The ERLC, Prestonwood, And The Mission

Since 1845, Southern Baptist’s have focused on “… eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the Baptist denomination of Christians, for the propagation of the gospel….” While it’s true that our faithfulness to this cooperative mission has varied over the years, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed with gratitude for the grace of God so evident in the SBC’s impact …

Prestonwood, The ERLC, And The Cooperative Program: 5 Prayers For Past, Present, And Future Southern Baptist Conflicts

Last week Southern Baptists learned that one of their largest churches, Prestonwood Baptist Church, is going to push pause on Cooperative Program (CP) giving. For those who know the role CP giving plays in SBC life, this announcement is a big deal. CP giving is often a key standard by which leaders and churches are judged. The CP is significant …

Ronnie Parrott’s Reflections on the SBC 2016

(Photo attributed to Baptist Press) The SBC in St. Louis offered many pivotal moments in the life of our convention that will not soon be forgotten. (If you haven’t already, see James Merritt’s amendment concerning the resolution on the Confederate flag and Dr. Moore’s defense of the religious liberty of Muslims and all faith groups) In the coming days we at B21 will be running …

Dr. Russell Moore, Muslims and Religious Liberty at the SBC 2016

The SBC 2016 in St. Louis brought many memorable moments. One of which came when Dr. Russell Moore, President of the ERLC–the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention–fielded a question on “how in the world” Baptists could support the religious freedom of Muslims to build mosques in the US. A sad reality of the SBC is that our convention carries in …