I grew up Southern Baptist, and I still keep tabs on what's going on with them through my parents [they attend an SBC church], my brother [he's an SBC-seminary student], and a few blogs.
Lately, it seems like some much-needed reform is being pushed to the table. It figures to be a battle and hopefully, it will bring about some change. Really, I hope to see some local change as there seems to be two kinds of Baptists here in South Louisiana.
In order to further the cause, I'm linking An Open Letter to SBC Seminary Students. It's a recommended read no matter who you are.
Here's a little bit from the letter:
"We need to be better evangelists who aren't looking to repackage for the Gospel but rather looking to better understand and live the Gospel. I think we need to remember that we are to truly be in culture, not looking down on it, and not avoiding it. I think we need to remember that working for justice is a biblical idea, not a liberal one. I think we need a resurgence of love for and creation of art as reflecting the imago dei. I think we need better seminaries that aren't just telling us what we should think, but rather are teaching us how to think through Scripture and know The Spirit. I think we need an ethic based on biblical boundaries and biblical liberties. As Derek Webb has sung, it's much easier to follow a new law rather than be sanctified through learning to live out our freedoms and liberties."
It seems like they're trying for some of the same things we're trying for down here in Acadiana. I feel a kindred spirit with them.
my roots are changing
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3 comments:
Cool stuff. Another voice among the the leaders! I want to put in a plug for Reggie McNeal's book The Present Future. He is a NC SBC leader and he sees *it* too. He put words to so many thoughts I had been having for years with his book. He pumped me up to get into more of Brian McLaren's stuff and then this weekend we got "Velvet Elvis"! Also, if you have any connections back here in NWA beynd the ones I know toss them the link to the site I put up, would you? www.acts-vision.org Trying to start an emergent conversation group in late Feb. and don't want to leave out voices that need to be a part of it. Thanks.
I can't agree that all seminaries "tell us what to think" because, at least in my experience, I have had nothing but encouragement from every teacher to take what the Scripture says and make our own conclusions. There's no one-sided lecture that I've heard. Maybe I just have the liberal teachers or whatever, but I have felt no push to think a certain way or another.
Kent- There is at least the possibility that you are in agreement to what others feel are being "pushed onto them". Or maybe the influence of this particular battle isn't as far reaching as New Orleans.
Either way, it's a testament to NOBTS that they allow their students to interact with the Bible instead of prescribing beliefs.
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