The following is a statement from Dr. Ergun Caner, President of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, regarding the recently renewed accusations and criticisms of his life and ministry.  He issued this from his website, erguncaner.com, Thursday evening, February 25, 2010.  We have reproduced it here, by permission of the author, for your convenience.  The original may be found by clicking the following link: Statement of Dr. Ergun Caner.

In keeping with the desire expressed by Dr. Caner in the following excerpt from his statement,

This constant stream of criticism, blogging and berating is not acceptable between believers. I am as guilty as anyone else in instigating such things over the years, but these personal attacks are too much.
I shall not participate in this anymore.

We will not be opening commenting on this post.

STATEMENT RELEASED ON 25 FEBRUARY 2010: Read More→

It appears that Baylor will name Kenneth Starr, former special prosecutor, to lead Baylor.  We point you to the Associated Baptist Press article for this information.    We add that no one from Baylor has confirmed these reports.  According to the Waco Tribune, Starr has said he will join a Baptist Church after he is employed at Baylor.

If this is the case then we will have an Evangelical with a Church of Christ background leading a Baptist institution.  I must admit, Texas Baptist seemingly appreciate their scriptural doctrine as they like their food, all mixed up.   Once again we have another church member becoming a Baptist because of convenience.  I wish Dr. Kenneth Starr the best, but this is another example of becoming a Baptist because it suits a particular need instead of it being a conviction of the soul.

My nephew, Josh Cash, served in Iraq and has now finished his tour of duty.  He fought so that we could be free to debate on the blogs and enjoy the various freedoms we have in America.  I praise God for those who serve in our military and place their life on the line every day.

Josh had a close friend that was with him in school at East Carolina University,  Sgt. David Smith.  He was called back to active duty to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.  Sgt. Smith made the ultimate sacrifice in order for you and me to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy.  I ask that you take time to pray for Sgt. Smith’s family and view the link to the quote below and  read the comments.  You can read his obituary here.  He is a true hero in every sense of the word.  Let’s speak words of encouragement to all who serve in our military in order that you and I can be free.  That is what we open our comment section for today.

Sgt. David Smith, USMCR, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Company B., died of injuries suffered in an attack last week in Afghanistan.  The 25-year-old Marine died Tuesday, 26 Jan 2010 after evac to Germany. Military officials related Sgt. Smith was wounded in a bombing Saturday in Helmand province that killed at least two others from his company.  DoD Official Release is still pending.

This young hero’s family has reached out to the Patriot Guard Riders and asked us to honor his service and sacrifice.  It will be an honor to show our respect.  Funeral Services will be in Frederick Maryland and interment at Arlington National Cemetery, with dates and times to be determined.

Our most heartfelt condolences to the family of this young Warrior.  He was only a month shy of his 26th birthday and by all accounts loved his family, his community and his Corps.  Our Nation, State and local communities are poorer with his loss.

Official DoD release:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md., died Jan. 26 from wounds received Jan. 23 while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Enjoy this video with our heartfelt wishes for a blessed Christmas season and a prosperous New Year.

As many of our readers have noticed we are sporadic at best in our posting.  This is not a result of being ADD as some of you may wonder.    However, it is a result of hectic schedules and losing contributors.

In the spirit of the guys over at SBC Impact, we would like to ask for your indulgence with us as we try to sort through the various bumps in the road that have come our way.  We are presently trying to secure another contributor to replace those who have needed to step aside.  We believe that it is not good for a trustee of an SBC Entity to publicly express his disagreement or opinion concerning other entities.  Thus, Brothers Bart and John stepped aside after they were voted into their positions of denominational service.  Brother Robin has embarked upon a much tougher schedule concerning his studies and he felt it was best for him to step aside temporarily in order to devote the time needed for his studies.  We did add Dr. Bill Tomlinson and he has yet to contribute his first article.  One of the ‘challenges’  to having people over 60 as a contributor is their lack of computer savy (just ask us some time about Tim, too! ).  Brother Bill is learning from scratch how to post and all of the ins and outs of blog world.

This means an extra amount of work on the rest of us as we proceed.  With this in mind we are currently praying about adding others to our list of contributors to give our readers the kind of coverage we believe is needed of current SBC issues.  Our vision today remains the same as it did when we began: Restoring unity through Biblical Discipleship and Baptist Identity.

We have a Christmas post scheduled for December 21, 2009 for your enjoyment.  We encourage you to spend time with your family and churches during the Christmas season.  Use this time to reflect on the blessings of the gift of God in your life.  It will be some time after January 1, 2010 before we get back on a regular schedule of posting articles.  Pray for us as the Lord leads.

According to Baptist Press, Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt has announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo initial treatment in January.  To read the entire article click here.

All of us at SBC Today send our best to Dr. Hunt and his family during this time.  We ask all to pray for a speedy recovery and that God will continue to be glorified through His servant.

We are pleased to welcome a new member to the SBC Today team. William L. “Bill” Tomlinson served as a pastor for 50 years, retiring Jan. 31,2009. Among his churches were Pine Street Baptist in Richmond, Va., First Baptist, Newport  News, Va., and, for the last 21 years , Arlington Baptist in Rocky Mount, NC. Bill earned his M.Div. degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and his D.Min. from Luther Rice Seminary.

Prior to his retirement, Bill was active in the state conventions of both Virginia and North Carolina, serving in several different capacities. His pastorates were marked by growth in each of his churches. He was especially involved in the building of new facilities and in two pastorates actually leading the church in its relocation  process. He is conservative in his theology, traditional in his worship and Christ-centered in his ministry. At  the present time he and his wife, Jane, reside in Farmville, Virginia.

We look forward to the contributions Bill will make here, as we all will surely benefit greatly from his seasoned perspective as a veteran of many years of faithful ministry in Baptist churches.