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RSS Robot

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  1. THE HOME: CHILD DISCIPLINE Continued: Discipline must begin early; Discipline must make effective use of the rod; Discipline does not allow sassing or resisting the punishment; Discipline must be exercised both for actions and for attitudeView the full article
  2. In the process of leading a church family and building a congregation, there are times when you need a restart. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galiatians, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). Sometimes this needed reset is because the church has gone through a specific trial or need. Other times, it’s simply the process of a spiritual leader stepping back, renewing his own heart and focus, and then helping the church family reengage in the work of the Lord. In this episode of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast, I share seven steps that have been helpful to me in this process. (If you cannot view this video in your email or RSS reader, click here.) If this episode of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast was a blessing to you, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. You can subscribe to future episodes via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or YouTube. View the full article
  3. THE HOME: CHILD DISCIPLINE Continued: Teaching Obedience and Respect for Authority: children must be taught to be respectful of authority figures other than the parents; children need to be taught to do things that exhibit respect for authority; Disciple must make much of God's Word; Training the children in daily Bible reading; Teaching the children to pay attention to preachingView the full article
  4. THE HOME: CHILD DISCIPLINE Continued: Parents need to go to God's Word for instruction in discipline, NOT to the world or "Christian psychologists", churches need to emphasize this matter and give much practical instructionView the full article
  5. THE HOME: : HUSBAND-WIFE RELATIONSHIP Continued: Mothers must be "Keepers At Home" continued; THE HOME: CHILD DISCIPLINE: A Proper understanding of the child's nature: Introduction: Parents need to learn how to exercise biblical discipline; Ideally, training will come from multiple directionsView the full article
  6. THE HOME: : HUSBAND-WIFE RELATIONSHIP: The father, spiritual head of the Home; The husband must love his wife and communicate with her; The wife must have a Godly, submissive spirit; Mothers must be "Keepers At Home"View the full article
  7. THE HOME: CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN LIVING Continued: Beware of GLARING inconsistencies: What we do speaks louder then words; beware the influence of the world into the home (TV, music, social media, etc), parents' consistency must not only be in how they live but in how they enforce the standards they profess to believeView the full article
  8. In the previous post, we looked at five characteristics of an effective ministry team: Calling: We must be confident in the calling and equipping of God. Attitude of Faith: We can approach our area of service with pessimistic discouragement or with an attitude of faith that assumes “God can do anything.” Understanding of Spiritual Gifts: Being aware of the spiritual gifts God has given to us and to the others on our team leads to a synergy and humility that brings excellence. Character: The ministry is no place for slackers. Effective teams are comprised of men and women with moral integrity and a serious work ethic. Compassion: The heart of Jesus is a heart of compassion. And when we are serving in a Christlike way, we will care for lost souls and for one another on our team. In this follow up post, we finish with six more characteristics of an effective ministry team: 6. Connectedness Cohesive ministry teams aren’t comprised of many “independent contractors” who are each seeking to leverage their position on the team to build their own platform or satisfy their own needs. Cohesive teams are comprised of individuals who seek the good of the team and appreciate everyone else on the team. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (Romans 12:5) There are a few ways this connectedness takes place specifically in a ministry environment: Fellowship: We should work to maintain relationships with those with whom we serve. In fact, we should work harder at maintaining relationships than solving problems. Work harder at maintaining relationships than solving problems. Click To Tweet Do you know the people with whom you serve? Do you enjoy spending time with them? Do you create opportunities to share what God is doing in one another’s lives? Accountability: Another key aspect of connectedness is accountability. Do the others on your team know you will follow through on what you said you will do? Do they know where you are if they need you? Do you often have to be “tracked down,” or do you show up when and where you have committed to be? Does the person you report to know what you are working on, and is it what he or she has assigned you to do? Acceptance: One of the most helpful things I have learned about developing others is that acceptance is the optimal environment for change. Think about it: when you know someone accepts you, you are more open to their input and more motivated to grow in the areas they point out. Acceptance is the optimal environment for change. Click To Tweet All of us have room for growth, but those we serve alongside should not feel like projects we are constantly trying to fix. Rather, they should feel our acceptance and know that we are thankful for them. 7. Respect General Eisenhower once rebuked a generals for referring to a soldier as “just a private.” Eisenhower reminded the general that the army could function better without its generals than it could without its foot soldiers. “If this war is won,” he said, “it will be won by privates.” A team of godly people will be a team that respects one another. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. (1 Peter 2:17) We show respect through affirmation and gratitude. We should be quick to recognize the contributions of others and to thank them. Leaders also show respect through loving correction. To not correct those you lead is to not show confidence that you believe they could improve. Of course, the other side of this coin is in how you give that correction. Godly leaders will show respect by giving reprimands with a heart of acceptance, not anger. 8. Loyalty The New Testament never teaches blind loyalty to leaders. When a leader doctrinally errs or morally fails, he should not be followed. But leaders who are following Christ are worthy of the loyalty of friendship and synergy. Paul shared what a help it was to him that he could send Timothy to Philippi knowing that Timothy would act in Paul’s interest there. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. (Philippians 2:19–22) From sports to the military, thriving teams are built on loyalty. Trust is built as each person knows that their teammates will always have their back. Proverbs 17:17 tells us, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” From sports to the military, thriving teams are built on loyalty. Click To Tweet Ministry teams must also exhibit loyalty to one another. You may not always agree with those on your team, but if you are loyal, you will support the leader and the good of the team. 9. Commitment The apostle Paul lived with an intense focus on Christ and commitment to the future. He was constantly pressing forward and reaching forth. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13–14) Effective teams exhibit continuing commitment. Leaders on these teams are committed to growing in leadership skills, and members are committed to following the vision and charted path of the leader. Everyone on the team holds a shared commitment to team goals and personal growth. As spiritual leaders, part of a commitment to the future involves equipping our teams with training. Anyone can dump guilt on people that they should “be better.” True leaders give “how to” training to develop personal growth and specific skills. 10. Endurance The landscape on which we serve is a battleground, not a stadium. Endurance is required. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. … Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 2:1, 3) The landscape on which spiritual leaders serve is a battleground, not a stadium. Endurance is required. Click To Tweet Thin-skinned, easily-swayed, insecure people won’t lead well or last long. We serve our teammates well by our own faithfulness to the Lord—during times of trials and over the decades of time. In other words, endurance is practiced both in the heat of battle and by staying enlisted for Christ over the years. 11. Discipleship Right in the middle of Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to endure as a good soldier is instruction about what he should be doing while he endures. It’s really the heart of what local church ministry is. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2) The goal of a ministry team is to fulfill the Great Commission given by Christ: declare the gospel, baptize new believers, and disciple Christians (Matthew 28:19–20). There are many aspects to fulfilling that responsibility and many connected angles from which it takes place—such as through children’s ministry, adult small groups, building upkeep, etc. But everyone on the team should be personally involved in both receiving and giving Bible truth to others. Discipleship is larger than a curriculum for new converts. (Although we use such a curriculum and have found it very helpful.) New Testament discipleship is the lifelong pursuit of following Christ. And discipling others—teaching them what it means to follow Christ—is the lifelong privilege of every growing Christian. New Testament discipleship is the lifelong pursuit of following Christ. And discipling others is the lifelong privilege of every growing Christian. Click To Tweet This takes place through shepherding a class or congregation, mentoring in one-on-one settings, inviting people into our homes, and encouraging others in their spiritual growth. And, of course, each person on a team has different spiritual gifts and different roles in discipleship. But all of us should be involved in the transfer of truth to others. Evaluate Take a moment to evaluate your effectiveness as a team member. Do these six characteristics describe you? In which areas do you most need to grow? Connectedness: Do you seek to further the mission of your team? Or are you on the team to further your own goals? Do you make time to fellowship with those with whom you serve? Are you accountable in practical ways? Do others feel your acceptance of them? Respect: Do you show common courtesy to others on your team? Do you show appreciation for their contributions? Are you willing to correct lovingly when necessary? Loyalty: Do the other people on your team know that you “have their back”? Do you talk negatively among yourselves about teammates who are not present? Are you willing to set aside your preferences for the good of the team and to follow the team leader’s vision? Commitment: In what ways do you demonstrate continuing commitment to future success? Are you growing in your skill set? Are you equipping others with training and encouraging personal growth? Endurance: When do you find it most difficult to persevere? How does remembering that we serve in the context of a spiritual battlefield help encourage your faithfulness? Discipleship: Who are you currently and personally investing in by way of discipleship? Is there someone God has placed on your heart that you should invest in? Are you sharing God’s Word with others? Are you practicing hospitality? And in what ways are your regular ministry responsibilities part of the larger picture of the church’s responsibility of discipleship? View the full article
  9. THE HOME: CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN LIVING Continued: The path of Holiness and Spiritual Victory: A know-so salvation, a good understanding of position and practice, a Christ-centered life, a heavenly mindset, surrender dying to self-will, nonconformity to the world, the transformation of the life by the renewing of the mind, living by faith in God's Word, walking in the Spirit, a scriptural relationship with a sound New Testament churchView the full article
  10. THE HOME: CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN LIVING: The Home; The essential Role of the Home; The Spiritual atmosphere of the homeView the full article
  11. CHILDREN AND SALVATION Continued: 4. Don't pressure them, 5. Discipline them, 6. Pray, Pray, Pray, 7. Look for the convincing, drawing work of the Holy Spirit, 8. If a child does profess saving faith in Christ, encourage them to seek the Lord and His will, 9. Look for scriptural evidence of salvation in the child's life, 11. Provide a check pointView the full article
  12. Being on a sports team is awesome when everyone on the team is team-spirted and individually skilled. Cohesive teams with motivated individuals win championships. But when any single player loses either the drive to personally excel or the humility to further the success of team as a whole, everyone’s experience suffers. The same is true for ministry teams—only with far more significant ramifications. Each person serving the Lord on the team can make a tremendous difference based on their personal growth as well as their humility and investment in the team as a whole. Ministry teams in the local church may be paid or volunteer, but if they are effective, they will also be growing—individually and collectively. So what are some of the attributes that are present in effective ministry teams? We could list many, but I would like to share eleven—five in this post and six in a follow up post—that I believe are most needed: 1. Calling There is no replacement for having the certainty in your spirit that you are doing what God has called you to do. We see this in Paul’s life; he knew he was called of God to be an apostle and separated to labor in the gospel. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Romans 1:1) This doesn’t meant that without a calling to full-time vocational ministry you will be ineffective in local church ministry. But it does mean that if you aren’t serving with the heart-level conviction that God has placed you in the position you are in and given you the opportunity to serve Him through it, you will struggle with doubt rather than serve with confidence. This will especially become apparent when you face challenges. A man who is uncertain that he is where God wants him will see challenges as indication he should be doing something else. But a leader who has confidence in his calling will display courage and conviction in the face of challenges. 2. Attitude of Faith Everything begins with an attitude. And attitudes are contagious. A Philippians 4:13 attitude in one team member can influence everyone to a spirit of faith. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13) When you think back to the early days of the church in Jerusalem and the selection of the first deacons, you’ll remember that one of the characteristics of Stephen was that he was “a man full of faith” (Acts 6:5). When we have a confidence in God’s ability to sustain us and to work mightily through us, it leads to forward momentum in the work of the Lord. When we have a confidence in God’s ability to sustain us and to work mightily through us, it leads to forward momentum in the work of the Lord. Click To Tweet 3. Understanding of Spiritual Gifts In God’s grace, He has given each of us one or more spiritual gifts—His divine enabling for various aspects of ministry. These are not for our personal benefit but for the good of the body of Christ in the local church. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:5–8) When everyone on the team understands their spiritual gifts and willingly works within the framework of their gifting, it leads to incredible synergy. It also brings contentment as we no longer have need to compare ourselves to one another but can simply rejoice in how God is using others. When everyone on a ministry team understands their spiritual gifts and willingly works within the framework of their gifting, it leads to incredible synergy. Click To Tweet Warren Wiersbe said, “We must enjoy God’s gifts humbly, because they are gifts.” Recognizing our spiritual gifts should give us added motivation to serve fervently and deflect praise for what God does through us back to God. 4. Character Timothy, who served closely with Paul, knew the many challenges and persecutions Paul faced in ministry. And through them all, Timothy saw Paul’s response of integrity and continued diligence. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured… (2 Timothy 3:10–11) Ministry is getting tougher, not easier. Effective teams are comprised of men and women with moral integrity and a serious work ethic. 5. Compassion The heart of Jesus was a heart of compassion. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) The work of the ministry is people work, not paperwork. Sure, it includes administrative tasks with needed desk work. But even these should be done for the purpose of meeting the spiritual needs of people. The work of the ministry is people work, not paperwork. Click To Tweet What does compassion look like on a ministry team? Christian compassion is caring for the lost. Lost people matter to God, and they should matter to us. Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). In Romans 10, we have a grand verse of salvation available to all that declares, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (verse 13). But the very next verse questions, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” A compassionate Christian will declare the glorious message of the gospel to people who don’t know Christ. Christian compassion is forgiving one another. Christians aren’t perfect. If you serve alongside other people, there will be times when they hurt you. But a Christian who is filled with Christ’s compassion will be tenderhearted toward others and, through the grace of God, be able to obey Ephesians 4:32: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Evaluate As mentioned earlier, I’ll share six more characteristics in a follow up post. But take a moment now to evaluate yourself on these five: Calling: Are you confident in the calling of God to serve Him? Are you passionate in your ministry as you serve as unto the Lord? Attitude of Faith: Do you approach challenges with an attitude of faith? Are you actively seeking to move forward in greater fruitfulness in your ministry? Understanding of Spiritual Gifts: Do you know what spiritual gift(s) God has given to you? Are you applying it in your ministry? Do you appreciate the spiritual gifts of others on your team? Do they know that? Character: Would those who know you best describe you as a person of integrity? Is your work ethic solid? Compassion: When was the last time you personally shared the gospel with an unsaved person? Do you tend to hold grudges? An accurate self evaluation in these areas will surely reveal some areas of needed growth. Ask the Lord for His grace and wisdom as you work on these areas. In our next post, we’ll see six more characteristics of an effective ministry team. View the full article
  13. QUICK PRAYERISM: An evangelistic methodology that is quick to get people to pray a "sinner's prayer"; The Seeker's Bible StudyView the full article
  14. BIBLICAL CONVERSION: a Biblical conversion experience must be emphasized; NOT say that children can't be saved; Receiving Church membersView the full article
  15. CAN WE KEEP THE KIDS? Godly discipline prepares the way for salvation; Many misconceptions about Proverbs 22:6; PRIORITY: CHILD TRAINING: a major Objective for parents; This husband and wife made Godly children a solemn Covenant before the Lord; This couple DID NOT the status Quo; Whatever it takes: Nothing gets in the wayView the full article
  16. THE BATTLE IS FIERCE: Spiritual warfare is raging; the enemy is not man; the battle can be won; Dangers of the emerging church; Most churches are losing the battle for the kids; We don't have to be devoured; We CAN help the kidsView the full article
  17. Series Introduction, Important Issues, The Home, The Children, Separation, Pastor's Objectives, grandparent's responsibilities, NO PERFECT FORMULA, create right atmosphere where God will work, Keeping the Kids is a matter of a Biblical Church and a Biblical Family, A matter if God's supernatural Life, Power and WisdomView the full article
  18. At a recent California for Christ meeting, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Alan Fong, Robbie Yapp, and James Kim to discuss the need for and challenges of church planting. It was our joy nearly twenty-five years ago to help Pastor Fong in planting Heritage Baptist Church in San Leandro, CA. It was a blessing to me then in this discussion to join with Pastor Fong to encourage a new generation of church planters on their journey. Robbie Yapp and James Kim are preparing to plant new churches in Los Angeles and Orange Counties here in Southern California next year. In this episode of the podcast, the four of us discuss several topics that relate to sending out church planters and being a church planter including the biblical model of church planting shown in Acts 13, the kinds of churches that get involved in planting other churches, the church planter’s heart for God, the spiritual pressure on a pastor, the need to refresh your spirit in the Lord, developing a calendar for your first year, disciplining your time, establishing convictions and training faithful leaders in a new church, and how the gospel penetrates a liberal culture. If you are involved in any aspect of church planting—whether as a supporting pastor, a sending church, a church planter, or praying about God’s direction to plant a church—I pray this episode will be an encouragement and help to you. (If you cannot view this video in your email or RSS reader, click here.) For more information on the California for Christ initiative mentioned in this episode or for more information on or to provide support for Robbie Yapp or James Kim, visit CA4Christ.org. If this episode of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast was a blessing to you, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. You can subscribe to future episodes via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or YouTube. View the full article
  19. The article below is significantly longer than most blog posts. In fact, it’s actually a small booklet I have recently written relative to questions I’ve been asked regarding funding new church plants. If you would prefer to read this as a PDF, you can download the booklet here. In whichever way you read—booklet or blog post—I pray these thoughts are a helpful contribution to needful discussions and to forward momentum in planting gospel-preaching, Baptist churches. Introduction There are two years of ministry that stand out as launching forth moments in my mind. The first is 1986 when the Lord led my wife, Terrie, and me to Lancaster, California, where a small and struggling congregation of twelve members asked us to come. We didn’t know it until some weeks after we arrived, but the church was involved in two lawsuits and a foreclosure. We did know that the church could not afford to pay our support. We asked a few likeminded churches to support us as we got started and lived on a shoestring budget until our church grew and was able to pay us a salary. The Lord blessed. To His glory, our church has seen tens of thousands of people saved. We have been able to start a Christian school and a Bible college, have built nearly $90 million in buildings, and for the past several years have given over $1 million annually to missions. All of this has been without receiving money from a denomination or fellowship. The second year that stands out so clearly is 1995 when our church family voted unanimously to begin West Coast Baptist College. That fall, we opened our doors to forty-three students. Since 1995, the Lord has allowed us to see over three thousand graduates serving Him around the globe. Many of these graduates are church planters—here in the States and on mission fields around the world. I thank God for each of them and for their faith to follow the New Testament pattern of serving in or planting churches as centers for the spread of the gospel. Over recent months, some church planters have asked me about the assistance they have been offered by representatives of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). They have either been approached directly by representatives of NAMB or introduced at meetings where the hosts present the SBC funding and affiliation as an option for assistance. These church planters or “re-planters” are told that if they simply sign to agree with SBC doctrine and provide some support back to the convention, they can receive funds from NAMB. It seems to them an expedited process for getting engaged in the work of church planting to which God has called them, and they have asked what I think. While I understand the attractiveness of this offer, I also know from experience—my own and the many church planters our church supports—that it is not as essential or helpful in the longview as it may initially seem. I would like to respectfully submit to the reader some thoughts and biblical principles to be considered in this matter. My own background is independent Baptist. I’m grateful for the mentoring I received from men such as Dr. Lee Roberson who aided the planting of hundreds of churches—directly throughout Tennessee and indirectly through training church planters at Tennessee Temple University. Although Dr. Roberson was educated at Southern Baptist schools, he became an independent Baptist, and he trained the church planters at Tennessee Temple in independent Baptist principles for funding both their church plant and their missions programs. When it comes to independent Baptist church planters today being offered and receiving funds from NAMB, there are significant reasons that I do not encourage this partnership which I would like to share with you in these pages. These are principles for consideration I shared with a college class I taught recently. I offer these thoughts prayerfully, as well-intentioned men may not realize some of the “yoking” that takes place in these support relationships. Also, I have asked several men who are within the SBC to read this article for accuracy. Their comments and insight have been helpful. Several commented they regret the truths I have revealed, but agree the concern is warranted. I am not writing to condemn people who have taken funds from NAMB. But I am not convinced that the preachers considering this route are thinking this through with a big-picture view and considering “the end of a thing” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Allow me to explain. 1. Concerns for the Direction of the SBC I pray for victories for the biblical conservatives remaining in the Southern Baptist Convention. And while I am grateful for the conservative resurgence of the SBC in the ’80s and ’90s, there are current trends within the convention that are deeply troubling. I wrote about some of these concerns in my book Keep the Faith, which includes Dr. Don Sisk’s story of leaving the convention and his present-day concerns for it as well.1 My study of recent convention history and my interviews with godly men, including Dr. Jerry Vines (a previous president of the SBC), have given me sufficient facts to state that the convention which once returned to the inerrancy of Scripture and a submission to its authority is now a body struggling with a myriad of theological and practical issues. As you read through some of these issues in the coming pages, consider the significance of them and what a financial tie to them means for a new church planter and for that church plant in the decades to come. From my conversations with those who have been approached by NAMB, it seems they are under two inaccurate impressions: First, that the SBC is fully conservative in doctrine and practice with all churches and SBC entities aligning with the Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement. As much as I wish this was true, it is not, as you’ll see throughout the next few pages. Second, that the funds from NAMB are more or less “free money” without a significant commitment to the SBC as a whole. This is also inaccurate. Church planters who receive funds from NAMB are (understandably) required to give money back to the SBC. In fact, the official list of expectations for NAMB church planters includes this: “Lead church plant in a minimum of 10% missions giving: minimum 6% to SBC Cooperative Program and 4% to other SBC Great Commission causes.”2 Thus, church planters who receive money from NAMB are choosing to plant an SBC church, and their church plant will be tied to the SBC for years to come. With these facts in mind, church planters should thoroughly consider the direction of the SBC and how that relates to the Cooperative Fund to which they will be contributing. Allow me to first share a few of the concerning recent trends within the SBC. Every one of the concerns listed here are significant biblical issues, especially for churches. Ordaining Woman Pastors The New Testament is clear on the intrinsic value and spiritual worth of women. Both men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and both are equal in Christ through salvation: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Throughout the New Testament, we also see women engaged in meaningful roles of ministry within the church. But the New Testament is also clear that God gave men and women different roles in marriage (1 Peter 3:7) and in the church. Regarding the church, the Bible gives straightforward directions in both 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:35: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” “And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” My wife Terrie is an avid student of God’s Word and a capable Bible teacher. She has spoken to ladies over the years and has occasionally given a testimony of thanksgiving in our church assembly. But scripturally, neither she nor I believe it is a woman’s place to teach or preach the Word of God in a mixed congregation. Yet, in spite of the clear teaching of Scripture on this topic, and seemingly in an attempt to please our culture, I’m watching SBC leaders explain these verses away as they blur the lines of male pastoral leadership in preaching settings. Here are a few examples: Saddleback Church For those who follow SBC conversations, Saddleback Church is the most currently talked about example of woman pastors. Here’s what happened: On May 6, 2021, Saddleback Church, at the time an SBC church pastored by Rick Warren, ordained three woman pastors.3 It wasn’t until March of 2023 (nearly two years later) that the SBC finally made the decision to disfellowship Saddleback due to this issue. End of story with the concern resolved, right? Actually, no. Saddleback itself is not letting go of this. Andy Wood, the current pastor of Saddleback Church (whose wife Stacie serves as a co-pastor and preaches at Saddleback)4 doubled down on their church’s position with a video describing why the church will continue to have women in pastoral roles.5 And in a recent interview with Russell Moore (the previous president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission), Rick Warren asserted that he intends to bring this issue up at SBC’s upcoming annual meeting in June in an attempt to get the decision overturned.6 Meanwhile, the SBC Executive Committee has been unwilling to allow a proposed amendment to the Baptist Faith & Message clarifying the SBC position on women pastors to come up for a vote at the annual SBC meeting. What will instead be voted on at the next SBC meeting is whether or not Saddleback should be allowed as an SBC church.7 But Saddleback is not the only SBC church with woman pastors. NAMB-funded Churches with Female Pastors Recently, a team of researchers from the Conservative Baptist Network (a group of men within the SBC) compiled a document describing their concerns in the leftward drift they are seeing with the SBC. On the subject of women pastors, they wrote the following: In 2020, Nate Schlomann discovered five NAMB-funded church plants that had female pastors.8 NAMB claims to have extensive vetting wherein every church planter is assessed, trained, and coached through the Send Network.9 Southern Baptists are concerned that NAMB evidently failed to recognize and consequently funded multiple church plants which contradict the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. A notable example, the North American Mission Board included Echo Church as a residency church where aspiring church planters can be mentored for future ministry.10 This was while Echo Church had multiple female pastors on staff11 and operated an “evangelistic” alcoholic beverage brewery.12 An SBC pastor, himself once a NAMB church planter recently posted similar concerns on twitter in an eleven-tweet thread explaining why their church is now earmarking funds away from NAMB. Among the reasons he gave was egalitarianism. (Abbreviations are his for the brevity on Twitter.) NAMB has an egalitarianism problem, and little progress has been made. When multiple egal church plants were found, no one was held accountable. The leadership up and down NAMB continually communicates that they are soft on this issue. It is very obvious that whatever adherence to complementarianism NAMB as a whole has is begrudging, and not convictional.13 Beth Moore Although no longer a Southern Baptist, Beth Moore was in 2019 when she announced on Twitter that she would be bringing a message in a Southern Baptist Church on Mother’s Day.14 In response to an SBC seminary professor who wrote a blog calling Moore out and highlighting the complementarian order of Scripture, Moore doubled down. Rather than clarifying or more fully explaining what role her presence and words would play in that church service, she wrote a series of tweets in which she claimed that the Holy Spirit was calling her “to draw attention to the sexism & misogyny that is rampant in segments of the SBC, cloaked by piety & bearing the stench of hypocrisy.”15 Additional Examples Mike Law, an SBC pastor in Virginia who proposed the amendment the SBC Executive Committee has prevented from coming up for vote, says that what prompted his concern wasn’t actually Saddleback Church. It was that in “just a five-mile radius of Arlington Baptist, I had noticed five other SBC churches that had female pastors on staff.”16 This is not a limited issue in the SBC, relative only to one megachurch. This has to do with the convention itself and many churches within it. For now, it is yet to be seen where the convention will stand—or if they will take a stand—on the subject of woman pastors. My greatest concern for the SBC on this issue is that denominations that change their position on women pastors invariably become LGBTQ affirming. (In fact, Saddleback Church is already partnering with LGBTQ-inclusive organizations in their outreach.17) There is something about a willingness to bend to culture on the biblical distinctions God makes for men and women’s roles in the church that leads to caving to culture on all issues of gender and sexuality. Why any independent Baptist would consider any type of affiliation with the SBC when such questions are at play is amazing to me. Weak Stand on LBGTQ Issues and Homosexual Involvement in Ministry Churches can say that they hold to the biblical definition of marriage and gender identity, even in their doctrinal statement. But if they refuse to address LGBTQ lifestyles as sinful when it comes to church membership and ministry involvement, they do not really believe it. At Lancaster Baptist Church, as well as all churches I know of with a heart for outreach, we invite all people to hear the gospel. But, according to 1 Corinthians 5, we cannot biblically allow people to become or continue as members who are living in open, sexual sin. Whether it is cohabitation or practicing homosexuality, we must draw the line where God does. Yet, prominent churches within the SBC are clearly struggling here. Here are a few examples. First Baptist Orlando In prepared comments early last year, the senior associate pastor of First Baptist Orlando read a list of the variety of people attending and serving in the church. In these comments he said, “We have transgender, LGBTQ, straight, single, married, divorced, and cohabitating people. These same people attend, listen, serve, grow, and give.”18 (It is worth noting that not only is First Baptist Orlando an SBC church, but this associate pastor, Danny de Armas, was formerly the head of NAMB’s board of trustees.)19 Not only does First Baptist Orlando allow people living in open sexual sin to be members in good standing, it also allows these members to baptize new converts. Recent social media posts show Joe Mills, an openly gay man who is currently “married” to another man, performing baptisms at First Baptist Church Orlando.20 Echo Church A few years back, Andy Wood, then-pastor of Echo Church, more recently the new senior pastor of Saddleback Church, made these comments in a message titled, “What Does the Bible Say About LGBTQ+?”: We embrace that diversity. And within that, we have people who are of different sexual orientations. We have people who are heterosexual, some people who are gay, and we have a lot of disparity and a lot of differences in our church. … And we’re going to have to have an agreement on the front end that maybe on the backend we won’t all see eye-to-eye with one another, but we can create a community where we love each other, where we care for one another, and it’s a safe place to be different from people other than yourself.21 I can appreciate the desire to let unsaved people with sinful lives know that the gospel is for them, which was surely part of the motivation for Wood’s comments. But if we are unwilling to name the sins the Bible names, especially the sins that are currently prominent in our culture, we are not really calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus as their Savior. Later in the same message, Wood compares a gay person who struggles with giving up a relationship with their partner, to what he would do if God asked him to give up his wife Stacie. He begins to cry because he says he doesn’t know what he would do if God asked him to give up his wife. Why would God ask him to give up his wife? How are these two relationships comparable? And he’s suggesting that struggle is like a gay person giving up a homosexual relationship.22 These two examples are a sampling of the current trends among Christianity at large, including SBC pastors in particular, in struggling to make direct, forthright statements about God’s standards of marriage, sexuality, and gender. I appreciate those who have taken a strong stance on it. It seems to me that they are in the minority and that the SBC as a whole is going to struggle with this in the years ahead. Social Justice & CRT Every truly Bible-believing Christian stands against racism and injustice. But today’s ideas of social justice, often linked with Critical Race Theory (CRT), are not friends of biblical Christianity. I have written about specific concerns with social justice in the little book Which Justice? as well as in Keep the Faith. But in short, the social justice movement of today has much more to do with insisting that categories of people, as opposed to individuals, have not received justice over time and thus should be treated differently today—even when there are not immediate instances of injustice in an individual’s life. Many who are driving the social justice agenda have openly-stated goals for the destruction of the nuclear family and the promotion of an LBGTQ agenda. Christians who jump on the social justice bandwagon find themselves tied to causes that have nothing to do with the gospel and often undermine the very foundations of the gospel. Closely tied to social justice is an adherence to CRT. The premise of CRT is that “the very concept of race was constructed in order to benefit whites at the expense of people of color.”23 A result of this approach is that “Even if a white person has never had a genuinely racist thought or he has repented of past racism, he is still a racist, white supremacist, because he is white and belongs to the majority.”24 These ideas are the antithesis of the gospel which teaches us that there is one race (the human race) which is a fallen race in need of a Savior. It also makes unity within a church impossible because it says that white church members will always be guilty of racism. Yet, in 2019, at the SBC annual meeting, the convention passed Resolution 9, affirming that CRT could be used as a “set of analytical tools that explain how race has and continues to function in society.” While the resolution did “denounce the misuse of Critical Race Theory,” the decision to use it is a puzzle. Why use a theory at all that is actually anti-scriptural? In their thorough document, The Evidences of Concern within the Southern Baptist Convention, a team of researchers from the Conservative Baptist Network documented several instances of CRT among SBC professors, presidents, and leaders.25 Here are a couple who were included in their report: Matthew Hall, the former dean of Boyce College at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2016–2019, as well as the former provost and senior vice president of academic administration at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) from 2019–2022, and also a former research fellow for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) from 2014–2022, was the guest of the Coffee and Cream podcast on July 15, 2018. In the podcast, Hall speaks to the racial reconciliation he believes is needed in the Southern Baptist Convention. Toward the end of the video he says the following: I am a racist, okay, so if that freaks you out, if you think the worst thing somebody can call you is a racist, then you’re not thinking biblically, because guess what, like, I’m gonna struggle with racism and white supremacy until the day I die and get my glorified body and in a completely renewed and sanctified mind. Because I am immersed in a culture where I benefit from racism all the time.26 Dhati Lewis, former president of Send Network, the church planting arm of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), on his podcast Where Life Exists, said the following. (Notice how these statements reveal a lack of clarity on the gospel as it attempts to conflate the gospel and social justice issues. The emphasis below is mine.) The gospel is not simply a message for the afterlife. It has real-time, real-life applications for our day-to-day lives. . . . The gospel is not good news without spiritual redemption and restoration, but the gospel is also not good news without emotional, economic, and social restoration, as well. . . . Traditionally, this is how we share the gospel, right? . . . God created the world, and it was good. We lived in perfect relationship with God, with one another, and his creation. However: sin. Adam and Eve came in, sinned, and the whole world was put under a curse, bringing separation between us and God . . . . But when we learn the truth of the gospel, we learn that Jesus came to earth, died for our sins, and rose again and that if we repent and believe, then we can have access to God. . . . Do you recognize how this gospel presentation falls short? Sin caused brokenness to more than just our spiritual needs. I believe Tim Keller is spot on when he says we must neither confuse evangelism with doing justice nor separate them from one another. You see, the gospel demands the church engage holistically with our cities.27 Did you catch how in his second paragraph he articulated the historic, biblical gospel—really as defined in 1 Corinthians 15—that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, rose, and offers eternal life to all who believe, but then in the following paragraph said that this gospel presentation “falls short”? That’s deeply concerning. These examples are a small sample of an ongoing sickness of social justice and CRT that seems to be spreading throughout the SBC. My observation was that much of this progression was accelerated when J. D. Greear became the SBC president—a role he served in for three years, due to Covid. Although there is much to appreciate about Greear and his emphasis on outreach, his openness to social justice has been undiscerning at best and led the SBC in a less gospel-focused direction. Although not a Southern Baptist, Timothy Keller has similarly articulated the need for greater involvement in social justice issues in his book Center Church, which has undoubtedly influenced many Southern Baptists in shaping their ministry philosophy for church planting. (In his book, Gospel, J. D. Greear said Keller’s “thinking has so permeated my own that I can no longer really tell where his stops and mine starts.”28) In his book, Keller says that we cannot change culture simply “through lots of conversions.”29 I disagree. Scripture teaches that the truly converted become “a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). As someone grows in their faith, everything about their life will change, including developing biblical viewpoints on moral and social issues. Those who insist that a focus on social justice must accompany the gospel can do the gospel itself an injustice by seemingly suggesting that the gospel alone is not enough to transform lives. In a personal interview I had with Dr. Jerry Vines a few years ago, I mentioned this concern, and he offered an important insight: “If everything is the gospel, then nothing is the gospel.”30 I’m concerned that the current trend of churches to lean into social justice issues, even at the expense of clarity on the gospel, is rooted in a lack of conviction in the sufficiency of Scripture to address cultural and personal sins. But using the world’s answers to solve problems will not only be ineffective; it will pull churches away from a dependence on Scripture as their final authority for faith and practice. Alcohol Consumption Like some of the other topics mentioned in these pages, alcohol consumption is significant because of its blatant disregard for Scripture. Actually, the SBC used to be known for its stand against alcohol. (What is today the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission actually traces back to a standing Committee on Temperance in the early 1900s.31) But as recently as 2006, the topic of alcohol was raised at the SBC’s annual meeting with vigorous discussion. The Baptist Press reported: “A lengthy debate on a recommendation concerning the use of alcoholic beverages consumed the Resolution Committee’s report in the morning session. In a departure from recent years, the committee needed the evening session to complete its report.”32 After the meeting, “former SBC president Bobby Welch … told SBC Life the biggest surprise for him from the convention was ‘that several Southern Baptist pastors actually came to a microphone and publicly promoted the drinking of alcoholic beverages and wanted the SBC to do the same.’”33 In the end, the resolution passed, which included “our total opposition to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing and consuming of alcoholic beverages” and “we urge that no one be elected to serve as a trustee or member of any entity or committee of the Southern Baptist Convention that is a user of alcoholic beverages.”34 However, research conducted by LifeWay just twelve years later reported that “About one third of Baptists admit to drinking alcohol.”35 One SBC professor summed it up well: “I believe we are seeing a change from total abstinence to a trend of acceptance of alcohol among Southern Baptists,” said Evan Lenow, an ethics professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. “The emphasis has moved from warnings about alcohol to highlighting Christian freedom.”36 It is worth pointing out that the NAMB code of conduct requires abstinence: “I will abstain from the consumption of any alcoholic beverage or illegal drugs.”37 However, my observation is that the SBC as a whole is weakening on this issue. Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) Those familiar with SBC cooperative program know that is used to finance the North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, six Southern Baptist seminaries in America, and the ERLC. Initially formed as the public policy arm of the SBC, the ERLC seems to be consistently pulling left from the stated position of the SBC as a whole. In recent decades, the ERLC has shown remarkable drift. Rather than taking firm and clear stands for religious freedom and the moral positions stated in the SBC’s Baptist Faith and Message, such as the sanctity of life, traditional definition of marriage, and biblical gender distinction, the ERLC has leaned into issues of social justice and wokism. For instance, a recent report revealed that the ERLC received a $701,000 donation from Servant Foundation, the organization behind the He Gets Us campaign. (NAMB received another $7,000.)38 This campaign features video ads about a Jesus who, as one author wrote, “is nothing more than an inspiring human who relates to our problems and cares a whole lot about a culturally palatable version of social justice.”39 Another example took place in 2022 when Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the US Supreme Court. The ERLC twitter account posted the congratulations of its president, Brent Leatherwood, saying, “Despite the philosophical and legal differences individuals like me will have with her, Judge Jackson’s confirmation is a history-making moment. We should appreciate it as such.”40 Considering Justice Jackson’s advocacy for pro-choice, unwillingness to define a woman, and lenience to pedophiles, a tweet like Leatherwood’s seems like a poor representation of the SBC. Yet, the ERLC consistently attempts to straddle the fence on matters of conviction—citing a biblical answer while at the same time giving unclear verbiage and virtual nods to those who disagree. One example is an article published on the ERLC website for parents whose child is dealing with gender identity issues. While affirming the biblical position on gender in one paragraph, the very next sentence counters that this truth “needs to be nuanced.”41 It is this nuancing of truth that is concerning. While the ERLC is supposed to represent the concerns of SBC churches, it seems to push its own agenda instead. One example was during the COVID lockdowns—a time when the ERLC should have stood up for the religious liberty of autonomous churches to assemble. Incredulously, the ERLC instead argued that the shutdowns did not actually infringe upon religious liberty.42 Some Southern Baptists felt that the ERLC did more to defend the government shutdown of autonomous churches than to defend those churches’ religious liberty.43 Concerns over the direction of the ERLC have led a growing number of leaders and churches within the SBC to call for the ERLC to be abolished.44 A couple years back the SBC executive committee created “a task force to evaluate objectively the effect the ERLC is having on the Cooperative Program” of the SBC.45 “The unanimous report found the work of the ERLC to be “a source of significant distraction from the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.”46 At the SBC 2022 national convention, a motion was made to abolish the ERLC. One messenger said, “I would love to live in a world where a bold and faithful ERLC advocates for just policies, but that’s not the world we live in. … Abolishing the ERLC is better than continuing to fund a compromised ERLC. … Too often the leadership speaks for DC against the pews, not for the pews to DC.”47 However, the motion was overturned, and the ERLC continues. Summary Thoughts on These Concerns So, where do these concerns leave independent Baptists who are considering partnerships for church planting? One Southern Baptist educator, preacher, and friend recently shared with me that many in the convention who are conservative remain concerned with NAMB as it pertains to woke philosophy. Although NAMB has substantial funds, this friend doubts the discernment its leaders use in the distribution of such funds. I am aware that there are thousands of churches within the SBC. My guess is that many of these churches are pastored by faithful men who believe and preach the Bible. I am also aware of many who have concerns over the issues mentioned above. Additionally, there are a handful of SBC leaders who have formed the Conservative Baptist Network to fight these trends. I appreciate their work. However, considering the prevalence of these issues, the fact that SBC churches send money to organizations tied to these issues, and the reality of the SBC’s annual meeting with member churches at some level tied to the organization’s decisions, it seems unwise for independent Baptists to partner with the SBC. Many younger independent pastors may not know the stories of men like Lee Roberson and Don Sisk who left the convention, but the issues I am sharing convince me that there is no reason for any independent Baptist pastor to seek alignment with the SBC now. As Amos 3:3 questions, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” A similar question is echoed in 1 Corinthians 14:8, “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” My advice to independent Baptist church planters is to not place themselves in partnership with a group that is not giving a certain sound regarding the direction in which they are heading. 2. The Independent Baptist Model of Raising Support Church planting can be an expensive endeavor. Historically, church planting has been one of the great areas of cooperation between independent Baptist churches as they give to individual missionaries to meet the common goal of church planting. Most church planters with assistance from NAMB will still need additional support, which they will raise. I would propose bypassing institutional/denominational money entirely and seeking support only from local churches in order to retain an unaffiliated status. The New Testament Pattern Church planting is really a form of missions. In fact, it was the primary focus of the apostle Paul in his missionary work. And for this work, we see a New Testament model of individual churches supporting missionaries. A single church was the sending church for Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:2–3) Later, Paul and Barnabas reported back to this church. And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. (Acts 14:26–27) Additionally, other local churches, including the church at Philippi, could support Paul. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. (Philippians 4:15–16) This model places a focus on the autonomy of the local church and the missionary/church planter’s accountability to his sending church. I believe this model is followed in the independent Baptist method of sending and supporting churches. And I believe this has contributed to missions and church planning being one of the great strengths of the independent Baptist movement. Today, there are fifteen thousand independent churches supporting thousands of missionaries who are currently on the field and planting churches. The SBC Cooperative Program The idea behind the SBC Cooperative Program is to expedite missions by encouraging all SBC churches to contribute to a central fund. One drawback to this model is that individual churches have no control over where their money goes. This reality was one of the key reasons for the major independent Baptist pull-out from the SBC in the mid twentieth century. At the time, conservative churches were realizing that their missions dollars were going to support seminaries that were actively teaching against the fundamental tenets of Christianity and Baptist doctrine. (The book Keep the Faith includes a few pages of testimony from Dr. Don Sisk relating this as a catalyst for his own separation from the SBC and why he would still not advise someone to be part of it today.48 Specifically, he mentioned that only “a small percentage of the SBC cooperative mission program goes to actual on-the-field, gospel-preaching missions work.”49 In fact, a growing number of SBC churches are supporting missionaries directly, rather than through the cooperative program, because they feel it to be less wasteful. Although some of the concerns of the ’70s and ’80s have been mitigated by the Convention’s conservative resurgence, I don’t believe the concerns are obsolete, especially related to the issues we already noted: trends toward social justice, ordaining women, gay church membership, and others. These unresolved issues mean that churches that give into the central cooperative program may be supporting seminary professors and church plants (home and foreign) that are caught up in woke ideology. Additionally, part of the cooperative fund goes to the six SBC seminaries, the ERLC, and NAMB.50 So, churches that have concerns relative to these entities may be still funding them. I was made a similar offer for support by a California state fellowship when Terrie and I prepared to move to Lancaster. It was from a group with whom I had much in common and with whom I closely fellowshipped. However, I didn’t accept their offer because I did not want to accept money that would come with strings attached—even if it was something as simple as the expectation to attend regular fellowship meetings. It’s a decision I have never regretted. I am especially grateful that today we are free to support church planters and missionaries directly and have no financial obligation to a denomination or fellowship. Additionally, this has also given us the freedom to directly plant churches, including the Los Angeles Baptist Church in downtown Los Angeles and many others. The church plants and the 220 missionaries we support receive every dollar we send. Meanwhile, money sent through conventions have a large percentage kept for administrative expenses. The direct method of support is one of the strengths of the independent Baptist philosophy of missions and church planting. Several years back, David Azzarello, a man I saw come to Christ over thirty years prior, felt God calling him to resign the pastorate and begin full-time church planting. As he shared this burden with others, he was soon approached by representatives from NAMB, offering to support him as a church planter. The offer they made was for a modest monthly salary with the stipulation that the churches he planted would be SBC churches and give 10 percent of their budget back to the SBC. He called me to discuss their offer. I shared with him my concerns over the SBC cooperative program and encouraged him to follow the historic independent Baptist model of raising support from individual churches. His initial reason for considering the SBC funds was that it seemed like a more efficient process to get to full-time church planting. He has since shared, however, that the process of visiting multiple churches as he raised his support was helpful for him. He has led each of the churches he planted in this model of supporting missionaries. Currently, he is in the midst of his eighth church plant. Concerns with NAMB in Particular In addition to the difference of philosophy for church planting, there is reason to question the effectiveness and transparency of NAMB as a whole. Will McRainey, former head of the two-state Southern Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware (and who is in a current lawsuit with NAMB), suggests that statistics do not bear up the effectiveness of NAMB or of the convention’s stated renewed commitment to the Great Commission. In an article about this, he notes that there is a 70-year low in SBC baptisms, both nationally and per church, and a 40-year low in number of SBC churches started. Indeed, in a report that came out May of 2023 shows the SBC continuing its recent downward trajectory with a loss of 457,371 members—the largest single-year numerical drop in more than one hundred years.52 (Perhaps this is one reason young independent Baptists are being approached to join the convention.) Additionally, there are concerns about the financial transparency of NAMB itself. One group that is calling for an audit of NAMB cites this concern: The NAMB church planting budget has grown from $23 million to $75 million in 10 years, but the number of new church starts has dropped to less than half the number a decade ago. How is NAMB spending $50 million more in church planting and getting less than half for it? Where is that money specifically going?53 Researchers from the Conservative Baptist Network found that Not only has the North American Mission Board lacked transparency concerning finances, but they have also stopped disclosing how many appointed missionaries were assigned to some aspect of church planting.54 This number was reported in the SBC Annual up until 2012, but after 2012 it has not been reported since.55 The SBC pastor I mentioned earlier who cited his concerns regarding egalitarianism as a reason to defund NAMB also mentioned this lack of transparency saying, “NAMB needs an audit. We do not trust where all the money is going.”56 Independent Baptists who see partnership with NAMB as a fast way to get to the work of church planting would do well to consider the statistics, the problem of NAMB’s testimony, and the direction of the Convention. 3. Hope for the Future of Independent Baptists I’m aware of the flaws of the independent Baptists. I wrote an entire book about how to correct these issues in The Road Ahead. But it is short-sighted for independent Baptists to not assume there are flaws in the Southern Baptist Convention as well. There is real danger in going from one ditch to another by over-correcting from a disappointment. For me, I am grateful for my heritage of non-conformist, Anabaptist forefathers and for the soulwinning and missions spirit of the independent Baptists. Rather than leaving this movement, I prefer to work for balance and gospel momentum. Indeed, I’m grateful as I see a renewed emphasis on church planting among independent Baptists. And I am thankful to be part of supporting these church planters. It is my conviction that for independent Baptist pastors to partner with a body such as the SBC that is struggling with such clear issues is the antithesis of the instruction in Jude 3 to “contend for the faith.” I can love and appreciate men who aren’t where I am on every issue. But I cannot condone the bridge building that is currently being encouraged that will attach independent Baptist church planters to a group that is struggling with significant biblical issues. I do appreciate the work of those within the SBC who are preaching the gospel and leading people to Christ. But one does not have to join a group simply because he appreciates the good within that group. I still believe that being independent allows for greater liberty of conscience and stronger forward momentum in church planting, missions, and soulwinning. Shaping all of the concerns I have shared in these pages is an overriding passion for the Great Commission of Christ. As independent Baptists, we must engage in strategic church planting in which we deliberately saturate metropolitan areas with the gospel and plant churches. Can we do a better job at this? We can and we must! Can we espouse new ideas for collaborating on church planting? Yes. But we must consider the trends of the day and the identity of the church that is to be planted. We must stand unapologetically for the whole counsel of God in our generation. Church planting is larger than funding a church’s start up costs. It requires many levels of sacrifice in prayer, soulwinning, and discipling new believers in the faith. It requires faith and vision to establish a biblical congregation that is bound to the Word of God and constrained by the love of Christ. The decisions made and direction taken in the early years of a church plant will have ramifications for decades to come. Thus, as one old preacher used to say, we must not sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate. Many of us pastors warn parents, “What you do in moderation, your children may do in excess.” There is truth to that statement for pastors and churches as well. If you compromise your convictions to raise support for planting a church by receiving money from a group that has an unclear stand in several areas, those may be the very areas your church leans into in the years that follow. For these reasons, I encourage independent Baptist church planters to look beyond the days of raising support and ask themselves what kind of church they want to plant. To assume that there is little difference between independent Baptists and Southern Baptist churches is incorrect. If you, as a church planter, have any concerns about the direction of the SBC and about funding ministries that are tied to this direction, I would encourage you to not set aside those concerns for quick, up front support. Conversely, if you are an independent Baptist and believe in the biblical model of churches supporting the planting of new churches, I would encourage you to seek the support of other churches and then get to the community where the Lord has led you and diligently begin sharing the gospel and discipling new Christians. I believe that you will discover—and more emphatically with each passing year—that the extra time in raising support was a small trade off for the blessings of pastoring an independent Baptist church. Conclusion I love our Baptist distinctives, and I have personally taught them to hundreds of new believers. I recognize the autonomy of the local church, and I pray for revival in my life and the church I pastor. Yet, we must not fall into the “same team” ideology with people who are compromising the truth. It is my prayer that the principles shared in these pages will cause some preachers to pause, pray, and then proceed for the glory of God and with the future of local Baptist churches in mind. Endnotes Paul Chappell, Keep the Faith (Lancaster, CA: Striving Together Publications, 2020), 54–67. “Planter Expectations,” North American Mission Board, accessed March 22, 2023, https://www.namb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Planter-Expectations.pdf. Saddleback Church, “Yesterday was a historic night…” Facebook, May 7, 2021, https://www.facebook.com/saddlebackchurch/posts/-yesterday-was-a-historic-night-for-saddleback-church-in-many-wayswe-ordained-ou/10159190549013544/. Terri Green, “Here is Andy Wood’s wife Stacie Wood preaching at Saddleback Church,” Twitter, March 15, 2023, https://twitter.com/TerriGreenUSA/status/1636200636386615296. Andy Wood, “Pastor Andy Wood: The role of women in the local church,” YouTube video, posted by Saddleback Church, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J15dGUQQNBU Denny Burk, “Rick Warren Has Done the SBC a Great Service,” Denny Burk, March 14, 2023, https://www.dennyburk.com/rick-warren-has-done-the-sbc-a-great-service/. Megan Basham, “Mr. Smith Goes to the Convention,” American Reformer, April 11, 2023, https://americanreformer.org/2023/04/mr-smith-goes-to-the-convention/. Nate Schlomann, “NAMB and SBC Egalitarrianism,” Servants and Heralds, February 8, 2021, https://www.servantsandheralds.com/namb-and-sbc-egalitarianism/. “Church Planter Pathway,” Send Network, accessed March 22, 2023, https://www.namb.net/send-network/church-planting/planter-pathway/. “Residencies for Churches,” Send Network, accessed January 26, 2021, https://www.namb.net/send-network/church-planting/residencies/. “Leadership,” Echo Church, accessed January 23, 2021, https://www.echo.church/about/leadership/. “#BeerandBible: NAMB supported church has its own beer,” Capstone Report, February 17, 2021, https://capstonereport.com/2021/02/17/beerandbible-namb-supported-church-has-its-own-beer/35597/. Nate Schlomann, “Why we are defunding @NAMB_SBC…,” Twitter, April 13, 2023, https://twitter.com/NateSchlomann/status/1646602011188645897. Beth Moore, “I’m doing Mother’s Day too!…” Twitter, April 27, 2019, https://twitter.com/BethMooreLPM/status/1122134785244184576. Beth Moore, “I am compelled to my bones…” Twitter, May 11, 2019, https://twitter.com/BethMooreLPM/status/1127205241961746433. Megan Basham, “Mr. Smith Goes to the Convention,” American Reformer, April 11, 2023, https://americanreformer.org/2023/04/mr-smith-goes-to-the-convention/. Ibid. “Prominent Southern Baptist Church Brags That Transgenders and Abortionists Serve in Their Church,” YouTube video, 00:37, posted by “The Dissenter,” February 7, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RUhJv1B7vc Jonathan Howe, “NAMB appeals to Supreme Court in McRaney case, claims first amendment protections,” Baptist Press, February 17, 2021, https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/namb-appeals-to-supreme-court-in-mcraney-case-claims-first-amendment-protections/ Open, “Gay-Married” Homosexual Man Baptizes Other People at First Baptist Orlando,” Disntr, March 13, 2023, https://disntr.com/2023/03/13/open-gay-married-homosexual-man-baptizes-other-people-at-first-baptist-orlando/ Andy Wood, “What Does the Bible Say About LGBTQ+? | You Asked For It (Pt. 4) | Andy Wood,” YouTube video, posted by “Echo.Church,” April 30, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UM5mSu0BWI. Terri Green, “Andy Wood compares a gay person who struggles…,” Twitter, March 14, 2023, https://twitter.com/TerriGreenUSA/status/1635846051914555392. Shannon Craigo-Snell and Christopher Doucot, No Innocent Bystanders (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017), 67. Ronnie W. Rogers, “Understanding the Terms of Cultural Marxism (Social Justice): A Christian Response,” Ronnie W. Rogers, June 29, 2020, https://ronniewrogers.com/2020/06/understanding-the-terms-of-cultural-marxism- social-justice-a-christian- response/. Klayton A. Carson and a team of researchers from the Conservative Baptist Network, The Evidences of Concern within the Southern Baptist Convention (Conservative Baptist Network, January 2023), https://conservativebaptistnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-Evidences-of-Concern-Within-the-Southern-Baptist-Convention.pdf. Jake Cannon and Matt Bryant, “Epidode 13: Seminaries And Radical Reconciliation With Matthew Hall,” YouTube video, 49:45, posted by “Coffee and Cream,” July 15, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwI82hKUTgI. Reference clip starts at 49:45. Dhati Lewis, “Dhati Lewis: The Gospel Is “Not Good News Without Emotional, Economic, And Social Restoration,” YouTube video, posted by Woke Preacher Clips, November 25, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQjwWGPkMG8. The original podcast has been made private on Youtube. This is the clip of his statement. J. D. Greear, Gospel (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2011), ix. Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 291. Jerry Vines, phone interview by Paul Chappell from Lancaster, California, June 2019. Alex Ward, “Explainer: A history of the ERLC The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, March 21, 2023, https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/explainer-a-history-of-the-erlc/. Tom Strode, “Debate on alcohol use dominates resolutions report time,” Baptist Press, June 15, 2006, https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/debate-on-alcohol-use-dominates-resolutions-report-time/. Bob Allen, “SBC Leader President Says Bible Doesn’t Demand Total Abstinence from Alcohol,” Good Faith Media, August 11, 2006, https://goodfaithmedia.org/sbc-leader-president-says-bible-doesnt-demand-total-abstinence-from-alcohol-cms-7746/. Frank Newport, “Religion and Drinking Alcohol in the U.S.,” Gallup, August 12, 2019, https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/264713/religion-drinking-alcohol.aspx. Bob Allen, “Survey says teetotalers slowly losing ground in Protestant churches,” Baptist News, November 27, 2018, https://baptistnews.com/article/survey-says-teetotalers-slowing-losing-ground-in-protestant-churches/#.XVFR60lYY2w. Ibid. “Code of Conduct,” North American Mission Board, accessed March 22, 2023, https://www.namb.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NAMB_CodeofConduct2017.pdf. “BREAKING: Org promoting Woke Jesus gave $700k to ERLC,” Capstone Report, October 13, 2022, https://capstonereport.com/2022/10/13/breaking-org-promoting-woke-jesus-gave-700k-to-erlc/39517/. Natasha Crain, “7 Problems with the He Gets Us Campaign,” Natasha Crain, October 27, 2022, https://natashacrain.com/7-problems-with-the-he-gets-us-campaign/. Brent Leatherwood, “Despite the philosophical and legal differences individuals like me…,” Twitter, April 7, 2022, https://twitter.com/ERLC/status/1512238077397266432. Jared Kennedy, “What do I do if my child doesn’t seem to fit with typical gender norms?” Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, May 17, 2021, https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/what-do-i-do-if-my-child-doesnt-seem-to-fit-with-typical-gender-norms/?fbclid=IwAR0sXHMpztssG8iua4M24uwxcYic7x_kO_yfUc-cDG1z5fjaHkHaWRfS6Vk. Klayton A. Carson and a team of researchers from the Conservative Baptist Network, The Evidences of Concern within the Southern Baptist Convention (Conservative Baptist Network, January 2023), https://conservativebaptistnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-Evidences-of-Concern-Within-the-Southern-Baptist-Convention.pdf. See also the article cited in this document by Jeff Pickering, “A Q&A for churches on government restrictions with a religious liberty attorney,” ERLC, April 15, 2020, https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/a-q-and-a-for-churches-on-government-restrictions-with-a-religious-liberty-attorney/. Ibid. Roger Alford, “Vote to abolish SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission fails,” The Christian Index, June 15, 2022, https://christianindex.org/stories/attempt-to-abolish-sbcs-ethics-and-religious-liberty-commission-fails,25359. “Changes in ERLC leadership create opportunity for clarity and conviction rather than compromise the ‘nuance’,” Conservative Baptist Networks, accessed March 20, 2023, https://conservativebaptistnetwork.com/statement-changes-in-erlc-leadership-create-opportunity-for-clarity-and-conviction-rather-than-compromise-and-nuance/. Ibid. Roger Alford, “Vote to abolish SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission fails,” The Christian Index, June 15, 2022, https://christianindex.org/stories/attempt-to-abolish-sbcs-ethics-and-religious-liberty-commission-fails,25359. Paul Chappell, Keep the Faith (Lancaster, CA: Striving Together Publications, 2020), 63–67. Ibid., 65. “Five Facts about the Cooperative Program,” Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, November 6, 2014, https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/5-facts-about-thecooperative-program. Will McRaney, “5 Current Impacts of GCR on SBC Network Partners,” Will McRaney, accessed March 20, 2023, https://willmcraney.com/5-current-impacts-of-gcr-on-sbc-network-partners/ Aaron Earls, “Southern Baptists grow in attendance and baptisms, decline in membership,” Baptist Press, May 9, 2023, https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/southern-baptists-grow-in-attendance-and-baptisms-decline-in-membership/. “Why We Need a forensic Audit of NAMB and Lifeway,” SBC Transparency, accessed March 20, 2023, https://sbctransparency.com/. Annual of the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention (Nashville, TN: Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, 2012), 185. (Accessible online at http://media2.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/annuals/SBC_Annual_2012.pdf.) This is the last annual that included the number of missionaries involved in church planting. Annual of the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention (Houston, TX: Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, 2013), 182–184. (Accessible online at http://media2.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/annuals/SBC_Annual_2013.pdf.) This is the first annual that did not include the number of missionaries involved in church planting. Nate Schlomann, “Why we are defunding @NAMB_SBC…,” Twitter, April 13, 2023, https://twitter.com/NateSchlomann/status/1646602011188645897. View the full article
  20. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Jerry Vines for the Spiritual Leadership Podcast. Some of the audio and technical quality was not up to the quality we desired, so we held on posting it. However, I felt the content of this interview is relevant and important, so we are posting today in hopes that it will be a help and encouragement to you. In this episode, Dr. Vines and I discussed ministry trends and his commitment to Bible truth. I enjoyed our discussion and hope you will enjoy it as well. If you cannot view this video in your email or RSS reader, click here.) If this episode of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast was a blessing to you, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. You can subscribe to future episodes via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or YouTube. View the full article
  21. On this episode of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast, I sat down with one of my closest friends and mentors in the ministry, Dr. Don Sisk. We discussed an article he recently wrote for the Baptist Voice magazine and ministry127.com on the topic of disagreement without disunity. His thoughts on ministry relationships was a blessing to me, and I trust it will be an encouragement to you as well. Dr. Sisk’s original article is here If you cannot view this video in your email or RSS reader, click here.) If this episode of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast was a blessing to you, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. You can subscribe to future episodes via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or YouTube. View the full article
  22. The message of popular culture is clear: “You have what it takes. Dig deep, persevere hard, and reach for the stars.” There’s value in encouraging people to have confidence to seek to make a difference with their lives. But the whole message of self-sufficiency is misleading. Conversely, mature, clear-minded Christians wake up every day with an awareness that they don’t have what it takes to make a success of the day. They know that they can’t be and do all that God has for them that day or the rest of their lives without the grace of God. There is nothing that reveals our need for God’s grace like a trial. One of the very reasons God allows difficulties and even failures into our lives is because He desires for us to learn the sufficiency of His grace. On Sunday mornings at Lancaster Baptist Church, I’ve been preaching a series titled “Trusting God in Tough Times.” This past Sunday, I preached from 2 Corinthians 12:1–10—a passage that encourages us with God’s sufficiency in our times of trial. You may remember from this passage that it describes Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” and God’s promise to him of sufficient grace. In this passage, the apostle Paul teaches us that trials and infirmities can lead us to understand the sufficiency of God and to depend on the reality of His grace. Trials and infirmities can lead us to understand the sufficiency of God and to depend on the reality of His grace. Click To Tweet From Paul’s example and God’s promise to him we learn three ways God uses trials to give us what we need: He Directs Our Spiritual Growth Paul had much in which he could boast. He received direct revelation from God and a spiritual experience in seeing the third heaven—the very Heaven of the presence of God—that no one else has had the opportunity to see (1 Corinthians 12:1–5). Yet, God allowed Paul to also experience a continual reminder of his need for God in the form of a “thorn in the flesh.” And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (2 Corinthians 12:7) It is remarkable that Paul recognized that this thorn in his life—whatever it was—was not without purpose. For Paul, the specific purpose was to keep him from pride. It was a daily reminder of his need for God’s grace. God’s grace is always available to us. But on our good days, we tend toward a self-sufficiency that forgets our need for God’s grace. When we are proud and self-sufficient, we resist the very grace we need. But when we come to God in humility, He gives us His grace. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6) From a human perspective, trials seem meaningless and random. From a divine perspective, they are directed and full of potential for spiritual growth. Knowing that God knows exactly what we need and that He has a purpose in our trials is encouraging. He Gives Us His Grace If God had answered Paul’s request to remove the thorn, Paul never would have discovered the daily reality of God’s all-sufficient grace. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.… (2 Corinthians 12:8–9) The Greek word for grace, charis, describes God’s undeserved favor to us. Of course, we first experience God’s grace at salvation. But God desires to continue to give us His grace. It is a dynamic force at work within us. It is a disposition created by the Holy Spirit that gives hope and strength in the inner man. And it totally transforms our lives. In Paul’s life, it was a daily thorn that daily drew him to Christ in dependence on God’s grace. Without difficulties in our lives, we would never know our need for the Lord. And so, each day we have trials…and each day we have matching grace. Each day we have trials, and each day we have matching grace from God. Click To Tweet In theory, we all know our need for God’s grace. But in reality, we have a tendency to think more highly of ourselves than we should. So God brings us enough difficulty to draw us to Himself, and then God gives us enough grace to live in His strength. God never calls us to be strong in ourselves. And He uses times of weakness in our lives to expose just how much we need His might. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; … That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:26–27, 29) He Provides Us His Power In addition to God’s grace, Paul received the power of God descending on and working within him to give him strength. …Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10) It is an amazing blessing when we recognize that God is not attracted to our strengths but to our weaknesses. It is in our weakness that He is strong. As Paul realized the provision of God’s power in his life, he actually praised God for all the weaknesses in His life: infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses. And in this realization and praise, Paul could say, “for when I am weak, then am I strong.” And here we come full circle from where we started: you and I don’t “have what it takes” to serve God and live a life of eternal significance for Him. We don’t even have what it takes to get through the various trials of life with joy and resilience. But every day God offers us His grace to live the Christian life victoriously. As we turn to Him in humble dependence, He gives us His extravagant grace and equipping strength. And through Him we can live in the power of His sufficiency. View the full article
  23. It’s hard to envision a more grace-filled response and Spirit-anointed outcome to a trial than Ron Hamilton’s when he lost his eye to cancer. You may already know the story: As a young husband, Ron was diagnosed with cancer behind his left eye. The surgery to remove the cancer also resulted in the loss of his eye. After surgery, he found that kids gravitated toward him wearing a patch. They were full of questions, and some called him “Patch the Pirate.” It was though this tragedy—and Ron’s trust in the Lord through it—that the ministry of “Patch the Pirate” began. Over the past forty-five years now, Ron and Shelly Hamilton have produced over forty children’s musical audio dramas with Patch the Pirate. And that is in addition to writing and publishing church music through Majesty Music ministry. Their music and children’s ministry has blessed tens of thousands of churches and Christians all over the world. But Ron Hamilton, who went to Heaven this evening, was so much more than Patch the Pirate. And he experienced more trials than losing his eye. I was blessed to see Ron respond to each of those trials with trust in the Lord. And I rejoice with him that today his faith has become sight as he is now “absent from the body” and “present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). As we grieve with the Hamilton family and with friends around the world, I’d like to share a few ways I was blessed through Ron’s life. His love for the Lord and others To be around Ron, you knew that he really loved the Lord. He didn’t just write songs about his love for Christ, but it was something you could see in him in real life. He talked about the Lord, shared personally what the Lord was teaching him, and saw his ministry as a service to the Lord. Ron’s love for the Lord spilled over into his love for others. One of the things that always stood out to me was Ron’s tender love for Shelly. He loved his family, including their five children, their children’s spouses, and their grandchildren. The fun conversations between Patch and his crew on the recordings may have been make believe in content, but they weren’t fake in the reality of loving relationships within the family. Additionally, Ron loved the people and children he served through his ministry. He was like a kid magnet whenever he came to our church, and he really enjoyed it. He didn’t just tolerate kids; he loved them. And he wanted to bless them. It was easy to love Ron back, and our family did. Our kids have many happy memories of hosting Patch the Pirate and Sissy Seagull (Shelly) and their crew in our home. (The children in the pictures above are our children and grandchildren with Patch.) Our church family, too, loves the Hamiltons and is praying for Shelly and the family in this time of loss. His humility and local church focus As a pastor, what blessed me the most about Ron was his heart for local church ministry. That is rare in a Christian musician, especially in one with a worldwide impact. Several years ago, I wrote a booklet titled Biblical Principles for Music and Worship. I sent a pre-print draft to Ron to ask for his input as a musician. He gave some helpful feedback, but his summary comment was so revealing of his heart. He wrote, “I wish that church musicians had less conversations about music and more about soulwinning and one-on-one ministry.” Ron had a worldwide impact, but he wasn’t a big shot musician. He was a true servant of the Lord who weekly led the congregational music and directed the choir at the church where he served as the music pastor. And he regularly shared the gospel in personal outreach. I’m sure over the next several weeks we’ll all hear stories of people Ron and Shelly mentored and discipled in personal, local church ministry. His trust in the Lord through trials The most obvious and known trial in Ron’s life was the loss of his eye to cancer. But, like every Christian, he experienced many burdens others didn’t know about. Many of us remember when Ron and Shelly’s son, Jonathan, died in 2013. What many people didn’t know until after Jonathan’s death was the burden of Jonathan’s private battle with mental suffering that Ron and Shelly had carried with him for many years. On multiple occasions as Ron and I spoke of Jonathan’s needs, Ron shared the heartache of watching Jonathan suffer. But he also always expressed—directly or indirectly—his trust in the Lord. Shortly after Jonathan’s Homegoing, Ron spoke here at Spiritual Leadership Conference on “Grace in the Midst of Trials.” (You can listen to an audio of that session here.) His choice to rejoice in the Lord Ron didn’t just resign himself to trusting the Lord because there was nothing else he could do. He didn’t have a fatalistic faith. Rather, Ron chose to follow the instruction of Philippians 4:4 and “Rejoice in the Lord.” In fact, his signature song—for which he wrote both the music and lyrics—was based on Philippians 4:4 and titled “Rejoice in the Lord.” God never moves without purpose or plan When trying His servant and molding a man. Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long; In darkness He giveth a song. O Rejoice in the Lord. He makes no mistake. He knoweth the end of each path that I take. For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold. His faithfulness to the end It’s been several years now that Ron has been struggling with dementia. It’s been a long, slow battle. In recent years, the burden of this long, painful goodbye has largely been carried by Shelly and the rest of the family. Shelly herself has been so very faithful in her love and care for Ron right up until the end. Our family is praying for her in this time of loss, and we encourage you to as well. Ron’s trust in God through this final trial—even in the early years of it when he realized what was taking place—was unwavering. I can only imagine what it was like for Ron to one moment be in a failing body with a mind no longer resembling its former brilliance…and the next moment to be surrounded by the very music of Heaven and hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21). View the full article
  24. You’ve heard the maxim, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” There is much truth to this statement, and no one modeled teamwork better than the apostle Paul. Over the years at Lancaster Baptist, I have preached verse-by-verse through many books of the Bible. This past Sunday, I began a new preaching series through Romans. A few years ago, we did three series through the pastoral epistles: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. (The expanded outlines for these pastoral epistles are now in a book, set to release next week as part of the Striving Together Study Library.) Throughout Paul’s pastoral epistles, we repeatedly see the necessity and value Paul placed on teamwork in ministry. We catch a glimpse of this in the closing verses of Titus: When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. (Titus 3:12–15) The first Sunday night message I preached as the pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church was about the importance of teamwork, inviting our new church family to join with me in “striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27) Teamwork should be more than something we talk about. It should be more than a stated value among Christians serving the Lord together in the local church. It should be something we proactively and personally nurture. From Paul’s concluding instructions in Titus, we learn three essential characteristics of effective team ministry. Faithfulness There are rarely awards or recognition given for faithfulness, but no great work for God happens without it. There are rarely awards or recognition given for faithfulness, but no great work for God happens without it. Click To Tweet Paul mentions two faithful servants: Artemas and Tychicus—men whom Paul trusted to take Titus’ place of leadership in Crete while Titus left to visit Paul. The only mention of Artemas in the New Testament is in this verse. Yet, it seems reasonable to assume that he had a testimony of consistent servant leadership over the years. And so it is in every healthy local church—there are spiritually-strong leaders who, though not often mentioned or recognized, are faithfully serving the Lord. In every healthy local church, there are spiritually-strong leaders who, though not often mentioned or recognized, are faithfully serving the Lord. Click To Tweet Tychicus, the other of these two men, is first mentioned in Acts while Paul was in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. (Acts 20:4) Tychicus’s willingness to travel with Paul shows his servant’s heart. Travel in the ancient world was far more difficult and dangerous than in our day. The trip they were currently would have been arduous, and it would take Tychicus away from his family, friends, and church for a long time. Tychicus was also with Paul during his imprisonment in Rome. All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord: (Colossians 4:7) And Paul sent Tychicus to fill in for Timothy so Timothy could visit Paul. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. (2 Timothy 4:12) Tychicus was faithfully by Paul’s side, whether in missionary journeys or in prison. He served Paul by filling pulpits and delivering the epistle to the Colossians. Although Artemas and Tychicus’s opportunities and responsibilities were different, and although one of them is mentioned more frequently in the New Testament, both were necessary to the work of the Lord and the ministry of the apostle Paul. Whatever your role is in serving the Lord, faithfulness is an essential discipline for fulfilling your responsibilities. Whatever your role is in serving the Lord, faithfulness is an essential discipline for fulfilling your responsibilities. Click To Tweet Fellowship The fellowship that Paul shared with his co-laborers was edifying and encouraging. In these verses, he mentions desiring fellowship with Titus as he instructed Titus to “be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis.” Paul’s intention to meet Titus in Nicopolis sometime after being released from prison in Rome would have been a continuation of his evangelistic ministry. And he wanted Titus with him for it. Paul also instructed Titus to bring Zenas and Apollos on their way, apparently on the way to Nicopolis. Thus, Titus and these two men would enjoy fellowship as well. It’s easy for teams to move to extremes in fellowship: Some Christians so value fellowship that they rarely get around to action. Others so value productivity that they overlook the necessity of fellowship in the life of a believer. Here, Paul encouraged fellowship while serving together. In fact, one of the best ways to build spiritual friendships is through serving together. One of the best ways to build spiritual friendships is through serving together. Click To Tweet As you serve the Lord with others, remember to invest in relationships and to enjoy fellowship in the Lord with others on your team. Fruitfulness As Paul closed this epistle, he gave a final challenge to Titus and the “team” of believers there at the churches in Crete, exhorting them to fruitfulness. As important as faithfulness and fellowship are, we must also strive for fruitfulness. As important as faithfulness and fellowship are, we must also strive for fruitfulness. Click To Tweet Fruitfulness can be hard to measure because the fruit of our faithfulness doesn’t always show up immediately. It doesn’t always even show up in our lifetime. But Paul gives a particular area of fruitfulness here that we can focus on—maintaining good works. As we maintain good works, we are good witnesses for Christ. We know from Ephesians 2:8–9 that our good works do not save us. Only God’s grace through the sacrifice of Christ saves. Yet, this same passage tells us that God did save us “unto good works.” For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) We don’t do good works to be saved but because we are saved. Look back to some of the ministry goals God has place on your heart—perhaps even the ones that you wrote down at the beginning of this year. Remember, these aren’t just items on a checklist. Rather, they are good works to which God has called you in which to be fruitful. Don’t be too quick then to give up on them. Assess, reevaluate, determine next actionable items, and set checkpoints throughout the year to gauge your fruitfulness. Effective Team Ministry Whether it’s the first century or the twenty-first century, an effective team ministry is crucial for the advancement of the gospel as you serve with your church family. How are you doing in applying these principles? Faithfulness is critical: be in your place. Fellowship is significant: value relationships. Fruitfulness is needful: be diligent in acting on the opportunities God has given to you. The Pastoral Epistles expanded outlines and comments releases from Striving Together April 24, 2022. You can preorder now at strivingtogether.com. Use code PC20 anytime before April 24 for 20% off the preorder of this new resource. View the full article
  25. Over the past several years, the term woke has been used to describe people who have been awakened to the injustices of society, particularly in regards to racism. Many Christians, committed to displaying God’s heart for the oppressed, have eagerly embraced the term. The “woke movement,” however, has grown much larger than the early definition of the term. There is an agenda driving it that is anti-Christian and steeped in anti-God philosophies. A working definition of wokism is impossible since even its strongest proponents apply the word in fluid settings. As defined by Merriam-Webster, to be woke means to be “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”1 In a broader, more practical sense, however, author Owen Strachan pointed out, Wokeness is first and foremost a mindset and posture. The term itself means that one is “awake” to the true nature of the world when so many are asleep. In the most specific terms, this means one sees the comprehensive inequity of our social order and strives to highlight power structures in society that stem from racial privilege.2 Conversations and ideas with people who subscribe to woke philosophies have reached far beyond racism to involve any topics related to inequality including social justice, sexism, economic philosophies, and LGBTQ acceptance. The way in which Christians address these issues relates directly to their view of Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16–17 asserts, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” A Christian with a high view of the accuracy, sufficiency, and authority of Scripture sees every social topic in light of the relative theological positions and practical instructions of God’s Word. A mature Christian is discerning of the underlying philosophies that drive these discussions and holds each up to Scripture. Christians with a weak view of Scripture are more likely to allow the culture to both describe the problem and prescribe the solution. These Christians are more likely to suggest that basic Bible truths don’t apply in particular settings or that the biblical writers did not fully understand such modern issues. Often, Christians who don’t use the plainly-stated truths of Scripture as their compass will instead build subjective arguments based on “God’s heart for ” or how they believe Jesus would respond to various areas of need. This undiscerning attitude is furthered by prominent Christian leaders who have jumped on the woke bandwagon. They may have been drifting from previously-held positions, but their recent statements clearly identify with the woke movement. For example, Andy Stanley, pastor of a nondenominational, multi-campus megachurch in Atlanta, recently spoke positively of gay Christians who attend church as “having more faith than I do.”3 Rick Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, a Southern Baptist, multi-campus megachurch in Anaheim, recently ordained women as pastors and, more recently, defended this position as something more churches should do.4 A recent article pointed to three Christian leaders who have become outspoken on woke-related issues and commented, “The direction [Russell] Moore, [David] French, and [Beth] Moore are walking is not simply traditional evangelicalism, but a form of cultural accommodation dressed as convictional religion. The result is a religious respectability that promotes national unity, liberalism, and wokeism under the rhetorical guise of love for neighbor.”5 These unrelated examples point out the pervasiveness of woke philosophies in the church today. Biblical leaders must develop the spiritual discernment to cut through the woke rhetoric to understand the philosophies behind current issues and allow Scripture to shape their response. I hope this article is an aid to that end. In the next few pages, we will look at six woke-related issues, briefly describing each and bringing scriptural truths to bear. Additionally, I have included questions to help form discussions on each topic. Most of these topics employ terms not directly used in Scripture (e.g. “social justice” or “intersectionality”). My desire here is not to split hairs over terms or to insinuate that everything touching a given term is ungodly. My goal is simply to hold up the underlying philosophies to Scripture and encourage you to stand on thoroughly-biblical convictions. With that background, let’s get started. Social Justice Every Bible-believing Christian desires justice for the oppressed (Deuteronomy 24:14–21, Micah 6:8). But the social justice movement of today has more to do with insisting that categories of people, as opposed to individuals, have not received justice over time and thus should be treated differently today—even when there are not immediate instances of injustice in an individual’s life. Additionally, some of the categories commonly cited for need in social justice are drawn from the whole or subsegments of LGBT identities, effectively equating different convictions regarding same-sex marriage or transgender inclusion with racism or other forms of discrimination over immutable characteristics, such as ethnicity. There is a real push through the social justice movement of today to undermine the basic definitions of male and female as well as the institution of marriage. Many who are driving the social justice agenda have openly-stated goals for the destruction of the nuclear family and the promotion of an LBGT agenda. One example is from the leaders of the Black Lives Matter organization that came to prominence after the death of George Floyd.6 These leaders not only sought the demise of the nuclear family, but they openly shared their Marxist ideals.7 That woke-leaning Christians don’t see through to the anti-Christian agendas at play is deeply concerning. An additional area of concern to the social justice movement is the way in which it conflates helping marginalized people with the sharing of the gospel. There is value to serving one’s community, and there is definitely value to reaching out to people who are oppressed or marginalized in a community. But we must not equate these types of care with sharing the gospel. The Bible is clear that faith for salvation comes through hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Yet, Timothy Keller, a pastor and author seems to equate the two. (Interestingly, Keller, a Christian apologist holds that God may have created the world through the evolutionary process.8) In Keller’s church philosophy book Center Church, he writes, “Ministry in which Christians sacrificially serve the common good of the city is not only biblical but a necessary context for any convincing call to believe in Jesus.”9 In the same section he says that we cannot change culture simply “through lots of conversions.”10 This is simply not true. Scripture teaches that the truly converted become “a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). As someone grows in their faith, everything about their life will change, including developing biblical viewpoints on moral and social issues. Those who insist that a focus on social justice must accompany the gospel actually do the gospel itself an injustice by seemingly suggesting that conversion is not the answer. “Social justicians” often speak of redeeming the culture. Yet the Son of man came “to seek and to save” lost people (Luke 19:10). The “woke gospel” is another gospel, not the gospel of the New Testament. Instead of leading unsaved people to Christ, it leads people to social causes, some of which are anti-biblical. I have seen church buildings from Charlotte to San Fransisco displaying Black Lives Matter signs and rainbow flags, but those same churches are not sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and calling sinners to repentance. I am reminded of Paul’s warning in Galatians 1:6, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” Biblically defined, the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1–5). It is the satisfaction of the justice of God in the person of Christ paying for our sin, and it is the best news we can give to anyone who is not saved. We must not trivialize the actual gospel by hitching every social issue or injustice to it. Social justice, similar to the “social gospel” of the previous generation, is really a repackaging of liberal theology being presented as a substitute for the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20). Questions: Why is it important to distinguish between the gospel and social issues? Is salvation through Christ enough? Or does preaching the gospel require preaching social, racial, economic, etc. redemption as well? In what ways would a Christian with a biblically-shaped worldview differ from a woke agenda on social justice? Gender Distinction, Sexual Orientation, and Same-Sex Marriage The front line of the anti-God agenda in the West today is being waged on the battleground of LGBT issues. There is clearly a concentrated effort in secular society to overturn the cultural norms concerning gender, sexuality, and marriage. From the state recognition of same-sex marriage, to the drag queen “story hours” taking place in public libraries,11 to the inclusion of biological males who identify as females in women’s sports,12 the LGBT movement is rolling full-steam ahead, even if it means crushing children, women, and society as a whole in its agenda. In his book The Gathering Storm, Albert Mohler insightfully wrote, The church of Jesus Christ faces an unprecedented challenge: the collision between it and a new sexual ethic, a collision between revelation and revolution. The evolution is a sexual one, and it is indeed a revolution, demanding a complete reordering of society and civilization.13 What is most surprising to me in all of this is that woke Christians are buying into it. In an effort to be accepting of people who struggle they have become affirming of sin. Some go so far as to deny that Scripture addresses these issues at all. They suggest that Jesus and Paul didn’t really understand or address the modern understandings of sexual orientation or transgenderism.14 In recently-surfaced comments, Pastor Andy Stanley called the clear passages on this issue “clobber passages.”15 But the Bible is clear here. In Genesis 1, God created human life in His image and designated male and female. In Genesis 2, He ordained marriage. In the New Testament, Jesus referred to both of these chapters as He said, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” (Matthew 19:4–5). Romans 1:24–28 condemns homosexuality in the clearest terms. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, Paul includes such acts in a list of sins. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that true conversion leads to turning away from sin. “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:4–5). Yet, Christians who profess to believe and preach the Bible struggle to take a clear position on these issues. For example, the senior associate pastor of First Baptist Orlando in Florida read in a public church service a list of the variety of people attending and serving in the church. In these comments he said, “We have transgender, LGBTQ, straight, single, married, divorced, and cohabitating people. These same people attend, listen, serve, grow, and give.”16 I can appreciate the desire to let unsaved people with sinful lives know that the gospel is for them, but to indicate that people openly practicing—and even identifying themselves according to—unrepentant sin should become or continue as faithful congregants is, according to 1 Corinthians 5, a position that is foreign to the New Testament. Not only does First Baptist Orlando allow people living in open sexual sin to be members in good standing, however, it also allows these members to baptize new converts. Recent social media posts show Joe Mills, an openly gay man, currently “married” to another man, performing baptisms at First Baptist Church Orlando.17 The problem is not ambiguity in Scripture. The problem is that Bible-believing Christians are either too cowardly or too confused to clearly state what the Bible actually says. In an effort to not offend, woke-leaning Christians take a position that these topics call for a more “nuanced” view.18 Christians must study and come to firm convictions on what the Bible says about these issues. It is not unloving to say the truth to a world in need of a Savior. Questions: Do you believe Scripture is clear on its commands concerning sexual sins? Do you believe it addresses homosexuality and gender distinction clearly? Should a church welcome members who are engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage? What is the most loving approach for a Christian in regards to someone who deals with same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria? Egalitarianism and Women Being Ordained for Ministry In the 1970s Gloria Steinem used the phrase “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” to encapsulate and popularize the philosophy behind feminism. In an attempt to counter the unbiblical ideas embedded in feminism, biblical Christians coined the term complementarianism in the 1980s.19 The idea was to encapsulate the equality of men and women while differentiating their God-given roles in particular settings. The term was new, but the truths behind it are as old as Scripture. The New Testament is clear on the intrinsic value and spiritual worth of women. Both men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and both are equal in Christ through salvation: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). But the New Testament is also clear that God gave men and women different roles in marriage (1 Peter 3:7) and in the church. Regarding the church, the Bible gives straightforward directions in both 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:35: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” “And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” My wife Terrie is an avid student of God’s Word and a capable Bible teacher. She has spoken to ladies over the years and has occasionally given a testimony of thanksgiving in our church assembly. But scripturally, neither she nor I believe it is a woman’s place to teach or preach the Word of God in a mixed congregation. These views are not new and have been held by biblical Christians since the first century. In more recent years, however, woke or woke-leaning Christians are using the term egalitarian to describe a position that insists that men and women not only have equal value but also hold equal or interchangeable roles in all settings, including the home and church. This egalitarian position has set the stage for woke pastors whose previous theological convictions were complimentarian to ordain women to pastoral roles in ministry.20 Rick Warren, who was one of the leaders of the “seeker-sensitive movement” of the ’90s, has been one of the most vocal to recently ordain women,21 even though this was not his position for his previous decades of ministry. After being disfellowshipped from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) over his new position, Warren was interviewed by Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today and previous president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the interview, Warren used poor exegesis to defend his culturally-popular views22 and stated he intends to seek to have the SBC decision overturned.23 But it’s not just Warren. Other woke-leaning pastors have been quite willing to virtue signal their egalitarian views by inviting their wives to preach on occasion and making little or no distinction between themselves and their wives as pastors. Throughout the New Testament, we see women engaged in meaningful roles of ministry within the church. (See, for example, Acts 16:40, Acts 18:2, and Romans 16:1–2, 7.) When Christians cave to the accommodating stance of egalitarianism, they minimize the significant aspects of ministry God has given to women in the church. Questions: Do you believe Scripture differentiates between the roles of men and women in marriage and ministry? Do you believe women can biblically hold the title of “pastor”? Racism and Critical Race Theory Closely tied to woke philosophies is an adherence to Critical Race Theory (CRT). To once again quote Merriam-Webster, CRT refers to “the idea that race is a sociological rather than biological designation, and that racism pervades society and is fostered and perpetuated by the legal system.”24 Racism is an ugly sin. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God made every person in His image, and Acts 17:25–26 affirms that we all have equal value in His sight. We are all of the same race—a fallen human race in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23–26). All of us come to God the same way—through Christ. Thus, the ground is level at the foot of the cross, and within the body of Christ, there is to be no favoritism (Colossians 3:11). The New Testament strongly condemns prejudice (James 2:8–9). The premise of CRT, however, is that “the very concept of race was constructed in order to benefit whites at the expense of people of color.”25 A result of this approach is that “Even if a white person has never had a genuinely racist thought or he has repented of past racism, he is still a racist, white supremacist, because he is white and belongs to the majority.”26 This philosophy distorts the meaning of racism, redefining it from a sin of the heart to a result of one’s skin color. Furthermore, this philosophy makes reconciliation with other believers and unity within a church impossible because it suggests that white church members will always be guilty of racism, not to mention the fact that non-white members cannot be guilty of racism. This is not only ridiculous, but it is actually sinister. It is ripping a real sin apart from its moral definition and making it responsible for all the ills of society. For a real-life example of how this plays out, here is a transcript from Matthew Hall, the former dean of Boyce College at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2016-2019, as well as the former provost and senior vice president of academic administration at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2019-2022, and also a former research fellow for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission from 2014-2022. In comments made as the guest of the Coffee and Cream podcast in 2018, Hall spoke to racial issues: I am a racist, okay, so if that freaks you out, if you think the worst thing somebody can call you is a racist, then you’re not thinking biblically, because guess what, like, I’m gonna struggle with racism and white supremacy until the day I die and get my glorified body and in a completely renewed and sanctified mind. Because I am immersed in a culture where I benefit from racism all the time.27 A few years ago, a pastor prayed at Baylor University’s commencement exercises and denounced “a planet with too many straight, white men like me behind the steering wheel.”28 This type of virtue signaling is becoming more common even in evangelical circles. No one—especially no Christian—should think less of or despairingly toward someone because of their ethnicity, skin color, or background. And no one—especially no Christian—should assume they know the condition of another’s heart based on his or her skin color. Questions: Does racism necessarily coincide with ethnicity or skin color? How did the churches of the New Testament experience and address racism and prejudice? (See Acts 10, Acts 15, and James 2.) Is their approach sufficient today? Intersectionality The idea behind intersectionality is something like a CRT-based point system in which you receive more points for the greater number of minority groups to which you belong. Or you could think of it as a Venn diagram with circles representing various oppressed or minority groups overlapping, creating an “intersectional” center that represents the most highly-oppressed. For instance, according to intersectionality, a straight white male would be considered to belong to three groups with no oppression (straight, white, and male) whereas a lesbian African-American female would be a highly-oppressed person belonging to three groups that experience oppression. Intersectionality divides the world into oppressors and victims. These divisions are built around group identities rather than personal experiences. And because there is no real way to right the wrongs of each group, intersectionality tends toward noisy virtue signaling without encouraging leaders to roll up their sleeves to discern and resolve underlying issues at play, preferring instead to perpetuate a sense of ongoing victimhood. Additionally, intersectionality gives victim groups the moral high ground based simply on the oppression they have suffered. This obliterates right and wrong in the biblical or moral sense, replacing it with victimization or oppression. One author described it this way: In the worldview of ideological social justice, authority is conferred, not by wisdom, age, position, or experience—but by victim status. Claims of oppression and victimization based on a subjective “lived experience” must be believed without question. The more intersectional victim-boxes one can check, the greater the moral authority. The greater the authority, the greater the power.29 Concerning victimization, the Bible tells us that God personally cares for the oppressed (Psalm 9:9, 146:7). Jesus Himself “was oppressed, and he was afflicted” (Isaiah 53:7). In the Old Testament, God gave laws to Israel to prohibit taking advantage of vulnerable people such as foreigners, widows, fatherless, and the poor (Exodus 22:21–27). The Old Testament instructs, “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). Likewise, the New Testament commands Christians to care for those in need and specifically to “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27). The contrast between intersectionality and a biblical approach to oppression is threefold: First, the categories for concern are specific to personal experience rather than to a broad group (e.g. being a widow versus being a woman or being fatherless versus having a particular skin color). Second, the biblical instructions are given to protect against actual crimes and to relieve actual suffering rather than to perpetuate labels of victimhood. And finally, Scripture—not categories of victimization—provides the moral authority for what is right or wrong. There are real victims in our fallen world. There are countless hearts shattered by sin (their own or others) and suffering who are in need of God’s love. Biblical Christians care to relieve their suffering. That relief does not come through faulty philosophies of victimhood but through the forgiveness offered through the glorious gospel of Christ and the grace given through the precious promises of His Word. For those who are in bondage to sin, Christ promises, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). To those who know Christ, He promises overcoming power in a trouble-filled world: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Questions: From a biblical standpoint, what concerns arise by including the LGBT community in groups of oppression? In what ways might people who struggle in these areas actually be oppressed, and what is a biblical approach to healing? In what ways does intersectionality create victimhood out of sinful practices? Do you believe the gospel and God’s Word are sufficient to address the needs of the oppressed? Anti-Capitalism and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) For reasons that seem more philosophical than practical, those who are woke are against free-market capitalism. This hatred for capitalism and the free market is part of what has given rise to Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) in financial sectors. ESG investing firms, banks, and government policies require those with whom they do business to support environmental causes, affirm anti-christian social stances, and maintain hiring quotas that are LGBT affirming. Not only are these philosophies unbiblical, but they are economically dangerous, as was seen in the recent collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). It wasn’t until the aftermath of this bank’s collapse that customers learned how ESG partially led to its demise. Due to woke hiring practices, only one member of the board of directors held previous experience in investment banking.30 And while the bank was tanking, its head of risk assessment was launching and leading LGBTQ programs instead of righting the ship.31 Additionally, before its shutdown, the bank “dropped an ESG report that outlined the company’s focus on climate change.”32 The dangers of ESG, however, are larger than the failure of a single bank or company. There is an underlying agenda to use ESG policies to strong-arm ordinary citizens into woke causes. For instance, during Covid lockdowns, those who protested against government policies in Canada had their bank accounts frozen.33 Already some Christian institutions are finding a need to switch banks because their accounts have been canceled for unexplained reasons.34 I believe that in the future, companies and churches that don’t cooperate with ESG values will have their accounts canceled in greater number. It’s possible that the ESG agreements will become a “mark or brand” businesses will be forced to take if they will get contracts and rates amenable to their success. Proponents of ESG dislike capitalism, claiming that it is systemically racist. If these claims were true, there would be good reason to look for another system. But these claims are not true, as author Owen Strachan points out: “Though woke leaders seek to replace the free market with state-controlled systems that will yield ‘equity’ as they see it, the free market is actually a tremendous engine for good for all peoples. While not impervious to manipulation…the free market has fundamentally changed the world, lifting people across the world out of serfdom into freedom.”35 He continues with helpful statistics and details explaining how racism, such as slavery in the United States, actually hurts rather than helps capitalism wherever it is or has been practiced.36 Scripture makes a direct connection between labor and provision: “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The Bible instructs us to labor so that we might have and be able to give to others: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28). The New Testament strongly condemns men who do not provide for their household: “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8). Economic systems that reward diligent labor with personal ownership of the fruits of that labor are to be commended. Christians who care for those in need should be discerning to see the woke hatred of capitalism for the pro-socialism agenda that is driving it. Although socialism promises to help the poor, it proposes this help based on other people’s money and by building a larger government that will ultimately crush the poor. In reality, socialism has devastated the people and the economy of every country where it has been thoroughly implemented.37 Questions: How does Scripture inform our view of money and economies? Every human system has weaknesses. What do you see as the greatest weaknesses in capitalism and socialism? Conclusion There is a real need in our day for biblical Christians to be alert to worldly philosophies that masquerade as truth. I am concerned for the future orthodoxy of Christians who seek influence and ideas from those who are swayed by woke ideas. The practice of churches that exemplify woke and social justice philosophies today reveal their consumption of the “philosophy and vain deceit” spoken of in Colossians 2:8: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” John Adams, second president of the United States, pointed out, “It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times, to preach against such sins as are most prevalent, and recommend such virtues as are most wanted.”38 Christian leaders today must be willing to clearly and unapologetically state what the Bible says. They must be willing to call sin what it is and must be clear in proclaiming the gospel through Jesus Christ. Scripture commands us that we are to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). As I have attempted to point out in these pages, the modern woke agenda is significant to “the faith” because it undermines the biblical understanding of such central truths as sin, forgiveness, and the gospel itself. If we are to make a difference in our world today, we must, like the apostle Paul, be willing to stand for truth under the stigma of the cross even when it seems strange to the world. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Dr. Paul Chappell has served as the pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster, California, for thirty-seven years. He and his wife Terrie have been married for forty-two years and have four married children serving the Lord in ministry. lancasterbaptist.org Endnotes Merriam-Webster, s.v. “woke,” accessed March 22, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woke. Owen Strachan, Christianity and Wokeness (Washington DC: Salem Books, 2021), 8. Adam Page, “What on earth…,” Twitter, January 23, 2023, https://twitter.com/AdamPage85/status/1617522150499577856. Russell Moore, “Rick Warren Reflects on His Legacy,” Christianity Today, March 8, 2023, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/russell-moore-show/rick-warren-legacy-saddleback-sbc-purpose-driven-life.html. Kylee Griswold, “Russell Moore Won’t Celebrate Dobbs Because He’d Have To Admit Pro-Trump Christians Are Good At Loving Their Neighbors,” The Federalist, June 29, 2022, “https://thefederalist.com/2022/06/29/russell-moore-wont-celebrate-dobbs-because-hed-have-to-admit-pro-trump-christians-are-good-at-loving-their-neighbors/. Early in the wake of Floyd’s death, blacklivesmatter.com included stated objectives on their homepage to “disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure,” “foster a queer‐affirming network,” and “do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege.” I detailed this in an article titled “Counter-Cultural Christians Needed,” published July 2, 2020 (https://paulchappell.com/2020/07/02/counter-culturalchristians-needed/). The statements were still on blacklivesmatter.com at that time. The group was founded by Patrisse Khan-Callours, Alisha Garza, and Opal Tometi, who are self-described Marxists. Answering an interviewer’s question about BLM’s ability to organize, Callours said, “We actually do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia in particular, were trained organizers. We are trained Marxists. We are super versed on ideological theories.” Patrisse’s book When They Call You a Terrorist also references this as she described how she developed her current ideas: “I read, I study, adding Mao, Marx and Lenin to my knowledge of hooks . . . .” See Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele, When They Call You a Terrorist (New York: Saint Martin’s Griffin, 2017), Kindle edition. Tim Keller, “Creation, Evolution, and Christian Laypeople,” BioLogos, February 23, 2012, https://biologos.org/articles/creation-evolution-and-christian-laypeople. Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 291. Ibid. Charles Creitz, “Drag queen story hour slammed as ‘sexualizing children’ after Maryland library hosts interactive event: Drag queen story time events for children are part of a growing trend across the country,” Fox News, October 28, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/media/drag-queen-story-hour-slammed-sexualizing-children-maryland-library-hosts-interactive-event. David Gortler, “Allowing Biological Males in Women’s Sports is Scientifically Unsound,” Newsweek, October 6, 2022, https://www.newsweek.com/allowing-biological-males-womens-sports-scientifically-unsound-opinion-1748900. R. Albert Mohler Jr., The Gathering Storm (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2020), 87. “Revisionist Gay Theology: Did God Really Say..?” Focus on the Family, July 29, 2019, https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/revisionist-gay-theology-did-god-really-say/. Adam Page, “What on earth…,” Twitter, January 23, 2023, https://twitter.com/AdamPage85/status/1617522150499577856. “Prominent Southern Baptist Church Brags That Transgenders and Abortionists Serve in Their Church,” YouTube video, 00:37, posted by “The Dissenter,” February 7, 2022, Open, “Gay-Married” Homosexual Man Baptizes Other People at First Baptist Orlando, Disntr, March 13, 2023, https://disntr.com/2023/03/13/open-gay-married-homosexual-man-baptizes-other-people-at-first-baptist-orlando/. Jared Kennedy, “What do I do if my child doesn’t seem to fit with typical gender norms?” Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, May 17, 2021, https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/what-do-i-do-if-my-child-doesnt-seem-to-fit-with-typical-gender-norms/?fbclid=IwAR0sXHMpztssG8iua4M24uwxcYic7x_kO_yfUc-cDG1z5fjaHkHaWRfS6Vk. Denny Burk, What’s in a name? The meaning and origin of ‘complementarianism,’” The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, August 1, 2019, https://cbmw.org/2019/08/01/whats-in-a-name/. Nate Schlomann, NAMB and SBC Egalitarrianism, Servants and Heralds, February 8, 2021, https://www.servantsandheralds.com/namb-and-sbc-egalitarianism/. Saddleback Church, “Yesterday was a historic night…” Facebook, May 7, 2021, https://www.facebook.com/saddlebackchurch/posts/-yesterday-was-a-historic-night-for-saddleback-church-in-many-wayswe-ordained-ou/10159190549013544/. Russell Moore, “Rick Warren Reflects on His Legacy,” Christianity Today, March 8, 2023, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/russell-moore-show/rick-warren-legacy-saddleback-sbc-purpose-driven-life.html. Denny Burk, “Rick Warren Has Done the SBC a Great Service,” Denny Burk, March 14, 2023, https://www.dennyburk.com/rick-warren-has-done-the-sbc-a-great-service/. Merriam-Webster, s.v. “Critical Race Theory,” accessed March 22, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20race%20theory. Shannon Craigo-Snell and Christopher Doucot, No Innocent Bystanders (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017), 67. Ronnie W. Rogers, Understanding the Terms of Cultural Marxism (Social Justice): A Christian Response, Ronnie W. Rogers, June 29, 2020, https://ronniewrogers.com/2020/06/understanding-the-terms-of-cultural-marxism- social-justice-a-christian- response/. Jake Cannon and Matt Bryant, “Epidode 13: Seminaries And Radical Reconciliation With Matthew Hall,” YouTube video, 49:45, posted by “Coffee and Cream”, Jul 15, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwI82hKUTgI. Reference clip starts at 49:45. Todd Starnes, “Baylor University Prayer Denounces ‘Straight White Men,’” ToddStarnes.com, May 2, 2019, https://www.toddstarnes.com/faith/baylor-university-denounces-straight-white-men-in-graduation-prayer/. Scott D. Allen, Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice, (Grand Rapids, MI: Credo House Publishers, 2020), 67. “More ‘woke’ companies are going to fail, former CEO warns: SVB collapse was ‘perfect storm,’” Fox News, March 15, 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/media/woke-companies-going-fail-former-ceo-warns-svb-collapse-perfect-storm Aubrie Spady, “Head of risk assessment at Silicon Valley Bank invested in LGBTQ programs in months leading up to shutdown,” Fox News, March 13, 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/head-risk-assessment-silicon-valley-bank-invested-lgbtq-programs-months-leading-shutdown Ibid. Siladitya Ray, “Canada Begins To Release Frozen Bank Accounts Of ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protestors,” Forbes, February 23, 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/02/23/canada-begins-to-release-frozen-bank-accounts-of-freedom-convoy-protestors/. Dale Hurd, “Account Closed: Banks and Businesses Cancel Christians,” CBN News, January 3, 2023, https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2022/november/account-closed-banks-and-businesses-cancel-christians. Owen Strachan, Christianity and Wokeness (Washington DC: Salem Books, 2021), 124. Ibid. Benjamin Powell, “Hey, Millennials: Socialism Creates Poverty and Limits Freedom. So Stop Romanticizing It!,” Independent Institute, November 27, 2017, https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=9206. Charles Francis Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Volume IV (Boston, MA: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1851), 56. View the full article
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