It has been an interesting experience watching the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) on-line and engaging with other baptists on Twitter.  The only hitch was that the on-line feed went black at exactly 5pm.  Only problem was that the primary vote for this year happened between 5:05 and 5:10pm.

Much of the activity at the SBC makes me glad to be a part of this denomination.  Others things make me want to pull my hair out.  Now I don’t get riled by spirited debate.  That is part of being in a large democratic organization.  With any group that large, you will get some whacky statements and actions.  Instead of focusing on that, I am most interested in the statements of the body as a whole and of the leaders of the group.  So here are the things that I like.

1.  Approval of the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) report.  If curious you can go here to see the report (it has been slightly modified).  Hopefully, this will help the SBC be organizationally more functional towards what matters.

2.  I was pleased that the GCR Task Force toned down the rhetoric and acted much more diplomatically.

3.  I like that a new generation of SBC leaders are all about God’s glory and reaching our world for Christ.

4.  I am appreciative of the graciousness of President Johnny Hunt and team demonstrated when others might be tempted to smack a few folks.

5.  I am most thrilled that my heart has been stirred afresh for a global mission of reaching people from every tribe and nation.  Thanks to Jerry Rankin for his leadership at the International Mission Board.  He is retiring from that post.

Now, here are a few things that I did not like:

1.  Morris Chapman’s attempt to derail the GCR.  I don’t fault him for having a differing view.  I just don’t know what has happened to Chapman these past couple of years.  He seems so out of step with the denomination that he has been at the helm for 18 years (this is his last).

2.  I wish that opponents of the GCR proposal would have made arguments as to why they were opposed instead of trying to use methods to prevent a vote.

3.  What most frustrated me was the report of the ERLC (Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission).  The president of the ERLC is Richard Land.  I had Land preach in my pulpit when I was a pastor in the early 1990′s.  But Land sounds more like a pawn of the right wing of the Republican Party rather than a spokesman for biblical ethics and religious liberty.

I may not agree with the healthcare direction in our country.  But I know there are people who love Jesus who differ with me.  Why link ourselves with a political position that just isn’t the priority of biblical Christianity?  Land went even farther in his comments on U.S. immigration.  That’s not what I want my mission dollars being spent doing.

Now for some funny tweets:

JimmyScroggins: At biz @ SBC n Orlando. When the mics open, weirdos come out & the dumber the motion, the more Prez Hunt calls u “Dear brother.”

JimmyScroggins:  Morris Chapman is bashing the GCR & GCR task force @ SBC Orlando. Feels kind of like when your senile grandpa cusses u out

FakeJDGreear (Several):

Make no mistake. Every #GCR vote counts. And since we’re in FL, some of them count 4 or 5 times.

Humiliated. I was kicked off the @baptist21 panel because of my “old dude sellout suit.”

My book is better than @plattdavid’s, plus when you finish reading it you don’t have to sell your bass boat.

5ptsalt:  I love Al Mohler, but brethren, I do wish he would consider decaf

djword:  Southern Baptists resolve to expand their evangelistic reach by inviting Big 12 schools into the SBC

HannahBadgett:  I received a few strange looks when an “Amen” slipped out at work. Watching #sbc2010 live streaming.

jrbuchanan:  Morris Chapman is as out of touch as a homeschooler at the prom.

mattprivett: Where are the vuvuzelas when you need them?

DvdAlexandr:  Can we just skip to the world cup soccer game? Whose in charge of the big screen?

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is taking place this week in Orlando, Florida.  The SBC is taking full advantage of technology by streaming live the actual convention proceedings on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The same is true of the main pre-convention event – The Pastors Conference (PC).  I was able to follow much of the PC through the on-line stream and interact with participants and other observers via Twitter.  This article will present my take on what I thought was the SBC at it’s best.  I also will present some of my concerns.  I will offer a section of memorable quotes from speakers and the responses of twitterers.

The PC was not without a spirited debate about one of the speakers on Monday night.  You will be able to read some of the comments about that speaker’s presentation.  Finally, Baptists have some funny folks.  Several satirical twitter accounts offered some ways for Baptists to laugh at themselves.  The final section will present some of the comedy.

We will sum all of this up under four headings: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and The Funny.

1.  The Good

Most of this conference could be noted in this section as being good.  I will limit my comments to four items that stood out to me.

A.  Matt Chandler’s Sermon

Matt Chandler is a preacher that you should listen to whenever you get the opportunity.  He is a pastor in Dallas, Texas.  This past year has been some kind of year for him.  On Thanksgiving morning, he had a seizure resulting from a brain tumor.  He had surgery and then went through both chemotherapy and radiation.  All the while he has lived a powerful testimony to the person and work of God.  He fearlessly proclaims the gospel with clarity and power.

One quote from his sermon was tweeted repeatedly, and should be drilled into our hearts and minds:

Don’t simply try to control your sin, but seek to murder it.

B.  The Emphasis on and Example of Adoption

Dr. Russell Moore (The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Highview Baptist Church in Louisville) preached a sermon on adoption.  He made biblical application to both the gospel (we have been adopted by God) and of caring for orphans.  He spoke of the adoption of his own children.  Later Kevin Ezell (also from Highview and President of the PC) introduced his family with both birthed and adopted children.  Finally, a pastor and his wife were aided by the PC in the adoption of a small baby, Jedediah.

C.  Francis Chan’s Sermon

Francis Chan has been until recently a pastor in California.  He is not a Southern Baptist, but Southern Baptists’ were enriched by hearing him.  While I watched and listened, I was captivated by his message calling us to have a compelling desire to intimately know Jesus.  Seldom have I seen such authenticity and spiritual power in the pulpit.  Here are a couple of quotes, but you really need to find a this sermon and watch it for yourself to get the full effect.

Would anyone say, “the day I spent with <you>, felt like I was walking with Jesus?

When people meet you, do they think, “Wow, I can see that he/she REALLY loves Jesus more than anything”?

D.  David Platt’s Sermon

David Platt closed out the PC with a sermon version of his book Radical.  I have attended years of PC’s, but not sure I have heard a more challenging and gospel strong sermon preached in all of those years.  Even Matt Chandler chirped in with this tweet:

MattChandler74: @plattdavid preaches like he’s in pain and I’m grateful to God for him.

Here are some quotes from Platt:

(Proclaiming the gospel) This is not the reason we have a convention. This is the reason we have breath

Jesus Christ drank every last drop of the wrath of God turned the cup over & said ‘It is finished’ & that’s good news.

1.6 billion people have a knowledge of God only enough to send them to hell. We must do something. We must tell them.

God help us if we cannot sacrifice plans and percentages when He has called us to sacrifice our lives.

2.  The Bad

A.  GCR Promotion

Let me begin by saying that I am in favor of the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) report which will be presented to the convention on Tuesday.  I just don’t like feeling that I’m being sold by high-pressure salesmen.  Having worked in sales, I would not sell furniture or hotel rooms with these tactics -much less a spiritual thrust.

Ronnie Floyd made an impassioned plea for acceptance of the GCR report.  I’m fine with that.  However, I am sure that godly and wise men are differing and will differ on the best way to move Southern Baptists ahead.  The rhetoric comes dangerously close to suggesting that if you don’t buy the entire report, you are somehow less spiritual and almost not spiritual at all.

I believe a greater day is coming. Tomorrow is about the gospel of Jesus Christ! – Ronnie Floyd

Tomorrow must be a day of change. Will you rise up? – Ronnie Floyd

Again, I favor the GCR recommendations.  But is it really a vote on the gospel?  When put in these terms, those who disagree are presented as being anti-gospel.  I would much rather see a thoughtful rational for the recommendations rather than this type of force feeding.

3.  The Ugly

Andy Stanley, son of Charles Stanley and a pastor in Atlanta, spoke in the evening session.  To say that he spoke to mixed reviews would be an understatement.  Stanley gave a leadership presentation.  He did not preach a biblical sermon.  That is the point of contention.  He brought a Bible and laid it on a table behind him (he didn’t use the podium/pulpit that others used).  Near the end of the sermon, he quoted one passage.  Here is a sampling of the tweets:

steveweaver: Thinks Andy Stanley should have contextualized and preached the Bible tonight.

steveweaver:  Oops, just corrected by one of my church members watching online. He did bring out his Bible and lay it on the table.

DrJoelB: Andy Stanley is great on leadership but let’s b careful what we call preaching, when the Bible is barely mentioned

bradbrisco_kc: A Stanley is a gr8 leader & communicator but is any1 else troubled by his talk @#sbc2010? It is all abt vendor of religious goods & servce

sjcamp:  Listening 2 Andy Stanley. So Weak. His axiom so far is: church should b better, better, better. How about: holy, holy, holy?

sjcamp:  Andy Stanley. All pragmatics – no Scripture! Here we go again: the biblical command is to “preach the Word!”

chadwickivester:  Is #AndyStanley the #RobertShueller of the SBC?

timmybrister:  I don’t think there will be a more stark contrast in content & delivery than Andy Stanley & @plattdavid back to bac

timmybrister:  We are about to go from customer service Christianity (goods & services) to biblical Christianity (Jesus & taking up your cross).

CurtTreece:  Wish Andy Stanley would just “walk our the door and come back in again” and preach an actual sermon from the actual word of God.

DChrisGarner:  Andy Stanley is the worst preacher I’ve ever heard at a conference I’ve attended.

scottsull7:  Andy Stanley just managed to tell us how to make church “better” without once using Scripture as a reference. Just sayin’.

bradthayer1:  ”Last point comes from the Bible. I know that’s a relief.” wow!

These comments were met head-on by those who were enjoying Stanley’s presentation.

It wasn’t the prettiest example of Baptist life.

4.  The Funny

XIANITY: BREAKING NEWS: @ErgunCaner won’t be speaking at#SBC2010, the cost of fitting him w/ both a mic & polygraph was prohibitive.

PuljolsBio: Sitting in Busch Stadium, hoping both @albertmohler and Albert Pujols hit homers tonight.

cliffmathis: Kneeling at Mac Brunson’s urging, size-challenged SBCers struggle to get up. Lend a helping hand, please.

cliffmathis:  Thinks this prayer would be a bit shorter if Brother Brunson had to kneel as well.

SBCmessenger:  Andy Stanley is going to be preaching expositionally from a John Maxwell book tonight.

SBCmessenger:  Mediating on 2 Bible verses b/f bed: 1. Apart from me you can do nothing, & 2. God helps those who help themselves.

fakebp:  BREAKING: Embarrassment ensues when @drmoore attempts to adopt @francischan following Chan’s #SBC2010 pastor’s conference sermon.

Two weeks ago the former pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville passed away.  For 25 years Bill Hancock served as pastor of this church until his tenure came to a sudden end.  It ended in 1995 due to his marital infidelity.  After he left, ugly details circulated as he headed to rebuild his life in Texas.  He found a way to minister to hurting people by working for a funeral home.  The reporting of his death by the newspaper in Louisville has generated quite a bit of buzz.  Some of the comments were gracious and thankful for his positive influences in people’s lives.  Others gave evidence of having been hurt by the duplicitous life of this Christian leader.  Still others were extremely harsh towards a man who demonstrated the height of hypocrisy.

As I read through the articles and comments about this man, I thought about my own legacy — what it will be.  My story is similar to Hancock’s in many ways.  First, his fall came while serving as the pastor of a baptist church in Louisville, Kentucky.  So did mine.

Second, his fall came over a decade ago in 1995.  Mine happened two years later in 1997.  I had moved to Louisville in January of 1996 to do PhD work at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and was pastor of the new Trinity Baptist Church (since merged with Clifton Baptist Church).  I remember visiting Highview Baptist Church in my early days in Louisville.  This was after Hancock’s tenure.

Third, some of the same people were involved in the cleanup of both falls.  Highview was strongly connected to Southern Seminary since it was the home church for President Al Mohler.  I was a student and a teaching fellow at Southern.  I don’t know about Hancock, but I had many face to face encounters with some of the folks at Southern.

In response to the printed account and responses to Hancock’s death, I am left with a number of things that I know and some things that I question.  Here are some of my thoughts:

1.  I am extremely grateful for those who have demonstrated grace and forgiveness to me.  It is obvious that Hancock had many who treated him the same way.  Some of these people will never know (this side of heaven) what that grace has meant to me.  Last week I received a phone call from one of these guys.  He was merely checking to see how I am doing and to chat.  I hung up the phone with a surge of gratitude to God for such a friend.

2.  I understand those who have a hard time expressing that kind of grace.  I cannot demand nor expect them to wipe the slate clean.  In fact, I have never understood those who so egregiously violate trust and expect others to forgive when an apology is offered.  If it is expected and can be demanded, then it is not grace.  Hancock nor I deserve to be forgiven and to have grace extended to us.  The problem is not with the response of people.  The problem was in our betrayal of our pastoral fidelity.

3.  I know that the consequences for this kind of sin will always exist, even if we leave this world.  Our actions have tarnished our name and the name of our God.  God can handle the defense of his name because of his holiness.  I have no defense.

4.  I know that the consequences are not limited to the individual sinner.  My family, in particular, was deeply wounded by my actions.  Several people expressed sorrow for Hancock’s family for having to read about this one segment in the life of their kin.  Unfortunately, that’s part of the deal.  My children will always have a father who failed to demonstrate godly love towards their mother.  They will continue to have to split holidays and special occasions.

5.  I am a bit envious that Hancock found a way to minister to hurting people.  I try to do the same in my writings and personal interactions with people.  My path has taken me into the business world.  I hope that I have had a godly influence on those with whom I have encountered.  Too often I have failed at that, too.

6.  I also have realized afresh that the sin of adultery did not negate the genuine heart-felt love and ministry to those before the fall.  One writer indicated that his own marriage has been solid and wonderful as a result of the teaching and advice received from Hancock prior to his/her wedding day.  I have heard from many of those among whom I had lived and ministered that have benefited spiritually from my pastoral leadership.

7.  I hope that those who are currently in pastoral ministry or preparing for the ministry will learn from those of us who have fallen.  It wasn’t worth it.  Period.

8.  I long to stand before my Lord and fall before the one who gave his life for my sin.  Hancock has now experienced that.

A few weeks ago, I opened up an email late at night while laying in my bed.  It was from somebody very dear to me.  It was a message of grace and love.  It expressed admiration for growing through this horrendous time of life and demonstrating a better love to those around me.  The message left me unable to speak with tears flowing down my cheeks.  Any struggles, as painful as they have been, pale in comparison to this amazing demonstration of grace.

I pray that I will continue to grow, be gracious and loving.  I pray that when I die, my legacy will be more than the stupidity of my actions in 1997.

My friend, Todd Littleton, was the person that got me started in blogging.  We initially had a little private blog that we used to exchange ideas and discuss certain topics.  Since then, Todd has gone on to be an influential blogger.  Todd’s website recently underwent a makeover.  Below is a screen shot of his new design.

If you look closely, you will see that my picture (with my wife, Suzie) is included on the article pictured.  It is an article about Pulpit 2 Pew.  Thanks for the wonderful mention, Todd.

You will note that he formerly referred to me as “Father Frank.”

If you click anywhere on the screenshot, you will be taken to Todd’s blog.  You should check it out and subscribe to it while you are there.

On Todd’s home page, Pulpit 2 Pew also made it on Todd’s “(Not) Sponsors” section.  Again, thanks.

In the early 1990′s, W.A. Criswell was the guest preacher in the church which I served as pastor — West Rock Baptist  Church (Little Rock, AR).  I was honored and privileged to share the pulpit with this great preacher.

Criswell was pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas for 50 years.  He was considered the patriarch of Baptist life by many.  Criswell preached straight through from Genesis to Revelation during his ministry in Dallas.  Members would often introduce themselves as having joined the church during Isaiah (or whatever book he was in at the time).

Criswell was amiable and preached to a much smaller crowed than he was accustomed.  Yet he still proclaimed the Word of God preaching with power and enthusiasm.

I remember picking him up at the airport with my cousin, Duane Gantz.  Criswell arrived with 1 piece of luggage that was only slightly larger than a fanny pack.  I still don’t know how he did it.  He preached in a suit in our church on Sunday night and then to a group of pastors in another suit on Monday morning.  I don’t know where he had the suits, but he obviously was an experienced traveler and packer.

Criswell went to heaven in 2002.  His sermons have recently been made available online at www.wacriswell.com.  His autobiography is called, Standing on the Promises: The Autobiography of W. A. Criswell

Papa John’s pizza is headquartered in Louisville, KY. This is also the city for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I just saw a TV commercial of Papa John Schnatter delivering a pizza in his recently repurchased Camaro.

What really struck me was that he left his car and was walking down the corridor of Norton Hall at Southern Seminary. The pizza was then delivered into the smaller chapel on the west side of Norton Hall.

I don’t know if these were actual students or actors that “ordered” the pizza.

For decades the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has funded Baptist work through a mechanism called the Cooperative Program (CP).  In short, individual Baptists give to their church.  This church joins with other Southern Baptist churches in giving to the work of the convention.  The convention budgets this money to pay for mission work, theological education, and a host of other ministry resources.

In recent months this process has been called into question by what some call a bloated bureaucracy.  The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) task force was appointed by President Johnny Hunt in June.  Part of their work is to take a look at the effectiveness of this bureaucracy.

Some of the reporting about this task force has focused on the giving percentages of churches for the members of the task force.  Perhaps it is time to reconsider this underlying criteria for being a good Baptist church.

In fact this has been under reconsideration since 1979 when Adrian Rogers was elected president.  Prior to his election, churches had been greatly encouraged to give at least 10% of their undesignated budget receipts to the Cooperative Program.  Rogers church did not even get close to the 10% threshold.

Here is my point.  If 10% is required, it appears more to be a tax than a gift.  Some are being treated as if they are tax cheats for not giving at the unofficially prescribed level.

Each church has a responsibility before God and their people to handle the money in a godly fashion.  The focus of a church’s budget should be on glorifying God and extending the Kingdom of God.  How a church chooses to do this is up to them.  After all, Baptists are from the free church movement.

I am confident that if the Cooperative Program gives the best bang for the buck, then giving levels would increase.  This is why the work of the GCR task force is vital to the future work of the SBC.

In the meantime, let’s not assume that lower percentages mean less commitment to the work of God.  On a personal note, each church that I served as pastor increased their percentage level of giving to the CP.  So this is not the rant of an anti-CP guy.

The news out of SBC-land continues on a path of question and confusion.  What is going on with SBC leaders?

Here is a quick recap:

1.  Yesterday, the head of NAMB (North American Mission Board) and 3 of his top associates resigned under pressure.

2.  The Executive Committee in Nashville likewise witnessed the recent forced resignation of the Executive Vice President.  This came after the head of the Executive Committee went on an unwise rant against Calvinists.

3.  The IMB (International Mission Board) trustees engaged in an ugly running feud that included the suspension of a trustee.

4.  Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has been involved in a lawsuit from a former professor.

5.  New pastors at mega churches, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville and Bellevue Baptist Church succeeded former presidents of the SBC and are making news for all of the wrong reasons.

This list is merely institutional news.  I haven’t even said anything yet about issues regarding theology or renewal initiatives.  At the annual convention in Louisville, observers would think that all was well except for those being influenced by Mark Driscoll and the Calvinists.

So what are we to make of this?  Is there a connection between the declining membership numbers and giving to the Cooperative Program?  I will leave the answers to these questions to others.  Here is what I think about some of this.

1.  Leadership and Communication Skills

When we have Jesus as a model of leadership, why do we seem to be so lacking in these basic skills?  I hear and read of people lamenting the CEO style of leadership in church life.  Let me be clear — this is not the problem.  A business CEO can either possess solid leadership and communication skills are he can not.  Business CEOs have not exactly been in the news for providing great leadership.

I have worked for men and women with tremendous leadership and communication skills.  They drew the best out of me.  They instilled the proper values and direction of the organization.  I have also worked for those that lacked basic human decency in communicating with others.  The type of leadership they demonstrated was detrimental to the life of the company of the people of the company.

Good leaders come with various styles and personalities.  An individual’s style of leadership will need to fit his/her personality.  We need to be learning from great leaders.  Ultimately, this will mean that we need to learn from Jesus and biblical teaching.

I do know this — we have a failure of leadership preparation, selection and/or expectation when we are hiring executive coaches for those who are already leading one of our largest agencies.  This is reportedly what the trustees of NAMB did in an earlier attempt to work out the issues at NAMB.

2.  The SBC is in dire need of renewal.  This renewal must include the following:

Theological Renewal – the overriding goal of all that happens should be that of being centered on Jesus and the Gospel.

Spiritual Renewal – we need repentance and a fresh reliance on the power of God.

Organizational Renewal – we need wise leaders who care only about the advancement of God’s kingdom.  These leaders need to demonstrate the character of Jesus in providing purposeful direction.

Unless the SBC gets this right, we will continue to see the erosion of leadership and resources.  Those desiring to extend the kingdom of God will find other avenues for doing so.

We should be mindful of much that is good and right about the SBC.  Amazing stories are being told of God’s work around the globe.  I want to get the ship righted so that we do not lose these amazing stories.

Your comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Morris Chapman

Morris Chapman has been at the center of controversy for the past month or so.  First, he openly criticized the Great Commission Resurgence document.  This he has a right to do so, but the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly approved this document at the annual SBC meeting in Louisville in June.

Then Chapman spent his podium time at the annual meeting on the attack.  My displeasure was his attack on Calvinism.  He presented a caricature of Calvinism rather than what Calvinism actually is.

Then he created a real firestorm by asking for the immediate resignation of Clark Logan.  Logan is a respected denominational leader who apparently did not deserve this sort of HR move.

Yesterday Chapman issued of “Clarification of Intent” on his website.  His clarification further demonstrated that Chapman does not get it.  Here are my issues with Chapman’s clarification.

My Issues with Chapman

1.  Chapman seems to take a swipe at internet commentators who questioned his attack on Calvinism.  While my article was not widely read, I posted my concerns soon after he went on the attack.

It has become fashionable to blame the internet commentators, and Chapman has followed suit.  The irony is that Chapman takes his swipe on his own internet post.

2.  During his convention address, Chapman set up a false dichotomy of debating theology versus doing evangelism.  Again this was highly ironic in that Chapman was the one debating theology.

His clarification continues that debate.  In his letter he suggests that the controversy might have been avoided had he “spoken with greater technical precision.”  This is debate verbage.  Perhaps Chapman should take his own advice and avoid theological debate and focus on doing evangelism.

3.  His explanation as to why Calvinism is growing is stunning.  He attempts to link Calvinism’s growth as a reaction to moderate led seminaries and to open theism theology.

If Calvinism was a new theology, I might buy that argument.  Yet since Calvinism was around long before Baptist seminaries were moderate led and before the open theism debate, his rationale does not hold up.

In his letter he spoke of being accused of setting up strawmen.  This new letter actually plants two more strawmen.  He knows that most Baptists will gladly line up against moderate led seminaries and open theism.

4.  Near the end of his letter he describes two dangers of Calvinism.  His arguments are simply absurd.

First, Chapman asserts that Calvinists destroy healthy churches.  Wow!  If this gets said long enough and loud enough, some people will believe it.  Where is the data to back up such a claim?  I am sure that some leaders with a Calvinistic theology has damaged churches.  I am also sure that some without a Calvinistic theology have done likewise.

Second, Chapman asserts that 2nd generation Calvinists might not have the evangelical warmth of those before them.  This is the very definition of a strawman.  Surely it could be said that 2nd generation anything might not have all that the first generation had.

My recommendations to Chapman:

1.  It is time to resign.  I have had great respect for his leadership in the past, but he is leading in the wrong direction.  His dangers of Calvinism above could be identified as dangers of division and lack of evangelistic warmth.  Rather than the Calvinists posing these dangers, it is Chapman himself.

2.  He should add clarification to what is not clear instead of what everybody already could see.  We did not need further clarification on his opposition to Calvinism.  We need clarification on the Clark Logan situation.

3.  He should heed his own advice by leaving the theological debate arena and focus on what he sees as priority.

The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) met this week in Louisville for the annual gathering.  When I was a pastor, I attended these meetings with the last one being in 1995.  Since they were meeting in Louisville and I now live in Louisville, I followed the events a little closer.  Due to my work schedule, I was not able to attend any of the sessions (except for the final 10 minutes of the convention).  I have caught up by watching the streaming videos of the business sessions.

Here are some thoughts on this convention.

1.  I enjoying spending some time with Dr. Tim Hight and his wife, Dawn.

Dawn & Tim Hight

Tim is the pastor of Main Street Baptist Church in Christiansburg, VA.  He is also serving as President of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.

Tim and I first connected while at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.  We were fellow pastors in Arkansas for awhile and traveled together to a few of the SBC annual meetings.

Tim is one of the few guys that knew me when I was a pastor and provided gracious aid after my fall.  He has promised to write a guest post for Pulpit 2 Pew.  I look forward to that.  I could say much more about Tim and Dawn, but for now just know that Suzie and I really enjoyed sharing a meal with them.

2.  This convention met in Louisville to coincide with the 150th Anniversary of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  From J.P Boyce to Al Mohler, Southern has had an interesting and important history.  I am looking forward to reading the newly released history by Greg Wills.

3.  The GCR (Great Commission Resurgence) document drew most of the attention for this convention.  I added my signature to the document a few weeks prior to the convention.  Primarily this document affirmed basic but important theological truths such as the Lordship of Jesus over all we do.  The point that drew the most focus and opposition was Article IX which is basically a call to evaluate the relationships and functions of all SBC entitities so that work and money might be more efficiently focused on the primary tasks of the Great Commission.

4.  I was surprised at the vocal opposition to the evaluation process.  I just could not buy into the reasons given for opposing this.  In the end the vote carried by a large margin.

Morris Chapman

5.  I was very disappointed by Morris Chapman‘s opposition to Article IX as well as his attack on Calvinism.  Others also attacked Calvinism during the introduction of motions and business sessions.  The shoddy history by one gentleman in denouncing Calvinism by linking it to primitive Baptists was atrocious.

Chapman repeatedly set up straw men and then knocked them down.  His false dichotomies included:

• Learning theology versus doing evangelism.
• Loving theology versus loving Jesus.
• Lottie Moon’s mission activity versus debating theology.

What I found most interesting and inconsistent was that he belabored the point about discussing and debating theology instead of doing evangelism.  His solution:  discuss and debate with Johnny Hunt about Article IX and to spend a hefty amount of time debating Calvinism.  I expected better from Chapman.

6.  I am saddened at the rising insistence that holiness is equated with demanding everybody totally abstain from any alcoholic beverage.  That is not the biblical teaching.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.

– Ephesians 5:18

This is an issue that should be treated like the meat that was offered to idols issue of the New Testament days.  The Bible grants freedom to either eat or to abstain from eating depending on one’s conscience.  Remember that eating this meat was allowed, but for the sake of weakness abstinance was also allowable.

Mark Driscoll

7.  Mark Driscoll has become the whipping boy for some in baptist life.  This is unfortunate.  I have benefitted greatly from Driscoll’s ministry.  I don’t usually agree with most preachers on every point, but that is no need to discard the entire ministry.

Let me give you an example of Driscoll’s “cussing” that causes such alarm.  I heard him answer the question of a young lady who asked what to say to a boyfriend that continued to pressure her for sex prior to a marriage commitment.  Driscoll said to tell him to “go to hell.”  He went on to explain that his actions were indicative of one heading in that direction.  I thought it was an appropriate response to a serious issue.

I am glad to be a Southern Baptist.  I hope the days ahead for the denomination and churches are strong.  That hope sometimes is tempered by the legalism against which we must guard ourselves.  Legalism is just as deadly as is theological liberalism.  My prayer is that Baptists will be defined by more than what we are against.