I want to acknowledge up front that this thought on my heart today would not and will not make sense apart from a relationship with Jesus. For a person who denies the presence and providence of a Sovereign King, or a person with only religious practice to lean on, this will sound like a fairy tale (at worse) or some pop-motivational psychology (at best). For me, it is neither. It is, I believe, a precious gift of God’s grace.
41So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Acts 5:41 (NASB95)
This verse was on my heart today. It is part of the resolution of an act of injustice where Peter and John were arrested on orders of the ruling religious council and the high priest for the terrible crime of healing sickness and preaching Jesus (Acts 5:16-21). Peter’s popularity among the people was increasing at an alarming and exponential rate. The religious establishment, now only months after the crucifixion of Jesus at their order, is dealing with His followers the best way they know how.
When found in the Temple once again (rather than in the jail where they were supposed to be held), they were brought before their persecutors. Peter and John respond to their threats and beating (Acts 5:40) by rejoicing and praising the Lord that they (too) had been considered worthy by God to suffer shame for the Name of Jesus (Acts 5:41).
They are experiencing injustice.
For doing good and merciful acts.
For preaching hope in Jesus.
If this had taken place in modern times, I wonder if they would have praised God for counting them worthy to suffer injustice and shame. Why was their focus there?
I believe that this early band of followers who, like every follower of Jesus today, had been sovereignly saved by the work of Christ, were indwelt by the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself, and who wrestled with the same limits of human flesh in body and mind, CHOSE to focus on Jesus.
They saw their lives in light of Jesus. His work. His love. His Grace.
They considered their suffering in light of Jesus. His beating, mocking, and ultimate crucifixion.
They considered their honor in light of His honor.
They considered their life purpose in light of God’s ultimate purpose.
They considered their hope in light of His hope.
And they praised the Lord that they were considered worthy to suffer injustice for His name.
I wonder if our focus on our sufferings can veil God’s intent for our focus on His sovereignty. When we turn our gaze upon our trials, we lose sight of His triumph.
Jesus was being faithful. In Acts 4:29-31, God granted their request for boldness and courage. Now in the light of another beating, rather than focus on how hard it was, they gazed intently on an emblazoned image in their mind of their Messiah hanging on a cross suspended between heaven and earth and while writing in pain, praying for God’s mercy toward those who had nailed Him there. Then they praised God that they were considered worthy to suffer for His name.
Father, free us from the endless pursuit of our flesh for comfort and kindness among a world who lives in enmity with You. Attune our gaze to the suffering Savior that we might see our trials in light of His gracious gift of substitution. Graciously remind us that it is an honor to serve the Living God and those who would suffer for doing good according to your providence are blessed indeed. Amen.
54When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went on to another village.
Luke 9:54–56 (NASB95)
I’ve recently found myself on the receiving end of criticism. Not personally, but the church I serve. Perhaps that’s worse. The criticism is baseless and erupted into some false allegations being thrown around. It would be easy to become angry and want to set the record straight.
That’s where I found myself. As I listened to friends being maligned and the Church (big C) being slandered, there was something ugly that kept rising within me. I could try to rename it as “righteous indignation” or some “weak moment of human passion;” however, it was strong and did not just go away like a “weak moment. Truth be known, I wanted to act out. This is where the lesson from the Lord began.
I think it was important for the Lord to show me that my heart is a broken place. Sure, as a pastor, I would love to say that I just glide across the sea regardless of the tempest or the turbulence of the sea. But it simply is not true and that is important to see. The same anger and desire to “fix” injustice that provoked the critics resided in my heart as well.
Apparently, I am not alone. In the passage above, the “sons of thunder” as they were nicknamed…two of Jesus’ closest disciples saw the rejection of the Lord as an act of terrible dishonor. And to add insult to injury…by a bunch of “Samaritans” no less! How dare they? So, the disciples asked, “Should we call on God to destroy them with fire from heaven?”
When “the world” maligned Jesus…the disciples wanted to fight. They wanted to answer swiftly and strongly…in such a way that everyone would know that God had chosen against the Samaritans…but Jesus said He came to save rather than destroy.
Furthermore, Jesus said the very spirit that informed the disciple’s desires was not righteous indignation but ungodly and evil. Up from their heart rose the wickedness of sin…no matter how you dress it up. They were the embodiment of that which they purported to hate!
And that is the point. Jesus used the criticism to reveal the brokenness of my heart. The difference being…I have Jesus to lovingly do that and to graciously forgive. Many others…in fact most people…do not.
Lord, forgive my wickedness and soften my heart to reflect more of You. Thank you for graciously reminding me that compassion begins with an awareness that “but for the grace of God, there go I.” Amen.
Statement on The Supreme Court of the United States decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
June 24, 2022
Dear Church family:
Today the Supreme Court of the United States handed down an historic ruling that has incredible implications for Christ-followers throughout our nation. This historic ruling set right a terrible error of judgment of the same court nearly 50 years ago in the Roe and Casey decisions. The outcome of the Dobbs case is the answer to the prayers of millions who have interceded before God on behalf of all Americans.
As Christ-followers, let me suggest to you several things that I pray will be reflective in your life as I pray that they will also be in mine.
The millions of aborted children under the protections of Roe are a blight on the name of our nation and an afront before a Holy God who creates all mankind in His image. This calls for earnest repentance before the Lord.
The preborn person is not “potential life” as noted by the dissenting justices; rather, he or she is a person created in the Image of God and therefore possess inherent worth and dignity. We must recognize, celebrate, and continue to work to celebrate the Image of God in every person.
The concern of Christ-followers has always been the desire for flourishing of every person. That desire does not change now.
Let me challenge you to measure your speech and speak wisely in these days. While this historic ruling is an answer to prayer, it is not a sign of victory; rather, it is a call for the people of God to redouble our efforts to demonstrate love, grace, and help toward parents facing overwhelming choices when facing an unplanned pregnancy. The church has an amazing opportunity to help men and women experience God’s good design for human flourishing by coming alongside and helping to point them to Christ for peace, hope, and help…the same peace, hope and help that each of us as Christ-followers has experienced by grace from God.
Let us invest in helping parents navigate these anxious times by being the hands and feet of Jesus to them. Let us respond with compassion and humility as we act with tenacity to promote God’s good design.
God has given us a vision of being part of seeing 5,000 homes transformed by gospel of Jesus Christ. My home is one. I pray yours is as well. Let us continue to labor to see this vision fulfilled among thousands more in these coming days.
I love you and pray that we will together love those we will meet and serve in the days ahead who will need to know even more clearly of God’s grace toward them in these days ahead.
It is an honor to serve you in these important days,
What follows is a report and reflection on the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). I am no one of particular importance. I served, along with several others, as a representative (Messenger) from my church at this historic meeting. In it, we engaged in what some see as a cumbersome and often confusing organizational endeavor to fulfill a mission. Not all churches are organized or affiliated as we are. As such, the first part of this report explains a little historical and theological context about our tribe of churches. Following that, there is a report of some (but not all) actions taken by our Convention. Finally, I end with some reflections on what happened and where we go from here. If you are looking for more concise treatments and different perspective, they are everywhere on the internet (figuratively speaking of course). I hope this is somewhat helpful to you.
A Baptist Church is convictionally and confessionally an autonomous congregation of people, rejecting any ecclesiastical authority beyond the local church apart from the headship of Jesus Christ as Lord of the Church. At the same time, Baptists have recognized the Kingdom opportunity and collaborative influence of cooperation; therefore, it is not only permitted but advisable to partner together with other people of like faith and practice to fulfill the biblical mandate of mission. (Notice I did not speak of “missions” which is generally thought of as cross-cultural evangelism and discipleship but mission which includes evangelism and discipleship both within one’s culture and cross-culturally and involves both the great commission and the great commandment). The most obvious partnerships occur where there is doctrinal and practical alignment, such as within a Convention such as the SBC.
The SBC is not properly considered a denomination, but more accurately a Convention (a convening) of churches who confess common doctrinal truths that we hold dear individually and share as a Convention. For us, that means we confess to believe the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, a broad doctrinal statement that is affirmed by cooperating churches. This set of doctrines is affirmed not only by our churches, but also by our seminaries, mission boards, and agencies. It serves as an anchor point of doctrinal alignment on primary (as well as some secondary/tertiary) beliefs.
Our Convention meets annually for the purpose of proclaiming the Word of God, worship, and joint engagement of mission in our meeting location city. Tied to this annual meeting is a series of ancillary meetings such as Committees, Associations, Networks, and a Pastor’s Conference. These gatherings are not part of the Annual Meeting but are traditionally part of the practice of gathering physically together.
Englewood Baptist has a longstanding practice of sending some of its pastoral staff (and at times others) to represent the church at this annual meeting. This is how our church and every other one of the 48,000 plus churches lends its voice to the practices and opinions on matters important to these churches. In our system of cooperation and our understanding of polity, this is a privilege and responsibility for our church because the Messengers of the Convention represent the leadership of the Convention. On a practical level, since the Convention only gathers two days per year, we entrust day-to-day responsibilities of governance of the Convention and its entities to Trustees who are elected by the Convention and are entrusted with the responsibility of representing the interests of the 48,000 member churches. This means that the Convention, while having direct ownership, exercises representative leadership through the trustees.
Each board of trustees employs vocational employees to handle the day-to -day operations. For example, Dr. Akin is the President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is entrusted to lead the school to fulfill its mission. He is accountable to the Board of Trustees. The Trustees are accountable to the Convention of churches comprised of messengers from each member church. The Convention cannot direct daily affairs of the Seminary; however, it can elect Trustees or petition current Trustees to carry out its interests; thus, the local church is ultimately (and I believe accurately) the headquarters of the SBC.
Additionally, the Convention elects officers that are volunteer servant leaders. The President of the Convention appoints (among other things such as presiding over the annual meeting and serving as an ex-officio member of several committee) a Committee on Committees that nominate the other committee members who are affirmed by the Convention at its annual meeting.
Why such a detailed explanation of the Convention structure and system? It is my hope that this understanding will bring some clarity to what can be a confusing process and context for some of the decisions of the Convention.
The 2022 annual meeting had a heavy responsibility before it. Issues such as addressing reported sexual abuse, doctrinal clarification, and addressing concerns of a loss of doctrinal fidelity were to be addressed by the convening messengers. While I will not discuss every issue dealt with over two days of meetings, it is my hope to bring clarity to some of the most prevalent by way of report to my local church to whom I am accountable, as well as others who might benefit from one pastor’s perspective.
Report
The most pressing issue before the Convention related to a 288-page report and recommendations from the Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF).
Background: During the 2021 Convention, the Messengers directed the President of the Convention to establish a sexual abuse task force (SATF) to oversee a third-party investigation of the SBC Executive Committee (EC) during the previous twenty years to determine the veracity of claims that the EC had mishandled reports from individuals alleging charges of sexual abuse by pastors, ministers, and volunteers at certain SBC churches. This task force had very specific instructions and the Messengers further instructed the Executive Committee to fully cooperate with the investigation including producing documentation for investigation and waiving attorney-client privilege…a move to expose documents that were previously considered unavailable for examination related to reports received by the EC Staff and discussed by those staff members and the attorneys advising them.
Findings: The investigation and resulting report by the firm Guidepost Solutions, led to the production of material indicating that some members of the EC staff had received complaints and reports against pastors and ministers of churches affiliated with the SBC and had not acted to inform churches or impede the alleged abuse. The motive seemed to be an attempt to prevent or reduce potential legal liability. Nonetheless, the EC Staff neglected to act in material ways that would have exposed these alleged abusers. Furthermore, the conclusion of the report was that this failure to act allowed certain ministers to move about freely from church to church and resulting in harm to multiple victims, something that would was alleged to have not been possible had the EC taken more definitive action to reveal the identities of the abusers. Additionally, the investigation revealed that the ECs corporate counsel and others actively impeded the exposure of some of these abusers and, with demonstrable knowledge that some of these were still in positions to harm victims, neglected to act in a way to safeguard those in harm’s way. The ECs approach to a defense for their actions relied on our polity of autonomy for each church and a lack of direct authority over any of the churches of its membership or the clergy/ leaders that served them. Again, the EC and its legal counsel was seeking to prevent legal liability on the part of the Convention as its rationale.
Response: The Task Force and later the Messengers acted on this report in several key ways:
The SBC established a reporting structure (hotline) and a continually improving process to facilitate the reporting of abuse directly to the EC and its designees who are committing to help victims seek assistance in pursuing remedy for such actions including: stopping the abusers from continuing to act; providing for third party investigations when warranted to investigate claims, resourcing victims in counseling and ministry (when appropriate), and training/education for churches to better equip local churches to act ethically toward reporters in pursuit of their restoration.
The Messengers denounced in the strongest terms all incidences of abuse and issued public apologies to those victims who were harmed in years past and were ignored when seeking help from Convention leaders.
The Messengers entered times of corporate repentance and lament for its actions and the ensuing harm experienced by those who deserved better by the church of Jesus.
The Messengers further affirmed to prayerfully endeavor to eliminate all incidences of sexual abuse among our churches.
The Messengers directed the President to establish a new task force to implement recommended measures to safeguard against such conduct happening in the future.
The Messengers directed the establishment of a Ministry Safe database which would centralize the identification of abusers who were convicted or confessed to abuse, those who were found liable in civil claims, and those whose churches may report that they were credibly accused of abuse.
The Messengers passed a resolution calling for the work of advocating for legislation that made sexual abuse by ministers more uniformly treated in all states and jurisdictions.
These steps were and are beginning steps toward providing safeguards against harm and demonstrating a willingness to own the responsibility to love the most vulnerable among us well and in a matter that reflects the dignity and worth of every single person.
These steps also, while not requiring (consistent with our polity) specific actions, encourage each local congregation to examine its own ministries to ensure that the church is not a place of harm or suspicion but a safe place to experience and encounter Christ within Christian community.
As for Englewood, we are a church with significant measures in place to guard against harm such as was detailed in the SATF report and recommendations. That said, we will continue to diligently seek to become better. Our earnest desire and biblical mandate is to bring honor to the Name of Christ, something that cannot be done if we act in a way of lesser diligence, care, and concern for those among us.
A second major issue before the Convention related to an allegation of a “liberal drift” among Southern Baptists.
Background: There has been an ongoing exhibition of discord within the fellowship centered around “wokeism”, CRT (Critical Race Theory), a downgrade in doctrinal fidelity pertaining to female pastoral leadership in the church, and other related allegations. A faction has aligned within the Convention that alleges that such occurrences are prevalent, widespread, and require a “change of direction.” This group is closely tied to a movement within the SBC identified as the Conservative Baptist Network (CBN), which has sought to introduce distrust within the Convention calling for investigations, inquiries, and implying corruption in the highest levels. Several people supported by and representative of the CBN were candidates for various offices and elections. All were defeated by votes of the Convention Messengers.
Response: Speaking as your pastor, I have taken seriously the claims of this group and its messengers. While I am not an expert on every area, I have sought to understand their position, view it charitably, and research diligently the veracity of the claims. My loyalty is to King Jesus and my responsibility to you is to understand the Word of God as given by God and to guard the integrity of that Word while leading you as your shepherd to fulfill the will of God. My fiduciary responsibility is to this alone, not to the SBC in whole or in part.
This controversy brings me great pain. Some of my friends align with the CBN. My alma mater (Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary) has taken very public steps to affirm, support, and further the cause of the CBN. My unwillingness to affirm their line of reasoning places me on the outside of the circle looking in. Fortunately, I have settled who I am. I choose to act charitably toward my friends who see these issues differently than I do without feeling a need to break fellowship with them over that disagreement. My assessment is that we agree on far more than we disagree. If I am ever forced to choose between my friends in the CBN and faithfulness to the Lord, His Word, and my responsibility to lead this church, rest assured I will choose Jesus, His Word, and my calling every time. Furthermore, know that in the leading and teaching ministry of this church, there is a high level of mutual accountability among our pastoral team. We each choose loyalty to Jesus over loyalty to one another and will endeavor to spur one another along to fidelity to Christ above all recognizing that the potential for doctrinal error is real for anyone and that accountability is best provided by everyone.
What does this mean to you and me?
I pray it gives you some sense of comfort that none of this escapes us and you know where our stated allegiance to Christ is. Furthermore, we are not strangers to you but those who have labored in love among you.
We will continue to guard and call our family to preserve the unity of the faith and the demonstration of unity in our family. We will not gossip or permit unwholesome or unfruitful conversations that distract us from the mission and call of Christ. In other words, if someone is speaking or acting in a manner that threatens the unity of this body, we will seek to restore that unity beginning with the reminder, “We don’t talk that way at Englewood.”
If you believe that some Twitter commentator or YouTube conspiracist, or even famous pastor in a distant city is more credible than the pastors you know and are charged to shepherd you, I urge you to biblically address that with your pastor(s) to resolve the concerns you have. John MacArthur (for instance) has been a great help to me through the years through his writings; however, he is not my pastor, nor the pastor of Englewood.
Related to the Office of Pastor, our Convention heard from our Credentials Committee regarding investigated reports that Saddleback Church in California was no longer in friendly cooperation with our Convention due to ordaining two women as pastors. Prior to any action by the Convention the Credentials Committee withdrew a recommendation in order to continue its work to understand and reconcile any misunderstandings of this great SBC church. Dr. Rick Warren appeared before the Convention personally to affirm his love and appreciation for the Convention as a fourth generation SBC pastor. He did not offer any new commitments to change his stance on Saddleback’s pastoral staff. A discussion is ongoing in the Convention regarding the BFM2000 and whether the church could remain in friendly cooperation if a woman served as a pastor in title without being the senior pastor. This is the issue that the Credentials Committee continues to pursue.
My observation: The Credentials Committee, despite apparent pressure from advocates of immediate action to affirm or remove Saddleback, appears to want to “get this right” and to clarify precise opinions. Based on an observation from Dr. Adam Greenway (President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) the root issue relates to the fact that the SBC is a confessional rather than Creedal body (meaning, to this point, member churches are not required to agree with all of the BFM2000 as a condition of affiliation (though most clearly do and all are believed to agree with the doctrines as presented). Dr. Greenway’s perspective is important as a scholar, pastor, and trusted voice in the SBC. If the SBC should desire to make affirmation of the BFM2000 a prerequisite to fellowship and define the tenets more stringently than they currently are, the issue of how to relate to churches that call women pastors would become more clear.
On June 21, Dr. Denny Burk, another biblical scholar offered additional commentary that I found helpful in illuminating the concerns of doctrinal alignment as it relates to affiliation with the SBC. You can read it HERE.
Response: Englewood does not call anyone to serve in the office of pastor except those men who are qualified and called according to the Scriptures. I believe that the title “pastor” should be reserved for those who meet the biblical qualifications of the office of pastor/elder/overseer. I further hold that it is unhelpful and even confusing to call anyone “pastor” who lacks the biblical qualification and calling to the office of pastor. We should strive for clarity in our choice of words.
That said, here at Englewood, some of the elements of the task of pastoring are carried out every day by our Connect Group Leaders, teachers, deacons, and even our broad ministry staff. There has not ever been any concern that a ladies’ Connect Group leader might be functioning as a pastor (as we recognize those men, qualified by Scripture, that are called to lead as under shepherds of the flock of God called Englewood). I can cook without being a chef. I can fix a clogged sink drain without being a plumber. I can change a light switch in my home without being an electrician. This is the difference between function and office. Many people serve and care for the body of Christ; but, not all of these are called as pastors. This distinction is about biblical fidelity and a desire to honor the will of God; it is not a statement of value or an act of oppressive misogyny.
One final thing, I do not personally believe that Pastor Rick Warren’s actions are coincidental or benign. He intentionally chose to ordain two existing ministers on his staff as pastors last year and it appears he did so to make a point. I commend the Credentials Committee for not knuckling under to the pressure to act in a way that broke fellowship when it is not yet clear if reconciliation is possible. As Christians, we ought to stand on truth. FULL STOP. One of those truths is that Christ does not desire that we work to separate, but that we seek unity around the revealed will and Word of God. Just as with every account of biblical church discipline, if a separation over biblical issues occurs, we should do so courageously and humbly, but only after exhausting every avenue to reconcile around the gospel.
Additional Resolutions and Actions of the Convention
Other matters of importance were introduced within our Convention meeting including our continuing concern for the dignity and value of every life (from the womb to the tomb) and resolutions reflecting these values were introduced.
These resolutions related to:
The work to continue to speak on behalf of the unborn and pray for the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
The work of the church to minister to victims of violence, particularly gun violence and to work in appropriate ways to advocate for the Image of God in each person.
The work toward a biblical sexual ethic, loving our neighbors well who have embraced the dangerous and dehumanizing sexual ethic of the LGBTQ+ agenda, seeking for their restoration to God’s good design for human flourishing.
Other resolutions were considered, and many passed. The lack of detail here is not a statement of perceived importance, but a function of time and space. See HERE for a helpful guide.
In other matters:
Our Convention celebrated the commissioning of 52 new missionaries to the nations through the IMB. These join the 3,600 missionaries and their 2,850 children currently serving around the world bringing the gospel to bear among the least reached in the world.
Dr. Paul Chitwood soberly reminded us that every day, 157,690 enter into a Christless eternity and the majority of them from among the 3,000 plus Unreached and Unengaged People Groups of the world. This serves as a challenge to all of us to continue to live with glory of God and the importance of the Gospel Enterprise first and foremost in our minds.
This in addition to the multiplied hundreds of new church plants in our country helping to reach the 275 million lost of the United States alone.
Response: Our missionary endeavors are the primary reason we choose to cooperate together with the vast number of churches of SBC. We have the world’s best support system, funding mechanism, and strategy to fulfill the Great Commission. Apart from our SBC partnership, we would find it difficult to fulfill the mission faithfully.
Overall Reflections:
Seven reflections that I pray guide my actions in the days ahead:
First, the events leading up to and involving this Convention have forced me to spend a great deal of time considering, “How did we get here?” Particularly as we look at what seems like an overwhelming culture of sexual abuse within the church…what went wrong? Or is it as some critics claim, a systemic problem that cannot be fixed but only burned down?
I have come to think that the issue, the failure, the cause of such unchecked, self-interested evil…is us. Our entire governance system, which I believe in, by the way, is built on the premise that every entity, agency and commission is accountable to its trustees/governing committee/directors. The unchecked actions of the General Counsel to the Executive Committee are the fault of a Trustee Board that assumed the best and accepted the words without inspecting the facts. If the values exhibited by the EC did not reflect the values of the Trustees representing the Convention of Churches, then the Trustees failed to demand changes so that they would. Were some or many of the Trustees ignorant of what was taking place? It seems likely; however, that does not change the responsibility.
How did predators go unchecked in churches? Did you know that 90% of churches do not even require background checks of its volunteers? There is limited if any accountability, lackadaisical processes in place for visible accountability, and a lack of courage to call out bad behavior. None of these single failures is ultimately responsible perhaps; but, taken together, they create the environment that breeds and leaves unchecked bad actions that harm real people and tarnishes the Name of Jesus.
In many cases, when allegations of abuse were reported, victims were coerced to remain silent to “protect the church.” Leaders were sent away quietly to protect the unity and testimony of the church. Many of these failures have now come to light and are the rightful source of shame, embarrassment, and dishonor toward the Name of Jesus. This alone is sufficient to prompt all Christ-followers to act…to restore the Name and fame of Jesus! I believe that the best way to do that is through humble acceptance of responsibility, intentional moves toward examining and correcting deficiencies, and a dogged determination to get it right.
Are there risks to doing so? Of course. Would it be easier or less costly to simply pull out, pull away, and disavow the institution? Perhaps. But are we ever called to live comfortably, rather than righteously and reverently?
I believe that the right course of action is to trust the Lord in repentance. This is not only (nor exclusive of) remorse. An element of that repentance must also be repair. We must rebuild the broken walls that protect us and promote the honor and glory of God. This is hard, and most helpful. Further, it faithfully fulfills the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Second, we must continue to work toward unity around the gospel. That means we should seek to gather and keep the family large. In times when doctrinal alignment is challenged, we should work to find ways to stay together, resorting to separation only as a last resort. That’s true for us as a Convention, for our church, as well as for our individual families. Jesus said we would be known by our love for one another, not how quickly we break fellowship with people who are different. This is a balancing act of sorts, an understanding of an ever-present tension in our lives. Inevitably, the gospel itself will divide people but those who go out from us should have to (in paraphrase of CH Spurgeon) leap over our bodies as we throw ourselves wholly in their paths, seeking to block their way while pleading for their return to our common faith.
Third, we should be quicker with charity than criticism. Some of those who decry a liberal drift also have gone on record acknowledging that widespread drift is not evident in our seminaries or across the vast majority of our pulpits. They are angry about a few things, and they comment loudly and often. Sure, some liberalism may exist, but before we brand someone as a theological liberal or a social compromiser, we would be wise to understand his or her position clearly and seek to win them humbly to our way of thinking. Doing so would make the fault lines of our disagreement more clear and if unable to be bridged, at least there would be agreed upon differences.
Fourth, we must be on guard against the allure of this world’s values. Here is what I mean. I saw an ugliness around political alliances that grieved me. While the SBC Pastor’s Conference was going on, one of the candidates for Conference president was speaking at a meeting of a faction of SBC pastors that wanted to “change the direction.” He is a precious brother in Christ. Many who followed him were dejected in his not being elected. The same is true in the SBC Presidential election, and other offices. It is as if there was loyalty to a political faction/party over loyalty to the entire body. When candidates lost, claims were suggested of impropriety, rather than acknowledgement that, perhaps, the Lord’s will was done and they (that supported candidates that lost) were on the wrong side of the Lord’s will. I recognize that I am susceptible to the same draw in my own heart; and I recognize that this is not the biblical example. When Judas’ replacement was chosen to become one of the twelve, there were two men nominated and only one was chosen. What we don’t read in the following verses is a call for a recount and a charge of ballot stuffing. (See Acts 1:15-26).
Fifth, we must guard our common work. One of the fruits of our unity is the resourcing of our mission force. Their work is so important to us. We should guard the unity so that we can continue to serve and resource our field personnel to fulfill the mission. Every time a family disagreement is splattered across the front page of some media outlet, we distract from the mission and threaten the resources that support our vital work.
Sixth, we cannot rest. Much work has been accomplished in the Pro-life movement, toward doctrinal fidelity, missional unity, and racial reconciliation. Much work remains in each of the areas and more. We must keep plowing while the sun is shining. Night comes when no man can work (John 9:4). If Roe is overturned, we cannot take a victory lap. The work of helping moms choose life and to build homes to flourish while raising children to know and love God is just beginning. The work of valuing the Imago Dei in every person of every ethnicity is only beginning. The work of pressing forward in the mission is only beginning. As Dr. Chitwood reminded us again, the biggest problem in the world is lostness and the gospel alone is the cure. We are stewards of that cure. We must bring the gospel to bear in every place and among every people on earth.
Seventh and finally, I want to be part of the solution. Life is too short to simply comment from the stands or criticize online. I want to be part of finishing the task, of making a difference, of spreading the fame and Name of Jesus. I want to compete, and not only to compete, but to win the prize! I want to go to heaven one day with my tongue hanging out and hear my Lord say, “Well done, hoss.” I want to see lives changed, the broken find healing, the oppressed find justice, and the overlooked feel seen. That requires more and not less of me. More humility, more diligence, more effort, more devotion, more empathy, and more risk. And it will be worth every bit. I pray that I get the privilege to bring countless others with me as we pursue this high calling of representing the King in the expansion of His Kingdom for the glory of His Name.
As a student of leadership…I have more than my fair share of occasions to observe people “leading.” Observer bias notwithstanding, what passes for leadership in many circles is simply…not.
To lead, one must have a sense of where the endpoint is. This could be a bold objective. It may be more incremental. Whether radical or otherwise, as the leader you must know at least the direction if not the destination. This requires a leader to do a great deal of homework and heart work before setting out on the journey. Perhaps one of the most telling biblical examples is found in the Book of Nehemiah where, when he learns of the disrepair and disrepute of the city, sets out to rebuild the wall. Before doing so though…he spent time surveying the work and observing the people. (Nehemiah 1-2). Only then did he lead the people. To shortcut this step is to abdicate the foundational element of leadership…know where you are going. Leadership is not just blending into the cultural chaos or floating along in the lazy river. It is seeing the destination and choosing to put your oar in the water and pull!
Second, leadership is not polling those led to see where they are comfortable going…and simply helping them get there. This approach has a feel of servanthood and helpfulness but lacks leadership. I’ve interviewed a lot of guys in my day for positions of leadership. There is some wisdom in acknowledging the need to “check with the troops.” In fact, a poor leader is one who rushes into battle without listening to the people on the ground to see if victory is even possible (Consider Luke 14:25ff). After inventory of resources and examining moral, the leader must lead people to action. By the way, this always involves change, and the change is determined by the leader as he seeks to bring the followers in alignment with the organization’s objective.
Third, leadership is rarely without resistance. Leadership is always about change. People, generally, dislike change. The art of leading is helping people dislike the status quo more than the potential of change. Or as one President Eisenhower said: Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.[i]
Finally, leadership is, in some sense, unavoidable. That may sound like a contradiction of terms given the title and opening idea but hear me out. Even when we lead ineffectively, we are effectively leading in the wrong direction. We teach people through our approach to discount leadership or to usurp it. We condition people to embrace comfort over change. We reinforce within others the concept that majorities rule and the leader’s vision is no more or less authoritative than their own. Unfortunately, many in our culture today value autonomy over community. It is more desirable for them to go against the grain than to follow a leader. This idea is bred into and reinforced by poor leadership. You’re always leading. The question remains is whether you’re worthy of following.
Remember, leadership is stewardship. Leaders lead others from a wellspring of love and service. We desire for others to experience the very best and to achieve greatness…so we lead them as such. We know that people succeed as they embrace worthy pursuits together.
Leader, don’t lead based on polling. Discover the vision, do the hard work to figure out how to get there and help people to want to go. Happy leading!
A stark reality of organizational life is that team composition changes from time to time. Sometimes people leave. At other times, shifts in vision dictate the necessity for new skills or abilities. At still other times, organizational growth requires new additions to the team. In every case, onboarding new team members is a normal function of organizational life.
While hiring new team members is normal it is not always comfortable. The organization I lead has recently engaged in a hiring process for a senior level leader. Rather than outsourcing, we handled the search process internally. In addition, we are a church, so several dynamics come into play that some traditional corporations may not deal with. That reality notwithstanding, the principles and considerations discussed in this article are still valid and generally applicable across a range of organizational types.
Wisdom dictates that new additions to a team should be carefully considered. Many leaders opine that you should “Hire slowly and fire quickly.” When a team member is no longer a good fit for the organization, it is poor stewardship of resources to carry them in the wrong role. Both the organization and the team member suffer because he cannot experience the blessing of flourishing when he cannot fulfill the requirements of the position. This does not mean that the person should be terminated necessarily, since onboarding new team members carries with it some calculated risks. Training, coaching, and even lateral movement are often (if not always) preferred to termination; however, doing nothing can never be an acceptable course of action.
When considering a new team member, it is important to consider and weigh appropriately the following four areas. There is a direct correlation between the member’s fit in these four areas and the success of the organization. While the weighting of importance for each area may vary, the greater the alignment in all of these areas, the greater the probability of success for the candidate in the new role.
The four areas are:
Calling:
Does the candidate articulate a clear sense of calling—a discerned sense of purpose for the role?
Does the candidate exhibit evidence of calling—a discerned observation of gifts/talent/abilities consistent with the role?
Character:
Does the candidate express moral and spiritual traits consistent with the responsibility of the role?
Is there a discipline of nurturing spiritual growth so as to increase intimacy with God?
Is there a sense of mastery of the spiritual fruit of transformation and maturity consistent with the responsibilities of the role?
Competence:
Does the candidate exhibit abilities and gifting consistent with the responsibilities of the role?
Has there been adequate training and/or experience in the requisite skills for the role?
Does the candidate possess gifts and abilities to make an immediate impact on the role in the context of the organization?
Does the candidate display capacity to grow or improve with the role as it grows? (No one should be brought onto a team to maintain but to grow and flourish. Always hire toward vision rather than historical norms).
Culture:
Does the candidate possess adequate EQ (emotional intelligence/people skills and self-awareness/discipline) to function well in the immediate and larger team of the organization?
Does the candidate inspire others to become better?
Would others on the team want to “hang out” with or have the candidate over for dinner?
These four areas are elements of the undivided whole of the candidate. A leader’s responsibility toward the candidate and the organization is to seek a good fit in all areas. The leader that “sells” him or herself on a candidate in spite of obvious deficiencies will most certainly experience “buyers’ remorse” in the not-so-distant future. So, leaders…do the hard work on the front end and avoid the heartache on the back.
Well as I complete my 52d lap around the sun, I took some time to look back and consider the blessings of the previous year. For the most part, I selected one (or sometimes two) pictures that speak to some, not all, of the significant moments of the past year. This is as much for me as anything but if it is a blessing to you in some way, then I am truly glad. Here’s to the start of year 53!
January 2021- Every Grand dad begins the year here! 10 months and a love for tacos…February 2021- Planting a memorial tree for my dad provided by my church/staff family. Yes, it’s an auger. Yes it is overkill. Yes it’s the kind of overkill my dad would do. 🙂 March 2021- This one is special to me as Daniel turned 1 and enjoyed a cupcake while talking to his dad who was deployed with the Army. Im proud of our family’s commitment to stand a post in time of need. April 2021- My first Easter Service as the Senior Pastor of Englewood. God gives me the privilege to proclaim His Name and Fame! May 2021- Celebrating our youngest son as he graduated from the University of West Florida Honors Program (2d from the right in line). Not a great pic but and amazing moment. June 2021- Precious time with great friends when we met up at the SBC Annual Meeting. I think is just before we turned the restaurant into a dance hall. July 2021- No people in this pic but I had the privilege of welcoming home my son from deployment. IYKYK.August 2021- Blessed to celebrate with these two as our youngest found a wife. Yep, my daughter count hit two! September 2021- Special time to visit with this guySeptember 2021- This month warrants two pics, since I could celebrate Jodi’s birthday. She’s my partner-in-crime for more years than I can count. I am a blessed man!October 2021- Doing one of our favorite things together as we led a Marriage Enhancement Weekend for friends in NC. October 2021- One of my favorite pics of the year as Daniel walked out with me before I preached one Sunday. November 2021- New Rhythms as most of our tribe gathered for the first holiday without Dad. They donned me the new patriarch. Family…Change is not bad, it’s just change. December 2021- Jodi and I celebrating Christmas with our peeps. Yep, snow is overrated when you can have the Gulf of Mexico as your backdrop. December 2021- Deserved a second pic because…well Doc and JoJo are taken with this little guy. January 2022- Putting Jodi on the train as she headed off to be an awesome JoJo and a blessed help to the kids one more time.
Looking forward to squeezing everything out of 53 that I can. Soli Deo Gloria!
I recently put Jodi on a train to visit our son and his family…ok…our grandson and his parents (smile). As the station made the call for the train, the announcer mentioned the many and varied stops between the station and Jodi’s destination. Train 89 to Savannah will depart in 5 minutes with stops in….
Now the point of the trip was to arrive at the destination and see family. Period. Full stop. But consider what it would have been like if she got off the train in Wilmington, Fayetteville, or even in Charleston. Nice cities. Lots to do and see. None, however, are what was of ultimate importance, and none were her intended destination.
How sad it would be to evaluate the entire trip based on an experience in a city along the way. That’s a lot like the Christian life. We are created for a purpose. We have a destination. There are experiences along the way and each one is useful but none of them are the ultimate point. Don’t question God’s purpose for your life or His caring actions toward you based on the conditions you experience around you. You’re not home yet.
If this life in this world seems less than satisfying, take courage…you’re not home yet. You are passing through. You are meant to learn and gain and be shaped by your experiences, but the stopover cities are just dots on a map. You were made for more. Stop trying to make the cities of this world like home. They will never satisfy.
That reality is the heartbeat of the memory verses for our church this week:
8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:8–10 (NASB95)
Press in. Press on. Look to the horizon. You’re not home yet.
I hope that this devotional reaches you on Thanksgiving day and that this day is especially meaningful to you. I pray that you will take the opportunity to give thanks for those things that are most important.
I have often said that our thankfulness/ gratitude is the barometer of our faith. By that, I mean that we can tell a great deal about what a person believes (diagnostic) and the general course and speed of their growth in Christ (predictive). As I wrote this article this morning, I thought it might be important to define the terms. Many people know that a thermometer measures current temperature. That can be predictive to some degree (see what I did there), but it is generally intended to tell us how things are at present. A barometer is different. It measures changes in atmospheric pressure which is a prominent factor in predicting the weather. Thermometers tell you how things are; barometers indicate how things will be.
As I was reading the letters to the Thessalonians, I noticed that the thankfulness was palpable, Paul’s tone is effusive. He opens both letters with strong statements of gratitude. As the Scriptures above indicate, he also closes the first letter with the same tone. Here is what may not be as obvious:
The commands for rejoice (v.16) and give thanks (v.18) are the same root word. Gratitude and rejoicing are closely related. That means that we could paraphrase the idea of these verses in this way: “Pray incessantly, giving thanks always and in everything…because this is why God created you.
We were created for worship (rejoicing/giving thanks). We exist to worship. We live to worship. To paraphrase a favorite preacher of mine, “When you put the transmission of our lives in neutral, the hum of the gears is worship/gratitude.” Gratitude is the foundation and the fruit of a believer’s life. Where does that kind of understanding come from?
As Christ-followers, we recognize that we were hopelessly and helplessly unable to reverse the consequences of our rebellious actions toward God (Eph 2:1, 5, 8-9). God rescued and redeemed us. He restored us to life and committed to us a renewed purpose (Eph 2:10).
We join with the chorus of all created things in declaring the glory of God!
1The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1, NASB95
6The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory. Psalm 97:6, NASB95
We give thanks to God as all glory and dominion and praise belongs to Him!
11“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11, NASB95
When we realize that is God’s grace that is the firm foundation on which we rest our feet; and, it is God’s glory that is the expression of our lips and the example of our lives…we are advancing in our discipleship. Our gratitude then is the barometer of our faith indicating that we are becoming precisely what we were created to be.
One may ask: Which comes first? Is gratitude the foundation or the fruit of my life? The answer is yes! As we reflect on God’s grace toward us, we give thanks. As we experience every circumstance in life…acknowledging that God Himself is working that circumstance for good in our lives in order to conform us to look like Jesus (Rom 8:28-30), we give thanks! As we look back at what God has done…we give thanks! As we look forward at the opportunities ahead to glorify Him, we give thanks!
Today, choose gratitude. You, like me, may be walking through a very different Thanksgiving celebration due to a death, or the absence of a prodigal, or distance from loved ones. Give thanks. Even if it feels counterintuitive…give thanks. In everything, always , give thanks!
Again, Happy Thanksgiving! I love you and consider it a blessing to serve you as we walk through life together!
What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the Lord.I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
Have you ever gotten into a conversation with someone who was recently saved? Maybe you led them to trust Christ or perhaps you met them shortly after. They are “wide-eyed” with wonder at this new reality of their lives! It is exciting.
Contrast that with the person saved for twenty, forty, or fifty years. May times, these “veteran” saints have been saved so long that they have forgotten what it was like to be lost! The reality is there, but the wonder isn’t.
Through the years I have watched Christians who have ripened in their faith. I often like to remind them from where they have come from. In fact, this is why I rehearse the gospel and often insert myself in the story when I preach weekly. I want them to remember, and I never want to forget! God’s salvation is amazing!
When you consider the wonder of your salvation, you may be tempted to want to repay the Lord. Go to church, share your faith, serve the poor, give generously…all in an effort to repay God for His kindness.
Years ago, I heard a pastor speak about this very thing. He pointed out that trying to repay God actually cheapens the gift God has given us. After all, if we can repay Him…then we could have “paid” for our salvation on our own in the first place. Since we know this is not true…we can only do one thing: enjoy our salvation to the fullest.
That’s the heart of the psalmist in these verses. How can I respond to God for His benefits toward me? I will rejoice in His salvation and cry out to Him as my Lord…and I will walk faithfully according to my vows! Father, help me to walk as a bondservant of Christ, freed from the obligations and yet freely embracing my vow to follow my Lord and my King. Amen, Amen.
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