In my post, IMB & Charismatic Backgrounds, I just received a comment that had a couple of questions in it. I thought the questions deserved an answer that might be read by more than just those who go back to that post and look at the comments, so I decided to make them the subject of my current article.
The questions were posed by “cylec,” and I quote it exactly as typed:
Two questions about this whole issue. First, should we even be blogging about these issues? Should controversies within our denomination be made public? I blogged about this (cyleclayton.blogs.com) and got no response to my question. If we’re concerned about being Biblical Christians, does the Bible allow what we are doing. Second, has anyone thought about the potential impact on short-term volunteers, who make up an enormous amount of mission work? Will we start screening them before they can go work with IMB personnel?
So then my answers, in order, and then I ask you to contribute your ideas.
For those living in the blogosphere at least part of their time, the first question may be somewhat puzzling. Many of you are like me and first came to know and understand the situation concerning the IMB through various online sources, the main bulk of which are blogs. If not for the blogs, how would anyone know? IMB Trustee Jerry Corbaley recently asked for the input of the blogging community concerning how blogging might be dealt with by the IMB in an article entitled “Rock Soup.”
Of course, like many of you, my first understanding of the situation came when a call for IMB Trustee Wade Burleson‘s dismissal made our state Baptist Paper and the article referred me to his blog, the subject of much debate. Wade also just called for input concerning blogging that he might pass on to the IMB in his article, “A Tip of the Hat to IMB Trustees and Some Help Requested from Grassroots Southern Baptists.”
So it would seem that people in the IMB on both sides of the disagreement concerning the policies have accepted blogging and are using blogs to foster communication. There is a decided lopsidedness to the conversation, though. The vast majority of bloggers are against the policies. It is not that I think that those supporting the policies are not capable of blogging, because I am sure that they are. So why won’t they blog?
It could be that the break is across generational lines. The majority of my generation are jaded concerning backroom politics and many see this issue as exactly that, so we oppose it. Our preferred means of communication, of course, is electronic, therefore, we blog. It’s like swimming for fish. What else would you do?
Here’s an interesting test of this thought: Ask yourself where you get your news and information, generally. Most under 40 will say online first and cable news stations like ESPN for sports, FOX NEWS & CNN for news a close second. Most over 40 will say radio, newspaper and the evening news. I can’t say that I have ever really read a newspaper. Certainly not the way my Dad does. It’s just who I am and the way I communicate.
It may have nothing to do with generations, though.
I recently read a post where someone said that they thought the Trustees were trying to sneak the policies through and that their real beef with Wade was that he effectively exposed the issue. I can’t remember where I read this, so if you posted it somewhere, feel free to claim it and link us to it in the comment section. If it is true that they were hoping for a low profile maneuver, the last thing they will want to do is draw further attention to it by speaking to it on the web.
This is still deeper than that, however. Our questioner has another point: the publication of disputes within the body of Christ. Paul admonishes us not to take our disputes to civil court but to handle them within the church so as not to make us look foolish to the same people we are trying to win to the Lord. Specifically, he says this:
1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother goes to law against another-and this in front of unbelievers!
1 Cor. 6:1-6 (NIV)
The principle of airing our dirty laundry in front of unbelievers is certainly one to consider seriously. I think it would be foolish of us to take it any other way. However, I am of the opinion that we are not in the wrong by blogging. Paul admonishes us not to seek judgment of our disputes by unbelievers. While it is certainly true that unbelievers will judge us based on what they hear is going on in the world’s largest protestant denomination, we do not seek for them to decide it. We can not stop them from picking up the story anywhere it is published, and the blogosphere is no exception. Any of this could be picked up off the wire of the Baptist Press, Associated Baptist Press or any of our other “in house” publications and republished or quoted by the secular media. Blogging is no different.
I would go even farther than that. Not only should we be blogging about it, we need to make it known through every possible venue. Why? Because many Southern Baptists still don’t know that we have a crisis on our hands.
Our church’s WMU director is the wife of our former DOM, now retired. She stepped into my office the other day and I asked her if she knew what was going on at the IMB. She was oblivious. When I told her, she was so frustrated, but then just sighed in a resigned way and said that it was just always politics of some sort. If she doesn’t know about it by now, blogging is not having the effect that some think it is. We are not driving the information in the generations above us.
The second question has to do with the impact of these policies on short term missionaries that are sent to work alongside our permanent missionaries for a short time. Will they be screened according to these policies as well? I don’t know, but, like steve w said, nothing would surprise me at this point. If we tighten the circle of cooperation at the permanent level, why wouldn’t we tighten it among the sort term pool of missionaries as well?
What do you think?
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Benjamin S. Cole
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 2:28 pm:
I doubt many unbelievers are wasting their time reading our blogs. In fact, they aren’t wasting their time thinking much at all about what Southern Baptists do.
I do think it is poetic that the two Southern Baptist names that most of the lost world know are Billy Graham and Rick Warren. The news junkies will probably know Al Mohler too.
But ask any Joe Shmoe in the streets what he knows about Jerry Vines or Bailey Smith or Paige Patterson or Paul Pressler or Danny Akin or even me or you, and they’ll look at you with a dumb glance and walk on by.
No, I doubt the world is paying much attention to what we say about those ridiculous policies adopted by the IMB or the shortsighted men who adopted them.
But God is watching. And he sees beyond our words and actions. He sees our hearts.
That should scare the hell out of us at times, and comfort us at others.
art rogers
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 2:45 pm:
I agree. I think that they hear about us boycotting Disney or other things like that which just puzzles them. I think they mostly just shake their head at us, when they happen to catch wind of what we are doing.
I would liken it to overhearing a heated heated argument in a neighboring house. Hard to hear, difficult to understand and mostly not their business. I doubt they give it a second thought.
As to God seeing our hearts and judging our motives, that scares the hell out of people who have nto convinced themselves that they are right and beyond judgment. I know many people, in the church and out, who convince themselves of their own rightness, regardless of the evdence and what they know to be the standard of behavior.
This also extrapolates itself into an “ends justifies the means” type of thought process leading to actions that are unconsciounable.
steve w
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 2:55 pm:
Art, since you made cylec’s questions a different post, I’ll repost my comment from there to here.
Good questions cylec. The Bible records controversies and disputes, and it is open for all to read. It’s not a direct correlation to blogs, but it doesn’t appear that God wants all disputes and controversies to take place behind closed doors.
And regarding short-term volunteers, who knows what decisions will be made in the future. I never thought the IMB BoT would pass these anti-biblical policies. I can’t predict what this board or some future board will do, but I have to say that I believe I need to come to the place where no seemingly irrational decision will surprise me.
Kdawg
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 4:08 pm:
Art,
If it were not for blogging, I would not have known about this whole mess. If it were not for blogging I would not have gotten involved. Maybe that is a bad thing :) Great post!
Anonymous
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 4:54 pm:
Ironically, there is already a system set in motion by trustees to screen short-termer’s called “levels of partnership”.
Anonymous
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 4:58 pm:
RVA Relationship Levels:
Level 1: entry into target population = open to members of other evangelical churches.
Level 2: ministry to human needs, prayer, and construction projects = open to members of other evangelical churches.
Level 3: projects for literature distribution and evangelism = open to members of other evangelical churches (guiding principle: commitment to biblical evangelism)
Level 4: projects for church planting, preaching and scriptural teaching = open only to members of Southern Baptist churches
Level 5: projects for theological education = open only to members of Southern Baptist churches
Team leaders must be members of Southern Baptist churches and non-SBC volunteer members must agree to work within the parameters of the BF&M. (See MFP-901)
Dad
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 5:54 pm:
Benjamin!!!
I had better not see you using “scare the hell out of” on a blog anymore.
If I do I will bring the “ole bar of ivory” and wash out your mouth. Your Mother was horrified.
Oh!! And by the way who are these kids you have been playing with?
Kids such as Jerry, Bailey, Paige, Paul and Danny. Are they causing you to talk this way?
Love, Dad
steve w
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 7:24 pm:
Dad (can I call you Dad?),
That’s hilarious!!!!!!
- Steve Walker
art rogers
on Mar 16th, 2006
@ 8:22 pm:
For the record, I am not “Dad,” and I don’t know who is. I am leaving that comment up because I think it is posted lightly. If you think it isn’t, I understand.
We’ll just have to agree to diagree.
Dad
on Mar 17th, 2006
@ 2:07 pm:
I am Dad, and the comment was just in fun.
I have more repect for Benjamin Cole that anyone else I know from Texas and I know a lot of people in Texas.
Dad
Villa Rica
on Mar 18th, 2006
@ 1:58 am:
Brother Art,
I believe the generation above you will catch on as more Baptist papers begin to crank out the story as we get closer to Greensboro. The Executive Committee is already seeking additional rooms due to the increase in demand for them. You can validate this by calling them in the Holy City: Nashville.
Another fact is old guys read Baptist Press and get a little information. Then they read blogs and get much information. Upon doing so they say they got the story from some prominent Baptist Big Shot and sware they have never read a blog. They do have an image to protect. I guess this is a needful thing.
Anyway, as long as they prepare for Greensboro and come well informed I believe that truth may have a chance this time if young leaders will emerge and use wisdom and integrity in their leadership. By young leaders I mean the likes of Ben, Marty, Wade, and a great host of others I have heard about recently.
The SBC needs some fresh metal in its veins because right now it is dragging along due to iron poor tired blood.
So, come on you Young Turks you have a job before you. Go forth with purpose and if you look around you will probably see alot of old gray haired veterans behind you.
It may be a comfort to you to know veterans usually shoot real straight and hit what they aim at.
Therefore, take us to Greensboro boys. There is something that needs fixin.
Villa Rica