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MIKE STONE Part 2: My final word on being chairman of the SBC Executive Committee

By Mike Stone NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Last week, I issued a press release concerning matters related to the SBCEC. I indicated there would be a short series of similar releases addressing several items. This, however, will be my final press release on my chairmanship as far as I intend. That will make this statement a bit longer than I would prefer but I think this is a better approach. I recognize that for some, no amount of information will ever be sufficient. More information will keep things agitated. Therefore, others will be free to have the last word, even if it is predictably an unfair, untrue, or unfavorable word. Here are some final facts about the more controversial issues of the last few months. The Election of Officers The June 16 election of officers occurred within both the spirit and the letter of our bylaws. The last-minute attempted bylaw change was a really bad idea presented in a really poor way. Its rejection required only common sense, not a conspiracy or manipulation of parliamentary procedure. Our new chairman, Mr. Slade, has acknowledged publicly that the confusion was on his part. That’s the bottom line. Regarding the accusations of impropriety, everyone has a right to his own perspective. Nobody has a … [Read more...]

MIKE STONE Part 1: Outgoing SBC Executive Committee chairman addresses concerns

By Mike Stone NASHVILLE, Tenn. - An old adage advises, “Don’t defend yourself. Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it.” That is generally excellent counsel but it fails to envision a majority of people who comprise a third category. Namely, those who are neither friend nor enemy but who are merely uninformed. Such is the case with the recent accusations made regarding my final meeting as chairman of the SBC Executive Committee (SBCEC). These are serious matters and I believe they warrant a detailed response. I plan to speak further to these items in the immediate days ahead but there are three central items I wish to address briefly today. The process of the election of SBCEC officers on June 16th The election of officers affiliated with the Conservative Baptist Network The reasons for my belief that the Conservative Baptist Network is needed within the life of the Southern Baptist Convention  First, the outgoing chairman of the SBCEC has the duty to nominate the chairpersons of what are essentially subcommittees. These various chairpersons become officers of the board, if elected following nominations from the floor. This is not some parting “power grab” by the outgoing chairman.  It is … [Read more...]

Retired NFL All-Pro denounces ‘Marxist’ BLM for its attacks on traditional family

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Marcellus Wiley, a retired all-pro NFL defensive end, a former co-host of ESPN’s Sports Nation, and now a sports analyst with Fox Sports 1, has rebuked the NBA’s plan to paint “Black Lives Matter” on its courts, calling the proposal “not a good idea.” In a June 30 discussion on Speak for Yourself, Wiley said the league was giving in to identity politics and that "it divides and it polarizes.” He specifically objected to the Marxist nature of the Black Lives Matter mission statement, which he quoted as stating its goals as to “dismantle the patriarchy practice” and “disrupt the Western prescribed nuclear family structure requirement.” Wiley said this attack on the traditional family structure was important to him because of the family he grew up in and “the one I’m trying to create right now.” “Being a father and husband – that’s my mission in life,” he explained. “How do I reconcile that with what I just told you with this [BLM] mission statement that says, “We dismantle the patriarchal practice … We disrupt the Western prescribed nuclear family structure requirement.” Several days later, Wiley tweeted that the BLM mission statement also spoke about … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist senator urges end of Columbus Day

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor WASHINGTON (LBM) – U.S. Senator James Lankford, a Southern Baptist who previously worked as director of the Falls Creek Youth Camp for Oklahoma Baptists before being elected to Congress, has proposed legislation that would eliminate Columbus Day and replace it with Juneteenth, in recognition of the end of slavery in this country. Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865, when Texas recognized the Emancipation Proclamation issued by the United States in 1862, and that date was celebrated as “Emancipation Day.” Since then Juneteenth has been recognized by a growing number of states as a holiday. Lankford submitted an amendment, along with Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., to legislation being offered by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Cornyn’s legislation simply would add Juneteenth as a national holiday. Lankford, on the other hand, wants to end Columbus Day and replace it with Juneteenth, calling it “a second Independence Day,” referring to July 4. He said making the swap instead of just adding another federal holiday would save businesses lost revenue and the federal government added costs of about $600 million in paid time off for federal employees. Lankford did not address the impact on … [Read more...]

Chuck Kelley on the state of the SBC (Epilogue)

By Chuck Kelley Optimism is the tendency to expect the best. Pessimism is the tendency to expect the worst. An “optimistic pessimist” is someone who chooses hope in spite of discouragement. In a series of nine blogs, I explored the reality that the Southern Baptist Convention is in the grip of prolonged decline. That decline was first manifested in our evangelism statistics, but as it grew unchecked, decline spread to nearly every statistical category that matters to people concerned about the Great Commission. The chart on the total number of SBC churches and their baptisms over a period of more than one hundred years (see Part 1) and the chart showing key SBC statistics over the past decade (see Part 8) are two of the most unsettling documents I ever presented. The numbers give Southern Baptists no place to hide and no room to wiggle. The knowledge of what happened to Methodism in the aftermath of their failure to heed the similar warnings of W. E. Sangster in 1938 (see Part 9) is a chilling reminder of how very serious this moment is in the Southern Baptist story. Having painted this bleak picture of the SBC present, what do I see in the SBC future? I am an optimistic pessimist. I choose hope! Here is why. The SBC leaders … [Read more...]