Click on Picture for Registration

Like most Pastors I have to choose carefully which conferences earn my time.  Some conferences are nothing more than a mere get together for a whoop and holler and go back pumped.  That pumped feeling wears off usually within a day of returning.  Why?  Most of the time something happens to burst your bubble when you get home.  A deacon will call you an say something like; “while you were out of town we received information that Sister Bertha better than you, was offended by something that you said in the message.”  Or you get a visit from a precious church member that reminds you of something you said 3 years earlier that was offensive and he/she were leaving the church and “just wanted you to be aware”.  The conference was just as well not attended and you are now wondering how in the world those at the conference could make statements like; “I hire my own staff”, or “I do not visit in hospitals”, or even better than those two, “I don’t have anyone on my staff that is not my friend.”

What I appreciate about Dr. Vines conference is that people will be on hand to discuss the issues one may meet.  Problems come and those who are in the trenches are the ones that can tell you what to expect and how to overcome them.  Well, I am registered for the upcoming conference and if I can convince Brother Wes to go, he will be registered by the weekend.

I encourage those who are looking for hands on practicums to sign-up and be there.

Dr. Steve Lemke

Rev. Peter Lumpkins

In case you missed it I want to direct your attention to my friend Peter Lumpkins blog.  He began a six part series on the Security of the Believer that is entitled: Why Your Faith Is Secure. Of course Brother Peter is only re-posting this series that was originally authored by Dr. Steve Lemke, Provost at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  The original series appeared in the [Louisiana] Baptist Message. I encourage you to take a gander at this series as it delivers great insight and encourages believers.  While I am a little late to the party, one can find Part 1 here.

Click on the link above and you will see a Southern Baptist Pastor.  If you will look closely you will notice, seen better in the replay, a bald man in the lower left side of the shot, reaching up to protect his family.  However, his look of amazement at the ball hitting the lady behind him is classic.  That bald pastor is none other than Dr. Nathan Lino current President of Southern Baptist of Texas.  He really looks like the protector that he is. Of course he never spilled his drink.  Notice how he holds it close to his chest as he tries to reach out and protect his family.  You go Nathan.

Bo, in his interview, has a classic baseball line; “the ball was in the lights”.

Dr. Johnny Hunt

Dr. Johnny Hunt is on a Leave of Absence until September 19, 2010.  The Executive Pastor, Rev. Jim Law, of FBC Woodstock made a statement on Sunday, August 8, 2010.  We here at SBC Today want to ask our readers to pray for Dr. Hunt and his wife Janet as requested by the leadership of FBC Woodstock.  More coverage can be found at Baptist Press and a video link can be found on FBC Woodstock’s website, or you can go here to find a link.

I am leaving Saturday, July 31, 2010 for a Mission trip to Mexico.  My plane lands 12:20pm CT and I need to get from the airport to the border crossing at Eagle Pass.  Can someone help me with a ride for two people and their luggage?  If you can help just email me and let me know.  If I do not get any responses then I will use the shuttle.  Just trying to save some money.  We will cover your gas costs.

Dr. Steve W. Lemke

The Resource Managers here at SBC Today are on a hiatus until sometime this fall.  However, we are still publishing on our personal blogs.  Over at Southern Baptist in NC, I have posted an article by Dr. Steve Lemke.  I encourage you to come over and view it.  Dr. Lemke serves as Provost of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  He also holds the position of Professor of Philosophy and Ethics.  His article on the “Age of Accountability”  was originally published in January 7, 2010 issue of the Louisiana Baptist Message.  Dr. Lemke is a good friend and has articulated a doctrine that seems to be taken for granted in today’s younger pastors.  Dr. Lemke gives a very reasonable argument and Biblical foundation for this doctrine.

I move that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 15-16, authorize the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention to consider any church’s affiliation with the Alliance of Baptists to constitute an action to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior.

Some may try to call this “guilt by association”, but it allows the Executive Committee the authority to make a determination during the year instead of waiting six or seven months after an incident.  Also, it keeps precious business time from being consumed on the convention floor.

The catalyst for this motion was the  DC City Council bill that was passed legalizing same sex marriage.  The bill presented to the DC City Council was based on a Declaration that was authored by Clergy United for Marriage Equality.  This group has for its members an area DC Baptist pastor the Rev.  Dr. Amy Butler. Dr. Butler is Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist church in Washington DC.  Calvary Baptist, while not sending messengers to the convention, is sending ACP information to the Southern Baptist Convention and thus is listed as a Southern Baptist Church. Also if you scroll down to the signatories of this declaration one will find  Rev. Stan Hastey, Alliance of Baptists.  Rev. Hastey is not just a representative of the Alliance of Baptists but he is Executive Director of this group   The Alliance issued a position statement on same sex marriage back in 2004 as follows:

“Affirming that our federal and state constitutions exist to protect the rights of minorities from the tyranny of the majority and in the context of the current debate over same-sex marriage, we of the Alliance of Baptists decry the politicization of same-sex marriage in the current presidential contest and other races for public office. We specifically reject the proposed amendments to the constitution of the United States and state constitutions that would enshrine discrimination against sexual minorities and define marriage in such a way as to deny same-sex couples a legal framework in which to provide for one another and those entrusted to their care.
As Christians and as Baptists, we particularly lament the denigration of our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender sisters and brothers in this debate by those who claim to speak for God. We affirm that the Alliance of Baptists supports the rights of all citizens to full marriage equality, and we affirm anew that the Alliance will ‘create places of refuge and renewal for those who are ignored by the church’.”

While many in the Alliance openly affirm same sex marriage the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is not quite ready for that step, or is it?

This recent article reporting a break-out session that was attended by nearly 300 persons is one reason we see a need for the Kenney motion.  While Kenney’s motion does not identify the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship it may not be long before a motion similar in language may be needed.  Why would I say such a thing?  Notice the position one of the presenters at the 2010 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship gathering takes.  George Mason, Pastor of Wilshire Baptist in Texas presented the following  thoughts in a break-out session of approximately 300.

“I can tell you that my mind has changed and I am seeing differently on this over time.” That has disappointed some people, he said. “As a pastor, I have known the pain of people who have left the church I serve because I was too conservative about the matter – and people who have left because I was too liberal about the matter.”

“A family conversation about same-sex orientation is not necessarily about behavior,” Mason said. “Some people think different orientations don’t exist, that there is only acting gay and sinning as a result. Others say people are simply born one way or the other.”

“I’m not certain about either position,” Mason said. “It seems that people are more on a continuum about their orientation. That’s uncomfortable.”

Mason noted that the few biblical texts that mention homosexual behavior are more likely to be about specific acts like rape or pederasty, and that “the Bible seems to be silent about orientation.”

It appears that now the position of non-committal is the favored position of the CBF.  There is only one step left for this organization to take and that is the position of orientation.  Orientation is the only viable position left for those that want to say they believe the Bible but be seen as scholarly by the academy.  In the orientation position the ungodly behavior is not the fault of the person it is the fault of the Creator.  If the CBF position of non-committal prevails, I believe, within five years the position on same sex marriage of the CBF will be the same as the Alliance of Baptists.

First, I placed the announcement there without any consultation of the other managers here at SBC Today.  That post was my doing and I accept full responsibility.  I know that Brothers Wes, Scott, and David have taken some serious attacks on their characters and for this I am sorry.  It was never my intention to place them in such a position as to have to defend their integrity as others have hammered away.

Two, the response of some to my use of the word “exoneration” has been less than stellar. Many have castigated SBC Today for the use of that word.  I find the use of the word has provided fodder for the grist mill of the blog world that looks for any opportunity it can take to attack us here at SBC Today.   One person went as far as to call Brother Scott out to separate himself from our group.  In his statement he also expressed that he “loved Scott Gordon” thus, he implies that the doesn’t “love” the rest of us.  I find that person’s actions appalling in his attempt to separate friends.  Another person went as far as to compare us to “Baghdad Bob“  One would find it interesting that the one comparing us to Baghdad Bob is the same person that said he was praying for Dr. Caner.  However, he then posts two more posts slamming Dr. Caner.  One in a veiled attempt to call attention to celebrity preachers and the other in a veiled attempt to apply Liberty University’s honor code to Dr. Caner. He then acknowledges his penchant to tie everything to Dr. Patterson, as his comment is in response to another person who points to Dr. Patterson’s leadership in Dr. Caner’s life.

Three, allow me to inform you of my thought process in using this term.  I checked the definition before I used the term.  If one looks at the definition and then looks at the statement released from Liberty University, one has to admit that exoneration is not a stretch.  Why?  Notice what the statement says; “the committee found no evidence to suggest that Dr. Caner was not a Muslim who converted to Christianity as a teenager…” This was the initial charge leveled at Dr. Caner, but was later changed to Dr. Caner was not a devout Muslim.  Dr. Caner’s not being a Muslim is something that has been challenged from the very beginning, and is still being challenged.  Dr. Caner, after the committee has exonerated him, is still being charged with this by the very one who caused all of this hoopla in the first place.  Also, the committee said; “…that Dr. Caner has made factual statements that are self-contradictory.” The committee did not find that Dr. Caner “lied”, they found that he made statements of fact but sometimes had wrong dates, times and places.  These are the same as “mis-statements”, of which Dr. Caner apologized publicly and we ran that statement here on SBC Today.  Thus, I used the term “exoneration” because according to the statement released by the committee from Liberty University they cleared him from accusation or blame.

Fourth, the committee’s words and actions do not mesh.  The issue that everyone points to is that Dr. Caner was “demoted” from President to Professor.  One blogger even claims to have insight that Dr. Jerry Falwell Jr. insisted on Dr. Caner being retained as professor.  If that blogger is correct, and has that kind of behind the scenes access at Liberty University, then LU needs to seriously examine their staff.  When an egalitarian has that kind of connections in a complimentarian university there will be serious troubles in the future for Liberty. Whether Dr. Jerry Falwell Jr. insisted or not is not the issue.  Liberty has taken an action that appears to be tied to their investigation.  However, that action does not express the words of the statement.  How can one be found to have apologized for mis-statements that were not lies, and found to be factual about one’s background, but does not get a renewal of a contract?  And the contract that one does get is a contract to continue on in the position of teaching these young minds?  The statement and actions are dichotomous at the least.

Conclusion

Allow me to close by saying that I am finished commenting on this issue.  I will allow the comments to be open for you to question me and call me to task for my use of the word exoneration.  These comments are not going to venture down the road of Dr. Caner’s mis-statements.  For that reason I will remove statements about Dr. Caner and his mis-statements.  I will only allow comments that address my use of the term and my thoughts posted in this post.

I want to thank Brothers Wes, David, and Scott for their patience with me and their graciousness in expressing their differences with me.  I love these men and appreciate their hearts as we continue together to expand the Kingdom of God.

Dr. Malcolm Yarnell

Dr. Malcolm Yarnell, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Director of the Oxford Study Program, Director of the Center for Theological Research, and Editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was unable to attend the convention in Orlando.  However, he voted in favor of the Great Commission with his feet while we were raising our ballots.  He has graciously allowed me to post his article below.  Enjoy, and feel free to interact with his thoughts.

A number of people expressed disappointment when I informed them of my planned absence from this year’s Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Orlando, Florida. Indeed, two different pastors offered to provide funds for my attendance. I am very grateful for their proposed largess, but alas there were other matters calling for my attention. Because of my nearly month-long responsibility to be away each summer with the Oxford Study Program of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, I must limit my summer travel severely. If, that is, I am to enjoy any family time with my beautiful wife and our five children.

Ultimately, the choice came down to attending the Southern Baptist Convention in mid-June, on the one hand, or participating in a mission trip to the Ukraine in early June, on the other hand. The choice was originally difficult, for I am very interested, from a personal and vocational perspective, in seeing a genuine Great Commission resurgence among the free churches of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). God has called me to minister among these churches and I desire the best for them, and the best is found in fulfilling His commission by going to make disciples, baptizing and teaching (cf. Matthew 28:16-20).

There is little doubt among those of us who keep our eyes on the health of our local churches that we as a convention of churches are simply neither as fervent in our efforts nor as blessed in our fruitfulness as we once were. Discipleship–understood as submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of the Christian life, inclusive of evangelism, worship, church life, etc.–and its initial visible manifestation in baptism are suffering from a long-term malaise. I would like to see that turned around and am convinced that the best way forward is through a genuine Great Commission resurgence.

Because of this personal commitment to a Great Commission resurgence, I suppose it would have been best, from one vantage point, to attend the SBC meeting in Orlando, and cast my ballot for an amended version of what the GCR Task Force was proposing. As you may know, the GCR Task Force has generated much discussion among Southern Baptists over the last year. First prominently advocated in a resolution carefully written by Jeremy Green for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in November 2008, then championed in a major way in April 2009 by Dr. Danny Akin of Southeastern Seminary, the idea of a Great Commission Resurgence resonated with many hearts in the Southern Baptist Convention. In June 2009, the Southern Baptist Convention approved a motion for the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. Johnny Hunt, to appoint a task force to study how Southern Baptists can work “more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.”

The history of that task force during the period between June 2009 and June 2010 was marked by some speculation, sharp controversy, and increasing education in Southern Baptist polity. Ultimately, however, the specific recommendations made by the task force, except for the definitions used to describe church contributions to Southern Baptist causes, did not strike most of those involved as particularly controversial. Moreover, the evangelistic sentiments expressed by both proponents and opponents of various recommendations were often similar. Indeed, when reading widely diverse views of the Task Force’s work over the past year, I was struck by the unified desire of almost everybody involved to see a Great Commission resurgence. Any disagreement has been over the methods proposed by the Task Force rather than its actuality. From an historical perspective, however the responsible state and national agencies finally interpret the amended recommendations of the SBC in June 2010, stirring up sentiments for a Great Commission Resurgence will likely be the most important fruit of the Task Force’s work.

This brings me back to my earlier dilemma. Should I get involved (again) in Southern Baptist politics at the Southern Baptist Convention while serving as a messenger for my local church? Or should I go on a mission trip? Ultimately, I came under conviction that the most important action I could take in June 2010 for a Genuine Great Commission Resurgence would not be political but missionary in nature. Yes, I did contribute an essay or two to the debate, trying to remind us of the biblical and historical nature of a genuine Great Commission resurgence, but even those pieces were not terribly political in nature. And, yes, I still do believe in the necessity of sanctified political activity on the part of faithful Baptists in the convention. However, in June 2010, my presence was simply not needed in Orlando, Florida, but it was needed on the other side of the planet.

And I am so glad I chose to vote for a genuine Great Commission resurgence, not with a ballot but with my feet, from a long distance away! I was given opportunity to witness repeatedly to the gospel on the streets of Kiev and later in London, to preach before an established church and a church plant, to work with Dr. Keith Eitel and Mr. Art Savage in persuading an important civil leader to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, and to witness the public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ through biblical baptism by several former Muslims from a Middle Eastern country. I was also pleased with the gracious response I received from the plenary lecture on theological foundations delivered to the president, faculty and students of the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv and Boryslov, and by the opportunity to discuss the nuances of Eastern Orthodox theology with an Eastern Orthodox priest as well as a dozen students from Southwestern Seminary. Finally, and perhaps most poignant of all these blessings, I witnessed my middle son, Matthew Garrett, minister to the children of Kiev and later disperse hundreds of gospel tracts to people he will likely never again see in this life, but hopefully will see in the next.

So, yes, I am all for a Great Commission resurgence! However, I am also convinced that sometimes, for some of us, ecclesiastical politics is best put aside, for the Lord has determined that His gospel would be active when we speak it (Romans 10). And I must speak the Word of God everywhere I can, whether among unbelievers in Ukraine or among unbelievers in the United States. It is only as we become more active in our verbal witness–to Jesus Christ as the God-man who died on the cross for the sins of all who will believe and rose again for our eternal life. It is only through the necessary activity of witnessing to Jesus Christ that we will see a genuine Great Commission resurgence. Let’s get started, Southern Baptists, here in the United States and around the world. Let’s vote with our feet and with our tongues, now that the ballots have fallen away from our hands.