On a blog like this, we tend to be self-critical to a fault. But behind all our talk about making the SBC better is an unspoken assumption – we still love our denomination and especially its people.
So, this post is my attempt at penance for all the nasty things I’ve every thought about being the SBC. Feel free to add to the list in the comments, just be nice or I’ll ban you for life.
Why I Love The SBC
- The Gospel always has, and always will be the main thing.
- We can point fingers at ourselves.
- We are not afraid to offer public repentance.
- We trust the Bible.
- We are mainly blue-collar people.
- Ed Stetzer
- We know how to eat.
- Our ladies cook for the glory of God.
- We value theological balance.
- We have the best bloggers.
- We value Christian education at every level.
- Our churches are diverse in worship style.
- Johnny Hunt
- We value our small churches.
- We value our big churches.
- Our churches are becoming ethnically diverse.
- We believe in local church freedom.
- We value preaching.
- Our pastors excel in personal evangelism.
- Our ministers call for Gospel response.
- Albert Mohler
- Our people love to give.
- We send missionaries to hard places.
- We pray for the lost.
- We are learning to get over ourselves.
- Sojourn Community Church
- We call every believer to verbal witness to Christ.
- We are working to reach all people groups.
- We believe in religious liberty.
- Our churches work to reach out to kids.
- We are big time into church planting.
- Billy Graham
- We have a massive number of missionaries.
- We are still want to do better at missions.
- Many of our leaders are humbly and godly.
- Many of our leaders are super smart.
- We want to Baptize more next year.
- Many of our churches value innovation.
- We arrange the church calendar around missions’ offerings.
- The Cooperative Program works.
- Frank Page
- Reaching the lost is hardwired into our denominational structures.
- Most of our churches are reaching their culture.
- Most of our churches not compromise to culture.
- We do not divide over non-essential doctrines.
- Many of our leaders use Twitter & Facebok.
- We stand up for essential doctrines.
- Usually we can tell the difference.
- We believe in cooperation.
- On any give Sunday, you can hear the Gospel in 40,000 of our churches.
- We believe in the freedom of Christian conscience. (XVII)
- We want to engage in the public square.
- Danny Akin
- We have repented for racism.
- We still speak against drunkenness.
- We believe Christians should work to “put an end to war.” (XVII)
- We support civil government.
- We have a World Hunger Fund.
- Our ideal is a free church in a free state.
- When we talk about families, we mention adoption. (XVIII)
- We value marriage.
- We believe in gender roles within marital equality.
- Thom Rainer
- We recognize that children are a blessing.
- If the devil is against us, we must be doing something right.
Our people love the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Paige Patterson
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The real Southern Baptist Convention exists all year long, not just for three days each summer.
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The Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t exist all year long, ONLY for three days each summer. Our agencies are active, not “The Convention.” And that’s a good thing.
Our churches are individually active and cooperating together all year long in the Great Commission, not “The Convention.”
Adrian Rogers.
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We promote abstinence, but extend grace to unwed mothers.
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We have Tony Kummer!
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It looks like I posted this list too soon. Great suggestions all around.
But, check out this post by Alvin Reid
#65 Our ability to self correct as a denomination.
Really, it’s a miracle of grace that we have leaders speaking the truth and calling us back to mission. The SBC has made it this far because of this kind of self correction.
Al Jackson and Cliff Knight in Auburn, AL.
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You are a day late for April Fool’s, my friend.
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Great list. I love the way it emphasizes our basic unity in the gospel and missions, and our diversity in personalities and non-essentials.
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I’ve looked at other denominations… nothing else comes close IMHO….
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Why do I love Southern Baptists in spite of being fired, mistreated, opposed, lied about, etc., ad nauseum? As a child my family had what the Methodist historian, William Warren Sweet, prof. at U. of Chicago, in his The Story of Religion in America, called the Farmer Preacher (the Baptist equivalent of the Methodist Circuit Riders) as their pastor in Arkansas. When I later read Sweet’s description of that individual< I could see how exacting his description was from my memory of our pastor. Faithful to the Bible, faithful to the founding faith (Sovereign Grace), faithful to his people. And then I was converted and joined the local Southern Baptist Church where my mother and sister were members. That church (the Calvary Baptist Church, St. Louis – now the Oakhill church) which licensed and ordained me actually led the whole Southern Baptist Convention from 1948-59 (maybe a little longer) in sending out boys and girls into the ministry and the mission fields. When I went off to college in 1958 20 did, and 6 of us went to one college (East Texas Baptist College). In 1962 I was called to pastor a Southern Baptist Church in MO, the Pilot Knob Baptist Church of Belle, MO. While there I began attending Lincoln U. (a Black State U, integrated in reverse where I had great Black scholars in small classes and learn to do research). In the Spring of 1963 I began a research project in Baptist History which lasted for 6 yrs and beyond (accumulating 3000 5×8 notecards, covering more than 250 sources), from that I would write a Master’s thesis at Morehead State in Ky on the subject, “The Baptists & Ministerial Qualifications: 1750-1850),” in American Social & Intellectual History. Those were eye opening years. In 1977 while pastoring in the Sandy Creek Baptist Assn., I wrote an article, “The Climax of the Reformation.” One of the key groups in that transformed the Reformation into an outgoing mission oriented enterprise was the Baptists. We were also active in securing religious liberty. Sweet said (my summary, my words)”To the Baptists more than any other group goes the credit for the securing of religious liberty.” Later I would find out that one of my ancestors fought in a battle of the American Revolution that took place about a 55 minute drive from where I am right now setting. A relative joined the DAR on the basis of another ancestor who was a noted Baptist Preacher who also made Henry Holcombe’s history of Alabama Baptists (Elder Hoyt Middleton). My grandmother was a Craig, and she gave her last name to my son before he was born. Since the Criags are a scotch clan, that means we are related to those Craigs that went to jail for preaching the Gospel in VA in te 1700s. One of those Craigs was Elijah who was on the committee of Baptists that met with the colonial legislators and agreed that in exchange for our rights to practice our faith, they would go back to their communities and encourage their young men to enlist in the Patriots Cause (Wonder what the IRS would have to say about that?). One of Elijah’ descendants was a personal friend of mine. I helped him get his first church and as Best Man in his wedding. It grieves me to think he has been gone for over 12 yrs. Rev. Dr. Donald Lee Craig was my friend. I could say more, much more, but I praise God that I have been a Southern Baptist Minister these 51 yrs. I also praise God for people whose lives have been transformed by the message I have preached, even the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The nature of our doctrines, including especially Sovereign Grace, when they are understand and properly applied, will enable a minister and a believer to be balanced, flexible, creative, and magnetic, compassionate individuals. There are Christians in other denominations. But I believe the old Sovereign Grace Baptists were some of the most radical, liberal, attractive people who ever lived. Now I do not believe in being Southen Baptist right or wrong. God called us to strive with all our might to do the best we can for His glory and to treat one another and others with respect and courtesy. When the Spirit of God is really working in our midst, that is what happens.
I know we have our flaws, shortcomings, etc., and we need to be always about the business of correcting them as much as we can, but our first aim is to glorify Christ and do good to others and to win them to Him. Let’s get at it. Let’s take the whole earth in one generation for the Lord Jesus Christ. Sovereign Grace is the most winsome, wonderous, welcoming soteriology ever preached. Our Lord preached it, and He did not use it as a billy club to beat any one over the head with. Some folks might require as Paul did to be knocked to the ground, but the lady who said, “OH, IT WAS SO WONDERFUL THAT I COULDN’T RESIST IT!’, SAID IT BEST. I am thankful…that it is so.
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Tony,
Great post!
David R. Brumbelow
Tom Ascol.
“We” have a long way to go to really fulfill all those things you love about “us”, but that’s what makes the “already, not yet” framework so helpful.
“64. We [already] recognize that children are a blessing, but [not yet] have we truly understood the implications of such a belief — when it comes to our medicine cabinets, or our marital priorities…”
Thanks for keeping us grateful Tony, and reminding us that we have yet to “arrive”.
‘BH
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66. Children’s Bible Drill–from Jesse Mercer to the modern competitions at Ridgecrest and Glorietta. No other denomination has anything like it! Attention. Draw Swords. Charge!
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