Initial SBC '12 Observations

Arrived in New Orleans yesterday with CJ Falcione, Gateway's associate pastor. Love New Orleans. So happy to be here. And, I am also happy to meet up with Southern Baptists again.

Met up with some bloggers last night who were asking good questions about the SBC. Saw lots of old friends as well, here and there. Enjoyed reconnecting.

The Calvinism/Non-Calvinism debate: Everyone is talking about it, but more in a "We're sick of this. Do we really have to talk about this again?" type of attitude. Most people really seem to want to move on. It seems that the general attitude is one of wanting to move toward working together for the gospel despite our differences on interpretive issues. That is what I'm hearing, anyway.

Tomorrow, I give the nominating speech for Dave Miller for 2nd VP. I am just going to talk about Dave, his heart for the Lord, and his desire that we work together to advance the gospel. That should be the desire of every leader. I am not too concerned with who wins the election - they are all good men and that doesn't matter too much. I just hope to give glory to God however I can and make a call for unity in Christ.

I hope to have a resolution affirming a holistic, word+deed approach to gospel ministry come up tomorrow or Wednesday. It needs to come out of committee, and I don't know if it will yet. I will know in the morning. But, I am hopeful.

There seems to be a real, growing hunger for Christ and a desire to move away from the religious game-playing and power struggles of the past. It has been a good Pastor's Conference. Christ-Centered preaching and a call to pursue Christ and lay down our lives for the nations has dominated what I have heard. I have been convicted and encouraged.

Fred Luter will be elected president tomorrow. He is a good man with a great ministry record. He is optimistic about the future and is full of faith. He is also African-American and will make history as the first African-American president of a denomination that started almost 170 years ago to enable slave owners to be missionaries. It will be a good day.

Prayers continually appreciated.