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… Read more »
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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