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Archives For November 30, 1999

‘Great Commission’ name change delayed by ballot vote

eric4ibsa —  June 19, 2012

Posted by the IB Team

(New Orleans) — After messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention engaged in heated debate about the convention’s possible adoption of a new nickname for churches that choose to use it, a vote by raised ballots failed to produce a clear outcome. Later, messengers cast ballots, but the tally was not announced by the end of the first day’s sessions. Great Commission Baptists is the new descriptor name under consideration at this year’s annual meeting.

Jimmy Draper, who chaired a task force assigned to explore the name change, spoke first, explaining that his committee’s recommendation wouldn’t require action on the part of any church or entity. Approval of the recommendation would only make the descriptor name available for use for those who choose to use it.

Messengers still voiced strong opinions on both side of the issue.

“I don’t care what you call your church; I care what you call the convention,” said one messenger from Ft. Smith, Ark.

The debate continued, and it was clear the real issues were tradition and legacy versus the ability to effectively minister in non-Southern (and non-U.S.) areas. Finally, a motion from the floor was made to vote on the recommendation, but it was too close to call, requiring messengers to take to their ballots.

At his first press conference following his historic election as the convention’s first African American president, Fred Luter said he was surprised by the debate over the name change:

“Honestly, I did not think it was going to be such a big deal.  I really did not. I was there in Nashville when it was presented and discussed by the Executive Committee.  As Dr. Draper said, I thought it was going to be a win, win situation….

“One of the guys at the microphone said it best, particularly a lot of the younger guys—they are not planting churches in the South. They’re in California, they’re in other places. And they just feel that another name would help them. 

“I thought the name Great Commission Baptist was really, really good.”

It is expected that the outcome of the vote will be announced at the first session Wednesday morning.

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Luter Elected to Thunderous Applause

eric4ibsa —  June 19, 2012

 

Luter elected SBC President

Newly elected SBC President waves to messengers as outgoing SBC President Bryant Wright looks on.

Fred Luter wept as messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention stood giving prolonged applause to his election as the first African-American president of the denomination. A self-described street preacher, Luter was nominated by David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans as “a native New Orleanian who would likely be a candidate for sainthood if he were a Catholic–a fire-breathing, miracle-working pastor…shaking this city with the gospel.” 

Luter said, “To God be the Glory, great things He has done. I love you, Thank you.” 

Outgoing SBC president Bryant Wright prayed for Luter, who will assume the presidency at the conclusion of the annual meeting Wednesday night. 

 

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Let us understand that these two views on election and salvation can coexist as long as we stay Christ centered and biblically based in our theology. So a word to these two groups. To our Calvinist friends, a bit of humility would be most welcome….
To those who call themselves traditional Southern Baptists, the time for judgmentalism is over, because judgmentalism quickly moves into slander….It is time to show some respect to those of differing views when it comes to election…and salvation.

Bryant Wright, outgoing SBC President, in his final convention sermon

On the Platform: Reformed Theology debate

Posted on June 19, 2012 In Uncategorized ,
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Waiting for the other shoe

eric4ibsa —  June 19, 2012

Posted by Eric Reed

While most media attention here at the annual meeting is on the coming election of Fred Luter as the SBC’s first African American president, insiders are waiting for developments on two fronts: the SBC name change and the debate over salvation and Reformed theology.

Scheduled for Tuesday afternoon is the report on the adoption of “Great Commission Baptists” as an informal name for use by churches skittish to identify themselves as Southern Baptist. But the theological debate is the one drawing more discussion in the hallways.

Emerging as the flashpoint in the discussion is a statement drafted largely by Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi. Hankins sought to clarify the ground he says is held by “traditional” Southern Baptists on salvation and to stanch inroads by what he called “New Calvinists.” Instead, the statement has fired off more argument over the role of choice in salvation because of a small reference that critics have called “semi-Pelagian,” an ancient doctrine viewed as heretical. More than 650 SBC pastors and leaders have signed the document so far, refuting the Pelagian accusation.  

Christianity Today online cites this issue as one that could boil over during the annual meeting: 

“There are no plans for an official salvation dialogue to take place at the conference this week, but (Boyce College professor Owen Strachan) said the meeting’s democratic nature makes it ripe for an unpredictable agenda.

“ ‘I don’t necessarily think the floor of the convention would be the best place for the cool-headed, rational debate that this issue deserves,’ (Strachan) said. ‘Even if doesn’t come up, this has already created a sense of unease in the SBC.’”

Read the CT article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/juneweb-only/baptists-calvinism-heresy.html

In the meantime, we wait for this year’s big floor debate: will it be name change or salvation?

 

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Hot weather, hot coffee and a ‘mighty wind’

Lisa Misner —  June 18, 2012

Posted by Lisa Sergent

You know you’re at the SBC Pastors’ Conference when the line at the convention center’s Starbucks kiosk snakes down stairs and around a corner. It may be hot outside, but inside it’s hot coffee for all!

Messengers wait in line at Starbucks for hot coffee and caffeine.

Messengers wait in line at Starbucks for hot coffee and caffeine.

The conference kicked off Sunday evening with messages from Josh Smith, Don Wilton, Ronnie and Nick Floyd, and Tony Evans. Monday morning began with a message from Johnny Hunt followed by Wayne Robertson, Phil Hoskins and David Jeremiah.

Hoskins spoke from Acts 2 focusing on the wind and fire of Pentecost. Calling the Holy Spirit, “a mighty wind” he shared, “The greatest need of the hour is for the Holy Spirit to breathe a mighty wind over us, over our churches and over our nation.”

“Gone with the Wind” was the message’s catch phrase.

  • “Gone with the wind will be a coldness in worship. I possess in my heart a joy unspeakable.”
  • “Gone with the wind will be a contention in the walk.  On the day of Pentecost ,the believers where all in one accord.” 
  • “Gone with the wind will be complacency in God’s Word.”

He had other words directed specifically to Southern Baptists:

–     “It remains to be seen what could be done in our churches if everyone just did their duty not be concerned with who gets the credit.”

–          “Will be a great day when Southern Baptists stop enduring their Christianity and start getting excited about Jesus.”

–          “You cannot fish and fight at the same time. The importance of unity is seen throughout the New Testament.  Major works of spirit of god is to bring us to unity in the faith.  The only way the church can experience the harmony of the Spirit is a fresh filling of the spirit of God.”

Dennis “Swanee” Swanberg is expected to bring some levity this afternoon, then David Platt and Herb Reavis, Jr. will take the platform.

Tonight’s featured speakers are Jack Graham, James MacDonald, and the man of the hour – Fred Luter, Jr.

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All this, and it hasn’t even started yet

Meredith Flynn —  June 18, 2012

Posted by Meredith Flynn

“It’s hard to believe it hasn’t really started yet.” That’s what Chris Flynn said as we finally got back from a whirlwind day in New Orleans. And he’s right- the convention doesn’t technically start until tomorrow, but the Pastors’ Conference was in full swing yesterday, as four sets of fathers and sons co-preached, co-worshiped and co-challenged in front of a large audience Sunday evening.

Before that, we went to church at First Baptist, New Orleans, where IMB President Tom Elliff didn’t give a traditional international missions message, but instead focused on fathers. At the end of the service, he invited all fathers (biological and spiritual) to come to altar and pray for strength and wisdom to lead their families. Really moving.

One other note about the church: During the announcement times before and after the service, leaders updated members on various community outreach projects, including an initiative called Fuel the Future that provides backpacks of food for hungry kids. The backpacks, currently helping 170 children in New Orleans, are handed out on Fridays so that they’re sure to have something to eat over the weekend. Church members donate the food or money to purchase a specific list of non-perishables. I thought it was a great example of identifying a real need and rallying together to meet it.

After church, we stood in line for a po’boy at Mother’s, a landmark restaurant in the French Quarter. (The photo below doesn’t really do justice to the sandwich – a “Ferdi” with baked ham, pork and “debris,” which is the stuff that falls off the roast beef as they carve it).

Before the Pastors’ Conference session started, we headed over to the convention hall to register as messengers. And this is where my favorite part of any convention began. Talking, talking, talking. To old friends, people who remember you from when you were too young to remember them, and ministry co-workers you haven’t seen in years.

The evening ended with a message from Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. And in just an hour from now, they’ll start again in the convention hall. Today, we’ll hear from pastors like David Jeremiah, David Platt, James MacDonald, and Fred Luter. Keep checking back here for the latest!

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Father’s Day is a lot like Mother’s Day—only you don’t have to spend as much money.

Tony Evans, speaking at the SBC Pastors Conference, which happened to be on Father’s Day

From the platform

Posted on June 17, 2012 In Uncategorized
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“Men, stop acting like five-year-olds. Women, stop treating your husbands like five-year-olds. Men, stop leaving your pants on the floor, or your wives will pick them up—and wear them.”

Josh Bailey, from the introduction to his sermon at the SBC Pastor’s Conference.

From the platform

Posted on June 17, 2012 In Uncategorized
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Where else could we be?

Lisa Misner —  June 16, 2012

By Nate Adams

On the cover date of this issue, I should be in New Orleans at the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention. A number of you will be there too, and I look forward to seeing you following the Pastors’ Conference Monday night, at the IBSA reception for Illinois Baptists and friends.

But I’ve also talked recently with people who will not be with us at the Southern Baptist Convention, and for pretty good reasons.

For example, our middle son Noah will be a senior next year at Judson University. He serves part-time during the school year as youth minister at Calvary Baptist Church in Elgin, and this summer he is doing a 10-week internship there.

During the week of the SBC, Noah will be leading his first World Changers youth mission trip to Owensboro, Kentucky. His three-van caravan will stop here in Springfield to pick up four students from his home church, Western Oaks Baptist Church, and to spend the night at our house. The next morning they will head out for Kentucky at the same time we leave for New Orleans.

I asked Noah if he would like to attend the national SBC with me, and then found that for a number of reasons that was the only week his group could participate in a World Changers project. He grinned at me and asked, “Missions or meetings, Dad – which is more important?”

In another conversation with a leading pastor in our state I asked, “Will I see you in New Orleans?” He too replied that his church’s summer missions plans would find him in Chicago that week. For several years, his church has partnered with smaller churches in the Chicago area. This pastor personally leads a sizable group of all ages from his church to lead VBS, perform manual labor, and assist fledgling church plants.

I think my pastor friend may have thought I was implying that he should make the SBC a priority, and so he started to explain why they needed to do the mission trip that same week. “No explanation necessary,” I assured him.
And then, remembering the conversation with my son, I followed up with my own grin. “I mean, which is more important, right?”

I don’t mean by either of these examples to imply that attending the national SBC is not important. I mean, that’s where I’ll be, and important things transpire there. But important things will transpire in Owensboro and in Chicago that week too. And part of me wishes I were going to be in one of those places as you read this, instead of New Orleans.

Maybe it’s a good question for us to ask ourselves this summer, as we plan our various conferences and vacations and weekends and even our church activities at home. Where else could we be? Is where we’re planning to go simply serving ourselves, or our families, or even our churches, or are we going somewhere to actively carry the Gospel or serve someone in the name of Christ?

I’m going to conclude that it’s reasonable and even potentially important for me to be at the SBC in New Orleans as you read this. The relationships and decisions that take place there can significantly impact our work together as Illinois Baptists. But while I’m in those meetings I may occasionally be looking out the window and praying for the groups I know that are doing something that perhaps is even more important.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.
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We’re Blogging Now. Why Should You Care?

Lisa Misner —  June 16, 2012
Hello, Friend. 
 
Thanks for visiting our new blog. In the era of the 24-hour news cycle and instant journalism, you need news more often than the Illinois Baptist newspaper’s publishing schedule allows. We hope this will become a frequent stop for news junkies, cultural observers, and Christian thinkers alike.
 
Southern Baptist life in the Upper Midwest is different from the deep South version: We are far outnumbered. There’s not an SBC church on every corner in every town. Our theology and polity have to be explained, and they are not readily embraced by the masses. Early church planters called this pioneer territory. The North was the Baptist frontier. 
 
It still is.
 
So to encourage and bolster your ministry, we launch this blog, a community of people called to reach the cities and towns and rural communities that represent one of the edges of Southern Baptist work. 
 
Visit the blog regularly, and look for — 
  • Tuesday News Briefing, news of interest to IBSA church leaders and members. 
  • Breaking news, when it really qualifies as breaking news. (We’ll update as merited, and we’ll try not to abuse the term “news alert.”) 
  • Commentary on happenings in our state, our denomination, and the world from the pages of the Illinois Baptist newspaper. (You’ll often get it here before the print edition reaches your mailbox.) 
  • New voices and fresh perspectives on ministry from people who may not have appeared in the paper often. We’ll explore faith and culture, and the challenge of living and leading Christianly in challenging times.  
We hope to share with you good reporting and invigorating discussion.
Thanks for stopping by. Come back soon. 
 
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