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Aren’t you left wondering what serving as a trustee of a Southern Baptist institution is all about, when men like Dr. Dwight McKissic and Wade Burleson are put in a position where they feel that their integrity and character requires them to resign from their position? 

Dwight McKissic set an example for Southwestern students with his dedication and commitment to his call to serve as the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas.  He is a pastor who has stayed with his congregation since its infancy, leading it to the point where its facility now covers the better part of a city block, and where it has major influence and impact in a community that is not known for being particularly easy to reach.  “Annointed” is a word I use sparingly, but it applies to Dr. McKissic.  His preaching is alive with the annointing of the Holy Spirit, something I experienced personally at the Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit, which his congregation organized and conducted last spring.  He brought a fresh perspective to the trustee board at Southwestern Seminary.  Although he did not fall in line with the expected lock-step conformity of the board, there was nothing in his theology or preaching that remotely stepped out of line with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.  Dr. McKissic is the epitome of a conservative, evangelical preacher and pastor, exactly the kind of person you would want on the trustee board of a major theological seminary. 

Wade Burleson is also a conservative evangelical, from the ranks of the young leadership of the conservative resurgence in the SBC, who has set an example of the highest integrity in his dealings with the trustee board of the International Mission Board, in spite of their treatment of him.  Aside from being relatively younger than most trustees (and most Baptists for that matter ), he is also the kind of person we need to have on our trustee boards.  Wade has been willing to raise legitimate questions regarding actions taken by the trustee board, not in a menacing, power-seeking manner, but in honesty, pointing out the inconsistency between some policies that had been made and the expressed wishes of the Southern Baptist Convention in session.  He obviously has a heart for missions, and takes personal interest in missionaries serving on the field.  His willingness to share things that Baptists not only need to know, but ought to know, about the workings of one of their trustee boards was not only courageous, it was honest.  I’ve never read anything Wade wrote that should have had the slightest effect on any trustee who is serving without being motivated by a political agenda.  Wade simply pointed out the need for above-board honesty and openess in the operation of a trustee board.  It’s beyond me why that seemed to yank some chains.

Both of these men willingly worked within the confines of the boards on which they served.  Had they been left alone to serve as they were elected to do, and their dissent welcomed as the normal process, the boards would have functioned as they were designed to do, and would have dealt with the issues they raised as simply part of the process.  But now that neither of them are on trustee boards, they are free to pursue a course of action in a much broader and more widely supported context.  They are now leaders of a cause, and they have a formidable, sizeable following. 

I would not be surprised to see their leadership affirmed by election to service in the convention at large.  Why not?  We need both of them, along with many other leaders who have been shut out of service, not because they are theologically liberal or moderate, but because they don’t seem to have the right group of friends. 

There’s an old saying that we in the ministry quote frequently:  “Sometimes, when God closes a door, he opens a window.”

Here’s to open windows.  And open minds.

Wednesday Night, Opening Session

Wow! It was a great feeling to be a part of a historic moment as Baptists of at least 30 racially, geographically, and theologically diverse Baptist groups. The first thing I noticed was the richness of the worship, as music was performed and led by a diversity of races and backgrounds, as a prelude to what its like in Heaven. 

John Shaw, President of the National Baptist

Convention

USA

Philadelphia

Jimmy Carter highlighted the development and basis for the New Baptist Covenant, reminding us of the significance of people gathering like this, the first time in 160 years to have such diversity as Baptists. He spoke of the need for cooperation and the priority of focusing in on the Gospel rather than our various interpretations of the Gospel. He acknowledged the differences we do have, but pointed to a higher path of cooperating on what matters most—the Gospel. His words provide a great frame and foundation for the future development of covenant movement. 

Tomorrow (actually now today.  I'm having wifi issues and am behind): Tony Campolo and Marian Wright Edleman are keynote speakers. I’ll also attend some Special Interest Sessions and hope to get some good blog content there as well.

“Church is the only enterprise that deals in eternity.  So, why is it that most church conferences are about what we can do tomorrow?”  – Chuck Warnock

James ‘tagged’ me (though I prefer to think of it as the blogging equivalent of tying me naked to a flag pole on the school yard) with the latest meme.

Go there to see the rules- here’s my results

“Danmark et er lille land med 5 millioner indbyggere, hvoraf ca. en fjerdedel bor i eller omkring Koebenhavn.  Hvor man end befinder sig i Danmark, er der aldrig langt til havet.

I tag (read tie to the flag pole naked) Chris Tilling, Nick Norelli, Steven Harris, James Crossley, and Christian Brady.  (Ha, so there!)

Kevin Edgecomb has it.  And Kevin is to be commended- not just because he’s actually carried off a great roundup- but because he did it on time!  Biblical Studies Carnival’s, like Airlines of late, have been running past schedule.  So grand congrats to Kevin for a job well and timely done!