Very excited about this book by
@tckteacher
! I'm planning to buy several to keep on hand for new baby gifts (alongside the Truth and Grace catechism memory books).
The first book in our new Children's book series: Lessons in Truth and Grace is now available for pre-order!
Like all children, Chuck and Susie have a lot of questions. They want to know if God, who made all things, made their house, just who decided their new baby would be a
#SBC24
Messengers: Do not allow yourself to be emotionally manipulated into feeling bad about wanting to discuss business matters at a business meeting. It does not mean that you don't care about the Great Commission.
This. I was an elder at a different church in Naples around the time the FBCN situation was happening. Beyond the damage that it did to church members (as
@megbasham
notes here), I can also say that the name of Christ was defamed throughout the city. There are unbelievers in
No. One cannot in good faith publicly label ordinary members of a church racists without clear evidence.
Greear was SBC president at the time and had the biggest megaphone in the denomination. He had all the more responsibility not to speak unless he knew that the allegations
Something to keep in mind when reading
@megbasham
's new book.
Money is fungible. A dollar from one source and a dollar from another source have the same spending power and are, therefore, interchangeable.
Let me give an example: Suppose my income was $ X, and my mortgage was $
All of the time allocated to questions for NAMB was spent on a single inquiry, but here is the question I was waiting at 🎤 3 to ask:
How many messengers with voting privileges did NAMB enable to attend this annual meeting by using cooperative funds for the purpose of
Ever the pastor,
@tomascol
is telling discouraged messengers at the
@FoundersMin
booth that now is the time to remember our theology - the Lord rules and reigns.
Overheard: "I don't really care about this amendment, I'm just voting for what gets me to dinner sooner"
This is what happens when the platform spends the meeting telling messengers that
#SBC24
business is a "distraction".
One of my takeaways from
#SBC24
is that many are somewhat naive about how such things work. I don't mean naive in a pejorative sense- I mean a sort of optimistic innocence that I wish I had.
Generally, when secular NGOs give grants, there is an implication that they gain some
Let me ask a general question—why should an organization that was created to serve the policy interests of the Southern Baptist Convention *ever* take outside grants for anything? It belongs to the SBC. Why should a secular interest be able to fund any project within the
@ERLC
?
As expected, much of the content is about the threat of Christian Nationalism. Worth noting: a number of speakers have bios that include working for or advising various Democratic politicians. I guess it's only concerning when Christians support those dastardly Republicans.
On the schedule is a session for "people hoping to move their churches into more progressive practices, policies, or positions."
Wait ... do they really have someone with the last name Overton (they/them) leading a session on how to move a church's Overton window? Even I have to
The reason we are so passionate is not because we think the work of the
@ERLC
is unimportant - it's because we believe it is critically important, but have serious concerns that the
@ERLC
often seems to be trying to influence the SBC on behalf of the world, and not vice versa.
Southern Baptists give money to the cooperative program to partner together on the Great Commission. Hearing Messengers who desire to ensure those funds are well managed accused of "focusing on a different mission" is frustrating.
There is a reckoning coming for the ERLC once
@megbasham
's book drops. There's an opportunity for leadership to use it as a galvanizing moment by publicly repenting and then reforming the
@erlc
to become the standard for integrity, transparency, and fidelity.
It's frustrating that
@jdgreear
continues to characterize his involvement as minimal. He spoke with the weight of the SBC presidency, first advocating for an SBC church to hire his friend and then publicly attributing nay votes to sinful prejudice and racial bias. He did not do
(I would like to see a Venn diagram of those who have expressed concern about "a culture of sexual misconduct" in the SBC, and those who plan to roleplay as little kids attending a drag queen-led Vacation Bible School).
Speaking to sources within ERLC this morning who tell me that, yes, the media blowback from CNN, the New York Times, and other secular left media orchestrated by Russell Moore was indeed what caused
@ERLC
to retract its dismissal of
@LeatherwoodERLC
.
@andrewtwalk
I feel like if I submitted an article to the
@TheBabylonBee
with the title, "Progressive Christian conference attendees partake in a group cuddle session after completing a Christo-Druid shamanic journey", it would get kicked back for being too unbelievable even for satire.
My unsolicited advice to
@LeatherwoodERLC
is to lead over the next year as if the motion had succeeded. Those of us who voted Yes took no pleasure in doing so. Most of us want the
@ERLC
to be all of those things it is advertised as being.
The mechanics of how CEO exits typically work can help make sense of what may have happened at the
@ERLC
. I'll try to summarize in this🧵.
(Prior to full-time ministry, I was a corporate executive. I've seen several CEO exits, and because my roles included client comms, I was
One of my favorite
#leadership
quotes.
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Timely lesson here heading into the
#SBC2024
annual meeting.
@tomascol
is too modest to share that several church members sought him out to tell him that if it weren't for he and Dr. Nettles getting involved, their church would likely have been steamrolled by an unscrupulous
Great day in Indianapolis as we prepare for the SBC annual meeting. I preached this morning at Christ Fellowship Church in Edinburgh. I realized before preaching that I had a history with this church. More than 20 years ago a pastoral intern left GBC to pursue PhD work at SBTS.
e.g. Wallis (Obama), Hendriks (Clinton, Kerry, Obama), and Lee (Biden) will lecture us on the very serious problem of Christians intertwining faith and politics.
But there's still time to repent and reform. In the unlikely chance that someone in a position to influence the leadership of the
@ERLC
reads this, I would love to chat with you off the record.
One concluding note: sponsors for this event include Westminster John Knox Press and Brazos Press (an imprint of Baker Publishing Group billed as fostering "the renewal of classical, orthodox Christianity").
I am really getting tired of this rhetorical technique.
@William_E_Wolfe
quoted
@jdgreear
as saying, “We have people in our church who work in some of these [abortion] clinics.”
The video in question has JD saying "I know that we, even in our church, have people who work, the
@William_E_Wolfe
I am afraid you misquoted, William. I said ‘some who attend our church.’ They are not members, and could not be. Or are you suggesting people ‘from the world’ should not be allowed to attend the preaching of the gospel?
If I were the head of the
@erlc
and was trying to refute claims that the entity was being influenced by leftist billionaires, you know what I would definitely NOT do?
I would not issue a statement just hours after leftist billionaires led a bloodless coup that disenfranchised
“Not only is this a historic decision, it is the right decision for our nation … Despite what some partisans will say, to walk away from power is a selfless act – the kind that has become all too rare in our culture.” —
@LeatherwoodERLC
After much prayer and with the support of my fellow elders, I intend to submit the attached resolution for consideration at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting. If you have any suggested edits, I welcome your feedback via DM.
#SBC24
#SBC2024
The
@ERLC
stands at a fork in the road. In just a few years, motions to disband the ERLC have gone from tepid support to having too many Yes votes for leadership to ignore. The momentum is heading in a bad direction for the ERLC. I expect
@megbasham
's book to accelerate this.
A disappointing follow-up on what I wrote on
@BaptistLeaders
about the resolution I submitted.
As a recap - after the head of the
@ERLC
endorsed a bill that threatens the religious freedom of Christians, I submitted a resolution expressing opposition to any law that would
🧵As CBL piece below points out, the Ethics & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Commission (
@erlc
) is supporting a bill that *threatens religious liberty.
“This bill gives an intergovernmental agency unaccountable to the American ppl the authority to define what Americans are permitted to say”
Remember - we need to be really concerned about conservative Christians intermixing religion and politics. Anyways, here's a session where you can learn songs and chants to share in demonstrations and direct actions in support of Gaza.
This could have been a beautiful picture of the gospel, had
@jdgreear
instead said, "My actions regarding the pastoral search process at First Baptist Church of Naples were sinful. I accused fellow believers of sinful prejudice and racial bias when I had no evidence to do so. I
Even his apologies minimize culpability. Here are his words (bold added for emphasis):
"I regret not acknowledging publicly that I didn’t know all that happened, given how far removed I was from the situation."
"If anyone was falsely accused, I’m sorry I contributed to that."
🎙️ FULL EPISODE:
@tomascol
and Graham are joined in the studio by
@DavidSchrock
&
@davemitz
to discuss
#SBC24
- some of the key events that happened, encouragements, disappointments and where we go from here.
#SBC
"Brother, I disagree with you and I love you. Messengers, I humbly ask you to vote no. But it is not lost on me that we have work to do to regain trust with a number of you. Some of this is due to past leadership, but the buck stops with me (continued in next tweet) ..."
From the description: "We will stir the water and raise some dirt, proposing (1) the Bible is not the word of God and (2) the Bible is descriptive, not prescriptive."
Shorter: "Did God actually say ______ ?"
" (continued) Whether this motion passes or fails, I am committed to spending the next year working to make the
@ERLC
something that every single Southern Baptist is proud to support."
"I have heard ministry leaders say, 'If you trust me to teach you the Word of God, you should trust me to handle the money without looking over my shoulder.' Red flag! That arrogant attitude will destroy integrity. Find out how to account for every dollar in your ministry…and do
Or there's the session on "building the church without the tools of the Patriarchy", led by a woman who was ordained at an egalitarian church where she experienced "a lot of micro-aggressions."
I don't understand what is so hard about all of this. We have a Savior who died for sinners like me and JD, and that Savior intercedes even now on our behalf. I believe that Greear sinned against FBCN, and I also believe that his sin against FBCN is by no means greater than God's
I'm grateful that
@BaptistLeaders
invited me to share why I'll be submitting a resolution on religious liberty and God's Word for consideration at
#SBC2024
in Indianapolis.
I am celebrating the Lord's kindness this morning, as today is my one-year anniversary serving the saints at
@gracebaptist
by His grace and for His glory.
I am so grateful for how the members of GBC have loved my family. I am thankful for the unwavering support of my kids, as
Any guesses as to how this session will answer the question, "Can you be Christian and do shadow-work, draw tarot cards, see shamans, or engage in ecstatic dance, breath-work, or psychedelic plant medicine?"
Fear, uncertainty, doubt.
In the corporate world, FUD is a sketchy marketing strategy used to sell products no one wants. FUD works by raising specious concerns about worst-case scenarios. The goal is to scare you into an emotional decision, choosing what is safe over what is
The SBC meeting is not a church service. It's not a tradeshow that we attend for the booth swag and free lunches. It is a business meeting wherein churches who have pooled their resources for the purpose of the Great Commission gather to perform our stewardship responsibilities.
From the description of 'From Purity Culture to Polyamory': "Whether coupled, throupled, or single, you can dig your way out of purity culture and learn more about non-monogamy and polyamory, and how to work it into your life in a healthy, meaningful way"
This session will address "eucontamination" as a lens for arguing that queerness acts within the church to help fellow Christians recognize the body of Christ.
A fun game to play at the airport is observing pairs of business travelers and trying to guess which one is the Account Exec /
#Sales
Rep /
#CustomerSuccess
Manager, and which one is the Sales Engineer / Solution Consultant / Technical Success Manager.
Paul "risked everything and lost much" when he decided to say he was a she. And by "losing much", he means peddling his transition story into a best-selling book, TEDTalks with over 9 million views, interviews with the NYT and WP, and speaking engagements all over the world.
I regularly pray that the Lord would reform the
@erlc
. I am encouraged by today's news, and am grateful to the trustees for making this change.
While I've often been disappointed by ERLC leadership, I still believe in the potential of what it could be under the right direction.
It should be recognized that
@bartbarber
is incredibly kind, patient, and helpful when correcting those on the mics who make parliamentary procedure mistakes.
#SBC24
It is NOT a distraction for us to ensure that our pooled resources are being faithfully stewarded to best accomplish the Great Commission, and you should be VERY suspicious of anyone whose paycheck comes from those funds who suggests otherwise.
We care so much about bringing the Gospel to hell-bound sinners that we are willing to endure the tedium of a massive business meeting to ensure that the money that we've pooled together is being rightly deployed to accomplish Great Commission work.
I recently taught my kids that just because you say, "no offense" doesn't mean that people aren't allowed to be offended by what you said.
Likewise, it's not a "clear misrepresentation" to conclude that an article that includes the attached screenshots is an attempt at moral
I finished Chapter 3 of
@megbasham
's Shepherds for Sale and I agreed with much of it.
However, I also found what seem to be clear misrepresentations.
Here is Basham claiming an attempt at "moral equivalency" vs.
@ksprior
's *explicit denial* of moral equivalency.
1/
Random
#SBC23
thought: Messengers might be well-served if a 1 credit hour course on Robert's Rules of Order / Parliamentary Procedure was added to the standard MDiv curriculum at each of the SBC seminaries.
#SBC2023
A thread of seminary survival tips, inspired by an impromptu conversation I had last night with a few
@IOPT_FL
students. Please post your own tips below!
William Gouge's magnum opus on the family vocations is a biblical, practical, theological, and doxological goldmine.
The team at
@RHB_Books
has faithfully updated the preeminent Puritan work on Christian family life, making it accessible to modern readers. I trust you will find
You should be prepared to hear again today about how "some of y'all care more about denominational procedures and doctrinal nuances than bring the Gospel to hell-bound sinners." Please, ignore such attempts at emotional manipulation.
It is also NOT a distraction for us to ensure that we are indeed like-minded. Church autonomy means that we voluntarily cooperate based on agreed upon parameters, which for Southern Baptists includes the BFM 2000 and constitution. Discussions about such things is appropriate.
The beauty of Baptist Associationalism is that a bunch of autonomous churches decide to voluntarily cooperate by pooling resources with like-minded churches for the express purpose of accomplishing the Great Commission.
Pastors, we especially have a responsibility to our church members to see to it that every single penny that they have cheerfully and sacrificially given is rightly stewarded.
Just thinking about the time a sign company tried to sell me on putting a 12' LED sign in front of the church by mentioning, "It can show your senior pastor's latest tweets to everyone driving by!"
To be fair, I wonder if those criticizing the SS Director Cheatle have ever stopped to consider just how dangerous it is to navigate a sloped roof in high heels?
I am sure that
@smithbaptist
and I disagree on any number of things, but I feel like it must be said - the ERLC needs more leaders who are willing to sit down and listen to those who are concerned with the leadership and direction of the entity.
My one and only interaction with
@tomascol
Very proud of the members of our church who called on the county commissioners to pass a resolution condemning amendment 4. Christ was glorified.
"Everybody knows that an unborn child is a child. Everybody knows that. The pro-choice people know that. And children are image
And if at
#SBC25
we are told the credentials committee was not able to do the work charged to them because of the clumsiness of the current process, then the majority who voted for the
@sbcamendment
will need to be ready to help them with motions and/or amendments to the bylaws.
All of the time allocated to questions for NAMB was spent on a single inquiry, but here is the question I was waiting at 🎤 3 to ask:
How many messengers with voting privileges did NAMB enable to attend this annual meeting by using cooperative funds for the purpose of
@bobsmietana
@megbasham
Right. The metaphor breaks down at a certain point, but if I had already budgeted unrestricted funds to pay my mortgage and then received a designated gift that was restricted to paying my mortgage, then the practical impact would be the same as if I had received an unrestricted
If you know of any SBC church whose practices on the office of pastor contradict the BFM, follow the referral process. If the system works, let's see it work this year. And if the system doesn't work under such load - keep the receipts as we mobilize the majority for Dallas '25
3 quotes from SBC seminary presidents:
"Trustworthiness is better than loyalty"
@jasonkeithallen
"One of the greatest temptations [...] is to tell something less than the truth"
@albertmohler
"Do not compound one bad decision with another by denying responsibility."
@Jeff_Iorg
A🧵—I am grateful for this clarification—really a repudiation—of the statement originally reported that
@jbwester
,
@bartbarber
, &
@keahbone
et al claimed that the new, independent organization would be funded by SendRelief.
But I have questions. 1/6
I would also suggest that we take those who opposed the
@sbcamendment
because "the current system works" at their word by giving them the opportunity to prove it over the next 12 months.