Will GCB die a quiet death?

Shall it be “GCB Plodder” instead of SBC Plodder?

Uh…no.

I rather like beginning our name with the hiss of the sibilant “S” in Ssssssouthern Baptist Convention. Doesn’t SsssssssBC roll nicely right off the tongue? Sort of a soft 'hisssss'.

Speaking of which, veteran SBCers are able detect a steady hiss of disapproval for any significant idea put forth from on high in the Sssssouthern Baptist Convention and the hissing of bloggers far and wide is constant in our Baptist background. I hear it on the non-name change.

I sense ambivalence about the matter, although not a few approve of the action since it gives us a way for churches to avoid enunciating the “S” word if they think it harmful.

Since I don’t deal with people who instinctively hold me at arms length when they find out I am SBC, I make no judgment about the advantage of a nickname for the SBC. Should some feel it helpful, I’m for going along.

Would anyone dispute that we have a way in the SBC of taking perfectly good terms and phrases and absolutely wearing them out.  I offer as evidence the ubiquitous Baptist term “missions.” In my state every nickel that is spent is “missions” and every employee is a state “missionary.”

Get the point?

But I’m trying to imagine a conversation about the nickname.

 “Oh, I’m a Great Commission Baptist.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, it’s what some of us call the Southern Baptist Convention.”

“I see.”

“You do?”

“Not really, but whatever.” 

The dilemma is inescapable here. When the question is asked about what, who Great Commission Baptists are, the answer has to be forthright. I wouldn't do to finesse it and deliberately hold back on  connecting it to the SBC, and thereby appear deceitful.
 

And we've got a disconnect here. If the purpose is both avoid negative reaction to SBC and also to create a good impression, "Great Commission Baptists" fails because it is far too obscure to all but those with a much higher level of Biblical familiarity. "Golden Rule Baptists" would work for this because the phrase is familiar to almost all.


And doesn't the name “Great Commission Baptists” sound decidedly generic? Insiders think and speak of autonomy but the greater public thinks of  the SBC as being heavily institutionalized. "Great Commission Baptists" sounds like a mob not an organization. Perhaps the committee is onto something there.

One might note the way in which news media, folks who actually get paychecks for reporting news, wrote of the Name Change Committee’s recommendation to the Executive Committee:

“Southern Baptists decide against name change”

“Southern Baptists will officially remain Southern Baptists”
“No Name Change For Southern Baptists” ‎ 

The headline news is that there will be no name change for the SBC, not that we have an add-on name.

Time will tell if the alternative name dies a quiet death or lives on with some degree of usefulness. I'm leaning towards the former.

Regardless, I will not be using the alternative name. If others find some value in it, God bless them.

Notable SBC quotes from 2011

Folks in the SBC are always good for some quotable quotes although I wouldn't say that they are always helpful for the Convention. Here are some that I picked up from 2011:

Goebbelesque quote of the year:

Restoration to doctrinal purity and a renewed sense of unity in the churches of our Association were our goals.

This from the official communication of Surry Baptist Association, NC.

So, what’s the issue? Deity of Christ? Soteriology? The trinity? Nope.

What happened was that one of the association's churches called a woman pastor, thereby polluting the pastoral gender pool for the association. That bit of “impurity” could not be allowed to stand. It didn't, as the offending church was unceremoniously and hastily cast out. Other churches left in time over the association's action, thereby adding, one presumes, additional levels of purity.

One has to admit that the terminology has a strong eugenics flavor. Plodder will accept criticism for the use of a National Socialist Party figure in this context as it may be considered overly harsh. If persuaded, I will exchange it for 'Orwellian'.

Head-scratching quote of the year:

I think the challenges confronting the SBC today are different than they have been in decades past. I think one of the issues which is a tremendous challenge for us is the theological divide of Calvinism and non-Calvinism.

This from Executive Committee head Frank Page in answer to the question about what the SBC’s greatest challenges are. This would be the self same Frank Page who is in a better position to understand well that the lifeblood of the SBC is the Cooperative Program which is continuing a decades long decline. The CP was not mentioned by Page as one of the SBC's greatest challenges.

From another planet quote of the year:

First, there is an existing [negative] attitude toward evangelists in certain areas of SBC leadership.

This from evangeilst Jerry Drace who was explaining why the SBC evangelist is an endangered species. This was reason number one. SBC evangelists are endangered because NAMB won't pay their travel expenses. Uh, no.

Dodged-a-bullet quote of the year:

...no one [on the SBC Name Change Task Force] believed the word "Baptist" should be removed from the convention's name

Jimmy Draper explaining that the Committee had reached a decision and would report to the Executive Committee in February.

We will remain Baptists. SBCers might all get tattoos and grow goatees but, however we look and act, our forefathers may rest peacefully knowing that we will officially be called "Baptists."

Generic apology quote-of-the-year:

I deeply regret if I've ever offended you...if you speak as speak as much as I speak you're going to say some goofy things from time to time.

Mac Brunson, FBCJax megapastor, addressing everyone in general and thereby expiating any and all sins in one fell pulpit swoop.

It is not known if the blogger behind FBCJax Watchdog, the one who aroused Brunson's ire and who was investigated by local law enforcement merely for blogging negatively towards the pastor, was addressed specifically in this apology. One might be flummoxed over the meaning of the phrase "deeply regret" in this context. He is absolutely right about those who say a lot do say some things they will regret. I share in that.

Refreshing quote of the year:

I will not personally support any At Large appointment of a person who has recently served. Nor will I support the appointment of that person’s staff member or a member of his/her immediate family to key places of leadership, practices which have become commonplace in recent years.

This quote is rather provincial, coming from John Waters newly elected president of the Georgia Baptist Convention. Any SBCer who pays attention understands that an oligarchy of a few dozen prominent pastors maintains control of key positions and trusteeships in most SBC arenas in part by passing appointments among themselves and, when by-laws prevent their being appointed, by having their family members or church staff members appointed as their proxy.

I attribute Waters' electoral victory this year to this quote.

Most notable Baptist Press quote: Sorry, there were none. Baptist Press was so busy reporting sports stories that they left all of the real news stuff to Associated Baptist Press and other news outlets. Maybe next year.


My memory fades after a few weeks. Perhaps you would have some submissions for notable SBC quotes of 2011.

Name change committee sez we can continue to be 'Baptists'

Well...good. I was wondering if I could ever be comfortable saying that I was a proud non-southern, non-baptist, generic something-or-other.

SBC name change task force reaches decision

That's a real tickler of a headline by Baptist Press.

What decision?

Well, we're not exactly told but it (them?) was unanimous.

Jimmy Draper did say,

...the task force understands its charge is limited to reporting back to Wright and that no one believed the word "Baptist" should be removed from the convention's name.

Soooo...we will remain Baptists and that puts the matter back to Plodder's SBC Name Change Designer wherein you can mix some denominational terminology together but must keep "Baptist" in the mix.

We will just be guessing what the grand Name Change Committee will report to the SBC Executive Committee on February 20th.