SBC This Week has a list, something for which I have an inveterate predisposition, on the SBC for this year:
10 Questions for 2017:
1. What will be the response to the revamped Pastors Conference in Phoenix?
2. Will we start to see leadership transitions in southern states?
3. How will a Trump presidency affect religious liberty?
4. How will the new CSB translation from LifeWay be received?
5. Will the LifeWay building be occupied in 2017?
6. How will the changing online education landscape affect SBC seminaries and baptist colleges?
7. Will limitless missionaries start to become a reality in 2017?
8. Will we continue to see increasingly diverse representation on trustee boards?
9. How might Guidestone and their constituents be impacted by changes in health care and the possible elimination of the ACA?
10. How will the rural/urban divide in America influence SBC churches and revitalization efforts?
I like their list enough to steal four of them and add a few of my own. My first four come from the list compiled by the SBC This Week brain trust, Amy Whitfield and Jonathan Howe. They are content to let the list hang out there on its own. I, however, feel called to add some commentary. Here’s my list:
- What will be the response to the revamped Pastors Conference in Phoenix? Indeed. One of the unexpected events of 2016 was the truly grassroots movement that elected Dave Miller as Pastor’s Conference president. I’m inclined to think that based on early reaction to the new format that it will do well. I’d be there if I could and I have had no interest in attending an SBC Pastor’s Conference since before Adrian Rogers died over a decade ago.
- Will we start to see leadership transitions in southern states? I think we already have with Tommy Green in Florida. If any major area of the SBC needs some new thinking and leadership it is the state conventions. It’s a different day for the larger, wealthier, southern state conventions. Seems to me that managing them as if they are legacy brands to be kept alive because of the income stream is inadequate. Oreo cookies have been around for over a century but has a few new things going that have created excitement among consumers.
- Will limitless missionaries start to become a reality in 2017? OK, Rev. Radical. You’ve got a stable financial situation. What’s next?
- Will we continue to see increasingly diverse representation on trustee boards? I’d like to know. I’d like Amy and Jonathan to quantify what we have now in minority representation (include both lay and female metrics, please) and measure coming years by it.
- What’s to come of the Russell Moore controversy? He has some strident opponents among us. Will they offer any motions or resolutions at the annual meeting? Will opposition reach critical mass where funding will be affected or trustees moved to any action?
- Will NAMB’s annual report on church plants reveal anything interesting about their SEND planting program? Back in 2011 Kevin Ezell said, “The old NAMB had no system for consistently tracking new church plants across the 42 state conventions. The new NAMB is working on that with state partners, to write a definition we all can adhere to…If Walmart can track how much toilet paper it sells every hour, we should be able to track how many churches are planted each year.” How many plants make it? How many fail? What kind of churches are these once funding ends?
- Will some Baptist Faith and Message loving Southern Baptist finally challenge a church doctrinal grounds? Doctrinal other than sexuality, that is. Some of the high flyers are said to accept membership transfers by sprinkling. Others are accused of being elder ruled churches. Seems to me that a collision is inevitable on some doctrinal issue.
- What state convention will sell their expensive, underutilized, dinosaur of a headquarters building? Several potential candidates are extant.
- What will happen in Phoenix when a non-male is the parliamentarian for one of the SBC annual meeting sessions? Nothing, I hope, other than “Good job.”
- Will any major SBC entity have changes at the top?
Perhaps you would add to SBC This Week or my list.
Have a great 2017.
No turnover in entity leadership since 2013. Looks to me as though we haven’t had a period of more than four years without turnover since at least 1970.
Is this serious? Is this really a thing? In 2017 can any reasonable human being seriously have a problem with a female parliamentarian?
It’s not serious although SBC annual meeting attendees include some odd birds and I wouldn’t underestimate the discomfort of some SBs with women on the platform.
Amy Whitfield, whom I’ve met but do not know well, is the first female SBC assistant parliamentarian. She will do well.
#8 – Alabama is selling, or flipping theirs and is moving 15 miles up the road to another building in another town.
This is a new wrinkle on an old pattern. Several SCs had valuable in town property, sold out and build magnificent, and large, HQ buildings. Now they are downsizing. Ours is probably the gem of the SBC.
William, Always good to hear your perspective on these. We also offered a bit of commentary in the podcast episode with this list. Specifically regarding #2 – We mentioned that Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina could all see leadership transitions in the next few years (possibly beginning in 2017). That’s 7 major players in the SBC. Not sure any of us could adequately stress the importance and magnitude of filling those positions well whenever they may open. Per your request for diversity metrics: I’ll get to work on that. Hopefully will have it by the end… Read more »
Thanks Jonathan. I appreciate the breadth of knowledge you guys bring to these discussions.
Re your and their No. 1, SBC This Week has an interesting post about SBC Pastors’ Conference Speakers Over the Past 10 Years.
#3 ~ Check the box that says the wheel is already turning and we rejoice.
Was curious when the pastors conference will have a website with itinerary and more details. The google docs nomination form is still active. Is there another site that I am unaware of?
My man Brent Hobbs is either about to or has rolled out something new.
Mike, if you need any help with those deadbeats in your church, you let me know. You’ve got some real troublemakers among that bunch.
I expect to be down there in the next few weeks.
Ha! Would love to have a lunch or something with you. Tell your people to set something up!
I think the website is going up this week. Maybe next
I think your seventh point “Will some Baptist Faith and Message loving Southern Baptist finally challenge a church doctrinal grounds?” will be an important issue that Southern Baptists need to address. The idea of baptist churches accepting members that have not been biblically baptized is absurd. To me, baptism of the believer is a Southern Baptists distinctive. The other part of the baptism issue is what to do about the Lord’s Supper. If our churches continue to go in the direction of open communion where anyone who has come to faith can receive the Lord’s Supper, regardless of their baptism,… Read more »
“If our churches continue to go in the direction of open communion where anyone who has come to faith can receive the Lord’s Supper, regardless of their baptism, it kind of waters down the doctrine of baptism.”
How so?
What about churches that do not have quick access to a place to baptize? What about churches, like mine, who more than 1/2 of those who attend are members of churches in other countries who know their time here is limited?
Jon: I admit there are difficulties in the biblical position, but those difficulties do not give churches a license to set aside the biblical mandate. If baptism is a command from Jesus to each believer, then failure to submit to baptism (i.e. immersion of the sinner in water upon a credible profession of faith) is sin. To allow a person who has not submitted to biblical baptism to partake in the Lord’s Supper is to knowingly allow an unrepentant sinner to defile the table. Churches should not allow such. Can we say that something close to obedience is obedience? Can… Read more »
Steven, Your comment changes the whole context. I missed where the conversation I responded to speaks to those who will not submit to baptism. I was not speaking to such. By quick access to baptism I speak of the church not having a baptistry and relies on specific things to be available so a baptism can be held. Also where I serve, the public beach is not always accessible and the government is not always agreeable. The one pool we can use is only available at certain times. For reasons of security, I cannot mention why. These people I refer… Read more »
As I am sure you are aware, not all the states have buildings that are expensive or underused which are relative and terms of perspectives. Might I also suggest that some non-anglos groups have radically different views of the buildings and in some states, use the facilities to conduct all types of ministry, including worship services. For some peoples and churches the buildings provide a physical place and a sense of identify, ownership, connection, and legitimacy for the collective of SBC ministry and the COOPERATION on which virtually everything in the SBC is built on. Some argument could be use… Read more »
I said there were “several” candidates, hardly a broad brush. The talk of denominational real estate as identity sounds so mid-20th century. Hasn’t worked well here.