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In spite of declining attendance and increasing costs, leaders say annual meetings have a future
’Tis the season for Baptist annual meetings. But will declining numbers, the expense of gathering people for face-to-face encounters and rapid advances in technology soon mean the demise of the rite? Not necessarily and probably not anytime soon. Fellowship and…
Denominations: Dying or transforming into something new?
Do Baptist annual meetings matter if denominations themselves are dying? Some leaders believe denominationalism isn’t dying, but rather is undergoing metamorphosis. Those willing and flexible enough to change still will need the community and networking annual meetings offer. “Denominationalism is…
Leaders hope report on Calvinism will ease tensions between proponents and opponents in SBC
HOUSTON (ABP) — Growing disagreements over the role of Calvinism will make the Southern Baptist Convention stronger, not weaker, as long as its focus remains on evangelism, members of an advisory team commissioned to study the topic told hundreds in…
SBC urges action on mental health, resolving to provide ‘biblical counsel’ for people with disorders
HOUSTON (ABP) — Compared to Southern Baptist Convention resolutions on the Boy Scouts and protection of children from sex predators, the one urging churches to develop intentional, compassionate ministries for the mentally ill got scant attention from local and national…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Church governing documents: Are they necessary?
Baptists have always placed a high priority on starting new churches. As the new churches come into being, one of the questions they face is what kind of governing documents they need. In Baptist circles, four kinds of governing documents…
SBC condemns Boy Scouts’ decision on gays but stops short of boycott
HOUSTON (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention stopped short of urging churches to sever ties with the Boy Scouts of America in a June 11 resolution condemning the organization’s recent decision to drop its ban on Scouts who are openly…
ANALYSIS: Some suggest unity at SBC meeting resulted from taking on cultural issues, not themselves
HOUSTON (ABP) — Southern Baptists experienced little antagonism during their annual convention in Houston last week — a phenomenon that surprised some and delighted most SBC officials and messengers. There were plenty of opportunities for controversy. Debates ensued — but…
Called the ‘guy we need on the scene,’ Fred Luter reelected convention president
HOUSTON (BP) — Fred Luter Jr., pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, was re-elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention June 11. Luter, whose historic election in 2012 as the SBC’s first African-American president was a milestone…