I've never proposed a resolution before. Truth is, I've not written one either. But if this issue is not a valid subject about which Southern Baptists should publicly express a strong voice, I'm not sure what qualifies as an issue we should address.
For all its flaws, I just submitted the following resolution to the Resolutions Committee for the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Houston, Texas. As with all resolutions, it has but a small hope it will make it out of committee deliberations. I fully understand this dynamic. Nonetheless, the resolution raises the question which Southern Baptists must sooner or later officially address.
Norm Miller serves as Director of Communications at Truett-McConnell College (TMC) in Cleveland, GA. Before going to TMC, Miller served for a number of years as a denominational journalist. He was writer and editor in the public relations department of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, staff writer for the IMB, and in 1998 was named news and information director for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary under Al Mohler (//link). Words—written words—have been the giftedness God gave to Norm and, as his journey in Southern Baptist life attests, many have seen this gift and desired his gift to be used for God’s glory in their respective fields of harvest. I'm glad to call Norm Miller my friend.
Thanks to Dr. Adam Harwood, the helpful visual below shows how powerfully influential one man can be in a convention of churches like Southern Baptists. In itself, the image is neutral. That is, the visual only depicts what is without necessarily suggesting what ought to be. Hence, while my inference from the visual might produce alarming concern, a concern the reality of which I see inevitably leading to top-down, centralized authority going against the grain of free church tradition, another's inference might suggest an appreciation--or even inspiration--about how God uses certain people. Indeed, it's quite possible it might produce both of the above or neither of the above while yet producing another inference.
When Karl Barth's classic commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans was first published in 1919, a biblical monograph which effectively delivered Old Liberalism its first mortal blow, one German reviewer described Barth's neo-orthodox innovation revealed in his Romans exposition as falling "like a bombshell on the playground of the theologians" >>>
Dr. Eric Hankins, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Oxford, Mississippi, proposed a "Sinner's Prayer" resolution at the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans back in June >>>
After taking care of some loose ends, I'm headed to the Georgia Baptist Convention held this year in Warner Robins at the Second Baptist Church where Jim Perdue serves as the senior pastor. Recalling last year's convention, my hunny asked me if I was taking my camera. I said, "Sure! It's a matter of principle." Her response--"Principle my foot!" After almost 40 years of marriage--a beautiful marriage I might add--she probably knows me fairly well, I'd say (smile).
"To take or not to take: that is the question..."
Perhaps I'll put up an interim piece on what's going on among Southern Baptists in Georgia. Then again, few readers outside the peach state are probably interested.
Dr. Rodney Hammer serves as the Executive Director of Missions for the Blue River-Kansas City Association in Lee's Summit, MO. Before serving the last eight years as the Executive Director, Dr. Hammer served for 18 years with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He twice graduated from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. And, as a graduate and obvious supporter of Midwestern, Hammer is now on record stating his unequivocal challenge to Midwestern trustees to drop the nomination of Jason K. Allen to be the fifth president of Midwestern and move on:
Dr. Bart Barber is Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas and a trustee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He has also served as adjunct professor at the seminary over which he now sits as trustee.1 Barber is also my friend. I've appreciated his emboldened Free Church ecclesiology through the few short years I've known him.2. And let's not forget the positive review he gave to Alcohol Today: abstinence in an age of indulgence >>>
Pastors are already utilizing Midwestern's trustee list posted on the site by writing a letter not only to trustees they know, but also every trustee on the board. Additionally included by some pastors are copies sent to all SBC Executive Board members >>>
I've written several pieces now on the unusual nomination of
Dr. Jason K. Allen to be the fifth president of Midwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary. One planned piece remains: "Courting Diaster: The Midwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary Part II" >>>
After Presidential Search Team Chairman, Bill Bowyer, made public Midwestern's search team's policy of silence on its proposed presidential candidate, Jason K. Allen, more are calling on the search team to recognize the feeling multitudes of Southern Baptists have that we're not in Kansas any more, Toto. Far too many agendas and behind-the-curtain deals have gone down for a simplistic "just trust us" appeal to ring any truer than a hollow clang.1 >>>
Below is the content of an email response I received courtesy of Dr. Bill Bowyer, Senior Pastor of the Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC, and Chairman of the Presidential Search Committee for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to an inquiry I made to him pertaining to presidential nominee, Dr. Jason K. Allen. Even though I have deep reservations concerning the "hush-hush" approach taken by the search committee concerning Dr. Allen's theology (and will undoubtedly offer my reasons later), we nonetheless extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Bowyer for his gracious, speedy, and open reply.1 >>>
UPDATE: a chart courtesy of The Christian Index concerning The Georgia Baptist Convention's restructuring plan is available to the public. Included is the position Larry Wynn will fill as he so soon leaves the North American Mission Board...(09/12/2012/3:17pm)
Sources indicate Vice-President of Evangelism, Larry Wynn, is apparently leaving the North American Mission Board (NAMB) in Alpharetta and headed to Duluth to serve as Vice-President of Church Revitalization* for the Georgia Baptist Convention. Wynn was senior pastor of Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, Ga for 33 years before being recruited by NAMB president, Kevin Ezell in Feburary, 2011. Of Wynn's role, Ezell then said, "Larry will work closely with state Baptist convention leaders and staff as we seek to lead and equip Southern Baptists in the area of evangelism..." (//link). Evidently, Wynn will now carry on his Kingdom service exclusively with Georgia Baptists--a win for us but a loss for NAMB.
*the title may not be fully accurate. It does serve to frame Wynn's apparent new work at the GBC, however
It could very well be me I confess. I have not attended missions conferences sponsored by either NAMB or IMB in a long time. Even so, I cannot recall a time when I did that they desired a fat fee to attend what we send money for them to do--educate people on the significance of missions both in North America and the world >>>
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