Many of you may have received an email which just came to our church office today from our newly elected SBC President, Bryant Wright. If you haven’t, allow me to share it with you.
From: Bryant Wright
Date: Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 10:16 AM
Subject: To SBC Pastors, From SBC President Bryant WrightDear Friends:
It is only by the Sovereignty of God that Southern Baptists have chosen me to serve Him as President of the Southern Baptist Convention. There are great transitions ahead for the Executive Committee and our Mission Boards; changes in leadership and strategy will affect the mission of Southern Baptists as a whole.
I ask you to pray fervently for our Convention in these critical days of decision making so we align ourselves fully with the heart and mission of Jesus. I also ask that you pray for me and Anne, that we most of all stay close to the Lord and one another during these days. In that light, through prayer and reflection, God has put on my heart three fundamental issues at the core of my service:
- A return to Christ as our first love. When we return to Jesus as our first love in our pulpits and pews, we will begin to see a rekindled love for the gospel reaching all people.
- A radical change in priorities in order to fulfill the Great Commission. This begins with each individual believer seeking to fulfill our role through the local church and continues with pastors and churches recognizing the immense need of getting more and more Cooperative Program dollars to the unreached people groups of the world and into the under-reached areas of North America.
- Churches must begin to look at global ministry differently. It is my hope that every church participates in sending its pastor and members on at least one mission trip annually. I also am praying that this fall every church will step out on faith and set its largest goal ever for the Lottie Moon offering.
To do this, I truly seek to be a pastor to pastors, missionaries and ministers who lead the way in carrying out the Great Commission. I will attempt to talk directly to these leaders and have established a website – www.pray4sbc.com – where you can receive monthly video updates, access daily devotionals to use as resources with the unchurched and enlist as part of our prayer team for the SBC.
There’s much to do and much at stake. So join me in examining how all of us can be more fruitful and faithful Kingdom witnesses in order to fulfill the greatest mission on earth.
In Christ,
Bryant Wright
I encourage everyone to follow the link to the website in Pastor Wright’s email and sign up to pray for and with him as he leads our convention.
SOLA GRATIA!
I’ve signed up!
David
Pingback: Tweets that mention Message from Bryant Wright :: SBC Today -- Topsy.com
I must be a hopeless cynic. Sounds like the umpteenth verse of an old hymn. Same tune, different soloist.
By the way, the title of the aforementioned hymn is: “Let’s All Change From the Top Down” subtitled, “Now We Have a New Hero.”
I know . . . I know . . . I should give the man a chance and I will.
The man’s name is “Jesus.”
SSBN (for what on earth does that stand?),
Yep. You need to be a little less jumpy…and whole lot less cynical. I get skepticism, but the continued, caustic and ‘spiritualized’ cynicism is unhelpful in SBC life today.
SG!
Scott,
SS-Submarine; B-Ballistic; N-Nuclear Powered. It is just for letters that make it easier to blog without my long-time internet stalker clogging my in-box with spam.
It is a reference to my military duty many years ago when I fought in the “Great War.” (That is, the Cold War).
The letter started off really well till we get to that “sovereingty of God” clause; at that point my heart rather sank for do I sense a coming pep rally for the John Calvin crowd?
OKC Pastor,
I’m not a 5 point Calvinist, and I believe in the sovereignty of God. It’s in the Bible.
David
Pingback: Radically Reprioritizing and Redefining the SBC | From Law to Grace
OKC Pastor,
Hip-Hip Hooray for God’s Sovereign-tay! :-)
That’s about all I’ve got for a pep rally right now.
David is right, sovereignty is a biblical issue not merely a systematic theology issue. One would have to be a heretic to deny God’s sovereignty.
The greater issue from this post is in pointing all Southern Baptists to pray for our newly selected (tried to avoid that ‘e’ word) president of our convention. I for one am quite encouraged to see that Pastor Wright is making use of technology and a more proactive role in encouraging our churches and pastors during his time of leadership.
Sola Gratia! [Yep, one of the FIVE solas...hmmmmmm O:-) ]
Did anyone ever think that yes, perhaps Wright chose the language about the ‘sovereignty of God’ on purpose, but not for the ‘usual’ reasons?
I’m am going out on a limb here, and of course cannot speak for Dr. Wright, nor would.
But perhaps, just perhaps, in his choice of words, Dr. Wright is trying to reconcile people by ‘diffusing’ the language and making it acceptable to say ‘God is Sovereign’ for all Southern Baptists.
No one questions that God is all-powerful. But a group had taken the term ‘sovereignty of God’ to mean a specific doctrine of determinism.
And, seeing the red light phrase ‘sovereignty of God’, the ‘other’ group got all worked up and defensive, and wouldn’t use that phrase, which is a shame, because ‘sovereignty’ is traditionally used in orthodox Christianity to acknowledge the ‘High King of Heaven, the Ruler of All’.
I remember when a certain political group had attempted to use the ‘flag pin’ on the lapel to represent their philosophy. They tried.
But someone came along and used the pin who was not of their group.
And then someone else had the courage to do the same. And someone else, until the ‘flag pin’ was restored to its proper symbolism: a standard for ALL Americans again.
I think if Wright is trying to restore that phrase for everyone in the SBC to use, that is a good sign. He may be a ‘healer of the breech’. If he is that, get down on your knees to Our Lord, and give thanks, because, my ‘goodness’, the SBC has much need for healing.
anti-spam word ‘goodness’ :)
Christiane,
Heal thyself.
David
Hi DAVID WORLEY,
The Great Physician is my keeper. In Him only am I healed.
Love you,
Christiane
I really, really, really look forward to this day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDQijZ0OpaU
I agree with all of you, sovereignty is certainly a biblical precept and I am firm believer in it; my problem lies with those who impart soveriegnty unto themselves to the extent that they claim to know the extent of God’s sovereignty. Sorry to disappoint everyone but the notion of determinism is simply incompatible in my mind (does that make me a lost infidel?) but I digress; my prayer is that Brother Bryan Wright is able to lead the SBC into the coming years with a vision and contagious enthusiasm for evangelism that spreads throughout our convention. At least that is my choice…but wait, maybe my choice matters not…perhaps it is already determined; in that case I shall sleep well tonight. But alas I wait your words of chastisement with anxious abandonment.
Your Brother in Christ (or to some…the red-headed step-child lost to the wicked adherence to 3-point Calvinism; may Al Mohler have mercy upon my soul).
OKC, reheads are A-Ok in my book. I used to be red headed before I got old.
I’m not a 5 point Calvinist, either, Brother.
Signed,
Red
DAVID, thank you for sharing that beautiful Gaither video. :)
Welcome
OKC Pastor,
As a brother in my home state I encourage you to keep on fulfilling the Great Commission calling our Lord has placed on all our lives as we carry it out through our local churches.
Just in case you were wondering, I’d likely be the only one here at SBC Today to carry more ‘points’ with me into a soteriological debate than you. So, I think chastisement would be the last response to expect from this crew.
Sola Gratia!
Brother Scott,
Thank you for your kind comments…
OKC Pastor
Some GOOD news about Pastor Wright is found on the Johnson Ferry site:
“A successful businessman before answering God’s call to ministry, Bryant is a respected Bible teacher, pastor, husband, father and community leader.”
Being ‘successful’ as a businessman before answering the call to serve Our Lord is a good sign. He hasn’t had any need to fund any extravagant life-style from the offerings of his flock, as some have done in leadership in the SBC. That IS a blessing, when at least
three of the most prominent men in the SBC have life-styles of luxury OR have worked to gain notoriety, and one has been noted for the long-term claims of personal ‘facts’ that were found to be ‘contradictory’.
I’m hoping that Rev. Wright is a breath of fresh air for the SBC. There are some wonderful Southern Baptist people who need the encouragement of leadership that has integrity and is not self-aggrandizing. For them, I am happy, if Rev. Wright is ‘the real deal’.
Was the choice of Rev. Wright an inspired one, at a time when a man of integrity was so needed?
One hopes.
St. Jerome has written:
“Shun, as you would the plague, a cleric who from being poor has become wealthy, or who, from being a nobody has become a celebrity.”
Apparently, there are enough people now in the SBC who might agree with Jerome in this matter.
Christiane,
Who are the 3 most prominent men in the SBC, who live a life of luxury? And, why would you continue to bring up things about Dr. Caner? I mean, really?
David
DAVID, I probably won’t cooperate.
I’m having a bad day:
http://old.nabble.com/attachment/20623096/5/image006.jpg
L’s,
Answer Vol’s question then take a shot at this one:
How many Catholic Popes, Cardinals, Bishops and especially Parish Priests have provided extravagant life-styles for themselves from the offerings of their flocks?
L’s I realize you are not really much more than a nominal Catholic at best, but your question to Vol was sheer hypocrisy of the first order.
Christiane, hope your week gets better soon.
Christiane, I can say from my own SBC experience, despite any disagreements I continue to have, I have never known a single SBC pastor to provide any sort of extravagant life-style from the offerings of his flock, except one, who also stole a computer I donated to the church and left, and eventually (praise God) he was defrocked for several offenses. I do not doubt that this sort of thing happens in the SBC, but I believe most SBC pastors based on my experience are not dishonest and honestly try to serve their congregations. I think the SBC may have these problems in some of the largest churches, but I honestly do not know details. My personal experience on this, however, has been mostly positive (excepting that one instance of course).
I have no dog in this fight. Just seeing if I can post with my Kindle. BTW, I miss you guys at SBCToday.
I’m definitely praying for our SBC leaders. This is not a time for cynicism, sarcasm, and caustic wit. This is a time for prayer and faithfulness to the cause of Christ.