Two weeks ago I attended the Christian Scholars Conference at Pepperdine University. Francis Collins, former head of the Human Genome Project and current director of the National Institutes of Health, gave a keynote address in which he argued that Christians must be open to the notion that God used evolution to bring about the human race. On the plane ride to the conference, I read the latest issue of Christianity Today. Its cover story was … [Read More]
The Greenhouse Series: Restoration Church in Washington, DC
[Note: The Greenhouse Series promotes church planting and church renewal in the United States. Each installment spotlights a specific church that has recently been planted or is in the process of revitalization, as a means of encouraging our readership in the victories of the gospel and allowing them the opportunity to support these churches.]
My friends Nathan Knight and Joey Craft are SEBTS alums and co-planters and pastors of Restoration Church in Washington, DC (www.restorationchurchdc.com). Nathan … [Read More]
We’d Just Witnessed the Book of Acts
Recently, I had the privilege of helping lead a missions team from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to a country in South Asia. We spent ten days in a nation with a population four times larger than that of California, but where far less than 1% of the population professes faith in Christ. It is one of the poorest places in the world.
Almost 90% of the population claims the Muslim faith, though the average citizen adheres … [Read More]
Book Notice: J.D. Payne’s “Evangelism: A Biblical Response to Today’s Questions”
Don’t say I didn’t tell you. My friend J. D. Payne has recently committed another act of literature, Evangelism: A Biblical Response to Today’s Questions. It is worth the read for many reasons, one of which is his desire to provide a theologically-driven treatment of evangelism. He argues that biblical doctrine “is exciting and provides nourishment for the follower of Jesus (1 Timothy 4:6),” and therefore offers biblical-theological responses to 33 of the most pressing … [Read More]
The Greenhouse Series: Cornerstone Church, Myrtle Beach
[Note: The Greenhouse Series promotes church planting and church renewal in the United States. Each installment spotlights a specific church that has recently been planted or is in the process of revitalization, as a means of encouraging our readership in the victories of the gospel and allowing them the opportunity to support these churches.]
Russ Bennett, Scott Moody, Nathan Moore, and Kevin Hill are SEBTS alums and co-planters of Cornerstone Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. … [Read More]
Good Things Sometimes Come In Small Packages: Assessing The 2011 Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist descended on Phoenix in record numbers: our smallest since 1944. This has caused significant concern for some. However, this was not surprising to me personally given 1) the distance from the SBC heartland, 2) the cost for travel we are experiencing and 3) the fact that there was no major issue anticipated (e.g. GCR report, presidential election, or hotly debated cultural issue). I thought we would have about 5,000 messengers and I was … [Read More]
Book Notice: Brent Crowe’s “Chasing Elephants”
You’ve been served notice: SEBTS student Brent Crowe (vice president of Student Leadership University) has recently published Chasing Elephants: Wrestling With the Gray Areas of Life (NavPress, 2010). This creative and helpful text is an examination of the biblical subject of freedom in Christ and seeks to build a theology by which Christians can evaluate and make moral decisions in the gray areas of life. Crowe states, “While some of these gray issues might seem … [Read More]
The Greenhouse Series: Covenant Life Church in Tampa, FL
[Note: The Greenhouse Series promotes church planting and church renewal in the United States. Each installment spotlights a specific church that has recently been planted or is in the process of revitalization, as a means of encouraging our readership in the victories of the gospel and allowing them the opportunity to support these churches.]
Justin Perry and Drew Tucker are SEBTS alums and co-planters and pastors of Covenant Life Church in Tampa, Florida (www.covenantlifetampa.org). Justin and … [Read More]
Again. From Decline to Decision
A few moments ago our communication department released two stories, one of analysis and one of commentary. I have posted the analysis over at my EdStetzer.com blog. Here is the commentary:
It is time for the Southern Baptist Convention to move from denial to decision.
It has happened again. The SBC reported membership has declined, again. And, baptisms are at their lowest level in 60 years
I remember the first time the membership declined, just a few years … [Read More]
Preflections on the SBC Annual Meeting
This Southern Baptist Convention will be the smallest one we have seen in years. Many will predict the end is coming. Some of us will be embarrassed by silly motions offered. After the SBC, I will create another chart that shows the percentage of young leaders (up, I hope). And, we will go back to where it all began—our local churches.
I’m not a prophet of doom, just a guy who can read a few charts. … [Read More]
