Category archive - SBC

Random Thoughts

A shot was fired across the bow of the Reformed Baptists by Dick Lincoln, pastor of Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina. He was first to preach tonight, and he referenced a doctrine that "teaches that the number of the elect cannot be changed." He said, "It's too bad Paul never got that message," when referring to 1 Corinthians 9:19 and Paul's expressed desire to "win more people." He went on to call the doctrine "insidious." Johnny Hunt is preaching now. About five minutes into his message, the power in the coliseum went out. It came back quickly, but not all the sound has come back, and I can't hear him. He is taking occasional little shots at Calvinism, but nothing like what I heard about last year. I don't know if there is any significance to this, and Wade, if you're reading this, you may have a theory: My hotel is very close to a street called "Landmark Center." I don't know, but maybe that fits... ;-)

I Made It

Bloggered

I intend with this post to introduce a new word into the English language. Someone alert Merriam-Webster.

A Call to Generosity

Recently while listening to satellite radio, I heard a report about a web forum where waiters and waitresses go to vent. I found the site, and it is not for the faint of heart. In fact, it is so vulgar I will not be linking it here. There is a list of good and bad celebrity tippers, and frightening stories of revenge taken by servers on rude, obnoxious customers. Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to be rude or obnoxious; you don’t want to know what they might do to your food. A little searching took me to this forum, where Christian waiters and waitresses share their stories. Sadly, one of their biggest complaints was about the attitudes and tipping behavior of the Sunday after-church lunch crowd. I had seen similar complaints on some of the frightening secular sites I visited. There is a wide-spread perception in the service industry of Christians as rude, obnoxious bad tippers. So I imagine the dread with which those in the service and hospitality industries in Greensboro are approaching the coming week. As a former minor-league umpire who lived for months at a time dependent on the service of waiters, waitress, and hotel employees, I learned a deep appreciation for these folks. Many are students, working to pay their way through school, but many are also dedicated professionals who have committed themselves to a career of serving the needs of others. Whatever their situation, they deserve our respect, and our generosity. The minimum wage for tipped employees in North Carolina is $2.13/hour. Tipping is not an extra we do as a favor; most depend on the tips they receive to pay their bills. It is my conviction that a 15% tip should be the absolute baseline, except in cases where a server is overtly rude to me, and that has only happened to me on one occasion. I normally tip in the 20% range. It is a truth that perception is reality (if you don't believe me, ask Bowden). Next week in Greensboro, perceptions will be formed of Christianity by those in the service industry, and they will be formed on the basis of our treatment of them. We will be representing our respective churches as we vote in the Greensboro Coliseum; we will be representing Jesus Christ everywhere we go. Knowing the expectations that must accompany the anticipation of upwards of 10,000 Southern Baptists invading their hotels and restaurants, imagine the eternal difference that might be made in so many lives by unexpected kindness and generosity. So my challenge to my fellow Southern Baptists attending the convention is this: Be unexpectedly kind. Be liberal, not in your theology, but in your tipping. I would hate to read about you next week in one of those forums I mentioned. Even more, I’d hate to know that someone may have spit in your burger…

Identification

How will the residents of Blog Town recognize each other in Greensboro? For some, it will be easy. For example, if you see a guy witnessing in Starbucks, that'll be Kevin. If you see a man berating someone for eating pork BBQ (abomination), that will be Art. Some have pictures posted around, like Dorcas, Marty, or Wade. But so many others remain a complete mystery. We could find ourselves riding in the same elevator with, say, a member of the Arkansas Razorbaptist(s) team, and not even know it. We might unknowingly pass Villa Rica crossing the street, although that might be difficult to do, as I suspect he'll have his bulldogs with him... We could use some identifying mark, like the "B" on my shirt in this (somewhat) recent photo. Of course, I'll have the hat, but how will I know you?

The Old Guard

Accountability

I have argued on several occasions that if we want our convention in Greensboro to be about personalities and politics, that is what it will be about, and if we want it to be about policies and procedures, it can be about that, too. Ultimately, the entities of the Southern Baptist Convention are accountable to the Southern Baptist Convention, and this is as it should be. We elect trustees to handle the entities' business on our behalf, and generally, all is well. But when those trustees act in a way that is contrary to the wishes of Southern Baptists, then Southern Baptists are responsible for correcting those things, and those upset with the direction of the International Mission Board have just such an opportunity. Tim Sweatman commented on a post on Wade Burleson's blog, and I have seen it asserted elsewhere, that all the convention can do is to pass resolutions which are not binding on the entities. But according to my research, this is not the case. Witness part B of Bylaw 26 of the Southern Baptist Convention [emphasis added]:

Procedure for Motions of Messengers Concerning Entities: Motions made by messengers dealing with internal operations or ministries of an entity shall be referred to the elected board of the entity for consideration and report to the constituency and to the next annual meeting of the Convention for action with the exception that the Committee on Order of Business may be instructed by a two-thirds vote to arrange for consideration at a subsequent session of the same Convention, subject to provision of Bylaw 21.

According to this bylaw, a motion can be made (in order) from the floor of the convention instructing an entity to change a policy or procedure, and if 2/3 of the messengers present agree, it can be brought to a vote at that convention. The reference to Bylaw 21 requires that this be done by the afternoon session of day one of the convention. So as I have said, if it is about personalities, there will be a lot of complaining and frustration. If it is about policies, there is a method for dealing with them, and if enough Southern Baptists agree, they can be changed by the fifteenth of June. Our prayer should be that, whatever happens, God is glorified.