It is with deep sorrow that I received news that Jack Causey had died. Jack was a friend in the deepest sense of the word. He was my mentor, my pastoral supervisor in my doctor of ministry program, and was…
The night I administered infant baptism as an act of compassion
Note: This article includes a description of a stillborn birth. It seemed to be a normal evening. I was at home watching TV when I received an urgent call from one of the members of my congregation who needed my…
Tear down the SBC Executive Committee and replace it
Institutional, systematic evil hides in dark corners and whispers in hushed tones. It can undermine the innocent and protect the guilty. Systematic evil is evil in its most destructive format. It is evil with the largest victim count. It is…
Look at the big picture to see the reckoning happening on sexual abuse
Events often occur in a series spaced out far enough that it becomes difficult to understand the comprehensive nature of the series. Often the space between the events makes it appear the events are episodic. Such is the case with…
The ‘conservative resurgence’ leadership in the SBC is past its expiration date
Like cottage cheese in the refrigerator, intellectual movements have a shelf life. They are born with promise and hope and often die in odious calamities. Evidence of the end of the movement often is mistaken for something else. Observers blame…
Now we know why the SBC hasn’t acted more on sexual abuse
For the last two years, observers have watched the Southern Baptist Convention deal with a crisis of abusive pastors. After a 2019 Houston Chronicle report, it seemed like the leadership of the denomination was becoming intent on protecting the vulnerable…
Two years after the Chronicle’s expose, has anything changed to prevent clergy sexual abuse in Baptist churches?
Editor’s note: While the issue addressed in this column speaks primarily about the Southern Baptist Convention, the ordination processes referenced are typical of many Baptist bodies in America, which operate with complete autonomy on clergy ordinations. Two years ago, the…