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Can Al Mohler Remain Silent about Southern Baptists Lying about Homosexuality and Practicing Homophobia? by Peter Lumpkins

How long can our president of Southern Baptists' flagship seminary, Dr. Al Mohler, hold out before addressing the confusion he created at last week's Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, AZ by publicly aligning himself with Jonathan Merritt, a decidedly gay-lifestyle sympathizer who believes strongly that his generation will not stand for traditional sexual mores but will be more neutral toward homosexual unions? >>> Many Mohler advocates praised Dr. Mohler's speech as brilliant, timely, and, literally, a "well deserved beatdown" toward the duly elected Southern Baptist Convention messenger1 who asked Dr.... Read more →

Baptist Press rectifies the silence on Al Mohler's controversial words--''homosexuality comments reflect Scripture"

Baptist Press just posted an explanation on the provocative words spoken concerning homosexuality at the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, AZ by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president, Dr. Al Mohler. Michael Foust, staff writer for Baptist Press, writes: Seminary president R. Albert Mohler Jr. says comments he made about homosexuality at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting reflect biblical teaching, and his remarks are receiving support from two prominent evangelical leaders who minister to the homosexual community. Dr. Mohler received strong support from Alan Chambers, who serves as president... Read more →

Brian McLaren Encourages Al Mohler: "Please don't back down" by Peter Lumpkins

Emergent icon and well-known radical theologian, Brian McLaren, posted an encouraging note he wished someone to pass along to Dr. Mohler. Dr. McLaren desires to express his genuine thanks and appreciation to Mohler for his courage to "take a risk and say things that you believe need to be said" even when Mohler knew he would be "maligned for doing so">>> Of course, McLaren is referring to Dr. Mohler's controversial words at the Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix when Mohler not only charged evangelicals and Southern Baptists with lying about... Read more →

Question Raised Over Baptist Press Silence Concerning Al Mohler's Provocative Claim about Homosexuality and Southern Baptists by Peter Lumpkins

North Carolina pastor, Tim Rogers, raises the question concerning Baptist Press' silence about Dr. Al Mohler's claim at the SBC in Phoenix that evangelicals broadly and Southern Baptists particularly "have lied about the nature of homosexuality" and practice "what can only be called a form of homophobia." During the Q/A time at the end of the seminary report at the SBC, Dr. Mohler affirmed the words were his and accurately quoted by cultural critic, Jonathan Merritt >>> In his article entitled, "Where is Baptist Press Coverage?" Rogers explains: "When one... Read more →

Al Mohler and Homosexuality: Setting the Record Straight by Peter Lumpkins

Now that we have moved into some calmer waters since last week's rapids over my question and Dr. Al Mohler's response at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), I thought it necessary to set the record straight. My understanding concerning Al Mohler's position on homosexuality before the SBC has been entirely swept aside by much of the internet buzz >>> Why people make such broad-brush implications in the face of clear facts remains a tribute to the unmitigated nonsense one finds so often on the internet. It really makes me ashamed... Read more →

Al Mohler on the Southern Baptist Convention: Liars and Homophobes? by Peter Lumpkins

Below is an edited video with the relevant portions of my question to Dr. Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, along with his direct response to the question posed at the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, AZ. The truth is, almost of all Dr. Mohler's response, after the first portion of his answer, addressed concerns he introduced, possessing little, if any, relevance to the concerns I specifically raised >>> Hence, this video is shorter in length.* It only has a selected snippet of... Read more →

Associated Baptist Press: "Mohler says Baptists must repent of homophobia" by Peter Lumpkins

Bob Allen, ABP, interprets Al Mohler's concession that the words attributed to him by Jonathan Merritt indicate that Southern Baptists must repent of their "homophobia". Allen writes: >>> The president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said June 15 that Southern Baptists need to repent of a “form of homophobia” that keeps gays and lesbians out of their churches. Albert Mohler responded during his report to the Southern Baptist Convention to a question from Peter Lumpkins, a Southern Baptist blogger, about whether comments attributed to him in a March 24 Christian... Read more →

"The president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary says his denomination needs to repent for a "form of homophobia" by Peter Lumpkins

Baptist Press (BP) should note the headline below. For some reason, BP strangely failed to include in its seminary report from the SBC, Mohler's question asked to him from the convention floor, a question concerning his words spoken to Jonathan Merritt. Akin's question concerning a Calvinistic thrust on the SEBTS campus, on the other hand, was worthy of note. Did Baptist Press not think Mohler's public confession Southern Baptists have lied about the nature of homosexuality would not be newsworthy? Others are already catching on... >>> Seminary president: Baptists have... Read more →

Encouraging a Culture of Intimidation in the SBC by Peter Lumpkins

Thoughts about the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix do not lack as I prepare for my flight back to a rain-soaked West Georgia. We actually needed the rain. My grass was beginning to look like some I’ve seen in Phoenix! One particular thought I want to pitch to my readers pertains to what I see as a culture of intimidation being promoted in the Southern Baptist Convention. Allow me. I mentioned at least twice on my site, I thought Dr. Al Mohler needed to answer a particular question about... Read more →

Why does an SBC Entity Sponsor an SBC Exhibitor Which Declines Accountability to Southern Baptists? by Peter Lumpkins

I posted earlier on 9Marks Ministries’ history-making-moment by being an officially-sponsored exhibitor at the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix. For publishing this factually-oriented info, I was accused on the one hand of being divisive and on the other of attacking 9Marks. My accuser appears to think SBC Tomorrow exists to either avoid factual information or offer interpretations of factual information which are consistent only with a presupposed understanding agreeable to him. Alas, I must dissent. Indeed I will continue to dissent and call plays like I see them regardless... Read more →

9 Marks Ministries: An Official Ministry of the SBC? by Peter Lumpkins

9Marks Ministries, an organization headed by Mark Dever, Senior Pastor of the Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC made history in two significant ways at the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, Az. First, they stepped in the gap and offered a workshop for convention attendees during the down-time created by the convention schedule change >>> More significantly, however, is the second way 9Marks made history: 9Marks Ministries had an official booth in the exhibit hall of the Southern Baptist Convention...a first. According to the exhibitor policy (revised 09/2004)--a... Read more →

SBC Attendance Flashback by Peter Lumpkins

If the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix we prognosticate to be approximately 5K is correct, how does this compare with former attendance? Let's take a look >>> 2010 Orlando 11, 070 2009 Louisville 8,790 2008 Indianapolis 7,277 2007 San Antonio 8,630 2006 Greensboro 11,639 2005 Nashville 11,641 2004 Indianapolis 8,600 2003 Phoenix 7,077 2002 St. Louis 9,645 2001 New Orleans 9,594 2000 Orlando 11,951 The last time we were in Phoenix, we had 7,077. However, that’s when Southern Baptists were so miserably dead, nothing short of an organized $250,000... Read more →

Low Preregistration for 2011 Southern Baptist Convention by Peter Lumpkins

Word has it approximately 3,800 have preregistered for the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, AZ. And, if past preregistration stats have any pattern to tell, then we are looking at a convention at or around 5,000.* I personally have not preregistered and will stand in line with my little 3"x5" card doing it the way Paige Patterson, Jerry Vines, and O.S. Hawkins did it in the 1950s. I want to make a statement. With that, I am... Peter *the standard gauge is, the preregistration number stands at approximately 80%... Read more →

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 >>> Truth be told, Whitt has kept those in the convention who desire to change the methodology/ecclesiology of SBC churches from the top-down running... Read more →

Al Mohler on Jay Bakker but NOT on Jonathan Merritt by Peter Lumpkins

Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, just posted a stinging critique of Jay Bakker’s latest book, Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self, and Society (Faith Words, 2011).>>> Entitled, “The Church and the ‘Clobber’ Scriptures—The Bible and Homosexuality” Mohler spanks little Jay where it hurts. Indeed one may hardly disagree with Dr. Mohler’s studied conclusion: “The Bible’s condemnation of same-sex behaviors is comprehensive and clear. It is interwoven with the Bible’s message concerning God’s plan for humanity, marriage, and society — and the Gospel. Human flourishing... Read more →

Founders Ministries Surrenders the SBC Domain Name by Peter Lumpkins

In January, 2011, I put up a post entitled, "What comes to mind when you think, Southern Baptist Convention?" >>> Following the proposed query, I gave the link, www.southernbaptistconvention.org. Some thought I was making a joke since the website pulled up was Founders Ministries. Dr. Bart Barber certainly confessed he did (//link). He quickly discovered, however, I was not pulling a prank at all. Founders Ministries had used the domain for the Southern Baptist Convention for several years, dubbing it, according to their webmaster, as Founders Ministries "little known secret... Read more →