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James White and humility

Take a listen at one snippet from White's broadband broadcast critiquing The 2013 John 3:16 Conference speakers (including my booklet on Calvinism in the same broadcast). It's only 40 secs long but a powerful statement concerning how James White views himself compared with other brothers in ministry:

More verbal abuse and implications of "heresy" by Baptist Calvinists

UPDATE: one of James White's supporters, Micah Burke, put up a post in response to my piece below. Entitled "Peter Lumpkins doesn't know who he's responding to," Burke suggests my critical commentary below is misdirected toward James White. Instead he claims my criticism presumably should have been directed toward Al Mohler since "Nearly 99% of the quote [the quote below I transcribed from White's broadband broadcast] is actually Al Mohler's own words" (italics and link original). What a rip-roaring revelation! I'd never thought of that! Of course, Burke (he apparently is a volunteer employee for White's ministry) completely ignored the two references to Pelagius that White employed in the context of speaking about Harwood which contains much of the substance driving my concern below, two references White could not have quoted from Mohler because Mohler didn't mention either Pelagius or Pelagianism in his piece. Hence, White went well beyond Mohler in theologically implicating Harwood by identifying him not with semi-Pelagianism but identifying Harwood with Pelagius himself. These are the kinds of vacuous defenses offered by James White advocates...

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I've already mentioned the verbal assaults some aggressive Southern Baptist Calvinists levelled toward the presenters and participants of the 2013 John 3:16 Conference (here and here). One may now add to their literary hubris the voice of Reformed Baptist, James White. On his latest "Radio Free Geneva" internet broadcast White especially deals with presenters Adam Harwood, Eric Hankins, Emir Caner, and Steve Gaines.¹ 

The 2013 John 3:16 Conference, Criticism, and the Calvinist Controversy in Louisiana: Part II

In Part I, I recorded the first of two examples indicative of unhelpful criticism--and in some cases, irresponsible and even slanderous criticism--some of the more rigorous Calvinists lobbed toward The 2013 John 3:16 Conference. Montana pastor, J.D. Hall, claimed Truett-McConnell College was "theologically raping" the students, while indicating one of its professors, Adam Harwood, was much to blame. And, while Hall at first defended his words when some of his Twitter followers protested, he nonetheless offered a clear word of regret and publicly apologized for his "harsh" language, conceding Trevin Wax's "rebuke was appropriate. Apologies, to everyone."

Why all the buzz? Further thoughts on the present Calvinism conversation by Earl Blackburn

Below is the final of four entries on the purported Calvinism issue posted on March 12, 2013 in The Message, Louisiana Baptists' state paper. Editor Kelly Boggs generously sent all four articles to me so non-subscribers could access the important articles dealing with the unfortunate situation developing at Louisiana College. The three prior articles are linked at the end.

Louisiana's Message republishes "The Calvinists are here" by Georgia's Christian Index editor, Gerald Harris

The Baptist Message recently posted a series of articles on the purported issue over Calvinism at Louisiana College. I received permission from The Message editor to re-post the four articles in full on my site since many Southern Baptists outside Louisiana are watching with concerned interest the fiasco taking place on the Baptist campus. Yet since so few of us outside Louisiana subscribe to The Message, we were left completely in the dark as to the content of the articles. You may find the first and second articles linked after the editorial below.

What is Calvinism? everything you need to know about Calvinism...and then some by Peter Lumpkins

Well it took long enough! The truth is, I've been so busily assisting others in getting their literary stuff published, I've continued to place on the back burner something from my own bean pot. Hence, I took a few days off to cook up this little piece which I think will help church folk understand the Calvinism issue.

Ernest C. Reisinger on what non-Calvinist Southern Baptists apparently believe

We do not support the erroneous idea that God has done all He can, and is now standing idly by to see what sovereign sinners are going to do with an impotent, pathetic Jesus. No! God saves sinners -- salvation is of the Lord.¹ 

Was the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message Calvinistic enough? Mark Dever vs Tom Ascol and Tom Nettles

According to a 1996 Baptist Press article by James A. Smith, Sr., Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., urged the revision of the Southern Baptist Convention's 1963 statement of faith while speaking at the 14th annual meeting of the Founders Conference held on the campus of Samford University, Birmingham, Ala. Smith wrote   >>>

Adam Harwood on the dilemma at young, restless, and reformed's "ground zero"

The book was Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists by Colin Hansen.  In it, the self-identifying "YRR" journalist dubbed Southern Seminary "Ground Zero" for training and equipping the new army of young neo-Calvinist pastors and church planters to spread the doctrines of grace across the Southern Baptist Convention    >>>

Were Southern Baptists much more Calvinistic in 1925 than later in the 20th century?

One often hears the claim that our first convention-wide adopted statement of faith--The 1925 Baptist Faith and Message--was much more Calvinistic than either of the two subsequent revisions in 1963 and 2000   >>>

Joe Biden and a note to Calvinists by Peter Lumpkins

Watching the vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan took about everything I had to last to the end. Biden's annoying, non-stop grin, smirky attitude, and disrespectful demeanor so consumed my attention that the actual content of what either candidate offered remains a complete blur to me now. Biden will undoubtedly go down in future text books on debate as a classic example of how not to effectively do it. Here's what a cross-section of pundits said:   >>>

Another Texas pastor sends an Open Letter to Midwestern trustees

Following on the heels of Texas pastor Steve Brumbelow's open letter to Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees expressing his concern over the search committee's disappointing announcement that Dr. Jason K. Allen would be nominated as the seminary's fifth president, Rodney Hammer, Executive Director of Missions for the Blue River-Kansas City Association, sent his own public dissent to the trustees expressing his disagreement with the Allen nomination, a disagreement coming from the very cradle of Midwestern's influence.¹  Now, yet another open letter reaches the trustees this week...    >>>

Executive Director for Kansas City association calls for Midwestern trustees to drop the Allen nomination

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:

Texas pastor Steve Brumbelow sends an Open Letter to Midwestern trustees

Posting verifiable information about Dr. Jason K. Allen, trustee search committee nominee to become the fifth president at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has inspired some pastors to research for themselves whether the proposed candidate constitutes an acceptable nominee and conclude contra the search committee it does not.   >>>

Update: Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees with contact information

UPDATE!!

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"   >>>