An Open Letter to SWBTS Trustees by Marty Duren

If you are a Texas Baptist, Southern Baptist, concerned with Baptists, and/or alumni of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary you should read the open letter pastor Marty Duren has posted at his blogsite, SBC Outpost.

Get the word out to your friends and colleagues in Baptist life in ministry, in leadership, and foward them this letter or link to it. It is an important call to right several wrongs and hold accountable our leaders in the Convention.

I am a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and I have a connection there still with Professors. I just long for our leaders to be held accountable for their actions but also for them be held accountable when their leadership becomes divisive and dismissive on issues of preference and conscience. There are plenty of clearly defined doctrines and distinctives in Scripture that are related to salvation and ethics. Where doctrine and practice are less clear, or where Scripture is all together silent, I choose to let the Holy Spirit guide men's conscience.

On this topic here are some other blogs that I go to for a balanced, respectful, truthful, and thoughtful approach to Southern Baptist life.

Steve McCoy the Reformissionary and most recently his post strongly titled "Reasons Why I Hate Us."

Joe Thorn

Wade Burleson

And here are my concerns with the direction of the SBC right now:

1. inerrancy of scripture vs. sufficiency of scripture (alcohol)

2. complementarians vs. egalitarians (Klouda)

3. cessationists vs. non-cessationists (McKissic IMB/NAMB appointments)

4. the debate over ‘proper’ baptism leaning towards Landmarkism (IMB/NAMB)

5. the debate over Calvinism (While I was at Southwestern one professor
regrettably wrote in the Baptist Standard that “the God of Calvinism
resembled Allah more than the God of the Bible.”)

I wonder if it is only a matter of time before some try to force a particular eschatology, political party, sandwich meat, Bible translation, or whatever on us as the Convention standard. It used to not be so wearisome to be a Southern Baptist. It used to be a blessing, while it still is, more and more days it is feeling like a burden.

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From Around the Web

The Jolly Blogger summarizes some recent studies detailing the beliefs and lifestyles of 18-25 year olds. Or you can see the entire Pew Research Center findings in PDF.

Ben Witherington author of one of my favorite books from college wrote an article in CT about the passing of New Testament scholar and early manuscript expert Bruce Metzger. Then on top of that he blogs twice in one week about the infamous Rob Bell making an appearance at the University of Kentucky, first here and then here. Both great discussions of Bell's thoughts and theology.

Church Marketing Sucks mentions getting people out of the Christian Ghetto which I blogged about recently as well.

Great Audio finds of the week:
Alistair McGrath critiques athiest Richard Dawkins' arguments in the book "The God Delusion."
Ed Stetzer at the Baptist Identity Conference delivered the message "Towards a Missional Convention"