Man, have I been flying low today. I had a long day yesterday that turned into a long night. I got back from a trip to Louisville and had been home a couple of hours when a church member called. Without divulging too much of her personal story, her husband had an accident and was life-flighted to Nashville. I went and picked up her, her daughter and her daughter’s friend and took them to the hospital there. I got home at 1:30 am.
When I made it to work I didn’t know that it was “call Art day.” Just one of those days in ministry that you don’t expect but get and by the Grace of God, you make it through. I am still going to have to go in to the office in the morning (Saturday) and get some stuff done, but we’ll make it.
Knowing that, you can imagine my exhausted mindset when I read Marty Duren’s post upon my arrival at home tonight:
South Carolina Pastor Frank Page Reconsiders
Frank said that he was initially hesitant because he had received phone calls from people who told him that a two person race for the Presidency would split the Convention.
My response:
The convention is already split. Fractured. Splintered, actually. It was meant to be that way. We are a group of individuals that disagree on a whole lot of things, but cooperate in the mission of spreading the Gospel. That we disagree on things like Calvinism and Arminianism, Landmark and Non-Landmark, even the vast number of variables concerning eschatology, is exactly the point of having a convention.
The claim that we will split reveals that the expectation for uniformity, rather than unity, is at the heart of some within the convention.
I am unsure of who may have called Frank and offered him this counsel. It may have been some wishing to ensure a “kingmaker” candidate “win,” but I would like to give those people the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe, and therefore treat them as though, they were legitimately concerned about the welfare of the convention.
Diversity in areas other than the essentials – if we can all agree on the main things – diversity among conservatives is a good thing.
I talked with a man yesterday who helped me clarify some of my thoughts about convention leadership and the sharing of power. I will not quote him, as I cannot remember his exact words. Also, I have mixed a few of my own thoughts in and so may not exactly represent him.
If those who pass power back and forth among themselves, do not allow diverse conservatives opportunities of leadership, when they die or retire, there will be a vacuum of ready, conservative leaders. We are seeing shrinking of the pool that makes up those who led the resurgence. Great men are retiring and others are passing away.
A dirth of ready, conservative leaders leaves the door open to leaders who are not conservative at all. I am not trying to be alarmist here, but that is exactly what happened here in Kentucky – in reverse. The moderate leaders who were in control of the state convention passed tight control of leadership between themselves and when they were gone, no other moderates were ready to take their place.
But Hershael York was ready. He and other conservatives moved in.
I daresay that we do not want the inheritance of the resurgence to be that we control leadership so tightly that we prohibit other conservatives from taking us into the future and turn the convention over to whomever might just be ready at the moment.
For the good of the SBC, and for its future, leadership must be diversified.
One more time, for the record, I am not looking for a spot of convention service. I doubt one would be offered to me, anyway, which is fine by me. I have plenty to handle, as the first two paragraphs of my post illustrate. I am also happy to serve locally and in my state, which is also low level and plenty. I do think, though, somebody like Frank Page, a life long, cooperating conservative, should be willingly given a chance.
Don’t you?
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Kevin Bussey
on May 19th, 2006
@ 8:51 pm:
Good stuff Art,
Dr. Page is a good man as is Dr. Floyd. I don’t know Dr. Floyd personally but I spent a few days with Dr. Page last year when I interviewed with Taylors FBC. They are missions minded and very supportive of the SBC with $$. On Wes Kennedy’s site he showed that they give 15%. Sounds like the man we need.
annie
on May 19th, 2006
@ 9:56 pm:
Well Art! You think you had a tough day? Marty didn’t even get to see The Da Vinci Code!
K.B.H.
on May 19th, 2006
@ 10:14 pm:
Anyone have a copy of “Trouble with the Tulip”?
art rogers
on May 19th, 2006
@ 11:02 pm:
Hash,
Point well taken. I think Frank is moderating his tone significantly.
Of the two, who do you think is mor likely to get along with his reformed brothers – Ronnie or Frank?
Anyway, the point of this post is that we are diverse and controlling leadership will only hurt us. Don’t you agree hashman?
K.B.H.
on May 19th, 2006
@ 11:36 pm:
I’m glad he’s running and I’m glad there are two candidates. That’s very healthy. I hope its a good contest. I’m not so naive as to think we’d get a reformed candidate, but I was hoping for someone who didn’t have this kind of baggage.
I’m waiting to see if Page is not just going to restrain his rhetoric or change his tone, but if he really can respect people who are calvinistic.
I haven’t read his book, I’m just going on hints of things that have been said. But if he has said things like have been said by Rogers, Hunt, J. Graham, P. Patterson, E. Caner, which include hurtful strawman attacks that insult the character and intelligence of those who are reformed and serve effectively in the convention.
i’d like to know if he has evolved.
Has he ever thought and does he now think that calvinism is evil? I’m curious.
I’d love to have him endorse a reformed 1st vice president.
art rogers
on May 19th, 2006
@ 11:38 pm:
Dever, for instance?
K.B.H.
on May 20th, 2006
@ 12:15 am:
someone like him would be good.
I looked at Dever’s itinerary yesterday at his churches website and immediately abandoned any dreams of him getting involved this year.
K.B.H.
on May 20th, 2006
@ 12:21 am:
art,
I noticed you are reading “eating the elephant”. I don’t know if it is still in there, but the first edition of that book contained a chapter called, “The Miracle Called Buck Run”. Buck Run was my home church as a child, then later I was on staff there. Is it still in the book?
CB Scott
on May 20th, 2006
@ 12:34 am:
Art,
We will be praying for those folks you mentioned.
cb
martyduren
on May 20th, 2006
@ 8:26 am:
Annie-
I got to see it, sorry that I implied otherwise.
Hash-
What about another Founders guy for 1st VP?
K.B.H.
on May 20th, 2006
@ 9:16 am:
marty,
that would be great. especially if Page would speak for him.
hasman
Kevin Bussey
on May 20th, 2006
@ 9:28 am:
Hash,
You were at Buck Run? Rob Jackson was my roomate in college. I am very close to him and his family. His wife Tonya and my wife were best friends from HS and College.
K.B.H.
on May 20th, 2006
@ 9:33 am:
I know Rob, we used to commute to Southern Seminary together while on staff at Buck Run.
We once got stuck in a muddy field. Rob dared me to drive through it with my truck.
Hey Rob Jackson would be a good first VP candidate, his church is very supportive of CP and he is reformed.
He is at Central Baptist Church in Decataur, AL
K.B.H.
on May 20th, 2006
@ 9:34 am:
he’s not a five pointer though
Kevin Bussey
on May 20th, 2006
@ 11:23 am:
Hash,
I have all the dirt you want on Rob :)
art rogers
on May 20th, 2006
@ 12:44 pm:
Hash,
Sorry to get back to you so late. Buck Run is still in there. My book stuff is so far off, now, though. I have been done with the elephant for some time, now.
I am reading the Missional Leader now and most of the books on the website are stacked on the left side of my desk waiting for me.
CB & all,
Thanks for praying for them. He is critical, but is stable and talking a little. They need prayer.
Art
Alan Cross
on May 20th, 2006
@ 9:05 pm:
I’ll be praying, Art. That sounds really rough. I praise God for ministers like you that will stand with families during times like that.
Good post. I am disappointed that Wade is not running now. I felt like it would have been a strong statement, even if he would have lost. I don’t know anything about Page, but then again, I haven’t paid attention to any of the previous presidents since I became a Southern Baptist in 1989. I’d rather be about principle than about getting someone elected, however.
By the way, has anyone thought about the IMB policies lately? Or, is that just a done deal that we all have to live with?
Paul
on May 21st, 2006
@ 10:53 pm:
Alan,
I heard/read somewhere there’s the possibility that the IMB policies will be referred to a review committee (separate from the IMB trustees) that would be made up of theologians and pastors.
I think as long as those who might be selected are representative of the SBC as a whole that would be a good thing.
Paul
on May 21st, 2006
@ 10:55 pm:
I read it here.
Good interview, by the way.