12 Witnesses

I wanted to revisit an article I wrote a few months ago, entitled the Myth of the Majority.

For the last year or so, I have advised that sections (any section) of the Southern Baptist Convention would do well to quit claiming to represent the “majority” of the SBC. After all, there was a time when it could have been claimed, with some feeling of legitimacy, that moderates represented the “majority” of the SBC. Whether or not that was true may still be something to debate. My point is that it shouldn’t matter whether or not it is true.

The positions of Southern Baptists within the discussion should be based on whether or not the position taken is Biblical and whether or not the words and actions taken in defense of that position are befitting that of a child of God addressing his or her brother or sister in Christ.

As I mentioned in the referenced article, there is no such thing as a uniform majority within the SBC. No one group of people believe “the same” about even 75% of the issues and total, themselves, more than 50% of the total populace of the SBC.

This is problematic when the “majority” becomes the “authority” for any particular point of view. If, on any given subject, the SBC does have a majority consensus of one opinion, does that make that opinion right? I have often been perplexed by the claims of some at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary that the restrictions on PPL (otherwise known here at 12 Witnesses as the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Non-Policy Policy on Private Prayer Languages” see the 8th paragraph or read Many Concerns or A New Hill) at that institution is in keeping with the majority opinion of the SBC.

When a Seminary begins to claim popular opinion as the basis of its theological standards, they, and we, have a significant problem. It seemed so silly to do so, given that the vast majority of our professors will disagree with the vast majority of our laity on several subjects, the most obvious of which is eschatology. Best to stick to Scripture, rightly divided, as the authority for such decisions and given that Resurgence Architect Paige Patterson is the President there, one would assume that the Biblical foundations for such decisions would be the only moorings needed.

I will reiterate that I have said that the Board of Trustees, led by their President, have the right to make such a decision, although I think it is unwise and such actions will lead us into division and irrelevancy. The same thought applies to the Boards of Trustees at the IMB and NAMB as well.

The majority of the SBC doesn’t exist as a homogenized voting block. Moreover, the majority of the SBC is occasionally wrong about things and I know that pro-Conservative Resurgence SBC pastors and laity would support that statement. That is why it is so wrong to lay the claim that the majority of the SBC should be the reason for doing anything.

I have argued that the case for cessationism is not a strong one, and yet it certainly falls within the realm of orthodox Christianity. The case for continualism (I am a continualist - though I do not practice glossolalia of any kind) is also an orthodox interpretation of Scripture.

I have concluded that the appeal to the majority is strictly a response to the inability to legitimately state that the opposing view is unorthodox, or even heretical.

Don’t get me wrong. I know that it’s been tried. Tammy Reed Ledbetter and other authors for the SB Texan and Baptist Press have repeatedly called PPL and its practitioners “neo-Pentecostal” in an attempt to downgrade that view point and practice. Still, that just hasn’t stuck as most people in the conversation have minds that are capable of earnest critique.

So, there is an appeal to the masses. The majority will believe as we do. If we can’t argue it to the exclusion of all other viewpoints biblically (and no one can - no matter which side they are on), then we will claim to represent the majority of the SBC.

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BTW, I know that this applies to the Baptism guideline at the IMB as well. The reason that the Baptism Guideline is not the subject of such debate, I believe, is that it is solely an IMB issue, while PPL now involves both mission boards and one of our seminaries.

From Monday Morning Insight, I got the tip on this video…

Ok, there are still some who are having a hard time understanding missionality and how it fits into church.

Let me see if this works for you: We’re called to be Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13). Those two things are only effective/valuable when interacting with things - salt with food and light with darkness.

Let’s just take light for our example. If you have a flashlight you are shining it around in a well lit room, it doesn’t do much. However, if you are in a sealed off basement with no other light source, that flashlight - no matter how small - is going to be invaluable.

That is supposed to be each of us. The lost in our world are living in spiritual darkness and need light among them. Too often, however, we are more comfortable hanging out with people who believe and act as we do - other Christians.

So, if we are to be a light to the darkness, we can’t hang out with each other all the time (some of the time is good and needed) but we are going to have to go where lost people are hanging out and live out our genuine Christian faith in front of them.

By the way, this is not a sales pitch opportunity where we whip out a tract and offer them “salvation for the low, low price of submission to Christ” - as if that were a low price. Salespeople want something from you - your money. When we witness like sales people, lost and hurting people think that we want something from them - their time, their attendance at church, their money in offerings… who knows? They are hurting from all that is being demanded of them already. They don’t have anymore to be siphoned off by us. I know that’s not what we are trying to do, but it’s what they think we are trying to do. That’s what makes a difference.

We just can’t do it like that any more. Not if we want to be effective. We have got to get where lost people are living and talking so that we can join in.

When the “Theology at the Bottleworks” stuff hit the headlines (where The Journey, a church in St. Louis, was having a Bible Study in a micro brewery - their pastor, Darren Patrick, specifically said they were just trying to get in on the conversations lost people were already having in a place where lost people gathered) CB Scott told me that “back in the day” he would go into a bar and sit next to a guy who was trying to numb his pain and do the same thing. He thought the flap was a bit silly. I concur.

When it comes to teenagers, though, there are certain places where lost people are that they should be able to be a light, like school. I am FOR Christian kids in public schools for that very reason, by the way. My kids both know that they are to be a light to the lost kids around them. I know that they hear things they wouldn’t if they were schooled at home. That’s why I teach them to be the one that sets the standard and not the one who conforms to it. If I can’t correct the things that they learn at school, then I’m not a very strong Christian, anyway, and have no business being a pastor.

Other places, however, are not places I want to send my kids, like parties. No, not the birthday kind, but the tailgate of the pick up, out in the county with a cooler or a keg kind of party.

As a result, within youth ministry we create a safe place where lost kids can come to church and be exposed to the light. That’s why it is so important to do “fun things” that will create opportunities for conversations and relationships to grow. It is also why it is so important to have something worth giving when they get there. Game night should be a part of the diet, and not the main course.

Anyway, Youth Ministry has a “ya’ll come” aspect to it, if it is to be effective in reaching lost kids and not just sanctifying the kids of the current church membership. It is an Inverse Missionality, if you will. If we are going to be effective in having lost kids come to us so that they may come to the Lord, there are some things that the church is going to have to do.

1. We are going to have to get used to kids with hats on in the church house - even during worship. If it was about our comfort, then we can ask them to take it off. They will, and they will get the message that they have to be somebody else if they are going to get along in church. Now, I am not a big fan of hats in worship, but I am a big fan of lost people getting saved and one is valuable and one is just my personal comfort. Before I go on, the hat thing is personal preference and the enforcement of it at the expense of the lost is the addition of laws to the Gospel. To me, it is our version of the Judiazers of whom Paul thought so little. Would he advocate that they “go the whole way” with the removal of their noggin just above the shoulders?

2. Understand that kids are hard on property and lost kids are harder than most. Church kids are still kids, but, hopefully, their parents have done something along the lines of teaching them respect for property - especially property dedicated to the worship of God. (I know, all you missionals out there, church property is an entirely different issue. Just realize that most of the readers here are in traditional church models and it is an issue for them, even if you are in a storefront, school cafeteria or micro brewery.) Lost kids are probably coming out of lost homes and that means that they have probably not been taught our values. They can’t be expected to learn them first, either (see above). That means we are going to have to be willing to clean, repaint, fix holes, cover grafitti and love them anyway. The building can’t become our sacred cow that is more valuable than the souls of students. My uncle who pastors in Memphis has a school nearby his church and the kids were coming over to the church building and hanging out on the porch after school. Of course, romantic pennings of teenage love made its way onto the pillars. The church originally wanted to fence off the entire front yard so that the lost kids couldn’t get to the church. My uncle talked them out of it. His quote to me? “Nothing says, ‘Welcome’ like chain link.”

3. We’ve got to give them their own space. It needs to be a place that they can feel at home in and that they know won’t be taken away from them. When we won’t let them decorate or play music that creates a safe, godly, teenage friendly place, we tell them we would prefer them be themselves somewhere else, and since we are doing the “ya’ll come” thing, obviously, this is counterproductive.

4. Provide safe transportation. We are dealing with this issue ourselves. The stuff that drives Youth Ministry is often off campus, and many times out of town. If we are going to win these kids’ souls, we must send the message first that we value them. One way we do that is by showing that we value their safety. They may never really understand the value we place on their safety and they may well grate against us making them put on their seatbelts, but I can assure you that if we consistantly send them out in vehicles that break down, they will understand that they are not at the top of our priority list.

Disclaimer - For any church members reading this, I am not publicly advocating any particular way of dealing with our transportation needs. I am observing what I said to the church in our last meeting, the safety of our kids is paramount and whatever decision we make, we must get this right. I am advocating getting this right for the right reasons.

Anyway, after 19 years of Youth Ministry, I am about to wrap up my first year as a Lead Pastor. These are just a few thoughts that I have had brewing since the 80’s and since I am the “Pastor” now, I can say it without people thinking I am just defending myself when the kids trash the foyer.

[EDIT]

Just a couple of additions to my list.

5. As Jim said in the comment section, understand teenagers are going to probably look at Wednesday night worship as their primary worship. More on this in the comment section.

6. Along with safety in transportation, we need to be sure and protect our kids from predators. This is incumbant on US and no one else. Background checks and safety programs and guidelines are key. If you ever have an incident of predatory abuse, then you can be sure that your church’s reputation concerning that will be all over the community and you will struggle for decades to regain your rep - especially with the lost of your community who so often have an ax to grind with the church anyway. It goes without saying that if you don’t do your due diligence in protecting the children under your care, you deserve a negative reputation.

[/EDIT]

A picture of a Cardinal in my backyard a couple of weeks ago when it was raining.

For all those who have wondered what I looked like, this is me and my family. Since Marty actually had his current picture put up first, I guess I won the sneaky contest.

So you’ll know me in San Antonio… See you there.

It’s been an almost overwhelming couple of weeks, so forgive me, please, for not sharing my thoughts on the Jimmy Carter/blogging pastor summit. I am still under the gun, so I’ll try to give you the machine gun report on my many, many thoughts.

I wasn’t invited, so it saved me having to say, “no.” Not that I don’t respect the office of President, but right now, if George W. Bush called me and asked me to come meet with him and give him spiritual advice, I would have pray about it. I’m just that covered up.

Jimmy Carter’s politics, particularly his domestic politics, were terrible, in my opinion.

Jimmy Carter’s professed theology is interpreted to be universalism (see Bart Barber’s post on the subject), although his comments are interpreted as implying “Common Grace” by others (see Wade Burleson’s comment in the same post thread). IF he is privately an evangelical, but doesn’t publicly say so in order to keep from building up walls with unbelievers, then he has put politics before the Gospel, and that is the idolatry of position over the worship of the One True God.

I am suspicious of some of the participants leading toward this “convocation of Baptists.” Specifically, I think Bill Clinton would love to get in the White House and values voters - led, ostensibly, by Southern Baptists - have gained ground in the political arena here in America.

My question, though, is this: Must we believe EVERYTHING alike to address issues of social justice in the world today? Or, can we partner with those who differ either slightly or greatly on issues that are not a matter of cooperation in the specific mission of spreading the Gospel.

To be sure, I am not cooperating with anyone in the matters of specifically sharing the Gospel if they don’t hold to the actual Gospel message.

Let me reframe this: Can Rick Warren work with Barack Obama in dealing with the AIDS crises in Africa?

Or, can Bob Roberts work with the Government of Viet Nam to invest in the cities of that communist nation?

Or, can Craig Gross (xxxchurch.com) work with porn producer Ron Jeremy to keep young girls away from predatory porn producers that will use them and throw them away?

Here’s why I ask this: I believe that working with others who don’t believe the Gospel as I do, I have doors open to the nations, but also to the people with whom I am working. In other words, can I be a light to Jimmy Carter? Can Rick be a light to Barack? Can the guys at xxxchurch.com be a light to the producers of porn?

Are we not allowed to infiltrate and become missionaries to those close to home? Who look like us, but don’t believe like we do?

Why must we be missionaries only to those who are far, far away from us?

Do you ever wonder that the program and giving of the IMB far outweighs that of NAMB? Well, the church should be winning North America, sure. But we aren’t, are we?

Not without getting next to people who don’t believe the same way we do.

For all of those who have missed the posts from our Blogtown founder and story teller, Villa Rica, he has a new post up. It has been the better part of a year since we heard from VR, and I, for one, have been begging for his return.

I know you’ll enjoy it.

On the Way to the Carter Center

PS - his stories from last year are still hilarious. Check ‘em out and you’ll see why Villa keeps a spot on my blogroll even when he doesn’t blog for a year.

Today is a big day for our church. We started an important series of lessons that encompass Sunday morning and evening teaching times. We are working through Bill Hybels’ “Just Walk Across the Room” series that encourages every Christian to be an evangelist.

Also, this week has been very stressful as we work toward a major spending proposal that deals with just a handful of the many, many issues our church faces. We have been in decline for 15 years, or so, before I came. This last year, we have grown, so we are facing both growth pains - they are many - and the need to catch up on some long neglected facility issues.

The problems there are the same as they are anywhere. There are different opinions and as the plan is coming before the church, people are beginning to speak their concerns prior to the meeting. I have no problem with differing opinions, I am concerned that we maintain Christlike behavior among the body over the things we are addressing.

The last week had been full of dealing with this stuff, but also there were several personal stressors that were weighing on me including finances and home repair. It just was happening all at once.

So the service goes fairly well this morning and the sermon - despite the fact that I had to take a Bill Hybels outline and make it my own - seemed to go very well. Personal missions and evangelism ruled the day. I can say that I really felt like God used me in spite of myself, and that is all I ever want from a sermon.

At the end of the service I began to pray as our worship leadership prepared for the time of response. I moved to the floor of the church during my prayer and noticed as I was praying someone was walking by me. I opened an eye and noticed a young woman walking by that I had never seen before.

I thought she might be early for a response and that I had just missed her in the service. Boy, was I wrong.

It turns out that she had come in at the point of the invitation and when I finished praying, she was standing 10 feet away from me and facing the congregation. I moved to her to see what I could do, and she shook my hand. I asked what I could do for her and she began to address the congregation in a loud voice. She had laid a small backpack on the front pew and I had inadvertently gotten between her and it as well. I tried to say to her that this was a time of focus on God and that she was taking the focus off of Him and putting it one herself. After a moment of rambling, she noticed her backpack was on the other side of me, stepped around me and picked it up.

She then began to walk as if to go out the same way she came in. Our Deacon Chairman had come up to assist and I let him engage her and turned back to the congregation. On her way out, I heard her say that she served a risen lord who would not be caught dead in our halls. Our Minister of Worship and Youth said later, “Of course not, He’s alive, not dead.” Several other men joined him in escorting her out of the Worship Center.

After the service I, spoke with several. The general consensus was that she was either mentally ill or literally possessed. I am opting for mentally ill, since a demon would probably not claim to serve the Risen Lord. To be sure, though, she was certainly used as a distraction.

On top of that, I had observed several side conversations about the business tonight and that issue arose again immediately after the service.

Lunch was a reprieve from the stresses of the moment. I enjoyed fellowship with some close friends and we encouraged one another.

When I arrived home, though, I was greeted by the sight of a swarm of honey bees making their new home in a gap between stonework and woodwork above my front door.

I have never felt more in the crush of Spiritual Warfare than I have this week and even this moment.

I ask that you pray for me and our meeting this evening. I ask that you also pray for all the other things that are surrounding me personally.

I ask that you pray for your pastor and other pastors you know, as well as the churches you know.

Pray for the SBC. My personal and church situation seem to me to be a microcosm of the SBC and our situation. Frankly I think that we are being pitted against one another so that we will be distracted and ineffective. Let us not participate in Satan’s plan for our destruction.

What do you think?

Sorry about not blogging much this week. It has been one of the most stressful and busy weeks of 20 years in ministry. Praise God, He has seen me through thus far. Still a little ways to go, yet, but He is faithful.

Next week, or in the next couple of weeks, I am going to post an article summarizing the issues of the SBC and my involvement thus far and for the future. It will be a major post and one that I want to be exactly precise, so give me some time. I will tell you, the title is, “End Game.”

In the meantime, enjoy some Phriday fotos:

This is a picture I took standing in the Lewis River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming - facing south. The Grand Tetons are in the far background. I was fly fishing. After a couple of hours, I had three strikes and I was out. Still, it was a beautiful way to spend the day.

One of the many waterfalls in Yellowstone. This one was just alongside the road.

Independent Baptist for a long time, Southern Baptist after the Conservative Resurgence, leader of the Moral Majority, Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA, Founder of Liberty University, a conservative political force in America for decades, Jerry Falwell passed away today at the age of 73.

No matter how you felt about Falwell, you probably weren’t unsure about him. Whatever you thought, he pastored his church for just over 50 years, was a faithful father and husband. I certainly appreciate that, and I know you do as well.

No jokes or unkind remarks in this thread. Our brother has gone to be with the Lord.

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Ps. 116:15

The Missional Network

It seems that the Younger Leaders gathering at the SBC for the last two years is being replaced by a Missional Leaders Gathering.

You can find the information on the Missional Network at the link above. You may recall, if you were present at the Younger Leaders meeting in Greensboro, that the Missional Network was announced at that meeting.

Ed Stetzer (who took over for Marty last year) and Bob Roberts (Glocalization) will be speaking and Todd Fields will be leading worship.

Check it out.

[HT:Joe Thorn]