I will almost certainly miss it and…doggone it…I hate to miss sultry, sweaty New Orleans in June.
Barber or Stone?
I was accused last week of being an editor or something here on SBCV. I’m coping with the insinuation. I edit nothing, not even my own stuff.
Your humble hacker and plodder, old school blogger is a lonesome, solitary voice here who likes some things about Mike Stone: He is a Georgian (though, south Georgia, practically a foreign country to me). He is a very good preacher. I’d just as soon hear him preach as few others. He is a good, long term pastor to his church. I know people in his town who don’t eat, drink, and sleep SBC politics. They would fight me if I criticized him. But I would pass on voting for him as president of our convention.
“You can’t escape history,” old Abe said. Elect Stone and you get a dynamite presidential address next year but you get a pastor whose church gave Z – E – R – O to the Cooperative Program in the last reporting year. Even in the heated years of the CR, the megapastor conservative candidates churches gave low percentages, not zip, nada, to the CP. Yes, I heard the explanation. Local churches are king and should not be criticized for their giving choices, but it’s not demanded that they be ignored when their pastor is running for titular head of our cooperative enterprise. There’s that and the dropped lawsuit and running against an incumbent. If Stone wins it will be against this trifecta of his history. If he wins, though, he will have my support (where we agree, and that’s most areas) and prayers. I’m not among those who will cuss, spit, and fume if their candidate isn’t elected. I’m sticking with the old school idea that we are on the same side on most things. But, you can’t have a convention without chicken little disaster predictions, so here we are.
I’d vote for the homespun, cow-loving, bouncy video chatterer Bart Barber. He’s been a good president. Very solid. The best choice, I think for the convention going forward.
The Amendment
Well, no. It won’t accomplish anything.
Saddleback
They’ve already been kicked out; so, messengers should vote “yes” or is it “no” when the business comes to the floor. Messengers are easily confused. This won’t help.
Other stuff
The general approval rate of clergy has never been lower. I predict that it hasn’t hit the floor yet and SBCAM23 will exert downward pressure.
Yoga pants? I wasn’t looking for them but saw some at church Sunday. The ceiling didn’t collapse. You can report it here if you spot some. Skinny jeans on middle aged white males are worthy of concern also. Let’s not be sexist.
Our main work: missions. IMB and NAMB report record or near record special offerings. Both have challenges. IMB commissions a lot of new overseas personnel every year but net increases are difficult, a subject for our concern and prayers. NAMB will have the most popular event (half of the messengers will attend). Critics point to the free tickets and swag. Fact is, Southern Baptists support what NAMB has been doing, but send me some swag. They always have neat stuff.
Sex Abuse. It’s a commentary on the state of our convention that this subject gets put down here with “other stuff” but, tell me, how much attention has the ARITF been getting lately? It seems like a fading priority in our minds. Mike Stone says his first job will be to appoint a new Task Force. Fine, but if elected he will not be able to do anything with convention approval until 2024. The ARITF continues on, unless messengers stop it in New Orleans. By next convention we will have had an operating database for months. It can all be undone but someone will have to explain to me how a new president can unilaterally act on it.
Bourbon Street. I’ve had an offer for a personal tour of the renowned place. Maybe I’ll come in early February, 2024. It’s bound to be more interesting than herds of rotund reverends sauntering, gawking in June.
Let the good times roll…especially if you’re on your church expense account.
Bible verse of the day” “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.” Now there’s a novel idea. It should be tried.
