read more...] about We Are Great Commission Baptists – I HOPE!

Southwestern Seminary and Baylor are suing the Harold E. Riley Foundation and its trustees over what they allege is an illegal attempt to divert funds from the schools contrary to the foundation's purpose and bylaws. I skimmed the lawsuit and read the story, but I cannot pretend to have an in-depth knowledge of the facts of this case. You can read the full story in the Religion News Service story on the lawsuit, by Bob Smietana. The lawsuit itself is available in PDF form. The suit alleges that the Riley Foundation was established in 2002 to provide funds for SWBTS and Baylor, granting the two … [Read more...] about SWBTS, Baylor, Sue over Alleged Patterson Attempt to Change Foundation Funding

This was originally posted on Griffin's website, Contra Mundum (griffingulledge.com). It is reposted here with permission.  Disclaimer: During my time in Louisville, Denny Burk was the associate pastor of the church where I was a member. We maintain a friendly relationship to this day, and this post should be read as no exception to that. I spent some time yesterday reading and thinking about Denny Burk’s recent reflections posted on his blog entitled “The Dead-end of Research Justice.” Burk can always be relied upon to interrogate the demands of an ever-secularizing culture on … [Read more...] about On Diverse Reading Lists: A Friendly Response to Denny Burk (Griffin Gulledge)

Large majorities of various Christian sub-groups (classify by race, by region, and other means) vote either Republican or Democratic. While I understand the presence of an escape hatch to the statement ("I don't see"), can a pastor effectively minister to a congregation that has mixed political constituencies? I don't see how. Could some of the brain trust persuade me otherwise. I can see a categorical personal statement, e.g. "I will not vote for any party that supports abortion" or similar. One day, it cannot come too soon, we will be post COVID-19. One day we will be post-Trump. … [Read more...] about “I don’t see how a Christian could vote for…”

Now that statement is a shot across the bow but it isn't much of a surprise or shock. About the only meaningful change wrought by the Great Conservative Resurgence Report, which blue ribbon GCR committee was chaired by Ronnie Floyd and adopted overwhelmingly (3 to 1 ratio in favor) by the SBC in annual session a decade ago, was that the North American Mission Board be "liberat[ed] to conduct and direct a strategy of reaching the United States and Canada with the Gospel and planting Gospel churches...Thus, we believe that the North American Mission Board must be refocused and unleashed for … [Read more...] about About some state conventions claim that NAMB “abandons true collaborative partnership”

When the Past Meets the Present By William Dwight McKissic, Sr.  “Sitting in Broadus Chapel waiting for my Christian Preaching Class to begin. Oddly enough the man who this chapel is named after would have likely observed me as an individual that he just had to deal with or even in his own words, ‘one who belongs to a very low grade of humanity.’ As I’ve walked across the campus today, I realize that an unfortunate reality is that the attitude and heart of John A. Broadus still exists. Nevertheless, I know who I am. I know what I am. I know who I belong to. I know what I’ve been called to do … [Read more...] about James Petigru Boyce, “An Ultra Pro-Slavery Man”: A Response to Dr. Tom Nettles

To the LU Board of Trustees, I'm sure the last couple of weeks have been extremely difficult for you in your role on the board of trustees at Liberty. I trust it is your desire to lead the University forward with integrity. As a graduate of Liberty, I feel that you deserve to know my most recent thoughts. The information that continues to be revealed about Jerry and Becki Falwell's abuse of their positions at Liberty to prey on young men is absolutely disgusting. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 5:1a where Paul writes, "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and … [Read more...] about To the LU Board of Trustees