After a lifetime of offering apologies for my sins, screw-ups, stupidity, and missteps, one would think that I would have mastered the art. Even if I only counted the times I have needed to ask my wife for forgiveness, I would still be one of the most practiced penitents on the planet.
Remarkably, I find myself relearning repentance every time I need to do it. The natural tendency is to cast blame, to excuse, to express all the reasons why my actions are justified or, at the very least, aren't as bad as they seem. If the one I wronged also wronged me at some point, do I have to apologize? If my offense was unintentional must I ask forgiveness? Is repentance necessary if expressing regret will suffice? Can I downgrade it to a mistake, a misunderstanding, or an error of judgment?
But when I am pushed, when I find no alternative to an apology, when I realize that I have to say those two dreaded words, I still look to lessen my liability and minimize my misbehavior by adding a few words to my "heartfelt and sincere" apology: if you were offended. In one phrase I can doubly diminish my humiliation by making my offense merely possible and shifting the blame in case of its reality. I relieve myself of the real burden and place it squarely on the shoulders of the person who felt the offense. Cloaked in my confession is an agent of accusation. The real problem isn't mine at all. "If you weren't so sensitive," my words suggest, "there wouldn't be a problem."
Perhaps the most embarrassing fact of all is that in my decades of copping this pseudo-plea, it has never worked. The person to whom I make this unconfession inevitably catches my emotional sleight of hand and realizes that I have attempted to deftly lay it all on him or her (usually a particular "her").
Repentance, on the other hand, knows nothing of shifting blame, making excuses, or diminishing damage. True repentance is a brokenness that shatters pride into thousands of shards that cannot be pieced back together.
Jesus gave a beautiful picture of this kind of repentance in the parable of the Prodigal Son. When at his spiritual nadir, the son realizes in the pig sty that he has done a sinful and stupid thing. He even goes so far as to rehearse his apology: "I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.'"
Every time I read that I am struck by the simplicity and the beauty of the son's statement. He does not say, "Father, I made a mistake," or "I regret leaving." He certainly doesn't say, "Dad, I'm sorry if my actions offended you." He doesn't say, "Well, though it's true that I did that, I am sorry if my actions caused you pain and I promise I will not do it again."
In all my sinfulness, I have learned the marks of true repentance. Here is what I have found.
A truly penitent person doesn't depend on forgiveness. His apology is not a negotiation; it's begging. Beggars don't get to dictate terms.
A broken person understands that he doesn't get to choose other people's reaction to his sin. They may forgive him or not. He put them in that position, after all. They may hold it against him if they choose. His apology is independent of their response.
A broken person understands that forgiveness is a gift given, not a debt owed.
A broken person asks for no apology in return, even if the other person has done wrong, too.
A broken person realizes and freely admits that he does not deserve forgiveness.
A broken person accepts that it takes much longer to reestablish trust than to destroy it, and he cannot insist on a timetable.
A broken person understands that the power of the words "I'm sorry" diminish greatly when conditioned by an "if."
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
A Wall-Street Journal Hatchet Job
Two weeks ago Alexandra Alter of the Wall Street Journal called me and interviewed me for at least twenty minutes about church discipline. Explaining that she had come across a Baptist Press article about church discipline while researching something else, she listened intently while I presented the biblical rationale and told specific examples. After all, Jesus only used the word "ekklesia" in two places in the gospels, both of them in Matthew. The first is Matthew 16:18, in which he speaks of the church's founding, and the other is 18:17, in which he speaks of discipline.
As an aside, I confess that I get aggravated when people who claim that we shouldn't speak out against homosexuality because Jesus never spoke about it directly simultaneously ignore the things of which he spoke clearly. Jesus spoke more about hell than any prophet. He layed out the procedure for discipline, even to the point of excommunication, which Paul echoed in 1 Corinthians 5. Discipline and preaching on hell were obviously priorities to Jesus.
So when the WSJ reporter called me, I explained its biblical basis, its practical application, and its obvious benefits. I reasoned that, if sin is indeed harmful, the cruelest thing we can do is leave someone in it. Confrontation must always be motivated by a sense of compassion and a desire for reconciliation. Then, to prove the point, I gave her the name and number of a man whom our church disciplined. His testimony is that he would not even be alive today had we not dealt with him as we did. Within the past week Ms. Alter called and interviewed this man and he told her the whole fascinating story.
The article is in today's Wall Street Journal, and it is completely one-sided and negative. The title appears variously as "Churches Expose Sinners" or "Banned from Church" and it characterizes discipline as ecclesiastical control.
Notice that she refers to "a passage in the gospel of Matthew," but does not tell her readers that the words are from Jesus. All of her examples of discipline are negative. She did not include a single example which she portrays in a positive light. For this reason neither Buck Run nor I are mentioned in this article because we had nothing but positive things to say. Even the subject of our discipline says the action was not only deserved, but necessary and restorative. Not one word of that testimony is included.
The article is tantamount to being against spanking because some parents abuse their children, or criticizing "time out" because some parents lock their children in the basement.
I have little doubt that discipline is sometimes abused, but frankly the greater and far more frequent problem in contemporary churches is that discipline isn't even discussed--regardless of what Jesus taught. What a shame that a publication the stature of the WSJ would countenance so unbalanced a presentation of the facts.
As an aside, I confess that I get aggravated when people who claim that we shouldn't speak out against homosexuality because Jesus never spoke about it directly simultaneously ignore the things of which he spoke clearly. Jesus spoke more about hell than any prophet. He layed out the procedure for discipline, even to the point of excommunication, which Paul echoed in 1 Corinthians 5. Discipline and preaching on hell were obviously priorities to Jesus.
So when the WSJ reporter called me, I explained its biblical basis, its practical application, and its obvious benefits. I reasoned that, if sin is indeed harmful, the cruelest thing we can do is leave someone in it. Confrontation must always be motivated by a sense of compassion and a desire for reconciliation. Then, to prove the point, I gave her the name and number of a man whom our church disciplined. His testimony is that he would not even be alive today had we not dealt with him as we did. Within the past week Ms. Alter called and interviewed this man and he told her the whole fascinating story.
The article is in today's Wall Street Journal, and it is completely one-sided and negative. The title appears variously as "Churches Expose Sinners" or "Banned from Church" and it characterizes discipline as ecclesiastical control.
The revival is part of a broader movement to restore churches to their traditional role as moral enforcers, Christian leaders say. Some say that contemporary churches have grown soft on sinners, citing the rise of suburban megachurches where pastors preach self-affirming messages rather than focusing on sin and redemption. Others point to a passage in the gospel of Matthew that says unrepentant sinners must be shunned.
Notice that she refers to "a passage in the gospel of Matthew," but does not tell her readers that the words are from Jesus. All of her examples of discipline are negative. She did not include a single example which she portrays in a positive light. For this reason neither Buck Run nor I are mentioned in this article because we had nothing but positive things to say. Even the subject of our discipline says the action was not only deserved, but necessary and restorative. Not one word of that testimony is included.
The article is tantamount to being against spanking because some parents abuse their children, or criticizing "time out" because some parents lock their children in the basement.
I have little doubt that discipline is sometimes abused, but frankly the greater and far more frequent problem in contemporary churches is that discipline isn't even discussed--regardless of what Jesus taught. What a shame that a publication the stature of the WSJ would countenance so unbalanced a presentation of the facts.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
And Speaking of Politics . . .
As interested as I am in Kentucky politics these days, I am certainly not ignoring the 2008 presidential race. I find this race as fascinating as any I can remember. This thing is wide open. This morning I was on a segment of National Public Radio's "Tell Me More," appearing with Dr. Janice Crouse of the Beverly LaHaye Institute of the Concerned Women for America.
Our segment was about twelve minutes long and we discussed the reticence of many evangelical leaders to back Huckabee. Speaking only for myself, of course, I endorsed Huckabee at the very end of the interview.
I have been a guest on "Tell Me More" several times and I have built a relationship with a producer. He sometimes calls for me to explain the evangelical world to him or to help him find someone who fits a very specific need. Explaining the world I live in to someone who lives completely outside it helps me understand both its lunacy and its value.
You can listen to it here.
Our segment was about twelve minutes long and we discussed the reticence of many evangelical leaders to back Huckabee. Speaking only for myself, of course, I endorsed Huckabee at the very end of the interview.
I have been a guest on "Tell Me More" several times and I have built a relationship with a producer. He sometimes calls for me to explain the evangelical world to him or to help him find someone who fits a very specific need. Explaining the world I live in to someone who lives completely outside it helps me understand both its lunacy and its value.
You can listen to it here.
Prayer and Politics
I was honored to be asked to lead in prayer in the joint session of the Kentucky legislature last Monday night at which the new Governor gave his first State of the Commonwealth Address. The irony of the situation was not lost on me. Governor Steve Beshear's number one agenda item is to pass a constitutional amendment that will legalize expanded gambling in Kentucky so casinos can be located within our borders. I am one of the most outspoken opponents of this measure, so it made for an interesting situation.
Senate President David Williams, a Republican, invited me to give the invocation at the joint session Monday night, which was carried on live television statewide. I was planning on that. What confused me, however, was that democrat Speaker of the House Jody Richards' office called last Friday and told me to be present to give the invocation in the House at 4PM Monday. When I heard that message, I thought they had changed the time or something. Turns out that Speaker Richards invitation was completely independent of President Williams' invitation, so I opened the House at 4PM and then the joint session at 7PM. I wonder if I'm the first to get to give an invocation in the legislature twice in one day? I certainly need the practice.
In both prayers I thanked God for those honorable public servants who have given themselves to improve our state, but I also asked Him to give them the courage to refuse any option that preys on the poor and pitiable.
One Courier-Journal scribe reported that I "frequently" campaigned with former Gov. Ernie Fletcher (I did not) and that I am his pastor (I am not nor have I ever been). Peter Smith, the C-J's religion writer always does a good job with the facts, however, and he blogged about it and got it correct.
These are interesting days in Frankfort. I find myself in the position of "the loyal opposition." If Gov. Beshear solves our budgetary woes without resorting to expanded gambling, he can go down as one of Kentucky's greatest governors. That is what I pray for him.
You can view it here.
Senate President David Williams, a Republican, invited me to give the invocation at the joint session Monday night, which was carried on live television statewide. I was planning on that. What confused me, however, was that democrat Speaker of the House Jody Richards' office called last Friday and told me to be present to give the invocation in the House at 4PM Monday. When I heard that message, I thought they had changed the time or something. Turns out that Speaker Richards invitation was completely independent of President Williams' invitation, so I opened the House at 4PM and then the joint session at 7PM. I wonder if I'm the first to get to give an invocation in the legislature twice in one day? I certainly need the practice.
In both prayers I thanked God for those honorable public servants who have given themselves to improve our state, but I also asked Him to give them the courage to refuse any option that preys on the poor and pitiable.
One Courier-Journal scribe reported that I "frequently" campaigned with former Gov. Ernie Fletcher (I did not) and that I am his pastor (I am not nor have I ever been). Peter Smith, the C-J's religion writer always does a good job with the facts, however, and he blogged about it and got it correct.
These are interesting days in Frankfort. I find myself in the position of "the loyal opposition." If Gov. Beshear solves our budgetary woes without resorting to expanded gambling, he can go down as one of Kentucky's greatest governors. That is what I pray for him.
You can view it here.
Preaching Today's Book of the Year
Congratulations to Dr. Greg Heisler, graduate of Southern Seminary's Preaching PhD program, my former student, and Preaching Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. His excellent work, Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit's Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery has been named Preaching Today's Book of the Year. This is a big deal! Preaching Today is an excellent publication, bringing the best preachers and authors in North America to the attention of the evangelical world.
Congratulations, Greg! I am proud of you.
Monday, January 07, 2008
A Statement from Highview Baptist Church
It seems that there has been some misunderstanding about the missions giving of Highview Baptist Church where Dr. Mohler is a member. In response to some misinformation, Kevin Ezell has issued the following clarification:
HIGHVIEW’S MISSIONS GIVING
January 7, 2008
Highview Baptist Church has received numerous inquiries from around the world about our giving to missions and missions-related causes, and we are more than happy to address those questions.
As a church, we are committed to The Southern Baptist Convention and to its mission of reaching people for Jesus Christ in our community, our state, our country, and all over the word. Being “Great Commission Focused” is one of our core values. Our church has a history of missions-related giving and of sending career missionaries and volunteers to the field. We are more excited and more committed to missions now than at any time in our church’s history.
In the wake of various erroneous news reports, we do think it’s important that we clear up any misunderstanding about Highview’s contribution to the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong missions offerings.
In 2006, Highview gave a total of $724,984 to missions. In the Associated Church Profile (ACP) we submitted to the SBC in 2006, we simply chose not to specifically categorize our missions giving. Frankly, at the time, we did not think such categorization was necessary to promote our church.
In 2007, we gave $836,681 dollars to missions. Last year, we did specifically categorize our contribution in the ACP report. Highview gave $64,158 to the Lottie Moon fund and $13,752 to Annie Armstrong.
As for our Cooperative Program giving, Highview has chosen to give the majority of our cooperative funds directly to the SBC instead of funneling the funds through the Kentucky Baptist Convention. The reason is simple: The KBC retains 64% of those funds, and we want to ensure that more of our dollars went directly to evangelism, missions and other programs that Highview supports.
Highview Baptist Church understands that some of the questions about our missions giving come following the announcement that one of our teaching pastors, Dr. Albert Mohler, will be nominated for the presidency of the SBC. We are proud to have Dr. Mohler and his family as active members of our church.
Our giving, our going, our praying, and our serving has always been out of a desire to make Jesus’ name famous all over the world.
Missions and evangelism are at the core of Highview Baptist Church, so in the wake of some misinformation, we thought it necessary to set the record straight. To that end, we are attaching our 2008 plan for missions giving, which our congregation unanimously approved in November of 2007.
NEWS RELEASE
Highview Baptist Church
Phone: 502.239.7711
Fax: 502.239.3353
7711 Fegenbush Lane
Louisville, KY 40228
http://www.highview.org
Investment Plan
2008 GOAL: To INVEST over $1 Million in Missions
Expenditures are proposed and will be
determined by offerings to Million to Missions.
LOCAL
A Woman’s Choice Resource Center 24,000
Southern Seminary
Mentoring/Intern Program 150,000
Prison Ministry 42,000
Media Outreach 20,000
R.O.C.K. 5,000
Fern Creek/Highview United Ministries 5,000
Fellowship of Christian Athletes 5,000
Sunrise Children’s Services 5,000
Shield of Faith 2,600
Long Run Baptist Association 1,200
Campus Missions
Spencer 50,000
Indiana 50,000
Hispanic 50,000
TOTAL LOCAL MISSIONS 409,800
NATIONAL
Cooperative Program (See International Missions)
Through the North American Mission Board a percentage of Cooperative Program funds goes to North America Missions.
Church Plants
New York City | The Gallery Church 50,000
Philadelphia 25,000
Indianapolis 25,000
Atlanta 25,000
Cleveland 25,000
Mission Trip Supplements 20,000
THIRST Student Mission
Trip Supplement 25,000
Eastern Ky Mission Trip 5,000
TOTAL NATIONAL MISSIONS 200,000
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS
Cooperative Program 400,000
Supports
Over 5,000 international missionaries through
the International Mission Board
Over 5,000 national missionaries
Disaster relief
Our six Southern Baptist Seminaries
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
International Mission Board
Lottie Moon Offering 100,000
International Mission Trips 100,000
1. North Africa
2. Zambia
3. India
4. Guatemala
5. Vietnam
Bible Distribution 25,000
Gideons 10,000
Muslim Bible Day 10,000
Wycliffe Bible Translators 5,000
Highview Missionary House 5,000
Adoption Ministry 10,000
Orphan Ministry (Children from Afar) 10,000
Vietnam Ministry (Norman Coe) 10,000
Turkey 10,000
TOTAL INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS 670,000
TOTAL MISSIONS $1,279,800
HIGHVIEW’S MISSIONS GIVING
January 7, 2008
Highview Baptist Church has received numerous inquiries from around the world about our giving to missions and missions-related causes, and we are more than happy to address those questions.
As a church, we are committed to The Southern Baptist Convention and to its mission of reaching people for Jesus Christ in our community, our state, our country, and all over the word. Being “Great Commission Focused” is one of our core values. Our church has a history of missions-related giving and of sending career missionaries and volunteers to the field. We are more excited and more committed to missions now than at any time in our church’s history.
In the wake of various erroneous news reports, we do think it’s important that we clear up any misunderstanding about Highview’s contribution to the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong missions offerings.
In 2006, Highview gave a total of $724,984 to missions. In the Associated Church Profile (ACP) we submitted to the SBC in 2006, we simply chose not to specifically categorize our missions giving. Frankly, at the time, we did not think such categorization was necessary to promote our church.
In 2007, we gave $836,681 dollars to missions. Last year, we did specifically categorize our contribution in the ACP report. Highview gave $64,158 to the Lottie Moon fund and $13,752 to Annie Armstrong.
As for our Cooperative Program giving, Highview has chosen to give the majority of our cooperative funds directly to the SBC instead of funneling the funds through the Kentucky Baptist Convention. The reason is simple: The KBC retains 64% of those funds, and we want to ensure that more of our dollars went directly to evangelism, missions and other programs that Highview supports.
Highview Baptist Church understands that some of the questions about our missions giving come following the announcement that one of our teaching pastors, Dr. Albert Mohler, will be nominated for the presidency of the SBC. We are proud to have Dr. Mohler and his family as active members of our church.
Our giving, our going, our praying, and our serving has always been out of a desire to make Jesus’ name famous all over the world.
Missions and evangelism are at the core of Highview Baptist Church, so in the wake of some misinformation, we thought it necessary to set the record straight. To that end, we are attaching our 2008 plan for missions giving, which our congregation unanimously approved in November of 2007.
NEWS RELEASE
Highview Baptist Church
Phone: 502.239.7711
Fax: 502.239.3353
7711 Fegenbush Lane
Louisville, KY 40228
http://www.highview.org
Investment Plan
2008 GOAL: To INVEST over $1 Million in Missions
Expenditures are proposed and will be
determined by offerings to Million to Missions.
LOCAL
A Woman’s Choice Resource Center 24,000
Southern Seminary
Mentoring/Intern Program 150,000
Prison Ministry 42,000
Media Outreach 20,000
R.O.C.K. 5,000
Fern Creek/Highview United Ministries 5,000
Fellowship of Christian Athletes 5,000
Sunrise Children’s Services 5,000
Shield of Faith 2,600
Long Run Baptist Association 1,200
Campus Missions
Spencer 50,000
Indiana 50,000
Hispanic 50,000
TOTAL LOCAL MISSIONS 409,800
NATIONAL
Cooperative Program (See International Missions)
Through the North American Mission Board a percentage of Cooperative Program funds goes to North America Missions.
Church Plants
New York City | The Gallery Church 50,000
Philadelphia 25,000
Indianapolis 25,000
Atlanta 25,000
Cleveland 25,000
Mission Trip Supplements 20,000
THIRST Student Mission
Trip Supplement 25,000
Eastern Ky Mission Trip 5,000
TOTAL NATIONAL MISSIONS 200,000
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS
Cooperative Program 400,000
Supports
Over 5,000 international missionaries through
the International Mission Board
Over 5,000 national missionaries
Disaster relief
Our six Southern Baptist Seminaries
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
International Mission Board
Lottie Moon Offering 100,000
International Mission Trips 100,000
1. North Africa
2. Zambia
3. India
4. Guatemala
5. Vietnam
Bible Distribution 25,000
Gideons 10,000
Muslim Bible Day 10,000
Wycliffe Bible Translators 5,000
Highview Missionary House 5,000
Adoption Ministry 10,000
Orphan Ministry (Children from Afar) 10,000
Vietnam Ministry (Norman Coe) 10,000
Turkey 10,000
TOTAL INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS 670,000
TOTAL MISSIONS $1,279,800
Saturday, January 05, 2008
The Courier-Journal Article about Mohler's Candidacy
Peter Smith, religion reporter for the Courier-Journal, has filed this report about Mohler's candidacy.
Mohler in line for larger role
He's urged to lead Baptist convention
By Peter Smith
psmith@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler is being nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention -- a position that would ratify and expand his role as a spokesman for the denomination's conservative political and religious wing.
The vote on Mohler, 47, will take place this June in Indianapolis at the annual meeting of the nation's largest Protestant denomination.
Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, said he urged Mohler to run and will nominate him.
He cited Mohler's outspoken defense in the media of conservative causes, and he lauded the way Mohler led the tumultuous rightward shift at Southern Seminary in the 1990s.
"When Southern Seminary seemed to be lost to liberalism and irrelevancy, Dr. Mohler put his life and ministry on the line for the truth of God's word and the urgency of sharing Christ with a lost world," Jeffress said in a statement.
"Since that time, he has led Southern Seminary to be a boot camp for young men and women training to take the Gospel to the nations -- whatever the cost."
Jeffress added in an interview that the "next occupant of the Oval Office may not share the values that evangelical Christians share," and he believes Mohler would be able to use the denomination's presidency to say, "Mr. President or Madam President, 'Thus saith the Lord.' "
If elected, Mohler would be in line to preside at the convention's 2009 gathering in Louisville, which coincides with Southern Seminary's 150th anniversary.
Southern Baptists elect presidents for one-year terms and often re-elect them for a second year.
"I really am not so much seeking the office as I've had several people over the last several years -- but more recently with urgency -- ask me to do this," Mohler said in an interview yesterday. "But there is also the sense in which I believe there is something I could contribute through serving as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The timing seems to be right."
Mohler said Southern Baptists need to do a better job connecting with younger generations -- including its own younger pastors.
He cited his work at Southern Seminary as "evidence of an approach that does reach out to a younger generation and bring them in."
After seminary enrollment declined during the first few years of Mohler's presidency in the 1990s, it has since risen to one of the highest of any theological school in the nation.
Mohler has drawn wide support within the convention for his conservative views and for leading the seminary shift in the 1990s.
The school saw an almost complete turnover in faculty as Mohler implemented a doctrine that men should be in authority over women in churches and families and that the Bible is inerrant -- without error scientifically or historically as well as theologically.
Mohler has spawned controversy even among fellow conservatives over such issues as his support for a strict brand of Calvinism.
The most controversial part of that doctrine says that God has predestined some to be saved and others to be damned, which some Baptists say contradicts the denomination's mandate to preach the Gospel to all people.
But Mohler said he's never made that belief a litmus test for hiring and has always championed evangelistic efforts.
"I do not hope to be the Calvinist president of the Southern Baptist Convention," he said.
A supporter, Southern Seminary professor Hershael York, agreed.
"If it is a factor, it would be a shame, because frankly that has never been Al's rallying cry," said York, a former president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. "The Southern Baptist Convention is big enough for people to disagree on that."
York added that there is "nobody more suited" to the job than Mohler, because being Southern Baptist president gives him a platform to speak in the media "with authority and biblical conviction."
But even an admirer of Mohler's cultural and theological outlook questions whether he should fulfill that role as president.
"I want Dr. Mohler at Southern Seminary and on CNN, but we need an SBC president who has led a local church, regularly participates in international mission trips, does not polarize the conversation, and is known as a 'unifier,' " said Jason Pettus, pastor of Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green, in a blog post.
Robert Parham of the Nashville-based Baptist Center for Ethics, a frequent critic of the denomination's stances, said the presidency would give Mohler the chance to expand his influence.
He cited controversies such as Mohler's call for Christians to develop an "exit strategy" from public schools and Mohler's view that the Roman Catholic Church is a "false" church (on the grounds that, while individual Catholics can be Christians, its notion of church is unbiblical).
"Al Mohler leads the fundamentalist wing on the fundamentalist party of the SBC," Parham said. "His anti-public school, anti-working women, and anti-Catholic positions are well-received in the SBC. If he is elected president, the SBC will have padlocked closed the doors to the 19th-century cultural castle."
Bill Wagner, a former Southern Baptist missionary and president of Olivet University International in San Francisco, is the only other announced candidate for the presidency so far.
Reporter Peter Smith can be reached at (502) 582-4469.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Mohler Will Be Nominated for SBC President
Here it is.
OR
DALLAS—Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. provides “the kind of visionary leader Southern Baptists need to communicate a missional conservatism and biblical clarity to the world,” stated Robert Jeffress, pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in announcing his intention to nominate the 47-year-old Mohler for Southern Baptist Convention president in June.
In a news release provided to the Southern Baptist TEXAN Jan. 2, Jeffress said his decision is the result of prayer and concern for the future of Southern Baptists’ global witness. He said he believes Mohler would “motivate Southern Baptists to unite around cooperation for global missions and evangelism.”
If elected on June 10 when messengers meet in Indianapolis, Mohler would become the sixth seminary president to serve in the top denominational office.
Before moving to the Dallas congregation last August, Jeffress served 15 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas. He hosts the “Pathway to Victory” television program and broadcasts a daily sermon series heard in 13 countries.
“When Southern Seminary seemed to be lost to liberalism and irrelevancy, Dr. Mohler put his life and ministry on the line for the truth of God’s word and the urgency of sharing Christ with a lost world,” Jeffress said. “Since that time, he has led Southern Seminary to be a boot camp for young men and women training to take the gospel to the nations—whatever the cost.”
Mohler’s experience as a spokesman for Southern Baptists in the public square is another reason he should be president of the SBC, Jeffress added, noting the seminary president has been recognized by influential publications such as Time and Christianity Today, with Time calling him the “reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S.”
“For years, Southern Baptists and other Christians have seen Dr. Mohler stand for biblical revelation on programs such as “Larry King Live,” Jeffress said. “And, each and every time, no matter what the issue, Dr. Mohler has been a strong witness, telling lost people how they can come to know Christ. That kind of truth-telling with gospel compassion is the kind of leadership we need in these tumultuous times,” Jeffress added.
“Southern Baptists will be blessed to have a president in Dr. Mohler who can walk into the Oval Office or into the pulpit of your local Baptist church and say the same thing, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ with clarity and conviction,” Jeffress said. “Whether the issue is the family and marriage or Islamic terrorism or the religious liberty of Christians to share the gospel freely anywhere in the world, Dr. Mohler represents Southern Baptists well in pointing to Christ and his word,” Jeffress said.
He added that a Mohler presidency also would be critical in emphasizing the necessity of a strong and healthy Cooperative Program, pointing to Mohler’s experience in denominational leadership on the Program and Structure Study Committee that made recommendations for sweeping reorganization of the denomination in 1995 and to his work with fellow SBC entity heads on the denomination’s Great Commission Council.
Mohler also hosts an hour-long weekday radio program devoted to “engaging contemporary culture with biblical truth” on the Texas-based Salem Radio Network. His daily commentary for Crosswalk.com addresses moral, cultural and theological issues. Both are available on his website at albertmohler.com.
Mohler served as pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church in Bedford, Ky., and was on staff of Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville while enrolled as a seminary student. Prior to his election at the age of 33 to lead Southern Seminary, Mohler edited Georgia’s Christian Index, the oldest of the state Baptist papers. A native of Lakeland, Fla., he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Samford University and both a master’s and doctorate in philosophy from Southern Seminary.
In denominational life, Mohler chaired the SBC Committee on Resolutions, and served on the Baptist Faith and Message revision committee in 2000. He currently chairs the Council of Seminary Presidents.
Mohler and his wife, Mary, have two children, Katie, a freshman at Union University, and Christopher, 15. He is a member of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville where he serves as a teaching pastor and Sunday School teacher. The 2006 Annual Church Profile showed the church had 5,975 resident members and baptized 174 people.
Of the $5,082,133 in undesignated receipts, the church contributed $167,917 to the Cooperative Program with total mission expenditures amounting to $726,184. The church is dually affiliated with both the Kentucky Baptist Convention and State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, with campuses in four Louisville-area locations, one in Taylorsville, Ky., and one in Sellersburg, Ind.
In an interview with the TEXAN, Mohler expressed gratitude for the support of Jeffress.
“He is a pastor who has a great gift of encouragement, great skill in preaching, and great wisdom in understanding our denomination. We share many concerns about the future and many hopes for Southern Baptists,” he added.
If Southern Baptists elect him president, Mohler said he would hope to encourage them as the denomination faces a new era “filled with great opportunities and unprecedented challenges.”
“Our greatest challenge is to recover our passion for the gospel in evangelism and missions and to renew our determination to defend the gospel in an age of postmodern confusion. I would hope to articulate a vision that would unite Southern Baptists and energize us together.”
Mohler also expressed concern for reaching a younger generation with “the unchanging truth” of the gospel, seeking to relate what is at stake in this generational transition. Furthermore, he said he hopes to encourage pastors and help them reconnect at every level to what he called “a great denomination.”
“After all, Southern Baptists must remember that we, of all people, know that the most crucial issue for our future is having healthy churches, reflecting the true vision of a New Testament church—everything else flows from that.”
Mohler acknowledged that the SBC president has a limited term and limited means to help call Southern Baptists together. “We are not a top-down denomination—and for good reason. I promise to do my best to encourage Southern Baptists to be even more faithful, more biblical, more evangelistic, and more thankful for what God has given us in this convention of churches.”
SBC President Frank Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., concludes his second term in June and is ineligible for re-election. Other former SBC presidents who were elected to the office while serving as president of a seminary were Paige Patterson (1998-2000) while at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, W. W. Hamilton (1941-1942) while at Baptist Bible Institute, the forerunner to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and L. R. Scarborough (1939-1940) while at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
While there is clearly precedent for a seminary president to be SBC president, Mohler agreed that most SBC presidents have been pastors.
“This is healthy as the norm, and one of my hopes is to encourage more pastors to be deeply involved in the life of our denomination so that they can help to lead Southern Baptists in this new era,” he told the TEXAN. “Given the indirect nature of the trustee appointment process, I believe that Southern Baptists have adequate protections against any conflict of interest. Above this, however, I would pledge to lead in every dimension—appointments included—that would make Southern Baptists proud.”
Mohler is the second announced candidate for SBC president, following what may have been the earliest announcement of a nominee when William L. (Bill) Wagner, president of Olivet University International in San Francisco, announced Sept. 7 that he would allow his name to be offered for consideration at Indianapolis. The former Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary professor of missions and 31-year Southern Baptist missionary also pastors San Francisco-area church Snyder Lane Baptist Church.
OR
DALLAS—Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. provides “the kind of visionary leader Southern Baptists need to communicate a missional conservatism and biblical clarity to the world,” stated Robert Jeffress, pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in announcing his intention to nominate the 47-year-old Mohler for Southern Baptist Convention president in June.
In a news release provided to the Southern Baptist TEXAN Jan. 2, Jeffress said his decision is the result of prayer and concern for the future of Southern Baptists’ global witness. He said he believes Mohler would “motivate Southern Baptists to unite around cooperation for global missions and evangelism.”
If elected on June 10 when messengers meet in Indianapolis, Mohler would become the sixth seminary president to serve in the top denominational office.
Before moving to the Dallas congregation last August, Jeffress served 15 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas. He hosts the “Pathway to Victory” television program and broadcasts a daily sermon series heard in 13 countries.
“When Southern Seminary seemed to be lost to liberalism and irrelevancy, Dr. Mohler put his life and ministry on the line for the truth of God’s word and the urgency of sharing Christ with a lost world,” Jeffress said. “Since that time, he has led Southern Seminary to be a boot camp for young men and women training to take the gospel to the nations—whatever the cost.”
Mohler’s experience as a spokesman for Southern Baptists in the public square is another reason he should be president of the SBC, Jeffress added, noting the seminary president has been recognized by influential publications such as Time and Christianity Today, with Time calling him the “reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S.”
“For years, Southern Baptists and other Christians have seen Dr. Mohler stand for biblical revelation on programs such as “Larry King Live,” Jeffress said. “And, each and every time, no matter what the issue, Dr. Mohler has been a strong witness, telling lost people how they can come to know Christ. That kind of truth-telling with gospel compassion is the kind of leadership we need in these tumultuous times,” Jeffress added.
“Southern Baptists will be blessed to have a president in Dr. Mohler who can walk into the Oval Office or into the pulpit of your local Baptist church and say the same thing, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ with clarity and conviction,” Jeffress said. “Whether the issue is the family and marriage or Islamic terrorism or the religious liberty of Christians to share the gospel freely anywhere in the world, Dr. Mohler represents Southern Baptists well in pointing to Christ and his word,” Jeffress said.
He added that a Mohler presidency also would be critical in emphasizing the necessity of a strong and healthy Cooperative Program, pointing to Mohler’s experience in denominational leadership on the Program and Structure Study Committee that made recommendations for sweeping reorganization of the denomination in 1995 and to his work with fellow SBC entity heads on the denomination’s Great Commission Council.
Mohler also hosts an hour-long weekday radio program devoted to “engaging contemporary culture with biblical truth” on the Texas-based Salem Radio Network. His daily commentary for Crosswalk.com addresses moral, cultural and theological issues. Both are available on his website at albertmohler.com.
Mohler served as pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church in Bedford, Ky., and was on staff of Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville while enrolled as a seminary student. Prior to his election at the age of 33 to lead Southern Seminary, Mohler edited Georgia’s Christian Index, the oldest of the state Baptist papers. A native of Lakeland, Fla., he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Samford University and both a master’s and doctorate in philosophy from Southern Seminary.
In denominational life, Mohler chaired the SBC Committee on Resolutions, and served on the Baptist Faith and Message revision committee in 2000. He currently chairs the Council of Seminary Presidents.
Mohler and his wife, Mary, have two children, Katie, a freshman at Union University, and Christopher, 15. He is a member of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville where he serves as a teaching pastor and Sunday School teacher. The 2006 Annual Church Profile showed the church had 5,975 resident members and baptized 174 people.
Of the $5,082,133 in undesignated receipts, the church contributed $167,917 to the Cooperative Program with total mission expenditures amounting to $726,184. The church is dually affiliated with both the Kentucky Baptist Convention and State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, with campuses in four Louisville-area locations, one in Taylorsville, Ky., and one in Sellersburg, Ind.
In an interview with the TEXAN, Mohler expressed gratitude for the support of Jeffress.
“He is a pastor who has a great gift of encouragement, great skill in preaching, and great wisdom in understanding our denomination. We share many concerns about the future and many hopes for Southern Baptists,” he added.
If Southern Baptists elect him president, Mohler said he would hope to encourage them as the denomination faces a new era “filled with great opportunities and unprecedented challenges.”
“Our greatest challenge is to recover our passion for the gospel in evangelism and missions and to renew our determination to defend the gospel in an age of postmodern confusion. I would hope to articulate a vision that would unite Southern Baptists and energize us together.”
Mohler also expressed concern for reaching a younger generation with “the unchanging truth” of the gospel, seeking to relate what is at stake in this generational transition. Furthermore, he said he hopes to encourage pastors and help them reconnect at every level to what he called “a great denomination.”
“After all, Southern Baptists must remember that we, of all people, know that the most crucial issue for our future is having healthy churches, reflecting the true vision of a New Testament church—everything else flows from that.”
Mohler acknowledged that the SBC president has a limited term and limited means to help call Southern Baptists together. “We are not a top-down denomination—and for good reason. I promise to do my best to encourage Southern Baptists to be even more faithful, more biblical, more evangelistic, and more thankful for what God has given us in this convention of churches.”
SBC President Frank Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., concludes his second term in June and is ineligible for re-election. Other former SBC presidents who were elected to the office while serving as president of a seminary were Paige Patterson (1998-2000) while at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, W. W. Hamilton (1941-1942) while at Baptist Bible Institute, the forerunner to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and L. R. Scarborough (1939-1940) while at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
While there is clearly precedent for a seminary president to be SBC president, Mohler agreed that most SBC presidents have been pastors.
“This is healthy as the norm, and one of my hopes is to encourage more pastors to be deeply involved in the life of our denomination so that they can help to lead Southern Baptists in this new era,” he told the TEXAN. “Given the indirect nature of the trustee appointment process, I believe that Southern Baptists have adequate protections against any conflict of interest. Above this, however, I would pledge to lead in every dimension—appointments included—that would make Southern Baptists proud.”
Mohler is the second announced candidate for SBC president, following what may have been the earliest announcement of a nominee when William L. (Bill) Wagner, president of Olivet University International in San Francisco, announced Sept. 7 that he would allow his name to be offered for consideration at Indianapolis. The former Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary professor of missions and 31-year Southern Baptist missionary also pastors San Francisco-area church Snyder Lane Baptist Church.
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