By Ken Hemphill Paula, my wife and ministry partner, loves Psalm 145:4 “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” This verse is the preface for the times when Paula and I talk to our grandchildren about the many ways we have seen God at work in our extended family. Believe it or not, the grandkids love these stories about our history and will often ask for us to “replay” certain stories. Among the issues that have been discussed in recent days is the matter of racial reconciliation and social justice and how we should address them as a denomination. Before we look at the present and future, it might be helpful to take an honest look at our past. While no one would deny that some persons and some churches have been less than Christian in their treatment of persons of other races, I think it is important to look at the positive contributions to racial reconciliation that are also part of our collective history. A look at our past Although critics argue that much of the division between Baptists in the North and South was related to slavery, they often fail to point out the role Southern Baptists have played in trying to remedy racism. (I have included several resolutions from … [Read more...]