Pastor Brad Whitt, co-pastor of Abilene Baptist Church (ABC) in Martinez, Georgia, preached a sermon in view of a call last month at ABC on 2 Samuel 6:1-15. During the sermon, Whitt speaks momentarily regarding the church becoming worldly in its dress and music. Whitt further recalls a story regarding a church near his now previous pastorate in South Carolina where a young man was killed in a drunk driving accident. Continue Reading…
Archives For bill harrell
A couple of weeks ago, I commented on a blog post written by Dr. Eric Hankins of FBC Oxford, Ms. My comment reads:
Eric,
According to many leaders and scholars within the SBC and out, they surmise that most of the SBC is semi-pelagian. If that is so, how much weight should be behind “what most Baptists believe and think is a good idea for others to believe?” The fact is, most churches need more building up in orthodox doctrine than fine-tuning.
I honestly had no idea that such a comment would draw blood. I have heard and read from numerous people within the SBC that churches are by and large doctrinally deficient or “doctrinally anemic.” Continue Reading…
A few days ago, I posted a video of Pastor Bill Harrell’s recent Romans 9 sermon. In the post, I mentioned that sermons like Brother Harrell’s are leading to the rise of Calvinism within the Southern Baptist Convention.
I realize the video posted was over 45 minutes long and most do not have time to listen to it. In light of this, I share with you Brother Harrell’s preaching and teaching on Romans 9:14-24. Continue Reading…
Yesterday, I listened to a recent sermon on Romans 9 by Pastor Bill Harrell of Abilene Baptist Church. After listening to all 45+ minutes of it, I realized, this is one reason young people are flocking to Reformed theologians, pastors, and schools. The sermon never offers a meaningful explanation of God having mercy on whomever he chooses nor does it address why Paul would think some might be offended at his teaching. Paul’s famous indignant question, “On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?” is left utterly meaningless.
Since the Conservative Resurgence, Southern Baptists have exhorted each other to return to the Bible. By God’s grace, young people are doing just that! But what they are often hearing in the pulpit are inadequate expositions of the biblical text and unsatisfactory answers to their questions. Many college aged Southern Baptists are waking up and asking, “What I have been taught my whole life? This doesn’t make any sense.” Continue Reading…
Once again, SBCToday.com has made itself the proliferator of paranoia, conspiracy, and outright fear mongering on the issue of Calvinism in the SBC.
Yesterday, I quoted former SBC Executive Committee chairman Bill Harrell’s recent comments on Calvinism in a post documenting Eric Hankins’ unfortunate comments on Calvinism. Today, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Provost Steve Lemke posted an article by Harrell titled “Things That Bear Watching.”
I am not going to interact with Harrell’s words as he has made it clear he has no desire to listen to anyone younger or less experienced than himself. His self-importance is made aware in the last paragraph:
I know that what I have said will be decried as harsh, but we are dealing with harsh realities in the SBC. If things follow a normal course, it will be the young theologues who have little or no experience who will be the harshest in their criticism of my thoughts. They are still “wet behind the ears” and don’t have the experience or background to say very much at all. In general they have no respect for those who have had a ministry of forty or more years. I really don’t care who says what. My observations are built on the foundation of sixteen years on the Executive Committee and thirty eight years of pastoring Southern Baptist churches.
So, instead of interacting with Harrell’s words I will merely post quotes from his writing that display the unfortunate fear mongering and division that need not take place in a convention that has a rich history of Calvinism and welcomes Calvinists as good Southern Baptists. Continue Reading…
In a recent comment on his own post at SBCToday.com, Dr. Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi and son of David Hankins, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, joined the vocal group of Southern Baptists who view Calvinism within the Southern Baptist Convention as a danger that needs to be dealt with.
Hankins states:
…this growing problem didn’t start with guys like me condemning Calvinism. For instance, the SBC gladly placed Al Mohler at Southern knowing full-well he was a Calvinist. We were proud and appreciative of his erudition and leadership. But the neo-Calvinists started the name calling and pushing, saying things like, “most Southern Baptists are semi-pelagian.” If they don’t want a fight, they shouldn’t use fighting words. So, now that the issue is being pushed, it looks like we’re going to argue it all the way out. I, for one, believe the logical conclusions of Calvinism are clear and they are dangerous, and I will be encouraging other Southern Baptists not to subscribe to it. I think that will be pretty easy because most of them don’t.
Hankins is not alone. In the past year, several prominent Southern Baptists who view Calvinism as a threat to Southern Baptist life have been vocal and unashamed in their rhetoric. Continue Reading…
