SBC annual meeting attendance, elections, and resolutions

I am a statistics junkie, an interest that goes back to my baseball days and batting averages, slugging percentages, etc. So SBC stats are interesting to me, if not to many others.

Registration was 5,013, the lowest number for an annual meeting held in one of the Bible Belt southern states since World War II. The attendance was lower in 2011 but the meeting was in Phoenix.

One has to conclude that these meetings just aren't what they used to be and, absent a raging controversy that is a lot hotter than the Calvinist/Traditionalist one, we will likely not see numbers above ten thousand again.

Many have proposed alternatives such as regional meetings in addition to the main convention location. While this is doable, I'm not optimistic that there is any will to change. If SBC pastors and others do not see a lot of value in attending the annual meeting when it is in a location proximate to where the greatest concentration of SBC churches are located, I doubt they will see much value in several such locations.

One result of lower registration is seen in election results. For two consecutive years the office of 2nd Vice President was won (a) by a reasonably well known blogger, (b) by a Calvinist blogger, and (c)  at a time when most messengers were not present and voting.

Here are the figures:

2012 SBC Annual Meeting, New Orleans   

      Total registration, 7,484
           
      First  ballot for 2VP:
                  Dave Miller,    673
                  Eric Hankins, 572
                  Brad Akins,    370

      Second ballot:
                  Dave Miller,    1,202
                  Eric Hankins,    798

Miller was elected at a time when about 27% of messengers were present and voting.

2013 SBC Annual Meeting, Houston   
      
       Total registration, 5,103

       2VP ballot:
              Jared Moore, 451
              Don Cass,       223

Moore was elected at a time when about 13% of messengers were present and voting.

I doubt that there has been a convention officer elected with fewer votes in a century. Some enterprising researcher can look that up.

One might conclude that bloggers are now in a position to pull a significant number of votes, especially at times when most messengers are drinking coffee and browsing the bookstore and exhibit hall.

With so few in attendance, and with the resolutions being presented on Wednesday when many messengers have already left, there is the potential for some mischief in resolutions. Issues of national interest like the Boy Scout controversy and clergy sexual abuse usually generate some mainstream media interest. A goofball amendment supported by just a few hundred of the millions of Southern Baptists could embarrass us. Thankfully, no such goofball was foisted on the convention this year.

On resolutions, we might consider taking the course of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship which does not do resolutions, but this would deprive many SBCers of a fun time where they get to have their moment of fame at a mic. I hardly think the SBC would be harmed by eschewing resolutions and our Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission can speak for us and should on important matters. I don't see any change in the resolution process, however.

Next year the convention is in Baltimore, a non-traditional location though still south of the Mason-Dixon Line. There will be a contested presidential election (Eric Hankins? Ronnie Floyd? J. D. Greear, David Platt or of one of the other young turks? Blogger?) which should ensure attendance greater than this year.

I'm saving my pennies and planning to make the trek.

2012 Annual Meeting Moments

Best moment: Duh. Election of Fred Luter.

Best line: Bryant Wright. "To our Calvinist friends: A bit of humility would be most welcome."  Few people have the ability to say something gravely critical, say it kindly, and have folks walk away reflecting on it rather than reacting to it.

Biggest surprise: The decisive election of Dave Miller as 2nd VP. Unthinkable just a week or so ago. Ditch the lime green suit, bro.

Biggest teaser: Frank Page, having stated that he would announce an "initiative" on the Calvinist/Traditionalist controversy, leaving the matter dangling: Page confirmed again that he plans to assemble a group of advisers to help chart a way through the division surrounding Calvinism.
Whom? What? When? How? We will have to wait.

Silliest moment: Don't know. Wasn't there. Didn't stay glued to the live feed all day. Nominations will be accepted from the hoi polloi in attendance.

Best resolution: Yawn. Doesn't matter but generally does keep people from browsing the exhibit hall for the umpteenth time.

Best hair: Tie between Peter Lumpkins and Eric Hankins.

Smoothest moment: Pick from any number during the sessions when  Bryant Wright was presiding.

Best reporting: SBC Voices did a good job with the twitter feeds.



Houston next year? Don't we ever tire of punishing ourselves by meeting in the heat of June in virtually uninhabitable places.

Congratulations to Dave Miller

I have a line below that says that it would be shocking news if Dave Miller were elected 2nd VP.

He was. I'm shocked...but not displeased.

Dave is not a flame thrower or a bomb lobber. He will not embarrass us. He will work in whatever modest fashion 2nd VPs can work towards convention unity and Cooperative Program support.  

I am not in convention hallways to hear thge buzz but my conjecture is that,

1. Calvinists who were present have some concerns about Eric Hankins, particularly over the preamble and introduction to the Statement.
2. One not-so-hot characteristic of bloggers is that they can be painfully introspective and talk about blogging a lot. This year will mark the date that somewhat of a divide was crossed in which blogging can pull and drive considerable votes. SBCVoices is a widely read site. There is critical mass now.

Hankins should be on any C/T panel.

Congratulations to Dave Miller.

2012 SBC Annual Meeting Predictions

My predictions...from a distance of 527.85 miles:

Election of SBC President

Stop the world:  Fred Luter is not elected.

Shocking: Fred Luter has an unannounced opponent.

Surprising: Fred Luter receives a lackluster nomination.

Ho Hum: Fred Luter is elected as is right, good, positive, and expected.

I regret that  this will not be the biggest story. It should be. It deserves to be.

Election of SBC 1st Vice President

Doesn't matter.

Election of SBC 2nd Vice President

Stop the world:  In a show of statesmanship, unity, and concern for our convention avoiding a destructive return to partisan elections each of the three candidates withdraw and an unknown, fully neutral, replacement candidate is agreed upon.

Shocking:  Dave Miller is elected.

Surprising:  Eric Hankins doesn't win handily.


Ho Hum:  Eric Hankins wins without a runoff.

This election makes me sad because it is being perceived, perhaps not by the candidates but others, as a competition over Traditionalists/Calvinists. This should give an idea of how many votes a high-profile SBC blogger can pull.

Frank Page's Traditionalist/Calvinist 'initiative'

Stop the world: SBC Calvinists and Traditionalists have a confab at Cafe du Monde that ends in a hugfest and everyone agrees to love one another and not seek the preeminence in the SBC. 


Shocking:  Eric Hankins and Dave Miller agree to withdraw from their candidacy for 2nd VP and are put on Page's blue ribbon committee to examine the Calvinist/Traditionalist controversy.


Surprising:  Frank Page recommends to the convention a high-profile study committee which is not heavily weighted with megachurch people. 


Ho Hum: Frank Page, in an honest and sincere effort to avoid another internecine, bloody, and protracted semi-theological denominational conflict appoints a study committee composed of the usual two-thirds megachurch people.

I would love to be shocked on this with either or both of the two middle predictions. We have to come to some agreeable accord on this or it will be ugly.

Attendance

Stop the world: Attendance is down from last year.


Shocking:  Attendance is above 15,000

Surprising:  Attendees eat in moderation and tip appropriately.


Ho Hum: Attendance around 12,500

One should never underestimate the desire of some Southern Baptists to watch train wrecks. Two locomotives are barreling down the tracks toward each other. Let's see if someone can put on the brakes.


Wish I could be there.

Richard Land dreams an immigration dream

Baptist Press:Land: ERLC supports 'clean' DREAM Act

The Southern Baptist Convention's public policy entity supports -- with conditions -- legislation that would give the children of illegal immigrants the opportunity to gain legal status.

In a June 27 letter, Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), informed two U.S. senators the organization would back a "clean" bill on the issue. Land told Sens. Charles Schumer, D.-N.Y., and John Cornyn, R.-Texas, that the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act must meet certain requirements to receive the ERLC's backing.

I suppose that Richard Land and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission thought that following the SBC's mixed-up resolution would be a good time to outline a sensible Christian approach to a prickly and complicated problem. Good the him and them.

With some SBCers clamoring for mass deportation we stand to look silly, not the first time, and uncaring, not what we want, all in the name of law enforcement, not the most salient biblical principle to follow in this case.

If the enforcement scenario of some is followed, illegal children of illegals would be deported, even though they know no life save here, speak no language than English, etc.

Dave Miller (here) and Howell Scott here have sensible articles on the matter. If you have hours to kill, scan through some of the 355, count 'em, comments on Dave's piece.

Resolutions have too much potential to make the entire SBC look bad, silly, or unchristian. Even if the Resolutions Committee maintains tight floor control over the resolutions, one or two goofball messengers can get to a mic and mess the whole thing up for all of us.

I like Land and the ERLC on this and I like Land speaking up on Ayn Rand earlier.

SBC resolutions: Not worth a bucket of tepid expectoration

I'm sorry, but when only about 1500 people out of our sixteen million members make pronouncements at the annual meeting about issues, it just isn't worth much. The Executive Committee gets to say that the SBC has spoken on this or that but these things are probably more harmful that helpful so far as the publicity they generate.

Intelligent SBCers might note that a resolution is only a statement of opinion by the folks who happen to be present at the time. Unfortunately, the public doesn't grasp that and imputes the resolution to the entire Southern Baptist Convention.

Dave Miller does a good job of analyzing the immigration resolution of last week, “Immigration and the Gospel” – the SBC’s Real Controversy, and I have to be honest. When I read the resolution I thought that it sounded just like what the CBF would do, if they did resolutions.

So, in addition to immigration we affirm hell. I didn't know hell needed any help from Southern Baptists, although one of the upper levels of hell has to be some sessions of the SBC annual meeting that I have endured.

The resolutions process is one of the more tightly controlled aspects of the meeting, although there has been the occasional runaway convention.

The SBC will always have to endure the phrase "former SBC vice president" in front of Wiley Drake's name. One of these days we will embarrass ourselves with a ridiculous resolution and have to deal with being reminded that the SBC "officially" passed such a thing.

Perhaps we could follow the CBF, they may have this thing right if not much of anything else.

Wade Burleson, Peter Lumpkins, Dave Miller and the worst of blogging

No need for links or further explanations.

Dave Miller, Peter Lumpkins’ provocative article on SEBTS and alcohol isn’t the worst of blogging. If you want to use a superlative like “worst” then you set the bar very high. Your discussion on Lumpkins didn’t make the bar, bro, but everyone can have a bad blogging week.

No, Wade Burleson, Peter’s use of a certain biblical word for you wasn’t the worst of blogging nor does such destroy the SBC, though I think my fellow Georgian was intemperate to make the statement and wish he hadn’t. I don’t think Peter would even make your next edition of ‘Hardball’ if that is the best he can do.

Seems to me that this business of the worst of blogging comes when bloggers make each other the subject of their stuff and unleash a stream of sordid blog comments. It's not so much the conflict between two bloggers that is the worst but the people who know no better than to feel uninhibited in defense of one or the other.

If I had to pick this week's worst blogging, it wouldn't be Peter or Wade or Dave but would be the comments that have followed.

Peter is said on Burleson's blog to be insecure, weak emotionally, hypocritial, hateful, sick, twisted, envious, miserable, sad, and a farce. The poor fellow is said to exhibit classic narissism, to have little self worth, and to be a miserable soul. Paul of Tarsus, who has a couple of pretty good sin lists in the New Testament, was a piker in compiling such things compared to this one. Lest any of Peter's brothers in Christ be left with the slightest pang of Christian charity towards him, mention is made of Peter and others on the blogging enemy list as having being fired from churches, teeny tiny churches.

In the light of the above how about someone explaining exactly how one can conclude that it is Peter Lumpkins who is an example of how the SBC is being destroyed as well as being an example of the worst blogging?

The worst of blogging looks to me a lot like the worst of congregational life. When two of the brethren or sistren are in a conflict, others feel compelled to take sides and to make it worse. So, we have commenters weighing in with psychobabble, slander, and old fashioned unkindness. Good grief.

Is it any wonder that people like Kevin Ezell envision bloggers and commenters as being do-nothing saps in their basements in housecoats? I think not.

Sad thing is, I’m afraid we haven’t see the worst of blogging just yet. Too bad.

PS: For my vast readership, reported to be in double digits now, I actually like each of these three guys even though I have solid evidence that each falls short of the glory of God. I’ve swapped cordial emails and comments with the three but have actually met and conversed only with Peter. From that, I can confirm that Peter Lumpkins is the only other guy in the entire Southern Baptist Convention whose hair is as nice as Wade Burleson’s. That has to count for something. Check their photos and tell me I’m wrong…they are both a work of art. Dave Miller's hair isn't so hot, best I can tell.