Dr. Frank Cox: An Endorsement
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All five of us have prayerfully considered the candidates for election to the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention. We have interviewed each candidate. We have examined their service to the Kingdom, and to Southern Baptist causes. We have weighed carefully their words, both in our interviews and in other venues. And we have concluded that the best candidate for our convention at this time is Dr. Frank Cox. We arrived at this conclusion for three reasons.
- Frank Cox is not an establishment guy. Do not read this statement to mean those long entrenched in the Conservative Resurgence do not support Frank Cox, because I believe many do. However, I call your attention to the timing of Dr. Cox’s announcement. Dr. Al Mohler was already an announced candidate and thus, secretly had the backing of the “establishment” as we were moving forward. Dr. Cox clearly has sought God’s will for this timing in his life and he desires to be in the very center of the will of God. Thus, whether the establishment backs him or not, he is willing to place his name out there in following God’s leading.
- Frank Cox has a passion for cooperative missions. Dr. Cox’s passion for cooperative missions is seen in his support of the Cooperative Program. His church’s giving is percentage is 13%. Here is the way the Christian Index presented the facts:
The congregation gave $393,839, or 13.4 percent, through the Cooperative Program from total undesignated receipts of $2,946,717. According to the ACP, the church’s total mission expenditures were $601,416, with $59,976 given for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and $23,494 for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.
He works locally in various secular community events, for the sole purpose of lovingly confronting the culture with an unashamedly Christian voice and perspective. Dr. Cox not only confronts the culture but he engages the culture. His past service on the local school board curriculum committee is just one example. Dr. Cox cooperated with both moderates and conservatives as President of the Georgia Baptist Convention when that convention was dealing with contentious issues. Dr. Cox cooperated, hearing all of the sides, but then taking a stand on conservative, bible believing theology. He did not waver, but was willing to cooperate.
- Frank Cox is highly respected by many leaders. Dr. Cox shares many friendships with other leaders across our convention. Dr. Junior Hill, who will nominate him, has stated that Dr. Cox “cares about people. He cares about our denomination and he cares about the destiny of America. He has never been too small to preach in the largest of our churches and he has never been too big to preach in the smallest of our churches. His heart is pure. His doctrine is right. His vision is clear.”
The fact that Dr. Junior Hill is nominating him for the top electable post in the convention speaks highly of his integrity. Dr Cox is the kind of president that our convention needs right now. He has pastored a small church, medium-sized church, large church, and now a mega-church. These pastorates were not done in different settings, but in one setting and that is his current location of ministry. He came to his present ministry when it was Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, a church that had around 130-200 in average attendance. It was in 1995 that Pleasant Hill Baptist Church was led by God, through the pastoral leadership of Dr. Cox, to re-locate to their present location and change their name to North Metro First Baptist Church (NMFBC). In 2007, NMFBC was 47th in CP giving in the entire Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Cox has navigated many changes within his years of ministry. These challenges have uniquely prepared and equipped him to lead our convention at this challenging time.
41 Comments
June 4th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
“Dr. Al Mohler was already an announced candidate and thus, secretly had the backing of the “establishment” as we were moving forward.”
Secrets, establishment….huh? Does the establishment have other secrets?
June 4th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Rick,
We could tell you, but then we’d have to kill you…
Apparently, the sarcasm didn’t communicate well. The fact is, this field of candidates demonstrates clearly that there is no such animal as an “establishment” these days.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Great post guys, I too will cast my vote for Frank Cox next week at the Convention. I feel that he is God’s man for this time in the Convention.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Wes,
Careful, buddy. You know what happens to people who accidently let out secrets that were supposed to be kept secret. This slip of the tongue will not be tolerated by you know who!
Also, I noticed that you forgot to sign off with the secret goodbye signal.
Myelbowinahonda,
David
June 4th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Sorry, you can’t pass it off as sarcasm since Dr. Mohler was indeed the establishment candidate. I’m just proud that some are now finally admitting that which we know has been true for years.
Consider it progress.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Rick,
I assume you have evidence of Dr. Mohler’s status as the “establishment candidate,” so confident is your assertion. I’d be very interested in that evidence, because it would, if true, mean that I was directly lied to concerning the genesis of his candidacy.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Rick,
Where’s the facts? Where’s the proof? Do you have any, or are you just spitting in the wind?
Myelbowinahonda,
David
June 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Wes,
Not sure what you mean by the genesis of the candidate but I do indeed have factual knowledge of the anointing of the establishment candidate. Glad you asked.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
It really cracks me up when I hear all this “conspiracy” stuff and secrets etc..
Maybe I missed it the name change from SBC to CIA? Come on guys, a little humor is good for the soul – my login word was JOY! I caught what the post said and thought it was funny!
Politics can be found even in our reactions to humor!
June 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Tim,
I can provide the evidence needed. But will I still be able to join the secret establishment group and apply for the secret decoder ring?
The “evidence” was Dr. Mohler’s resoundingly popular and well received convention address at San Antonio last year. Because of that speech and his comments regarding the Garner Motion, he would have won by a landslide this year had his health not prevented him from running.
Ron P.
June 4th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Ron P.
I truly doubt Dr. Mohler would have won in a landslide.
June 4th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Brother Rick,
I was the one that wrote the endorsement for SBC Today so I believe I can accurately express to you the meanings of the words.
When I used the word “establishment” please note that I used quotation marks, not as something that would imply a secretive group but more about leaders in the convention ready to agree with Dr. Mohler’s position for the SBC. That was all I was implying when I used the term “establishment”.
Blessings,
Tim
June 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
What’s wrong with an “establishment” candidate? If the “establishment” is simply made up of those who are in leadership in churches and insitututions across our convention, why is it suddenly sinister and negative when the majority of them support a particular candidate?
June 4th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
It really cracks me up when I hear all this “conspiracy” stuff and secrets etc..
Maybe I missed it the name change from SBC to CIA? Come on guys, a little humor is good for the soul – my login word was JOY! I caught what the post said and thought it was funny!
Politics can be found even in our reactions to humor!
Tim G: You can actually write this with a straight face in light of your own post along with Tim Rogers latest conspiracy theories?
June 4th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Debbie,
Oh, the stories I could tell if only I werent scared of the men dressed in black with black sunglasses coming after me for spilling the beans.
Myelbowinahonda,
David
PS. To all the establishment people in here…. the duck has eaten the beans….I repeat…the duck has eaten the beans.
June 4th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Good endorsement for an even better man.
June 4th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Tim,
I think that you did a good job with your endorsement. If you reread the paragraph that Rick is referring to, I agree with him that there exists no literary sarcasm, and the quotation marks do not diminish the existance of an “establishment” or the fact that anything would be done in secret. While I do not intend to go looking for proof, I would cite your writings for a reason that I am pursuaded that they both exist (based upon the context of the entire paragraph).
More interesting to me is my guess that very few members of our small rural church know who the current SBC president is or who’s running or why…. I need to take a poll.
Nevertheless, I will pray.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Brother Tom,
Thank you for the compliment. Also as you will note, I defined who the ‘establishment’ guys were. Would you not agree? It seems that when I reference establishment guys as those long entrenched in the Conservative Resurgence, I am painting with a very broad brush concerning who is and is not part of the ‘establishment’.
Blessings,
Tim
June 4th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
This comment stream is ridiculous, by the way.
David,
What is all this “myelbowinahonda” stuff? Care to elaborate what you are referring to? I don’t follow. Does anyone else?
June 5th, 2008 at 1:52 am
David,
Your ill attempt to mock those you disagree with speaks to your character. Although I don’t recall every laying eyes on you, from what I hear you are (to quote Kosmo Kramer) “a bit long in the waste, a portly fellow.” Would you enjoy being mocked for your weight? Why cast stones at fellow brothers and sisters who, in good faith, understand speaking in tongues differently than you?
From now on, if you wish to mock someone, why not direct harsh words towards yourself by signing off with phrases such as ‘mmmtoomuchpietonight’ or ‘icouldaatemorechipndip’?
June 5th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Brothers Alan, Jerry C. &; James T.,
Before you all make any further ill-informed statements you need to read Brother David’s comment #4. He is merely using satire that has nothing to do with PPL.
Blessings,
Tim
June 5th, 2008 at 7:02 am
James T.,
Thanks for reminding me why I don’t usually comment on blogs anymore.
For whatever my opinion is worth brother, I think you owe someone an apology.
As for the endorsement here, I think you guys have made a great choice. I’ve been very impressed with Frank Cox.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:52 am
….We are being told to learn to laugh at things rather than walking around with a chip on our shoulders…
An administrative, thus fully authoritative, interpretation of Rev. Worley’s use of parodic tongues…
…or we may be being led to start a new missions program in Japan…
…or it could simply mean that his elbow is in a Honda!
Sola Gratia!
June 5th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Tim,
I only asked what David was talking about. I didn’t get it and asked for someone to clarify what he was trying to do. I implied nothing.
Jerry Corbaley,
No, that is not what I wanted to know. Why do you mock so when it comes to this issue?
June 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I am privileged to join with my brothers here at SBC Today in our unanimous endorsement of Dr. Cox. As I have said at my place, I believe that Frank Cox is definitely the right man for this time in our convention…and this from one of those guys who is supposed to be upset with Dr. Cox’s ‘Not-so-Calvinist’ soteriology!
I am also looking forward to meeting many of you when we gather in the open-wheel motorsports racing capitol!
Sola Gratia!
June 5th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Apparently, some people do not really read comment streams. If they did, they would see that my good bye sign off is a secret, code word that all of us “establishment” people use. I have spilled the beans about our secret code word, so now, we’ll have to change it.
showmeyourbowtieinawedgie,
David
June 5th, 2008 at 10:22 am
James T,
Wow, brother. You have some serious issues; do you not? Why all the hate and the mockery towards me and the fact that I’m vertically challenged? BTW, I’m not overwieght. I’m just not tall enough. Why, if I was 6′10″ then my weight would be just right. But alas, I’m just 6′2″.
God bless you, James, and may the Lord do great things in your life,
Showmeyourbowtieinawedgie,
David
June 5th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I love a little sarcasm myself. But there are several bloggers who need to know that sarcasm, ridicule and mocking do not constitute reason or argument.
Sarcasm between friends can be cute. Sarcasm directed at those you oppose in debate is inflammatory and impotent.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Gentle Men,
My anti-spam word was “gentleness”.
Brother David W.
You are so comical (vertically challenged) and you know when and how to push another’s buttons.
Please, heed Brother Dave Miller’s advice.
Brother Scott,
I am also looking forward to meeting many of you when we gather in the open-wheel motorsports racing capitol! I believe you will find out that on July 27th at the Brickyard 400 there will be more people in the stands for that race than for any one open wheel race that is run. Driving open–wheel cars is for girls.
Blessings,
Tim
June 5th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Why an endorsement at all?
It seems to fly in the face of the stance taken in giving equality to the candidates in their interviews (which I found helpful and very fair).
June 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Jerry,
You apparently forgot the password phrase…it’s… the duck has eaten the beans….the duck has eaten the beans…..
Dave, Tim, Alan, James T, and others,
I was not trying to mock, nor ridicule anyone. I was not trying to push anyones buttons. I was not trying to be mean to anyone. I was simply using satire and a tiny, little bit of sarcasm in response to the conspiracy crowd who thinks that the huge, mean, conniving, “establishment” crowd is out there running the SBC like a mafia organization. The secret, good bye, sign off had nothing to do with tongue speaking. Goodness gracious!
I think the word of the day should be “overlysensitive.” And, the lesson of today should be “dont wear your feelings on your sleeve.”
Everyday, I just try to be a blessing to someone.
David
June 5th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Tim-
I’m thrilled to see that we agree about something substantive.
(comment 30) Go Jimmie Johnson!!
June 5th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Jerry,
I did not say that you were a mocker. I cannot judge you that way. I said that I believe that you mock on this particular issue. I am thinking primarily of your posts during the convention last year and I am asking questions about your actions, not who you are as a person. I do not know about your character or the rest of your life so I do not intend to judge you as a person. I can only speak to your actions related to ppl that I have witnessed.
David Worley,
Again, I didn’t understand what you were doing through your code words so I only asked. I made no judgment whatsoever. Thanks for clarifying.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Micah,
I am afraid I have been sorely mistaken about your reasoning abilities. I am indeed disappointed.
Everyone knows that this is the first year Hendrick has had a driver worth cheering. Really, I can even pull for Gibb’s 18 car now that the 88 is carrying the entire year for the Hendrick team.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Colin-
Say it ain’t so! #18 is almost as bad as rooting for #20. Ugh!
June 5th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Micah,
It seems we are at an impasse.
Good day.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Micah,
In all seriousness, not to stray too far from the topic at hand…if it would otherwise cause my brother to stumble, I could, in humility, root for the 48. Let us focus on the primary issues of racing, not the secondary issues of drivers, nor tertiary of owners.
June 6th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Brother Micah,
Sorry, I have taken so long to get back to you. We can agree on something. However, as they say , “The devil is in the details.”
#48 Car? Naw! I am a Christian and speaking about NASCAR causes the flesh to desire its prominence so in the words of that famous philosopher; “That’s all I will say about that”. I am a Chevy man and refuse to pull for anyone that is driving any other make. Thus, I am a #29 Harvick Fan myself.
You certainly can tell where this convention has its roots. We post on a presidential nominee and we end up talking NASCAR.
Blessings.
Tim
June 6th, 2008 at 8:05 am
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June 6th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
[...] ALERT: the duck has eaten the beans….I repeat…the duck has eaten the beans. [...]
June 17th, 2009 at 1:12 am
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