tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50707442011-12-28T19:18:29.332-06:00Baptists for Separation of Church and State and for Compassionate JusticeBruce Prescottnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-56171726685994509482009-12-15T18:31:00.003-06:002009-12-15T19:11:39.342-06:00

The citizens of Ashville, North Carolina recently elected an atheist, Cecil Bothwell, to serve on their city council. North Carolina's state constitution prohibits anyone "who shall deny the being of Almighty God" from holding public office. The state's GOP and the Religious Right have filed suit to remove Bothwell from office.Among those opposed to Bothwell's holding office is Bryan Fischer

Bruce Prescottnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-49168295796462818342008-09-03T11:25:00.003-05:002008-09-03T12:09:29.219-05:00

A couple years ago I wrote an opinion for the District Court regarding the Ten Commandments monument on the courthouse lawn in Haskell County, Oklahoma. In that opinion, I discussed Roger Williams' position regarding religious liberty and believed, at that time, that his understanding of forced religion as "molestation" and his equating it with "soul rape" was uniquely his own.Since that time, I

Bruce Prescottnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-55797945319499175252008-09-03T06:48:00.000-05:002008-09-03T06:49:42.739-05:00

This is another of the volumes sent to me in the Baptist History series and I think it one of the most interesting yet. Larry Kreitzer has done an absolutely fantastic job of tracing Baptist life in Oxford in the mid 17th century. These two volumes (only vol. 1 is listed- volume two contains all the primary sources used by Kreitzer in his historical reconstruction) allow interested historians

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-77835610566592152982008-08-31T13:03:00.000-05:002008-08-31T13:04:00.466-05:00

To feed 600,000 people in the aftermath of Gustav, should it become necessary.  Say what you will about Baptists, it's we who respond first and in force when natural disasters strike.  Indeed, though the Red Cross never fails to take credit for feeding folk after a disaster, it's Baptist Disaster Relief who prepares the meals.  We Baptists can be proud of our immediate intervention.

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-9808614222255684892008-08-28T07:32:00.000-05:002008-08-28T07:33:41.013-05:00

That's the phrase an ethicist has used to describe churches using raffles and giving away gas cards and other such 'methods' to draw folk to worship.Robert Kruschwitz, director of The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, called the promotions "unseemly" and "misguided." ... David T. Olson, director of the American Church Research Project and head of church planting for the

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-69025428234426172462008-08-27T14:34:00.000-05:002008-08-27T14:35:18.465-05:00

This book is one of the many that arrived a few days back now that certainly is worthy of wide attention. It offers interested readers a glimpse of life in Baptist Churches in the USSR, Moldavia, Finland, Bulgaria and Bosnia. I found the essay by Anneli Lohikko, August Jauhiainen and the Pentecostal Dilemma in the Finnish Baptist Union (1930-1953) particularly pertinent because it addresses an

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-64470626269738265172008-08-26T18:37:00.002-05:002008-08-26T18:39:29.924-05:00

We wanted to let you know of the existence of a Facebook Group for the Baptist History and Heritage Society. If you're a Baptist and have interest in history, we'd love to have you join in. And don't worry, you don't have to be a member of the Society- but that would be great too!

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-64472649978010165192008-08-23T09:33:00.000-05:002008-08-23T09:34:28.520-05:00

The folk at Eisenbrauns Publications have sent me some fantastic volumes to read and review and among them is this gem-Baptist IdentitiesAnd one of the essays that makes it such a gem is that of Karen Smith, whose 'Preparation as a Discipline of Devotion in Eighteenth Century England: A Lost Facet of Baptist Identity?' (pp. 22ff) increases the value of the volume.Smith's really important

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-74070256479002195702008-07-24T14:59:00.000-05:002008-07-24T15:00:40.251-05:00

First, a word of explanation: I'm Baptist and we Baptists do something each summer called Vacation Bible School (VBS for short). I don't know if you other folk have such a thing - though I think the Presbyterians do, and maybe the Methodists. I'm sure the Episcopalians have something like a 'Jesus Camp' of the far left for their kids during the summer. And the Lutherans, well, since they only

Jimnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-447251340156704222008-07-05T15:53:00.000-05:002008-07-05T15:54:36.630-05:00

The Daily Mail reportsTwo schoolboys were given detention after refusing to kneel down and 'pray to Allah' during a religious education lesson. Parents were outraged that the two boys from year seven (11 to 12-year-olds) were punished for not wanting to take part in the practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped. They said forcing their children to take part in the exercise at Alsager

Jimnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-21473659155199788752008-07-02T09:31:00.000-05:002008-07-02T09:34:02.805-05:00

Mercer University Press sent along a review copy of a Festschrift just published in June (thanks!) that I won’t be able to get to quite yet. Still, when such things arrive it’s natural to look through them a little. In the volume presently in hand, I scanned the index to see if any mention were made of Zwingli (since it really is impossible to write a history of Baptists without reference to

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-5470190813591018492008-06-18T12:31:00.000-05:002008-06-18T12:32:27.658-05:00

Folk who have various moral, ethical and religious / theological problems with 'gay marriage' have long been lampooned and lambasted for suggesting that there's no such thing as a 'gay agenda'. After all, what better way to prove your case than to caricature your opponents? Such caricaturing achieves its goal by demonizing and damning under the umbrella of 'the truth'.It may surprise some, then

Jimnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-67534216202394187492008-05-18T15:17:00.000-05:002008-05-18T15:18:55.381-05:00

Dubious readings of biblical texts results in dubious theological interpretations. No issue proves that thesis quite as well as the 'gay marriage' issue. What's so fascinating about the debate is that both sides accuse the other of holding to dubious readings. I.e., those in support of 'gay marriage' accuse their opponents of idiosyncratic and culturally deficient reading of the Bible. And

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-37635634897639137472008-05-14T07:42:00.000-05:002008-05-14T07:44:03.031-05:00

Though the Baptist and Reflector uses the word ‘ousts’ most will be more familiar with the word ‘excommunicate’.One week after an attempt to oust 71 members of Two Rivers Baptist Church here failed by four votes, the church voted again following the May 11 Mother’s Day service. After hearing that the 71 plaintiffs should not have been allowed to vote on May 4, according to Robert’s Rules of

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-17299546734197244592008-05-14T06:55:00.000-05:002008-05-14T06:56:27.893-05:00

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is in and of itself sufficient to draw people to salvation. "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself" declares Jesus in the Gospel of John. I firmly agree, which is why I get so very annoyed when I read about Churches that sell the Gospel, sell it out, manipulate people to gain it a hearing, and act in a way that is deeply offensive and un-theological. The

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-259876910879051972008-05-12T09:42:00.002-05:002008-05-12T09:56:04.440-05:00

Bob Novak has written an article suggesting that Mike Huckabee privately concurs with Homeschool Champion Michael Farris in believing that evangelicals should sit out this year's presidential election.Farris and other far right evangelicals think America deserves a "plague-like presidency" and Obama fits the bill.Personally, it is hard for me to understand how any American searching for an

Bruce Prescottnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-8830968743953736182008-05-11T23:27:00.002-05:002008-05-12T00:24:57.157-05:00

Baptists who work for shalom (peace grounded in justice) have several cool events/opportunities upcoming.The annual summer gathering (which the kids and teens call "peace camp") of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America will be 14-19 July 2008 on the campus of St. John Abbot College, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellvue, Quebec, Canada. (I think this is the last year that U.S. Americans can travel to

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-47670650367202096362008-05-09T15:22:00.000-05:002008-05-09T15:26:30.110-05:00

I mentioned the other day on my blog this report from Associated Baptist Press and I've been pondering it ever since. When it notes[Frank] Page, [President of the SBC] said the problem “resided in the churches” that refuse to change to stop their inevitable demise. He said the SBC downturn is not the denomination’s fault – because of poor programming or lack of emphasis on the denominational

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-24183098456195316262008-04-04T10:26:00.001-05:002008-04-04T10:29:18.036-05:00

Bruce Gourley pointed me toward comments made recently by Frank (formerly Franky) Schaeffer about the current presidential race. I had a vague awareness that Schaeffer had turned away from his earlier rabid fundamentalism, but did not really know the extent of his conversion. At times like this, I am reminded that my move away from the SBC, which eventually included being institutionally

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-73109266136786845062008-03-27T14:43:00.000-05:002008-03-27T14:44:29.834-05:00

Oprah's 'spirituality' with it's touchy-feely new age / emergent / seeker sensitive / abomination of desolation smarminess has long been an annoyance. But I thought it was just me. Seems it isn't. Seems that Oprah has annoyed others with her misguided and unbiblical nonsense and now she's gotten a good old fashioned Baptist thwack across the head. The piece appeared a few weeks ago but I

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-22156362234378800912008-03-26T07:25:00.001-05:002008-03-26T07:27:24.381-05:00

When it has internal behavior like thisA Pennsylvania pastor has pleaded guilty to stealing church members' identities to obtain credit cards and cash advances for personal purchases totaling nearly $30,000. The Rev. Raymond Lee Clayton, 43, admitted he used Grace Fellowship Church members' personal information to obtain credit cards during a six-month period that ended last April. "I trusted

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-24261437655200775362008-03-20T13:57:00.001-05:002008-03-20T14:00:03.045-05:00

Pastor Zaur Balaev was released from prison on the 19th of March. “We won – it’s a great joy to be free,” Balaev told Forum 18 hours after his release as he traveled the six-hour journey back to his home village of Aliabad in Azerbaijan’s remote north-west. “We’re all waiting for him,” one of his church members told Forum 18.Ilya Zenchenko, head of the Baptist Union, welcomed the release. “We

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-73589061582103711472008-03-20T02:14:00.002-05:002008-03-20T02:17:26.425-05:00

I apologize to those who enjoy reading this blog for my absence. It will continue a while longer, I am afraid. I need a mental health break from close following of political events. I have been unable to achieve my usual equilibrium that allows me to care--but remain calm when things do not go well. Until I can regain that equilibrium, I must absent myself from blogging.

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-18105443823757484932008-03-17T14:00:00.001-05:002008-03-17T14:02:39.171-05:00

Readers here may be interested in learning of a new 'Facebook Group' for the Baptist History and Heritage Society. You're invited to participate.

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-51577193695361455752008-03-04T06:42:00.000-06:002008-03-04T06:43:59.097-06:00

Richard Land, if you don't know him, is the head of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. And at a meeting in January he reportedly... referred to Democratic Senator Charles Schumer as "the schmuck from New York."This can't be allowed to stand. This sort of anti-Semitic idiocy doesn't represent Southern Baptists and Land must resign or be removed from office.I agree with

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-11002133137273422392008-02-29T21:34:00.000-06:002008-02-29T21:35:30.192-06:00

As I've mentioned before, I spend a few weekends a year talking to teenagers about how their faith can change the world. Last month I was in Houston to talk to some students about the kind of people they want to become. This weekend, I'm in Chattanooga discussing how people can use their faith as a catalyst to make the world a better place.My friend Kurt is the youth pastor at First Baptist

Sam Davidsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-73576033743679561312008-02-27T09:03:00.000-06:002008-02-27T09:04:42.874-06:00

At least according to a study released Monday by the Pew Report. As Ethics Daily notesAmericans are leaving Baptist churches at nearly twice the rate that others are joining them, according to details of a study released Monday by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.But it's not all bad news for Baptists:Despite their losses, Baptists had one of the highest retention rates of Protestant

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-42367298709972794502008-02-25T10:46:00.000-06:002008-02-25T10:47:19.441-06:00

If you haven't had the opportunity to read the most important Baptist Confessions of Faith since the beginning of the denomination, you can always pick up a collection of them for a great price by a brilliant theologian. Just click here- and get one for all your friends! ;-)

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-32393137100747437252008-02-25T07:24:00.000-06:002008-02-25T07:27:04.700-06:00

The year 2009 is the 400th Anniversary of the establishment of Baptist Christianity. The whole year will aim at celebrating Baptist work around the world and Baptist's contributions to the larger Church. And it's all kicking off where it all began- in Amsterdam. Christian Today reportsPreparations are already underway for celebrations in 2009 to mark 400 years of the world Baptist movement,

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-47228777437472454362008-02-23T09:06:00.000-06:002008-02-23T09:08:19.408-06:00

It was the 23rd of February, 2000, that George Beasley-Murray left this life to ascend Jacob's Ladder to the next. He was a fine scholar and a wonderful friend. May he continue resting in peace. Lest we forget...

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-16032835664067860192008-02-14T16:44:00.002-06:002008-02-14T16:55:24.603-06:00

First let me say right out of the gate that I hope that Dr Mohler recovers from his surgery and regains health. It's poor form indeed to wish those with whom we disagree any ill. Further, it's bad Christianity.That said, it is a mark of divine providence that this illness has forced Mohler out of the SBC Presidency race.Associated Baptist Press reportsAl Mohler, president of Southern Baptists’

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-28428007442715998662008-02-14T12:32:00.002-06:002008-02-14T12:36:53.664-06:00

The program is available online here (in PDF) and one and all will be happy to see our own Bruce Gourley and Bruce Prescott on the program. I'm attending the meeting (as well as the Fellowship of Baptist Historians session) and would very much like to know if any others are as well. If so, it certainly would be good to say hi in the flesh.

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-45001528216896776632008-01-10T14:19:00.000-06:002008-01-10T14:21:32.647-06:00

It seems that no one has posted here other than myself for a good while. Have others abandoned the effort or has interest simply waned? Blogs spring up and die just as rapidly as the seed which fell on the rock in the parable of Jesus. I had hoped, at the inception of this group blog, that that would not be the case with us.

Jimnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-60689041868669864122008-01-10T14:12:00.000-06:002008-01-10T14:19:39.555-06:00

Those days seem long past now what with Paige Patterson and Al Mohler at the helm of the two largest Seminaries in the SBC. Paige has, it must be said, never really seemed to me to be an honorable person in the first place. Rather, he's been manipulative, controlling, and just downright mean. And he continues in that stream of behavior in his treatment of those who have complained about sexual

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-68535282201595718302007-11-24T11:51:00.000-06:002007-11-24T11:52:52.680-06:00

A Baptist Pastor and Theologian from New Zealand has written a very fine devotional book titled "Making Life Decisions: Journey In Discernment." You can read it online and follow the spiritual exercises that way or you can download the entire document and have it on your hard drive to print out at your leisure.Learning to make decisions, guided by the Holy Spirit, is so very important in the

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-38105799695484021462007-11-13T15:01:00.000-06:002007-11-13T15:04:38.240-06:00

The Associated Press reportsBelmont University and the Tennessee Baptist Convention reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the Baptists. The Southern Baptist organization and the Nashville university have been at odds for more than a year over Belmont's efforts to diversify its board with more Christian trustees who aren't Baptists. The convention filed a $58 million lawsuit against the

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-48682074307400952062007-11-09T09:01:00.000-06:002007-11-09T09:03:07.088-06:00

I had my hotel reservation made. I had my plans set. I was looking forward to attending a meeting that I had hoped would aim at glorifying Christ, bind believers together in his cause, and be a period of encouragement. After all, we Pastoral types can get discouraged from time to time so we get sort of excited about the possibility of attending a Convention meeting that will lift us up.But I'm

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-74072336246400677482007-10-23T10:55:00.000-05:002007-10-23T10:59:17.704-05:00

Dan Schweissing pointed me to an excellent remark on pop theology at a blog called Mental Slavery. In a post called "You Have the Power," Ward Minnis comments on Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi and Morgan Freeman as God as examples of a certain kind of character in movies, and I guess in other stories.They play the minority figure as "wise and enlightened sidekick." It takes one back to the days of

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-30438134894272158142007-10-20T11:51:00.000-05:002007-10-20T12:04:41.125-05:00

The Associated Press has a disturbing report today concerning the plague of sexual misconduct perpetrated by teachers against their students. The number of teachers molesting children makes the cases of priests and pastors who molest look miniscule by comparison. In part, the report notesAn Associated Press investigation found more than 2,500 cases over five years in which educators were punished

Jimnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-67098668201564993312007-10-19T20:17:00.001-05:002007-10-19T20:17:31.579-05:00

Robert Parham said exactly what needed to be said. Frank Page did not preserve the confidentiality of Rudy Giuliani. Telling a crowd about his conversations with candidates for president is to be expected for the president of an organization such as the Southern Baptist Convention. That's why candidates meet with presidents of large organizations. They want to get to the organization through the

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-30910363445133173252007-10-16T22:05:00.000-05:002007-10-16T22:07:24.130-05:00

Every now and then we cook a meal at the Soup Kitchen in Shawnee. When the weather’s nice we host it in the covered pavilion on the edge of our church. We can do this because we share the block with the Salvation Army. The “Sallie” guests come through a gate that divides our campus from theirs. I hate that there’s a wall. I like that there’s a gate.A mix of teenagers, college students and

Tim Seannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-35881453681330182072007-10-14T19:01:00.000-05:002007-10-14T19:02:16.516-05:00

John Perkins has been saying lately that "we have over-evangelized the world too lightly." He is remarking on the contrast between the reported religiosity of the U. S. in comparison with the lack of fruit in the form of compassion, justice, and reconciliation. He is pointing out that the so-called evangelistic fervor of modern churches has asked less and less of the convert. A mere momentary

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-20300474034743067912007-10-12T13:09:00.000-05:002007-10-12T13:19:33.706-05:00

I heard it again yesterday on the radio as I was breezing past a religious station. Someone was promoting "Biblical Marriage." I've wondered exactly what this is supposed to mean when people say it. I've read the Bible many times. And as I think over the trajectory of the stories it seems that the model for marriage is one of endogamy (marrying within the family), polygamy (multiple spouses),

Tim Seannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-79585929784325603902007-10-12T07:44:00.000-05:002007-10-12T07:45:19.791-05:00

What lengths will some churches go to in order to "bribe" young people to attend worship? A fascinating essay in Ethics Daily offers us a glimpse into the shadowy depths of 'outreach' become Godlessness.Jim Evans writesHaving served as a pastor now for over 30 years, I have seen every sort of outreach gimmick you can imagine. Churches have been willing to do almost anything to get people into

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-11260345136053472812007-10-03T21:23:00.000-05:002007-10-03T21:36:15.005-05:00

Forgiveness is among the virtues most emphasized by Jesus. The profusion of baptist denominations and independent churches is a constant reminder of how poorly we practice it. On the anniversary of the murders of five girls and injury of five more in an Amish school, news writers continue to be amazed at a community of people who practice forgiveness even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-78002118237414637682007-10-03T21:12:00.000-05:002007-10-03T21:23:10.082-05:00

Church people seldom use explicitly racist language any more in U.S. churches. We believe we have gotten past all that. But remaining embedded in our structuring of the world, included in our coded language, is what Michael Emerson and Christian Smith call our racialized thinking, theology, and society. A good example of this can be seen in District Attorney Reed Walters's theologizing during

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-21815946592305978502007-09-30T14:27:00.000-05:002007-09-30T14:46:01.570-05:00

This week at the Democratic Primary Debate in New Hampshire, nominees for president were asked by Tim Russert, "What is your favorite Bible verse and why?"Poor candidates. Practiced and rehearsed in so many things and this question seemed to catch them off-guard. Obama was asked first, he stumbled over "The Sermon on the Mount" which wasn't a bad choice, he just had a hard time articulating

Tim Seannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-466481584468716432007-09-30T06:48:00.000-05:002007-09-30T06:51:21.730-05:00

In an interview for Belief.net, Sen. John McCain (R-NV), a candidate for U.S. president, claims that the Constitution of the United States establishes the country as a “Christian nation!” Needless to say, most Constitutional scholars would disagree with this and church-state separationists should worry about a McCain presidency. In the same interview, McCain says that Mitt Romney’s Mormonism is

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-88505329897655553342007-09-28T09:32:00.000-05:002007-09-28T09:33:49.385-05:00

There has been much discussion of late concerning the events down in Jena, Louisiana. Six black teens were arrested after beating a white student. Reports are murky but the precipitating cause seems to have been white students tossing a hangman's noose over a tree in retaliation for black students having sat under that "white's only" tree.That, at least, is the story in a nutshell. There are a

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-62079662468011187002007-09-20T21:06:00.000-05:002007-09-20T21:12:23.936-05:00

For those of you interested in the furor over the justice system in Jena, Louisiana, I have posted remarks on the case and on a rally at the Baptist school Shaw University in Raleigh, NC.

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-59549202308591900182007-09-20T06:41:00.000-05:002007-09-20T06:45:43.682-05:00

When the SBC acts poorly, we say so. So it is only proper that when the SBC does right and well, we say so too. After months of discussion and much public debate, the Southern Baptist Convention has taken steps to aid Churches face the terrible problem of clergy sex abuse. They have put up a new website and are continuing to examine further steps to ensure that our children are safe from

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-19122497543229344062007-09-19T19:39:00.000-05:002007-09-19T19:40:29.598-05:00

Last month, I blogged about Texas Baptist nay-sayers who aren't exactly thrilled with BGCT involvement in the New Baptist Covenant. You can read my take on that subject here.In a follow-up post, I compiled a long list of Texas Baptists who are involved in the planning process of the New Baptist Covenant. Over 25% of those involved are Texas Baptists.Quite impressive.Anyhow, in the past month a

Big Daddy Weavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06270791070315400815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-77000027153973515942007-09-18T06:47:00.000-05:002007-09-18T06:48:57.348-05:00

Southwestern Seminary dismissed a woman from her teaching post because, well, she's a woman. So, well within her Constitutional rights, she sued. The Seminary, naturally, not wishing the humiliation of a public trial, sought to have the suit dismissed. But no such fortune will prevail for the fundamentalists over in Fort Worth.The Dallas Morning News reports todayA federal judge has ruled that

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-17724901616338474452007-09-12T14:23:00.000-05:002007-09-12T14:37:29.979-05:00

Sometimes I wonder why I read Ethics Daily. Not that they inform poorly or inadequately. Quite the contrary. It is because they do such a good job of keeping Baptists up to date with the latest doings among us that I sometimes find myself simply annoyed beyond words.Today's story on "Kingdom Education" is one such example of doings in the Kingdom that needs rebuttal and correction.Mind you, I

Jimnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-28001708693407485292007-09-10T06:31:00.001-05:002007-09-10T06:31:41.647-05:00

Baptist Press has been known among Baptists for a good while as a skewed and slanted "news" agency. There's more evidence now of their "skewed-ness", as Ethics Daily reports:Fred Thompson's official announcement he is running for president merited headline coverage in Baptist Press, while last spring's announcement by one of Southern Baptists' own, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, did not.

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-60733321759680779162007-09-08T13:40:00.000-05:002007-09-08T13:41:07.567-05:00

For the first time in its history, the Southern Baptist Convention may elect a former missionary to the presidency. It sounds strange, doesn't it- but no President has been elected who has served a small church, as a former missionary! Stranger still since the vast majority of SBC Churches are "small".Baptist Press reportsWilliam L. (Bill) Wagner, a former Southern Baptist missionary and

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-70874383857436201252007-09-07T06:17:00.000-05:002007-09-07T06:21:45.427-05:00

Ethics Daily is reporting that Belmont University and the Tennessee Baptist Convention will be heading to court because they can't reach an agreement over their ongoing dispute. It's a sad day in Tennessee Baptist life in particular and it's another sad day for Baptists in general. What this suit means is that a) money has become more important than adherence to Biblical principles (i.e., that,

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-3276738939928972832007-09-05T14:02:00.001-05:002007-09-05T14:02:45.455-05:00

The American Presidential Campaign season seems to be in full swing. That, naturally, means that it's time to watch as politicians co-opt the Christian faith for their own benefit. You'll see them swarming into Churches (especially when they campaign in the South). And you'll hear them say all manner of religious sounding things.This sort of co-option is particularly practiced by Republicans

Jimnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-91925252316261820152007-08-31T09:59:00.000-05:002007-08-31T10:00:49.315-05:00

A Texas Baptist (oh but of course) has claimed in an editorial that folk who have decried Southwestern's "Cookie Degree" are sexist! I suppose he thinks that if he can turn the tables on those who have questioned the program by erecting a straw man, he can divert attention away from the real issue- which is the sexism of those who developed and have implemented the degree program

Jimnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-26449195090787569402007-08-30T19:09:00.000-05:002007-08-30T19:10:35.636-05:00

The Baptist Press had an article today entitled "Confessions affirm truth, Mohler says." It covers recent comments by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's president Albert Mohler. He argued that confessions are important. The big problem, however, with his arguments is that he claimed to be talking about confessions but often was actually talking about creeds. Here is one passage that

Kaylornoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-75252659238524168332007-08-28T21:06:00.000-05:002007-08-28T21:17:02.575-05:00

During his mea culpa moment this week, Michael Vick mentioned that he found Jesus. Even as a VA Tech grad, my disappointment with Vick has been great. I rolled my eyes when I heard he found his savior. This sounds much like a death bed conversion to me, I guess realizing that your behavior will cost you millions of dollars can have quite an effect on you.But I was reminded of the parable of

matthew61http://www.blogger.com/profile/02687897372941531501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-46832708327602852572007-08-28T05:37:00.000-05:002007-08-28T05:41:04.697-05:00

28 August 1612 is the day historians believe (records are shaky) that John Smyth died in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Smyth was a pivotal figure in church history–a major link in the growing radicalism of the Separatist wing of the English Puritan movement; a tireless champion of democracy and religious liberty; a biblicist and radical congregationalist who strove to defend liberty of conscience

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-82591414649091384262007-08-21T00:21:00.001-05:002007-08-21T00:21:55.965-05:00

I grew up a Georgia Baptist.From the age of 6 until a Black Thursday fourteen years later, I proudly considered myself a Georgia Baptist. By my teenage years, I had already made my hajj to Maranatha and Koinonia. The writings of Walter Shurden offered historical context to the fundamentalism that I continued to experience in both of my childhood churches. I knew that I was a different kind of

Big Daddy Weavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06270791070315400815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-41706654172917427602007-08-20T17:07:00.000-05:002007-08-20T17:08:47.703-05:00

Baptist World Aid responds to Peru EarthquakeFollowing the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Peru near Pisco on August 15, 2007 at 6:41pm local time, Baptist World Aid is working with Peruvian Baptists on a response.Peruvian Baptists have sent an assessment team to the earthquake affected area of Ica. Pastor Pepe Flores, the president of the Convention Evangelical Baptists (

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-29711375145097449092007-08-20T06:52:00.000-05:002007-08-20T06:53:48.968-05:00

More and more Pastors are learning from more and more Seminary and University courses to 'run' the Church like a business. The consequences of this 'model' of Church polity are beginning to show in Congregations that are fed up with dictatorial pastors.A report in Ethics Daily recounts a number of widely publicised Church conflicts which have arisen because of Pastor/Dictators.When your pastor

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-30617325569696609452007-08-16T14:39:00.000-05:002007-08-16T14:40:51.802-05:00

I wasn't going to bother with this annoying 'person'- because, honestly, I feel like even mentioning him somehow heaps honor on him which he cannot deserve. I'm tempted to say that I would rather post a series on the importance of Lindsey Lohan for American Culture than mention Wiley Drake, America's pastor least worthy of the name.Still, both Duane and Scott have brought him to biblioblogdom's

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-38305765904078624092007-08-11T13:40:00.000-05:002007-08-11T13:41:36.085-05:00

Forum 18 reportsBaptist Pastor Zaur Balaev was yesterday (8 August) sentenced to two years in jail, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The Pastor from Aliabad in northern Azerbaijan was convicted of using violence against a state representative, and was also accused of holding "illegal meetings under the guise of religious activity without concrete authority and without state registration,"

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-70901263361098614282007-08-06T20:14:00.000-05:002007-08-06T20:21:09.268-05:00

Remembering can either store up hatred for new generations of violence or heal in ways that sew seeds of peace. The following song, which was sung yesterday for Hiroshima Remembrance at the Jeff Street Baptist Community's Peace Sunday service, speaks to both. It is sad, but hopeful.1,000 Candles, 1,000 Cranesby Rich PreziosoMy grandmother had three sonsShe dreamed about her children’s

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-40972937256603936072007-08-04T22:54:00.000-05:002007-08-04T23:09:24.337-05:00

Sunday 05 August 2007 is the annual Peace Sunday in the ecumenical church calendar observed by many Christians. It is always held on the Sunday closest to 06 August, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. Last year, I believe, it was actually held between 06 August and 09 August, the anniversary of the H-bombing of Nagasaki, Japan.The nuclear peril is probably greater now

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-70123171773178556782007-08-02T17:28:00.000-05:002007-08-02T17:30:44.503-05:00

We take our highway bridges for granted. I know I do. When I got word that pastor Doug Donley and his congregation in Minneapolis are safe from the terrifying bridge collapse there yesterday, I thought again about how quickly so much can be lost. I was able to talk with pastors from New Orleans who a brief two years ago found out that we can't take for granted that our congregations will even

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-69261131028279743222007-08-01T14:56:00.001-05:002007-08-01T15:03:04.072-05:00

In Jena, LA, athletic shoes have been ruled a deadly weapon when worn on a black teenager's foot. The old-style racist "justice" in this small town near Alexandria continues to amaze. Here is an update on the case that I posted about in May.I posted a while back about the racially charged events in Jena, Louisiana. Today I did some research to get an update on those events. So far, one of the

Mike Broadwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777637165653734261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-7588810817683443362007-07-31T04:52:00.000-05:002007-07-31T04:56:17.172-05:00

Helen Barrett Montgomery (1861-1934) was born 146 years ago, today, 31 July 1861. A friend of Susan B. Anthony and, like Anthony, a pioneer feminist and suffragist, Montgomery was active in social reform and became elected to the Rochester, NY city council–in a day when it was still considered shocking for women to walk outdoors unaccompanied or to speak up in mixed gender public assemblies. A

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-2399391601563268952007-07-29T05:00:00.000-05:002007-07-29T05:26:54.710-05:00

My oldest daughter, Molly (12), and I just returned yesterday from "peace camp," the annual summer conference of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. Although depressed that the first thing I saw on these pages was Jim West celebrating the fact that the NABF would be excluding the participation of BPFNA and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists from next year's "

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-52121811189284505962007-07-24T18:07:00.000-05:002007-07-24T18:13:51.535-05:00

Associated Baptist Press reportsThe organization sponsoring an upcoming historic pan-Baptist gathering has told two gay-friendly Baptist groups they cannot participate in an official capacity. The North American Baptist Fellowship, under whose auspices next year’s “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant” is being held, has informed the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and the

Jimnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-86978586704245764002007-07-24T06:30:00.000-05:002007-07-24T06:31:04.745-05:00

Ethics Daily reportsThe leader of Baptists in the central Asian republic of Azerbaijan has requested international support for a pastor arrested during a worship service May 20. Zaur Balayev, 44, is being held on charges of "violent resistance" of arrest. Authorities say Balayev, described by acquaintances as a "thin" man, beat up five policemen and damaged a police car during his arrest. ...

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-38418600997400203962007-07-17T13:42:00.001-05:002007-07-17T13:57:48.743-05:00

Next week, 23-28 July, on the campus of Berea College, Berea, KY, is the annual summer conference of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. The children and youth have taught us oldsters to call this "peace camp." In the words of Ken Sehested, who was founding Executive Director, and led BPFNA for its first 19 years (1984 to 2003), these are "part conference, part revival." There is

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-3310302169225546102007-07-11T16:56:00.000-05:002007-07-11T17:02:39.680-05:00

Associated Baptist Press reports today that the organizers of Southwestern Seminary's cookie degree are very, very angry that their little program is being derided and lambasted.It should be derided and lambasted as it is in itself derisive. It denigrates the families who are sending their children to SWBTS and it denigrates the intelligence of all those persons there for serious work.The

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-84611940130362970982007-07-10T15:15:00.000-05:002007-07-10T15:22:57.177-05:00

Don Wilkey has posted a story about Rick Scarborough's New Crusade on the Talk to Action website. Scarborough is a key leader among Texas Baptist Fundamentalists who heads Vision America, a theocratic right get-out-the-vote machine. Here's a quote from Wilkey:Rick Scarborough's new idea of a crusade -- launched in Lufkin, Texas on July 5th -- is a radical departure from his past. His mentor,

Bruce Prescottnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-80593588535916378692007-07-10T08:16:00.000-05:002007-07-10T08:17:52.454-05:00

Our Association (Big Emory Baptist Association) presently has 13 Churches that are without Pastors. There are three basic reasons why Pastors and churches 'divorce' or go their separate ways:1- God leads the Pastor to another place of service. Or, God leads the Church to find another Shepherd. This is the murkiest of the reasons in the sense that it is extraordinarily difficult for either the

Jimnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-84014106560881806682007-07-07T06:36:00.000-05:002007-07-07T07:39:54.799-05:00

This continues a series in which I am profiling Baptist congregations which do not fit the socially conservative stereotype of a "typical Baptist church." These are progressive Baptist congregations. Up this time is Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Organized in 1958 as a Southern Baptist congregation, Binkley Baptist also moved quickly to "dually

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-43943481469526303412007-07-04T09:37:00.000-05:002007-07-04T09:38:40.479-05:00

Happy Fourth of July.I am cross posting from my Thoughts of a Minister blog. This is my post for the Blogging against Theocracy group.Although according to my own subheading on the blog, blogging against theocracy is part of my mission on this blog.I find that most arguments against a theocracy in the blogosphere (there's that strange word again...) come at it from the democracy and historical

matthew61http://www.blogger.com/profile/02687897372941531501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-51776139709604033142007-07-01T14:44:00.000-05:002007-07-01T14:57:30.854-05:00

The State Of Women in Baptist Life 2006 commissioned by Baptist Women in Ministry was presented by Dr. Pamela Durso on Thursday.Rob Marus of the ABP and Bob Allen of EthicsDaily.com covered the report.But I would like to provide several tidbits of info and statistics from the 15-page report:When it comes to women in ministry, the attitudes of moderate and progressive Baptists continue to outpace

Big Daddy Weavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06270791070315400815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-24057606527313359812007-06-28T20:00:00.000-05:002007-06-28T20:17:04.690-05:00

The segment of the church in which I grew up has problems not only with maintaining separation of church and state, but also with keeping separate their religious beliefs and those of a certain political party. Although I’m a registered Democrat, I would still have a problem with a Christian group explicitly endorsing Democratic candidates. It's no secret that Republicans have looked to Southern

Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904696947194983308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-58191594608305237782007-06-16T16:42:00.000-05:002007-06-16T17:13:33.556-05:00

Dr. Lilian Lim(Lim Hui Kiau) is the first Baptist woman in Asia to be elected to lead a major theological seminary, or, in her case, a seminary consortium. In 2005, Dr. Lim, who is from Singapore and also serves as Professor of New Testament at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Singapore, was elected President of the Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary. ABGTS is a consortium of

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-40085309149446949292007-06-14T07:45:00.000-05:002007-06-14T07:46:59.268-05:00

The messengers assembled for the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio have voted to ask [their] executive committee to study the feasibility of creating a database of pastors who have committed sexual misconduct. The overwhelming vote came without debate yesterday in San Antonio, reports The Associated Press. Brilliant! Now let's all hope that it doesn't end with yet more discussion but

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-74283983267563880392007-06-13T16:10:00.000-05:002007-06-13T16:11:36.364-05:00

In the Fifth Sermon of the Fifth Decade, Bullinger writes"... since we must pray, not only with mouth and voice but with heart and mind; how, I pray you, shall he pray with heart and mind who uses a language he does not understand? Indeed, he utters godly words, but he does not know what he says. For it comes all to one point; to pray never a whit or not at all and to babble out words which are

Jimnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-75367801641571041032007-06-12T12:16:00.000-05:002007-06-12T12:18:19.814-05:00

Yet again this year various and sundry folk are submitting resolutions at the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting this week in San Antonio, aimed at urging Christians to withdraw from the world, hide from it, circle the wagons, pretend that all is well only in a stifling and controlled environment, and let the devil have the world.When resolutions are adopted by the SBC they are meaningless.

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-11559667251943444082007-06-11T13:04:00.000-05:002007-06-11T13:08:39.323-05:00

My copy arrived today and the theme is "Baptists and Bible Translations" (Vol XLII, Spring 2007, #2). It contains a number of interesting essays including, but not limited toBaptists and the Hard Part of the Bible, by Walter B. ShurdenBaptists and Bible Translation: Toward a Deeper Understanding, by Steven M. SheeleyEdgar Johnson Goodspeed: American Moffatt or American Monkey?, by Robert O.

Jimnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-6788390527313532662007-06-11T11:28:00.000-05:002007-06-11T11:30:03.633-05:00

(I'm being lazy this is cross posted at my personal blog....)Howie Luvzus has done his homework and a great job at pointing out the turn around in the SBC over the last few decades and their support of war.He points out that for WWI, WWII, and the Korean War the SBC officially made a statement of peace and to love our neighbor, including our enemy's.But that changed with the Iraq War.On The

matthew61http://www.blogger.com/profile/02687897372941531501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-64732642859840693422007-06-11T04:20:00.000-05:002007-06-11T05:00:46.751-05:00

Some of the most "cutting edge" ministry in Baptist circles is being done by fairly new congregations, sometimes with experimental forms and ecumenical ties to other traditions than just Baptist. We'll get to some of those, I promise, but I thought it best to begin this weekly series on "progressive Baptist congregations," which break the stereotypes currently held in the U.S. about the people(s)

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-4483147554473629132007-06-09T11:31:00.001-05:002007-06-09T20:13:21.012-05:00

I met Dr. Parush Parushev when we were both working in the heating plant of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY) in the '90s. I was keeping body and soul together with hard physical labor while working on my Ph.D. Parush was doing the same while earning his Master of Divinity and his wife, Nina, was earning a Master of Arts in Social Work.This was a 2nd career move for both

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-68489432419071063832007-06-06T18:44:00.000-05:002007-06-06T18:46:39.117-05:00

David Currie of Texas Baptists Committed has posted a tribute to the late Herb Reynolds - former President of Baylor University.Dr. Herbert H. Reynolds died on Friday, May 25, 2007. Over 1,300 people attended a celebration of his life at First Baptist Church, Waco, last Wednesday. It was a wonderful tribute to his life, highlighted by his three children speaking about their father; and

Big Daddy Weavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06270791070315400815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-37324166853397493162007-06-06T14:11:00.000-05:002007-06-06T14:42:15.755-05:00

The stereotypical picture of Baptists held by others (and some of us as well?) is that we are: anti-intellectual, narrow-minded, use coercive or deceptive techniques in evangelism, patriarchal and sexist, anti-science (holding to 6-Day literal creationism and hating all things Darwinian), strong on social charity but weak on work for social justice, Dispensationalist, anti-Semitic but also "

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-30537411064810420032007-06-06T08:52:00.000-05:002007-06-06T08:53:47.224-05:00

John Mackenzie has recently published an essay on this early, important, Baptist statement of faith here. Do give it a read, it's quite good. Yes, it really is quite good indeed!

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-86805724190629271332007-06-05T09:08:00.000-05:002007-06-05T09:09:17.861-05:00

New Address, Telephone Numbers, and Fax Number for The Baptist History and Heritage Society NEW MAILING ADDRESS EFFECTIVE JUNE 14Baptist History and Heritage Society3001 Mercer University DriveAtlanta, GA 30341-4155NEW SHIPPING ADDRESS EFFECTIVE JUNE 14Baptist History and Heritage Society3042 Flowers Road, SouthAtlanta, GA 30341-4115NEW TELEPHONE NUMBERS EFFECTIVE JUNE 21770-457-5538-- Charles

Jimnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-47909971453953220432007-06-03T07:37:00.000-05:002007-06-03T07:38:28.460-05:00

At least that's what the findings of a new survey suggest. The Christian Post reportsHalf of Southern Baptist pastors say they believe the Holy Spirit gives some people a special language to pray to God – what is known to some as private prayer language – a surprising new study found. That means that half of Southern Baptist pastors don't know what Baptists have historically believed about the

Jimnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-33441505342944781102007-06-02T05:46:00.000-05:002007-06-02T06:45:02.315-05:00

The current fighting between the Lebanese government and al-Qaeda-linked terror groups hiding in Palestinian refugee camps is not only disturbing; it brings to mind last summer's Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. That has shaped my selection of this week's "global Baptist."If more U.S. Baptists listened to Dr. Martin Accad, Dean of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (Mansourih el Maten, Lebanon),

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-29542398780671924792007-05-30T14:01:00.000-05:002007-05-30T14:03:22.174-05:00

The next round of presidential “debates” will happen in New Hampshire on 03 June and o4 June. Human Rights First has generated an online petition to make sure the candidates are asked where they stand on torture. You can read and sign the petition here. We will not know where the candidates stand unless the questions are asked. We can also contact the candidates campaign websites (especially

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-8787242557608439812007-05-29T20:27:00.000-05:002007-05-29T21:27:14.237-05:00

Today Cindy Sheehan said she was dropping out of the public eye. Her post at The Daily Kos was angry and depressed.She became the public face of the anti-war movement, and today that is what she is giving up.In her post she writes about how the system has failed and it seems that even from the outside of the system things don't seem to work as well. Of course I don't sit with the burden that Ms

matthew61http://www.blogger.com/profile/02687897372941531501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5070744.post-29592520925934863192007-05-27T21:42:00.000-05:002007-05-27T22:21:00.305-05:00

With all my other work, I have not posted regularly to this Mainstream Baptists blog. I apologize for my neglect. To keep myself posting regularly, I have decided that I will profile a "global Baptist" once per week. I do this in light of the upcoming 400th anniversary of the modern Baptist movement in 2009 and our need in the U. S. (especially in Southern Baptist and ex-Southern Baptist circles

Michael Westmoreland-White, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06343135380354344847noreply@blogger.com5