SBCOutpost

I’ve gotten to know quite a few people over the past two-and-one-half years as we’ve discussed the IMB policy/guideline changes.  No one seems to express what I’m thinking better than my friend Alan Cross.  Recently Alan completed quite a bit of homework on our missions work and has written down his conclusions to the information gathered from a variety of first-hand sources over an extended period of time.

Over the past few years, I have been very active in the blogosphere opposing the policies regarding private prayer language and baptism initiated by the IMB’s Board of Trustees in November, 2005. I was very excited to see others take up the struggle against these extra-biblical and extra- BF&M policies as seen through the Time to Change Statement, which I quickly signed. Even though I am a stateside pastor, I have had relationships with missionaries on the field for many years now. I have been a big advocate for the IMB and believe that they are doing great work. As the current IMB BoT chairman, Paul Chitwood recently said, “The work of the IMB is the primary thing that brings us together.” I agree. That is why it is so important to all of us.

Recently, I have begun to hear about the disastrous effects that these policies are having upon our missionary force in the field. Read the rest of this entry »

After reading Dr. Yarnell’s paper on cross-cultural ministry, I was struck by the perceived necessity to create a false dichotomy. Here is a video that may well illustrate both/and rather than either/or. We are praying for our missionaries. We were tipped off to this video by an M.

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“Our greatest challenge is to recover our passion for the gospel in evangelism and missions and to renew our determination to defend the gospel in an age of postmodern confusion. I would hope to articulate a vision that would unite Southern Baptists and energize us together.” (Dr. Al Mohler, BP article)

It is incomprehensible that after 14 years of calling Christians to exit public schools, suggesting fetal surgery to correct gay genes, and being culture warrior-in-chief that Al Mohler could not find the time to cross cultures and model to his students an international missions mindset. Ironically, though too busy to model international missions like other seminary presidents, he then indicates he will unite us around missions when announcing his platform.

UPDATE:

“8. If a biological basis is found, and if a prenatal test is then developed, and if a successful treatment to reverse the sexual orientation to heterosexual is ever developed, we would support its use as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin.” (Al Mohler, March 2, 2007)

Comment threads present opportunities to either stay the course or chase any number of tangential matters. Recently in the post, “The Difference a Perspective Makes,” Dr. York thought it important to ask if Dr. Page had been asked to sign, “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to ‘A Common Word Betweeen Us and You.” I queried Dr. Page. He did not recall being asked to sign the document. I also asked Dr. Page if he had at any time taken an international mission trip. He replied,

I have been on multiple mission trips and was on one this past year among a group in

Africa, which I shall not name, but which is totally Muslim. I cannot tell you how many international mission trips I have been on for I lost count many years ago. However, I have been on every continent and have ministered and dialogued with an amazing array of people.

Since the original post centered on the differing perspectives between Dr. Mohler and Dr. Edens when it comes to conversations with, in this case Muslims, it should be noted Dr. Edens affirmed the theological position Dr. Mohler gave in the BP article. the issue then turns on methodology. The post stands as an illustration perspective matters.

International Mission Trips by Dr. Page - “lost count many years ago … on every continent”

International Mission Trips as President of Southern Seminary (14 yrs.) by Dr. Mohler - 0

Perspective matters when it comes to methodology.

Editor’s Note:  Mississippi native and all-around Baptist curmudgeon, Jerry Grace, has weighed in on the Burleson censure with his characteristic sledgehammer, sending IMB trustees by the bushel to the nearest trauma unit for evaluation.  We at SBCOutpost.com glady reproduce an exerpt from Grace’s blog here, and we are especially pleased to do so without his permission.

In a matter of a few years, thousands of our churches withdrew into a new Baptist denomination that we described as our evil and liberal twin. Leaders of the conservative resurgence manned all the positions of leadership and most sadly of all the cause seemed to require the same obeisance in words as did the thousand year Reich of Adolph Hitler or the 40 year revolution in Cuba.

How dare I describe any aspects of Southern Baptists to communist regimes? Let me see here, philosophical purges, political purges, power grabs by leaders, domination by personalities, a recognized group of 41 people who make all the decisions for the rest of us, and now our largest agency managing more than 300 million dollars of money our people gave one cent at a time engaged in the act of controlling dissent of a single member at the IMB. Worst of all was the shoving down our throats of the BSF&M in 2000 without the opportunity for consideration by our reputed membership of 16 million people. Our leaders of the conservative resurgence just know better than the rest of us.

I am sick to death.

Frequently I receive anonymous comments from missionaries in agreement with my frequently uncivil views of power abuse in our convention. Most of them contain apologies for remaining anonymous because they fear for their jobs if they speak their minds.

Who are they afraid of? Why are they afraid? For God’s sake how could we have stooped so low?

Most of you who read blogs are far more educated and perhaps passionate about convention matters than the rest of Southern Baptists so what I am about to say doesn’t apply to you. But what most of our members and from the looks of the numbers who attend our convention, most of our pastors have just turned away either in frustration or disgust, leaving the few to continue the slaughter of our denomination. For those of you who fit into that category and still call yourselves Baptist, turning that blind eye to what is happening in the Southern Baptist Convention at the IMB has the same effect as the Germans who turned a blind eye to the disappearance of millions of Jews.

We have become no different. After all this resurging, the news is full of conflicts, lawsuits and unfortunately financial impropriety or its perception among Southern Baptists. Just what started this war? Nobody remembers, and those who do positively were the winners in the battle for spoils and power.

I am sick to death.

For a missionary who has moved thousands of miles from everything and everyone he knows to a life that will include little comfort and not much in the way of financial reward to fear for his job in an act of political retribution is downright despicable. Shameful. For a mission organization to have statements made by lawyers and resolutions prepared by them totally for the suppression of dissent are acts that disenfranchise the authority of all of those leaders involved, shame all of us, and bring discredit to the message of Christ to which we have claimed authority to advance. Don’t be confused that this is a vote against Wade Burleson, or Jerry Rankin, or to protect the convention from the evils of a private prayer language and a diminution of Southern Baptist work on the mission field. And don’t be confused that this is an effort the IMB must undertake to prevent acts on the mission field that ought to be prevented. (The recasting of Christianity within the religious confines and experiences of a native religion for example). This is just an act of control to demonstrate the power of a few.

You have no idea how odd I feel being a champion for Wade Burleson in this matter. But like so many other matters personalities and principal must be separated. The principal at stake here, not allowing the free expression of disagreement by someone elected by the convention, is devastating to the idea of Southern Baptists. Maybe this works fine in an elder led congregation, but I strongly doubt it. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that such suppression is deadly in a church with a congregational polity.

I have never been to a convention before because of my fear of voting for any presidential candidate who may be a Baptist, a likely outcome at the SBC. But on this one, the principal is so important that I hope droves of pastors and ordinary members show up to express their displeasure and throw the bums out. That’s right. Throw the bums out.

And if you as an IMB board member support the effort to suppress dissension under any rationalized guise your lawyers may have helped you reach, shame on you. In language not proper for a Baptist business meeting, “It is high time that we put some butts in the street.”

If you are on the IMB and the shoe fits, wear it. For those missionaries out there who feel isolated from the leadership and the organization that is supposed to support you, I am so ashamed.

Not many folks remember the single event that started World War One given the tragic result and eventual death of 110 million people. And not many people other than leadership have much positive association left with the Conservative Resurgence, however noble may have been its incubus. What we need in the Southern Baptist Convention is not resurgence, but a revolution to put our denomination back in the hands of the people who do not view it as a pathway for power, wealth and vainglory.

It is high time that we put some butts in the street.

Jesus calls Southern Baptists, and indeed, all Christians, to reach a lost world with His Gospel. Additionally, we are to model Christ in the way we live our lives and in the way we treat one another. As editors of SBCOutpost.com, we believe that the incessant public attacks on Wade Burleson and other Baptist leaders of late are harmful to our mission of reaching the world with the Gospel. What the world, both Christians and non-Christians, sees is not Christ-like. Indeed, some of the actions are contrary to what the Bible teaches. Therefore, the editors at SBCOutpost.com would like to make the following statement of support for Wade Burleson

The editors of SBCOutpost.com take seriously the responsibility given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ to provide oversight and guidance to SBCOutpost.com. Therefore, we want Southern Baptists to know the following:

1. Wade Burleson has always been open with Southern Baptists and answers their questions fully. We cannot conceive how anyone can be any more open and honest than is Wade Burleson!!! Wade Burleson understands the trustee process and recognizes that he provides leadership to the mission board under the Lordship of Christ by the authority granted by the convention. Wade Burleson likewise recognizes that he serves the Southern Baptist Convention under the Lordship of Christ.
2. Our Baptist forbearers were wise to set up the trustee system that Southern Baptists have in place. It works extremely well!!!!!! The relentless attacks on Wade Burleson are also a subtle attack on the trustee system of oversight that the convention employs.
3. We join with other Southern Baptists in urging that public attacks against Wade Burleson and other leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention that hurt the spread of the gospel to an unbelieving world cease for the sake of those who are headed to utter destruction. There is a place for constructive criticism of the leadership of our agencies, and Southern Baptists have set up a trustee system to primarily allow for that need. Scripture does tell us to speak the truth, but it also says it is to be done in love and gentleness, with the goal of redeeming a brother in Christ. Above all, there is a watching world that needs to see Christ’s love in all of our words and deeds.
4. The editors of SBCOutpost.com have found no reason to question the integrity of Wade Burleson. Indeed, we find him to be a man of exemplary integrity. We are thankful for the leadership of Wade Burleson and heartily commend him for the work that he has done as a trustee of the International Mission Board. We also look forward to many years of his continued leadership.

(HT: SWBTS)

[Conversations with Marty Duren led me to ask if he would write a short piece chronicling the story of New Bethany and how they are living into the “mission dei.” Marty Duren is the founding editor of SBCOutpost and now an occasional contributor. His desire in life and ministry is, “To see the glory of God displayed through all the peoples of the world.” He is passionate about his wife, Sonya, and his children, Beth, Timothy and Abigail and he considers himself exceedingly, abundantly blessed to be the Lead Pastor of New Bethany Baptist Church in Buford, GA. He loves to hike and backpack, read and hang out with new believers who have not figured out the “Christian thing.” He is the sometimes exasperated owner of a collie, Amos, and two cats, Ginger and Scully. He now blogs at ie:missional, where a narrative of this story is recorded.]

A couple of months ago, I stepped up from SBC politics having decided that I had given as much as I could afford to the effort to reform the SBC. Time is short and, as my calling is local church ministry, I wanted to remove the distraction that SBC involvement had become for me. It was the right move and the right time.

A little over a year ago, a couple in our church sold a piece of land in a developing residential area. Since their names were not Ananias and Sapphira, they actually brought “so much” and gave it as a tithe to the Lord. It was a very large amount of money, in fact, more than our entire budget receipts for all of 2006. Our Finance Team was very judicious to set virtually all of it aside, split about 50-50 toward future remodeling/building projects and community/international missions. From this amount, we designated a portion for an Unreached People Group project.

For several months we considered what we were to do. I attended, with two others from our church, a West Africa Summit held at Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa, sponsored by the West Africa region of the International Mission Board. We were very impressed with the missionaries, but, due to mounting concerns over narrowing trends supported by that regional group of trustees, were hesitant to become involved there. That proved to be the right decision.

Earlier this year, a team from our church was in a former eastern bloc country teaching business English to university students. There they were involved with an M from our church who has been in country for about 5 years. One of our team shared with him our goal to “adopt” an Unreached People Group in some region of the world. In the ministry activity of our M there, he had occasion to speak with an IMB M who was in his area. Their conversation turned to our goal of adopting, when the IMB M mentioned having just met a person from an UPG in Siberia.

That information was relayed to us and we decided to plan a vision trip for this August, the same trip from which we returned and which is chronicled at ie:missional. In addition to the way God obviously worked in the process, at least one more thing was demonstrated: God can and does use existing (and growing) networks of people to get things done outside of denominational channels.

It is my opinion that American Christians in particular can no longer depend solely upon the resources or guidance of any mission board or agency to fulfill the Great Commission. We are the wealthiest nation on earth and have the ability for ease of travel that is not enjoyed by 2/3 of the world. We speak the international language of business, which puts us in a position not unlike those writers of koine Greek in the 1^st century. I have a growing conviction that we will give an account if our answer to the missio dei question is “CP, NAMB, IMB, ANNIE and LOTTIE.”

We have unprecedented opportunities for mission that could have only been in the dreams of our forefathers. We have unprecedented responsibility for mission that was not expected of our forefathers. Shall we have a greater percentage of American Christians answer the call to the world when travel was a hardship than in our day when it is so much easier? When in 28 hours I can be in a time zone literally half a world away–a trip that once would have taken weeks if not months to make? Shall we sit luxuriously by and allow the pioneers of mission to accomplish more with less?

I have to echo the words of Keith Green who said, “How about us not sending our money this time; how about us going?” And while God does not call each and every believer to leave home and transplant into another culture, local churches (individually and through partnerships) can create a long term presence in which strong relationships are forged, rather than two weeks and a hearty, “Hasta la vista!” and “I can’t wait to show these pictures to everyone!” Budgeted with the missio dei in mind, there is virtually no American church that cannot have a Kingdom impact on an UPG somewhere in the world.

My encouragement to every pastor and every church would be to actively seek the will of God for individual and corporate involvement in those areas where there is little to no access to the gospel. And, that we begin working toward local church budgets that reflect God’s priority of worshipers from every nation, tribe, tongue and nation, rather than more and more pumped up empty “busy work” that, while making sound and fury, signifies nothing.

Given the ongoing crisis of missionary appointment protocol at the International Mission Board, we at SBCOutpost thought that the following article from Religion News Service, dated August 12, 1989, is interesting. Essentially, the article reports that Paige Patterson, then president of Criswell College in Dallas, TX, was behind efforts to tighten the doctrinal parameters for missionary candidates.

Southern Baptists alter review of missionary candidates
Religious News Service
August 12, 1989

ROCKVILLE, Va. — The Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board has given a committee more authority to examine doctrinal beliefs of candidates for missionary service overseas. Read the rest of this entry »

We at SBCOutpost.com are excited to unveil the newest feature of our site. One of our goals is to promote the work of missions around the globe. We are privileged to take advantage of every opportunity to encourage our missionaries on the field to continue in their faithfulness, and to encourage those of us back home to support their work. Accordingly, today we unveil a new subsite that features Southern Baptist missions work from a visual perspective. Although you should not expect written commentary of substance to accompany this site, as a visual society we are proud to feature the pictures of missions work from around the world. We begin with two pictures of what God has recently done in Kazakhstan. You can subscribe to the new ‘Missions Photos’ subsite’s rss feed just like you do this site. We encourage you to keep up with the contributions, if you are a missions supporter, and to offer contributions if you are a missionary - either International of North American. You can submit photos (no more than 2 at a time) to photos@sbcoutpost.com

To view the new site you may either click here, or you can simply use the menu tab at the top of the page.

If you have been on a volunteer mission trip, or are planning to go on one, we at SBCOutpost.com would like to encourage you to read the commentary provided by IMB missionary to Brazil Cam Dunson in a recent post entitled “Good Intentions“. Cam has done a wonderful job respecting both sensitivity towards volunteers and security towards missionaries, yet clearly communicates the need for volunteers to listen to the missionaries they are serving with. We also find the video illustration to be particularly delightful.

You can read the article here.