I find it quite disheartening to see a man who had tremendous promise in helping guide the International Mission Board, ultimately give in to what seems gutter-like tactics when referring to a man such as Dr. Yarnell. But, this latest episode has not caught me by surprise. No, the surprise ended when the irenic standard was abandoned for “conversational terrorism” in the attack of Peter Lumpkins over an innocent remark about cornbread and butter-milk.

The strategy to discredit those who disagree seems to have carried over to a new target, Dr. Malcolm Yarnell. Read this snippet from Mr. Burleson concerning his view point about Dr. Yarnell, the IMB, and SWBTS.

Malcolm’s conversational terrorism, which includes ad hominem varients, is precisely what happened at Southwestern Seminary and the International Mission Board. In other words, he illustrates the attitude of past trustee leadership at the IMB and current administration of SWBTS.

Frankly, I have gotten out of the Burleson watch. My time is more precious than to spend it on the petty things that have come out of Mr Burleson’s blog. In full disclosure, I did contact a friend of Wade’s over what I felt was bitterness rooting in him after the Klouda incident. I think my naivety still held hope for good things to come forth from Wade. But alas, I am believing I was wrong.

Again, I have gotten out of the Burleson watch business, until this post on Dr. Yarnell and still, I would have kept my blog quiet if it were not for the comments that Wade has allowed to remain on his blog concerning Dr. Yarnell:

“A determined partisan protected by a closed culture of political activists careless of what their management is doing to a once-proud institution?”

“my loyalty is to my paycheck, first and foremost.”

“That still does not excuse your first response to Wade which everyone can read for themselves and know it means: I don’t have to answer you because you are NOT one of us. Or maybe you are scared of your boss.”

“In some countries where there is a high degree of murder, the “church” has a teaching we should notice. In this denomination, it is taught that all are going to Heaven. The one sin, which might keep you from heaven, is murder. They have figured a way around this. The assassins have a special church/chapel to go to before the killing and they offer a prayer and burn a candle and confess the upcoming sin to the priest (without using the word kill or murder, of course). THEY ARE FORGIVEN Then, they go out and do the killing. THIS IS APPROVED BY THE CHURCH LEADERS IDENTITY? Wade, terroism is the right word.”

“Like the RCC before the Reformation, the powers that be in the SBC seem to believe salvation requires them ALLOWING the person to be baptized. It seems to require membership in a local church of which they approve and of course control. It sounds more and more like they believe they control who can be saved and who cannot.”

I am not a betting man, but if I were I would bet a year’s salary that none of the people who made those comments ever sat down to learn what Dr. Yarnell’s theology is and to witness the grace and humbleness in his heart.

It would be awesome if more academic theologians engaged the internet with the types of posts Dr. Yarnell has done. Conversations over the nuances of theology would be great. In the end however, I believe most theologians do not engage because they live in fear of attacks that do not explore the subject, but only feed the flesh. With this type of environment prevalent, we will all ultimately lose.

I will probably go back to my corner of blogsville, just focusing on my participation on SBC Today. I am growing weary of this sort of thing and will again focus on restoring unity through biblical discipleship and baptist identity. See you at SBC Today.

The Church of Oprah Exposed

I am surprised by how many Christians watch Oprah. This video, describes in her own words, how far she is from our faith and belief that Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life.

U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love)

Tomorrow, April 4th 2008 is the unfortunate fortieth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I know that his theology did not match up with mine, but I do admire the man for taking a stand against the devil’s tools of segregation, racism, and hatred. I am not one that believes he peaceably fought only to free African Americans from the prison of prejudice and racism, I also believe he fought to free the minds of all Americans from the oppression of seeing his fellow humans as less than being made in the image of God. It is because of the efforts of people like Dr. King that I grew up having friends of color.

Today things are better than what they were in 1968. His dream has lived on in the hearts and minds of those generations that followed, but there is still work to be done. This work will not be achieved by pointing fingers at others. It will only be achieved by the gospel that tells us in Christ those divisions of old are no longer in effect. I know our past (Southern Baptist) has not been stellar in race relations, but may we continue to move forward in race reconciliation with the gospel.

This song “Pride In The Name Of Love” by U2 was written in memory of Dr. King twenty years after his assassination. I share this with you all in my own memory of Dr. King.

First, let me start by saying that I am sorry I haven’t blogged here in forever.  Between family, ministry, school and SBC Today I have been pretty busy.  I don’t know if I will blog much from this site, but I have left it open to the faithful few who humble me by reading what I put up.

Now to the vortex of Apple computers.  In January I felt a need for a smaller laptop that would provide for my many needs.  After looking around, I got a mac.  As Bart Barber told me, “another convert.”  I have loved my mac.  It is more stable than any PC I have owned.  A major plus was that I would be able to run all my computer PC Bible programs I have accumulated over the years and that I still use in my study of the Word.  The best of both worlds. But the vortex of Apple is powerful.  I have now purchased an iPhone.  Since Saturday I have sent over 50 email messages on the thing.  It is so powerful and versatile, I wonder how I got along without it.  Might I recommend it to anyone that gets some extra cash.  It has enhanced my ministry and my connection with others.  But beware, the vortex is powerful.  I have known strong souls fall into the valley of jubilation. :-) 

Several months ago, a debate happened among conservative (and not so conservative) Baptist bloggers about whether one should vote for Mitt Romney who is a Mormon.  Personally, while there were other viable candidates, I couldn’t vote for him and I didn’t.  Today he has bowed out of the presidential race, but before he did, he said some intriguing words concerning the future of America. Below is a portion of what he said:

The threat to our culture comes from within. The 1960’s welfare programs created a culture of poverty. Some think we won that battle when we reformed welfare, but the liberals haven’t given up. 

At every turn, they try to substitute government largesse for individual responsibility. They fight to strip work requirements from welfare, to put more people on Medicaid, and to remove more and more people from having to pay any income tax whatsoever. Dependency is death to initiative, risk-taking and opportunity. Dependency is a culture-killing drug-we have got to fight it like the poison it is!

 

The attack on faith and religion is no less relentless. And tolerance for pornography-even celebration of it-and sexual promiscuity, combined with the twisted incentives of government welfare programs have led to today’s grim realities: 68% of African American children are born out-of-wedlock, 45% of Hispanic children, and 25% of White children.

 

How much harder it is for these children to succeed in school-and in life. A nation built on the principles of the founding fathers cannot long stand when its children are raised without fathers in the home.

 

The development of a child is enhanced by having a mother and father. Such a family is the ideal for the future of the child and for the strength of a nation. I wonder how it is that unelected judges, like some in my state of Massachusetts, are so unaware of this reality, so oblivious to the millennia of recorded history. It is time for the people of America to fortify marriage through constitutional amendment, so that liberal judges cannot continue to attack it!

 

Europe is facing a demographic disaster. That is the inevitable product of weakened faith in the Creator, failed families, disrespect for the sanctity of human life and eroded morality. Some reason that culture is merely an accessory to Americas vitality; we know that it is the source of our strength. And we are not dissuaded by the snickers and knowing glances when we stand up for family values, and morality, and culture. We will always be honored to stand on principle and to stand for principle.

 

My partial reprinting of his statement here is not an endorsement of Mormonism.  It is a cult and needs to be shown how it does not measure up to God’s word.  Being a Baptist and an American, I will defend anyone’s right to believe as he/she wants (religious liberty), but I will also speak truth.   Like my good friend Tim Rogers has told me, “Even a blind hog will find an acorn every now and then.”  I believe Gov. Romney found an acorn with the above statement. 

With new technology seeming to burst on the scene almost on a daily basis, I felt the need to get our church to change from taping sermons to digitally recording the sermon on CD. After looking at the price of conventionally setting ourselves up for doing this ($1000+, and that is for the bare essentials) I had given up hope.

Recently, my friend, Wes Kenney had just purchased a Digital Voice Recorder (DVR) from Wal-Mart for under $35. We used it to record the interviews we conducted at this years BGCO State Convention with Drs. Mohler and Akin. I noticed the DVR had a “mic” input, but didn’t think much of it until we posted the interviews and I started to add things together. After talking with Wes, I realized that I could hook an output from our soundboard at the church to the mic input on the DVR. The issue after that was transferring the file from the DVR to the computer so I could make copies of the sermon on CD.

In comes Wes to the rescue again and tells me of a free program that is downloadable from the internet called Audacity. After exporting the audio recording with the software provided from the DVR, I use Audacity to convert it to a “wav” file that can be played on Windows Media Player that also burns the file to a CD. This CD can now be used to play in someone’s car or home CD player. Audacity will also convert the file to a mp3 format for internet use. After reading this, one might think to convert files is a big hassle, but I am able to do all the converting in less than five minutes. To burn the file to a CD takes another two to five minutes depending on your system.

The cost: less than $35 including batteries. Maybe more if cables are needed. Of course, one will have to purchase CD’s if they want to hand the sermon out for others to listen, but that cost should be cheaper than buying the old tapes which would go bad after some use. It is also lighter to mail and should cut some expense in getting it to the listener. You also have the option converting the file to a mp3 format that can be put on your web sight so people around the world can listen to the sermon the congregation heard. Again, making it more cheaper than mailing it.

One application I will use this for is making a CD that can be handed out to prospects. The CD will explain who we are and the mission we are pursuing at Immanuel. This can be listened to as they are driving to work or doing house chores. It will give people a better picture of who we are so that on visits, questions can be answered effectively.

I plan on giving point by point directions in doing this, but until then, if the Lord leads you as he has led me, buy one and play with it some. If I can figure this out, I am positive you can.

Back in June, I had the opportunity to meet Don Hinkle.  While I did not know much about him, he seemed like a reasonable man who understood the issues facing the SBC.  Since that time, I have enjoyed reading his articles on Thoughts and Adventures.
Today, he has posted an article dealing with the recent announcement of Dr. Mohler’s candidacy for president of the SBC.  In it he states some rebuttals to those who object to Dr. Mohler (a sitting SBC seminary president) becoming president of the SBC.  In particular, he states this:

Some object to a Mohler presidency because he is the president of an SBC agency. So what? The SBC has looked to its seminaries in the past for denominational leadership. Several seminary presidents have served as SBC president. To suggest that there is some kind of conflict of interest is baseless and implies our current agency leaders – and especially the 80-plus-member SBC Executive Committee that oversees Cooperative Program allocations – are inept. Nothing could be further from the truth.

What Bro. Don points out has been the modus operandi from some of the reformers.  Make statements that either question the intelligence or integrity of your opponents.  One can do this by either stating that the professors of a seminary who sign both the abstract of principles and the BF&M are “pretending they adhere to the BFM 2000″ or insinuating that trustees are duplicitous in their behavior  between open and closed door sessions. (Just to show a couple)

As June approaches and other candidates vie for the presidency, we should be careful of the information that is used to either endorse or unfairly denounce someone for the presidency of the SBC.

The bottom line is this, Dr. Mohler’s tract record shows us that he has the leadership capability, the intellectual prowess, and a passion in reaching the world for Christ.  These ingredients will do the SBC well in selecting her next president.

Upon request from a commentator, I will repost some of what I took down on my post concerning Peter Lumpkins. What he accomplished in his last pastorate is truly remarkable and deserves to be seen for reasons other than why it was originally posted. It amazing what God can do through a servant who is surrendered to His will.

What if I told you of a pastor who came to a church that had a Christian academy in a community that had already experienced a thorough transition from being a mostly white rural area to a community where the white population numbered around 50% or so. What if I told you the congregation was mostly white and the academy had already become about 70% black with hardly any African Americans on faculty. What if I also told you that one of the first things this pastor did was to fill faculty positions with qualified African American educators, lead to the placement of the first African American on the School Board, and led the church to adopt as part of their vision statement that they would be a ‘Church of all Nations’.

What if I told you that when the Lord moved this man to a new ministry, the staff had transitioned to a healthy situation where 50% or more were African American and left the school with goals for when openings occurred, to seek qualified African American senior administrators to fill those positions. What if I told you that did occur and now because of this pastor’s vision the church now has an Executive Pastor of Education who is a noted African American educator and minister in Georgia.

If I told you all those things, you and I would applaud this man as a Galatians 3:28 leader who tore down the walls of prejudice and racism in order to reach his changing community for Christ.

Dr. Lumpkins would be the first to tell you that it was God who did all of this. Peter was only allowed to participate in God’s plan for the church and the Christian academy he was set as a steward over. May we all gain a greater grasp of the gospel, as Peter did, and realize that regardless of skin color, position in life, gender or heritage we are all one in Christ.

SelahV has done it again. She has written a post that spoke many of the feelings I have on my heart.  This one deals with the topic that has burned up the internet over the last few weeks: Racism.  It moved me so much that I asked if I could reprint it here on From The Hill.  She graciously agreed.  I believe she speaks truth, but also describes the uncertainty, I know I have, in how do we talk and seek understanding rather than jumping to quick conclusions that only divide. I trust you will be blessed by her testimony.

I’ve never understood racism.

My mother abandoned my two elder brothers and me when I was just 3 years old. Fortunately I was blessed with a wonderful nanny who cared for me like I was her very own–Trisha. She happened to be black. In those days, she was called a negro. The first time I ever really noticed she was black was when I saw her shaving her legs. I must have been about five. She was all lathered up with white soap. As she drew the razor up her leg, the black was stark against the background of white. I recall as if yesterday, asking, “Trisha, how come you are black?”

“Oh, child, the Lord made me this way.”

I didn’t know much about the Lord at the time, but I knew the Lord was someone who was suppose to be good and if He made her black then it was a good thing. Then I wondered, why am I white? If black was good, then is white bad? Trisha assured me that white wasn’t bad either. That the Lord made both black and white and both were exactly what He wanted them to be.

Through the years, I listened as my father called negroes “niggers”. Daddy thought the absolute world of Trisha. I never heard him call her by that term. But I heard him refer to other black people that way. I never understood it. Not then. Today I do. Daddy was prejudiced. He was prejudiced by his own culture. His upbringing. By our country’s disdain for black people. I didn’t know much about the politics of it all as a child. I only observed the treatment of blacks. I heard the names they were called. I saw the way they were considered second-class (or worse) people. It was confusing to me, especially since I loved Trisha as a mother and saw absolutely nothing wrong with being black.

When I was a freshman in highschool in Virginia, the first black girl was admitted to our all-white school. I’d heard she was coming for days. It was like some disease was on its way, that we should all be prepared. I’m a bit surprised that they didn’t have us vaccinated prior to her arrival. Joyce Phillips was her name. I’ll never forget going to her and introducing myself. She barely spoke to me. I was trying to be nice. But she came close to totally rebuffing my extension of friendship. Then, I didn’t know why. Today I do.

Joyce was scared to death. Lord only knows what she’d been through. She’d lived her entire life knowing white people viewed her as trash. She had to use a different drinking fountain. She couldn’t go into white restaurants. She had to use a different restroom. There’s no doubt in my mind, she knew firsthand the racial bigotry that caused fellow members of her race to be hanged for less reasons than drinking at a white water fountain. And now she was entering the white world with no other black person at her side. I know I was not patronizing her. In my heart, I didn’t understand why others considered her any less a person than they did white people. Trisha had taught me that as a little child. But Joyce couldn’t know what I’d been taught. She only knew what she had experienced.

Today, over 45 years later, the divide between black and white is still here. Much progress has been made on the part of blacks. Much progress has been made on the part of whites. But we still face the same suspicions, judgemental attitudes and prejudice that we faced back then. Every time we get a bridge built, someone comes along and either blows it up, or rams the support beneath it.

There is an elephant in the room and I believe we all need to begin talking about that elephant or that elephant will trample us all to death–white and black.

I for one, have a great deal of difficulty trying to talk to blacks because of fear. I fear I’m going to offend them. I do not have to measure every word with anyone else–of any other race–as I do my black brothers and sisters. I don’t live in fear of reprisal. I live in fear of not being understood: Of being considered a racist for using a word or phrase in a way they understand it to be a slur. Of being judged by an invisible standard set by the history of men and women I never knew or even cared to know.

Black folks don’t like being lumped into a stereotypical description of ghetto-mentality and I don’t like being lumped into a stereotypical description of slaveownership-mentality. When I say a person–be he white or black–is articulate, I am giving a compliment. I have black friends who are married to white friends. I have sisters who are married to black men, and they have bi-racial children.

I love to hear black preachers preach. I love the color they add to their messages. I love the way they preach in cadence. I love the fervor with which they preach. I love the way they use a repetitive poetic statement and expound upon it and plant the Truth in my memory. I do not like all black preachers–no matter how they preach. I do not like all white preachers either.

I want to be understood as much as my fellow black brothers and sisters want to be understood. I’m just as tired of being considered a racist because I happen to be born white, as a black person is of being considered less than human because he/she is born black. I am sickened to death at the sound of the word racist and repulsed by the actions of one who has the repulsive attitude.

We are living in an age where finally two black coaches can take two integrated teams to the Superbowl and win. Neither of them lost that game this year. We are living in a time when a man born to a black father and white mother can run for President of the United States. Where men and women of every color and every age stand behind that man in primary elections. It is sad to see the first woman running for President feel she must be black in order to beat that candidate for her party. It’s awful to hear the media continually beat the race drum regarding voters. Rather than getting the votes…each candidate targets specific votes…according to race, gender, and faith. What happened to equality and not discriminating?

I pray we can all begin to dialog regarding our different views without hiding beneath white sheets or pulling out ropes to make a point. God is no respecter of color, but we are. And until we admit we are, we are no better than the person we are accusing of the same racism. I have one criteria by which I judge a man, a woman or a candidate for anything. What fruit do they produce? I want to be judged likewise.

I have no idea what is going on in the minds of people. Unless a person is clothed in my skin and lived in my life, they don’t either. And unless each individual with an opinion can read the minds, hearts and motives behind every word and action of another, we are not in any place to judge.

And as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are accountable to God to correct, exhort and reprove. But we are commanded to do so in love, gentleness and with a spirit of reconciliation. Less than that is just as ungodly as any act an offending brother or sister has committed.

Oh, dear Lord, that we all be blind to the color of our skin. Oh, dear Lord, that we could all view others with Your eyes, through the crimson blood of the Lamb rather than through the history of others’ discrimination. Let us “purge out the old leaven” that we “may be fresh dough, still uncontaminated, for Christ, our Passover”. “Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of purity (nobility, honor) and sincerity and (unadulterated) truth.” (I Cor.5:7,8. Amplified) Let this moment be significant, Lord. Let it be significant for Your glory and not ours. Let our need to be right be brought into Your Light and exposed for the wrong that it is. selahV

[copyrighted, selahVtoday, 2007]

I made a promise over at Tim Rogers blog that if an offending post towards another blogger was removed from the internet that I would follow suit and do the same. Since the post was removed I am doing so also. My reason was that I did not want my site to connect the offended blogger to the subject that was used to slander his character and reputation. But, the post also contained another subject that dealt with the political games that are played in the SBC. Since that subject did not include the offended blogger by name nor the subject by which he as maligned on the internet, I republish it here for further dialog.

It was released that Dr. Al Mohler would be seeking the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention this June at her annual meeting in Indianapolis. Not soon after, a post was released by Wade Burleson concerning the Cooperative Program giving of the church Dr. Mohler attends. Again, on the surface, it seems that Dr. Mohler’s church (who he is a member of, not senior pastor) is not supportive of the cooperative program, but allow me to make some statements. We all know there are some state conventions that do not see eye to eye with some churches concerning the conservative resurgence and denominational accountability. Cooperative program giving is done through the state convention which then passes on a percentage (depending on the state) to the national convention. I don’t know why Highview Baptist Church decided not to give traditionally through the convention in Kentucky with the cooperative program, but what I do know is that they have recently become affiliated with the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana where one of their satellite campuses are located.

Thanks to the research Bart Barber did, we know that in 2008, Highview Baptist Church has designated $400,000 for the Cooperative program and $100,000 for Lottie Moon. With these facts, I can support this man, who is a member of a church that gives in this way, for president of the SBC.

Unfortunately for some, those facts don’t matter. Again, political expediency is the call for the day so use the facts that are only helpful to your cause.

I do want to close with one interesting snippet from the dialog between Bart and Wade. In it Wade makes this statement:

My church’s 5% giving to CP I believe should disqualify me from seeking the Presidency of the SBC, so I am not asking for a standard that I am unwilling to accept myself.

As I stated before, cooperative program giving is done through the state conventions and a percentage (depending on the state) is sent to the national convention. Apparently, Wade believes that 3 or 5 percent disqualifies one from becoming President of the SBC. Oklahoma Baptist churches funnel Cooperative program money through the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. In other words, the BGCO is supported by cooperative program giving churches. I leave you with this question.

In light of how money is sent through Oklahoma to the SBC, why did Wade feel he was qualified to be president of the BGCO (a cooperative supported entity) while leading his church to then give 5 percent, but now he does not feel qualified nor does he think anyone else is qualified for the presidency of the SBC (a cooperative supported entity) at that level of giving?