Posts Tagged ‘Southern Baptist’

The Southern Baptist Convention boasts more than 15 million members in nearly 50,000 churches. In the Deep South, the numbers are even more impressive. In fact, one in four Alabamians identify themselves as a Southern Baptist.

Yet, all is not well within the Southern Baptist Zion. Nearly 50 years ago, Dean Kelley’s insightful, Why Conservative Churches Are Growing, documented the correlation between a denomination’s acceptance of liberal theology and the numerical decline that always followed. Kelley’s argument was clear enough—if a church does not believe in the full truthfulness of Scripture, the exclusivity of the gospel, and the eternal realities of heaven and hell, it feels no urgency to evangelize. Therefore, denominational decline always follows doctrinal compromise. Read more

Recently, Southern Baptist Convention president, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, invited me to address a gathering of Southern Baptist leaders on the topic: “The Baptist Faith & Message 2000, A Reflective View Historically and is there anything that Needs to be Addressed in It?” After giving a brief summary of our confessional history, I landed firmly against revising the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. Below is the second installment of a two-part summary of my address. Read more

In Southern Baptist circles, this is the time of year for state convention meetings. In recent days, I have been with the Missouri, Iowa, and Texas state gatherings, and look forward to being with Alabama this week. These meetings have prompted me to reflect on our denominational efforts, and have reminded me of a memorable sermon from SBC history, which, oddly, speaks to our denominational moment. Read more

Midwestern Seminary’s symposium The SBC & the 21st Century: Reflection, Renewal and Recommitment has now come and gone. I have received feedback from throughout the SBC and beyond, and have been very encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Personally, I could not have been more pleased. Each presentation was memorable, and the presenters were both insightful and encouraging. Read more

Associated Baptist Press recently reported that Rodney Kennedy, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio, sprinkled an infant. The event was newsworthy because, by definition, a Baptist church does not baptize infants. To practice the latter is to forfeit being the former. Or at least it used to.

But one need not look to a CBF Baptist church to find believer’s baptism being renegotiated. At least a few conservative Baptist churches have adopted—or have flirted with adopting—some form of dual baptism.

While I have been blessed by the writings of many who practice pedobaptism, as one who is wholeheartedly Baptist, sprinkling infants—especially in erstwhile Baptist congregations—concerns me. Read more