Great Stuff @ Between the Times: 21st Century SBC and GCR Myths

Check out some of the recent blogging @ “Between the Times.”

The most recent series is entitled “The 21st Century SBC: Seven Crucial Aspects of our Mission.” Another series to check out is Danny Akin’s “Dispelling Myths Related to the Great Commission Resurgence.” These blogs are a must read for those concerned about the future of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Below, Between the Time’s Bruce Ashford has provided baptist21 with a short description of each post in the “The 21st Century SBC” series and a link to those that have already been posted. Head to Between the Times and join the conversation.

The 21^st Century SBC: Seven Crucial Aspects of our Mission

This introductory post states that Southern Baptists are more than merely an indiscriminate collection of congregations who practice believer’s baptism by immersion. We are distinctively Baptist churches who cooperate because we believe that our mission will be more effective if we combine our efforts rather than if we “go it alone, and the success of this cooperation depends, in part, on these seven aspects of our mission. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/10/29/the-21st-century-sbc-six-crucial-aspects-of-our-mission/

Aspect 1: A Mission Revealed in the Scriptures

This post argues that the doctrines of inspiration and inerrancy are foundational to our missional cooperation. Without a sure word from God, we will soon lose our mission. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/10/30/aspect-1-a-mission-revealed-in-the-christian-scriptures/

Aspect 2: A Mission Based upon God’s Mission

This post shows the interrelation of three golden biblical threads: (1) God’s mission, (2) the church’s mission, and (3) the church’s cross-cultural and cross-linguistic mission. To ignore any of the three threads is to distort our mission. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/02/aspect-2-a-mission-based-upon-gods-mission/

Aspect 3(a): A Mission Focused on the Nations (An Awkward Tension)

This post speaks to the uneasy tension arising at the intersection of three facts: (1) God’s global and pan-ethnic intentions, (2) God’s declaration that salvation comes through Christ alone, and (3) the reality that there are upwards of 2 billion people who have never heard the gospel, while our network of SBC churches have the resources to reach them. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/03/aspect-3a-a-mission-focused-on-the-nations-an-awkward-tension/

Aspect 3(b): A Mission Focused on the Nations (Five Clear Challenges)

This post offers five clear questions the SBC will need to answer (continually) as we move forward. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/04/aspect-3b-a-mission-focused-on-the-nations-five-clear-challenges/

Aspect 4(a): A Mission Focused on this Nation (Confront the Brutal Facts)

This post argues that the SBC needs to confront the brutal facts: while the USA is increasingly diverse, the SBC remains a mostly middle-class, mostly-white network of mostly-declining churches. We need to change the way we preach and minister if this is ever going to be corrected. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/05/aspect-4a-a-mission-focused-on-this-nation-confront-the-brutal-facts/

Aspect 4(b): A Mission Focused on this Nation (Multi-Faceted, All-Encompassing, Church-Centered

This post argues that we must seek to glorify Christ (1) in every dimension of culture, including the arts, the sciences, and the public square, (2) not only in suburbs and rural areas but also in the big cities, (3) not only in the South but the Northeast and West, (4) not only to the middle class but to the poor and the elite, (5) and that all of these must center on church planting, church renewal, and cooperation. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/06/aspect-4b-a-mission-focused-on-this-nation-multi-faceted-all-encompassing-church-centered/

Aspect 5(a): A Mission Driven by Biblical Theology (Revelation, God)

This argues that we must have a theologically-driven missiology. The post then proceeds to show how the doctrines of God and revelation apply to actual ministry methods. It speaks about knowledge gained from non-biblical sources, and argues that a robust doctrine of God keeps from unbridled pragmatism. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/09/aspect-5a-a-mission-driven-by-biblical-theology-revelation-god/

Aspect 5(b): A Mission Driven by Biblical Theology (Christ, Spirit, Man)

This post shows how (1) the doctrine of Christ teaches us how to preach, (2) the doctrine of the Spirit teaches us about church planting, and (3) the doctrine of man teaches us how to minister to the whole man at all levels of his being, including the spiritual, moral, rational, relational, and creative/imaginative. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/10/aspect-5b-a-mission-driven-by-biblical-theology-christ-spirit-man/

Aspect 5(c): A Mission Driven by Biblical Theology (Salvation, Church, End Times)

This post shows how (1) the doctrine of salvation teaches us how to minister to Muslims and idolaters, and keeps us from magical/mechanical views of salvation (2) the doctrine of the church reminds us not to forsake the primacy of the local church, to be careful about what we count as a church, and who we count as a church member. http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/11/11/aspect-5c-a-mission-driven-by-biblical-theology-salvation-church-end-times/

Aspect 6(a): A Mission Centered on the Gospel (Factionalism, Non-Fellowship, Theological Triage, Liberalism, Fundamentalism, Calvinism, Contextualization) – LINK NOW AVAILABLE

This post speaks about the dangers of liberalism, fundamentalism, and factionalism. It speaks about unnecessary infighting, and about using “theological triage” to help sort out controversies.

Aspect 6(b): A Mission Centered on the Gospel (Spats, Straw Men, Infighting) – LINK NOW AVAILABLE

This post speaks about essentials, non-essentials, and methodological disputes. It is premised upon the belief that our infighting often distracts from, and contradicts, the proclamation of the gospel.

Aspect 7(a): A Mission Based on Local Church Initiative (National Convention, Seminaries, IMB) – LINK NOW AVAILABLE

This post argues for the primacy of the local church, over entities, institutions, and associations. It raises some questions and makes some suggestions about the future direction of the national convention. the seminaries, and the IMB.

Aspect 7(b): A Mission Based on Local Church Initiative (NAMB, State Conventions, ERLC, Local Associations)

This post raises some questions and makes some suggestions about the future direction of the NAMB, the ERLC, state conventions, and local associations.

Danny Akin’s “Myths and the GCR”

• Dispelling Myths Related to the Great Commission Resurgence

• GCR Myth #1: The goal of [particular members of] the Task Force to get more money to the nations is only a smoke screen to get more money to the seminaries.

• GCR Myth #2: The goal of [certain members of] the Task Force is to turn North American church planting over to Acts 29 or to at least enter into a formal partnership with them.

• Myth #3: The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force is attempting to influence and even control the search committee process at the Executive Committee, the IMB and NAMB.

• Myth #4: The goal of the Great Commission Task Force is to dismantle if not destroy the Cooperative Program as we know it today.

• Myth #5: The GCR is actually a grand Calvinist plot to infiltrate the SBC and gain control or at least greater influence in the Convention.

• Myth #6: Many members of the GCRTF are fundamentally opposed to the work of local associations and state conventions.

• Myth #7: The GCRTF is about diluting our Baptist identity and distinctives so that we begin to look more like the American Evangelical Convention than the Southern Baptist Convention.

• Myth #8: The GCRTF plans to abolish NAMB or dissolve it into the IMB.

• Myths Concerning the GCRTF: A Postscript