Author Archive
What Happened to the Church being a Covenant Community?
Posted by: | CommentsI would like to thank SBCToday for allowing me to guest blog on the topic of Church Covenants. I miss the daily interaction and fellowship with these guys so allowing me to post is a tremendous blessing. The piece below is actually part of an article I will include in a church newsletter. Whether you agree or disagree, I hope that you all are in some way blessed after reading it.
What is a church covenant? A church covenant is a commitment to God among fellow brothers and sisters as to how they will conduct themselves under the Lordship of Christ in their mutual relationship as fellow members of a New Testament church. Baptist churches have used covenants since their beginning. As one Baptist historian stated, “[Baptists] have written and used hundreds and perhaps thousands of church covenants” (Charles Deweese). But why were church covenants used by our Baptist forefathers and are seldom used today?
It’s Not Goodbye, Just See Ya Later
Posted by: | CommentsOver two years ago I had the privilege to form this blog with friends who were of common mind and interest. Before that I was a rogue 
blogger on my own, speaking about various issues including topics on the Southern Baptist Convention. So, for over three and a half years I have spent an enormous amount of time interacting with many of you. It has been quite a learning experience and I have benefited from this venture. I thank you all for taking the time out to converse with me over issues we are passionate about. But the time has come for me to break away to pursue other interests, namely leading the church I pastor in reevaluating how we reach others for Christ in our changed culture (from attractional [programs] to incarnational [process]) and producing my dissertation on the Great Commission. To do this will require my focus (outside of God and family which comes first) to be on these two important aspects of my ministry.
Therefore, I am taking a long hiatus from SBCToday. While I will still contribute an article occasionally and show up for a podcast or two, my participation in the day to day management and decision making of this site with the other resource managers has ceased for the foreseeable future.
I thank all the guys here at SBCToday for their friendships and support as we have been a united voice of Baptist Identity and biblical discipleship. There are a lot of things that I reflect upon and stand amazed at how God has used us to affect His work in the SBC. There have also been some learning experiences that have tempered us all. For that I am gratefully humbled. All together Wes, Tim, Scott, and Joe are all fine men and I count it a privilege to have served with them in this blogging adventure.
God bless to all!
Bro. Robin
Morris Chapman – Just One More Soul
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Morris Chapman has written an article for SBC Life describing his vision for his final year at the helm of the Executive Committee for Southern Baptists. There is no doubt that I have disagreed with Dr. Chapman in the past over certain issues, but on this article I raise a loud AMEN! I pray that all the members on the Great Commission Task Force read what he has written here because I believe that Dr. Chapman has got to the heartbeat of our problems in the SBC. Do we pray for “just one more soul?” And after one more soul is delivered are we repeating this prayer? Is this happening in the typical Southern Baptist pastor quiet time? Is this happening in the lives of those who occupy the pews in our churches? While in some instances that may be true, I am fearful that in a majority of cases, that is not true. Yet the bigger question for those of us who are voicing this prayer of burden is whether we are putting feet to our prayers. Below is an excerpt from Dr. Chapman’s article:
Something Good About NAMB
Posted by: | CommentsI recently received in an email a link to this video about the work of NAMB Chaplain Robert Toney. To access the article click here. There has been a lot of discussion and buzz as of late concerning NAMB. Being a former missionary/church planter with NAMB, I continue to see the vital role this agency plays in Southern Baptist Life. While I do agree that a refocus of purpose and strategy is needed, I can look to the work of people like Bro. Toney and see that our cooperative program dollars are going to great causes where God is doing a tremendous work. Let us all take a minute and thank God for His grace and mercy that He provides through missionaries we support like Chaplain Toney. Let us also remember those Chaplains like Bro. Toney who are going into the darkness of our society and giving these inmates another chance to turn to Christ.
Who Is Being Served? Redux
Posted by: | CommentsFebruary 1 of 2008 I published a post concerning what was then the inevitability of Dr. Rankin’s retirement and the future search for a replacement at the IMB. It brought some heated discussion. Essentially all I wanted to do was to open the discussion for a proven stateside pastor to be given the possibility of consideration as the next president of the International Mission Board (IMB).
While strategy on the field is important and we need a man who can bring people together as a team to help missionaries with the challenges we face, I still feel the greatest need for the IMB is to reconnect with the local churches who support her. Through this reconnection, shortfalls in funds could be overcome as local church members become better acquainted with the missionary sending endeavors of the SBC. I again reissue this post with some changes to make it current and more articulate of my position.
Dr. Rankin has announced his retirement as President from the IMB. Before I go any further, I want to make a statement concerning Dr. Rankin’s leadership of the International Mission Board (IMB). I appreciate his service and from all accounts that I have heard, he has performed with integrity. I also have had areas of disagreement with some of the directions of the IMB. One particular area has been the much-discussed Camel Method that has been promoted for use among missionaries in Muslim-dominated areas. Even with this, I support Dr. Rankin and wish him many more years of continued service to God’s Kingdom as he concludes his presidency. But Dr. Rankin is not the focus of this post, nor is the Camel Method.
The Foreign Mission Board (FMB), the predecessor of the IMB, was started in 1845 with two missionaries. At that time, James Barnett Taylor was appointed to lead the newly-formed FMB, and did so for twenty-six years until 1871. The executive secretary was appointed to lead the new agency according to the dictates of the Southern Baptist churches that supported it. Below is a list of past executive secretaries/presidents for the FMB/IMB until today.
I Officially Resign From Being A Calvinist
Posted by: | CommentsAfter graduating from seminary with my MDIVBL in 2002 and was able to immerse myself more into the Bible rather than what other people thought about the Bible, I began a quest to figure out how salvation works. In other words, how does predestination work in salvation, and what is man’s responsibility in being saved? At about mid-2004, I began to embrace what is commonly known as the doctrines of grace, except for limited atonement. It was a thrilling time for me as I discovered those doctrines and began to understand more and more of God’s love. It was at this time I hesitantly accepted the label “Calvinist.” The reason for hesitancy was that I also understood the wide definition of Calvinism and some of the false representations of what Calvinists are. This is where I have stood until recent events have caused me to rethink and reject the label of Calvinist. While doctrinally I still stand where I have been, I refused to be defined by this doctrinal label that has been mischaracterized by many on both sides of the issue.
Really? Is It That Simple?
Posted by: | CommentsOn the morning of September 11, 2001, I was going through my normal routine of getting the kids and myself ready for the day. Passing by the T.V., I saw a burning building and thought they were showing some old clips from a building that caught on fire in downtown Ft. Worth. I walked the kids to school and when I got in my truck and turned on the radio I was floored at what I heard. A plane was piloted into one of the World Trade towers. Just a few blocks away from Southwestern I heard another plane was piloted into the other tower. At that point I knew the first one was no mistake. When I walked into the World Missions Center one of my coworkers walked up to me in tears and said it was terrible that one of the buildings had come down. “There were real live people in that building!” is what she exclaimed. I gave her a hug and others came around and we discussed what had just happened. Moments flew by and it was already time for Chapel. At Chapel, we all gathered into small prayer groups and I can remember what my prayer was, “God, please don’t let our anger from what has happened turn to hatred. Help us grow closer to You. Let us truly show more of Your love during this time.”
Why Do We Need a Great Commission Resurgence (GCR)? Revisited
Posted by: | CommentsIn 2008, after the convention in Indianapolis, I did a series of posts concerning the new buzz phrase, “Great Commission Resurgence.” Today it is a house hold term among many Southern Baptists and the GCR Task Force (GCRTF) has held some open meetings so that others could ask questions and possibly provide some answers. I thought that after the last town hall meeting in Arkansas, this post would be a benefit in the discussion Southern Baptists are now having. Below is a republication of that article with some minor revisions. I hope to also revisit the subject of ecclesiology in my next article, but until then………
A fact of life that must be affirmed is that because of the depravity of man, the faithfulness of one generation normally diminishes in the subsequent generation. While there are exceptions to this statement, for the most part this has been affirmed by the biblical witness of the Israelites, and in the historical record of the church.
Two Videos to Enjoy from Tim Hawkins
Posted by: | CommentsTim Rogers is taking a break today to get over a sinus infection, so I thought I would come and help my brother by providing two videos to cheer him up. Tim Hawkins is absolutely funny and he provides the fodder for us to enjoy.
Acts 29 and Southern Baptist Polity
Posted by: | CommentsBefore the outset of this post let me say that this piece is not meant to criticize Acts 29. They have the right to organize the planting of churches as they feel they are led by the Lord. This post is to show the clear irreconcilable difference in ecclesiology between Acts 29 and the Baptist Faith and Message when it comes to church governance. It is also intended to show why a church planter cannot honestly accept support from the North American Mission Board and Acts 29 while affirming both ecclesiastical statements as they both drastically differ. I have no animosity towards Acts 29 and wish them God’s best in wisdom and guidance.
