peterlumpkins.com

Elderizing the Southern Baptist Convention (part I) by Peter Lumpkins

I posted three brief pieces recently which drew lots of traffic my way. The common theme concerned elder-rule and/or elder-led¹ polity among Southern Baptist churches. In the first part >>>

Reformed Theologian dubs Steve Lemke's critics 'sad and irresponsible' by Peter Lumpkins

Adjunct Wheaton professor and Reformed author, John Armstrong, is no stranger to Southern Baptists; he used to be one. Though presently he is comfortably at home in the Reformed community of faith, he still holds dear what he learned in his spiritual pilgrimage among Southern Baptists.  But Dr. Armstrong's got a contentious bone to pick with unfair critics of Dr. Steve Lemke, Provost and Professor of Philosophy and Ethics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary >>>

The One World Missions Ministry: IMB & NAMB Officially Joined in Matrimony or Just Engaged? by Peter Lumpkins

  In Orlando, 2010, The Southern Baptist Convention voted by majority* to embrace, with minor amendments, The Great Commission Task Force Report. One item of interest to those who expressed reservations about the agenda of the GCRTF was found in paragraph five of the official recommendations to the Southern Baptist Convention: >>>

Jonathan Merritt, Al Mohler, and Jay Bakker on the Homosexual Issue: are they agreed? by Peter Lumpkins

  Among current issues facing our culture, no issue is either more significant or more provocative than how we respond to the increasing pressure to normalize the gay lifestyle. No escape exists on dealing with and deciding this issue. Nor is there a way to remain morally neutral. Either our culture will embrace the gay agenda which, in essence, fundamentally transforms our societal definition of marriage, or it will not. Gay lobbyists and policy-makers will settle for nothing less than full, unequivocal acceptance of homosexual marriage >>>

Just in case you missed it by Peter Lumpkins

 

 

 

Below are some links you may have missed from this past week:

Southern Baptists not Reformed Baptists by Peter Lumpkins

Below is a document circulated in 1827 to Baptists in North Carolina. All our Southern Baptist brothers who love the "Reformed" moniker may want to consider this document before they so boldly testify, "I'm a Reformed Baptist" >>>

Elder-Rule on the Rise in the Southern Baptist Convention (Part II) by Peter Lumpkins

 

   Below is the second part of a section I selected from Dr. Robert Wring’s intriguing paper published in the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry (Vol. 3 No. 1 Spring 2005: 188-212). Presently pastor of the Mountain Road Baptist Church in Spanaway, Washington (near Tacoma), Dr. Wring based his essay on his doctoral dissertation he completed in 2002 at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, the thesis of which was “An Examination of the Practice of Elder Rule in Selected Southern Baptist Churches in the Light of New Testament Teaching.”

This is Part II of my selection (Part I may be found here). From his paper entitled “Elder Rule and Southern Baptist Church Polity,” Dr. Wring concludes:

Elder-Rule on the Rise in the Southern Baptist Convention (Part I) by Peter Lumpkins

 

   Below is Part I of a portion included in an essay originally published in the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry (Vol. 3 No. 1 Spring 2005: 188-212) entitled “Elder Rule and Southern Baptist Church Polity.” It’s author is Dr. Robert A. Wring, presently pastor of the Mountain Road Baptist Church in Spanaway, Washington (near Tacoma). Dr. Wring based his essay on his doctoral dissertation he completed in 2002 at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, the thesis of which was “An Examination of the Practice of Elder Rule in Selected Southern Baptist Churches in the Light of New Testament Teaching” >>>

Merritt vs. Merritt on Homosexuality by Peter Lumpkins

I recently posted some pieces raising questions toward Jonathan Merritt's innovative approach to the gay agenda systematically imposed on our culture. In my view, young Merritt's position forfeits entirely too much ground to aggressive policy-hawks who desire to cater to homosexual lobbyists. No only so, Merritt's stern condemnation of evangelicals' moral reservations in supporting homosexual lifestyles, consequently making gay orientation and gay practice no more culturally prohibitive than people who gossip, cannot reasonably stand as a socio-ethical option conservative Christians can honestly consider.  For those desiring a refresher, below are the links >>>

Acts 29 Network: Elder-Led or Elder-Ruled by Peter Lumpkins

  I had a conversation recently which drew my attention to the question once again:  does the Acts 29 Network insist its networking churches/church plants possess a elder-ruled, presbyterian-like governing polity, or does it allow for congregational church polity as is found in our Baptist heritage? Let's take a look... >>>

Blog Potpourri by Peter Lumpkins

Just  a few things to keep the week going:

Question for Lifeway: Who Says the Fifties are Irrelevant? by Peter Lumpkins

Below is a rare video depicting the cutting-edge, high-tech mindset of the 1950s. LifeWay Research should learn humility...

A Mom's Love is Never Done by Peter Lumpkins

   Hariette Petersen (most know her as "SelahV") has a penetrating testimony of a mother who never stops loving her son. In her piece entitled, "When the Inconceivable Falls on Mother's Day," she confesses:

Is Liberty Mountain about to Erupt into a Volcano? by Peter Lumpkins

UPDATE: Liberty Student News pulled the original piece. Details below...

Love him or hate him, the late Jerry Falwell, by any estimation, was one of Fundamentalism's greatest visionaries since the movement's birth in the early 20th century. Indeed the evangelical right's most capable, inspiring spokesman left a gap no living leader presently fills.  He is missed. In fact, Liberty University--Dr. Falwell's unique contribution to evangelical subculture--surely misses his strong leadership hand, and it's showing up on Liberty Mountain >>>

The SBC Today Blog: Off to a Great Jump-Start by Peter Lumpkins

After lying dormant for perhaps a year or more, SBC Today is up and running strongly again. And, while Dr. Steve Lemke, Provost and Professor of Philosophy and Ethics at The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (proudly my own alma mater) seems to be the predominant writer on the blog, there exists a wide range of contributors--both academic and cleric--who offer solid commentary on a plethora of issues relevant to Southern Baptists >>>