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Georgia Baptists adopt resolution on the sexual abuse of children, Kentucky and Alabama too

click for larger image The Georgia Baptist Convention met in Dacula, Georgia November 11-12. Without edit or opposition,1 Georgia Baptists passed the resolution I submitted to the resolutions committee for consideration in September of this year, a resolution almost identical to the resolution passed by the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention back in June.2 In addition, Kentucky Baptists adopted a very similar resolution submitted by Kentucky pastor, Jon Carter. Dr. Rick Patrick, pastor of First Baptist Church, Sylacauga, Alabama proposed a resolution on the sexual abuse of children which Alabama Baptists... Read more →

Calvinists and Pelagius agreed on the status of infants dying in infancy?

It appears some modern day Calvinists express a similar agnosticism toward infants dying in infancy as did Pelagius. When pushed by Augustine, Pelagius said, “Where they are not, I know; where they are, I know not” (//link). While Augustine's nemesis was certain infants were not in hell, he offered no firm answer as to where they were. On the other hand, while some Calvinists do not want to say some infants dying in infancy go to hell, neither will they affirm whether some or all infants go to heaven. They... Read more →

Christian Index editor pushes for answers from Calvinism Advisory Committee about babies burning in hell

Below is the most recent editorial by Christian Index editor, Gerald Harris.1 Entitled "A New Kind of Calvinism" Dr. Harris shares his perspective on the committee report released prior to the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention by Executive Committee President Frank Page. In addition Harris recalls his concern over one aspect of the committee report, a concern he expressed during the official Q/A at the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention. Harris rightly asked about the committee's affirmation that "most Southern Baptists believe that those who die before they are capable of moral... Read more →

Resolution on Sexual Abuse of Children adopted with amendment

Below is the vetted version of the resolution on sexual abuse of children I originally proposed. In blue text is an amendment I offered reinserting what I felt was a valid concern toward convention leaders and employees of the Southern Baptist Convention and their relationships with organizations and/or individuals with disturbing policies and practices in protecting our children. How timely for Southern Baptists to not only endorse a statement strongly encouraging pastors and churches to openly and forthrightly handle abusive situations with children, thus demonstrating that protecting our children is... Read more →

The Calvinism Advisory Committee report online...

The committee Frank Page put together to consider how to approach the continued conflict Calvinism has become in the Southern Baptist Convention has published its report. Entitled TRUTH, TRUST, and TESTIMONY in a TIME of TENSION: A Statement from the Calvinism Advisory Committee, the reader may find it in the current online edition of SBC Life. For your convenience, I posted a link below so the reader may download it as a PDF file. I do not want to comment on the report itself before carefully reading it first. But... Read more →

The "Sinner's Prayer" Revisited

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 >>> As some have noted, while Hankins' original proposal was accepted by the Resolutions Committee, the committee overhauled the original submission fairly extensively before putting it to the messengers for consideration. After a lengthy discussion on the convention floor, messengers approved the edited version of Hankins' resolution. Consequently, most of us probably expected Hankins' original resolution proposal never to surface again.... Read more →

Missouri Pathway reports Jason Allen elected as the fifth president of Midwestern seminary

It's official: Dr. Jason K. Allen has become the fifth president of The Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. According to The Pathway >>> "After a three-hour closed session during their bi-annual meeting, the trustees voted 29-2 to call the 35-year-old Allen following an official nomination, questions from trustees and discussion" Furthermore, Dr. Allen will begin his duties immediately and hopes to be inaugurated in April 2013 upon the expected completion of Midwestern's new chapel. And, though we've been vocally outspoken concerning both the search committee process as well as what we... Read more →

Larry Wynn leaving North American Mission Board for new position at Georgia Baptist Convention by Peter Lumpkins

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... Read more →

The Calvinists are here: a guest editorial by Gerald Harris

UPDATE: the word is LifeWay is preparing a detailed response to Gerald Harris' essay and is scheduled to post this evening on Baptist Press. I'm anticipating precisely what facts in the essay LifeWay intends to dispute. ======================= Below is the current editorial in The Christian Index, the Georiga Baptist Convention's state paper. Dr. Gerald Harris has served as editor of The Christian Index since May 2003. We happily publish by permission Dr. Harris' latest editoral, "The Calvinists are here" >>> SBC Tomorrow welcomes Gerald Harris as guest contributor* John Calvin... Read more →