Briefly, I want to mention some areas where I see a real disconnect in the SBC. These disconnects reflect the areas were reform has yet to take root and much work can and should be done to bridge the gaps. Here are some that come to my mind:
1. Formal principle and material principle – The formal principle of the recovery of inerrancy sets the structure for the emphasis of the material principle, the sufficiency of Scripture and recovery of the gospel. While we should rejoice in the former, we should lament that the latter has not yet occurred. Holding to the belief that the Bible is true and authoritative, we must now look at what it says about the gospel, the church and mission as well as not presuming upon the Bible with our preferences or culturally acquired predispositions. If the Scriptures are sufficient, we should let them speak, and if they are authoritative, we should obey.
2. 1st generation and 2nd generation of Conservative Resurgence – There are two conversations taking place in the SBC in two different generations. The elder generation thinks the younger doesn’t appreciate their efforts, trying to redo what they fought for. The younger generation thinks the older generation is just looking for another fight in the advance of their political dominance. There must be a way to get past each other’s stereotypes and start a genuine transgenerational conversation. Jimmy Draper did it in 2004-2005, and I applaud him for that effort. The younger generation looks to men outside of the SBC for heroes and mentors, such as Piper, MacArthur, and Keller; the older generation looks within the SBC to such men as Hobbs, Rogers, and Criswell. The younger generation will be found at conferences such as T4G, Gospel Coalition, Passion, Shepherds Conference, and DGCON, while the older generation will be found at various state convention pastor’s conferences, state evangelism conferences, and of course, the annual meeting of the SBC. A couple of anomalies to this trend, however, has been the Baptist Identity Conferences under the direction of Dr. David Dockery and the Convergent Conference led by Dr. Danny Akin–both which have engendered ministers from both generations. If there are no meaningful ties between the first and second generations of the Conservative Resurgence, then there is no guarantee it will continue in the future. Just look at some of the flagship mega-churches and the problems they are having today. Succession is a great challenge before us that we cannot overlook.
3. Academia and local churches – In my short tenure as a Southern Baptist minister, I have spent equal time in both–four years in seminary, and four years ministering in a local church. I can speak from personal experience that the gap between what students experience in seminary and what students-turned-pastors experience in local churches is vast, which speaks to some of the problem with young ministers trying to apply a philosophy of ministry and theological vision foreign to many churches today. For instance, most Baptist history professors in our seminaries argue for plurality of elders (which I agree), but how many churches have that form of church government? Most systematic theology classes teach Reformed theology, but how many churches believe in the doctrines of grace? Most seminaries teach in homiletic classes that a preach should preach expository messages, but how many churches have pastors currently preaching expository messages through books of the Bible? Young ministers often receive rebuke and chided for ministerial failure in their pastorates. But are they the only ones who bear culpability?
4. Theology and methodology – There are some in the SBC who want to emphasize methodology for the sake of church growth. They are usually in the pragmatic wing, developing new and innovative programs and techniques to grow SBC churches. On the other hand, there are others in the SBC who want to emphasize truth and biblical theology for the sake of church health. The former is looking to size; the latter is looking to soundness. I am of the conviction that ones methodology flows out of ones theology and that the two cannot be divorced from one another. However, we come to the day where theological emphasis in the church is considered taboo, divisive, and counter-productive to church growth. The disconnect between theology and methodology has produced an ecclesiological landscape with massive structures without any foundations.
These are just a few of the areas of disconnect that come to mind my mind. Perhaps you can think of others. I just thought it might be helpful to point out some problem areas where attention could be given. More to come . . .
Timmy,
I’ve noticed and been thinking along these lines for a while now, especially, points 3 & 4. All this theological training etc. and many congregations aren’t learning it. Where does all this knowledge go? I don’t think people understand much doctrine because they aren’t taught much if any. There are many directions to go here, but I think you catch my drift.
Side note: In one of your earlier posts you talked about the percentage of a church’s budget that goes to spreading the Gospel. Or something along those lines. If it takes a church 75% or so of it’s budget just to sustain itself then what is it really doing? One might even say that it is at or approaching a point where the church exists simply so it can keep on existing.
Mark
Timmy,
I read your blog regularly and appreciate your insight and dedication to sound theology and practice. I am a MBTS grad and grew up in Alabama. I have pastored churches in Alabama, Missouri, and now Mississippi. What I learned while in the two previous churches before and during seminary is the same thing you pointed out in this post. Most churches that we seminary students will serve during our time of formal training will be almost totally disconnected from anything theological. I preached expositionally in my two previous churches and in the church in Missouri caught much flack over it. I was asked by a very influential member why I felt like I should preach verse by verse. I was confronted by the music leader and told that I preached too long and that Sunday morning was not the time to look so in depth at the Bible.
I think what may be one of the major problems in church life today is the television. There are so many hotshot preachers on the tube and in the minds and eyes of many folks in the churches this is what a real preacher is. He is entertaining and flamboyant. He can work a crowd and please your emotions. So the standard is wrong. Plus add years and years of very poor Sunday School material that majors on “interesting” rather than the Scripture and you get a group of people that think church is for entertainment and not edification.
As for church government, many of the churches do not have qualified elders. Sad to say that many men have disqualified themselves by their lifestyle or they are so ignorant of the Scriptures that it would take years and years to raise a new generation of elders. Many deacons are not even biblically qualified to do that and as a pastor you have inherited them.
So, as a pastor you have decisions to make. Neither are easy and all require a lot of hard work and dedication. First you can invest your life in a congregation and hopefully in a decade or two some fruit will be evidenced and the church will be on its way to health and reformation. The failure rate for this is high. Second, you can pray that the Lord will allow you to plant a church and start it out correctly. This is difficult also with challenges all its own. While church structure is in place and sound theology is taught and the Bible is being preached these church plants have a high failure rate as well.
So my advice is choose one prayerfully, put your hands to the plow and don’t look back.
Thanks for blogging.
Joe
Timmy,
As usual great post. When do we get to the point that those who believe in the doctrines of grace as taught in scripture are not wanted in the mainstream of SBC life. After serving 26 years in ministry, in various positions, in SBC churches I find myself looking for secular employment so I can be a member of a church that embraces these truths. Why don’t they put all their cards on the table and tell us we are not wanted or welcomed? Have they already done this and we are not listening? Does Founders become the organization we can unite around? When do we start seeking an exit strategy? Has the majority reached a point that getting decisions has little to no relationship to conversion? Are most of our “churches” just clubs? I am glad that I believe in a God who has all this under His control.
I recently found an article written by Ed Stetzer in The Christian Index in 2004 entitled “What Will It Take to bring young leaders back?” Stetzer speaks to the generational gap, one of the “disconnects” I mention in the post and offers some ways to bridge that gap. You can read it here:
http://www.christianindex.org/551.article
johnMark,
Tomorrow’s post will compliment nicely about the budget expenditures of state conventions. Stay tuned.
Joe,
Thank you for sharing your story and the encouragement man. Stories like you have experienced need to get out there. I remember hearing at a conference this year of a pastor in MS who began preaching through their church’s confession to help his church better understand Baptist beliefs, and they moved to fire him. Anyway, I do hope to put these two hands to the plow and by God’s grace plant my life in the local church. As you have laid out, the soil looks quite hardened and settled, so the plow illustration Jesus employed is quite fitting.
Ken,
I do know that I have the answers to those questions. I will let the denominational leaders speak for themselves. I do think a lot is going on behind the scenes, both in the denominational leaders against Calvinists and the Southern Baptist Calvinists. If the two continue to pull in different directions, then one would be lead to believe that the tension would result in a tear. But that doesn’t have to happen.
I am relatively new to your blog, so, sorry for the late response.
This post was definitely alarming, but true. I am only in my second year at Southeastern, but students are not being prepared to handle what you have discussed here. It is no wonder so many leave the pastorate and never go back. God help us!
I am, however, a bit prepared about the condition of the Church in the “last days,” so to speak (2Timothy 3.1-5); but I also know that Christ Jesus is building His Church (Matt. 16.18) and that there will be many in it that do not belong to Him (Matt. 13.24-30; 36-43). Still, it is a bit disconcerting to “live it out.”
I just do not want to end up as a statistic.
Billy