SBC Voices

The great automobile companies have historically been in the Detroit area. There's no good reason for that, seems to me. It's cold up there. But the big company plants are there, along with scads of ancillary manufacturers, services, and the like. Detroit isn't the Motor City for nothing. The area functioned as a magnet for all things related to automobiles. It has been reported that five of the top ten sending churches for Southern Baptists are in the Raleigh/Durham/Wake Forest area. A comprehensive analysis of why wasn't reported but it would be an easy guess that Southeastern Baptist … [Read more...] about SEBTS is to mission sending as Detroit is to the auto industry

That's right. At 11:19 PM Eastern is the moment the the sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. OK, genius, you explain how the sun is at it's lowest when it's dark outside. It's an astronomical thing and SBCers don't do astronomical things well, excepting perhaps megapastor salaries. Being a keen observer of the human condition, particularly the Christian, Baptist, Southern Baptist human condition, I judge that "solstice" both as a term and as a concept, is not to be mentioned in polite SBC company. The brethren and sistren are likely to think one to be a little too … [Read more...] about Finally! Winter Solstice is here

To tidy up and finish my list. Add these four and you get twelve, a good Bible number. Forsuchatimeasthis rally in Birmingham. It was a big newsmaker nationwide. Paige Patterson and SWBTS sued over rape case. The litigation is ongoing. Kathy Litton elected registration secretary. If you don't include the two vice-presidents, officers who are elected but have no responsibilities and duties, there are only three elected national SBC officers: president, recording secretary, and registration secretary. First time a woman has been elected to any of these. Tom Ascol and Founders create … [Read more...] about Top SBC News of 2019, Part Two

In the long history of the SBC, we’ve faced many crises. Historians with greater expertise than I have can argue what periods are golden and which are not, but we have had many lamentable times that demonstrate that we exist by the grace of God, not the merit of Southern Baptists. What was the worst of those times? Was it the time of our founders, when slavery was blindly supported as godly in SBC pulpits? Was it the decades during which SBC churches excluded people of color and cheered segregation and oppression. We wandered the first steps on the path of liberalism until we were called … [Read more...] about Tom Ascol Plans to “Take the (SBC) Ship”

In the recent incident in which a female reporter was slapped on the derriere (and arrested and charged with sexual battery, a misdemeanor), reports labeled the guy a "youth pastor," "youth minister," "youth group leader," along with other various non-church related titles. The church says he is a volunteer worker. So, how do we get to "pastor" for one of the many people in every church who volunteer and work with adults, children, students, or preschoolers? I have no idea. Was the man ordained? Was he a paid staffer at the church? Did the church formall install him in a position of … [Read more...] about “Pastor” ain’t what it used to be

Watched or listened to the whole Founders movie, almost two hours. I'm retired and free to waste time as I see fit. There's no grass growing right now that needs watching and, not being all that energetic, there's no drying paint to gaze upon. There are some interesting things in this and some points that I would join but the film is mostly a lot of old white guys talking mostly about matters of race; long-in-the-tooth white men talking about what women should do,movies we've seen for a long time. And someone tally up the minutes of the film that puts African-Americans front and center as … [Read more...] about Maybe they can get a dead cat bounce out of the movie

Last week I posted an essay on Baptist church autonomy. As I did the research for that essay, I found some interesting material in Howard Forshee’s Broadman Church Manual. This manual is quite helpful, and I’ve given copies to several new pastors. In his book Forshee quotes from Lee McCoy’s book, Understanding Baptist Polity, sharing the principles of New Testament polity. The word “polity” pertains to governance. My comments are in parenthesis. God is the sovereign ruler of all mankind. Christ is the head and divine teacher of the church. (Eph 5:23) The Holy Spirit is our guide and … [Read more...] about Ten New Testament Principles on Polity

When I took my first pastorate almost forty years ago, one noticeable aspect of it was that when there was ministry to be done for those who were near death, it almost always occurred in an insitution, primarily hospitals. I made countless visits to intensive care units to pray for church members who were near death. It was common in those days for the member to be connected to all manner of monitors, tubes, and other medical equipment. One family member, perhaps two, might be in the room with their loved one while others sat in the waiting room and maybe rotated in and out of the ICU … [Read more...] about More Americans are dying at home. Notice the change pastor?

Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express story on sex abuse. The SAE must have lost a coin flip over who gets top billing. A compilation of stories of sex abuse in SBC churches over the past two decades, the series has dominated news in the SBC for the year. Credit to Rob Downen and John Tedesco (and others) for an enormous amount of reporting on this. Credit also for getting SBC polity right in most cases. This SBC pastor (retired) finds little to complain about in the series. We could have and should have done better. Ronnie Floyd elected Executive Committee CEO. A much higher profile … [Read more...] about Top SBC News of 2019, Part One