Chuck Kelley on the state of the SBC (Revival Needed)
By Chuck Kelley In 1938, prominent Methodist pastor and scholar W. E. Sangster published a small book entitled Methodism Can Be Born Again. For two hundred years, Methodists were among the most evangelistic and missional of all Protestant denominations, and at the time, they were the largest family of churches in the nation and around the world in most categories. To suggest they needed to be born again as a denomination shocked many. Sangster felt duty-bound to share an unpopular message with his Methodist brethren because he saw the growing statistical evidence of decline in Methodist life. Eight decades ago Sangster wrote: “Recent statistics are as dismally impressive as past statistics were startling in their triumphs. One turns over the sad record of recent years and finds a fearful wastage at work.” “So the decline goes on and no sober observer expects a swift reversal. A child can easily foresee the ultimate outcome of all this unless it is stopped.” “God can do something with the faithful, beaten to their knees, but who can manage a man who denies that anything is wrong, and thinks that all is well with Methodism because things are not too bad in his corner.” “A general recognition of the gravity of the hour, and a … [Read more...]
Statement regarding George Floyd and the ensuing riots
By Rod Martin and affirmed by Conservative Baptist Network team In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. For this reason, while strongly affirming due process for all involved, we equally strongly condemn the death of George Floyd and also the rioting in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Every human being is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). An attack on any person, whether intentional or merely reckless, is an affront to a holy God. The people of God must stand for innocent life at all times and in all situations. Police brutality is always wrong. It assaults the innocent, and it also endangers the countless good and heroic police officers upon whom we all depend. But likewise, rioting is not protest. Rioting is not protected by the First Amendment. Rioters are not sympathetic figures. Rioters are engaging in a form of domestic terrorism and should be dealt with accordingly. These are not normal criminals — they are rioting to advance a political point, which is not just a crime but an act of terrorism. And their message is simple: give us what we want or die. Civil society cannot long endure such acts — not of police brutality and not of mass violence — both of … [Read more...]
Chuck Kelley on the state of the SBC (Where We Are Now)
By Chuck Kelley The numbers are the numbers. Southern Baptists may be reluctant to accept the reality of the pervasive presence of decline and the loss of a vibrant evangelistic culture in SBC churches, but the official statistics of the Southern Baptist Convention paint a compelling portrait of churches struggling mightily to reach new converts and to hold on to people already in the fold. In spite of multiple efforts by a variety of people to stimulate growth, the SBC continues to decline. Doctors check the vital signs of temperature, weight, and blood pressure at every visit looking for indicators of how healthy we are. The chart below reviews the vital signs of Great Commission health for the SBC from 2010 through 2018, the most recent year for official SBC statistics. Complete statistics for 2019 are expected within the next two weeks. Both charts will be updated as soon as those numbers are made public. Statistical Snapshots of the SBC (2007-2018) This chart does not include two other sobering indicators of Great Commission health. LifeWay Research reports that from 20011-2018, the SBC lost an average of 1,144 churches a year who gave up their SBC ID number. Also, in 2000 the average number of baptisms … [Read more...]
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