Comments on: Fifteen Factors That Have Changed the SBC since 1979, Part 1

By: Around the Blog « Ponder anew what the Almighty can do if with his love He befriend thee

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:02:49 +0000

[...] Finn blogs about 15 things that have changed the Southern Baptist Convention since 1979…Part 1, Part 2, and Part [...]

By: Dr. Nathan Finn on Changes in the SBC since 1979 | Northwestern Baptist Association

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:53:27 +0000

[...] of the SBC and how those changes impact churches today. You can find the articles here, Part 1 and Part 2 [...]

By: SBC in the last thirty years « Interstitial

SBC in the last thirty years « Interstitial — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:53:04 +0000

[...] Nathan Finn is doing a series of 3 posts on 15 things that have changed in the SBC since 1979. the first five are here. interesting stuff. looking forward to seeing the next [...]

By: Roger Simpson

Roger Simpson — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:29:46 +0000

Dr. Finn:

I don’t want to steal your thunder because the issue I bring up here as an extension to number 5 might be one of your remaining points.

That issue is that while in the “old days” the SBC was more “flat” programmatically there was a period (now somewhat run its course?) where some SBC congregations followed particular church models [not necessarily SBC]. To wit: Saddleback, Willow Creek, Brooklyn Tabernacle. I don’t know what to make of the fact that these models “moved into” a particular “space” in SBC life.

An extension of this is that certain SBC churches publish literature that is used — to a greater or lesser extent — by other SBC churches. For example, I’d say half of the choir music books that we have used recently here at First Southern Del City OK are Prestonwood books.

Roger Simpson

By: Nathan Finn

Nathan Finn — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:19:36 +0000

Bill,

I would, but I will discuss it as a separate category. Remember I said there is some overlap with my 15 factors. I think you are definitely on to something.

NAF

By: Bill Nettles

Bill Nettles — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:52:04 +0000

I look forward to seeing the rest of the list.

In #2, would you include (as the flip side) the discovery of acceptable evangelical theology from sources outside the SBC, starting with Packer,MacArthur and Swindoll and moving to Piper and Carson. There are many in SB life who, 20 years ago, didn’t know who these guys were. When I was a teenager, about the only non-SBC authors in the Baptist Bookstore were Hal Lindsey (Late Great Planet Earth), and Francis Schaeffer.

By: scott parkison

scott parkison — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:27:46 +0000

Thanks for this short post Nathan. I can definitly see how all of these factors have changed the SBC in the past 30 years. I have become especially intrigued over the past few years with point 4. When I was in seminary in the late 90’s I met very few people who would call themselves Calvinists. Now, it seems that every other person I meet claims some form of Calvinism. This has been an interesting trend, indeed. I look forward to reading the other 10 factors.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:01:41 +0000

Concerning factors #3 and #4, I think those have more to do with the rise of a generation more interested in reading independent (i.e. non-SBC) writers on biblical matters…this tends to be the small-church and Calvinist authors of the PCA and other successful evangelical denominations/movements. So perhaps these two can be sub-points under #2…I do agree that they are important