Skip to main content

SBC 2007: San Antonio

Having made it home from a week of travels to the SBC and tour of Texas (DFW area) and while still suffering from a minor case of jet-lag I felt the need to post a few reflections from the 2007 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention while they were still fresh on my mind. These thoughts are neither in-depth, nor educated (which may mean inaccurate), but they are reflections from an observer and participant.

The Messengers
For the most part I was disappointed with the messengers of the SBC. They seem to be neither engaged in the serious matters of the SBC, nor caring that they are not. Many sit during the worship songs or make useless cell phone calls. I was also amazed by the number of empty seats. Where were you?

The Seminary Presidents
This was very encouraging. I thank God for men like R. Albert Mohler Jr., Daniel Akin, and Paige Patterson who will take a bold stand for the cause of the gospel, the high calling of the minister, and the innerancy of Scripture. They are "bold as a lion" and keep our seminaries refined with the truth of God's Word.

The Committee on Resolutions
I was disappointed with the resolutions brought to the SBC by this committee and the ones left unattended by them. Our bearing seems to backward and we neglect the weighty matters for those that waist time and breath. They encourage the messengers to promote themselves and neglect thinking. They did the SBC no service.

The Seminaries and Colleges
I was especially proud of the number of schools that are dedicated to the teaching and training of ministers. I appreciate the presence of seminary professors at the booths and the availability of journals and magazines produced by these institutions. I extend a word of gratitude to Dr. Jerry Johnson of Criswell College in Texas for not only having one of the finest booths at the convention, but also promoting theological thinking by hosting the two debates on 1) election and 2) private prayer languages. We were challenged and enriched through your work and I was encouraged.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Generation of Mark 13:30

At the beginning of Mark chapter thirteen Jesus is leaving the temple area and one of his disciples points out the grandure of the temple buildings. Jesus' remark to that disciple concerns the fact that these buildings will one day be torn down. The disciples question Him further as to the times of these events, and so begins an extended teaching from Jesus on the end times.As Jesus' remarks are drawing to a close, He makes this comment in Mark 13:30: "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." (NASB) So the reader is left to wonder the meaning of this statement. Either our understanding of generation is wrong, or we are understanding what Jesus meant by "these things" wrong. I think there are at least two solutions. The word for generation (genea: Greek) could mean, as some side column reference Bibles note, "the human race". This is possible, since the events have not all happened and the human race...

Children, Forgive Your Parents

Originally written on August 7, 2005 I remember the first time my father spoke to me as an adult. I was thirty. I had always looked up to my dad because he has many characteristics that are larger than life. Our relationship had always been that of a father and child. It did not change as I became a teenager and as I entered adulthood this unchanging relationship was the cause of much strain. So I was caught off guard as my dad began to speak to me over lunch one day at Chik-fil-a. As he spoke to me he began to confess the things that he had done wrong in raising my brother and me. It was a remarkable moment. Mainly because I noticed very few of his mistakes. He always worked to provide for us, loved my mother with all his heart, gave us plenty of hugs and kisses, and told us that he loved us everyday. So why would he admit to making mistakes in raising his children? After all, he had done a pretty exceptional job. The truth of the matter is that no matter how good we do as parents and...

By This Time You Ought To Be Teachers

June 1, 2006 Sin has a way of crippling us and it is not as obvious as we might think. Sin is subtle and comes to us in the most gentle of ways. When the writer of Hebrews attempts to encourage the church to remain diligent to the faith he does it by writing a letter filled with warnings. One of those warnings has to do with the connection between disobedience and unbelief (3:18-19). Disobedience is equated with unbelief in these two verses, because Israel did not enter the land of rest by disobeying God, rather they failed to believe that God would keep His word to them. Disobedience is the fruit of failing to hear God’s word. At first this does not seem to apply to us at all. We hear God’s word all week long. Or do we? When sin settles into our hearts it begins to harden our senses (3:13). We do not hear God’s word like we used to and preaching, as well as Bible lessons, begin to sound more like traffic noise from the freeway than words spoken to us from God. The writer of Hebrews re...