* This week, Tom Ascol is writing a series on “Confessional Integrity and Theological Education”. Contrary to the alcohol resolution, I believe this is a real issue in the SBC that needs to be addressed. When professors believe they have the interpretive rights to subscribe whatever meaning they want to certain confessional articles, a real crisis is at hand. Here is part one and part two thus far. Part three is forthcoming later this week.
* Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowship recently came out with their statement on the Emergent Church. Mark Driscoll mentioned, “I will not comment on the statement other than to say the concerns are real and shared by many including myself. ” (HT: Resurgence).
* Jason Engwer of Triablogue fame gives some great quotes from Early Christians concerning belief in a hell of eternal consciousness. That reminds me that I need to get back to reading some of the early patristics!
* Ingrid Schlueter of Slice of Laodicea shared about a Baptist church in the state of Georgia that sponsored an ice-cream social for the Muslims at the mosque across the street. Check out this quote: “This will lead us to have good relations in the future,” Imam Riyadh Thabitah said. “All God’s creation…we have to respect each other. We are followers of the same God. Each of us have different rules to follow.” This is why I have made religious pluralism one of my greatest theological foci!
* Was Martin Luther King Jr. a heretic? Go see for yourself. James White reminds us that indeed, theology does matter. Non-Trinitarian, denial of substitutionary atonement, denial of man’s deadness in sin, detestation of the sovereignty of God? Sheesh.
* Gary Gilley, pastor of Southern View Chapel, has written three in-depth articles on the Emerging Church. For anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of the movement, let me encourage you to check these articles you. Here they are: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
* My Sunday School teacher and SBTS prof, Dr. T.J. Betts, was in northern Israel when the Hezbollah attacks first took place. He was part of an archeological dig in Tel Hazor, Israel. Garrett Wishall, also a member of our church, wrote an article which appeared in Baptist Press last week in which Dr. Bett’s shares some of his experience (we got the long version in SS because I was that inquisitive guy who HAD to ask). His most famous line, however, has to be when he said, ‘Wow, look at that,’ referring to explosions taking place in Tiberius (where they had arrived after being evacuated from the dig). Gotta love that technical language! Really, that’s why I love Dr. Bett’s so much!
* Many of you are aware that last week, Steve McCoy killed the Missional Baptist Blog. However, I feel it necessary to give it props for the great job this blog did in networking fellow young Southern Baptists. I never pimped my blog or made the blogroll but found myself visiting it several times a week. It will be missed, but as Steve shared, it served its purpose.
* Will Turner provides some quotes from Timothy George in the forthcoming release of First Things 165 (August/September 2006) concerning the place of Southern Baptists after the revolution. Five points Turner provides in George’s piece concerning the aftermath of Greensboro include charismatics, “neo-Calvinists”, Woman’s Missionary Union, Baptist bloggers, and the “young moderates.” Bottom line: the SBC is at a crossroads.
* The Thirsty Theologian has chimed in on the alcohol resolution by providing two excellent articles dealing with Sola Scriptura, the SBC, and hermeneutics. They are: God Gave C2H60 – Introductory Comments and God Gave C2H6O – Sola Scriptura and the SBC. Quote: “Perhaps the most glaring deficiency of the SBC resolution is the atrociously amateurish hermeneutics. If this is a good example of the author’s exegesis and hermeneutics, I wouldn’t let them teach my five-year-old’s Sunday school class, let alone represent an entire denomination.” (HT: JT).
* Scott Hill points out what many of us have been attempting to emphasize on the alcohol resolution. It is not about alcohol – it’s about Scripture. The dissent was not first made by moderationists but Bible-believing teetotalers who believe in the sufficiency of Scripture. We are not advocating anything except the Bible – period.
* Joe Thorn recently provided a good quote from founding president of Southern Seminary, James P. Boyce, who spoke out against the resolution on alcohol in his day. Boyce concluded that a resolution against the consumption of alcohol “was not germane to the work of the convention.” (1888 Annual of the SBC, pp. 33-34).
* What d’ya know? Another First Person article on the alcohol resolution. This time from Richard Land. If only we could get our leaders this outspoken on the defense and proclamation of the gospel! This makes me wonder where our passion really lies.
* Baptist Press recently ran three articles on the 24th Annual Founders’ Conference which I unfortunately was unable to attend. They are: Gospel will prevail despite churches that hide it, ‘New Perspective’ corrupts the Gospel at its heart, and Founders’ Conference examines ‘the Gospel of the grace of God’. I am delighted that BP (Jeff Robinson to be exact) covered the Founders’ Conference this year as the Founders’ Network has really become a considerable influence in the SBC in recent years.
* Speaking of the Founders’ Conference, the audio is now available at SoundWord.com. Be sure to check out sermons by Joe Thorn, Dr. Tom Nettles, and Dr. David Sills.
* David Wayne (Jollyblogger) has decided that it is not time to walk a middle road with Rick Warren. He mentions Warren’s involvement in Synagogue 3000 which I too have been critical of in the past. That reminds me: Does anyone find it funny that Warren didn’t show up at Greensboro but somehow made it to North Korea?
* Douglas Groothuis reminds us that it is never a bad time to recommend a few good books. Check out his categories and recommended books. I have greatly benefited from many of them!
* Justin Taylor provides a list of articles written by Thabiti Anyabwile (and I thought Brister was hard!) about the things he has learned at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. Also, it is worth noting that Anyabwile will soon be the pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman. Six years ago, I went with a group of students from the University of Mobile to help out with a Disciple Now as well as a Children’s Camp at FBC Grand Cayman. This is a wonderful church! One memory I will never forget is that during that week, I preached my first expository sermon (the text was Luke 18:9-14). May the Lord continue to richly bless this church with Anyabwile as their pastor!
I think that’s it. Some good stuff going on in the blogosphere. Oh, and I will try to keep on updated on the Band of Bloggers. It is still in the works.
– tnb
Hey Timmy,
I am going to call you as soon as I can get a hold of your cell phone # again (lost it when my phone broke). Incidentally, Thabiti Anyawyle is an INCREDIBLE preacher and godly man from the little bit that I’ve seen of him here at Cap. Hill. He and his family left last week to go to Grand Cayman. So sad that everywhere I go great people are leaving! BTW, in case you didn’t know (which i highly doubt), Thabiti does have a blog.
Something I could use from you (non-paper related): Who are the main leaders or influential participants in the Emerging Church found in within the SBC (persons and churches)? Also, I will be looking for the seminaries or theological institutions from which many of the E Church leaders have come or endorse. TTY soon.
Timmy,
Thanks for all the info on your current post. Have you taken notice of the article from our current SBC President Frank Page advocating abstinence? I read it at Brad Renyolds’ blog.
Posted this on the wrong thread… my bad.
Re: Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowship statement on the emergent church…
Call me a skeptic – but after searching Calvary Chapel’s website for the word “emergent” and not finding anything, I wonder whether this statement on the emerging church is authentic.
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to serve in and around Calvary Chapels in Southern California over the last 10 years or so, including half a dozen or so occasions at Pastor Chuck’s church there in Costa Mesa. The tone and sarcasm in the Emergent Church statement feel a little different than anything I’ve seen from them.
Anyone have any thoughts on the source of this document?
Terri,
Great to hear from you sister. Yeah, I’ve tried calling you several times in recent weeks but only have been able to leave voice messages. While I have not read much of Thabiti’s blog, I am aware of several of his articles, including his recent ones regenerate church membership.
Concerning the Emerging Church Movement (EMC), the first thing to remember that this term is not the same thing as the Emergent Church. Emergent is the leading organization of the EMC, lead by Tony Jones and Brian McClaren, while the EMC is much broader and has both liberal and conservative theological stripes.
Second, not EVERYTHING about the EMC is bad. Actually, they are focusing on/emphasizing some very important matters neglected by the evangelical conscience. For that I am grateful. But yes, doctrinally and ecclesiologically, there is much to be concerned about.
Travis,
Indeed, I have read that article as it comes to no surprise to me since he has already mentioned his position on the resolution much earlier (shortly after Greensboro). I appreciate his tone and approach, although I and many other teetotalers are in disagreement with him. But that’s okay right? If not, then he wouldn’t have been elected.
I USED to read Brad Reynold’s blog a little bit, but after this past week, I find no redeeming value in spending my time with such rhetoric. You have about five people talking to one another over and over again and saying the same thing. Nothing new.
Tony,
I have no reason to think that this document is not authentic unless it can be proved otherwise. I also don’t think Mark Driscoll would write about a pseudo-document on his blog and put his integrity on the line. As Driscoll stated, Chuck Smith’s church is no longer affiliated with the Calvary Chapel movement (according to Publisher’s Weekly). Furthermore, the address and contact information is provided in both Driscoll’s and the PDF document, so it might be best to contact them directly yourself. If you do, let us know, and if the document is not authentic, I will have it removed.
Terri, Travis, Tony, Timmy. Anymore people with their name’s starting with the letter “T” want to comment?
Dear Timmy,
I loved reading this list of summaries/briefs/bytes.
EXCEPT when you had to say “pimped.” As a deputy in the Baptist Blogging decency police, and I must inform you of the Sheriff’s policy against using language that could bring any discredit on the Savior.
Love in Christ,
Teff Tichard Toung
Dear Teff,
Thanks for the encouragement. Yeah, “pimp” is a buzz word going on right now thanks to our friend Ergun Caner. I am glad there is some Baptist Blog Police out there with all this graffiti being plastered on the walls of the SBC. Also, I am glad to see that you have realized that all good, spiritual names begin with the letter “T”.
Take care man, and thanks for checking in.