Moderate Baptists in particular, who reject hierarchy and have a distaste for authoritarianism, seem to be a highly critical group. So my prayers and best wishes go out for her and all leaders — in all situations — who willingly leave the sidelines to join the game. Be careful in there.
Who woulda thunk it?
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Douglas Baker, editor of the Baptist Messenger in a recent article:
...64.5 percent of the total membership of the Southern Baptist Convention is found in those churches that have more than 146 weekly worshipers, with the remaining 35.5 percent of the SBC’s total membership located in congregations that have less than 146 weekly worshipers.
So, most Baptists DO NOT worship in small churches. Who woulda thunk that?
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SBC presidential candidate Jimmy Jackson as reported in a recent Biblical Recorder article
...realizes his church is not a “pace setter” in CP giving, sending 4.64 percent of undesignated gifts through the Cooperative Program. It gives nearly an equal amount divided between the special offerings for international missions and North American missions. He said he is going to talk to his leadership about directing more gifts through the CP because if others are designating away from CP, the nuts and bolts funding required for missions is being lost.
He is a great guy and an outstanding pastor, but it looks like Jackson has had a campaign trail Cooperative Program conversion. Until now, his church was happily designating as much to the IMB and NAMB as it was sending to the CP. Who woulda thunk that?
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Jerry Rankin on his blog
But the highlight of what may be my final SBC will be to see the convention, compelled by a vision for the future, reaffirm its commitment to the mission task that precipitated our formation 165 years ago. I am confident the common burden we all have for reaching a lost world will converge in a strong consensus for risking change in order to be obedient to the Great Commission.
His leadership at IMB will be missed.
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Johnny Hunt in a Baptist Press article
There was a unanimous sentiment by the Task Force that the Executive Committee could be streamlined and continue to do what Southern Baptists want it to do, even with this reallocation of funding.
Apparently, Morris Chapman wasn't represented on the GCRTF, all of whom see his expansionism at the Executive Committee as not helpful to the SBC. No surprise there.
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Bobby Welch, asked in a Baptist Press interview about what will happen to his job as SBC strategist for Global Evangelical Relations if the GCR Task Force recommendations are implemented:
"ELIMINATED," in all truthfulness, is the only one-word answer to that question that comes to my mind.
Global Evangelical Relations will be "eliminated" as the relationship building ministry for all causes for the SBC around the entire world.
That truly is the most honest answer that can be given if I understand correctly the recommendation to the Executive Committee.
5 comments:
In 1984 at the Evangelists Luncheon I think it was on a Weds afternoon of the SBC that year, Bobby Welch is reputed to have said: "We've got Liberals".
The resistance to the CR had scared em a little, and Welch was the man to rally the wildest bunch.
In your blog overview roundup you missed this from Adrian Rogers' son David's effort where he is a contributor at SBCImpact.net:
During and after the Conservative Resurgence of the SBC, it was predicted by many on the “moderate side” that, after winning the battle for control of the seats of influence within denominational life, the “conservatives” would eventually turn on each other, and end up splintering into a number of different sub-factions. If we are honest with ourselves, I think we must recognize that this prediction cuts closer to home than we generally like to admit.
End quote.
That from his June 6 blog. I made a comment there.
Hal Crowther on Jesse Helms in the current issue of Oxford American, the magazine Baptist novelist John Grisham founded. Many of you will want to see that in print only. Puts things in perspective, the underbelly of the CR.
Burroughs’ comment: “It's much easier to have an opinion about how someone else should lead than it is to actually lead yourself[.]”
Pierce’s comment: “Truer words have not been spoken … Moderate Baptists in particular, who reject hierarchy and have distaste for authoritarianism, seem to be a highly critical group.”
Norm: Concerning Burroughs -- Two things: 1) Those that lead know the issues (much better) and plausible alternatives for confronting them, thus such could implicitly argue for an authoritarian style of leadership, the very thing that Pierce says moderates decry. 2) Now that I am leading, please don’t criticize me.
Concerning Pierce’s comment -- Two things: 1) Moderates have a distaste for authoritarianism when it comes to issues of faith, but many seem to tolerate it quite well when it comes to issues of management. 2) A baptist that is not critical is not thinking.
I found the stats from Douglas Baker to be quite interesting. Baker is, after all, not the first person to suggest that there are multiple ways of looking at SBC statistics. Meanwhile, Les Puryear has been a bit of a butt and insisted that his statistical analysis is the only valid analysis.
I also find interesting the way that Baptist Press has used Puryear for their own political purposes. They've quoted him in articles, publish as an op-ed a post from his blog and cover this SBC Majority Initiative of his. Truth be known, his Majority Initiative is basically Les Puryear and his laptop. I don't think that my observation here is that far from the truth. Nonetheless, Baptist Press has given Puryear's efforts credibility in the eyes of outsiders and a consequence, Puryear has been mentioned in a story by Adelle Banks of Religious News Service, a journalist who most religion journalists take notes from...
Puryear is apparently a very good pastor although he has proven to be be adept at squandering credibility, not the least example of which is his small church group's support of Jimmy Jackson for SBC prez in spite of Jackson (a)being a megachurch pastor (there is a perfectly good candidate who is not a megapastor) and (b) Jackson doing exactly what Puryear has blogge incessantly against with respect to the CP and designated gifts.
So long credibility.
For the record, any of the four candidates will make good SBC presidents.
Don't want to sabotage this blog, but BDidd above and myself have two good sports blogs up if anybody wants to look at common ground for a breather before they come back to the GCR.
BDidd on Baylor and the PAC 10 Demolition of the Big 12; and mine on FIFA.
While at my blog, Cane Brake folks may want to look at my friend Brett Morgen's ESPN 30/30 documentary next Weds at 10 pm and Sat the 19th at noon.
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