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A helpful visual image demonstrating the influence of a single man in the Southern Baptist Convention

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.

J.D. Greear on the sinner's prayer, praying to receive Christ, and accepting Jesus into your heart by Peter Lumpkins

Recently, David Platt made some controversial statements pertaining to asking Jesus into one's heart. At a talk during Verge 2012, Platt said  >>>

SBC name change: it's good...it's bad...it's ugly (part III) by Peter Lumpkins

UPDATE: Texas pastor, Dwight McKissic, Sr. offered an interesting response to this piece entitled "The SBC Identity Crisis: a Response to Peter Lumpkins." Many times my brother Dwight and I have differing opinions on denominational politics. However, we agree fully on this particular point concerning the name change issue though we begin with contrary premises.  It's worthy of your time, I assure...    

UPDATE: please pay careful attention to the two footnotes

In Part I, I showed how Bryant Wright's task force recommendations concerning name change for the Southern Baptist Convention had both good and bad aspects to it. While "Great Commission Baptists" captures well the church's own missional terminology about herself to herself (and other gospel-initiated believers), the proposed name change (i.e. "tag-line") possesses no more explanatory power to the culture at large about who Southern Baptists are and what we're about than our present name, "Southern Baptists."¹ Why missional strategists like Ed Stetzer, who normally takes the initiative to correct Southern Baptists for their hesitancy to relate well to the larger culture, failed to criticize the name "Great Commission Baptists" for its navel-gazing aura² can hardly be explained since he climbed aboard early in riding the task force's name change bus  >>>

 

The International Mission Board and Uninspired Missions Giving by Peter Lumpkins

UPDATE: Kentucky pastor, Jared Moore, has put up a piece responding to this post; or, in his words, a "calling out." I do not mind sincere critics. Critics assist us to be better authors and better researchers, and even hone our own critical skills. I try to be accurate and careful in my assertions and/or inferences I make from the data at my disposal. I also make links available or offer proper citations for the data from which I draw my conclusions. Hence, if I overreach in my conclusions, the public has the sources I cite to evaluate for themselves. I can and have made wrong inferences from the data available, and when it is shown I have, the only thing to do is admit it and learn from it and move on  >>>

Packer on Calvinist Evangelism | robfaircloth.com by Peter Lumpkins

J.I. Packer assesses the Calvinist mindset:

via robfaircloth.com

Jonathan Merritt agrees--"Change that name" by Peter Lumpkins

  Southern Baptists' most prolific (and youngest) cultural critic, Jonathan Merritt, placed his public vote on the question of name change in USA Today on Monday. Agreeing with SBC President Bryant Wright, Merritt wrote:  >>>

Just in case you missed it by Peter Lumpkins

 

 

 Just in case you missed it, below are a few of the better posts this past week:

Evangelism: A Biblical Response to Today’s Questions: A Brief Review by Peter Lumpkins

J. D. Payne serves as a National Missionary with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and an Associate Professor of Church Planting and Evangelism in the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Evangelism: A Biblical Response to Today's Questions ($17.99 Biblica Publishing, 2011) answers questions about evangelism from an admittedly Calvinistic perspective (47) >>> 

Kevin Ezell Defends Acts 29 Network: A Response (part I) by Peter Lumpkins

 Joe Westbury is managing editor of The Christian Index, the Georgia Baptist state paper. On June 2nd, The Christian Index published Westbury’s feature story entitled “Filling in the Blanks” which profiled NAMB President Kevin Ezell as he openly talked about several issues including church planting, missionaries, evangelism, and the Acts 29 Network >>>

Acts 29 Network, Mark Driscoll and the Southern Baptist Convention: a Compilation of Articles by Peter Lumpkins

As we are packing bags for Phoenix, I thought it would benefit readers at SBC Tomorrow just how prominent Acts 29 Network, Mark Driscoll, and his church planting movement have become among the elites of the Southern Baptist Convention. Below are several of the more colorful issues we've discussed. With no chronological order intended, check out some of the following pieces I've written >>>

Brad Whitt Makes Baptist News Again by Peter Lumpkins

  On February 28, South Carolina pastor, Dr. Brad Whitt, wrote a provocative piece entitled “Young, Southern Baptist…and Irrelevant?” Within a few weeks, over a half dozen state papers had picked up the young pastor’s essay. He obviously resonated with Southern Baptists all over the United States. Indeed his stated concerns shook loose a rebuttal from two Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary professors, Nathan Finn and Ed Stetzer >>>

Church Excludes Two Seminaries from CP Funding by Peter Lumpkins

According to The Christian Index, one of Georgia’s largest CP supporting churches voted May 4, 2011 to “designate [their] funds around two entities of the Southern Baptist Convention,”  namely Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC >>>

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" >>>

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... >>>

Do You Believe in the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering? by Peter Lumpkins

UPDATE: A representative from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church has officially responded to this piece and offered substantial correction concerning their gifts to the AAEO (//link).     

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Every year Southern Baptists gear up for the greatest missionary funding thrust for national evangelistic projects about which the "evangelical" church knows--The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.  Most Southern Baptists historically have given sacrificially for this particular missions cause. Some have not. That's why I read with interest the piece supplied to Baptist Press from North American Missions Board representative, Mickey Noah...>>>