Tomorrow, Ronnie Floyd will be elected as the next president of the SBC's Executive Committee. I am told that there will likely be little opposition to his nomination and that a unanimous vote is a possibility. I am not aware of any significant organized opposition to his election. If you read SBC Voices, you are probably aware that I have not been a strong supporter of Ronnie's candidacy. I had hoped that they would choose someone else. When I heard that they were focused on Ronnie, back in January, I wrote an article, "The Man We Need in Nashville" which explained some of my concerns … [Read more...] about When You Don’t Get Your Way
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Reflections on Renewal in the SBC
The SBC is in an unprecedented time of transition and turmoil. We are about the fill the third of the five open entity head positions (the EC votes on its new president next week). Throughout all this turmoil we endure a presidential election last year in which the man who is now our president endured an unprecedented stream of slander and false accusation. Southwestern Seminary had the mother of all bad years. Division over our nation's politics have split our convention that once united politically. Racism continues to be an issue. The #metoo/#churchtoo scandal in the SBC hit the front pages … [Read more...] about Reflections on Renewal in the SBC
The Man We Need in Nashville
We are shaped by our experiences and my year as president of the SBC Pastors’ Conference opened my eyes in many ways. I saw the very best of the SBC and I saw some things that disturbed me greatly. I was blown away at the support we received from our entities as they helped a group of smaller church pastors put on what our feedback indicated was a successful conference. We also saw resistance from those who felt the conference belonged to the celebrity pastors and that by running and winning that election we had done something wrong. But from the day we found out we had won to the day we … [Read more...] about The Man We Need in Nashville
SBC Today gives up the ghost
The flagship blog of SBC Traditionalists, SBC Today, announced a few days ago that "for the forseeable future" they would take a "hiatus." I guess that means they gave up the ghost, although with one short post since the announcement a light pulse is felt. May it be hereby noted that this was done on the eve of Reformation Day. Someone ought point that out and I'm happy to oblige. The news was noted in no less than Baptist News Global where Bob Allen had an informative article. At least one additional popular site for Baptists made note, also. Frankly, I hated to see it partly because of … [Read more...] about SBC Today gives up the ghost
Irascible, unrepentant, and contrarian…deal with it.
Only a few...I have to pace myself these days. And would you dour Calvinists kindly force yourselves to allow for sardonic humor? Coffee is coffee. You effete javasseurs who sip the expensive lattes, frappes, and cappuexcretas are nothing more than affluent, status-seeking wannabes. Note that the decline of the country's moral tenor tracks inversely with popularity of overpriced flavored water. The Cooperative Program is a flawed system. It allows some organizations and some parts of organizations to be propped up when they have only marginal use. It also is addictive and prevents … [Read more...] about Irascible, unrepentant, and contrarian…deal with it.
Is Calvinism Anti-Missions?
Disclaimer and disclosure: I am not a Calvinist, nor am I an anti-Calvinist traditionalist. Theologically, I am somewhere in the middle, and the Baptist statement of Faith and Message summarizes my beliefs accurately. I am not a theologian, and I am not writing to assess the worth of Calvinism. Rather, I was trained as a historian. I’ve taught seminary courses on the church history, missions history, and the history of evangelism. I have written/published a book on the history of evangelism and a book on the history of missions. I’m writing to counter a common criticism against Calvinism—that … [Read more...] about Is Calvinism Anti-Missions?
Echo Chambers, Conferences, Social Justice and a Dumb (?) Idea
Southern Baptists in particular, evangelicals in a broader sense, and all Americans in the whole have become lovers of echo chambers in which every voice joins in perfect unison with our own to reinforce, without question, the ideas we share. A lady came by the office to express how much she appreciated my ministry and how she had grown under it, but to inform me that God was leading her to another church in town. It was cordial and friendly, but something she said always stuck in my craw a little. "It is nice," she said, "to hear my theology preached every Sunday." I was not quite the … [Read more...] about Echo Chambers, Conferences, Social Justice and a Dumb (?) Idea
Creating Fear: The 9/11 Theological Strategy
September 11, 2001, was one of those days that you never forget. I was waiting for an associational pastors group to arrive at my house and I flipped on the TV just as the second plane hit the second tower. We watched the news for hours and life changed that day. America experienced a brief moment of unity as our president stood on the rubble of the Twin Towers and declared with an unusual eloquence that those who did the despicable deed would hear us as we spoke! Mr. Bush, who left office with popularity ratings lower than the Orioles winning percentage this year, broke records as the most … [Read more...] about Creating Fear: The 9/11 Theological Strategy
Why I Cannot and Will Not Sign the “Social Justice and the Gospel Statement” (by Ryan Burton King)
This article originally appeared at Ryan Burton King's website and is crossposted here with permission. We're thankful for Ryan's thorough and strong response to the statement released yesterday. Throughout history, Christians have banded together to examine and respond to various crises, real or perceived. Creeds from the days of the Church Fathers, and confessions from the time of the Reformation are joined by petitions and tracts from the Puritan era into our own, local church confessions, associational, conventional, and denominational resolutions, and parachurch statements from a … [Read more...] about Why I Cannot and Will Not Sign the “Social Justice and the Gospel Statement” (by Ryan Burton King)
Reflections on Dr. Kelley’s Message
Dr. Kelley preached a chapel message recently that has raised the hackles of many in the SBC. Before I raise objections to the message let me give a few words of affirmation about the ministry of Dr. Kelley at NOBTS. I had not had much involvement with NOBTS until recently when I was elected president of the 2017 Pastors' Conference and the Caskey Center became our partner and major sponsor. Dr. Kelley was gracious to us and we have nothing but the highest respect and appreciation for the school and its president. Dr. Kelley has been a man of honor, decency, and integrity. To my … [Read more...] about Reflections on Dr. Kelley’s Message