Two weeks ago, we posted our vision for the SBC Pastor’s Conference. The reception has been positive and encouraging beyond what we could have hoped. Our vision alters the focus of the conference from big names and big production to a theme that’s exegetically driven and carried out by a diverse group of pastors whose church size most of us can relate to.
The first step in seeing this vision come to fruition is electing someone who shares this vision Pastor’s Conference president during this year’s meeting, June 12-13 in St. Louis.
For that role, we intend to nominate Dave Miller, Pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, for President of the Pastor’s Conference. Dave is a lifelong Southern Baptist, having seen the Convention experience the Battle for the Bible and standing with us as we battle for our missions and ministry work to this day. His pastoral work has been with the churches that are the majority of the Southern Baptist Convention in size and field.
Dave is a lifelong supporter of international missions, from his childhood as a Foreign Mission Board missionary kid to leading his church in engaging an unreached people group. He pastors in what we once called a “new work” state, which has brought him wisdom about how Southern Baptists can minister in cultures where we are no longer the majority.
Dave Miller has served our Convention as a Second Vice President. He is experienced with new media through blogging, both on his own and in the well-known SBCVoices.com blog. This engagement has brought hard-won wisdom about dealing with upstart voices and controversial viewpoints.
With his experience, with his commitment to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, with his love for Southern Baptists, and his desire to see pastoral ministry thrive, Dave is an obvious choice to lead the Pastor’s Conference in the vision that we’ve proposed.
We understand there will be numerous challenges: logistical, financial, and others. Our group, Voices for a New Baptist Future, is committed to helping Dave meet those challenges and overcome them. Together, we’ll see another successful & encouraging Pastor’s Conference in 2017, this time with a slightly different flavor, but one we think will be just as edifying as what we’ve seen in the past.
Signed,
Voices for a New Baptist Future
I want to say that our discussions started and we published our “agenda” post before we knew anything about either this year’s PC or any other candidate. After exchanging a couple of emails with John Meador, the president this year, I can say that his he us doing many of the things this year that we would like to see done. I’d encourage attendance this year. Also, though I’ve never met him, I’ve always thought highly of Pastor Avant. We’d worked out our agenda before he was decided on as the candidate. We’d only left 2 things to be decided.… Read more »
This might take some explaining?
Ha! 😀
Wow
Uh oh. Dean said he vetted him thoroughly and that there would be no surprises.
Y’all left something that important up to Dean?
We knew Miller had this skeleton in his closet. He made us two guarantees that put my mind at ease. He promised to give proceeds of this book to the CP. Look at the asking price for a used copy!!! Secondly, this book was published in 1988. This was a wild time in Dave’s life when he was attending Barbra Streisand and Steve Winwood concerts. The homebrew was part of that crazy scene. He has guaranteed me this stage of his life is over. He sees himself as the Donald Trump of the SBC – a unifier – even the… Read more »
Shew! Thanks Dean for setting our minds at ease!
Tony’s had this one saved and he’s been waiting years for the right time to release.
You should ask if I was researching beer or Dave Miller….
I’ll just leave this right here.
Oh, no he di’nt
I think I’ve got a picture of Spiderman somewhere….
If I can be there, Dave, you’ll have my vote. I’m certainly in sympathy with the platform you and the others have put forward.
He’s got my vote!
As Dave said: This is a group effort. But every group needs a public face, it’s spokesman. We decided that Dave was the only one among us insane enough–j/k on that part. 🙂
There has been discussion, thought, and prayer put into this. We’re ready to share the load and do the work to see this plan through.
Just wait till Doug’s rap video comes out!
Oh dear.
I just spent all morning videoing me putting decorative paper around boxes.
I thought you wanted a wrap video.
Guess this whole thing is tricky.
And all God’s people say “Amen and Amen”
I’m really looking forward to the possibility here. I’m not one who’s terribly bothered by the celebrity criteria that seems to be the driving force every year. I understand it from the perspective of trying to draw the biggest crowd possible, and I often like to hear the big names preach. All that to say I’m not supporting Dave because I greatly dislike the status quo (though some who criticize make valid points at times). My optimism about our vision and Dave’s candidacy stems from the positive value I think it offers. It’s something different—I think people will be intrigued.… Read more »
I with Dave!
You have my vote.
Greetings. Today was first time I checked your web-site and read a few archives.
Concur with changed SBC Pastor’s Conference format, etc.
I’ve stopped going to them some years ago because it seemed like an agenda-driven affair with the usual suspects speaking.
Bless you guys in what you do.
Dave
I appreciate what you guys are doing. Praying the Lord uses you and Voices for good.
Clint