Reformissionary

Lots-o-Links 4.23.08

Check out Ed Stetzer's post about the current decline of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Joe Thorn and I have been blogging on these issues for years, and Ed offers some very good commentary and critique.  I'm very thankful for guys like Stet who are speaking to the convention honestly and directly.  Here's a snippet...

Baptisms are at their lowest levels since 1970 with seven of the last eight years showing annual declines. Even though some might hope the decline in membership numbers is due to lack of reporting, the inescapable conclusion is that baptisms by individual churches is falling off. (LifeWay Research will provide more analysis in the next month.)

For now, Southern Baptists are a denomination in decline. Some of you were born into an SBC church; others of us chose it of our own accord. Either way, it is dear to us all. Our responsibility before God is, then, to urgently consider how we should respond.

Also worth checking out is the New Evangelism Research.

Bob Hyatt shares a great photo of what a church that packs out a coffee shop looks like.  Love it.

Tony Morgan says that changed lives is what creates buzz about a church (more here).

A Cubs hater (meaning, someone who likes another team) sent me a video filmed from the bleachers of Wrigley Field.  In it two fans, who probably had too much to drink (it's a Cubs game, duh), decided to have a hot dog eating context.  The result is worth watching.  There is at least one word that is not for kids, so please heed the WARNING: Not for kids or judgmental Christians...

Lots-o-Links 3.21.08

I'm trying to make time to blog on the changes coming in my local church, and especially focus on some evangelism stuff I'm working to begin soon.  Sorry it's taking so long, but it's been a nutty last few weeks.  Maybe I'll blog on the nuttiness as well.  Might be therapeutic for me.

"Alcohol, Acts 29 and the Missouri Baptist Convention" is a bunch of information put out by some Missouri Baptists that has finally proven, without question, that some people will never get it because they spend all their time trying to get worked up over extra-biblical issues.  It's actually a very funny read for those of us who see how ridiculous it all is.

In Timothy Keller news, the Washington Post's Michael Gerson has a review of The Reason for God.  It's a good one.  USA Today quotes Keller, Driscoll and others on "Has the 'Notion of Sin' Been Lost?" (via Stet)

"Parks and squares aren't a luxury, but an essential feature of the urban infrastructure."

Bob Franquiz is looking to only work 4 hours a week.  I've perused the book, and it looks interesting enough.

Speaking of books, how about the 2008 Christianity Today Book Awards.  I picked up the "The Church/Pastoral Leadership" category winner The Call to Joy & Pain by Ajith Fernando at last year's Desiring God Conference.  I like Ajith's writings and the topic was intriguing.  It got buried in a stack of books, but is back on my "to read" shelf.

This looks VERY interesting to me: The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas With Pictures.

The top 80 church websites (because 80 is a nice round number). :)

Oh that more of us would do what they are doing in Austin for city-wide church planting.

It won't be Longfellow until National Poetry Month.  It's my Gioia to blog on poetry every April.  Keats your eyes open for more very soon.

No Funding for SBC/Acts 29 Church Plants in Missouri

Ugh.  What the crap is going on among Missouri Baptist leaders?  The Executive Board of the MBC has voted to block funding for Acts 29 church plants, according to Scott Lamb.  Brilliant.  Anyone who would block funding for a church plant that looked like Darrin Patrick's gospel-centered and biblically-faithful Journey Church in St. Louis isn't biblically-faithful.  It's really that simple. 

By the way, at the Acts 29 Boot Camp for church planters in Chicago next month there are three Southern Baptist speakers: Darrin Patrick, Ed Stetzer, and Mark Dever.

Lots-o-Links 12.7.07

Al Mohler is writing about how more and more hotels are not putting Gideon's Bibles in their drawers (BP picked it up).  While I like the idea of knowing that it's there for those who need it, I think Mohler overstates his case...

...there will be no Bibles available in those hotel rooms when travelers need them, and that is a tragedy by any measure.

A "tragedy?"  9/11 was a tragedy.  Pearl Harbor was a tragedy (the awful event we remember today AND the movie).  Abortion is a tragedy.  The Bears are a tragedy.  Some hotels not carrying Bibles?  Not so much.  Sure it means culture is changing.  Sure it means that some travelers who may have picked it up won't have it readily available.  But where was that ever the main ministry to people staying in hotels anyway?  It was a bonus that a few people are now eliminating.  People are the front line of ministry, not books.

Ben Arment is encouraging us to strip.  He's also continuing to reveal a killer conference line-up for the Whiteboard Sessions.

Dever and Ferguson lectures on preaching.

CNN interview with Gabe Lyons...

Ariel Vanderhorst interviews church planter Hunter Beaumont (dude I met at Reform & Resurge Conference in Seattle).

Publishers Weekly reviews Tim Keller's The Reason for God.

Joe Thorn on Leadership Development, Suburban Evangelism, and his new laptop.

Florida/Texas Baptists Disqualify Jesus

Yep.  Florida and Texas.  Oh, and Florida also basically called Jesus a recreational drug user...

Messengers at the 146th Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting overwhelmingly approved a bylaw revision requiring all trustee nominees to "agree to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages and using any other recreational drugs."

Thank God they stopped short of the more severe charge of "recreational drug Dealer" evidenced in John 2.

Canadian Baptists Are Ashamed to be "Southern!"

The audacity of Canadian Baptists!  This is just too much.  Let's get rid of these jerks.  If they don't want our name, we don't want them. The name "SOUTHERN Baptist" was good enough for Jesus and Paul, so why isn't it alright with Canadians?  No wonder their magazines cost more.

Brewing Battle

Christianity Today has a short article recapping the situation with Missouri Baptists: Brewing Battle.  Nothing terribly new or informative to those who have been keeping up, but concise with some helpful external links at the end for those needing to catch up.

The policy addresses an ongoing SBC debate. Baptists have championed alcohol abstinence since the late 1800s, but a growing number want the SBC to reexamine the issue, said Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School.

"There is growing discontent, people saying that we shouldn't be mandating things that aren't spoken clearly about in Scripture," George said. "It's hard to argue that the Bible requires total abstinence."

Reasons Why I Hate Us - 6

Acts 29: Clarification

Scott Thomas, Acts 29 Network Director, on the "Seven Misrepresentations of Acts 29."

Reasons Why I Hate Us 5

Micah Fries writes,

The “Theology Committee” of the Missouri Baptist Convention have released a statement today that, in effect, separates the MBC from ever working in partnership with Acts 29 and their organization of church planters again.

And this is despite the new and shocking evidence that Mark Driscoll has become a flaming fundamentalist.  Yes, that is a suit.

Reasons Why I Love Us

Here's a reason why I love the SBC: Ed Stetzer. Some good news from LifeWay...

Three Southern Baptist entities - LifeWay Christian Resources, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the International Mission Board (IMB) - have forged a collaborative research effort in which LifeWay Research will conduct special research projects on behalf of NAMB and IMB.

As part of the new initiative, Ed Stetzer, missiologist and senior director of the Center for Missional Research at NAMB, will become director of LifeWay Research, effective June 1. Stetzer also will serve as LifeWay’s missiologist in residence.

Ed Stetzer is a friend and I'm happy to see him doing some new things for the SBC and larger Christian mission in the world.

Reasons Why I Hate Us 4

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch...

The Missouri Baptist Convention has toughened its alcohol policy for people who receive money from the organization to start new churches.

Individuals who help found new churches were already required to sign a statement agreeing to abide by the organization's policy on alcohol consumption. Some of the new language requires those who receive money from the convention to go a step further and "teach the strong Biblical warnings of the consumption of alcohol for all Christians."

[...]

Missouri Baptist Convention interim executive director, the Rev. David Tolliver, said he did not know what precipitated the need for a policy change, saying only that the new policy "reflects the position of most Missouri Baptists."

He said the Journey was not affected by the toughened policy, because its leaders simply borrowed money from the convention to buy a new church building. "This new policy has nothing to do with them," he said. "It won't affect them."

Reasons Why I Hate Us 3

Sorry to "hate us" so often (c'mon, that's a funny post title), but sometimes we demand it.

I received an email from my local association today saying that there are some scholarships available from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) for the Origins Conference in Pasadena, CA. Sounds like a lovely opportunity so I inquire, not knowing whether or not I could go in May. Hopeful.

Well now I know I CAN'T go. My schedule is wide open, partial scholarships are still available, but the Donger is disqualified. Wanna know why? Huh? KPOW! Here's part of the scholarship form...

This is almost laughable. Asking about private prayer languages and alcohol on scholarship forms for conferences? SBC'rs you better wake up. If we don't start putting the Bible before our rules we are in deep weeds.

By the way, Joe Thorn will be posting in the next day or two on the NAMB policy for church planters. This will be important to discuss.

Reasons Why I Hate Us 2

Baptist "Press" has two articles of note today (that's two more than normal). 

First is the "No Beer at NCAA 'Kind of Fun'" article.  This has to do with SBC life in what way?  I agree that basketball games without drunk frat guys are better, but this is clearly on BP as anti-alcohol prop-A-ganda.  Probably meant to bolster the second article, "Alcohol, Acts 29 and the SBC." 

My favorite quote...

The emerging church movement is diverse and difficult to generalize. However, the mix of influences includes: postmodernism (a focus on sense-making through the various mediums of culture); Calvinism ala John Piper; and for some, Christian liberty, as granted by their scriptural interpretation, to drink alcohol and engage in other cultural activities that many Southern Baptists eschew based on opposing scriptural interpretation.

Which passages would THAT interpretation come from?  Anyone?

Reasons Why I Hate Us

I'm starting a new occasional post called "Reasons Why I Hate Us."  These posts will be about why I'm frustrated with the SBC and are geared to get us to think about what needs to change.  This is not about complaining but looking toward a better future.  And yes, "hate" is a strong word, but since I'm talking about "us" and not "them" I feel I can use a bit of harshness fairly.

As a first installment I offer an email from someone I've gotten to know over the last year.  I often get emails from people who read my blog and want to discuss some aspect of the SBC with me.  Too often they are frustrated with being in the SBC or trying to get in the SBC.  Here's an example of a guy who looked at the SBC as a place where he might be able to serve and was frustrated with how he was treated.  Yes, I know that our churches are autonomous and people can merely have bad experiences with some churches.  But I think this is a pretty common experience with the SBC and have gotten several emails like this.

The following has been edited by me with permission of the emailer.
_____

Hey Steve,

I've read that you're at a Southern Baptist Identity conference.  The last couple weeks have been interesting to me, and I thought I'd share my experience with you to: 1. get your thoughts, and 2. maybe add some perspective of the Southern Baptist identity from someone who is not one.

I've been looking for pastoral ministry positions over the last couple weeks.  My family is heading back to the Northwest soon and we are thinking seriously about planting a church or replanting in the _____ area.  As you may remember, I spent time as an associate pastor of a fairly large church in ______ before deciding I wanted to be a lead pastor so we moved to another state to finish my MA and now we're heading back.  I have some leads already, and I was actually offered a job at a big church as an associate, but because I wanted to either plant or replant a church, I thought about looking into the Southern Baptist movement (esp. since I was impressed with Ed Stetzer when I was at The Resurgence and the NAMB's focus on missional church planting).  To make a long story short, I've sent resumes to a couple different SBC churches and one church that was looking for a church planter for the ______ area (either of which I was really interested in).  However, these churches responded to me and said the same thing, "You're not a Southern Baptist, so we don't really think you'd be a good fit."  I have to admit, I was floored.  Since I have never been affiliated with any denomination maybe this isn't news to you to hear this, but I was actually expressing interest in being involved in the SBC, I'm from the NW and I understand its ethos and people, I have years of experience as a pastor in ______ and therefore I am really well connected to other churches in the ______ area and with many other pastors who are friends, and I'm well educated (Bible college, seminary and graduate school!).  This is basically the formula for a successful missional church plant.  I have to be fair, though.  The church plant that said we don't want you is actually sending my resume onto the NW SBC headquarters because they do think I "might make a good fit somewhere."  So they are not necessarily done talking to me, but I kind of feel like a wheel in the cog.

So, what is the reason I'm telling you this?  I'm definitely not looking for sympathy or for you to help me find a job because I wouldn't have made anything of it if these churches had said to me, "We don't want you because we want a guy with more experience" or something.  Besides, I'm certain I'll find a church.  But, I'm writing because I've been turned away because I'm not "one of you;" and you're one of the only Southern Baptists I know.  You wrote on your blog, "The only thing missing, in my opinion, were thoughts on networking beyond the denomination.  I think post-denominational networks are crucial, not just for the sake of the mission, but also for the sake of the denomination.  We will be healthier, stronger, more missional when we stop thinking we are the self-sustained force of the Great Commission."  I have personally experienced what you wrote, and honestly I find it really sad.

I asked to hang out with you and Joe once because I wanted to ask you questions about the denomination.  We didn't spend a whole lot of time talking about it, but I think I walked away with more confusion about what the SBC is about than ever.  Between the alcohol prohibitions (even though I don't even drink) and now this focus on "inbreeding" (!), I have to admit that it SEEMS like the SBC is more concerned with the denomination than with Jesus and reaching the world.  Obviously, I know this is not true, but I feel like I'm a Gentile and we play for the same team.  It's got to look worse from those who are not church-goers.

Seriously, do you really have to go to a SB Seminary to be a SB pastor?  I appreciate you and I know you love the SBC and I'm certain there are great things to love about it.  But I'm wondering if the denomination has gone on an adventure in missing the point?  Where is the focus on finding gifted and qualified people who LOVE an area and commissioning them to minister there instead of finding someone who doesn't know the area, but is SB, and transplanting them there?  I know I'm not the only one who has experienced this, as I have a friend who has recently felt the same walls (and he's trying to be a youth pastor).

I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts.  I did not write my comment on your blog because again, I do not want to be decisive.  But I have to admit, my latest experiences have really turned me away from wanting to be involved in the SBC.  Can/Should this be the reality?

_____

No, this should not be the reality.  But we are too often about the SBC brand than anything else. 

There are many in the SBC working in another direction that includes a love for the best of the SBC and a humble understanding of our common mission with other Christians and churches.  Ed Stetzer is a great example.  He is a key leader at NAMB yet he works with the Acts 29 Network.  I know a number of other SBC'rs who are involved with other networks, and I think they are the best example of how our churches should think.

I pray that the SBC would embrace a vision of the future that would be less about SBC pedigree and more about the mission.