Posted on 02/20/2012 3:19:02 PM PST by WKB
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The nation's largest protestant denomination will definitely remain "Baptist," but leaders are thinking about whether it will be "Southern" for much longer.
(Excerpt) Read more at home.myhughesnet.com ...
“...the SBC is in no way a central authority. Each church is autonomous.”
Not autonomous if compared with a truly independent Baptist church. We were members of an SBC church for a few years. A big chunk of the offering went to the Convention and we never really knew how it was used there. Missions efforts were via Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong. VBS programs were all standardized, like going to any McDonalds to get an identical hamburger.
An independent Baptist church IS autonomous. I grew up in one. Finances were all internal. We actually MET the missionaries we supported and hosted them in our homes. We chose Sunday School and VBS materials to best suit the attendees.
An SBC church is semi-autonomous (if that’s a word).
...either way I suggest you work on it...I'm only thinking of you, you know—I'm that sensitive and lovable;)
...either way I suggest you work on it...I'm only thinking of you, you know—I'm that sensitive and lovable;)
...either way I suggest you work on it...I'm only thinking of you, you know—I'm that sensitive and lovable;)
...either way I suggest you work on it...I'm only thinking of you, you know—I'm that sensitive and lovable;)
...either way I suggest you work on it...I'm only thinking of you, you know—I'm that sensitive and lovable;)
I AM a SBC minister...if you would like to FREEPMAIL me to confirm this...go right ahead. I work out of a 17K member church.
There is absolutely NOTHING true in what you have said. Churches do not HAVE to use the materials that the SBC supplies. I can prove that to you. I would try to prove it to you but something tells me you are a bitter independent/fundementalist baptist who wouldn't listen to no amount of evidence I put forth.
But here it goes anyway: In my ministry...I help rebuild churches that have seen better days...and I do not use "Lifeway" materials. I use stuff that I wrote with the blessings of my pastor.
MANY MANY MANY churches are that way. Unfortunately there are A LOT of churches who DO use lifeway materials and I myself don't like it. It squashes the ingenuity. HOWEVER...it by NO MEANS forced upon churches by the SBC. TO say so comes from a position of EXTREME ignorance or outright deceit.
So which one is it? Are you just ignorant...or are you intentionally lying? Again...while I do not LIKE the proliferation of Lifeway materials...Churches use them because they have become LAZY...not because they are forced to do so.
And EVERY SBC church is autonomous. The PROOF of this is they call the PASTORS they want to call. They call the STAFF they want to call. They build the BUILDINGS they want to build...and when they go under because of debt...THEY go under.
And I think YOU know they are AUTONOMOUS. So again...which is it? Are you ignorant? Or malicious?
So say millions of people are not Christians is a grevious error. And to say they are no Christian because they get together in association? WOW...I wasn't aware Christ or the Apostles listed THAT among the damnable heresies.
So...is that a NEW revelation?
I AM a SBC minister...if you would like to FREEPMAIL me to confirm this...go right ahead. I work out of a 17K member church.
There is absolutely NOTHING true in what you have said. Churches do not HAVE to use the materials that the SBC supplies. I can prove that to you. I would try to prove it to you but something tells me you are a bitter independent/fundementalist baptist who wouldn't listen to no amount of evidence I put forth.
But here it goes anyway: In my ministry...I help rebuild churches that have seen better days...and I do not use "Lifeway" materials. I use stuff that I wrote with the blessings of my pastor.
MANY MANY MANY churches are that way. Unfortunately there are A LOT of churches who DO use lifeway materials and I myself don't like it. It squashes the ingenuity. HOWEVER...it by NO MEANS forced upon churches by the SBC. TO say so comes from a position of EXTREME ignorance or outright deceit.
So which one is it? Are you just ignorant...or are you intentionally lying? Again...while I do not LIKE the proliferation of Lifeway materials...Churches use them because they have become LAZY...not because they are forced to do so.
And EVERY SBC church is autonomous. The PROOF of this is they call the PASTORS they want to call. They call the STAFF they want to call. They build the BUILDINGS they want to build...and when they go under because of debt...THEY go under.
And I think YOU know they are AUTONOMOUS. So again...which is it? Are you ignorant? Or malicious?
So say millions of people are not Christians is a grevious error. And to say they are no Christian because they get together in association? WOW...I wasn't aware Christ or the Apostles listed THAT among the damnable heresies.
So...is that a NEW revelation?
WHY I AM NOT SOUTHERN BAPTIST
1) THE DENOMINATIONAL SYSTEM ITSELF IS UNSCRIPTURAL.
The Lord’s apostles planted autonomous congregations and they did not build denominational structures yoking the congregations together. The New Testament gives detailed instructions for the government and discipline of the assembly, but there are no instructions for the establishment of intra- or extra-church institutions. Denominational structures are man-made entities that have no biblical authority.
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/whynotsbc.html
I didn’t say those in the SBC weren’t Christian, I said the SBC wasn’t Christian.
I didn’t say those in the SBC weren’t Christian, I said the SBC wasn’t Christian.
Name these supplies.
Also...you said: "Local Churches are to be independent, not dependent on a central authority.
Name HOW my local church is dependent upon the central authority of the SBC. NAME SPECIFICS. What can we NOT do...or do...contrary to the will of the SBC? BE SPECIFIC. How do we have to do the bidding of the SBC?
No. You are 100% wrong. That would be the Catholic church, maybe the Episcopalians, I don’t know, Jehovah’s Witnesss (well, they’re not Christian anyway), and a slew of others.
EVERY, EVERY SINGLE Southern Baptist church, EVERY 0NE is totally independent of any outside authority. The Southern Baptist Convention is composed of churches that voluntarily associate with it, as are all the State conventions, and county associations. They do this in order to more efficiently witness, to support misssionary work, to produce Sunday School lessons, etc.
But each is independent, can withdraw at any time and join another Baptist convention, or none at all. If they stay, they are NOT bound by whatever the convention or its officers say. The SBC speaks only for itself, and not for any of its members.
But while they have no power, or authority over its churches, they may, or may not have some influence over some, only some, of them.
Please explain.
Whoops, another error. The churches don’t depend on the convention for support. They support the convention.
I don’t know what kind of Baptists you are thinking about, but it’s not the Southern Baptists
“They have to use the materials the SBC provides.”?
Are you totally out of your mind?
NO, they don’t. They often do, but they don’t have to use anything they don’t want to. They often do, for the same reason men don’t lower the toilet seat. It’s more convenient?
Is that unChristian?
As another poster has pointed out...and I wanted to emphasize...this is ANOTHER falsehood. As I was going through your posts I knew there was another one I wanted to point out and this was it.
This is very much incorrect. The ONLY churches that MIGHT depend on the SBC for support are NEW church plants...and this is through a cooperation of other churches and is very biblical and only lasts for a period of 3 years MAX. However...NO established local church depends on the SBC for support.
OK...you made the claim...support it with evidence...or apologize (yet ANOTHER false claim).
I gotta ask.
You have been making quite a number of erroneous declarations about the SBC? Fair enough. All of us are ignorant about something.
Here’s something I’m ignorant about, so please enlighten me. What religious group do you identify with. Please don’t say “Christian”. What I want to know is the specific, legal name of the church, synagogue, temple, or mosque that you attend, if any.
And if you don’t mind, how would you describe your theology. And by that I mean a specific organized way of interpretaion of the Bible developed by a specific theolgian.
Thank you.
That being said...BY NO MEANS is ANY church FORCED to USE Lifeway. As a minister who goes to MANY churches...I have been in dozens of churches who do NOT use Lifeway. MY CHURCH (which is a MEGACHURCH and one of the largest in the SBC) does NOT use Lifeway. WE have DOZENS of Sunday School classes and they are all using different materials. Some are made my the teachers themselves...hand written in house.
I interim pastored at a church several years ago that WAS using Lifeway and we stopped and started using my stuff. Not one sermon or lesson that was taught in that Church came from the SBC. I can name numerous churches like this. This person either 1) Is a liar with a grudge or 2) Is an ignoramus.
or 3) an adrenaline junkie who gets off on stirring people up. :)
I agree with everything that you said. WHAT is his problem?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.