What events from this past year will have a lasting impact on the life of the SBC? Here is my attempt to answer that question. This exercise is sure to invite criticism and I am open for your correction in the comment section.
1. Decline In SBC Giving: While membership numbers can be inflated and baptisms can fluctuate, the real measure of our denominational mission has always been our missions offerings. That is what the SBC does – cooperate for missions. So, when that slides it should catch our attention. This story broke in early October but was largely ignored. The quote, “Cooperative Program receipts for the year were down .65 percent and combined giving for the year was down .87 percent . . . This is the first time in 15 years that both Cooperative Program and combined giving have not surpassed the previous year.” Some effects are already being reported.
2. Economic Woes Hit Seminaries Endowments: In the last weeks of the year we learned that the capital markets had damaged the balance sheets of at least two of our seminaries. Read about SBTS here and SWBTS here.
3. John 3:16 Conference Adds Fuel To The Fire: The Calvinism issue came back after the truce called by Building Bridges conference. Read about it on Baptist Press or from Tim Brister.
4. Johnny Hunt Is Elected President Over A Field Of Six: The convention choose a candidate well known for his passion and evangelism. Read about it on Baptist Press.
5. Resolution On Church Membership Is Adopted: After all the talk, we finally affirmed what should have been safely assumed. Many hope this will encourage churches to do the right thing. You can read the statement here.
6. Decline In Church Membership Is Confirmed: As Ed Stetzer wrote, “You cannot miss the fact that a dubious historical milestone has been reached—and it needs to be noted in denominational and church offices across the country.”
7. SBC Fails To Move Presidential Election: The political clout of Evangelicals suffered under the Bush Presidency and our pro-life case did not prevail.
8. Dissenting Blogs Close: The SBC Oupost closed and Ben Cole made for the exit. You can still read some of the Outpost via the Internet Archieve, but for now they have silenced their own dissent.
9. Klouda Controversy Is Resolved: The case was dismissed in March 2008 in favor of SWBTS. You can read about it from CBS News or Baptist Press.
10. You Pick: What’s your opinion, what item would you add to this list?
Traditional church services thrown out, compromise in having contemporary services to reach masses, brought worldliness into churches, Separation from world a thing of the past. Now have glorified rock concerts. Any thing goes are told to think out of the box.
10. God is still on His throne and will not be frustrated in accomplishing all that He wills.
Jerrys last blog post..O Church, Arise!
I think top story #10 is the reorganization of the IMB and the appointment of hundreds of new missions personnel. We should always celebrate the laborers God is raising up to enter the harvest field.
Stephen Joness last blog post..A year of mixed success for Southern Baptists
@Stephan: Good point, I just noticed in a BP story from Nov 08 that said
That’s excellent news. Unless God gives us a fast turnaround in the SBC, we will need all the improvements in efficiency we can get.