Frustration

Two posts in one day, I think that's a record or something. Our electric has stabilized, which is a blessing, but I think our electric may well be the only stable thing in the state. Breaking news breaks fast in our electronic age, and yesterday’s Missouri Baptist Executive Board meeting has already made it’s rounds. So, I thought I would weigh in on the subject.

For the past hour or so, I’ve been thinking about people in my past. People in my Southern Baptist Sunday School class growing up, people in my Southern Baptist youth group, people who went to the (Southern) Baptist Student Union with me, and on, and on. I think about them, and I am sad, because sitting here right now, out of the several hundred people I’ve come across through those encounters, I can count the number of those still in a Southern Baptist church on two hands. I have in my short 29 years, seen my generation make nothing less than a great exodus from SBC/MBC churches. I still keep up with a great many of them. Some are in independent churches, many are in nondenominational churches, some fled to mainline denominations, though admittedly those numbers are few. They’re active in their churches – deacons, elders, Sunday School teachers – they all tithe, and they’re deeply committed to their church (and conservative innerantists to their core). Why did they leave their SBC/MBC churches originally?

Too much fighting.

Too much bickering over things that didn’t matter.

Splitting theological hairs while ignoring major spiritual issues.

And as much as I hate to admit it, they have way too many examples to prove that they’re right.

Yesterday, they were given another example when the MBC Executive board voted to defund all church plants that had any association with the Acts 29 network.

I honestly don’t know what to say about this development. Right now, I am pastoring an established church – but in all honesty if I were to plant, I would go through Acts 29. And if the MBC didn’t want to go along? I guess I would be a part of that sad exodus. Right now I am frustrated at this development. Right before the MBC annual meeting at Tan Tar A, there was a solemn assembly that called on God to send a revival. I would dare say that the Acts 29 network may well be the start of a nation wide revival – after all, just look at the success they’ve had in areas of extreme darkness. Well, we found that revival, and we’ve voted against it. I suppose God should send a revival of our liking – otherwise He might be next.

So far, these gentlemen have voiced the problems raised by this move much better than I could, their blogs are worth the time to read them.

Micah Fries: Acts 29 Is Banned
Scott Lamb: Missouri Baptist Convention vs. Acts 29
Tom Ascol: Missouri Baptists Axe Acts 29
Timmy Brister: When I Am Ashamed to be a Southern Baptist
Steve McCoy: No Funding for SBC/Acts 29 Church Plants in Missouri