Danny Chisholm

Same Song, Different Location

2008-03-16T23:07:00.004-05:00

I'm moving my blog over to http://www.dannychisholm.wordpress.com/.

Thanks for following me over to a new neighborhood.

Palm Sunday

2008-03-13T22:25:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe, but we are now entering Holy Week. I can't recall how many times I've been told how early Easter is this year and that it won't be this early again for hundreds of years (or something like that). Our church, like many others, will be commemorating the last week of Christ leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. That means that Palm Sunday is upon us.

One of the things that comes to mind about Palm Sunday is how fickle people can be about their devotion to Christ. Many of the people who celebrated Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem by giving him the red carpet treatment were calling for his execution a few days later. It's difficult to understand how the tide of public opinion could have turned against Jesus so rapidly, and even prior to his coming Jesus knew that it was going to be dangerous. He went to Jerusalem anyway to endure incredible pain and suffering. For a while, though, things looked pretty good as he entered town on a donkey. Not the most prestigious arrival, but no one could confuse Jesus with a military leader. His followers raised palm branches rather than swords. The week started off pretty good.

Holy Week 2008 will be an opportunity for reflection and personal inventory about our spiritual condition. There are a wide range of emotions associated with this week, and our church family will do what we can to experience them. What I hope will occur is that we will come through this time with a greater awareness and appreciation for what Christ experienced for us. I hope we will be challenged to a deeper level of commitment to the Lord and not be swayed by what may or may not be the popular thing to do. The other reality should be keeping "the main thing the main thing" and not allow ourselves to get off the path and into the weeds. The weeds are the things that really aren't theological or doctrinal in nature but somehow seem to distract the church from its mission. These issues can be personality driven rather than relating to the mission and ministry of the church. It's hard to be miltant about getting your own way when you're standing at the foot of the cross. What seems so important really pales into relative insignificance. I guess this is another way of saying to choose the right battles. Not everything is worth getting keyed up about.

Our church family said farewell to a very dear woman this week who touched many lives through her sweet spirit and positive attitude. She struggled valiently but ultimately could not overcome in her battle with cancer. We will miss her dearly, but will grieve and grow together through the journey. Easter will be celebrated knowing that she and others who have gone before are experiencing first hand what the power of resurrection means. My prayer will be that Holy Week provides an opportunity to slow down and marvel at the grace that is ours in Christ Jesus. We all have been enthusiastic about our faith at times and then later betrayed our Lord through our words and actions. The inconsistancy is frustrating, but can be appreciated more by being reminded of the Apostle Paul's own struggles to live out his faith.

May we continue moving forward in faith, thankful for forgiveness while deepening in our understanding of what this time on the Christian calendar is all about.

Memphis Hosts CBF

2008-03-10T20:20:00.005-05:00

It's worth repeating. . . the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly meets in Memphis in a few short months. The CBF remains a movement of free and faithful Baptists 17 years after its exodus from the Southern Baptist Convention. For many Baptists, the organization serves as a resource for materials and more importantly a connecting point for cooperative missions and ministry.

I won't go into details about the program personalities and breakouts, but suffice it to say the meeting is a highpoint among traditional Baptists for fellowship and encouragement. It's hard to imagine where I'd be without this movement, and I use the term "movement" deliberately rather than institution. I'm in a geographical location where our church is THE only moderate voice, specifically CBF and/or American Baptist. What this means is our denominational connectedness is much more theological and philosophical than geographical. The General Assembly is one avenue through which we can celebrate our unity through Christ Jesus with like-minded Baptists from around the country.

I like to count the numbers just like other pastors, but have gotten to a point that it's okay to be part of something that might not be the biggest thing going. Baptists started off as a minority group anyway, and this background of persecution helped us be sympathetic to other religious folks who wanted the same freedom to worship. One thing that might be interesting, though, is to see whether the CBF explores partnerships with other Baptist organizations. I'm also encouraged by the fact that CBF finds places to cooperate with other denominations as well.

There are always meetings for pastors to attend, and I'm getting better at saying no to them and throwing promotional pieces in the trash. Still, the General Assembly is one that my entire family can attend and catch up with friends we haven't seen in a long time. The month of June will be here before you know it, and I hope others will join me in making the necessary preparations to be part of this wonderful event.

Windermere Wins

2008-03-05T21:51:00.003-06:00

Judge Richard Callahan ruled in favor of Windermere Baptist Conference Center, and of course against the Missouri Baptist Convention. You can read more about the reaction on Windermere's website or in one of the local newspapers. Suffice it to say, this is a significant win not only for the Conference Center but also for the remaining Baptist institutions whose trials are pending. Many Missouri Baptists were watching to see what happened with Windermere with the view that it might set a precedent for the others.

It's no big secret that the Convention isn't happy about the decision, and has already decided to take the matter to the Appeals court. This means that this matter will take another indefinite period of time to deal with the lawsuit plus the fact that additional monies will be required. Missouri Baptists are footing the bill for this ongoing struggle by the way, and it's not too hard to imagine where these dollars could go if the matter was dropped.

I'm new to the state, so this is wishful thinking I'm told.

Our church is glad to be called a friend of Windermere, and we offer our congratulations for this victory. It's unfortunate that this beautiful retreat center has suffered a loss of business and a damaged reputation at the hands of the Missouri Baptist Convention. What is apparent to me is that if the convention can't control Windermere then it will attempt to destroy it or send it into bankruptcy. Perhaps this decision will offer some vindication for Windermere, but unfortunately I do not expect the MBC to let this defeat go unchallenged. Still, this is an important victory and is worthy of celebration.

366

2008-02-29T21:30:00.010-06:00

It happens every four years. We get an extra day. Something about the equinox in that we get a fourth of a day and then we get to add them up to get the 29th. Cally's teacher is using the event as an opportunity to teach fractions. So, Leap Year 2008 is here and our additional day has come and gone.

Driving around town today with Lori and our kids, I saw a sign that read "there are no unimportant days." It got me to thinking that even though today was my "day off" that there are always things to do and challenges to overcome. It seems like every time I turn on the news I hear about increasing gas prices and more house foreclosures. The economy is a topic of conversation everywhere and we're all wondering who is going to be the next president. I guess Leap Year gives us an additional day to talk about these things.

We've gotten into the Lenton season and there is a lot going on, which is the case no matter what time of year it is. But, I am doing what I can to be mindful of this time of year on the Christian calendar. There are alway distractions, and I can appreciate the struggle that many of us on going through spiritually and economically.

Last Wednesday night, I spoke to our church family about the importance of not only knowing what we believe but also knowing the value of "beholding." Barbara Brown Taylor wrote about this concept in Leaving Church, as she mentioned the fatigue involved in constantly defending doctrinal stances. The Bible passages she gravitated toward started with the word "behold." Her insights meant a lot to me, in the sense that there are times that I need to be still and soak in God's presence. As a pastor, I carry the weight of attempting to explain and communicate biblical truths on a weekly if not daily basis. This can be a difficult process. I am gaining a greater appreciation of the Apostle Paul's sentiment as he spoke to the church at Corinth. He came to them in "weakness, fear, and trembling" while focusing on "Jesus Christ and him crucified" (I Corinthians 2:1-5).

There's definitely a propositional component to the Christian faith. I've grown up in a climate that places a premium on doctrinal truths and at times this has resulted in disputes between fellow believers in Christ. There is a time to "take a stand" for one's beliefs and contend for the faith. I also believe that we cannot discount the existential element of Christianity, for without it we have a stale and lifeless faith. Paul said "I am crucified with Christ. . ." and with this statement comes an affirmation of how an encounter with Christ changes a person from the inside out. Many people long for this kind of meaningful spirituality, and this is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Baptists must continue on this journey, balancing what we know and what we feel about our faith.

I'll be reading the familiar passages about sin and suffering over these next several weeks. There will time to consider crucifixion and resurrection as well. I will praying to have more of those moments to "behold" the Christ of Christianity. It's okay not to be able to explain every component of the faith. Without the mystery, all we have is another cold, meaningless belief system devoid of relationship with the Holy. It's okay not to "feel" spiritual at times. We all struggle with spiritual warfare and the demons of discouragement.

Leap Day provided an additional 24 hours to reflect on our humanity and need for salvation. I hope it will be a catalyst to move closer to the cross and learn more about walking by faith "and not by sight."

Old Churches

2008-02-16T21:31:00.004-06:00

I came across this photo of West Union Baptist Church in West Union, Oregon. Organized in 1844, it is the oldest Baptist church west of the Rocky Mountains. The simplicity and beauty of the building is a sight to behold. Looking at this picture, I can't help thinking about who might have attended there through the years. Oregon isn't typically thought of as Baptist country, and any church that has survived for this length of time is worthy of recognition.

Most of the churches I've been associated with have been considered "older" congregations, based not only on the number of years in existence but also the ages of the people who attend. There are interesting dynamics in play when you consider how many 80 year olds are still participating in their churches. I'm sure it has to be quite a reality check for them when their pastor is about as old as one of their grandchildren! This is a statement I've heard more than once through the years, and usually it is offered in endearment. I can't imagine staying in one church for my entire life, witnessing the changes in staff and church members. Usually the reality of church's aging is seen in the number of funerals that take place more frequently than they used to be.

There are different approaches to "church growth" and I've read just about all I care to about the subject. What I do find interesting are descriptions of the generations who are now attending our places of worship. I've read that we have four and maybe five generational types involved in the church. The older members have experienced the depression, wars, and are committed to the institution of the church. These folks tend to stay in one place for the long haul and are considered good workers. The younger members have different life experiences and don't understand what it's like to sacrifice and "go without" like many of their older contemporaries. Yet, the younger guard are more open to change and recognize the value of creativity. I won't go into all the details, but suffice it to say there are challenges to keeping all philosophies and worldviews in cooperation with each other.

I'm amazed at the knowledge and devotion of our people, but find it even more remarkable to learn about their life stories. Having multiple generations in the church creates a family atmosphere and this needs to be nurtured. The old adage is true: "You can't help growing older, but you can help growing old." As I transition through the mid-40s and the perils of mid-life, there is a recognition that what you do with people rather than buildings are the things that last. I've been fortunate to have had good role models who encouraged my spiritual development. Many of their life stories intersect with my own and I've been enriched by them. I can only hope that sharing life with its joys and challenges strengthens the body of Christ.

While recognizing the church is really the people, I do believe that places of worship can have meaning especially when connected to special events. Sometimes members tell me that "this is where my mom and dad used to sit" or "this is where I was baptized" or "my husband and I were married in this room." Hearing these stories gives the impression that you're standing on holy ground. There is a charm about old churches, and a quiet strength that comes from being in God's presence on Sunday morning. I appreciate efforts to reach a younger generation, specifically the contemporary movment's preference to church buildings that look more like generic office buildings. This isn't for me, and that's okay. I also believe that there is a hunger among college students and young professionals to experience God and older churches can assist with that.

Seeing this photograph reminded me that it really is what we do for Christ that lasts. Sometimes churches are critized for their unwillingness to change with the times. I wonder if this critique can be interpreted as a compliment to some degree. Many people are looking for consistancy in this changing world, and the church can offer stability for spiritual formation. It is possible to observe the tradition without becoming traditional in our approaches. We need to be "in the world and not of the world" while at the same time offering ourselves as "salt and light." This has been the challenge for centuries. Let's continue to make the effort.

When Pastors endorse Politicians

2008-02-14T23:55:00.004-06:00

Rev. Wiley Drake is at it again. The pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, CA has often been outspoken and claiming influence (if any) afforded him as a former 2nd Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Recently he endorsed former Governor Mike Huckabee for President of the United States. Drake called on all Southern Baptists to get behind Huckabee saying "I believe God has chosen Mike for such an hour, and I believe all those running Mike Huckabee will listen to God."

It's not so much his endorsement that generated attention. It was his method, as he utilized church letterhead to get his message of support out. His efforts caught the attention of the Internal Revenue Service, which is not the sort of institution you want to disturb if you can help it. Under federal tax law, clergy can discuss politics and issues but must stop short of endorsing a political candidate. I'm sure Drake knew this but felt this technicality should be overlooked. It's not the first time he has done something to gain media attention, and I won't go into all those efforts.

While appreciating his right to an opinion, I don't believe pastors ought to be in the business of endorsing politicians for office. I had a friend run for judge once and I got out and held a sign for him, but didn't mention it from the pulpit or newsletter. This is not what I mean. I've seen and heard of churches being used for political platforms rather than places of worship. It is appropriate to discuss issues, like poverty, justice, racism, and the environment. I can see healthy discussions on these matters as well as others. But, there are too many folks in our churches with differing opinions who need to be respected without hearing who they should vote for in an election. I would be hard pressed to call someone an unbeliever simply because he or she doesn't vote the way I do. Unfortunately, this approach has not always been the case among some Baptist bretheren who equate political conformity to doctrinal accuracy.

Pastors ought to be spiritual leaders first and foremost without compromising their position as shepherd of the flock. Anytime a pastor throws his support for a candidate, he runs the risk of alienating some of his own members. I understand how important someone's viewpoint can be, and of course religion and politics are two of those subjects that we are told to avoid. At least Huckabee got out of the pastorate in order to pursue his interests in politics. He has been a governor longer than a pastor, from what I understand. Drake's backing won't have any serious impact on the election but should serve as an object lesson for the rest of us.

I still believe in that precious Baptist distinctive of church/state separation, and hope that Baptist preachers maintain a prophetic voice in challenging the people to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. We don't need to get distracted and fight spiritual forces with physical means. This has been the track record of the SBC, and hopefully the New Baptist Covenant celebration avoided this politicization of gathering Baptists from around the continent. Time will tell. Preaching during an election year can be a delicate balancing act, but focusing on issues rather than identities can go a long way toward informing the people without alienating them. It can be a delicate balancing act, but at least I won't be using the church letterhead to tell our people who to vote for in November.

My first Lent in Springfield

2008-02-07T20:12:00.000-06:00

We started a Wednesday Night Bible Study series on Ash Wednesday called Eyeing Easter. Former Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz wrote the material and invited his readers to take a journey of personal reflection during this "in between time" called Lent. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our sin and death sentence, while Easter signifies life and deliverance. During the 40 days, Christians should struggle with who we are sinners and seek a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God and others.

Baptists haven't typically been big observers of Lent, and I suspect it is because of a reaction to the medieval church and its traditions. There aren't too many churches in Baptistland who offer any reference to the time leading up Easter; much the same way that Advent is neglected. While not getting into the ashes on the forehead myself, I do acknowledge that it is a big part of the holy season for many believers in the wider Christian world. I spoke with one of my pastor friends from the Presbyterian branch who said there was an Ash Wednesday service, including ashes for those who wanted them. It can be a very meaningful thing. Unfortunately, there are images of revelry during Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Tuesday and then those same persons filing into St. Louis Cathedral for those ashes that signify repentance. It can be confusing.

What I've been thinking about here lately is my own mortality and the importance of being thankful for each day that comes. There were a number of disturbing images on TV the last few days of devastation in TN and north Arkansas, as dozens were killed and many more had their belongings scattered by those horrible winds. Union University in Jackson, TN had a direct hit and a women's dorm was completely destroyed. Remarkably, no one was killed in that impact. Many who came out that experience were praising God for his deliverance, yet I wonder about all those others who may have called out prior to their death. There is a mystery about these "acts of God" that cannot be explained. I don't deserve the blessings I receive, so when my car didn't start this morning because the lights were left on all night I took it in stride.

Lent provides an opportunity to reflect upon my sinfulness and need for forgiveness. It's also a time to recall where I was this time last year and where I am today. A lot has taken place, and much has been learned. This is an "in between" time. I will seek to slow down enough to make these 40 days meaningful.

A Eutychian Moment

2008-01-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

At least he wasn't sitting in a third story window.

Former President Bill Clinton nodded off during a worship service with MLK III at the pulpit. Unfortunately, he happened to be on the platform at the same time. Those platform chairs can be comfortable, maybe too comfortable? Ahh, the perils and prestige of a public figure go hand in hand. Never underestimate the mixture of a long, dull sermon with an exhausting schedule. He might not have been the only one asleep in the pew that day. I've heard this guy speak a little bit, and even younger men and women would have trouble staying in the zone of consciousness.

Falling asleep in church is something ministers and laypeople alike joke about. Seeing this photo makes me wish we had a kind of "fan cam" similar to what is in football stadiums to capture the behavior of certain fans. It would be interesting to document ways church folks pass the time in a worship service, other than the appropriate way of staying riveted to every word from their inspiring preacher for the day. Anyway, I was reminded of what happened in Acts 20 when the great preacher Paul spoke through the midnight hour. . . "There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seating in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on (emphasis mine). When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead" (v9). The story ends on a good note as Paul came down and brought him back to life. I guess that's as good a way to end a sermon as any, but not too many preachers can pull that off.

I've sat through some sermons that made me feel like I needed to be "brought back to life." It's a miserable feeling for the eyelids to falter as the preacher is making his 12th point in alliteration. Sometimes the poem never comes and it is even more disheartening when you see the preacher pass up numerous chances to "bring the sermon in for a landing." When I was a teenager, I recall our pastor preaching through Exodus on Sunday nights. There were times I actually felt like I was in the wilderness; it was a dry, tiring experience. It left quite an impact on me, yet probably not the one desired.

It's pretty amazing that Eutychus got his name in the Bible for falling asleep during a sermon. And this was Paul the apostle at the pulpit. But even his great oratorical skills were no match for a warm, dimly lit room around midnight and this "young man" couldn't take it anymore and left the building. Falling asleep during the sermon is not the most notable accomplishment, and there have been many who have followed his example. Even former presidents. I've even had one or two church members tell me that they "take medication that makes them fall asleep" when they get still. I guess they picked it up from some deacons in the foyer. Fortunately, this kind of behavior hasn't been shown to be life threatening, only a little embarrassing. Just make sure to watch the snoring and find a place somewhere else than behind a large preacher and the pulpit to catch a few z's.

I've tried to remember the adage: "be sure to finish preaching before the people stop listening." It's a goal anyway, and so far we haven't had any fatalities due to sermon duration. But, I'll be watching for some nodding and stretching during inappropriate moments.

One Hundred Years of Praying

2008-01-17T21:19:00.000-06:00

This Sunday, January 20, marks the beginning of the centennial anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian unity. I received some information from the ABC-USA and also came across an article in the recent issue of Baptists Today that referred to the subject. Until recently, I had never heard of such a recognition. This isn't really all that surprising when you consider my denominational upbringing. I've been in Southern Baptist churches most of my life and can't recall ever hearing about the need to be unified with followers of other denominations. There were, however, warnings to avoid too much association with them because there were significant issues that were "non-negotiatable" which prevented our fellowship. We had to be careful not to compromise our beliefs by being around them. Southern Baptists, in particular, have had this mindset and this influence had an affect on me early on. This view has been reinforced time and agains, and most significantly with the SBC's withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance. Fortunately, I came to realize that they (we) were not "God's last and only hope" as the Bill Leonard book title indicated.

Although there won't be an elaborate celebration, our church will be told about such a recognition and I'll be preaching on unity from John 17. Jesus prayed for all persons who would come to faith through the message of those early followers. That includes us of course, and his desire was that we would be "one" so that the world would know that he came from the Father. Unity is so important for God's people that Jesus prayed for it to occur among his disciples.

One lesson that I've had reinforced in my preparation this week is that Baptists haven't set a very good example in the spiritual unity category. We're much better at being legalistic, judgmental, and occasionally self-righteous in our belief that we have a corner on the truth. Our reputation has tended to be one of "what we're against" than "what we're for." It is possible to have our doctrinal ducks in a row and be unkind and condescending to those who disagree with us. Oftentimes it has seemed that Baptists didn't need anyone else to get the work of Christ done. I recall a Southern Baptist mindset that was subtle yet real during conventions and pastor's conferences. Humility hasn't been in abundant supply.

Fortunately, I now travel in different Baptist circles and among people in a church who embrace ecumenism rather than fear it. Yes, we have our Baptist distinctives and these are precious to us. We believe in cooperative missions without controlling institutions and the spirit of volunteerism is encouraged. But, it is refreshing and liberating to be part of a Baptist presence that appreciates the diversity of denominations. I am grateful to be Baptist, but much more so to be a Christian. I've realized that some of the beliefs I've held through the years were rooted more in Baptist tradition than Bible. Time, study, and meeting believers from other theological rooms have caused me to rethink some of these previously "non-negotiable" positions.

We may not experience the unity Christ mentioned in this life. There is too much denominational turf to be protected and yes, there are significant theological truths that should not be compromised. Christians may agree on biblical authority but interpretation remains a sticking point. But it doesn't mean there can't be love and partnership among all of God's followers. I remember the words of my theology professor when challenged by his students on particular theological views: "I think I'm right about this position. But, when I get to heaven, and if Jesus tells me I was wrong, I'm not going to argue with him at that point."

The familiar refrain is worth repeating: "In Essentials, unity. In Non-Essentials, liberty. In all things, charity." Happy 100th anniverary, and let's keep on praying.

Florida Church Catches Fire

2008-01-03T22:25:00.000-06:00

It's a sight no pastor or church member wants to see: their church going up in flames. Members showed up on Sunday morning and were faced with the smell of smoke and smoldering ashes. Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church was devastated by a fire only days before Christmas. The Jacksonville congregation gathered in their gym on December 23rd for worship, stunned by the devastating loss of their sanctuary. This is a terrible thing for any church to go through, not to mention the timing of the blaze. It is a blessing that no one appeared to be hurt in the fire, and that some areas of the building could be salvaged.

Pastor Kyle Reese has only been at the church about 18 months, but has shown remarkable courage and leadership during this crisis. His words to a shocked and hurting family of faith on that fourth Sunday of Advent are memorable: "In our strategic planning process," says Reese, "we've been trying to think of ways to reach out and embrace our community. But this morning we've seen how the community has reached out and embraced us." He expressed gratitude to businesses and other members of the faith community for their expressions of support. While on one would have wished this terrible event on the 50-year old congregation, it's encouraging to see that Reese is on the right track in bringing his church family together. It is a tough way to begin a pastorate. He will be faced with challenges and decisions he could never imagine.

I've been thinking a lot about this church, which happens to be a leading moderate congregation in Florida and the CBF in general. When the smoke clears, Hendricks Avenue will have the chance to live out their faith through adversity and difficulty. This situation has thrust them into their community in an unexpected way. This wasn't part of their planning process. What I'm reminded of through these images is that the church isn't the building, but the people. The Lord can use tragedy as a tool for bringing his people together and reaching a community in need of the Good News. Grief and loss are powerful emotions, and as this church works through them they will identify in a real way with individuals who have walked through personal valleys of their own.

Sometimes it's takes a tragedy to make us realize what's truly important in life. I've seen pictures of church members hugging one another and weeping over their church building. It's understandable. I'm sure there are members who are living with the loss of a place that has held special significance to them. Weddings, baptisms, and special services were held in that sanctuary. It's incredibly sad. But, they still have each other. I'll be hoping that they come together and "catch fire" with the power of the Holy Spirit. They will experience healing and growth with the sensitive leadership of their pastor. It will take time, but Hendricks Avenue will rise from the ashes to be stronger in their love for each other and for their community.

Christmas in the Ozarks

2007-12-21T22:06:00.001-06:00

Christmas brings about a variety of emotions, and among these have to do with events that have taken place during the year. It's been an exciting, challenging, and eventful 2007 for the Chisholm family. We've made new friends and are getting settled into a new community and church family. We have been blessed. There is great peace in knowing that you are in the right place at the right time.

One aspect of the move that has been somewhat amusing is the number of times people have asked me "what do think about Ozark weather?" I think back to our first weekend in Springfield when it rained, sleeted, snowed, and afterward the sun came out. This past weekend we had snow and it looks like we're in for some more this weekend. I've been told that if you don't like the weather, just wait about 20 minutes and it will change. At least there are seasons.

Another interesting feature of the move has been the reaction to my "accent." I got wind that this was going to be a recognizable attribute when looking for an item in the store. The associate on duty, as she walked with me to the designated area of the store, said "you're not from around here, are you?" I've also had people comment about it over the phone, so this is another evidence that I'm not in the south anymore (the familiar phrase "we're not in Kansas anymore" would apply too, but now we're not far away from that state!)

One fear that we had moving to southwest Missouri never materialized, and that had to do with Southeastern Conference Football and Auburn football in particular. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that there is a station that carries the Lincoln Financial game of the week and on top of that most of the AU games could be seen there or ESPN. A sidebar story related to Missouri's football team doing so well and playing in the Big 12 Championship game. Our local university, Missouri State, even had a 6-5 season which was their best in quite some time.

Today is Cally's 10th birthday, and we celebrated this milestone last night with a small gathering of folks over at the house. A few of her friends were on hand, and the excitement is continuing with her first sleepover away from us. She was looking forward to the experience and this is another example of her growing up. I am proud of her work at school and her being so brave in meeting new people and making new friends.

Lucy will be five years old on the 29th, and has had a good year in pre-Kindergarten. She is outgoing and spirited, and is learning all the time. She will be in Kindergarten next Fall, which means she and Cally will be at the same school for the first time. Matt is 3 years old and is going half days at an elementary school to help him with his speech. He is adjusting well and has his friends too, especially now that Sam and Will are in the neighborhood.

Christmas is definitely about family, and I am grateful for mine. We're also thankful for a church family who has received us and welcomed us into their lives. It has been a busy 7 months, and I believe we are off to a good start with our mission and ministry together. We have a good staff, strong laity, and overall positive energy going into 2008.

I've enjoyed observing the Advent season at University Heights Baptist Church. We are lighting the Love candle this Sunday and then the Christ candle on Christmas eve. These are truly "holy-days" and I am doing my best to enjoy every moment without getting caught up into the commercialism of the season. This can be a challenge. In thinking about getting and giving gifts, however, I am reminded that the greatest is still that "the Word became flesh." Jesus is the reason for the season, and for EVERY season for that matter.

To those of you who drop by from time to time, let me say that I am doing well, staying busy with home and work duties, and doing my best to enjoy what I've been given. May you all be blessed with the hope, peace, joy, and love that only Christ can give. Merry Christmas from the Ozarks!

Joey Tatum: July 13,1968--November 26,2007

2007-12-04T09:42:00.000-06:00

I never thought I'd be putting this in a blog entry, but Joey Tatum died last week. It had been a while since either Lori or I had heard from him, but he was one of those people with whom you could pick right up where you left off in a friendship. Joey had been part of a circle of friends at seminary who made things better just by being around him. He loved to play the guitar and sing, and made a great impact on young people in particular with his ministry to them through the church and youth camps.

We made a herculean effort to travel to Picayune for the funeral and back in a 48 hour period, with great appreciation to friends here who cared for our children in our absence. They dropped everything to help us. Travelling to Mississippi proved to be a trip down memory lane for us, since we hadn't seen those kinds of interstate signs in a very long time. It was unusual being back at Roseland Park Baptist Church for the funeral, as the last time had been for Joey and Cindy's wedding.

I knew Joey had been sick, but had no idea that he could have a heart attack. Diabetes is rough, and Joey battled that disease and gave himself insulin shots. He lost an eye along the way but never made a big deal about his sufferings. His boyish charm and kind ways will always be remembered. I consider him among my closest friends and my life is better for knowing him.

Joey leaves behind his devoted wife Cindy and 6-year old son Zeke. His brother Brian is also in the ministry, and I will be remembering him also. It will be a Christmas like no other for the Tatums this year. Their emphasis on faith and family is truly an inspiration. The funeral, while very emotional at points, pointed to the Christ that Joey dedicated himself to serve. He was humble, winsome, and an all around good guy. We will miss him terribly.

A teacher, a teddy bear, and a temper

2007-11-28T14:33:00.000-06:00

Gillian Gibbons, a private school teacher in Sudan, has found out the hard way just how much trouble naming a teddy bear can be. Gibbons was arrested for allowing her class of 7-year olds to name a teddy bear "Mohammed." Those making charges are accusing her of enciting hatred toward those who practice Islam. Those with a more realistic view of things are calling this a harmless incident, and that Gibbons had no intention of causing such panic.

The 54-year old teacher didn't even name the fuzzy creature, but allowed a student to suggest the name. Mohammed is an accepted name for men in the Middle East, but apparently giving an animal such a name is blasphemous.

This situation would border on absurdity except that the penalty for this kind of offense is pretty stiff: 40 lashes and a year jail sentence. It's hard to imagine that Gibbons, who was a new teacher at the school, could suffer in a severe way for a seemingly innocent action. The British government is involved as well as some women's rights groups.

It's important to show sensitivity toward all religions, and I would like to think that Gibbons could have avoided this whole mess if she had known how offensive giving a Teddy Bear the prophet's name could be. So much for a class project. I am very sympathetic toward her situation and hope it can be resolved without her suffering any more.

The whole incident raises another issue, in that I wonder whether the Prophet Mohammed would have acted this way toward someone who did this. Islam is a religion that we'd better come to understand, because there are adherents whose militant ways have already been demonstrated all too well. Christianity has its fundamentalists too, and there has been outrage directed at toy companies who are making a "Jesus doll" in time for Christmas. However, I don't think there will be any jail time for this offense. I couldn't imagine Jesus asking for 40 lashes to be given to someone who gave a teddy bear the same moniker. Besides, Jesus was in the business of taking lashes.

Freedom of religion (and from religion) is a precious right we Americans have and it is difficult to understand a worldview with such hostility toward a teacher of 7-year olds. Yes, there should definitely be respect for other religions. Perhaps an apology would help matters. And, in a season of "peace, good will toward all people" a gesture from both Gibbons and the government in like manner would be in order.

Auburn 17, Alabama 10

2007-11-25T22:07:00.000-06:00

Well, on a wild and exciting football weekend, Auburn won its 6th straight Iron Bowl. Arkansas knocked off LSU, Missouri topped Kansas and seems headed to a BCS Championship game. Folks are getting excited about it up here in the show me state.

Congratulations to the Tigers, the Missouri kind and particularly the Auburn variety.

War Eagle!!

Thank You Dr. Howe

2007-11-18T21:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time since I've thought about seminary days. Every now and then I'll glance up at my diploma and wonder where the time went. I came through NOBTS at a good time (1990s), as most of my professors have either retired or moved to other positions. I am deeply indebted to the theology and history department at the seminary in particular because this turned out to be my area of emphasis for Ph.D. work. I couldn't get the same education today as I received back then.

One of the professors that I remember is Dr. Claude Howe. He served as chair of the division for decades and taught history like it was literally the back of his hand. There is no way to measure how many Southern Baptist ministers were taught church history by this giant. The one thing I remember about him was his delivery style, as he dictated to the class his notes from memory. You could buy his notes in the bookstore and then highlight them as he recited them word for word. He had a fantastic memory, even when interrupted by the occasional question from a student. He'd answer, then look upward and pick up where he left off. He wouldn't miss a beat.

Hearing of Dr. Howe's death reminded me of taking History of the Baptists as my last Master's level course. He taught it at 2pm, and I have to say it would one of the more difficult classes I needed. So much was memorization: people, places, and dates. I also had a few doctoral seminars with him, and can locate those seminar papers if needed.

He and other professors like him meant so much to my spiritual and educational development. They represented the Baptist tradition in ways that are lacking today. Thank you Dr. Howe, for your devotion to the work and sweet spirit.

Building Bridges in Memphis

2007-11-13T20:46:00.000-06:00

To use a CBF phrase, "it's time" to start planning for the CBF General Assembly to held in Memphis, TN this upcoming summer. I've already made hotel reservations and am looking forward to reconnecting with the larger Fellowship family in 2008.

It was quite an effort to get to Washington D.C. last summer, especially since my family and I were navigating a relocation to Missouri about that time. The presence of the ABC Biennial Convention alongside the CBF Assembly provided a unique opportunity to get a taste of both organizations.

This time, this trip will be a lot shorter and the attendance should be better due to its location in closer to most CBF churches. I believe that the Fellowship, like any teenager, is going through growing pains in determining its identity and direction. There is the ongoing discussion about whether the CBF will become a denomination at some point, but I really don't see that as an urgent decision. The Fellowship began as a movement of the Spirit, and should continue in that manner. It's a faith journey, an exciting and hopeful one. I expect that the meeting will truly be a time to celebrate our unity in Christ and build bridges of missions and ministry.

Arkansas Baptists remain Closed on Communion

2007-11-11T22:05:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I thought about open or closed communion. I've been fortunate to have served in churches who have for the most part welcomed all believers to participate in the ordinance of the Lord's supper. This practice is called "open" because non-members who happen to be attending a local church's worship service may participate in receiving the elements of bread and juice.

"Closed" communion refers to the view that only members of the church may take part in the Lord's supper. This latter view has its roots in the Landmark tradition, and I didn't know there were many Southern Baptist churches that held to this position. The Arkansas Baptist Convention's annual meeting revealed otherwise.

Messengers voted to maintain a little known provision in their Constitution that opposed open communion. The messengers failed to garner the 2/3 majority required to remove this exclusive language. Of course, state convention provisions are not supposed to be binding on the local congregation. But, it does make me wonder how many Arkansas Baptists are in compliance to the closed communion stipulation of the convention.

At a practical level, it raises the question of whether a believer in Jesus Christ who happens to be in a worship service in an Arkansas Baptist church would be welcome to partake of Communion. I don't recall ever hearing a pastor instruct the congregation that those who weren't members should let the plates of juice and wafers go by. It makes me wonder how Christians would feel about inviting their non-member friends to church only to see them excluded from a meaningful part of worship.

At a deeper and theological level, the Lord's supper is truly that--the LORD's supper. We gather around his table as the people of God, and all people should be welcome. It is an opportunity to show unity not necessarily as Baptists but as Christians in giving thanks for the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord's supper should be an extremely meaningful time in the life of a local church, but this does not mean that fellow believers who aren't members should be left out. Even if believers aren't sitting in the pews of their home church, they don't cease to be believers in Jesus Christ.

The Lord's supper provides a unique opportunity to express our togetherness as a church. The community experienced and expressed around the Lord's table has more than local significance. It means that there is a connection and unity with fellow believers around the world as well. After all, the church belongs to the Lord too.

The Other Saints

2007-11-09T22:41:00.000-06:00

Ok, so this isn't about Baptist life or the church in general. But it does happen on Sundays, and these folks are called Saints, so perhaps it isn't too much of a stretch to talk about football.

After an 0-4 start, New Orleans has turned things around and are on a four game winning streak. It's hard to imagine, but they haven't lost a game in a month. Looks like the playoff talk is alive and well.

I really enjoyed the ride last year, and am looking forward to an exciting finish this year. I don't get to watch them much since we live in MO, but with them playing the Rams this weekend that should change at least this Sunday. St. Louis is winless thus far. Let's keep their streak alive for another week.

Mentioning New Orleans and the NFC Championship game in the same sentence means the Saints have come a LONG way. I remember when fans put bags over their heads in disgrace. Those days appear to be over, and it's a new day in the Crescent City.

It's incredible how the Saints have energized the city and the entire region. Katrina dealt a devastating blow to the Gulf Coast, and folks have been looking for something to give them hope. A sports team can do that, and a brief period of time each weekend everyone can put their woes on the shelf and cheer for Saints. I'll be one of them.

Thank You Martin Luther

2007-11-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posed his 95 theses on the castle church doors. He indicated many areas of disagreement with the Catholic Church, especially the practice of indulgences. The Church didn't care for Luther's views and booted him and his supporters out in 1520. The Church's action helped launch the Protestant Reformation, and of course, the rest is history.

It would be hard to deal with the practice of buying people out of purgatory, plus the fact there might be some people that might cost more to get out than others. The people were at the mercy of the Church. Indeed, this practice was a significant money maker for the Church and it's understandable why the powers that be would be upset with Luther. His views of sola scriptura and sola gracia could have devastating effects in that the common folk didn't actually need the priests or the Church to forgive their sins.

Baptists emerged out of what has been called "the radical reformation" and it was out of this period that our views of congregational autonomy and believer's baptism by immersion developed. This is a greatly abridged history lesson, but suffice it to say that we Baptists wouldn't be where we are today without Luther taking a stand on the Word of God.

It must have very difficult for Luther to stand up to the Church and refute the doctrines that had been taught to the people for years. I have read that there were times that Luther deal with depression and struggled with what was going on around. That really is an understatement, and the fact that someone actually had the courage to say that the Church was wrong in what it was doing truly is incredible. I admire Luther for his gall as he spoke during the Diet of Worms: "Here I stand (on the Word of God), that is all I can do. God help me."

That statement was good enough for Luther and it's good enough for me. Today I give thanks for him and others who laid the groundwork for the rest of us. This is truly a day for us to give thanks. My prayer is that Baptists will continue to take a stand on principles that have been tried and true through the years. This might cost us fellowship in some denominational circles, but the price is definitely worth it. May there always be individuals who are willing to stand up for our historic Baptist distinctives. Baptists have been free and faithful. May we always be.

Keeping the FUN in Fundamentalism

2007-10-24T14:44:00.000-05:00

The Save Our Convention (SOC) folks are organizing a slate of candidates to run at the next Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). These are persons who believe the MBC has been taken over by ultra-conservative types who are excluding persons from service. I received a letter to that effect today from a church in town whose pastor is running for one of the positions. Never mind the fact our church isn't in the state convention anymore. Good to be remembered I guess. Apparently, the current powers that be are eligible to be elected to a second term but the SOC group feels it is too important not to offer an alternative.

The letter indicated that the SOC candidates believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and that the issue is not alcohol. It's not about the lawsuits against the five Missouri agencies. It has to do with Cooperative Program giving and not prescribing a certain level of giving for a church to allow them to have involvement in the convention. It concerns Roger Moran and that he and others of the Project 1000 crowd have too much control. It's ironic that many SOC sympathizers were part of that 1000 earlier on. There are other issues as well, but for the most part there seems to be disagreement over the "spirit" of the convention at the moment. The letter indicated there might be some who felt like "walking away" from things due to discouragement.

I came across an article in the Word & Way recently that mentioned the same things. It appears that those in control now sought to "save the convention" from the moderates and liberals. For some reason that didn't suffice. Now there is another group who once belonged to the group in power now who feel compelled to save the convention once again (confusing, isn't it?). This isn't about liberalism or being moderate, they can't blame us for those things this time. It is about another classic example of fundamentalism.

There is great humor in this for this outsider, whose church was asked to leave the convention a few years ago along with 17 other congregations. Didn't that fix everything? Now there is dissension in the ranks once again. Big surprise. Fundamentalists have to have an enemy, even it has to be within themselves. I honestly don't see the big difference between the SOC and those who are in control now. They are theologically, politically, and philosophically identical. Perhaps some are angrier about things than others.

Baptists have always been a schismatic people, and disagreements are bound to come up in the local church as well as parachurch groups. Watching this dispute unfold has to be somewhat satisfying to those who once called the MBC their denominational home. The irony and hypocrisy concerning who is qualified to lead a convention makes me laugh. I suppose this latest argument will fuel another period of struggle for the soul of the state convention. Maybe it will increase attendance at the annual meetings.

I don't see anything new in this latest crisis. It does exemplify why many Baptists in the pew get impatient with pastors and lay leaders. There is always something to fight about or "save" and this is the latest episode. Anytime you send out letters to churches with a slate of candidates you've heated up the political climate. Electing the SOC candidates will supposedly turn things around. Around to where I don't know. It's not going to matter much in the grand scheme of things. Evidently a fundamentalist can be too fundamentalist. That has to be an oxymoron.

The SOC might have in mind putting a kinder, gentler face on the state convention. It won't matter. Fundamentalism is still fundamentalism. The narrowness of scope and spirit of exclusion will continue. The struggle for control will never end no matter who is in charge. These fundamentalist types will turn on one another and devour themselves. Pretty soon there won't be any convention worth saving, once everyone gets kicked out. At least I won't have to be involved and can watch this Baptist battle from a comfortable distance.

Trouble in Tulsa

2007-10-17T23:24:00.000-05:00

Richard Roberts, President of Oral Roberts University, has requested and been given a leave of absence amidst allegations of misspending university funds. Three professors are suing ORU for wrongful termination of their jobs, alleging that they were fired because they wanted to reveal the misuse of funds. Roberts' wife, Lindsay, is also under scrutiny for lavish spending of school funds plus spending time with a male student after stated hours for curfew. There are , apparently, photographs of her smoking with this same student in the president's home. She is also accused of spending more than $50,000 in university funds and having $800 a month cell phone bills along with her daughters. This too supposedly with university funds.

It's quite a story. I was reminded of Oral Roberts' locking himself in a tower and declaring that God would kill him if he didn't raise one million dollars. I recall that he eventually got the money from a man who owned a dog racing track. Oh yes, "Something GOOD is going to happen to you!" Oh well, I digress.

I am continually amazed at ministers who get in trouble with excess spending, either them or their spouses seem to take special liberties with money that doesn't belong to them. The ORU story sounds like what politicians do with tax dollars when they fly to the Bahamas for a leadership conference. Here we are waiting to find out what will happen with another minister who has problems with money. I'm not overly interested in the outcome but won't be surprised if there are real problems. The behavior and allegations are suspicious enough to make me wonder if there isn't some truth to them. If nothing else, an investigation should definitely uncover some very poor judgment.

What should prove very interesting is how the university responds to the Roberts family during and after this investigation. If there is validity to the charges, ORU will be faced with what to do with a president who bears the name of the institution. Regardless of whether they are true or not, these allegations create a bad perception of the school and those who support it financially may whether their money is going toward a shopping spree for the president' s wife. There will be an accounting and explanation forthcoming for sure.

This whole incident is a shame. It's a shame for the university, the family, and the community of faith. I also wonder how the students are responding to all this bad press. What bothers me more on a personal level is that there are many ministers who labor in obscurity, minding their own business and keeping their reputations intact the best way they know how. These servants don't get credit for living the right way and setting good examples. It can be a dangerous world for ministers, and there are any number of temptations and land mines out there to avoid. Any time a prominent religious leader comes under scrutiny, it adds to the perception that Christians are a both of hypocrites and that the church is always asking for money. It remains to be seen if the Roberts are cleared of wrongdoing.

I won't hold my breath though. I would be surprised if Roberts keeps his presidency. And the situation with Lindsey is such that this too might not have a happy ending. What I gain from the mess at ORU is that Christians and ministers in particular should do whatever they can to avoid the appearance of evil. It doesn't look like Roberts was particularly concerned about doing this. I would imagine there is a lot of pressure on university officials to handle this quickly and vindicate their president. Those professors who lost their jobs during this time frame will have interesting stories to tell also.

Religious leaders should observe this situation not so much with a judgmental eye but with an appreciation of their position before a watching public. Jesus instructed his followers to pray "deliver us from evil." The position of power and prestige should lend itself to this kind of simple request. No one is exempt from temptation, but staying away from questionable conditions will go a long way toward keeping us out the kind of trouble Roberts is in.

Rob Nash Visits UHBC

2007-10-15T23:45:00.000-05:00

Our church hosted Rob Nash at a reception this evening. He is the Coordinator of CBF Global Missions and is making his way through the state getting acquainted with Fellowship folks. We had good conversation and response from our church. I appreciated being in the loop for such an important tour.

Things have changed among Baptists during the last 25 years (a supreme understatement). Consequently, a paradigm shift is taking place in regard to how we fund and support the missionary enterprise. Part of this necessity relates to how well CBFers support global missions on a financial basis, the other relates to local churches getting involved personally rather than merely commissioning individuals to do the work for them. Vocational missionaries remain the "backbone" on the missions effort but other approaches are being incorporated as well. For example, self-supporting "affiliates" are being commissioned by CBF and being sent to the mission field. This is a new model for me; I have been raised to think that missionaries should be fully supported by the denomination. There is still merit to this approach, in that missionaries don't have to fret about their financial stability. The other aspect is that church members can be lulled into a sense of false security because they are "paying" someone else to witness for them.

Another development in missiology is that there are so many nationalities represented at our doorstep that the world has literally come to us. I was glad to hear some of our members talk about how we can connect to international students across the street. We are making progress in this area already, but have work to do. It is so important to respect persons of different religous backgrounds. One truth that I am trying to communicate (and absorb) is that every member is a missionary. This is an exciting and sobering thought. More members are getting involved in missions personally, and for this I am grateful.

I was glad to hear that no vocational missionaries have been recalled due to financial reasons. It appears that there is enough support to maintain our current missionary force, unlike what I've heard among from other Baptist groups. I do see more CBF and ABC partnerships, recognizing that we can do more together if cooperate rather than compete with one another. Nash hinted as the possibility of partnerships across denominational lines. This would certainly be a new approach for us Baptists, and I look forward to see whether or not this notion takes root.

"Missions is God's idea," I recall a Director of Missions saying years ago. The world is changing and getting smaller, making is both easier and more of a challenge to share the Good News. I hope more congregations catch the vision of what God is doing in the world, beginning with the community around the church building. It's easier to send folks away to do missions than get involved with people who might actually visit the church on Sunday morning. It's also easier to give money and excuse yourself from getting involved on a more personal level. Both actions are needed, and hopefully our church will continue rising to the challenge and calling of missions.

Carter, CNN, and the NBC

2007-10-10T23:24:00.000-05:00

Well, there's no misunderstanding former President Carter's position on the Bush administration. He appeared on Wolf Blitzer's "The Situation Room" today and pretty much blasted Bush, Chaney, and those in leadership for torturing prisoners and setting their own human rights standards. While the criticisms aren't necessarily surprising, especially in a political season, they do make me wonder more about the upcoming gathering of Baptists early in 2008.

The Celebration of the New Baptist Covenant is scheduled for late January and there has already been a lot of publicity about it. The sessions are falling into place and keynote speakers have been secured. Good people are involved and it should be an exciting event. The Celebration has been hailed as a historic occasion for Baptists to come together across racial, political, theological, and social backgrounds. Organizers are estimating 20,000 in attendence. This should be the largest gathering of North American Baptists in quite some time. You'd have to recall some of the Southern Baptist Conventions during the height of the "controversy" to get that kind of number for a meeting (I really don't expect the SBC to be involved, but they are invited to attend).

What concerns me is that the event is being touted as non-political ,yet the most visible proponent of the Baptist get together has been quite visible and vocal in his criticisms of the President. Carter has a right to do this, but it makes me wonder how he will be able to get all these people to Atlanta without turning the event into a promotional tool for getting a Democrat elected as President. I'd have the same concerns if Carter were Republican, or if former President Bush (41) was organizing a gathering of Episcopalians or another denominational group. It truly is remarkable to hear a former president so openly critical of a sitting president. I don't recall hearing this sort of open criticism before.

It is not clear what the outcome of the Celebration of the NBC will be, but the expectations have been raised so high that I wonder if it's impossible to meet them. The focus of the Celebration is Unity, so it makes me question how Carter's rhetoric will impact the participants and news coming out of Atlanta that weekend. As November 2008 approaches, more pressure and publicity toward the presidential election is expected. It will be a challenge not to import some of the political positions of the season into this meeting. Presidents Carter and Clinton will be in attendance, and I will be interested to see what Republican presence turns out to be.

I'm not suggesting that there aren't differing and emotional disagreements out there about the direction of our country. There is a place for dialogue, debate, and the exchange of ideas. One example of this has been provided in a DVD by the Baptist Center for Ethics. It's entitled "Golden Rule Politics" and includes interviews of Baptists who happen to be Democrats. It might be a good discussion tool. Pastors and church leaders should learn how to be prophetic without partison, and this is easier said than done.

My hope is that issues can be discussed without making the Atlanta gathering a partisan affair. This is an obvious concern for those suspicious already of that many Baptists getting together under one roof only months before a presidential election. Time will tell if my concerns are unfounded. I hope that they are. The Celebration should be about our unity as Baptists rather than a platform to push a political agenda. It might be more helpful to this cause if Carter promoted the New Baptist Covenant first and focused on the politics of the season afterwards.

Tennesee Church Supports Pastor

2007-10-08T23:12:00.000-05:00

Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville decided to keep its embattled pastor. Jerry Sutton, former candidate for SBC President, survived an attempt by some members to oust him for alleged misuse of church funds. A law suit against the church added to the bad publicity. Sutton received about 80% affirmative vote from members who participated in the decision (1101-286).

There are a number of conclusions to draw from this situation, and I make no pretenses to have any knowledge of the inner workings or motivation of those disgruntled members who levied these charges against the pastor. What I can say is that this is a classic example of a Baptist church exercising its autonomy in taking care of its own business. I'm sure there are other less prominent examples of churches making decisions about a staff person's future, but the size and location of Two Rivers make it an obvious case study. No judge would intervene in the church's decision to have such a vote, even though the idea itself reminds me of other churches who exercise an "annual call" to their pastor. Pastors in these kinds of churches live year to year having to endure another vote on their call. It's a tough way to live.

Still, 286 people wanted to remove their pastor. That's worth considering. This is a good sized church in most places, and it will interesting to see what happens next with these individuals who came out on the losing end of the vote. I dare say that other Baptist churches have folks who'd like to vote to vacate the pastor's spot too. Sutton's having 80% support after being at the church several years should encourage him. The people who opposed him might have had other incentives besides the money mismanagement issue. Regardless, the church called the vote in order to put this situation to rest. Whether this occurs remains to be seen.

One interesting truth which may not relate directly to the Two Rivers story is that the majority is not always right. There are times that the minority position is the better one but there aren't enough voices and votes to carry the day. This is an unfortunate reality in Baptist churches, and there is always the risk of making a wrong decision. It isn't a perfect approach, but it does involve the people and everyone has input who chooses to participate in the process. No one said being a Baptist was easy or the most efficient way to do business. But if I wanted efficiency I'd be in the Catholic Church and let the bishops and priests run the church. I prefer to take responsibility and participate in the decision making process, even when it gets difficult or depressing.

I commend the church for moving forward with this vote. The notoriety, media coverage, and desire of the pastor to clear his reputation might have contributed to the decision. It might have appeared that this issue wasn't going away by itself, and the church had to take a stand. I suspect also that the leadership determined that they were not going to allow a faction in the church to have their way. If more churches took similar stands for their pastors and staff, our congregations would be much better off. We might lose some people, but the overall result would be healthier and happier congregations.

Calminian Baptists

2007-10-02T23:04:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday after our Bible Study I had an interesting conversation with a student who has been visiting with us over the last several weeks. He is learning about us and asked a question I hadn't heard from someone attending our church. It was in regard to where our church came down on the Calvinism/Arminian divide. This was a good conversation starter and got me to thinking about the larger issues related to this discussion.

I've been wary of Calvinism, at least the five point variety. The biggest attraction that I see in TULIP is that it is a logical system that utilizes a lot of Bible. Calvinists also find security in the fact that everything can be explained in relation to the sovereignty of God, which unfortunately can be taken to the extreme by removing the freedom of choice when it comes to our salvation experience. There is a lot more to this presentation, but my reaction to my friend was that our church was neither Calvinist nor Arminian. There may be a few individuals that have differing viewpoints on this spectrum, but I think I'm on target here. We believe in missions too much to take away the freedom of persons to respond to the gospel. I told my friend that we might be better described as "Calminian" a term I heard in seminary that seems to pull in some elements of both views.

God is sovereign, and is Lord over all creation. Human beings also have free will and can decide to accept or reject the gospel. Yes, we are all sinners in need of a Saviour but are not predestined to salvation in the sense that we have no choice in the matter. The "logical" conclusion is that God predestines some to heaven while others to hell. This "double-edged" predestination is what I find particularly dangerous. I cannot imagine a loving God allowing persons to come into the world only to condemn them to hell. This is a difficult axiom to accept and is inconsistant with a loving God. God's sovereignty must be affirmed along with the freedom of humans to determine their own response to the gospel. This paradox is not logical, but it is biblical.

Nothing is more fundamental than an understanding of what it means to come to faith in Jesus Christ. There is a mystery that cannot be explained away, how God LOVED the WORLD so much that he gave his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Calvinists do not accept the truth that Christ died for ALL persons, but rather he died only for the elect. Dying for the reprobate would be unfair to Christ and he would take on more penalty than he needed to provide salvation for the elect. Here again is another case of being logical but not biblical. Calvinism is very much based on a legal viewpoint of redemption.

There is lot more to the debate, but suffice it to say that Calvinism should be considered a threat to our local Baptist congregations. It is possible to diminish the importance of evangelism with this approach. I suspect this is a growing concern especially for Southern Baptists who will be looking for something to fight about pretty soon. At least in this regard I can agree that church members need to be educated about the perils of this theological system, and regrettably some congregations have found out too late. Some churches have found out the hard way what happens when a closet Calvinist is brought to the pulpit.

Despite our challenges and shortcomings, we ought not allow Calvinism to be one of them. John 3:16 is enough of a response to keep Baptist churches focused on missions and telling people about Jesus.

Have Baptists lost their Minds?

2007-09-17T23:31:00.000-05:00

Years ago there was a commercial that had to do with advancing the cause of higher education among minority students. The caption at the end of the segment read "a mind is a terrible thing to waste." Even now that statement remains with me, and still makes sense when applied to life in the church.

We sang an interesting hymn last Sunday morning entitled, "We Praise You with our Minds, O Lord." It went well with our emphasis for the day, as we hosted Dr. Molly Marshall, President of Central Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to hearing a challenging message on the importance of theological education, I was given several additional remarks from church members about this hymn. There is a consensus at UHBC that God expects us to continue thinking and growing in the faith.

You don't hear much about "praising God with our minds" in some Baptist circles. I remember Dr. Fisher Humphreys giving one definition of theology as "loving the Lord with our minds" which definitely fits with Jesus' instructions to love the Lord your God with all your "heart, mind, soul, and strength." The Apostle Paul instructed believers to have "the mind of Christ." And what a mind that must have been! Jesus never was at a lack for words in responding to challenges from the religious establishment of his day. He was the greatest preacher and teacher who ever lived, and quoted frequently from the Pentateuch. He could match wits with anyone, yet knew how to relate to even the most uneducated with stories that could instruct and entertain at the same time.

It grieves me when I hear preachers downplaying the importance of education. I have found that most of these individuals never put in the mental and emotional effort required to earn their theological stripes. For some reason, these same pastors who warn against folks with earned doctorates also do whatever they can to get a "Dr." in front of their name by going to a degree mill institution. I sat in seminary classrooms and watched in disbelief as men who came to school in cowboy hats openly criticized the positions of professors who had decades of study and reading under their theological belts. The ignorance of these men was exceeded only by their apathy toward learning anything that might challenge some of their presuppositions. Why attend seminary if you already know everything?

It's not easy to be open to learning a new theological trick or two. And it doesn't necessarily mean sending your belief system down the river without a paddle. I do think it means approaching our faith with an open Bible and an open mind, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. This is not always an easy task, and requires prayer, reading, reflection, and dialogue with believers and non-believers alike. This can be a frightening prospect, especially for those persons who think they know it all already. Pride can be a real obstacle to learning, and a little humility never hurt anyone. Discussing a theological position doesn't necessarily mean that you accept it as your own position. It also doesn't mean you have to villify the person who disagrees with you.

Unfortunately, Baptists haven't really been known for loving the Lord with our minds. Some folks might question whether Baptists have any mind at all based on some decisions that have been handed down through the years. One notable piece of evidence relates to Dr. Adrian Rogers who once said that if Southern Baptists believed pickles have souls, then that's what they should be teaching in the seminaries. There are also examples of seminaries treating women like they don't have a mind at all. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, for example, is giving academic credit to women for taking homemaking courses in food preparation and hospitality. This is important as some level, but surely not at a seminary where there is a brief window of opportunity to instruct people about biblical studies, theology, church history, ethics, and pastoral ministry.

It's possible to be a loving, caring, and thinking follower of Christ. We don't need to "check our mind at the door" when we enter the church house for worship. Now, more than ever, Baptists need to be a thinking people. With the diversity of religions out there, we ought to treat the faith questions of searchers very seriously. The church hasn't had an unblemished record through the years, and we haven't always done justice to the teachings of Christ. We all have some learning to do.

Blessed are those Baptist churches where honest theological searching takes place is a loving, safe atmosphere. It is more challenging to lead this kind of congregation, but the effort is well worth it. We must always remember to lift up Jesus Christ rather than a set of propositions about the Bible. Ours is a living, dynamic faith rather than a cold, dead orthodoxy. The church that is always being reformed and changing is one that is still growing. We don't need to codify our beliefs into a set of propositions or insist upon compliance from our members in order to work together for the cause of Christ. Nobody said being a Baptist was easy, especially a "thinking Baptist".

Let's make sure the term isn't an oxymoron.

Convictional, Conventional, and Cooperative Baptists

2007-09-02T16:05:00.000-05:00

Two years ago the Missouri Baptist Convention dismissed 18 of its churches for having affiliations with non-SBC entities. I didn't think too much of it at the time, but now that I am serving as pastor of one of these renegade churches it is reason for pause. The MBC's actions haven't affected the way we do business, only in the sense that we are officially not part of the MBC. Our people continue to give, serve, pray, and work to expand the Kingdom of God just like they did before this action was taken. We can thank the state convention for helping us direct our energies toward ministry partners we can support with our convictions and our dollars.

This is old news of a sort, and I revisit it only to remind me of how good it is to be part of a church that puts its convictions ahead of belonging to a convention. Baptist life is Missouri is an interesting case study, and it is taking a while to sort through the different dynamics. One thing for sure, and that is Baptists are a schismatic people who possess a rugged individualism which makes it difficult for one Baptist to tell another what to do. One basic Baptist conviction relates to the autonomy of the local church, meaning outside influences cannot tell a congregation what to do. It is true that autonomy in convention life exists on the association, state, and national level. With all the diversity out there and the need to work together, I cannot understand why a church's ministry partners is the business of the convention.

I don't have to be a "convention" Baptist, especially if it means sacrificing our local church autonomy distinctive for the sake of conformity. It's possible to be a "convictional" Baptist and not have a denominational home. There are many who fall into the "none of the above" category when it comes to this issue. Recently I started wondering where I might put myself if pressed for a label, and what I've come up with are the ideas of convictional and cooperative.

I'm a convictional Baptist in that I maintain the historic distinctives of local church autonomy, priesthood of the believer, soul competency, and religous liberty. I believe in the authority of God's Word and making missions a central part of all that we do. I'm moving into the missional concept, recognizing that the world is coming to America and the local church is the headquarters for the Lord's work. This is why I am also a cooperative Baptist, not only in the CBF sense but also willing to partner with other groups to spread the gospel.

Baptists should have an ecumenical spirit in dealing with other denominations, recognizing that we don't have a corner on the truth and that we can do a lot more when we don't care who gets the credit for it. Cooperation, not control, should be the operative word when extending our influence through organizations already up and running. Baptists don't have to reinvent a ministry tool if another faith group has something that is already working. It's okay to work together without having to put a denominational label on it. This requires humility and unfortunately this attribute runs in short supply among some Baptists.

So, let's have convictions that are rooted in the Bible and carried out through our distinctives. These have served Baptists well for centuries and are still relevant in the 21st century. Let's also do all we can to be cooperative in our mission and ministry. This might not be acceptable to every person across the state, but it will be for those of us who remain free and faithful Baptists. Being Baptist isn't for the faint of heart, but I maintain that it is still worth the cost.

Church Soap Operas

2007-08-27T22:59:00.000-05:00

I've really enjoyed blogging from time to time and hearing feedback occasionally on issues related to Baptists and the church is general. This medium of communication has really opened Baptists up to a whole new world of dialogue. The potential benefit in engaging in constructive discussion, disagreement, and debate really is unlimited. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened with the SBC "controversy" had this kind of format been available to get information out to one another.

While that is a moot issue, it remains to be seen how churches will be affected by members who choose the internet to air their grievances against staff and pastors. It appears Tennessee has a corner on the market regarding this matter. Three prominent congregations. Bellevue Baptist, Two Rivers Baptist, and Germantown Baptist are going through turmoil and have had church members putting their gripes on the internet. I won't put links for these websites, but these are readily available for anyone to check out the latest episodes.

One website in particular related to Bellevue Baptist Church caught my attention the other day. Apparently there are those within the fellowship who are at odds with the pastor, Dr. Steve Gaines. This man has the unenviable task of following Dr. Adrian Rogers, a titan in Southern Baptist life for sure. I don't know all the details nor do I care to find out. Commenting on the particulars of that situation is not my purpose. While checking out a series of Baptist blogs, I noticed this one and saw what appeared to be a transcript of a conversation between the pastor and deacons. I guess someone recorded the exchange in order to make this possible.

Bellevue is like the White House to many Southern Baptists, so just about anything that comes out of Cordova makes the news. I don't know any of the people involved, but express sadness that any church would have to go through this kind of dissension. Not only that, but there would be those who would have to resort to creating a website to air their dirty laundry. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent, or guilty as the case may be. There must be a different dynamic church polity wise when dealing with a megachurch, but Baptists should be able to find a way within the context of the local church to deal with their problems.

In Acts 4, it appears that the early church was devoted to, among other things, the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship. The fellowship and health of the church is so precious, and can be fragmented in more ways that I can mention. Attacking staff and other members is only one way for this to be accomplished. There are times when church leaders need to be confronted, but it should not be done on the internet for the whole world to see. Maybe some kind of password or code could be installed on the blogs to ensure that persons get this information on a "need to know" basis.

I won't be visiting that site again, and that of course is the simple solution to this problem. However I am curious how others feel about expressing frustrations about their church on a website. It's impossible to please everyone in the church, and at least in a Baptist congregation there is a congregational form of government. This should mean that the majority opinion, while not always the correct one, carries the day. If there is one positive aspect to seeing these disgruntled blogs, it is recognizing the challenges I face aren't nearly as sizable as they could be. I become more grateful to be where I am and remind myself once again that being the biggest church in the neighborhood isn't all it's cracked up to be.

What's Good About the Good Book

2007-08-21T21:24:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday proved particularly satisfying for me, in that I got an opportunity to preach to about 300 college students. They were members of the Missouri State University band, and they are so good that they will be marching in the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day. I preached a message about the importance of hanging on to the Bible, even though other books may come and go. It is the book for life.

Having been raised as a (Southern) Baptist, I know the importance of the Bible. Attending seminary reinforced this notion for the most part and I began to learn more about how the Bible was written over a period of time. There are a variety of theories relating to inspiration and inerrancy. With particular attention to the latter, I came to realize that Baptists could get into bitter arguments over this subject. It is a tiresome discussion.

I've come to realize that there can be a disconnect between talking about the Bible and actually living out the Bible. It's puzzling to me that so many Christians can claim the authority of the Bible without allowing it to have any authority over their own lives. The message and story of the Bible gets lost among a series of propositional statements defending its credibility. There are a lot of well-intentioned folks who claim things for the Good Book that it doesn't claim for itself. This is done in an effort to defend the Bible from those who would question its authority. I suppose there is a place for this, but what I'd really like to see is more Baptists actually living out the Bible (especially the words written in red).

It's a sad day when fellowship among Baptists turns on how they define the Word of God. The key issue in my mind has been interpretation rather than inerrancy or inspiration. It's a great challenge to maintain unity in the church when conformity to a singular viewpoint is a requirement--at least among thinking congregations. The one area that Baptists have been unified on is missions. If Baptists can keep that as our focus, then we might actually make an impact in our world.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy that the Scriptures would make him "wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ" (2 Tim 3:14-16). We worship a risen savior and have an inspired, reliable text to show us the way. The Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher, and I never cease to be amazed at learning something new. The Word of God is truly "unsearchable riches" and serious students of the Bible realize they will never get a handle on it.

And that's a good thing. We're better off when the Bible gets a handle on us. May we strive to preach it, live it, and rejoice in the Good News.

Putting Women in their Place

2007-08-14T00:08:00.000-05:00

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has announced a curriculum targeted at women that will teach them sewing and cooking and begin this Fall. It will be a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and feature a 23-hour concentration in homemaking. The main focus of the instruction will actually be "cooking and sewing" and extending hospitality in the home. While the seminary president Paige Patterson believes he is going against the tide of modernity on this issue, there are also those among Southern Baptists who think this idea is a waste of money and resources. It is interesting to get differences of opinion on this one.

It's hard to imagine that an accredited theological school that offers coursework in theology, greek, hebrew, ethics, and doctoral seminars to boot would have students learning about cooking and cleaning. Of course, I need to mention that only women are allowed to take these classes. I'll say this much, at least the president is consistant is his views on the subordination of women and doesn't mind utilizing the school to emphasize this point. What I find even more difficult to fathom is that one of the world's largest centers of theological education would find it necessary to offer academic credit for who can cook the best meals.

There is a place and value in learning these aspects of homelife, but don't offer academic credit at a seminary for it. I can't believe I'm having to say that, but this really depicts the direction of the SBC in regard to the role and place of women if nothing else does. The seminary and many others sympathetic with this approach claim the courses affirm the biblical roles of men and women. Women are to be at home, hospitable, and "graciously submit" to their husbands according to the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message. This reminds of what another prominet Southern Baptist leader said about young couples in the denomination having more babies to keep up with the Mormons.

In a day when both men and women need education and encouragement to use their gifts and calling, there should be maximum usage of time and resources to teach the Bible and theology to seminary students. Yes, cooking is important but putting in a seminary curriculum is demeaning to the role of women and relegating them to a particular function and task in the marriage relationship. I wonder how other women at the seminary feel about this development, knowing how the seminary really feels about their ministry goals. By the way, I know a few men who can cook, and really enjoy it. I wonder if they could audit some of these courses for extra credit.

Many women are working hard toward their God-given ministries through theological education. I am grateful for seminaries who offer legitimate theological courses to all persons regardless of gender, and let the churches determine who comes to serve on their ministerial staffs. Women who pay the price for their academic accomplishments should be commended, and seeing an Mrs. degree at a seminary is a waste of resources. Not every woman is called to vocational ministry, and there are many who find their ministry in the context of the home. This is wonderful, but there shouldn't be academic credit given toward a seminary degree for it.

I am privileged to serve with several women on our staff and others on the deacon board who take their ministries seriously. They are effective in their work and are building the Kingdom of God every day. Their place is alongside men who are doing the same things to the glory of God. So, when I see something like this occur I rub my eyes and wonder whether I'm seeing this correctly. The redeeming thing in all this at least is that Southwestern, as a flagship SBC seminary, paints a clear picture about how the denomination views women and how they should be devoting their time and energies. This offers a contrast to other Baptist schools who recognize the seriousness of theological education and offer challenging coursework to women and men in order for them to achieve their goals of vocational service.

Sweet Home Alabama

2007-08-05T01:04:00.001-05:00

It has been an extremely hectic but productive two months in Springfield. Each day feels more and more like home, and this quite a development for someone who had never even visited the Show Me State prior to a few months ago. I'm grateful for the change of scenery and the opportunity to be a part of what the Lord is doing is Missouri.

I'm very excited that our church has extended a call to Cory Goode as Associate Pastor. He will be working with our youth and college primarily, and the entire congregation as well with pastoral duties. It will be good to resume our working relationship and bring our families together again. I believe this marks a new day for our church and hopefully the remaining pieces of the ministry puzzle are coming into view.

This is a good time to pull out of town for a while. We've had our vacation week planned and didn't know it would coincide with such a great event today, but so much the better. My family and I are headed down to her folks house to get them reacquainted with grandchildren. It should be a good week, although this time the trip will be somewhat longer coming and going. We'll be getting this trip in before school starts and the fall routine kicks in.

Here's an interesting question that Corrie Ten Boom once asked: "Is prayer your steering wheel or spare tire?" As I slip behind the wheel of our van, this thought will be on my mind. Looking forward to going, and also the returning.

Onward Christian Soldiers

2007-07-26T15:17:00.000-05:00

We finished Vacation Bible School not too long ago a little weary and worn but grateful for the opportunity to work with our children. I'm grateful our family got to Springfield in time to participate in this great week, and Lori and I enjoyed meeting our precious kids up close and personal. The theme "Avalanche Ranch" served as the backdrop for our week, and each day had a central lesson from God's word. I'd have to say my favorite day was Thursday, in that I got to dress up and tell the resurrection story. Children are very perceptive, and some appeared more interested in the paper fire I had going with the red light than the story itself. But, I've been told children learn more than you realize, so I'm counting on that.

I realize it's only been a few months, but already I've come to appreciate the missional spirit that is alive and well in University Heights Baptist Church. Many may not kn0w what that term means, but in reality have a good handle on its application. Part of this awareness stems from a desire to do whatever it takes to make an impression for the Lord, and this was seen very clearly during VBS. It's not easy getting workers for VBS, there are schedules to adjust and quite frankly many folks don't have the patience or disposition required to work with children. So, when you find a team like we had for VBS 2007, you like to recognize them.

It would be impossible to mention what each person did each day, and many wore several hats along the way. These folks were involved in acting out sketches, serving as crew and station leaders, helping with registration, and providing snacks and childcare. I owe these folks a debt of gratitude:

Joby Windmiller
Jennifer Rice
Jerry Clopton
John Bowdidge
Margaret Butler
Garrison Main
Billie Lang
Tania Gray
Lois McCullars
John McCullars
Donna Sherrill
Darla O'Brien
Joe Brown
Nancy Brown
Barbara Granbois
Bobbie Moyer
Marilyn Williams
Pat Wolf
Bill Blase
Ruth Ann Blase
Ted Brown
Norma Jones
Mel Clopton
Phil Jones
Sharon Miller
Betty Miller
Flo Graham
Vickie Curless
Lori Chisholm

I'm grateful to these Christian soldiers for their faithfulness and love for our children. Their unselfishness in giving of themselves and their time is greatly appreciated. There is no greater investment in our time than to inspire and influence children. This is the highest form of Christian work, and makes an eternal difference. I'm grateful for the baptism that has come out of this week, and anticipate more in the days and months ahead.

For a father of three children, I am especially appreciative of godly influences in the church family. It's a humbling thing to be part of what the Lord is doing in the world, and my prayer is that our family of faith would never loose the wonder of seeing a young person coming to faith in Jesus Christ. There is so much ministry yet to do, and we get to (not have to) make an impact for Christ. Blessings to all who helped make VBS 2007 so memorable.

The Influential Church

2007-07-19T02:44:00.000-05:00

Associated Baptist Press reported a story done by The Church Report in which the magazine ranked the top 50 most influential churches in the United States (7/18/07). Not surprisingly, Saddleback Community Church received mention. Rick Warren's congregation in California benefits from a prominent pastor, but it is worth remembering that Warren literally built that church from scratch. Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois also gained attention, and their pastor Bill Hybels has done pretty much the same kind of job building that church as Warren has on the West coast. The Potter's House and Lakewood Church were recognized at the top of this list too. You can see T.J. Jakes and Joel Osteen on television just about anytime.

The primary criterion for the ranking related to the church's "passion and sense of mission mandated in the New Testament." The churches that made the list also tended to be younger churches by comparison to the older, established congregations that find it more difficult to adapt and learn new ways to reach their communities. The "emergent church" movement found expression in this poll as well, as I recall Mars Hill Church with its pastor Rob Bell. Even I found time to read his book Velvet Elvis, which provides a voice for a younger generation in the church.

One thing I found particularly interesting is that most (if not all) of these influential churches are of the mega-size variety, which means they run several thousand in worship each week. Now please understand, I appreciate greatly these large churches and admire the way the reach the masses. They are able to offer a wide variety of programs and opportunities to connect with people in creative and meaningful ways. Typically, churches of this category have pastors who offer seminars and write books on how to "get it done" like they have seen it happen in their own churches. So, there is merit to at least observing these congregations and their methods of outreach and new member assimilation.

Upon reading this article, I began to wonder whether there were any "influential" churches running under 500 in worship, or for those single staff church pastors out there, under 100 in Sunday School (been there, done that). Come to think of it, I don't hear a whole lot of recognition being handed out to those congregations running 100 or less in Sunday School who exist in rural areas with little or no numerical growth. I haven't seen any downtown churches who are struggling with changing neighborhoods on an honorable mention list anywhere either. My point is that there are pastors and leaders of churches in much smaller congregations who are just as passionate about reaching people for Christ and have that sense of mission as described in the New Testament. It concerns me that for the most part, churches of the smaller variety aren't viewed as having the same importance as those with bigger buildings, budgets, and enrollment.

Several years ago I recall reading an article about "the search for the significant church" and it came out of the MS Baptist paper. I was serving as a pastor of a church in MS at the time and remember how much I appreciated that article. For the most part, MS is a state with many smaller churches that run under 100 in worship. The basic thrust of the article dealt with the fact that you can't determine the importance of a church based solely on its size. Each church serves a unique community, with different needs, populations, and demographics. Churches that are preaching the gospel, loving their neighbor, and telling people about Jesus are significant churches. I'm amazed that I still recall that article, written almost 10 years ago.

I've spoken to a number of people who aren't comfortable in a large church, while there are those who enjoy the crowds and being able to slip in and slip out of worship without being asked to do anything. Smaller churches allow its members to relate more frequently with each other and share life together in ways that these mega-churches can't. These congregations, however you define them by size, have their own ministries and mission in expanding the Kingdom of God. Most of these will never find themselves on a list of the top 100 most influential churches in America. But, they will find themselves involved in a much more important function, and that is ministering to people in their community in ways that no other church could.

University Heights didn't break into the top 100 on this latest poll, and that's okay. I don't really aspire to that kind of earthly recognition anyway. We don't want to dismiss the important of church growth, but at the same don't want to be consumed by it in such a way that we'll do almost anything to get a crowd. I don't plan on shaving my head to get 300 in Sunday School, which in my case wouldn't be that big of a sacrifice anyway. I do hope that we are being effective in encouraging the spiritual formation of our people and welcoming new believers and other newcomers into the family of faith. I don't want to dismiss the importance of reaching out or the excitement of welcoming new members into the church. This is significant. The critical point has to be ministering to our immediate community because this is where the Lord has planted us.

It's so amazing to witness how a local congregation functions. Other times it can be difficult, but regardless of what happens the work of the church goes on. Children need to be taught the Bible and encouraged to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Prayers need to be offered for the sick and discouraged. There are songs still to be song and sermons yet to be preached. We worship, fellowship, evangelize, disciple others, and minister in the name of Jesus just like churches with enrollments ten times as big as ours.

This isn't a jealousy thing or an excuse not to do our best to bring folks into church. One thing I constantly remind myself is that God provides the growth. Our task is to remove barriers to spiritual and numerical growth and bloom where we are planted. I aim to see our church family focused on our immediate community while serving as a home for free and faithful Baptists. It's an exciting process, and I suspect there are a lot of other churches with similar situations out there with the same kind of spiritual DNA. May our tribe increase. I would like to think that our church is influential, not necessarily due to our numerical size, but because of members who are serious about letting others see Jesus in them. When this occurs, good things are bound to happen.

For the Bible tells me so

2007-07-11T00:05:00.000-05:00

It's time for red Kool-Aid, snacks, and playing kickball in the parking lot. No, it's not a deacons' meeting. We're in the middle of Vacation Bible School with this year's theme "Avalanche Ranch." This is one of my favorite time of the year, and I always enjoy seeing the churchhouse filled with decorations and church members wearing cowboy costumes and shouting "yeehah!" every time they hear the phrase "God is with us!"

Vacation Bible School keeps me grounded.

I'm very glad we are able to enjoy VBS at University Heights this year, as many churches opt to schedule the event early in the summer to catch workers before they leave town. It's a reasoned approach, but I for one am grateful that my kids are meeting other children their age around the Bible, crafts, and missions. I am thankful, too, that this week comes after the CBF General Assembly and American Baptist Convention Centennial celebration. While enjoying my time in Washington D.C. , I was looking forward to returning to Springfield. After all, the local church really is the headquarters for mission. VBS reminds me of what the church should be about, primarily as it pertains to sharing the gospel with all people and especially children.

VBS is the church's best tool in reaching children for Christ. More children make professions of faith during this time and baptisms occur frequently as a result of a church's commitment to making this week special. I am overwhelmed at the way our church has turned out in support of this effort, and it really is a time when the entire staff pools our time and energies to minister to children. It really is true, that a person stands the tallest when he stoops to help a child.

Children, by and large, don't have a clue about denominational problems, or denominations for that matter. Good for them. They are excellent receivers, though, and Jesus said we need to model the way they do this in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whenever I am discouraged by the current state of affairs in Baptist life, I look to the children. They are not only the future of the church, they ARE the church just like the rest of those who believe in Christ. VBS brings that into focus for me, and the wonder of a child coming to faith in Christ by simple faith never gets too familiar. There is that wonder, awe, and excitement of welcoming someone into the family of God.

So, this week I'm singing and listening to the voices of our children. They are learning about eternal matters, even if they don't realize it. With all the church's problems and shortcomings, it's good to stop and notice when something positive is going on. We're not a perfect church for sure, I can look in the mirror and be reminded of that. But, it's encouraging to find at least one thing that we're doing right. Telling a child about Jesus is the ultimate expression of our ministry and mission.

Those denominational and church problems, while significant in their place, pale in comparison to this moment. It's easy to get overwhelmed in a tidal wave of meetings, budgets, hospital visits, and counseling sessions. The simplicity of our work comes through during VBS, and I am reminded once again that at it's very core our mission is still telling people about Jesus. Whenever feeling overwhelmed with the "burden of ministry," I can look to the children and remember why I ever got into this business in the first place. VBS helps keep me centered on Jesus, and for this I am grateful.

Unpacking the CBF General Assembly

2007-07-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

The CBF General Assembly proved to be another good opportunity to rub shoulders with like minded Baptists. It was good to re-connect with friends from TN and make new ones from MO. The MO-CBF state meeting helped me feel a kinship with the fellowship brethern in the show-me state, especially since I am finding out that our church truly is an outpost of traditional Baptist values. There aren't any other CBF or ABC churches in Springfield or in the surrounding area for that matter, and for that reason our church serves an important role for Baptists in south MO. It's good to be part of a larger Baptist family. Here are a few observations about the meeting:

1. The CBF is changing it's mission focus from sending individuals to "sending churches." This emphasis came across loud and clear in Rob Nash's address. He indicated the inspiration for the shift came from an Iman who converted to Christianity. The man said that rather than sending individual missionaries to help out, he said to "send us your churches." Nash seemed passionate about helping local congregations connect with other churches for missions and ministry across the globe.

I'm not sure how I feel about this idea. I've never heard about an organization sending "churches" to do missions. I've grown up attending commissioning services and hearing sermons about being "called to missions." Despite the emphasis on making all kinds of Christian service equal, in my opinion, there is a special place for those who give up everything to go to remote parts of the world in full-time missionary service. Some of the most moving worship services I've attended through the years have been commissioning services. The CBF had one such service during the Assembly, and it was encouraging to see those who were going out to represent us. Still, I noticed few "full-time" vocational missionaries going out and more "affliliates" who are responsible for raising their own funds. I am grateful for folks like this but wonder what this does to our missionary force.

The new paradigm shift to "sending churches" might be a concession to a movement already underway. More and more churches are sending out their own missionaries and going on their own mission trips. As as result, they reserve the needed funds to accomplish this task. The downside is that fewer missions dollars make it to the CBF office to support missionaries. I can't help lamenting the dwindling number of "full-time" missionaries whom we can afford to support. The CBF Global Missions Offering has yet to be met in recent years, so the shift is understandable from a financial standpoint. On the other hand, I miss that cooperative effort in sponsoring missionaries so that they don't have to raise their own support. Missionaries are going out with the CBF label but without monetary support. This is a disappointing reality.

2. The ABC and CBF are building a partnership to expand their reaches in the missions area. It's difficult to determine whether the combined worship service Friday pm will have any ongoing impact, but I suspect it gave us a taste of what the Celebration of the New Baptist Covenant will be like in Atlanta in January 2008. Several missionaries who were commissioned went out with both CBF and ABC endorsements, so I remain curious about what this means. It makes sense to cooperate where we can and get over this "yours and mine" mentality and promote what can be "ours" on the missions front.

I'm also interested in what the ABC-USA is doing and in what capacity is it similar/dissimilar to the CBF. The ABC is having its own financial difficulties and are restructuring to become more efficient with their resources. The ABC appears to be more racially and ethically diverse in their membership, and is more vocal in addressing social and political matters. Not so much in endorsing political candidates, but rather speaking out in prophetic ways in the areas of mercy and justice. My first impression of the ABC was a good one, but I'm sure this organization has its challenges as well. Their emphasis on local church autonomy and traditional Baptist distinctives are a welcome sight, and I look forward to learning how they conduct their mission and ministry.

3. The door to denominationalism may be closing. The SBC only brought in 8,000 plus messengers this year, and that was "deep in the heart of Texas." I can recall when there were 40,000 in Houston during the height of the SBC battle. The CBF meeting this time brought in less than 3,000, albeit in an area not usually known for its strong CBF population. Atlanta or Birmingham seem to fare better. The ABC gathering pulled in around 2,500 delegates, and I'm not sure what they normally expect.

I can see how it would be easy to loose interest in the annual meetings, especially since folks have become a whole lot busier. Plus the fact that it's more difficult to set aside a few days for a Baptist meeting. One idea might be to look into ways to plug into our technology and provide satellite feeds into different parts of the country. This might involve more people in the process without requiring them to travel so far. Large corporations are doing this, and are much more cost effective as a result. It takes a lot of money to pull off annual meetings, and I can now understand why the ABC meets every two years. If the financial situation of the CBF doesn't improve, the every other year format might come into play.

4. This century may truly be what Rob Nash called "the age of the local church." There was a time when denominational matters really took center stage among churchgoers. Nowadays the emphasis is more on what is happening closer to home, and this isn't a bad thing necessarily. It's tiring to fight about who believes the Bible more. I am excited about members getting interested and involved in giving and going on missions. We need to get out of the mentality that we pay missionaries to do this for us. The local church is the headquarters for the Lord's work, and as such we are ALL missionaries. The world is coming to us, with its racial, social, ethnic, and theological differences. The church needs to deal with these challenges and treat them as opportunities to expand the Kingdom of God.

The missional concept comes into play at this point. I'm still learning about what this means from on a practical level, but it relates to being the body of Christ in our own town first and foremost and helping people grow in their relationship with God. Every member ought to be involved in doing at least one thing to serve in the church. This relates to our giftedness, and I'm looking forward to experiencing how this is carried out at University Heights.

CBF and ABC in Washington D.C.

2007-06-23T15:26:00.000-05:00

We've more or less gotten into our new house and church, but it remains to be seen whether we are "settled" in. It's hard to believe that the Chisholms have been in Springfield a month, and yes I know it has been "only" a month but that is still an accomplishment considering the journey we have been on. Slowly but surely we are getting adjusted to new people, places, streets, and surroundings. It has been a good adventure thus far.

I'm looking forward to another journey of sorts this week as the CBF General Assembly is held in Washington D.C. I'll be flying out of here mid-week and returning sometime Sunday, so hopefully this will be enough time to get a taste of what is going on in Baptist life of a more traditional bent. It will be nice not having to debate and pass resolutions that aren't even binding on local churchs anyway. Here are a few modest expectations I have for the event:

1. I expect to get reaquainted with some of my friends from around the CBF landscape. It's one thing to keep in touch throughout the year, but there is something special about seeing folks in person and hearing what has gone on in their lives the previous year. In particular, I look forward to touching base with Dr. Joe Trull, Editor of Christian Ethics Today. He went through quite a scare with the health recently and I'm glad he's back in the lineup. I might catch up with some TN and MS people along the way too. I'll try to track down Ircel Harrison and Buddy Shurden along the way too. I'm always surprised to find someone I've met before in attendance at the Assembly.

2. I expect to make new friends as well, especially since I am new to Missouri and will be attending their state meeting at some point along the way. It's important to me to know who our state CBF reps are and how I can lead our church to be supportive on their ministries. I'm always looking for ways to network with like-minded Baptists.

3. I expect to hear good speakers and good messages from the Word of God and focused on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. CBF folks are missions-minded, and a high point of the gathering will be hearing from our new Global Missions Coordinator, Rob Nash, about his vision for reaching people for Christ and how the local church can be part of that (UHBC hosts a reception for Rob this October on his tour through MO). The breakout sessions offer enough variety so that almost anyone can find a subject to peak his/her interest. I do regret not being able to attend the pre-assembly meeting sponsored by Christian Ethics Today about being prophetic without being political. That information should be especially helpful, but time wise I can't work it in.

4. I expect a good introduction to the work of the American Baptist Convention. One unique feature of UHBC is that we are dually aligned: ABC/CBF. The former isn't an organization I know much about, primarily because there aren't that many ABC churches (if any) in LA, MS, or TN. I have checked out their website and confessional statements and already feel a kinship with them, especially their high regard for local church autonomy. The big draw for the ABC this year is their Centennial anniversary, and I'll be around that Saturday to enjoy that experience. The CBF and ABC will share a worship experience one evening, and that definitely looks to be a highlight.

5. I expect to hear less about what is happening in the SBC and more about what is going on with the mission and ministry of the CBF. The farther away from 1990 we get, the better off we will be as far as turning our attention forward to new ways of partnership and service. It's getting better each year, I think, as those who are supporting the Fellowship (not "joining") do so out of an appreciation for its emphasis on Baptist distinctives rather than a reaction to fundamentalism. There will always be this dynamic, but I hope the Fellowship can be more than a home for disgruntled Baptists. I have to remind myself that the younger guard of Baptists do not know about "the Controversy" except through their reading. They haven't lived through it, so the infusion of younger Baptists and energy is a good thing.

6. I expect to have a greater appreciation for being a Baptist. The freedoms we enjoy in our way of doing church are truly precious, and rubbing shoulders with other traditional Baptists will be a blessing. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is far more important than being a Baptist, and I will always identify first and foremost with the former before the latter. CBF people (and ABC I expect) have this mindset, and any effort to focus on what we have in common more than what we don't is welcome. Our uniqueness as Baptists can be celebrated without quenching the ecumenical spirit that unites all of us as believers in Jesus Christ.

That's not an exhaustive list, but it is a good start. I hope to find that my expectations will be met in a few days. There are a lot of things taking place in Baptistland these days, and these are not always positive and honor the God we are called to serve. The CBF and ABC are not perfect organizations by far, but I believe they are closer to what Baptists have historically been and stood for through the years. I'll find out whether this viewpoint is validated in a few days.

Changes in Baptist Latitudes

2007-06-17T21:58:00.000-05:00

One of my preacher friends finally caught up with me after our move and mentioned a Jimmy Buffett lyric about a "change in latitude and a change in attitude." That's how I feel about moving to the show me state, even though I am still very much in a learning curve about our church, town, and state. I am excited about what the Lord has in store for our church in the days ahead. Part of the education process has been finding out that Missouri Baptist life is a bit more interesting than what's happening in the Volunteer state. I can see how it would be easy to be consumed by it.

I've been very grateful not to be required to keep up with the events of the Southern Baptist Convention. In fact, I didn't even know the Convention was meeting this month until I stumbled upon it in Marty Duren's blog called "SBC Outpost." Duren has gained quite a readership with his opinions and analysis of the factions now existing in the denomination. It was interesting to find out that after an extended period of time that he is putting down the laptop for good--at least when it comes to SBC news. I appreciated his candor is stating that denominational politics is akin to "trench warfare" and not for the faint of heart. It is easy to allow the topic to dominate one's conversation and thinking. Sorting through his remarks brought back some feelings of frustration when the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message was approved. That moment was an epiphany for me, and I have been able to move beyond SBC politics. I have discovered, however, that there is more than one style of Baptist politics.

Recently I discovered that the Missouri Baptist Convention fired its BSU Directors. It appears the MBC is restructuring its student ministry. This is a shocking development and one that I hope does not compromise our ability to reach the college campus. Regardless, this development has ushered me into a world of Baptist politics that I'd sooner do without. Our church was one of 18 that the MBC booted out last year. Still, it is interesting and sometimes entertaining to watch the implosion of the convention from a safe distance. Both the national and state SBC organizations are caught up in narrowing parameters for participation and partnerships. Even among fundamentalists, there has to be an enemy and I'm amazed that there is still something for Southern Baptists to fight about.

The SBC doesn't have a corner on preacher fights, and Baptists of all stripes have done a pretty good job of starting churches by having existing ones split. Baptists are a schismatic people, and have a rugged individualism that leads to a dogged determination to hang on to one's personal beliefs and not have an outside authority enforce orthodoxy or conformity. Cooperation, not uniformity, is the operative word and one that I hope is demonstrated in Washington D.C. in a few weeks when the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and American Baptist Convention come to town. It has been encouraging to see that each year there seems to be less and less concern for what the SBC has done and more in regard to new ministries and mission efforts of CBFers. When it comes to which side is "right," I am reminded of what my new ministry friend said about it: "They're all wrong!" He maintained that SBC, MBC, and CBF folks all have their problems and it's sad that they can't get along.

I think there is some truth to that statement, and realize there is no perfect organization for carrying out the Lord's work. It is wonderful and sometimes frustrating that denominations exist. I remind myself daily that the headquarters for the Lord's work remains the local church. Still, my hope is that the General Assembly and coinciding Centennial celebration of the American Baptist Convention will lead to new latitudes and new attitudes for support and mutual appreciation. We Baptists must realize that cooperation for the cause of Christ is better than rattling our doctrinal sabers at one another. The age old motto still rings true: "In essentials, Unity. In non-essentials, Liberty. In all things, Charity."

Jim Bakker's Rummage Sale

2007-06-08T23:36:00.000-05:00

One of the challenges of getting settled into a new community is learning the new TV channels. With three children, I opted for the "family package" which provides more channels for viewing. This should provide enough differences in programming to please just about everyone in the house. Unfortunately, having more channels in Springfield does not necessarily equate to a greater variety of choices. Getting an increase in channels means receiving a disproportionate number of religious channels along with several home shopping networks. I'm not pleased about this, and I'm not certain what to do about it. We'll see how critical this is when football season starts and when TV viewing gets more serious. I could always use more sports channels. The last thing this preacher needs is more inspirational networks.

Jim Bakker is back on television. His broadcast out of Branson is called the "The New Jim Bakker Show" and his wife co-hosts along the same line as did Tammy Fae and looks like her to some degree. I watched a little bit of it tonight, and they were celebrating 1000 broadcasts by asking people to contribute money to the ministry. Bakker talked about the construction of a Grace chapel and asked folks who believed in grace to give him a $1000. There were incentives to pull out your credit card, as the camera panned over to items that you'd likely to stumble over at a rummage sale. Several pictures of Jesus were available along with nativity figurines and from my estimation, cheap looking jewelry. As Ray Stevens sang, "Would Jesus wear a Rolex?" Let's not forget about the VIP club you can join if the price is right. This offers special discounts and allows you get these items for free. Sounds like a spiritual Sam's Club.

I'm grateful that Bakker is out of prison and proclaiming a message of grace and love to his viewers. His remarks about getting to know his son have been particularly meaningful. Apparently, his experiences in recent years are forging his message, although tonight he was quoting from the Old Testament to get people to give toward rebuilding his ministry. There may very well be place for a broadcast like this one, but the idea of selling material things in exchange for financial donations turns me off. These items looked really tacky to me. Bakker's message sounded like a remix of the old PTL club pitch from decades ago. No doubt he will have his critics, simply because he is back in television ministry after his fall. I'm not criticial of that part of it, as my only acquaintance with him has been watching him on Larry King Live a time or two.

I'll never be on television or know the thrill of reaching into thousands or millions of homes. I'll also never have to stoop to selling trinkets to church members while asking them for $1000 seed gifts that the Lord will surely honor. Do you think we'll ever hear about a televangelist giving away $1000 away in order for the Lord to bless his own ministry? You can figure that one out. I recall Oral Roberts asking for donations to support his TV ministry and locking himself in a room. He said he wouldn't come out until he had enough money and that "God would strike him dead" if he didn't raise one million dollars. Roberts got the money from the owner of a dog racing track. The Lord works in mysterious ways, indeed.

There is a precarious balance between money and ministry, and one cannot love the former and effectively carry out the latter. As a pastor, I have found that there are times to challenge the people in their giving. But, I've never thought of providing pictures of Jesus should church members give up to a certain amount or offer VIP seating in the sanctuary. There shouldn't be material incentives in order to get folks to seek spiritual blessings. Bakker sounded pretty sincere in his appeals tonight, emphasizing that he totally depends on the financial support of his viewers to remain on the air. However, you would think that the request itself would be enough to persuade his supporters.

Bakker is not the only one out there making appeals and I have been an equal opportunity offender when it comes to certain types of religious programming. TV preachers know how to use spiritual language in order to cash in. I wonder to what extent these television ministers would go to bring in financial support. Bakker and others might be selling something, but I'm not buying. The local church is where the real ministry occurs and I'll send my money toward impacting our own community for Christ. Besides, if I had any additional funds they'd be directed towards getting a better cable package. Five religious channels is almost more that I can stand.

What a Pastor should do for the Church

2007-06-07T01:27:00.000-05:00

I'm following up the previous blog to deal with the other side of the pulpit, so to speak. It has been a while since I've sat in a pew on a regular basis, but I have tried to maintain the mindset of the layperson as much as possible. I've been at this over a decade, hardly a lifetime of experience but hopefully enough to forge out a philosophy of ministry. Here are a few modest thoughts about what I think a pastor should do for the church.

First and foremost the pastor should preach the gospel, nothing more and nothing less. This is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lifetime to learn about who Jesus is and what he has done for us and even then this reality is beyond comprehension. The Apostle Paul called it the "foolishness of preaching" and there are days when I wonder if anything is getting through to the people. It's ironic that the days I don't feel particularly good about a sermon, those are the times people respond to the Invitation for baptism or membership. The Holy Spirit really does draw people to Jesus Christ and I am only the vessel to get the message across.

I've been hearing about pastors, particularly of larger congregations, complaining about the lack of time for sermon preparation and the need to pull manuscripts off the internet. While certainly relating to the time demands, I could not download someone else's sermon and claim it for my own. Plagarism still applies to pastors. Yes, there is vision-casting, visiting, counseling, administration, and public relations to consider and the time can get away from you. While not an avid W.A. Criswell fan, I do appreciate his emphasis on "giving the mornings to God" for sermon preparation. The greatest good for the greatest number of people can occur on Sunday morning.

The pastor should also love the people. Jesus said we are known as his disciples by this characteristic, and the sad reality is that the church doesn't always do a good job at this. Sometimes the pastor doesn't either, but it still up to him to set the tone as much as possible in this area. I wish it were true that this comes easily, and when dealing with most people it does. It becomes more difficult when people hurt you and those you love. Pastors are people too, and must deal with their emotions just like anybody else. Loving people is not only good for them but also good for the pastor too. And it is not optional. It's important not to preach angry, and to check your temper at the door.

Part of loving the church also relates to being honest with them and "speaking the truth in love" as the Apostle Paul told Timothy. Sometimes folks confuse being loved with always being told what they want to hear. Pastors have a responsibility of challenging their people from the pulpit and also being there for them during joys and hardships. Both aspects are important. Members are more likely to listen to a pastor who shows concern for them on days other than Sunday. I may be idealistic, but would like to believe that most church members appreciate a pastor who cares enough about them to challenges to them to deeper walk with Christ. Loving folks who are lovable is not that difficult, it's those other folks you have to work harder on.

Finally I would say that the pastors should lead the people. They are accountable before God for being good stewards of the opportunity to influence people for Christ. Leadership is not dictatorship, and for some reason this has been a problem in moderate churches in particular. Traditional Baptist churches who value the priesthood of believers distinctive sometimes rebel against a pastor who wants to assert himself. Leadership does not diminish the priesthood concept, as our Lord has placed certain individuals in the church for this very purpose. Pastors can become frustrated when they are restrained from using their gifts and abilities to the fullest. I am convinced that not every church wants a pastor to lead them. They may say they want a pastor, but this means someone closer to a chaplain who will take care of sick folks. This is important work but fails to acknowledge the church's role as a headquarters for mission activity in their community.

I'm heard it said that a pastor who is leading his church when no one is following is only out for a walk. There is a mutual accountablity between pastors and their churches, and that is why I believe churches and pastors should listen to each other. It baffles me how many times a pastor will enter a new situation and attempt to make major changes. Sometimes this is needed, but usually it takes time to adapt to new people and earn the respect of the people. Mega-church pastors tend to attempt this shortly after their arrival, sometimes with catastrophic results. On the other hand, some churches resist any kind of leadership from the pastor and don't want to do anything that might "rock the boat." It takes a great deal of discernment to know how much to do and how soon to do, and pastors should take heed to the leadership of the Holy Spirit to set the agenda for their own lives and that of their congregations.

Regardless of what else pastors accomplish, they are responsible for being good role models and being the presence of Christ is their churches and communities. It is an awesome responsibility and privilege to stand before the people week after week, and pastors should take special care of their influence and relationships. It should go without saying that ministers should be above reproach and set a good example for their church families. I mention it because pastors have been known to experience "moral failure" with devastating effects to all those around them. Because of this reality, it's important not to say "that will never happen to me" because pride does go before a fall. We pastors (and ministers as a whole) should pray regularly for the Lord to "keep us from evil."

What a Church should do for its Pastor

2007-06-07T00:34:00.000-05:00

Starting another pastorate here in Springfield has got me thinking about one of my former seminary professors. Dr. Bob Simmons served as Professor of Missions at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and prior to that was a missionary to the Philippines. He and his wife Mary have meant a great deal to me through the years through their kind words, imparted wisdom, and continued interest in my ministry path. I recall his preaching the annual associational sermon one year in which he told church members what they could do to help their pastors. I've remembered his outline and the general theme of his message.

The first thing churches can do for their pastors is listen to them. Baptist churches, in particular, go through something akin to a courtship leading ultimately to "a call" to be the pastor. Once this occurs, the pastor begins the process of learning the people, community, and mechanics of the church as a whole. It's important to remember the wonder of how God brings a pastor to a local church, working through fallible human beings to accomplish his purpose. Most times this process appears to work well, although there are times that the match doesn't gell. Even so, pastors worth their salt will put the time and energy into preparing sermons week after week. This is challenging task to be interesting, fresh, and have something new to say each time. Churches would do well to tune in to their pastors not only when they preach but also as they lead. Pastors are not perfect, certainly, but something special happens in that preaching moment. I am considering the fact that pastors do their own material and not get them from others off the internet and pass it off as their own.

The second thing churches can do is lift them, and by this I mean in prayer. I haven't been at this work as long as others, but can attest to how important it is for members to pray for their pastor. There are constant demands on time and the hours take a toll physically and spiritually. To be sure, it is a great privilege to be a pastor but there is a relationship and responsibility on behalf of the church. Unfortunately, there have been too many examples of pastoral moral failure and infidelity, both personal and financial. These situations wreak a great deal of damage on the body of Christ and some churches never fully recover. Our battle is primarily spiritual in nature, and therefore we must not overlook our greatest weapons of prayer and the memorized Word. Many pastors wear so many ministry hats that they are frazzled with the work load, not to mention trying to maintain a family life. Wise churches will lift up their pastors daily. It's important that God's people pray for the courage and wisdom of their ministers.

The third thing churches can do for their pastors is love them. This should be obvious and in some regard the very idea of asking a church to love its pastor is presumptious. It's clear from the Bible we are to love one another and the other reason is that "love covers over a multitude of sins." In what is called "the honeymoon phase," pastors and churches can only see the good and positive sides. Over time, the warts and blemishes become more noticeable and it becomes obvious that neither is without flaws. This is where it's important to keep loving each other anyway. Pastors make mistakes, often in an effort to lead and do something constructive for their church. Sadly, I have heard of examples where churches mistreat their pastors and other ministers. This is how I heard about the Ministering to Ministers program (MTM) for clergy who have experienced church abuse. No one really wants to talk about forced termination that much, it's not something denominations want to bring into focus. There are a number of pastors (and staff) working in almost intolerable situations because the people are so unkind.

I came across a book review of Dr. John Killinger's book about what they don't teach you in seminary. One of his statements referred to a meanness in some church members that is simply hard to understand. I can believe this, and it makes me wonder how some church folks can look themselves in the mirror knowing the grief they are putting their pastors through. Fortunately, there are many loving and kind persons in the church but these can be overlooked with there is difficulty. With all the pastors out there having troubles, it makes me appreciate what kind of a situation I have now. I've come to the conclusion that the best way to show love for pastors is to love their families and take care of their financial needs. The spouses and children of pastors come under a lot of scrutiny and there is pressure to maintain a normal family life. It's tough not to bring church stuff into the house, but when the church loves its pastor the stress becomes more manageable.

These aren't the only areas the churches should focus on, but they are keys to overcoming many of the pressures that pastors and congregations face. There are many things pastors wish their congregations knew, and vice versa. But, when churches listen, lift, and love their pastors the work becomes a "joy, not a burden." Pastors who serve these kinds of congregations are truly fortunate and should express their appreciation regularly. Dr. Simmons' words have stayed with me, and I wish that every church could have heard that sermon at FBC Meridian, MS several years ago. It could go a long way in strengthening and lengthening the abbreviated tenures of pastors in Baptist churches.

SBC President Condemns NBC

2007-05-30T23:41:00.000-05:00

There has been another salvo fired against the formation of the New Baptist Covenant (NBC). Not so surprisingly, it comes from Dr. Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Page was quoted in a recent Baptist Press article as saying "I will not be a part of any smokescreen leftwing liberal agenda that seeks to deny the greatest need in our world, that being the lost be shown the way to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (5/30/07). I say that this is not unusual but in a sense I had hoped that this SBC president would at least be more open to getting the whole story before condemning a gathering of more than 40 kinds of Baptists scheduled for early 2008.

Initial reports for this NBC meeting anticipate approximately 20,000 Baptists gathering in Atlanta to talk about what we have in common as Baptists and how we can work together across racial, gender, social, and economic barriers for the cause of Christ. This is the preliminary idea I'm getting from their website (newbaptistcovenant.org). With all the things that divide us, it is worth taking a second look at those issues that we all can labor together for to improve our world. That doesn't mean that the gospel is diluted or that the particularity and uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven has to be dismissed. The NBC provides an opportunity to celebrate our historic Baptist distinctives and remember our denominational roots.

I'm not so naive as to think that the NBC isn't above criticism but let's wait until after the meeting to determine whether it's a "smokescreen left-wing agenda." The Atlanta meeting may very well turn out to be an affirmation of Jesus' first sermon as recorded in Luke 4. Then again, the SBC president may very well equate both to be one and the same. There will undoubtedly be Baptists of a broad spectrum of theological and political stripes in Atlanta for the meeting in early 2008. This is a good thing, and if we can ever get past the label and libel technique in dealing with folks who don't agree with us on everything, perhaps something substantive can happen. Like finding out that there are significant areas of agreement out there that stem from the words of Jesus as recorded in Luke 4.

I haven't heard anything (yet) that remotely sounds like a denial of biblical authority or that Jesus Christ is the "way, the truth, and the life." This is why Dr. Page's soundbite is so disappointing to this Baptist. There is more to Baptist life than what happens in June at the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC president's remarks are timely before the annual meeting and will garner some applause, but will it be interesting to see what the younger guard thinks of his criticisms. Several young SBC bloggers with a growing readership met with former President Jimmy Carter at the Carter Center earlier this year to talk about the agenda for the NBC. They will decide for themselves what to think. This is a novel concept.

Jesus' first sermon generated a lot of criticism too, as it infuriated the religious establishment of that day. It shouldn't be too surprising that an emphasis on his words would generate a similar response. Let's avoid the "shoot first and ask questions later" approach to dealing with people. Time will tell whether the NBC has any merit or not.

Pardon the Interruption

2007-05-24T00:45:00.000-05:00

It's been about a month since my last entry, way too long to go with so much going on in my life right now. Suffice it so say that there is a lot involved in bringing one ministry to a close and gearing up for another one. Our family is in the process of getting ready to move this weekend and hoping to touch down in Springfield, MO on Memorial Day to bring our belongings into an empty house we will call home. I am planning to be in the pulpit for my first Sunday as pastor of University Heights Baptist Church on June 3rd.

For the masses (ministerially speaking) who normally look for me at Signal Mountain Musings, welcome to my new location with a new title. It isn't all that original, but should be easy to remember. Once on my feet in Springfield, I hope to once again add to the dialogue taking place in Baptist land. I can tell you that I am really excited and grateful to be in a church with American Baptist and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship leanings. Our Baptist distinctives are extremely important to me, and I believe I can resonate with the traditional Baptists who are part of the family of faith at UHBC. I'm looking forward to making a difference in a new ministry location and getting to know folks of a Missouri persuasion.

As this move has unfolded, I've been reminded of what the late Dr. Charles Harvey, Sr. said to a fellow student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during class one day. This particular student had some difficulty at his church and was concerned about what he should do. I'll never forget Dr. Harvey's response. He said, "People may thwart the will of God, but God takes care of his servants." That remark, uttered over 15 years ago has remained part of my ministry vocabulary all this time. I've seen this truth validated time and again with my friends as well as in my own life. I'm excited about this next chapter of my life, and look forward to discussions about Baptist issues once again in this format very soon.

Reaching New Heights

2007-04-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

We made it through the TN-CBF General Assembly yesterday. Our church responded beautifully to the all the guests from across the state and really rose to the challenge of hosting this event. The planning began back last fall, and it seems a birth has taken place. I enjoyed the day very much and feel like this was a high point for the church. The theme selected back in October, which I recommended to the planning team was "Reaching New Heights" based on Habakkuk 3:19. I had no idea then how appropriate that theme would be 7 months later.

Today I submitted my resignation as pastor of Signal Mountain Baptist Church. My family and I are preparing to move to Springfield, MO where I will become pastor of University Heights Baptist Church (UHBC) on June 1. The church facility is located across the street from Missouri State University. This is a wonderful opportunity for me and my family, and I have a genuine sense of call in making the move. Leaving Signal Mountain is bittersweet, as there are many good memories and friends whom I will be leaving behind. These emotions are offset by the challenge and opportunity of making new friends and taking on new challenges.

I don't know much about Missouri. It is outside the Southeastern Conference and this definitely makes it a mission field of sorts. The denominational landscape appears pretty confusing, as the direction of the state convention has brought about two moderate responses: the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri (CBFMO) and most recently the Baptist General Convention of Missouri (BGCM). Although these two groups are "moderate" organizations, there is a difference between a CBF moderate and a BGCM moderate. These kinds of distinctions will be interesting to sift through upon my arrival. I'm pleased with the denominational affiliations of UHBC, as the church is aligned with the CBF and the American Baptist Convention (ABC). It is an oasis of sorts for retired ministers and folks who appreciate a traditional Baptist church family. It will be exciting to attend the CBF General Assembly in Washington D.C. in June, as the ABC's centennial celebration is being held in the same place. I'm looking forward to making new friends and getting reconnected with old ones.

I've always believed that God's timing is his signature. The Lord has been faithful to me and my family, and I am excited about the next chapter of our lives. I'm looking forward to truly "reaching new heights."

The Other Side of Easter

2007-04-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last entry. We've hit a stretch of busy-ness during the Lenton season culminating in a wonderful Easter service last Sunday morning. The next thing you know, it's been a month. As per every Easter, we had fewer empty pews and even as I get excited about that I also wonder why it can't be that way every week. We worship on Sunday because of the Resurrection, and in a sense every Sunday is Easter. There is no answer to this, and there will be the usual fall off afterwards. Still, the message rings true and it is up to each one of us to respond. The words "He is not here, he is risen!" resonate through the centuries and are as powerful today as they were in the 1st century.

I came across a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) that is a good way to begin the other side of Easter:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

George Matheson, the well-known blind preacher of Scotland, once said,"My dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses but not once for my thorns. I have always looked forward to the place where I will be rewarded for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as a present glory itself" (Streams in the Desert, 147).

Houston, We have Another Problem

2007-03-08T14:46:00.000-06:00

It looks like Jesus is alive and well in Houston, TX. At least that's what I heard in an ABC News special this last week. Correspondent Jim Avila did a story on Jose de Jesus, a man who claims to the second coming of Christ and counts followers in more than 30 countries. Those who believe in him get the number "666" tattooed on their bodies. Ironically, these folks don't consider themselves followers of the Devil but rather Jesus Christ. And they believe that he lives in a suburb outside Houston.

This Jesus is a 60-year old Puerto Rican who has eight felony charges, been married twice, and enjoys smoking and drinking in public. He claims that the same spirit that was in Jesus of Nazereth "integrated with my person in 1973." According to Jose de Jesus, there is no such thing as sin, Satan, hell, or any eternal damnation of any type. There are no rules in de Jesus' church, and evidently this message resonates with many who are looking for something to believe in. He has big followings in Venezuela, Columbia, and Cuba, and is looking to establish a foothold in America. Yes, this "Jesus of Suburbia" is for real and intends to get his message across.

I'm not sure what surprises me more, hearing that people believe this 60-year old is the Christ or that the media covers him. Either way, I find myself reminded that there are people out there who will believe literally anything. De Jesus quotes just enough Scripture to sound good, but apparently doesn't buy into the other, hard sayings of the Bible. Reggie McNeal, author of The Present Future, refutes the notion that knowing Bible verses leads to authentic conversion. He states: "We have believed that if people get enough Bible information, it will automatically transform their lives. Wrong! The devil knows more Bible than most church members in North America and can sign off on our doctrinal statements, but this knowledge has not transformed him."

This ABC story comes at a convenient time, during the Lenton season leading up to Easter. After all, Jesus is an extremely popular figure this time of year, and the media knows this. James Cameron got a lot of publicity by presenting a documentary claiming to have located the bones of Jesus, his mother Mary, Mary Magdelene, and Joseph his earthly father. I got a kick out of Headlines News' caption "Cameron's Claim may Shatter Christianity" which appeared as they were showing clips of the documentary. This isn't a marketing technique, is it?

If there is a positive thing about the De Jesus story and even what Cameron has done it would be that it has jumpstarted a dialogue about who Jesus was and who he claimed to be. We shouldn't be afraid to talk about what we believe, especially as we approach Easter Sunday. Hearing these absurd claims shouldn't shock us all that much, but make us realize the importance of getting our own message out there. Of course, it isn't our message, but one that has been around for more than 2000 years. This isn't the first time counterfeit Christs have come on the scene, and one wonders whether this guy is in the same mold as Jim Jones. His movement has the markings of a cult, regardless of whether his followers drink the poison Kool-Aid or not. What saddens me even more is the number of children who are being taught that De Jesus really is the second coming of Christ.

There have always been and will continue to be alternatives to the biblical witness. There is a danger of making God into our own image and creating a Savior to our own liking. I've been thinking a lot about the nature of discipleship here lately, and the Jesus I believe in was not one to mince words about the cost of following him. He said, "If anyone should come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). You don't hear a lot about a cross of any kind from the Jesus of Suburbia. And this shouldn't surprise us, because the cross causes many people to stumble. Yet, without the cross, there is no death, and if there is no death, there can be no resurrection.

The Bible makes it clear that there will be false prophets, those who claim to be Christ. It's important that we tell our people about that. But, we must also proclaim and live out a faith that requires costly commitment to the One who died for our sins. And we're not going to find him living in Houston.

Baptists and Lent

2007-02-22T21:15:00.000-06:00

Baptist churches aren't known for following the Christian calendar. Perhaps this is due to a fear of being considered too ecumenical or Catholic. At least this is what I'm hearing from our Wednesday night Bible study group. On Ash Wednesday, we started a series on the Lenton season using material provided through The Baptist World Alliance. It's called "Eyeing Easter" and provides several weeks on themes leading up to Resurrection Sunday. This is a first for me and I got the feeling it was for our group as well. In fact, when I asked them about Lent, most had heard of it but none had ever experienced it in a Baptist church.

It seems like it's becoming more acceptable for Baptist churches to observe the Advent Season--the Sundays after Thanksgiving leading up to Christmas. Changing Christmas from a "day" to a "season" heightens the expection of celebrating the birth of Jesus. Having an observance of Lent should do the same thing, and my hope is that Wednesdays will offer a time for dialogue and spiritual renewal. We've added a cross (a large wooden one) that will be positioned on the platform in the sanctuary that will have a purple cloth draped across the horizontal beam. On Maundy Thursday the cloth will be changed to black, in conjuntion to a worship service we're having for the first time on that day. Of course, the cloth will go to white on Easter Sunday. The colors have their symbolism and should add to the meaning of the worship experience.

The Lenton season is a 40 day period leading up to Easter that emerged during the Early Church (4th century). New believers used this time for renewal and preparation prior to their baptism on Easter Sunday. The significance of these weeks expanded to include other members of the church as they were encouraged to reflect upon their humanity, sinfulness, and need for repentance and cleansing. Sometimes Christians "give something up for Lent" to help them focus on the truly important things in life. One criticism I've often heard relates to Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). After doing just about anything and everything behavior wise leading up to this day, revellers file into churches to have ashes placed on their foreheads as a reminder "from ashes you came, and from ashes you shall return." The implication is that many people aren't sincere about repentance and want to get in as much sin as possible before Ash Wednesday. I heard this a lot when I lived in New Orleans, and questioned the sincerity of those folks filing into St. Louis Cathedral after they'd be out the night before on Bourbon Street (I couldn't prove that, but the timing of it seemed suspicious to me).

Regardless, there is great value in expanding the celebration of Easter from only one day to a season. Just because some folks don't seem to "get it" doesn't mean everyone feels that way. Besides, we ought not be judging others anyway. We all have sinned and need forgiveness. Maybe that's what the Lenton season is about. It makes sense to start focusing on the cross now so that by Easter we have gleaned as much spiritual meaning as possible. Baptists would benefit from thoughtful and meaningful reflection on our sinful condition. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking doesn't seem to be a strength for us. We would do well to embrace the ecumenical spirit inherit in the Lenton season. We all are sinners. We all need to be reconciled to God. We all need renewal. By observing Lent, Christians could be more in tune to the power of the Resurrection and more grateful for the forgiveness and mercy Christ provides.

I'm excited about taking the Lenton journey with those in our Bible Study, and look forward to incorporating different aspects of it into our worship services on Sundays. I wonder how many other Baptist churches are acknowledging this season and ideas for its observance. I'd appreciate any feedback visitors to this blog might have (unless, of course, you've given up blogging for Lent).

The Church's Search for Relevance

2007-02-09T12:55:00.000-06:00

I've always been associated with the church. For as long as I can remember, the church has had an important part of my life and now as a father it remains a central component for our spiritual health. Having attended seminary for eight years, I was exposed to Greek and Hebrew, theology, ethics, and Christian education techniques and trends. I graduated (for the last time) in December 1996, so it's only been ten years since my formal training. I say all to this to make the point that at times I feel the disconnection between how I was educated and the world in which I serve as a minister. I've become more and more convinced that the methods that worked well 20 years ago don't communicate effectively, or as effectively as they once did. And I struggle to find an answer for it. Apparently, I'm not alone in this thinking.

Leonard Sweet echoed this sentiment in a lecture given to about 150 students at the George W. Truett Seminary in Waco, TX. He talked about postmodernism--the worldview that questions modern assumptions about certainty and progress. Sweet believes the church in the West "can no longer expect to have that home-court advantage." He added that Christians have to face this reality, and can either "deal with it, get over it, or get help." What this means to me is that simply depending on persons to be attracted by and to our church buildings no longer works in the 21st Century. The church has too long been associated with a building and not so much by the people as the body of Christ. Sometimes our language contributes to this dynamic. I'll talk about "going to church" like most other folks, but need to communicate more often that we ARE the church for more than an hour or two on Sundays.

Some of the changes in our society are troubling, and the truth is that many Christians have adopted the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" as their theme song. They interpret the lyrics to mean they should hunker down under their pews while the rest of the world goes through dramatic cultural and theological shifts. Most Americans believe in God, yet many do not attend church or believe that Jesus is the Son of God. As troubling as this might seem, it is also a wonderful opportunity for churches to become engaged in their community and world. There are more methods and means available for spreading the gospel than any other time in history. We have to determine our attitude. As Sweet said, we can either deal with it or get over it. It doesn't do any good to complain about why so many people aren't attending church these days. There are far too many options available on Sunday mornings, as folks are choosing the country club or IHOPs for their spiritual nourishment. Church isn't even on the radar for many people as they wake up on Sundays.

This is remarkably similar to 1st Century Christianity. Sweet commented, "I think God is defragging and rebooting the church. I think what he is doing is getting us back to the original operating system of Christianity." He maintains that the old model of church is "killing the West" and the out-dated model is "attractional, propositional, and colonial." What this says to me is that the old mindset that thinks people know where the church building is and can come is no longer effective. A cold orthodoxy doesn't appeal to the masses, and I'm not talking about watering down the gospel or tenets of biblical Christianity. The "if you build it, they will come" approach doesn't connect and most of the general public aren't impressed with our beautiful buildings. It also means that the church isn't the center of the community anymore, with rare exceptions being in the rural areas when there hasn't been any change nor will their be in the quality of life.

Sweet's call for a "missional, relational, and incarnational" church resonates with me. As a pastor, I am constantly thinking of our people and those in the community who aren't part of a fellowship of believers. Our mindset should be one of missionaries rather than merely members who are part of a club, as Reggie McNeal would say. We shouldn't think of the mission field as something overseas, out of sight, and only considered when missions offerings are received. Each church is a headquarters for the Lord's mission and work in expanding the Kingdom of God. It's not always about buildings, budgets, and baptisms. It's about how the church is connecting with those in the community and in our families. These are things that can't be measured quantitatively all the time, a difficult reality for pastors and members who base their success on how many people fill the pews.

It's difficult dealing with this postmodern idea when you've been raised in the church your whole life. Sometimes it takes someone on the outside looking in to inform us how we can more effectively communicate the gospel. Many people are interested in spirituality these days, but don't consider the local church as a resource for fostering their growth in that area. This is a shame and an indictment on the local church. It should cause us to reconsider our methods and "churchspeak" in telling people about Jesus. I am attempting to "reboot" my own theological system and assumptions in reaching a younger generation who doesn't have the built-in allegiance to the church. While some discussions focus around kinds of worship, more recent conversations deal with an "ancient-future" dynamic that tries to merge the worship style of early church with the 21st century realities. The Emergent Church might be going in this direction, and I'll be interested to see how that dialogue goes.

An important option in addressing these changes relates to new church starts. Congregations that were birthed during WWI or even WWII have been built by members who understand commitment, sacrifice, and loyalty to the institutional church. Many of these precious folks are still around and end up doing much of the serving, teaching, and giving. You can look back at the records of churches during the 1950s or 60s and see that this was the golden age of attendance and influence. Our senior adults today were the young to middle age group who were faithful to be at the church "every time the door was opened." Churches built on this mentality may have difficulty relating to baby busters and millennials who don't have that same kind of devotion to church. The younger generation has a different worldview and experience, so new churches find it easier to relate without the expectations of an older church. New churches don't have to do something "because we've always done it that way."

I don't have the answers to the postmodern situation, but am considering the possibility that the best approach might be to enter into patient talks about spirituality, faith, and purpose. A new generation of people are eager for dialogue and aren't necessarily looking for specific answers but rather for the process of working through their own spirituality. This is a critical moment for the church to meet them where they are rather than insist that they walk through the building doors before having a conversation with them. Pontius Pilate's question "What is truth?" uttered 2000 years ago is still being repeated in a variety of ways and settings. We know that Jesus is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8) and the Good News still rings true. Let us continue making the effort, dealing with the struggles, and celebrating the joys that come with being a Christian in 2007.

Finally, Baptists Who Get It

2007-01-10T13:10:00.001-06:00

Baptist leaders from all over North America met at the Carter Center and announced plans for a "Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant" at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The event will be held January 30-February 1, 2008. Former presidents Carter and Clinton were among 80 plus attendees who are promoting this significant meeting. Baptists of all pedigrees participated in the groundbreaking meeting yesterday. "This has been been what may turn out to be one of the most historic events, at least in the history of Baptists in this country, and perhaps Christianity," Carter said.

There is hope that the World Congress Center will house 20,000 Baptists for the meeting. The tentative themes for the four plenary sessions are "Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant," "Unity in Bringing Good News to the Poor," "Unity in Respecting Religious Diversity," and "Unity in Welcoming the Stranger and Healing the Broken-Hearted." There will also be breakout sessions dealing with issues of racism, religious liberty, poverty, AIDS, faith in public policy, evangelism, and prophetic preaching. Mercer University President William Underwood anticipates a great meeting, "I believe the convocation in January 2008 will be an important step in mobilizing 20 million Baptists to find a unified voice in addressing these critical issues. There is power in unity."

Upon receiving the news release about the Convocation, I became very excited about the possibilities of bringing traditional Baptists together to focus on issues that are of mutual concern. It encourages me that these voices will be heard loud and clear early in '08. It seems like whenever there is a need for a Baptist to comment on CNN, a Southern Baptist representative is chosen. This suggests to many viewers that the SBC speaks for all Baptists and this simply is not the case. This has been the voice heard most loudly when relating to public policy, social issues, and politics. It's time to offer an alternative and focus on the common ground Baptists have in relating to our world.

Oftentimes the general public thinks of Baptists in terms of "what we're against." Carter says the 2008 Convocation is an attempt to create a new Baptist voice to counter what he says is a negative and judgmental image of Baptists in North America. "The most common opinion about Baptists is we cannot get along. . . I have been grieved by the divisions of my own convention." Of course, he was referring to the SBC. There has been enough documentation and focus on Baptist wars to validate this perception. It is one that needs to be changed. The leaders of 40 Baptist organizations must feel the same way and are doing something about it.

There's an old saying that "where there are three Baptists, there are four opinions." It's no secret that Baptists can be an argumentative bunch and have strong opinions. Our historic belief in dissent and soul competency fuel the our differences when it comes to politics, faith, and government. I don't have any particular expectations of the 2008 meeting except that it will be refreshing to see so many different kinds of Baptists coming together under one roof for the common appeal of unity. It doesn't mean that everyone will believe exactly the same way or be asked to sign a statement of doctrinal accountability. I do hope that the areas of agreement will be highlighted and areas of disagreement noted and respected. It sounds like this is the goal Carter has set for the gathering.

The Carter Center gathering yesterday and resultant Celebration scheduled for 2008 may well be the beginning of a new Baptist voice. This is a time when one is desparately needed. A voice that calls for inclusiveness around the creed "Jesus Christ is Lord" and Baptist distinctives is a welcome one. It is possible to have a high view of Scripture yet disagree on interpretation. Agreement on every theological issue shouldn't be a test of fellowship. Unity doesn't necessarily require uniformity. So, bringing Baptist groups together should yield a healthy dialogue on the issues that matter.

It's noteworthy that no SBC representatives were invited to attend the Atlanta meeting. Keep in mind that this is the largest Baptist body in the world. Apparently, Carter and company didn't think they'd participate (maybe their withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance had something to do with that). Plus, the agenda of next year's meeting appears to deal with a more holistic view of humanity's problems and how Baptists can make a positive difference in the world. Southern Baptists have narrowed their list of social evils to abortion and homosexuality. They are also making sure that the members of their boards, agencies, and committees abstain from alcoholic beverages (I'm waiting to hear something about tobacco or obesity). While the first two issues are worthy of discussion, there are other areas that the Bible speaks more about that deserve attention. To that end, it sounds like this '08 Celebration will deal with broader themes that relate more to Jesus' life and ministry.

I'm cautiously optimistic about the value of bringing different Baptist groups together. Just from the press release, it sounds like a Matthew 25:31-46 kind of emphasis. I don't know what will come of it, but I do hope to be in the building to find out.

The Koran Controversy

2007-01-04T14:10:00.000-06:00

Keith Ellison wants to put his hand on the Koran and be sworn in as a newly elected Congressman from Minnesota. Ellison was born in Detroit and converted to Islam in college and wants to exercise his freedom of religion in beginning his work as a public official. To my knowledge, this kind of request has never been made and really is source of discussion for folks who are fearful of this precedent. Persons elected to public office have used the Bible in taking their oath of office for many years.

A Republican congressman from Virginia has been quite vocal in his concerns. Republican congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia sent a letter to his constituents indicating that Ellison's use of the Koran poses a danger to social and religious fabric of America. He wrote, "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policiess that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped." Apparently, Goode believes that Ellison's swearing in with the Koran and the problem of illegal immigration are related. I don't understand all his arguments for this position, especially since Ellison meets the criteria for qualifying to serve in the position to which he has been elected. I don't think that is illegal. Goode must be reacting to a deeper seeded issue and that is the belief that America is a Christian nation and using the Koran violates that premise.

Interestingly, elected officials don't have to use the Bible at all when they are being sworn in. Article VI of the Constitution indicates that elected officials are bound by oath or affirmation to uphold the constitution, "but no religious test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust in the United States." We have seen the Bible used in these solemn occasions so often that many assume that it is a necessary part of public office. It is not. Only allegiance to the Constitution is warrented.

To be honest, seeing someone being sworn in with the Koran is quite a reality check. It is somewhat unnerving, especially with all the problems and emotions tied up with Muslim extremists and terrorism. Many people have a direct correlation with Islam and planes flying into those twin towers on 9/11. The extremist faction of Islam deserves this kind of scrutiny, and unfortunately those who are carrying out their religion peaceably get stereotyped by the violence seen on TV. So, whenever we hear about someone being a Muslim there is a heightened sense of awareness. Now there is someone who will be in a position of power and leadership who openly embraces a key symbol of Islam during a swearing in ceremony. It will be interesting to see whether Ellison's religious views take more notice that his political ones. Time will tell.

Dr. Walter Shurden, Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Studies at Mercer University expresses an important truth in regard to Ellison's choice. "I believe that we Christians have a hard time understanding that the United States of America is NOT a Christian nation but a constitutional republic that allows religious freedom for all its citizens" (The Baptist Studies Bulletin, December 2006). His view is that Baptists have been on the forefront of the fight for religious liberty in this country and should defend Ellison's right to express his religion any way he chooses.

There is a sense that because Baptists have become bigger and more influential that we have forgotten what it is like to be in the minority. We must continue the fight for religious expression in our country, especially as the issue comes into focus with this swearing in ceremony. The vast majority of politicians have placed their hand on the Bible before taking office, yet this did not prevent some of them from becoming politically, financially, and even morally corrupt while they represented the ones who put them in office. Apparently, it was easier for them to put a hand on the Bible than live out what it says about treating others and offering justice to those in need.

Let Ellison use the Koran. He was duly elected by his constituents. Let this also be a wakeup call to take our beliefs and values as seriously as he is doing now. We are a diverse nation and need to celebrate our differences of opinion, especially as it relates to religious. Remember, it's not about religious toleration. It's about religious liberty.

Six Months Too Late

2006-12-20T20:25:00.000-06:00

There's another clergy sexual abuse scandal developing. No, it doesn't have to do with the Roman Catholic Church this time. We've heard about their trials and tribulations in this matter. They have had to endure a lot of scrutiny from angry church members and the public in general. Stories of priests molesting altar boys have become all to common. But, this isn't the case this time. Baptists have taken some consolation that the Catholics appeared to the ones with this kind of moral failure. Perceptions are deceiving, as the Catholics don't have a corner on this darkside of church life. Clergy sexual abuse is terrible reallity and often a dark secret in the church. Victims do not go public with their experiences until years after it happens. Sadly, the victims are the ones who are overlooked while prayers are being offered for the ministers who commit these terrible acts.

If Bellevue Baptist Church didn't have enough to deal with already, now they have learned that long-time staff member Paul Williams molested a member of his family 17 years ago. The church is learning about this six months later than their pastor, Dr. Steve Gaines. Williams confessed to Gaines back in June and Gaines chose to keep the matter quiet. Williams' assurances that he had received counseling and hadn't had a recurring problem seemed to convince the pastor"I made the decision to honor the confidentiality I had with Paul" says Gaines. Gaines is receiving criticism for not taking additional precautions during the six months he knew about it. His inaction has gained a perception that he protected a pedophile on his staff. This rebuke comes from Christa Adams, advocate of victims of clergy sexual abuse: "Whatever the reasons for why Gaines chose to protect Williams instead of protecting kids, they aren't good enough." "She angrily concluded, "Clergy child molesters persist precisely because ministers like Steve Gaines turn a blind eye" (see Bellevue Investigates at ethicsdaily.com).

It's true this incident happened almost two decades ago. I can appreciate Gaines' desire to not want to escalate a situation when there has been that much time elapsed. There are many variables that come into play, not the least of which concerns how the church would be impacted by revealing a moral failure of a church staff member. The rumors could go rampant, and other staffers could fall suspect. There might be questions about what other kinds of actions have been covered up by the staff. No doubt it is an awful situation for a pastor to be in. This is why the church has deacons and other leaders. They are to help give counsel to the pastor in making difficult decisions.

I'm curious why Williams confessed to Gaines rather than Adrian Rogers. After all, Gaines has only been there a year. Williams had all that time to get this guilt off his chest but chose this time to do so. It may have been that Williams feared Rogers or didn't feel comfortable making this revelation to the larger than life pastor. It really doesn't matter. What matters is that the church placed Williams on administrative leave until an investigation can be completed. This act comes six months too late, and it isn't anyone's fault except the pastor's. For the personnel committee to move in this direction suggests a lack of discretion on Gaines' part. He should have gone to the committee right away for guidance. They had a right to know about a moral failure, no matter when it happened at the church.

There are times that the pastor needs to keep certain information confidential. There's no need to alarm the church on some matters, and church members need to feel secure about talking to the pastor. There are exceptions to confidentiality in counseling, and one of them has to do with the safety and security of children. This situation at BBC isn't about a church member, but a staff person. Yes, this is a local church matter but BBC is no ordinary local church. It has a national influence and is almost like "The White House" in the Southern Baptist Convention. Gaines and BBC have a responsibility to lead the way in showing their seriousness when it comes to protecting the children. Other churches look to them and even look up to them. It's important to keep the ethical bar high for ministerial staff, especially as it concerns protecting children and young people.

There is a lesson to be learned, and that is that pastors should have a small group of spiritual advisors in the church to go to for guidance with matters like this. Gaines doesn't have the tenure to make a unilateral decision concerning a weighty issue like this one without being criticized for it. His predecessor might have earned the trust of the people enough to pull it off. However, I doubt if Rogers would have kept Williams around once he got wind of this kind of moral failure. Yes, this is a local church matter for Bellevue but it has ramifications on the SBC and the church in general. Let's hope they get it right.

One Gift the SBC Doesn't Want

2006-12-12T20:54:00.000-06:00

It has all the makings of another denomational battle. This time it isn't about the inerrancy of Scripture, women in ministry, homosexuality, or any other tried and true Baptist battlegrounds. It's not even about Calvinism, although I see this one coming too. This go around it will be about the issue of speaking in tongues, or at least the matter of "private prayer language."

About 150 pastors from around the country gathered at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX to discuss the subject. Host pastor, Dwight McKissic, heightened debate after a chapel sermon delivered at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. McKissic, a prominent African-American pastor who serves as a trustee for SWBTS, garnered much attention after stating that the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message is silent on the issue of tongues and missionary candidates should not be rejected because they may have a private prayer language.

McKissic insisted that the meeting was not the beginning of another denomination or denomination-like organization. He and Oklahoma pastor Wade Burleson are taking this debate to the SBC and are preparing resolutions to be presented at the next national meeting. They are also asking for a study group to be given the assignment of determining how Southern Baptists feel about the issue of speaking in tongues. Regardless of what the SBC does, McKissic and company are planning for a "Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit" in April 2007. Still, there is a sense that some pastors may be growing impatient with the Convention's attitude toward this issue. Rev. Allan Cross, pastor of Gateway Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL said that if the convention continues to ignore concerns, then his church "won't continue to participate."

This is becoming a big deal. Thank the IMB for mishandling the entire issue by trying to control what current president Jerry Rankin already admitted to practicing. This put the IMB trustee board in the interesting position of condemning a practice that their president believes in. I don't think McKissic's supporters would be making such a fuss over this matter if the IMB had not attempted to prohibit a private prayer language. These 150 pastors and participants can't be accused of "not believing the Bible" or not complying with the BFM. Again, the BFM is silent on the matter. This, of course, does not keep the SBC from pontificating on the subject (even if the Bible is silent on an issue too, for that matter).

What this means is that there will be an increased attendance at the SBC is San Antonio in 2007. Burleson and the bloggers will be in full force with laptops humming leading up to the event. While only an observer from a distance, I can see a few scenarios unfolding deep in the heart of Texas.

First, there could be an amendment to the BFM that prohibits speaking in tongues or any kind of private prayer language remotely connected to the practice. There is already some discussion of this possibility, and would be an immediate and final resolution on McKissic's opinions. The irony of this option is that those who favor tongue-speaking or at least are open to the idea have biblical grounds for their position, whereas other Southern Baptists would go more with traditional grounds in that they don't want to be "charismatic" or be seen as Pentecostal. A consequence of this decision would be putting "bapti-costal" SBC churches on the outside of the BFM. There would be no representation from the churches on the boards, agencies, or committees of the convention and their members would not be considered as missionaries.

Second, the resolution on tongues will be rejected outright with some discussion from the floor of the convention but the vote will be closer than expected. It is difficult to say what those pastors and churches who affirm a strict interpretation of the BFM would do, especially if their influence in the SBC is limited It really is amazing that this scenario would, from a practical standpoint, allow McKissic to argue against the Convention using its own statement of faith.

Third, the convention will table the matter and form a study committee to look at the situation. They could take a year to sort it out. A compromise could be reached which would allow "private" prayer language while rejecting public tongue-speaking. This could be a denominational version of "don't ask, don't tell." A dialogue would be a sensible option and but would require talking to one another and admitting that there is room for interpretation. For this reason it would be rejected by the denominational leadership.

Fourth, there may very well be the beginnings of another Baptist organization in reaction to the SBC's liberal interpretation of the BFM (silent on tongues, remember?). Even though many in Arlington dispute this possibility, they might look at it more seriously depending on how the convention treats them. You've also got those folks at the Joshua Convergence to consider. History has a way of sorting things out. I doubt if moderate Southern Baptists in 1991 knew what they were doing when 3,000 of them met in Atlanta after another defeat at the SBC. It turned out to be the formation of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

I can relate to the nervousness denomational leaders are feeling about this tongue-speaking issue. I'm sure they wish the whole thing would go away before the convention next year. This isn't going to happen, because there are new kids on the denominational block who will be heard. And they are quoting their copies of the 2000 BFM. Add to this SBC 2nd Vice President Wiley Drake's sympathy with the cause and things are going to get interesting. The Convention would like this California small-church pastor to be nice and quiet but he's going to use his 15 minutes of fame for all its worth.

It's the Advent season, and Christmas is only a few weeks away. There will be a lot of gifts to be opened, but one that is only now starting to get wrapped. It's the "gift of tongues, Baptist style" with compliments from McKissic, Burleson, and SBC bloggers. We'll see whether it stays under their theological tree or gets delivered to San Antonio this summer.

A Fast Forward Christmas

2006-12-01T13:01:00.000-06:00

Stanley Grenz, professor of theology and ethics at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, wrote an article a few years ago about Christmas that I've kept in my files. It's entitled, "Drive-Through Christmas" and deals with the dangers of rushing through the holiday season. Grenz dealt with the demise of waiting as an important feature of Christmas: "As members of the fast-food generation, we have become so eager to get to Christmas that we bypass Advent. Whereas our forebears enjoined fasting and reflection, we try to enjoy days filled with more Christmas festivities than we can endure. Christmas has replaced Advent on our calendars" (Christianity Today, 12/6/99, p.74). His remarks are even more relevant in the 21st century.

I've come from a Baptist church tradition where there wasn't much build up to Christmas, except decorating the church and planning a pretty good cantata or musical. I recall choir members getting a little more tired than usual this time of year, a strain than is not all that uncommon among folks who use their vocal chords more than the rest of us. We'd have a month long missions emphasis and sometimes bring in a missionary speaker. More times than not, there would be a meal of some kind because it's common knowledge that Baptists need to eat first before digesting a missions appeal. And yes, there were more parties than I can remember. Fortunately, the practice of getting together continues. But, I don't recall hearing the word "advent" all that much as a child or teenager.

I think there is a reluctance among some Baptists to recognize Advent because they feel it is an Episcopal or Catholic thing, and that wouldn't do in a Baptist church. This is unfortunate, because there is so much spiritual value to emphasizing Advent that is missed otherwise. I agree with Grenz that Christmas for the most part is THE day and almost everything else has little or no use (except for shopping days, of course). I've discovered a broader faith tradition that appreciates the Christian calendar and embraces the time of waiting and preparation prior to Christ's birth. I'm glad to discover that more Baptist churches are becoming more open to Advent events.

One thing that I find particularly meaningful is the "Hanging of the Greens" service. I don't really know if it's supposed to be 'greens' or 'green' but something will be decorated on that first Sunday night of Advent. At our church, we're using the children and youth pretty much exclusively to lead us in worship. They will be singing, playing instruments, reading, and praying and lighting the first candle. The final decorating touches will be made in the service as Chrismons and ornaments will be placed on the trees. We'll enjoy these decorations for the entire month and each time we worship we will draw closer to the blessed day of Christ's coming. Until then, we learn about waiting and focus on preparing spiritually for this annual pilgrimmage.

Another feature about Advent I enjoy is the wonderful singing. Those Christmas carols we sing every year still hold special meaning for me. Those hymns stay with us long after the last breath of the preacher's sermon. I acknowledge this truth, even though I hope to say something of value to my people. This year, in particular, I look forward to hearing our choir sing with our sister congregation at FBC Chattanooga. Christmas brings folks together, and I'm grateful we'll be able to celebrate in the manner.

We also have an Advent booklet with stories and devotionals written by church members. This way all of can be on the same page (literally) in our preparation and reading.

I suppose my favorite Advent event is the Christmas eve service. We will dim the lights and sing a few carols, hear a brief devotional from yours truly, and have Communion. This helps us remember why Jesus came to us in the first place. Each one of us will hold a candle, with that first one lighted by the Christ candle. We'll sing "Silent Night" and leave in peace. When first introduced to this service several years ago, I didn't think folks would show up the night before Christmas. Boy, was I wrong! It is one of the best attended and most meaningful times of the year.

The reason for this preview of our church events is not so much to promote activities but to emphasis the value of slowing down and enjoying the season, which extends beyond the 25th. Grenz said, "The irony of our situation is that in our rush toward Christmas, we end up truncating the celebration. . .We cannot even stretch Christmas to December 26, for Boxing Day entices us take our unwanted, reboxed gifts back to the stores or to buy boxes of the sale goods that draw us out in droves for one of the biggest shopping days of the year." It's true, many of us rush toward Christmas and can't put on the brakes fast enough to stop and enjoy before looking ahead to the next thing.

With three children, I can expect some excitement and difficulty sleeping on the night before Christmas. Santa Claus is coming to town, and they expect me to know him personally. I'll want to enjoy the wonder of the season now and for years to come through pictures of Cally, Lucy, and Matt as they change and grow each year. The best way to do that is to avoid fast-forwarding through the preliminary events and experiences leading up to December 25. I'll do my share of shopping and going to parties, but my real desire is to "treasure up" the richness of the season. Advent helps me do that.

A Different Kind of Blasphemy

2006-11-27T20:57:00.000-06:00

You aren't supposed to put coffee cups on Bibles (or any other drink for that matter). This I heard early on as a child from Sunday School teachers and concerned adults. Christians were supposed to treat their Bibles with respect, even though I came to realize that many didn't actually spend the time to find out about its content. Some folks keep a copy of the Good Book on the dashboard of their car or carry a pocket size New Testament around in their coat pocket. I've even heard a story or two about soldiers who say that that little Gideon testament actually saved their lives, not so much about the eternal kind of salvation but rather stopping a bullet before it penetrated their bodies. Having a Bible around is still a popular notion, as it continues to be a best selling book year after year.

It's never occurred to me to do something damaging to the actual, physical paper that the words are recorded on. Come to think of it, I did do something similar to that in a sermon years ago. I started naming things in the Bible about "loving God with all our heart" and "loving our neighbor" and "not robbing God" as so on (had to get that tithing emphasis in there). Whenever I finished reading one of those verses, I'd say, "Now, we really don't believe that" and then I'd slowly tear the page down the middle so folks could get the idea. I did this several times and you can guess the reactions. The truth is, I didn't really tear the Bible but did this to other copies of paper. The folks in the pew looked relieved after I told them but turned sour afterwards. They didn't think kindly of that little stunt, and I'm glad to say I have found other ways to get my point across. Even so, I wasn't fearful of bodily injury, which would have proven my point after all that talk about loving each other.

Apparently, folks in Pakistan are pretty intense about the Koran. Two Christians have been sentenced to 15 years hard labor for tearing a few pages in the Muslim holy book. They were guilty of burning some pages and convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court. These individuals could have faced a death penalty. Christians account for only 3% of the population, and those in the minority complain that the law is used to harrass them www.baptiststoday.org. It's ironic that the Pope can get criticized for his views on Islam being a violent religion when this sort of thing takes place in the Middle East. These Christians were in danger of losing their lives, so in effect the judge was doing them in a favor by putting them behind bars. So much for freedom of religion.

Some folks might appreciate this sort of high regard for the Koran and wonder why more Christians don't have a similar kind of respect for the Bible. It's a good question. There is a lot of talk about the inerrancy of the Scripture in Baptist circles. This is a tired argument as far as I'm concerned, as the whole deal really boils down to interpretation. You'd be hard pressed not to find a Baptist who doesn't have a high view of the Bible, although this inerrancy thing is a source of debate that I won't get into here. I hear a lot about affirming the Bible as a whole but not so much attention placed on some of the teachings contained between the leather covers. We all have our canon within the canon.

My thinking is that this sort of militant mindset is foreign to the teachings of Jesus Christ. The kind of respect we ought to have for the Bible doesn't necessarily relate to how often we are seen in it's company. It doesn't have anything to do with how much we claim to be "people of the book" all the while holding grudges toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course, these are people who don't believe the Bible as much as we do. It doesn't even depend on your putting a Ten Commandments sign in your front yard (you can't even read those things from the road). These are superficial displays of religion when they don't measure up to the "mind of Christ" that the Apostle Paul talked about.

There are so many ways we "tear our Bibles" that it wouldn't do to start listing them. There are enough people talking about how much they believe the Bible. It's time that we start seeing folks living out that book that is held so highly. I recall the saying "I'd rather see a sermon, than hear one any day." It's tough "turning the other cheek" and "speaking the truth in love." Let's make sure we keep the 'love' part in there. Christians, and Baptists in particular, can be downright meanspirited toward one another. We ought to live not so much by the letter of the law but by the spirit of the law. "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love" (I Cor 13:13). It is a lofty ambition to live by this triad of virtues, but the Advent season may well be the best time to try.

Syndicated Sermons

2006-11-21T21:08:00.000-06:00

I read a front page article in a recent issue of The Wall Street Journal about pastors who were using the sermons of other ministers. Ed Young, Jr.'s photo was sketched out to the side, with information that this pastor sells his sermons for $10 a piece from a website. You can go his website, buy a sermon, and pretty much use any and all of it without fear of plagarizing the content. Apparently, this trend is gaining in popularity, as busy pastors buy sermons so that they don't have to spend their own time in preparation. "He's a better preacher than I am," one pastor commented. The argument is that more time can be spent in administration and vision casting instead of sermon preparation. I recall a cartoon that demonstrated the tension. The first frame showed the pastor visiting with an elderly person but thinking "I really should be studying" and the next frame he is in the study but thinking "I really should be visiting."

Welcome to the pastorate.

A few of my church members read the WSJ article also. One jokingly told me that I didn't have to spend time studying for sermons when I could buy them. Another told me that my own sermons were good enough to sell and that I ought to be in on this new business venture. I much preferred the latter comment to the former, and it got me to thinking about the whole process of preaching.

The Apostle Paul said to "preach the Word" and that pretty much is what I have tried to do for the last ten years or so. I've tried not to preach someone's else's word. Looking back at some sermons from my first pastorate, I wonder what I was thinking at the time. It is a wonder that people sat through those early attempts, and I suspect the same is true of many other pastors as well. The process of preaching, beginning with prayer, preparation, and planning, is a daunting task and one that I take very seriously. And it really isn't any of my business whether other pastors take shortcuts and get their sermons off the internet. I'm not accountable to the Lord for their congregation or how they "feed the sheep."

On the other hand, I am concerned about the state of preaching in Baptist life if this indeed is a growing trend. Somewhere along the way pastors have started thinking that preaching is a secondary concern and their time is better spent doing other things. I don't go along with some of his theological views, but I have to agree with Dr. John McArthur that pastors are "preachers first and foremost, not vision-casters. . ." (LeaderLife, 11/06) Now, there's a place for "casting the vision" and "equipping the saints." But, there is no greater responsibility and privilege than preaching. Those first disciples knew that the church was growing which meant more people and more ministry to do. However, they maintained focus and called upon others to wait upon tables while they focused upon "prayer and the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:4). I recognize the challenge of communicating this importance to the people, and thanks be to God if you have a church that understands and appreciates this mentality.

Stories and illustrations from other sources are fine, and some of them have been passed around so much that it's hard to remember where they originated. It's like they are public domain. I can see paying a certain amount to have access to websites where illustrations are shared. However, there's something missing when pastors use entire sermons from other preachers to present to their own churches. Why not just play a video of that preacher giving his own message? Besides, why does the church need you if they can plug into a satellite feed of someone else? It sure would be less expensive.

There's a special dynamic when the pastor stands before the people to share God's Word. This event starts way before Sunday morning. For me, it starts in planning my preaching several months ahead so that I might "preach the whole word" and not my pet peeves. I go into my study with my books and with the faces of the congregation, knowing that many of them are going through difficulties and that they give me 30 minutes every Sunday to speak God's word into their lives. This is an awesome task, one of which I am not worthy. Frad Craddock's classic preaching text "As One Without Authority" comes to mind.

It isn't only the preaching part that's important, but the time spent digging into the text and allowing the Holy Spirit to bring it to life. Preaching is more than a prepared message, it has to come from a prepared messenger. This happens through the course of a week of ministry all the while brooding over that sermon and allowing time for it to "gel" in your heart and mind. Oftentimes preaching comes out of the overflow of material and learning that I've received in a given week. It's true that there are times when I feel rushed to handle the urgent things rather than the important ones. I'm called upon to do a number of ministry tasks in a given week, but recommit myself daily to let those go if I'm not ready to preach. There's that internal clock that tells me how long to study and when I can put the sermon down.

I've said all this, not because I think I'm a great preacher but because I seek to become one. There are many other preachers out there who are better at it than I am and folks usually know where to find them on TV (some of our folks listen to Charles Stanley or David Jeremiah before hearing me on Sunday morning). Preaching is about sharing life with people, and that can't be done using someone else's sermon given to someone else's congregation. Sermons aren't sit-coms that can be used in syndication. They are birthed out of hard work and holy sweat. Preaching should be done in context, and importing someone's else's sermon isn't authentic, at least not for me.

Pastors who buy their sermons run the risk of being turned into program directors on cruise ships that happen to be called churches. It's lazy and a disservice to God's calling as a pastor to rely upon another preacher's material. There's a mystery about that preaching moment, and when it's really right there is a sense that the church is on holy ground. It wouldn't feel right getting there with a syndicated sermon.

Bible not good enough for Tennessee Baptist Convention

2006-11-16T22:50:00.000-06:00

The Tennessee Baptist Convention (TBC) decided it was time to clamp down on the doctrinal disposition of their committee and board members. Trusting them to live godly lives and be active in their local churches suddenly isn't good enough. At the annual meeting held at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova this week, messengers voted convincingly to add a question about the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message to the questionaire sent out to all prospective committee and board members. The rationale behind this effort was to weed out some Tennessee Baptists who may not be entirely supportive of the SBC. Apparently, this is a concern for folks who believe there should be unequivocal agreement with the direction and position of the SBC.

Jerry Sutton, pastor of Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, favored a motion asking nominees for leadership positions to let it be known how they feel about the faith statement. He doesn't want persons on the Executive Committee making decisions about the Cooperative program if they aren't totally support of those funds being used by the SBC (Ironically, Sutton's church designates funds to the SBC, thus bypassing the state convention). Another pastor questioned the constitutionality of the motion because the TBC hadn't officially taken a position on the 2000 BFM. Parliamentarians ruled that the motion was in order because it meant that only a question about the BFM was being added rather than being required for service. Bill Sherman, messenger from FBC Fairview expressed the minority viewpoint but significant nonetheless: "You're placing the BFM above the Word of God, and I don't think any word of man is better than the Word of God." He offered a substitute motion to put affirmation of the Bible as the sole authority of faith and practice rather than the BFM. It was soundly defeated.

I was wondering when this sort of thing was coming to Tennessee, and am not surprised by it at all. This action will cause some consternation among those currently serving on these boards and committees, especially if they are Baptist enough to share Sherman's sentiment. It will bring about a question of conscience among good Baptists who support the work of the state convention but are at odds with the SBC. Although not officially requiring support of the 2000 BFM, the motion passed at Bellevue will pretty much eliminate those who have problems with this document that has caused a lot of division in only six short years. Many of these denominational servants have given their time, money, and talents to the state convention for a much longer period than that. I hope this is a wake up call.

The time has come that persons who want to included as leaders in the state convention have to endorse the 2000 BFM. Now I know that's not how the motion is written, but this is its intent nonetheless. This is certainly within the rights of the TBC as an automous body on its own. The state convention can set its own guidelines and parameters for participation. I'm expecting that in the not so distant future that the TBC will take a cue from their Missouri Baptist brethren and kick out the churches who aren't exclusively connected to the TBC and SBC. In the meantime, the TBC will keep on taking money from Tennessee Baptist churches but that doesn't mean members from those churches will be considered for committees and boards. Anyway, this is further evidence that the BFM is a creed. Nothing wrong with a creed necessarily, unless you happen to be Baptist. It is a statement of doctrinal accountability (see its preamble), and those who want to keep on serving on boards and committees in the TBC will have to bow down to it.

I'm being a little sarcastic about all this because this sort of thing has been going on for a long time. This time it is happening closer to home. Personally, this action isn't going to affect me because I've never been a candidate for anything going on with the state convention and don't want to be. However, there are people in our church who still support the TBC and its ministries but may have problems with this recent action. I think the vote taken this week will cause some dedicated TBC leaders to take a serious look at where the state convention is going and whether or not their participation is still welcomed. I suspect there are many in the minority who have been holding on to the convention because there is still good work going on and they want to focus on ministry rather than the mess. We'll see how long that lasts.

The Kingdom of God is a lot bigger than any state or national convention. Tennessee Baptists who hold on the Bible but not the current denominational direction need not be afraid. It will be an emotional epiphany for some who thought the narrowing doctrinal parameters would never come to this state. I believe that this action will have a positive impact. It will awaken some slumbering traditional Baptists who felt like they were always welcome at the TBC. They'll have to decide what to do and how much to compromise in order to stay on board. I hope they'll count their losses and move on to see where else God is at work. Other traditional Baptists, such as myself, will be reminded that Baptist principles and distinctives are as important now as they were as George W. Truett's day. It is still good to be Baptist.

The real news out of Bellevue this week is that the Bible isn't good enough, at least for the TBC. The 2000 BFM got more votes than the Bible. After this week, it's not enough to affirm the Word of God as the sole authority for faith and practice. Sherman tried in vain with that idea. It used to be that being known as a "people of the book" was good enough to work and fellowship together. You can't be trusted to serve on a committee or board now unless your doctrinal card has been stamped "2000 BFM approved."

I'm heading into Thanksgiving with another reason to be grateful. I serve a great church where the folks know what being a Baptist is about and we do our best to keep the main thing the main thing. No one can tell us what to do. We take the Bible seriously and choose ways to best carry out the Great Commission in our community and beyond. That little song I learned in Vacation Bible School stills rings true: "The B-I-B-L-E, now that's the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E."

Staying in the Church

2006-11-12T20:04:00.000-06:00

I've been reading Barbara Brown Taylor's book Leaving Church, a memoir of her experiences as a priest in the Episcopal church. She talks about her work in a large Atlanta congregation, travelling to a small north Georgia town and getting her own church, and eventually taking a teaching position at Piedmont college. Along the way she talks about her struggles to experience God while at the same time represent the Divine Presence to her congregation. She is a victim of her own success, as her church grows so does the stress of maintaining her peace of mind. The challenge of balancing church, home, and time with God bring about a change.

This isn't intended to be a book review as such, but rather a way of identifying with her candid appraisal of church life. I really sympathize with her, as her experiences could happen to someone in a Baptist church as well. I can't relate to "putting on the collar" every day but there is a difference in how people treat you once they know you work for the church. Brown speaks for many pastors across denominational lines. In plain talk, she got burned out with her work, dealt with depression, and found herself wondering what God's purpose for it all happened to be. After five plus years as a female pastor in small town church, Piedmont College threw her a life preserver and rescued her from a sea of turbulent ministry waters. Ironically, many of the stresses Brown dealt with came about because of her great success as a preacher and teacher.

I've been thinking about this book a lot, and wondering what pastors do who are dealing with burn out but don't have the options that Brown did. She had a wider audience with her teaching and writing ministry, and landed in pretty good shape. For Brown, it was necessary for her to "lose" the church in order to "find" her faith again. Still, many pastors who don't have her pedigree end up as insurance salesmen or in some other profession outside of professional ministry wondering why they spent so much earning a seminary degree. It has to be a painful adjustment. I guess it depends on whether you choose to get out or whether you are another victim of "forced termination."

It appears to me that Brown suffered from an emotional kind of "battle fatigue" not unlike what many other ministers experience from dealing with local congregations. I can identify with this sentiment and can appreciate why many capable men and women walk away from the ministry. It can be a demanding, frustrating, draining, and disappointing experience when you work with people. Church people, in particular, can be very needy and take a lot out of you. There are many"takers" in the church and these folks find their way to the pastoral staff at some point. Fortunately, there are some "givers" out there as well. At one point in her book, Brown indicated talking with some church members at a party whom she hadn't talked with before. This happened after her resignation from the church. She realized how wonderful these people were but because they weren't the demanding type, she hadn't had any reason to deal with them. I agree with her that pastors should seek out these kinds of folks, because the demanding ones will seek the pastors out on their own.

Yes, vocational ministry can be grueling and some of the meanest people I know claim to be "people of the book." Christians can do evil things all in the name of religion (our record here is well known). Still, there is an appeal to helping hurting people, bearing one another's burdens, and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. It isn't necessary to be ordained to carry out these tasks, but having the position does have its privileges. Whenever going through particularly difficult times, I try to remember why I got into this profession to begin with and focus on my Call. It's the anchor that keeps my ministry ship afloat.

There are many landmines out there for ministers to avoid. Reading the latest news about the Ted Haggard situation gives evidence of that. For the pastors serving anonymously in their small corner of the mission field, the temption to wrestle with is discouragement. These pastors serve faithfully week after week, visiting the sick, agonizing over the church budget, contacting the inactive members, and preaching every Sunday. Some do not see any results from their labor. Many falsely believe that they were better pastors they'd be at bigger churches. It's no wonder that pastors burn out. I remember an older pastor say "I'd rather burn out than rust out." Well, either way "you're out."

I don't have any particular conclusions to draw from Brown's book except to say that I identify with the feelings of frustration and discouragement that come with the pastorate. I also recognize that there are many positives that come with the pastorate. It's an awesome privilege gaining the trust of your people. I'm trying to change my thinking from "Am I there yet?" to "Am I making progress?" Jesus didn't tell us to be successful, only faithful. I'm still learning what that means. For those who leave the ministry, I understand and sympathize. It's better to leave the ministry than lose your sanity. But, I have an even greater appreciation for those who stay in the church and stay with it.

Today I came across a poster with a man in a rowboat on a large body of water. The words read, "Dear God, please be good to me. The sea is so wide, and my boat is so small." Amen to that. I can't help thinking that there are other ministers out there who are caught between their feelings and their faith. Vocational ministry is pilgimmage. One day at a time, with the Lord's help, I hope to one day finish. In the meantime, I don't plan on leaving church. I'll hang in there and give my best to the Lord and his people. I hope my children will know what church is supposed to be about and have good experiences growing up. As their father (and pastor), I hope that's my legacy for them.

Haggard, Homosexuality, and Hypocrisy

2006-11-05T22:35:00.000-06:00

Pastor Ted Haggard of New Life Church in Colorado Springs was dismissed after 21 years of service for sexual misconduct. Apparently, his ouster came as a result of a homosexual who claims that Haggard had maintained a sexual relationship with him for several years. Mike Jones said he "owed it to the gay community" to expose the pastor for hypocrisy. Haggard had been a leading opponent of same-sex marriage in Colorado, and Jones went public about the relationship when he found out Haggard's position.

When the story broke, Haggard maintained that he had never spoken with Jones or had any dealings with him. Jones produced phone messages that indicated otherwise. Then, Haggard admitted to buying drugs from Jones and to contacting him for a "massage" but nothing else. Although the details are sketchy, they were enough for the overseers of New Life Church to fire Haggard. The church heard letters from Haggard and his wife this morning in what must have been a very emotional service. The feelings must have been those of anger, sadness, and betrayal. I commend those in authority for making a courageous decision, and in reality, the only responsible one.

It's interesting to note that Haggard probably wouldn't have been exposed except for his public opposition to same-sex marriage and his credentials as a well-known conservative. There is discussion about what impact his fall will have upon this Tuesday's election. I really couldn't care less about that part of it, but here again is another prominent pastor preaching one thing and living another. This idea of turning morality into a political football is a confusing one, as if one party had a corner on piety. I don't blame Jones one bit for turning Haggard in for hypocrisy.

This whole affair is tragic, but offers several important lessons about life and ministry. First, we are all sinners. Even preachers. The Bible makes this clear in a number of passages. Some sins are more public than others, but we are all in the same boat as far as our condition before a holy God. We need forgiveness and salvation from Jesus Christ. Pastors are no exception, and we tread on dangerous ground if ministers are held up as if they were somehow immune to the temptations of life. No doubt Haggard found himself in a hole so deep that there was no way out. He didn't want to disappoint his family, church, or the Christian community. He is another prominent Christian leader who now finds himself in rather notable company. I still remember Jimmy Swaggert's "I have sinned" speech and images of Jerry Falwell taking over the PTL club after Jim Bakker's moral lapse are brought into focus once again.

Second, this incident gives more ammunition to those who call Christians "hypocrites." Pastors should be held to a higher standard, and for Haggard to stand up week after week proclaiming the gospel while living this way turns my stomach. It's hard for me to preach after an argument with my wife, and here is this guy preaching to thousands and taking a stand against same-sex marriage while maintaining an alleged homosexual relationship with Jones. At least that's his story, but Haggard has had trouble telling the truth about other things and this might be another one. Haggard described himself as a "deceiver and a liar" in a letter he wrote to the church. The church overseers fired him for "sexual misconduct" so you can figure out what that means.

Third, pastors and ministers in general need to be careful. We ought to pray every morning for the Lord to "deliver us from evil." There are so many landmines out there, and not only from the sexual realm. We should never say "that would never happen to me" because pride can lead to a lapse in judgment and moral failure. So, while I have a great deal of disgust about this situation I cannot allow myself to think that I am somehow superior to Haggard. I am a sinner saved by grace, and must pray for strength and wisdom to deal with temptation. Haggard's fall only reinforces this need.

Fourth, I will be thankful for what God has given me. Haggard started New Life Church is his home 21 years ago and it has grown to more than 14,000 members. He was president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a position of prominence among conservatives. Haggard participated in conference calls with the White House and chimed in on public policy. He had an influential pulpit on top of that. Haggard's success and prominence were the envy of the evangelical community, yet no one knew the filth hidden just underneath the ministry surface. You can have the popularity and fame, just give me a loving congregation and a clear conscience. There isn't a price tag for that.

Fifth, some of the greatest leaders in history have had moral flaws. David did great things as King of Israel yet committed adultery and had a man murdered to cover up for it. Moses murdered a man, yet let the Israelites out of slavery. Jacob deceived his father into giving him his blessing rather than Esau. There are many examples of this kind of behavior in Scripture. My point is that Haggard's downfall doesn't take away from what the Lord did through him in building a great church and ministry in Colorado Springs. God uses flawed individuals time and time again. This doesn't excuse Haggard's behavior, but should bring into a larger perspective.

Haggard's behavior impacts all of us in the Christian community. His actions give folks reason to suspect the worst among ministers whenever there is a question of morality. Pastors are not perfect by any means and face challenges every day that could threaten their ministries. Haggard's hypocrisy doesn't endear us to the general public, especially those who are skeptical of the church already.

Although Haggard's story may be newsworthy in an unfortunate way, other pastors are deserving of recogntion for more worthwhile things. Many serve faithfully in anonymity with never a hope for the kind of recognition Haggard received. These are the servants who deserve gratitude from their congregations. Their quiet, unassuming behavior and godly examples are to be appreciated. Oftentimes these men and women serve in out of the way places out of the limelight with little fanfare or appreciation. The lives and influences of these kinds of ministers need to be promoted as the real success stories in the ministry.

Being "Moderate" isn't Enough

2006-11-01T21:15:00.000-06:00

I got the latest issue of Baptists Today and enjoyed it as usual, but took particular interest in the interview with Dr. Bill Self. He is pastor of St. Johns Baptist Church in Alpharetta, GA. It is one of the few large churches associated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). It's not often I hear of a church that size affiliated with the CBF or known as "moderate" in Baptist life. It's nice to know there are some out there.

Self made several observations about Baptist life in general and the status of moderate churches in particular. One thing he mentioned had to do with the importance of preaching and that pastors ought to devote a great deal of their time to this task. His critique of proclamation is right on with my thinking, in that of all the things preachers do, preaching is the most important. Pastors are called upon for a variety of matters, but that time before the people is sacred as far as I'm concerned. I can minister to more people at one time on Sunday morning than I can any other time. So, I spend as much time as possible getting ready (Acts 6:4 is an important verse for me). It is cardinal sin in my book for preachers to be boring and/or unprepared when they stand up to preach the Word of God. It was encouraging to hear a pastor of a prominent CBF church feel the same way.

Another thing Self said had to do with moderate churches and the need for emphasizing evangelism. He recalled going to a meeting in Florida and more or less cited this weakness. The reception was less than enthusiasic, which surprised him because he thought he was "coming home" to be with Baptists of his stripe. I commend Self for his views and believe his voice needs to be heard.

Being part of a CBF church is very liberating, especially for one who has served in the continually narrowing confines of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). I've moved beyond the 2000 BF&M discussions and am grateful not to be supporting institutions that have changed to the point of non-recognition. It is refreshing to be among church members who cherish our Baptist distinctives and affirm the call of God upon both men and women. I appreciate our missional mindset and "being the presence of Christ" both locally and globally. I've embraced new terminology and new paradigms of ministry, namely that we don't have to own institutions in order to partner with them. We must continually inform and educate our people about missions in a "world without borders." This is new wine and must be placed in new wineskins. I'm grateful to be part of it.

However, at some point moderate congregations must refocus on their responsibility of telling people about Jesus Christ and about a personal relationship with him. Jesus came to "seek and save those who are lost" and that mandate still applies today. I am not saying CBF churches don't do this but rather that it seems we've made the Baptist distinctives emphasis an end rather than a means. We've gotten pretty good at saying "what we're not" but we must also ring out the message that people need Jesus and eternal life is theirs for the receiving through faith in Christ. I am tired of hearing that moderate churches aren't evangelistic and have weak pulpits. This seems to be the criticism from Southern Baptists who are good at counting buildings, budgets, and baptisms. If 80% of Southern Baptist churches are declining or plateaued, why don't they get critized for it? It's hypocrisy to call CBF churches unevangelistic with this sort of track record. I'm as concerned about the declining number of baptisms as I am about re-baptizing folks who get excited during revival every year. I mean, how many times can you get saved?

I accept the fact that the term "moderate" applies to me and our church for our views and theological positions. It's unfortunate we still deal with these terms, but so be it. This is part of our Baptist landscape. But, I don't want to be "moderate" when it comes to evangelism and finding ways to reach folks for Jesus Christ. Each church exists in its own mission field, and some areas are growing more than others. Yet, we can all do our part in sharing our faith through words and actions. Let us always "be ready to give a reason for the hope we have."

One key development for me personally has been this missional concept. We no longer merely commission missionaries to go to the mission field. In this post-Christian culture, churches are now ON the mission field which means that all Christians are missionaries right where they live and breathe. This is a truth that I'm trying to reinforce with our church and I think is sinking in. We are openly identifiable as CBF and all that it means. But, our folks are not talking about that as much as how we can reach our community for Christ and help people with real needs. This is an exciting conversation and one that I hope other churches are having. I've learned that it's not enough to be "moderate" or "not a fundamentalist." It's also necessary to have some real substance to offer folks who couldn't care less about SBC, CBF, or any other denominational labels.

Associational Angst in Mobile

2006-10-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

The Mobile Baptist Association voted to withdraw fellowship from Hillcrest Baptist Church because the congregation hired a female associate pastor. The association has the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message as its doctrinal standard, and the BFM indicates that the office of pastor is limited to men. Messengers of their annual meeting interpreted this document to mean that any woman serving in an ordained compacity would bring her church expulsion.

It's true that the association had the authority to make this decision. I've mentioned before that automony not only applies to churches but other circles of fellowship in the denominational hierarchy. We have seen the Missouri Baptist Convention take on a similar position with 24 churches in their state who are affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. These churches have been warned that their membership with the convention is in jeapordy. Their status will be determined at the annual meeting next month.

In the Mobile situation, however, the association not only used the BFM as their doctrinal standard but went beyond its intended usage. It's one thing to expel a church for calling a woman as pastor, but this is not the case here. Hillcrest called a woman to serve as an Associate Pastor. No doubt her ordination played a factor in this decision, but I think the association's usage of the BFM in this manner is pretty lame. Other associations around the nation have churches with women who are serving on ministerial staff and seem to have an amiable relationship with them. Again, I know that autonomy carries with it the privilege to determine your own members but kicking out Hillcrest for this reason doesn't make sense. She wasn't the senior pastor, and I don't think the BFM was intended for this kind of situation. Apparently, there were messengers in the Mobile associational meeting who recognized this discrepency but were outvoted 204-44.

Hillcrest's pastor, Dudley Wilson, has right perspective on the issue. "Frankly, we don't have a quarrel with them," he said. Wilson went on to say that his church didn't recognize the association's right to tell them what to do. He also acknowledged that the association had the same kind of autonomy in determining its own member churches (10/24/06 Associated Baptist Press). Hillcrest's calling Ellen Guice Sims to the ministerial staff had more to do with her gifts and abilities than trying to upset the area churches by calling a female staff member. Evidently, the association did not see it that way and the vote reflected that sentiment. On the plus side, their annual meeting was carried out in a Christlike spirit with all sides given the right to speak. Hillcrest did not contest the decision, and will be better off without sending their money to an association who doesn't want them.

We're going to see more and more of this sort of exclusion occur as churches determine their mission and ministry is more important that allegiance to a local fellowship of churches. I'm also convinced that the days of churches affiliating with others simply because they are geographically close is numbered. More local congregations are choosing to partner with churches and parachurch organizations who are theologically and philosophically in concert with them. Time and distance are not the barriers that they once were, and it is more important for churches to work with organizations whose values are similar to their own. So, I doubt if Hillcrest will lose any sleep over this recent decision. Actually, the association did them a favor by kicking them out. The church can devote their time and talents to other ministry partners knowing they weren't the ones who broke off fellowship.

It does make me wonder, though, about the importance of associations who are choosing to define doctrinal parameters more narrowly than the Bible does. In this case, it is interpreted more narrowly than the BFM! I didn't think this was possible. I can't see how having a woman on staff endangers the ministry of the association. Besides, fewer than 250 people actually showed up at the annual meeting to vote on the matter anyway. With all the churches in the Mobile area, you would think that there would be more folks interested enough to show up. What you have here is just over 200 individuals determining the will for an entire association of churches. Yes, decisions are made by the people who show up. Still, associations ought to focus on maintaining fellowship, promoting missions, and educating local churches to reach people for Jesus Christ. I can't see how doctrinal uniformity around the 2000 BFM has any practical application for churches. Most of the area church members didn't bother showing up at Dauphin Way for the annual meeting anyway.

Local churches are doing their own things in the 21st century, and a new paradigm for ministry is emerging. Booting this church out isn't the insult that it might have been a few years ago. It's really a pat on the back for a congregation whose loyalty to the Word of God is greater than an association's interpretation of it.

How Private is a "Private Prayer Language"?

2006-10-19T20:29:00.000-05:00

The trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) voted convincingly to go on record as opposing all kinds of charismatic practices, including the much publicized "private prayer language." They will not knowingly hire someone who practices such behavior. The lone dissenting vote on the board came from Dwight McKissic, who preached a sermon in the SWBTS chapel recently acknowledging biblical support for speaking in tongues. He himself admitted to practicing such a prayer language, but acknowledged not everyone has the gift, need, or desire to do the same. Apparently, SBC churches who allow or affirm this spiritual gift were finding that their members were being overlooked or rejected as missionary candidates. His sermon created a firestorm within the SBC, and no doubt this vote is a response to it.

In a related matter, the International Mission Board (IMB) came down with a similar ruling some time ago, which is somewhat ironic in that their president, Dr. Jerry Rankin, admitted to some kind of private prayer language years ago while interviewing for the presidency. The trustees' decision appeared to be an attempt to embarrass Rankin, as the board is now on record as opposing a discipline that their president practices.

All this debate wouldn't ordinarily be that interesting except that there are those in the SBC who side with McKissic rather than Dr. Paige Patterson and SWBTS trustees. The heart of the matter seems to be to what extent does the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message establish doctrinal parameters for those serving on boards, agencies, committees, faculty of seminaries, and missionaries on the field. The 2000 BFM makes no mention of speaking in tongues and offers no specific prohibition concerning the matter. Thus lies the problem. Those who oppose the charismatic practice have wielded the BFM as a club in the past to exile those who weren't in agreement with it. Now, however, these folks can't use the document to prohibit private prayer language sympathizers. There is no 2000 BFM basis to exclude persons from serving as missionaries and as other leaders in the convention for this reason. Here is where private prayer language sympathizers hang their doctrinal hat. Since the BFM is THE standard of "doctrinal accountability" for the SBC, it cannot be used to prohibit those areas in which it is silent. As such, the prayer language issue should not be a test of fellowship or participation.

What is amazing to me is that the SWBTS trustees have gone on record in opposition not only to a prayer language but a PRIVATE prayer language. The last time I could recall, something done in private was not intended for anyone else to see or know about. The only way you could know about such a matter would be to ask someone directly in an interview or overhear this person admit it in casual conversation. It's not enough that these folks guard against public behavior that they deem unacceptable, they are setting themself up to keep the private lives of SBC folks in check.

At the last convention, messengers passed a resolution against drinking alcoholic beverages even though the Bible doesn't specifically state "thou shalt not drink." Several passages say otherwise, as Paul mentioned "taking a little wine for the stomach" and even Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding for his first miracle. This tendecy to "go beyond" what the Bible says about faith and practice is precisely what the Pharisees did Jesus day. Apparently, SBC folks are afraid of turning their constituency loose to their own good judgment and have to create rules to keep them in check (no resolutions on obesity, however).

I don't speak in tongues, and probably would be uncomfortable in a church where this practice was accepted. What is now viewed as "speaking in tongues" appears more like chaos to me. The Apostle Paul laid out some specific guidelines in Corinthians that are violated pretty routinely in many charismatic churches. As a Baptist, I can understand wanting some kind of clarification on this public demonstation. But, "private" prayer language? Is this really anybody's business except the individual's and the Lord's? It isn't like the person is going out in public and bringing shame on a local congregation. There would seem to be many other more sinister things done in private that could be problematic. I mean, what's wrong with prayer?

There are several observations I'd like to make about this discussion on private prayer language. First, the focus of SBC will shift (once again) to clarifying its doctrinal position. The BFM will either be revised to speak to the charismatic practice issue or rigidly enforced as it is without excluding private prayer language sympathizers. I believe a serious attempt will be made to do the former and then rigidly enforced.

Second, it's ironic that what was once used to establish doctrinal peace and harmony has become a focal point for division. Either the 2000 BFM is the standard, or it isn't. If it is, then those with charismatic leanings cannot be excluded from being missionaries or participating in other leadership areas. Otherwise, the convention will have to violate its own doctrinal stance to prohibit prayer language sympathizers. The BFM is inadequate to handle this new theological development. Proponents of the 2000 BFM are finding it used against them in a way they couldn't have imagined. The "letter of the law" cuts both ways.

Third, there will be another "controversy" within the SBC. This "tongues" issue is going to be the next battleground within the SBC. A number of African-American congregations with SBC ties will be interested in this one. There are also a number of younger SBC ministers whose opinions are getting out there via blogs who don't care for this persistant redefining of what it means to be Southern Baptist. Their influence got Dr. Frank Page elected. Even so, the old guard will not relinquish power easily and things are going to get messy. These guys know how to play the game and will do what it takes to win. It's too early to tell the outcome, but we'll be able to keep score a lot more easily with the internet.

Fourth, it's wonderful not to be personally or emotionally connected to this dispute. I am fascinated, however, at the contours of thinking that are emerging in the SBC. It didn't occur to me that a younger generation of leaders could come in and potentially upset the status quo, but it is happening. The influx of younger leaders isn't going to change the doctrinal landscape, but there might be a "kinder, gentler" attitude towards those with differing opinions.

Finally, the Bible is the ultimate (and only) standard for faith and practice. Yes, confessions have their place but when they become "statements of doctrinal accountability" their usefulness wanes. There have been Pharisees in every century who have spoken where the Bible is silent or placed theological burdens on people that weren't substantiated by the Word of God. There are those who aren't comfortable with paradox and must have every theological mooring tied down. The private prayer language issue in the SBC demonstrates that this is not always possible. Let's stick with the Bible, celebrate our freedom as Baptists, and the privilege of living in a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.

Defining Moments in a Baptist Life

2006-10-10T22:45:00.000-05:00

Dr. Russell Dilday got the nod as an interim pastor at FBC Richmond and will serve in 2007. The congregation has wisely selected someone who will give great preaching and caring leadership during the search process. He will evidently be one of several who will have this privilege. I wish him all the best, and the same goes for the church. These large moderate churches deserve our support and prayers, as the selection of a pastor is a critical matter. There are too many "closet fundamentalists" who would deceive the pastor search committee of a moderate church in order to "change them." I don't think this will happen here, as this church no doubt has the discernment to make good choices.

Upon hearing of Dr. Dilday's selection, I began to think about seminary days and some of the events that took place in the SBC years ago. I'm fortunate not to be caught up in convention politics, although it is entertaining to find out what Southern Baptists are fighting each other about now. I recall hearing about Dilday's difficulties with trustees at Southwestern as he attempted to fight off a growing fundamentalist tidal wave. One particular memory stands out for me at seminary. My major professor, Dr. Paul Robertson, gave a chapel sermon in which he mentioned the lock on Dilday's office door had been changed to keep him from returning to work. This was done at the same time Dilday was in a trustee meeting fighting for his professional life. I couldn't believe that people would treat someone like that. I couldn't believe it could happen among Baptists, especially to a seminary president with a good reputation. It was a sad day, and a defining moment.

Growing up in a typical Southern Baptist church I didn't know a thing about Baptist politics--even if such an animal existed. After finishing college and being involved in the Baptist Student Union, the Lord led me to NOBTS. Even then I didn't know what I was doing, only that it was where I needed to be. I got a great education, and came through at a good time. Things are different now, of course, and this saddens me a little. I do have some fond memories of the school, and laugh about some of the students I got to know. Times were hard, and money was hard to come by. Stress seemed much more abundant. It really was "the best of times, and the worst of times." As I progressed into the Ph.D. program, I did get to do some contract teaching in the theology field. These opportunities continued after I graduated. The extra income helped, and working with students was enjoyable (for the most part).

Another significant event happened in the summer of 2000 when I received a letter requesting my signature on the revised Baptist Faith & Message (BFM). This surprised me, even though I knew the convention was considering the matter. I naively thought that a year's study on the matter would be in order, but no. I had been preparing to teach a Church History course at an extension center, but upon receiving the news realized my teaching days were over at NOBTS. I couldn't sign the document to teach "in accordance with and not contrary to" the 2000 BFM. This was somewhat disappointing, even though I only taught every now and then. The professors on campus were the ones I thought about. Many are gone now, but I remember them.

In hindsight, I now realize that the decision not to sign proved to be a defining moment for me. No sirens went off, and I doubt very seriously that anyone missed me. The irony, however, was that the school replaced me with a fellow seminary friend who happened to be of the female persuasion. Anyway, from that moment on, I knew I was "on the outside looking in." Circumstances had changed, doctrinal parameters had tightened, and the SBC missionaries who were supposed to have been exempt from the convention mess were required to sign the new belief statement. Some of these had been serving faithfully for decades, now their theology was in question. These were strange times, and I won't elaborate on them. Water under the bridge.

The 2000 BFM issue moved me "off the fence" and toward the CBF. I have found a home with thousands of other Baptists and it feels like family. The Lord has since placed me in a church that values Baptist distinctives, holistic missions, and doesn't exclude persons from service based on their gender (by the way, Jesus Christ really is the criterion for interpreting Scripture). I'm very fortunate, but six years ago could not have imagined how an event in the SBC could have such a personal and lasting impact. What at the time seemed difficult and painful turned out to be a blessing. I have become more confident in who I am, where I am, and what I believe. There are many others who could say the same thing.

It's been a while since I've articulated this growth process. I guess hearing the name of a former SBC soldier brought back some memories for me. My only regret is that so many younger ministers don't have a clue about the battles that have been fought and the many casualties that came out of a denominational war. I remember, and express my heartfelt appreciation to traditional Baptists like Dr. Dilday who stood for their convictions.

What Auburn's loss taught me

2006-10-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

Well, it's looks like Arkansas put the hurt on Auburn's chances for a national championship--maybe even an SEC championship. It's been exciting to watch the Tigers play the last several weeks, but no such sentiment last Saturday. At least some folks were happy around here, as Tennessee chalked up a big win against the Georgia Bulldogs. One person came up to me Sunday, hugged my neck and said, "Sorry about the Tigers, but what about those Vols!" They weren't sorry at all, and I could sense the glee in their voice. They didn't say a word about the sermon, the singing, or Bible Study earlier that morning. It was all about the game.

Talking about football on Sundays isn't a new phenomenon, as we all have our favorite teams to watch. It's amusing in a way, as an example of this was hearing one of our church members suggest we sing "rocky top" as our choral benediction. This was a joke (I think). I've laughed more than once as the talk on Sunday covers what takes place on Saturday. When Auburn loses, in particular, I can expect more than one person to seek me out and let me know about it.

It's really amazing to see how much Saturday football influencs how people feel the rest of the weekend. Actually, I have surprised myself at times at how much I care about the outcome of a football game. We've said "War Eagle" more times than I can recall and are teaching our children the value of beating Alabama every year. But, all this emotion for football and other sports too have gotten me thinking about our church enthusiasm. There is no way I can measure this statistic, yet I am observing the behavior of the people in the pew (and some pastors). I have come to a few conclusions about it.

First, football is important to some people. Here in Tennessee, the focus is not so much about what's up with the CBF or SBC but with the SEC (southeastern conference). That might be the way to go and the course of least resistance. Who doesn't enjoy spending a Saturday at home watching your favorite teams play while sucking down a large pizza and a diet coke? Maybe this has something to do with Baptists being the most obese denomination-- but that's another subject. Even now, I'm writing this blog while watching the Saints and Bucs go at it. Reggie Bush just scored a touchdown!

Second, football isn't the most important thing. I've heard some folks tell me that they have missed church because their team lost and they didn't want to face verbal abuse at church. This is really going too far, as the outcome of a game has influenced the attitude of folks throughout the rest of the week. We're not talking about eternal issues here, but rather a compilation of points scored during a three hour period of time. Yet, many folks treat football as a religion and could call a particular stadium a "house of worship" on Saturday. Some of us are very loyal with our attendance, regardless of what the weather is like. And I'm not talking about church attendance. I'm not dismissing the sport, and believe me I enjoy it like everyone else. But, when our attitude on Sunday is dependent on what happens with our favorite team the day before, we've gotten things out of whack.

Third, we need to keep the main thing the main thing. I haven't heard anybody say otherwise, but there are times I wonder what is more important to us: a football score or reaching a missions giving goal. To ask the question is to answer it. We need to consider carefully how our conversation on Sunday reflects what we care about. I won't stop responding to folks who ask about a game, and it at least gives folks another reason to approach me. And I will joke about football with the people in the pew because it hits home to them. I will keep cheering for my favorite team and enjoying the distractions Saturday football brings. But, I will do my best to raise the level of dialogue to eternal matters. The church has a lot of work to do, and my job is keeping our people connected to our mission and ministry.

Of course, it would have been nice to have had the win. I don't plan on doing another one of these after the Florida game.

What Missouri Baptists Can Teach Us

2006-10-02T23:04:00.000-05:00

The Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) sent letters out to 24 churches informing them that they may be excluded from membership because of their affiliation with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). The MBC recently made changes to their membership requirements which in effect dictates to local churches whom they may choose as ministry partners. The MBC has determined that its members "cannot include another convention or denomination in their budget, financially support another such body's work, or vote to send messengers to another denomination or convention's meetings" (Missouri Baptist paper, Word & Way). In short, churches must support exclusively the work of the Missouri Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention.

Apparently, the MBC went to the CBF-MO website and took down a list of these heretical churches to warn them that they were in trouble. Many of these churches are "dually aligned" meaning they offer financial support to both the SBC and CBF. This arrangement is an effort to maintain civility among members who want the freedom to choose where their money goes. Oftentimes the SBC/CBF issue can be a test of fellowship and create difficulties, yet some churches sort out the differences and move on in a spirit of togetherness. This kind of understanding doesn't work for the state convention folks, however, who will be voting on the status of these 24 churches in their annual meeting later this month.

I've been thinking about this development for a while, and have come to a few conclusions. First, and surprisingly, the state convention has a right to determine its own membership requirements. You hear a lot about "local church autonomy" and how associations and conventions violate that autonomy by kicking out churches. A benchmark distinctive among Baptists is local church autonomy, meaning "nobody can tell us what to do" when it comes to deciding the affairs of a local congregation. Even SBC resolutions are non-binding on local congregations. They can't be enforced on the local church level (yet).

On the other hand, the association and convention have autonomous existences as well. They are free to determine who and who can't be in the group. So, the MBC is within its Baptist framework by firing warning shots across the bow of these wandering CBF congregations. If these churches don't change their ways and rescind their CBF ties, they will be kicked out of the state convention. Only those churches who are directly and exclusively tied to the state convention and SBC are included in the fellowship. Those who go their own way will be showed the door.

Second, the MBC did these churches a favor. What some of these pastors were unable to do for various reasons, the state convention did in a single blow. Keep in mind that it wasn't these local churches withdrawing fellowship from the state convention. The convention told these 24 congregations that they needed to change their ways and be faithful to the convention. Nevermind that these churches had been faithful in their financial support (at some level) of the ministries of the MBC. These churches had been members of the MBC longer than the CBF, and contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars toward its ministries. Now, their presence is no longer desired. So, these churches are pretty much required to decide whether membership in the MBC is more important than their autonomy as a local church. The MBC will lose money over this decision, and churches will be liberated from their emotional ties to support other mission causes that more closely reflect their personality and distinctives.

Third, state conventions are losing their relevance and importance. I'm beginning to wonder whether they are going the way of the dinosaur. Conventions don't have a grip on churches as in years past, and can't intimidate them. The MBC is pushing these churches into the arms of other ministry partners. The CBF is the target here, nothing is said about Habitat for Humanity, Greenpeace, Willow Creek Association, or any other parachurch organization that could sipher money away from the convention. There is no way a church ought to allow a convention to tell it who it can and cannot support. It is beyond my comprehension why folks on the state level would try to tell a church how they can spend their money and what conventions their members can attend. This is absurd, and another example of paranoid fundamentalists trying to condemn what they cannot control. Baptists have resisted hierarchical approaches to leadership, remembering that the local church tells the associations and conventions what to do and not vice versa. I will be curious to see how these 24 churches respond. I hope they all move on with work, without the MBC. The churches didn't do anything wrong and will be better off without a convention that doesn't want to fellowship with them anyway.

Incidentally, all this focus on the CBF threat makes wonder if the SBC really fears the movement. After all, the Fellowship doesn't have the financial resources, possess the buildings, or own the seminaries the SBC does. This action by the MBC would be like hitting a gnat with a sledgehammer. I'm interpreting this action on a larger scale, and admit there may be some state issues I don't know about. Even so, it is affirming of the Fellowship's future.

Finally, it's time to move on to building the Kingdom (of God, that is). It's not the CBF churches who are picking a fight. Even if other state conventions follow Missouri's example, dually aligned churches need not panic. They aren't the ones losing anything, it's the convention. It's about time churches stopped supporting financially what they don't support philosophically and theologically. The local church is the outpost for the Lord's work. God's people have the freedom to decide who to work with to get it done. There is enough of the Lord's work to go around for all of us. God is still at work in the world, and time is running out for Christians to make a difference. Remaining aligned with the state convention may be important for some churches, but it's not nearly as important as being aligned with Jesus Christ.

Is it Blogging or Gossip?

2006-09-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

I started blogging as a means of expressing some thoughts about denominational life and church related issues. It's like playing with a new toy. It never really occurred to me that others might take an interest in my comments. Blogging is quite a phenomenon, and has taken on a unique importance even in journalistic circles. I'm not sure if there is a code of ethics for this sort of thing, but there ought to be.

I first heard about the term "blog" (which is short for "web-long") when Wade Burleson was going through all that mess with the International Mission Board. News articles from Associated Baptist Press mentioned his blogging about meetings and this of course made some folks pretty irate. He and many others like him are blogging about the comings and goings of the SBC, and apparently are having a significant impact. Dr. Frank Page, current SBC President, has been touted as the first "blogger's president." I remain impressed at the influence of some bloggers. Folks who wouldn't ordinarily have a voice or seat at the denominational table are making their feelings known and developing a growing readership. The rise of bloggers, particularly among younger leaders, will lead to another denominational holy war with the older guard (you will be able to read about on the internet).

Not only is the SBC feeling the impact of bloggers, but local churches are being influenced as well. A large church in Germantown, TN went through a significant disagreement about the rise of elders in their church. Blogs were started to voice opposition, and eventually the pastor resigned in frustration. These folks were trying to "save the church." This situation is being played out again with Bellevue Baptist Church. I found two blogs about this church related to "saving Bellevue" and "the truth about Bellevue." An ABP article described blogging as another way of having church fights. Several members who are in obvious disagreement with the pastor are making their frustration known to anyone and everyone who wants to read their blogs.

I'm conflicted about this use of blogging, and wondering if airing the church's dirty laundry on the internet is the way to go. There are two sides to every story, and certainly individuals are entitled to express their opinions. Unfortunately, using the internet expands the audience of concern beyond what it should be. Folks love scandals, and church people are no exception. I'm not convinced that folks will be responsible for what they find out about other churches through bloggers. In other words, one might form an opinion about a church based solely on the opinion of one of its members. This is done on a personal basis, but having the internet handy has the potential to do more harm than good.

I don't have an answer for this situation. I enjoy reading blogs from time to time, and am sometimes startled at the information out there. There needs to be a free exchange of ideas, and people are talking more now than ever before. Conversations are a good thing. However, we should not confuse fact with fiction. There are some interesting opinions floating around out there, but the potential for harm is real. The Bible warns against idleness, and to stay away from people who are "not busy, but busybodies" (2 Thess 3:11-12). Let's make sure blogging doesn't turn out to be an excuse for spreading gossip.

Pope Benedict and a Baptist Preacher

2006-09-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict XIV made some remarks about Islam recently, apparently quoting an ancient text that depicts its founder as "evil and inhuman." This assessment stems from the founder's enthusiastic spread of their faith "by the sword." Benedict has been under fire from Muslims around the world, figuratively speaking. Others have been under fire literally. Two churches in the West Bank have been torched. A nun and her bodyguard were gunned down outside a hospital in Somalia where she has served faithfully for years. This occurred after a local cleric condemned the pope's comments.

Benedict has offered his most sincere apologies for any grief his address caused, and this in itself is quite remarkable. While occasionally apologizing for the church's misgivings in the past, the pope doesn't usually apologize for what he says personally. This is an interesting development, as the Catholic Church is concerned for the safety and well-being of nuns and priests around the world. Ironically, actions taken by extremist Muslims validate the point of Benedict's message. Violence is not an acceptable means of propogating a faith. Yet, there are some Muslims who think it's okay to do anything in the name of Allah.

I'm aware that the church hasn't had a perfect track record and is open to its own criticism regarding past failures. And that really is the point I am trying to make. Christians are expected to receive criticism and accept it without retaliating. Yet, Muslims are offended whenever their belief system is challenged and respond in violent and threatening ways. Islam appears to be immune to any sort of critique. It's okay to ridicule Christians in newspaper cartoons, TV, and other media. Just make sure you don't do that to Muslims.

Rosie O'Donnell drew some criticism when she said that extremist Christians were as dangerous as the terrorists who blow up buildings and people. This is going too far. No Christians are going around as suicide bombers "in the name of Jesus." A better way of dealing with this topic is to say that extremist behavior in the name of religion can have devastating consequences. I think that was what Benedict was trying to say, but the only part that was heard dealt with Islam's less than favorable review.

Christians have done terrible things in the name of religion. We have fought our own "holy wars" about what we believe about the Bible, what translation of the Bible is acceptable, who is qualified to serve as ministers, and we even have believers who want to impose Christianity (their brand) on the general public. For example, there was a judge in Alabama who ran for governor on the premise that God has been taken out of the courts. While chief justice of the state supreme court, he rolled in a two ton display of the ten commandments into the rotunda that became a tourist attraction. Folks rallied around that thing and made a tremendous fuss over it. I wonder how many of them actually knew the 10 commandments.

It can be difficult to keep "turning the other cheek" when it comes to criticism, especially when it concerns our faith. We should do all we can to debate, discuss, and persuade others but not attempt to get our way by bullying tactics. We are living in challenging times, and Muslims are making gains on Christians in the convert department. This could make us angry, or it could motivate us to live as authentic disciples of Jesus Christ. No, I'm not thrilled that Islam gets a free pass from the media. I get irked when Jesus is ridiculed. It also bothers me when the church's own behavior puts a stain on its witness. Remember, Jesus was more critical of the religious right than the "sinners" who were left to wrestle with their weaknesses and sins.

There needs to be honest dialogue about our differences without fear of reprisal. This is not reality, however. Sometimes "speaking the truth in love" carries risks. Let's just make sure we leave the "love" part in our speaking.

Are We a "Bible" Church?

2006-09-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

Our church went through an "intentional interim" period prior to my arrival. I heard about some of the steps they went through in understanding their identity, denominational relationships, the role of women in the church, and the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, among other things. I commend the church for doing this, as too many congregations opt for a preacher and/or someone to visit the hospitals and do funerals. While these are important matters, churches should also determine their personality so that the next pastor will know what to expect. I was fortunate in this regard.

One of the first things I dealt with related to folks who weren't quite satisfied with the church's view of the Bible. Apparently, this discontent surfaced in a letter circulated among the congregation a year or two before my arrival. A frustrated church member said that "there was a Bible church on the mountain, and a non-Bible church on the mountain." Evidently he thought his church was the latter. I was amazed that someone would speak so harshly about their congregation, but that's what some folks do when their viewpoints don't carry the day. Anyway, I found out that there was indeed a "Bible" church on the mountain and this was the point of comparison.

Usually, churches who have the word "Bible" in their title are non-denominational in nature. Ironically, one of our members who left us for this particular congregation is very supportive of the Southern Baptist Convention, yet the Bible church does not affiliate with the SBC. I found this decision very peculiar, in that he was very vocal in his support of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and SBC missions. There are many good churches on the mountain that aren't Baptist, and I'm sure this is one of them, but it doesn't make sense to leave a church that would allow you to give to the SBC in favor of one that doesn't. But, I've learned that there are many things with church work that don't add up.

I get a little chapped when folks say we aren't a "Bible" church and fortunately that little rumor weed has been rooted out. Churches take their cue from their pastors, and the same seems to be true here. I have a very high view of Scripture, and spend more of my time preaching it and trying to live by it than defending it. The reason some folks may accuse a church like ours of not being a "Bible church" is that we have taken the job of biblical interpretation seriously rather than literally. We affirm and encourage our members to come to the Bible with an open mind and open heart under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We take into consideration the historical, cultural, political, and social conditions of the biblical text. For example, preachers who hammer down on women being subservient in the home and church don't say much about slaves being obedient to their masters, yet both notions are in the Bible. The problem is that there is too much inconsistency with regard to what is viewed as prescriptive and what is descriptive.

It's one thing to say we disagree on interpretation, it's another thing to say that because you don't agree with my position "you just don't believe the Bible." There are many church goers who simply want to be told what to believe rather than do the hard work of learning on their own. We have a variety of views represented in our congregation, and each of these positions comes from people who believe the Bible. To be honest, I'd rather spend my time living out what the Bible says than debating differences of opinion. The church has spent too much time majoring on minors rather than finding ways to cooperate with one another for the sake of the gospel. The most biblical thing you can do is live out your faith and share the love of Christ. Some of the most mean-spirited and judgmental folks I have known would claim to believe the Bible more than I do. These kinds of church-goers give Christianity a bad name and I really wouldn't want to be associated with them.

So, the answer is "YES!" We are a Bible church and part of that identity means being Baptist. Baptists are definitely Bible people. We read it, study it, and try to understand it. Oftentimes we've fought over it. The Pharisees did that sort of thing, and look at how Jesus rebuked them for their legalistic ways. I have found a good measuring rod in the 1963 Baptist Faith & Message under the Scripture section that says that Jesus Christ is the criterion for interpretation. That may not say everything about hermeneutics, but it does say enough. I would rather be known as a church that lifts up Jesus than a church that doesn't practice what it preaches.

Censorship in the SBC?

2006-09-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

It's been amusing to read about events in the Southern Baptist Convention here lately. Amusing since I don't have to be involved personally, politically, and more importantly, monetarily. This week, censorship is the issue (Well, I admit to censoring the SBC myself for several years). When Fundamentalists "won" the SBC in 1991, they became accountable for fixing everything they thought was wrong. Now that all the moderates have been exiled, there's no one left to fight with but themselves. This is the nature of fundamentalism--A narrow, militant, angry spirit that naturally leads to divisions among the people. Now there's talk of censorship of a sermon given at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) because the speaker challenged the International Mission Board's policy on "private prayer language."

Dwight McKissic, a graduate and newly appointed trustee of SWBTS, delivered a chapel message on August 29. McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church near Arlington, criticized a policy guideline that prevents missionaries who practice a "private prayer language" from being appointed. He himself admitted to having such a prayer practice and recalled several passages from the Bible that referred to speaking in tongues. In an unusual move, SWBTS President Dr. Paige Patterson ordered that McKissic's sermon not be placed on their website after the chapel service. The seminary defended its position, saying seminary leaders "reserve the right not to disseminate openly views which we fear may be harmful to the churches."

When Dr. Patterson was president at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, he had no trouble endorsing a paper written by professor Keith Eitel that was critical of IMB President Jerry Rankin's leadership. The paper, written on seminary letterhead with a cover letter by Dr. Patterson, was circulated to all IMB trustees.

The new guard of SBC bloggers are having a field day, calling the action hypocritical." It's really amazing to me that there is anyone left who would challenge the leadership of the SBC on its behavior. But, there are those younger ministers who "knew not Joseph" (Pressler/Patterson) who feel free to voice their dissent on the blogs. Every now and then I'll check one of those out to see what if anything new is going on. While not much has changed (or will) in the doctrinal climate, the SBC appears to have those emerging from the ranks who aren't going to take this criticisms outside the scope of the 2000 BFM lying down. McKissic's remarks do not go outside the boundaries of the 2000 BFM yet touch a nerve among many believers in the denomination. At least among those in authority at SWBTS.

What's disturbing is not so much the policy of the IMB regarding private prayer language, even though one wonders how the Convention could monitor what is done in "private." The noteworthy part is the actual censoring of a sermon by a SWBTS trustee who didn't agree with IMB policy. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that younger Southern Baptists don't realize that this sort of thing has been going on for decades. Now, they are finding out about it and speaking up. Censorship hasn't worked, but only heightened the importance of the sermon.

It's really fun to watch. Like a player who once played on a team but was traded, I still have a sentimental interest in the SBC. They didn't want my skills, but I like to see how the team is doing. It doesn't consume my time, fortunately, and I'm able to utilize my gifts through my new team. From the outside looking in, I can see how fundamentalism is continuing to eat away at what remains of the SBC. There has to be an enemy, and now the enemy appears to be those who are open to "speaking in tongues." You can't throw out the old inerrancy of the Bible argument, because many who hold this viewpoint are sympathetic to McKissic's approach. The 2000 BFM doesn't deal with the issue (yet). Trying to amend the BFM is this way might be the next showdown.

So, the enduring lesson from this ongoing comedy known as the SBC can be summarized by one phrase: it's good to be free. Free as Christians. Free as Baptists. Open debate and disagreement of the issues should be a hallmark among Baptists rather than hindered. Censorship doesn't help anything. Years ago, one of my dear Missions Professors offered his philosophy on church matters. He said, "Trust the Lord and tell the people." I've always remembered that, and tried to live by it.

ABP 9/1/06 source

When Sounding Good is better than Being Good

2006-08-29T13:07:00.000-05:00

The newly appointed pastor of First Baptist Church, West Palm Beach, Florida resigned in disgrace last week. He came to the church with a great deal of promise and high praise from key leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention. Only 40 years old, Steven Flockhart appeared to be riding the wave of popularity and status that comes with being pastor of a megachurch.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not happy about his demise or the pain that this church will be living through for some time. It's going to be a while before the church is able to get back on track with its mission and ministry. Plus, living through the embarrassment this incident has caused not only locally but nationally will be difficult. What's aggravating is how this situation chould have been avoided in the first place. A pastor search committee with the means of First Baptist Church should have been able to check the background of their prospective pastor. Even Kevin Mahoney, their Executive Pastor during the three year interim, showed dismay at the apparent lapse of the committee responsible for bringing Flockhart before the people.

Maybe the search committee got the "he sounds good so he must be good" syndrome. Flockhart had a good track record of increasing the membership rolls of churches. Folks liked his preaching. It wasn't until the Palm Beach Post did a story on a $162,799 debt he racked up at a church in Georgia that folks began to get suspicious. The church had to sue him to get their money back. This incident led to a deeper investigation into Flockhart's personal and professional background. Now it has been revealed that he fabricated his resume with misleading statements about his educational accomplishments.

The only problem is that he doesn't have any educational accomplishments, unless you count a correspondence degree from an unaccredited seminary in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Apparently, some church folks don't have a problem with that. Walter Woitowicz, member of FBC West Palm Beach, said "Who cares if he graduated from college? He had presence. Show me a perfect church. You won't find one on this Earth."

No one would have cared if Flockhart had been honest from the beginning.

The reason I'm chapped about this is that here we have another example of a church not doing its homework and getting burned. Pastor search committees, now more than ever, need to be wary of hiring pastors (and other staff) based solely on the recommendation of a prominent pastor. The whole situation, shameful as it is, provides some painful lessons about life and ministry.

First, all degrees are not equal. In other words, there are times when a "doctor isn't a real doctor." Using the medical field as a comparison, I'd want to make sure my physicians had an earned degree diploma hanging on their walls. There's nothing wrong with honorary degrees, but ministers ought to be honest about their educational creditials. There are too many ministers with a "Dr." in front of their name. Too many haven't done the hard work necessary to earn the privilege. In many Baptist churches, ministers aren't even required to have a certain educational background in order to be on staff. So, how hard is it to write down where you went to school, when you went there, and when you graduated?

Second, pastor search committees need to do their work. Unfortunately, many churches select the more popular members rather than the more competent ones. Plus, one hopes that you won't have to activate a search committee that often. It's hard to imagine FBC West Palm Beach searching for a pastor for three years and finding one with no real credentials other than he was friends with prominent pastors in the SBC. Call the schools on the resume. Find out graduate dates. Do the background checks. Assume nothing. There is too much at stake.

Third, local church autonomy has its privileges and responsibilities. No one tells a Baptist church what to do, and if they do, the church still has the right to make its own decisions. So, each church can call and ordain its own staff and conduct its own business freely. On the other hand, this means there is no one to blame other than the church for bringing a pastor in who has serious baggage. Our church folks need to educated that some ministers aren't all they are hyped up to be.

Finally, integrity still counts. The FBC West Palm Beach scenario has been played out numerous times before. Still, this is a church with educated and professional people. If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere. Churches get caught up in the courtship of a new pastor and can overlook critical character flaws all because "he preaches good." There are many ministers who work hard to get an honest education and serve in remote places without the attention a megachurch offers. We ought to recognize these men and women for their honesty and work ethic. Numbers 32:23 reminds us that "you may be sure that your sin will find you out." Sounding good isn't the same as being good. May God help us to be both.

When Billy Graham talks. . .

2006-08-08T22:31:00.000-05:00

The most recent copy of Newsweek (8/14/06) features a photo of an aging Billy Graham and an article about the greatest evangelist of the 20th century, if not of all time. He has spoken to more people and been in more countries than any other preacher of the gospel. He has spoken and counseled presidents, heads of state, and brought together clergy of all stripes through the process of planning his crusades. He allowed ministers from all denominations to sit on the platform during his meetings. Graham also has been an example of racial reconciliation by refusing to segregate his crusades during the turbulent 1950s-60s. Now he spends most of his time with his wife Ruth in their Montreat, NC home, reflecting on a great life and looking forward to an even greater one.

There are several things I could say about Graham that we all know, but one quality about him that I particularly admire is his belief that Christians can have fellowship with each other without agreeing on everything. This isn't a revolutionary statement, but like the old E. F. Hutton commercial stated, "When EF Hutton talks, people listen." Even more so with Graham. He states, "There are many things I don't understand. Sincere Christians can disagree about the details of Scripture and theology--absolutely." He has remained focused on communicating the gospel while keeping relationships with folks of all theological backgrounds. "I spend more time on the love of God than I used to." Graham says. "But I have tried to maintain friendships with all of these people" (a reference to more politically active conservative ministers). Politics is secondary to the gospel.

It can be argued that as an evangelist, Graham hasn't had to deal with the inner workings of a local congregation and the varied opinions of individual members. It is also true that his primary purpose has been to present the gospel in simple and clear terms in order that people might come to faith in Jesus Christ (Who hasn't seen one of his invitations?). He could have gotten involved in the denominational malaise of the Southern Baptist Convention but instead kept his distance. There are times I wish he would have offered more guidance in this area, but perhaps he thought this was beneath his purpose. But, better late than never does Graham state that differences among believers ought not create division among us.

I appreciate theological views, and have spent a great deal of time formulating my own. It bothers me when Christian fellowship is compromised due to issues that should be open for interpretation. This is something I could write a great deal about, and a topic that has already been discussed ad nauseum by many others. I still lament the loss of people in our pews who could be helping us build the Kingdom of God. However, we can't expect more from our people than their pastors, many of whom more readily label and libel those with whom they differ. Our differences have become divisions, and these in turn have become barriers. Good fences make good neighbors for the time being, I suppose. I admit I'd rather not waste time arguing with someone about an issue when I know it's not going to get me anything but a headache. It's best to move on.

Graham isn't questioning how to get to heaven, the Incarnation, or the Work of Christ. But, "he is arguing that the Bible is open to interpretation, and fair-minded Christians may disagree or come to different conclusions about specific points" (p41). This is all I've been trying to say. We're not going to get complete agreement on every issue, and we'll lose valuable people resources if we insist on it. The SBC's withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance poses a glaring example among folks of our ilk. Apparently, the theological tent was not big enough for the SBC and CBF to co-exist, so it was time for the SBC to part company. In contrast, former President Jimmy Carter held a ministers' conference and the result was a covenant agreement among Baptists from North America.

Even here in our small community, I feel a greater kinship and acceptance among the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians than with other Baptist churches. I'm grateful that our church is more ecumenical, and in turn, closer to Jesus' prayer that "all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you" (Jn 17:21). In this process of growing in the faith, I am becoming "more Christian than Baptist" in my theological perspective on some things. Graham's article helped confirm that. I'm glad I listened.

The End as We Know It

2006-08-03T23:16:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a war to get folks stirred up about the second coming of Christ. This is especially true when things are getting heated up in the Middle East. It's hard to say how things are going to end up between Israel and Lebanon, but right now tensions are running pretty high. Once again the United States is getting pulled into the middle of the mess in the hopes of getting both sides to stop killing each other. Anytime Israel is involved in a conflict many Christians in America hold their breath and their Bibles.

A popular view regarding the end times relates to a Battle of Armageddon taking place in the region now in question. This isn't the first time serious fighting has broken out in this area of the world, as there was talk about the Persian Gulf War ushering end the new millennium. The book of Revelation refers to this battle and scholars have been trying to figure out what it means for a long time.

I've started a book entitled "Left Behind?" which is a response to the book series of the same title. The series is based upon a dispensational approach to interpreting the Bible and in particular the book of Revelation. It's an entertaining read, and there have been at least two movies made based on these works of fiction. The Scofield Reference Bible has played a key role in popularizing a brand of eschatology that calls for a rapture of the church, a 1000 year period of tribulation, the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, the rise of the Anti-Christ, and a great final battle in which the Devil is defeated. A key component of dispensational theology is that it is based on a "literal" rendering of Scripture. There's also no shortage of charts and diagrams that are on display by preachers who affirm this method of interpretation.

Predictions about the end of time have been going on for a long time. First century Christians were expecting Christ to return at any moment, and when he didn't they had to figure out what they were supposed to be doing. There's also William Miller of the 1840s who stirred up the people with his charts based on calculations from the book of Daniel. Miller even predicted a specific date, only to have the date pass by with no sign of Jesus' return. Confused, Miller recalulated his figures and determined he had been off by a year. So, he once again made a prediction and I'm quite sure he was wrong again. Another favorite relates to the book "88 reasons the rapture will occur in 1988." This too proved false, but on the plus side the book can be purchased at a minimal cost (I couldn't figure out why the authors were "selling" the book if they believed Christ was returning). Most recently, Y2k scared some folks into thinking about the end of time. Similar expectations surfaced at the end of the first millennium as well. Now, I can turn on the TV as see preachers doing hermeneutical gymnastics with the Bible in order to make events in 2006 tie directly to what was written thousands of years ago. I'm constantly amazed at how preachers revise their predictions of Scripture to fit the situation. It's even more baffling when the people in the pews buy into it. Jesus said there would be "wars and rumors of wars." This has been true for centuries.

As a theologian, I am definitely interested in what the Bible has to say about the end times. I know about the pre-, post-, and a-millennial views concerning what the 1000 years are supposed to mean. I've read about the pre-, mid-, post- tribulation return of Christ as it relates to dispensationalism. Folks are now asking me about a rapture of the Church and whether I think Hurricane Katrina was God's judgment on the casino industry. They ask about this war and whether I think Christ's coming is near. These are interesting questions relating to God's sovereignty and unfolding of his divine purpose for humankind.

Although aware of passages cited about the End, I always refer to Jesus' words when he said "no one knows the day or the hour" that things come to an end. Jesus didn't know when that would be, only "the Father who is in heaven." Maybe this makes me less interested than folks want me to be about doing biblical arithmetic. My view of Revelation isn't as sensational as others, because I figure those words from John needed to make sense to a persecuted church in the 90s first and foremost. You can't divorce a biblical book from its context. Yes, I definitely believe Christ's second coming is near, but in reality we've been in "the last days" since the birth of Christ. That's been over 2000 years, but to God time takes on a different importance.

There's always a crowd waiting to hear a sensational message. For me, though, I've adopted a "pan-millennial" mindset in that I can't explain all the details of the End but believe that everything will "pan out" in the final analysis. The most important thing is to be ready for the Lord's return rather than try to figure out when things will occur. So far, these predictions have been way off. In the meantime, there's still work for the church to do. Trusting God with the details seems to be best way to go.

Vacation Deprivation

2006-07-20T15:09:00.000-05:00

U.S. News had a special issue recently entitled "Secrets to a Stress-Free Summer." On the cover was a picture of a 230 foot suspension bridge in Vancouver and a caption that read "Picture yourself on this bridge. No email. No cellphone. No PDA. Now you are ready to hear the secrets to a stress-free summer. Take a deep breath everyone, it's time to slow down." This really caught my attention, and upon reading the companion story inside I found out that Americans have fewer paid vacation days than Europeans but still don't use all of them. Thus the phrase "vacation deprivation" to describe the condition of the typical American worker.

It's not all that surprising that we don't take all our vacation time. Some folks don't take any at all. I've had people tell me that it's more stressful coming back from a vacation than going on one. They dread all the work that's going to get piled up for them while they're away "relaxing." I can appreciate that sentiment. But, it's very important that we take time away from the daily grind to retool and refuel. There ought to daily, weekly, and annual opportunities to pull back for rest.

Some church folks don't think preachers deserve a vacation. They'll say, "the devil doesn't take vacations. " My thought is "Well, I didn't know the devil was supposed to be my example. And if I didn't take one, I'd be as mean and miserable as he is!" I heard that comeback somewhere and have made it my own. Clearly, Jesus should be our example and if he thought it was important to "get away" from things, then that ought to be good enough for us.

I'm preaching from Mark 7:24-30 this Sunday about "The Persistant Woman." Without getting into the story, I'll mention that Jesus entered Gentile territory (Tyre) with the intention of hiding out. "And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden" (v24). This incident occurs after a previous effort to get some rest but the crowd found out where Jesus was and prevented it (Mk 6:30-33). Jesus always had compassion on the crowds, but felt it was important to be alone for rest and reflection. There are several passages that indicate this truth.

In looking forward to my own vacation, I am reminded of what a precious commodity time is and unlike money, once you spend it, it's gone. Yes, there'll be stuff piled up for me upon my return, and I'm hopeful that nothing critical develops at the church that might require an early return from my trip. You can't allow this possibility to keep you from taking off. It's also good to be reminded that things can get along without you for a few days. So, there's at least one thing I'd like to accomplish this year: take ALL my vacation days. I don't want to deprive myself or family of the time. Plus, the church folks might enjoy time away from me as well.

Every Member a Minister

2006-07-17T23:37:00.000-05:00

It's been about two years since we started talking about transitioning from the deacon family ministry plan to deacon ministry teams. Our deacons were introduced to this concept by Dr. Gary Carver (Pastor FBC Chattanooga) at a deacon retreat, yet have not been able to implement the approach until now. Good things come to those who wait. We have good deacon leadership in place and the timing coincides with our church's move toward becoming a missional church.

The church used the deacon family ministry plan for a long time. The thing about the plan that troubled me was that I couldn't tell who was actually keeping up with their families. There was so much expected of a deacon in remembering birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, and illnesses, plus just "touching base" with folks periodically to let them know someone is thinking about them. It was no wonder that many of our deacons became frustrated and guilt-ridden about not being able to fulfill their deacon duties and live normal lives with jobs and families of their own. Very few deacons can perform all the tasks that the family ministry plan places on them, and those who are able to do them usually are retired in good health. So, after two years, the pieces are coming together to kick off the teams in the Fall.

The beauty of the deacon ministry teams is that each deacon can select one team to be on and have one ministry focus. Deacons don't have to be "jack of all trades" but find an area they feel strongly about. We're using the word "passion" in describing how the deacon should fulfill his or her ministry. There are two influences that are complementing each other in moving our church toward this new deacon concept. First, we are adopting a missional mindset. Our church learned about this term when Dr. Bo Prosser did a leadership weekend for us. Prosser works with the Center for Congregational Health with the CBF. Second, our deacons really bought into the team strategy after watching a video of Dr. Tom Stocks (Pastor Rosalind Hills BC) explaining the pitfalls of the family ministry plan when compared to the team approach. I could tell our deacons resonated with much of what he said.

Perhaps the most significant feature of the deacon ministry teams is that members of the congregation can participate. Members will be introduced to the teams and encouraged to select one. Some of our folks are already doing ministry and can simply plug into the team that most closely matches what they are already doing. Others will be challenged to get involved, maybe for the first time. It will take time for members to buy into this methodology because they have been conditioned to sit back and wait for a deacon to "check on them" even if nothing is wrong. That's a significant weakness with the family ministry plan. I never really cared for members who called asking who their deacon was and when asked what was wrong they said, "Oh nothing, I just haven't been called." I don't have any misgivings about transitioning the deacon approach, and realize there will be opposition once we get started. Change is hard for some people, and some will have the deer in headlights look and not want to move forward even though the old way wasn't working.

I am convinced that teams can be a great way to incorporate a "every member a minister" mentality in the congregation. The team mindset takes seriously the spiritual giftedness of deacons and church members. Yes, there will be problems to sort out and a positive attitude will be important. It will take time, but we're "burning the ships" and not looking back. I'm reminded of something I read in a book on pastoral ministry: "If you want to avoid criticism, the best way is to say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing." Nothing good ever comes easy, and I hope I am pleasantly surprised when these changes become reality. Our church deserves some successes, and I'm hopeful that making this transition will be one of them.

Churches that grow Pastors

2006-07-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

I'll be completing 2 years of ministry at Signal Mountain Baptist Church next week. I know this because our church secretary reminded me of this fact last Monday plus our staff looks for excuses to have lunch together. Celebrating anniversaries is one of them. We also recognize foreign holidays if it meets our purposes. It's true that time flies, especially when you have three small children as I do. It's wonderful to mark the passage of time by seeing the changes in Cally, Lucy, and Matt. No matter what happens at church, they are eager to have their Daddy come home. I am trying to enjoy the moment.

This is the third time I've been a pastor. Each church has been similar in size but different in temperment. It's a wonderful thing when the personality and philosophy of a pastor and congregation mesh. There are many aspects about our church that I appreciate, but none more so than the mission and ministry mindset of the people. Our church is pretty well-informed bunch in regard to denominational matters, and some of our members are leaders in their professional fields. They bring their skills and leadership into the church, and for the most part this has worked out well. Their are times, however, that I find leading the church to be akin to herding cats.

I wish I could say that the churches I've served have experienced astronomical numerical growth. That has not been the case, and in each situation I've struggled with the dynamics of population and demographics. My first pastorate was in a rural setting with no population growth unless you count calves that are born to farmers down the road from the church. It was a very stable environment, and even though we had folks join the church the overall attendance increased only slightly. It was a pleasant surprise, though, that I got to baptize quite a few young adults.

My second pastorate was a downtown situation in a transitional neighborhood, which is another way of saying that the church changed from a community fellowship to a commuter congregation. The racial demographic changed, as the apartment complex that once held many members became a "housing project." The church didn't change with the community around it. Many of the buildings that had been zoned residential had been changed to commercial, so this also played a factor. We had members "drive in" from all over town and the church even changed its name to reflect the idea of being "centrally located" in the county. The church had been in decline for 50 years, peaking in the '50s and going down the other side of the Bell curve ever since. We had young couples join while I was there, but it seemed like I was doing a funeral a week. It took an emotional toll on me. Nothing I seemed to do could change reality. I tried to get them to look at relocating, but the love of the building prevailed.

Now, the third time around, I'm in a community church where the folks who attend actually live around the building. It's a new phenomenon for me, and for the most part one that I enjoy. The population of the town has remained steady for several years, so there hasn't been a significant number of prospects moving in. Plus, our town is transient in nature, in that young couples move in for a few years and relocate based on new job opportunities. We've seen some numeric growth, but not an overwhelming increase due to a new pastor. It's been slow and steady, which I think benefits us in the long run.

There are pastors out there who are known for "growing churches." This label is a ticket to be punched at larger congregations along the ministry route. Many pastors work just as hard as others but don't experience the numeric growth due to location and other factors beyond their control (laziness is not one of them). The eureka moment for me has been learning that there are churches out there who "grow pastors" and are good at it. This is their ministry. It doesn't matter who the pastor is, there won't be much growth and the church has developed a comical viewpoint that says, "we were here before you came, and we'll be here when you leave." It's nice to know where you stand. This mentality can be crippling for ministry I know, and may contribute to shorter tenures. It can be reassuring for the laity because their existence doesn't rely totally on the pastor. Pastors can learn a lot from these kinds of churches that will benefit them in larger churches down the road.

I went back for the 100th anniversary of my first pastorate and discovered the church had had 40 pastors during their century of existence. This reality didn't seem to bother the members, as they had come to accept their role as "putting a saddle on" young preachers. I benefitted from their graciousness, too. If I had had a bad experience then, there's no telling where I'd be today. The same is true of many pastors, I'm sure. There are churches who will always give the pastor more than he can give them. I remember vividly what the Deacon Chairman said to me in the parking lot of the church after services one Sunday. I'd only been there about a year, and was the only pastor they'd had with a Ph.D degree. He said, "Danny, we know you're not going to be here long, but we want to take care of you while you're here." The latter part of that statement kept me from fretting about the former. I'm only now realizing its power and meaning for a young, inexperienced, pastor who really didn't know much about ministry.

It's a wonder that churches put up with the poor excuses for preaching and ministry that inexperience bring. I'm deeply indebted for the love, patience, and understanding of that first church in getting Lori and me off to a good start in ministry. Even though I wasn't able to grow that church a lot numerically, its members were instrumental in growing me. I'll always be grateful.

It's Good to be Free

2006-07-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Guess who's going to North Korea? Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church, has been invited to come to the communist country next week. Tensions are already high between North Korea and the United States, particularly with the firing of a 7th medium-range missile. Even prior to these recent events, North Korea has been known for its religious persecution. Warren apparently understands this reality: "I know they're going to use me, so I'm going to use them." Saddleback is the largest Baptist church in the nation, and members consider Warren's trip a victory for religious freedom. However, a Christian Worldview Network spokesperson has another perspective. Ingrid Schueter, producer and co-host of a Christian talk show on the network says "not for a moment do these leaders worry they will have a Christian revival on their hands. Warren is loved and feted because his message is absent the cross and Christ's call to die" (ABP). Why was Warren invited? Time will tell.

We're 230 years old! July 4th is celebrated across our land with hamburgers, hotdogs, parades, and fireworks. And flags galore. One aspect of our Constitution that has particular meaning for me is the Bill of Rights, and specifically the first amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Other parts of it include freedom of speech, press, assembly, and the right to address the government for a redress of grievances. I wonder what North Korea's constitution looks like.

We are a religious nation. Some would say we are a "Christian" nation. However, we must not confuse patriotism with freedom in Jesus Christ. Being an American doesn't make me a Christian. Jesus addressed a similar issue with the Jews who felt like being Abraham's descendants gave them privileged status. He responded, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now, a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (Jn 8:34-36). They believed their physical lineage and geographical location secured special favor with the Almighty. This sort of thing is going on in our country today.

Historically, Baptists have been on the front lines in the fight for religious liberty. We have been on the receiving end of persecution in centuries past and would think we'd learn from it. But, growth and prosperity have caused many Baptists to change their tune. W.A. Criswell's comment in a 1984 television interview aptly describes the shift away from a key Baptist distinctive. He said, "I believe this notion of the separation of church and state was the figment of some infidel's imagination." Interestingly, Criswell followed a pastor at FBC Dallas who held to a completely different viewpoint. Dr. George W. Truett gave a sermon on the East steps of the Capitol Building in 1920 recalling Jesus' words to "render unto Ceasar the things that are Ceasar's, and to God the things that are God's." Truett said that these words were "the most revolutionary and history making utterances that ever fell from those lips divine. It marked once and for all the divorcement of church and state."

We're in trouble when Criswell's viewpoint gets more applause than does his predecessor's. There is a movement in place that seeks to wrap the church in an American flag and turn places of worship into political temples. It's almost as if you have to adhere to a particular political persuasion in order to be accepted in some churches. If you happen to disagree with the pastor or other leadership in these politically-consumed churches, then you are labelled as "just not believing the Bible." When politics and piety begin to mix, you know that something is going to be compromised. As with Esau from the book of Genesis, churches are giving away their prophetic birthright for a political bowl of stew.

Walking down one of the aisles of the Resource Fair at the CBF meeting in Atlanta, I stopped to look at a book entitled "Exiled." I must have been walking too slow, because the next thing I knew the author was selling me his book. The book is a compilation of essays written by men and women who for one reason or another found themselves marginalized from the SBC. He signed the front page, looked at me, and said the words he had written--"It's good to be free." He was talking about freedom in a denominational sense, but the words can apply to a broader theme. It is good to be free as Americans and as Christians, but we must not confuse the two. The Apostle Paul said that "our citizenship is in heaven" (Ph 3:20).

I believe in getting involved in politics by supporting candidates and going to the polls. But keep it outside the doors of the Lord's House. Preach issues but don't endorse candidates. Take a stand on the Word of God. Encourage people to vote, but don't make political party affiliations a test of fellowship in the church. Let's be more concerned about being on the Lord's side than whether He is on ours. People are living and dying without hearing or seeing an authentic Christian witness. Churches can all too easily fall prey to the politics of power and position. Keep the Jeffersonian "wall of separation" in place. If we don't, then either the church or the state is going to lose. I think I know which one.

How Important is Your Church?

2006-07-02T23:24:00.000-05:00

We had a married couple visiting from Jackson, MS in worship today They are visiting a family in our church for the July 4th holiday. He told me he was minister of music at Castlewoods Baptist Church and I immediately said, "Oh, I've heard of that church. I came from Meridian, you know." Meridian is only 90 miles from Jackson. He said, "You're probably thinking of Crossgates Baptist Church. We're a lot smaller than they are. Folks confuse us all the time. It's something we're used to." I said, "You're right. I was thinking of that church." We got a good laugh out of it, but my perspective changed. One moment I was talking to a staffer from one of the largest churches in Jackson, the next I was speaking to a man from a church running about 50 in Sunday School.

This seemingly innocent conversation had an unexpected impact on me. I was reminded of an article in The Baptist Record (MS state paper) years ago entitled, "The Search for the Significant Church." I can't remember the specifics of the story, but I think it had something to do with how we measure the importance of churches. The larger congregations seem to get more attention, especially when you factor in the 3 B's: buildings, budgets, and baptisms (preacher talk). It's no wonder many smaller churches have an identity crisis and have pastors who struggle with the significance of their work. Now, I know that churches aren't supposed to compete with each other. After all, we're all on the same team. Still, there is that commercialism lurking just underneath the surface that rears its ugly head from time to time. Church members add to this perception by looking down the road and saying "just look at all the programs THAT church has. Why can't we do that?" Oftentimes they have no clue as to the differing budgets and staff sizes and how these differences are important.

Preachers deal with this sort of thing all the time. That's why I choose my conferences carefully. I've attended pastors' conferences that were supposed to be learning opportunities but turned out to be bragging sessions about church statistics, finances, and church growth. The guest speakers are introduced with something like "Under Dr. So and So's dynamic leadership and preaching, his church tripled their membership from 500 to 1500 in two years!" I've been waiting to hear something like "Dr. So and So has served 3 years at his church and they've been losing in SS attendence and struggle with their budget. He doesn't know what to do!" That would pack them in, would it?

What I don't need is a pastor who has relocated his church to a suburb where folks are moving to in droves to tell me that "if you'll do what I did you'll double your church in three years." It irks me when a pastor won't acknowledge that he's benefitted from the growth of his town or city, or especially if he gained a lot of members at the expense of another church's problems. Almost without exception pastors of "blowing and going" churches are asked to lead conferences attended by ministers whose churches run less than 200 in Sunday School. These smaller church guys are doing good work without the benefit of new folks moving into the area. I have spoken to pastors who have stopped attending conferences because they get so discouraged by them (actually, by national standards, churches running 200 are among the larger congregations).

You hear in seminary that 75% of Southern Baptist churches are declining or plateaued. What you don't find out until after graduation is that many of these "declining" churches are located in rural areas with static growth numbers (it's also interesting that "moderate" congregations were accused of being unevangelistic yet SBC stats are pretty much the same without them--we all have work to do in this area). You never hear much about any ministry going on or how hard pastors work day after day with little results. It's no wonder pastors are discouraged. This isn't an excuse for laziness, but an effort to be real with the numbers, location, and context of each church situation. The Annual Church Profile, which gives stats for membership, giving, and baptisms only tells part of the story.

Chapel wasn't mandatory at NOBTS, but I did attend most of them, unless a faculty member was speaking whom I didn't care much about. One time Dr. Ed Young, Sr., pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX came and I made sure I heard him. I remember that day because he left the pulpit and came down to the pews to "talk church." One student asked about how he could get his church to grow and if there was anything out there he hadn't tried. Dr. Young answered and said there were three keys to growing a church: "location, location, and location." Surprisingly, it wasn't about great preaching, ministries, or service, even though he mentioned the importance of them. It was about WHERE the building was located. I've thought about that statement a lot, and believe there is merit to it.

One thing I've tried to do is move away from the "church growth" model to a "church health" mentality. Every good pastor will tell you that he wants his church to grow, but not every good pastor is able to pull it off. I've seen pastors draw a large crowd through some type of sensational event, even stooping to bizarre tactics. I read about one country pastor who said he'd kiss a pig if his church got 200 in SS--they ran 50. His folks invited everybody and anybody for the Sunday in mind not so much for the glory of God but to see their preacher kiss a pig (I guess I could shave my head, but that wouldn't be a great loss).

There are many large churches out there but that doesn't necessarily mean they are healthy. Church health opts for a slower, more gradual and intentional approach in helping people grow as disciples rather than determining how many people were in church on a given Sunday. Don't get me wrong, I'll check the giving records and SS attendance on Monday morning. Nowadays though, I don't get my value as a person or minister from them. This has been a liberating discovery. I aim to do my best and leave the rest to the Lord. After all, growth is God's job (Acts 2:47b; I Cor 3:6).

Consider the ministry of Jesus. I've searched the gospels pretty thoroughly and can't find a single occasion when the Lord said, "Look at a what a big crowd we have today!" That's something I would say, but not him. He loved the crowds and had compassion on them, but transformed persons on a more personal and intimate level. Growing disciples was his concern, and it should be ours as well. Any church that is worshipping the risen Savior, loving one another, and sharing the gospel is an important church to the Kingdom of God. These churches give their monies to missions, go on mission trips, teach the Bible, do VBS, attend weddings and funerals, cook food for sick folks, and love one another through the joys and difficulties of life. Their size (or lack of it) doesn't keep them from making a difference for Christ. That guy out of Jackson serves a church like that, and that makes it important in the Kingdom. I don't know him all that well, but at least we have that much in common.

Dan Brown bashing

2006-06-29T22:50:00.000-05:00

We were in the newspaper this week. Our local twice-a-month paper ran a front page story about mountain churches trying to "crack" the DaVinci Code. I remember asking one of their reporters whether any other churches were dealing with the book or movie and she turned this into a news story. Apparently there was enough interest to write about it. There was a picture of me in there with several of our members to boot. I haven't had any requests for autographs, though. The reporter also dealt with the subject in an editorial, referring to her experience in one of our sessions. You never know how the media is going to relate church to the public, so you hope for the best.

It's interesting to hear how other churches are handling (or not handling) the book. Of the four churches mentioned in the paper, ours and a Presbyterian church did some type of study on it while the Church of Christ and Episcopal church passed on the opportunity. The two that were doing nothing said things like they were too busy sharing the love of Christ or didn't want to give the Devil any attention other than rebuking him. To each his own, and it's not a test of fellowship to do a study of Dan Brown's book. But, our church is dealing with it to capitalize on a golden opportunity to discuss our beliefs and learn how others view the church.

If I had announced that we were having a doctrinal series on "the person and work of Christ'" or "The authority and inspiration of Scripture" there would not have been the response that I have had since starting the discussion on the DaVinci Code. I regret admitting that, but suspect that this would be true in a large majority of Baptist churches. Talking doctrine with many church members would be a yawner for sure, especially without a catered meal. Many Christians (at least Baptists) accept with the deity and humanity of Christ for the most part and don't need convincing about it. They could use a fresher course to have some ammo to discuss their beliefs with some degree of intelligence (After hearing some Baptist preachers and denominational leaders, you'd think having a little brain power is a bad thing. Besides, you can always say that those who disagree with you "just don't believe the Bible"--I digress). Anyway, Baptists are also "people of the book" and are passionate in their discussion about it. Unfortunately, too many take God's Word for granted because they've "heard all the stories." So, utilizing the DaVinci Code makes sense to demonstrate how faith intersects with real life. There are too many misconceptions about God, Jesus, and the Bible for the church not to respond in a positive way. As one of my theology professors said, "Wrong ideas about God are idolatrous." Bad doctrine messes people up.

We are in the middle of this study and will be finishing up in a few weeks. We've talked about issues raised by the Brown novel with a cup of coffee in one hand and the Bible in the other. The newspaper reporter seemed to suggest we were "focusing" on the DaVinci Code, but in reality we are talking about theological issues that surface in its reading. I have been encouraging by the lively discussion, most recently from our look at "Jesus, Mary Magdelene, and women." Going through the preparation and presentation each week has had an unexpected result, however. I have lamented the fact that many are reading this novel and saying "Yes, that's what I thought about the church all along!" The book deals with the Roman Catholic Church in particular, but the impact is felt along other denominational lines as well. I have also been reminded that apathy toward basic Christian doctrines is causing spiritual decay in our ranks. This has been going on for a long time and we are going to pay a price for it.

This is the 21st century. There have been many assaults on Christianity and the church, so the DaVinci Code isn't the first time. I'm not convinced that the book is "anti-church" or if that was the author's purpose. Some preachers have called it "heresy" or an "epistle from hell" and other less complementary descriptions (By the way, the church hasn't had a great report card throughout certain periods in history). I told our bunch I wasn't endorsing the book or movie version. What we're dealing with is the theological underpinnings of Brown's work, and if that makes us think more seriously about who we are, what we believe, and WHY, the effort will be worth it.

CBF General Assembly in the Rearview Mirror

2006-06-25T22:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. I never really doubted how things stood, but it's good to have something in writing to clarify matters for folks inside and outside the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). Perhaps the most important business to occur during the Atlanta General Assembly pertained to the approval of a Preamble to the CBF Constitution. The Preamble reads:

As a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches, we celebrate our faith in the One Triune God. We gladly declare our allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord and to His gospel as we seek to be the continuing presence of Christ in this world. Our passion is to obey the Great Commandment (Mt 22:34-40) and the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20) of our Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit, and to uphold Baptist principles of faith and practice as we partner with one another and other Christians.

This statement was approved with very little discussion in the business breakout session and without any debate in the open assembly. I'm very pleased about this addition to the Constitution and believe it will serve as a guiding principle in the CBF's business. As one attendee stated, "More people know the preamble of the US Constitution than they do the Constitution itself." This is an addition that CBF individuals and churches can proclaim when asked about CBF priorities.

The keynote speakers all gave challenging addresses. First, Moderator Joy Yee, a Chinese-American, talked about the importance of becoming inclusive in our service to the gospel with those of different races and nationalities. This is one issue that CBF is attempting to improve upon. Next year's moderator, Emmanuel McCall, is an African-American. It is good so see this diversity on the platform as well as in workshops and worship gatherings. Second, Trevor Hudson gave a stirring message on the theme "Have you got the ticket?" A South African Methodist, Hudson gave thanks for the privilege of speaking to a group of Baptists. He compared the CBF to a train headed for ministry to the poor and overlooked in the world. Hudson was also a leader in the AIDS Summit preceding the General Assembly. Finally, Coordinator Daniel Vestal reemphasized CBF's dedication to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of God's Word, Baptist principles, women in ministry, justice, missions, and ministry to those most neglected in the world. Vestal mentioned that after 15 years, CBF has grown in its mission, ministries, and members.

Lori and I attended several workshops between sessions and enjoyed lunches sponsored by the Baptist Center for Ethics and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJCRL). We sat by Joe and Carolyn Crumpler at the Ethics luncheon; Carolyn (known then as Weatherford) served as the national WMU Director for years before taking early retirement. It was good catching up with Joe and Audra Trull as well. Joe was Professor of Ethics at New Orleans Seminary when I was a student there and helped a great deal during my doctoral studies. He and Audra are special friends to Lori and me.

Dr. Walter (called "Buddy" by friends) Shurden gave the keynote speech at the BJCRL luncheon. Next to the approval of the CBF Preamble, his remarks were the most meaningful part of the week. Buddy talked about the danger of seeing the "Wall of Separation" between church and state collapsing and gave several examples of how this was happening today. He said several times "it could happen here" in relating to the fall of Germany to Hitler and how Germany was blessed with religious and cultural leaders at the time of their fall. No one then could have imagined what would happen. The church became filled with "German Christians" who were more passionate about the first word in the phrase than the latter. In a similar way, there are "American Christians" who are convinced that we live in a "Christian nation" and are working toward merging church and state into a theocracy. It's a dangerous thing when we depend upon the government to do the work of the church. The "separation of church and state" is a precious principle and must be upheld.

Sometimes folks ask how CBF is doing. I'm reminded of what Bo Prosser said to that question in 2004. He said, "About as well as any 13 year old I know." Well, CBF is only 15 years this year but has made significant strides. It's not perfect and has its critics. But, it is a home for Baptist individuals and churches who are seeking to be "the presence of Christ" through word and deed.

The CBF General Assembly meets in Washington D.C. next year. There will be some association with the American Baptist Convention who gathers there at the same time. The two groups will celebrate their commonalities with Baptist missions, ministry, and distinctives.

Still Baptist after all these Years

2006-06-18T14:39:00.000-05:00

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly begins this Tuesday in Atlanta. I'm looking forward to the events of week and praying for a good experience. Having Lori with me will add to the enjoyment of these next few days at the World Congress Center.

The last time I attended a CBF meeting in Atlanta it was to hear former President Jimmy Carter. There were about 8,000 people gathered the night he spoke. I remember being overwhelmed at the attendance and moved by the former President's remarks. Regardless of how you feel about him as a political figure, he has demonstrated a genuine concern for Baptist life and has been active in making the world a better place. Some have called him the best former president we've ever had. His comments on denominational life, in particular, struck a chord with me and I realized I had found a home with the CBF.

The CBF is not perfect by any means. One thing that I appreciate about the organization is its missions emphasis and appreciation for local church autonomy. This means that there are some churches out there that give financially to the CBF with whom I might differ theologically. This is confusing to non-CBFers and a source of criticism which tends to ascribe "guilt by association". To buy into this tactic is to miss the purpose of the Fellowship. The primary concern of the CBF is to be resource for Baptist Christians and churches to "be the presence of Christ" in the world through our words and actions. If the confession "Jesus Christ is Lord" has real meaning for you, then you'll find a home among CBFers.

It is a wonderful privilege to serve as pastor of a church that appreciates Baptist distinctives and celebrates our freedom in Christ. One lesson I've learned is that we were never "God's last and only hope" and bigness isn't all it's cracked up to be. I remember one of my seminary professors saying "the greater the good, the greater the danger" meaning we can succumb to the temptation of pride in our accomplishments if we're not careful. Our church has a good mix of SBC folks, CBFers, and some who don't know or care what the fuss is about. The vast majority of our people, however, are concerned about the SEC (Southeastern conference--I do live in Tennessee). We don't make these preferences a litmust test for fellowship or membership. It's quite a diverse and educated group, one that proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord, affirms the authority of God's Word, and is passionate about missions and caring for one another.

It is refreshing to find a larger body of people who believe these things as well. There is quite a lot of good outside the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message box. Anytime you meet with Baptists, there will be differences but hopefully we can agree that people need the Lord. The old adage "in essentials unity, non-essentials liberality, and in all things charity" resonates with me and other like-minded Baptists. I'm looking forward to rubbing shoulders with folks like that this next week at the General Assembly.

Check those Refrigerators!

2006-06-16T23:04:00.000-05:00

The Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro produced some interesting news. The election of Dr. Frank Page as SBC President proved somewhat of an upset in that he was selected by rank and file Southern Baptists rather than handpicked by the current power brokers. Page appears to be a fundamentalist like his predecessors but doesn't want to be mean about it. It will be interesting to see what, if any, impact this selection will make.

Even more amazing is the fact that there are things left to argue about after all the "moderates" were exiled about 25 years ago. Out of the blue comes this resolution on alcohol. It would ensure that no trustee of a Baptist institution touches a drop of the stuff while serving in that capacity. I guess it's okay to drink as long as you're not aspiring to be a trustee of something in the SBC.

Now I'm not an advocate of using alcoholic beverages and will take a Diet Coke over a beer any day. Abstaining from the beverage is a good thing and you don't need the old Church Covenant to tell you that. My questions are "Why stop with the ban on drinking alcohol?" and "How can you enforce it?"

I guess the "refrigerator patrol" will be out in full force to check what is being chilled in the homes of trustees from now on. Perhaps the honor system would work. But, trust doesn't seem to work well in the SBC. What does it say that there has to be a resolution on this matter at all?

There are so many other vices to consider that I'm surprised they stopped with just one. I mean, tobacco has to be among those at the top of the list. I've buried more people who died of cancer than by consuming too much alcohol. Cancer is such a dreaded disease it would have been a logical choice. Of course, the convention was in North Carolina and that wouldn't have been popular on tobacco row.

How about obesity? Food is one subject that all Baptists know something about. Nothing wrong with eating and meeting. Honestly, can you think of an easier stipulation to enforce? All you have to do is look at somebody and say "you've tipped the scales too much big boy!" Plus, the consumption of alcohol and use of tobacco can be easily done in secret. You can do these vices in the privacy of your own home but overdo it on the sweets and you are in real trouble. You can put down a beer can somewhere but that pouch stays with you all the time. Of course, the obesity rule may have been unrealistic because it would have made finding eligible trustees even more difficult. You'd have to have a picture of them before voting them in and finding someone to verify the percentage of fat would have been a real chore.

There are biblical references to avoiding alcoholic beverages and specifically against drunkeness. Yet, Jesus turned water into wine (Jn 2:9) and the Apostle Paul advised Timothy to "use a little wine because of your stomach and frequent illnesses (I Tm 5:23). Folks who claim to know so much about the Bible ought to realize this. A better approach could have been to adopt Paul's principle that that our bodies are "the temple of the Holy Spirit" and each one should "glorify God with your body" (I Cor 6:19-20). This principle would have covered the whole range of behavior for trustees and other Southern Baptists alike. The way things are now, even Jesus and Paul wouldn't qualify for service in the SBC.