Editor’s note: On Nov. 13 and 14, watch the proceedings of the South Carolina Baptist Convention annual meeting live at http://www.scbaptist.org/annualmeeting. Anyone who says he loves Baptist convention business meetings is either being paid to be there or is being disingenuous (or else he also enjoys root canals). I have been serving as a pastor in […]
As South Carolina Baptists, we have a unique opportunity before us on Tuesday evening, Nov. 13. We have been invited to hold our annual worship service during our state convention at Mother Emanuel Church in downtown Charleston where nine black Christians were murdered in June of 2015. Pastor Eric Manning has graciously offered us this […]
The Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay Christian Resources) created a stir in 1990 when the Church Training department became “Discipleship Training.” Discipleship was a popular word then, and our leadership rightly emphasized disciple-making as an essential function of the Christian life and every church. I remember much was said and done regarding discipleship, but […]
Over 2,100 Baptist churches make up the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and every single church has a place in God’s kingdom. The vast majority of our churches average around a hundred people on Sundays, although the large churches get an outsized portion of the attention. Sadly, however, churches of all sizes tend to settle for […]
My heart has broken over and over recently as Christian leaders from around the country have acknowledged sexual sin (see the related news articles in this edition and in the May edition). These sins have profoundly devastating consequences for marriages, for all involved in the relationships, and for the witness of the church. No Christian […]
The pastor wanted to make some changes. There were some who were not happy. Frustration set in on both sides, then the pastor left for greener pastures elsewhere. Some form of this scenario happens frequently in our churches. Sometimes it is more acrimonious. Sometimes it is more the pastor’s fault, other times more the church’s […]
The South Carolina Baptist Convention will meet later this year, Nov. 13-14, and for the first time in many years we are having the meetings in Charleston. Personally, even though I am from Charleston, I believe having the meetings in a more centrally located place like Columbia is ideal. With so many of our churches […]
A new building, a new sound system, a new gym, maybe a new staff member, or a new worship style. The latest idea must be the missing ingredient to help bring new life and growth for your church. We are tempted to think these kinds of human resources are the magic wand that can change […]
Sunday, Feb. 11, is designated as Racial Reconciliation Day across the Southern Baptist Convention. Why is this important for your church in your local community? At the core, this is a gospel issue. America is scarred by a racial divide that is devastatingly persistent, and the only pathway to reconciliation is the Cross of Jesus. […]
When I was a child, adoption was frowned upon or kept secret. Scripture, however, offers us the powerful image of God adopting us as His own children through the work of the cross. Rather than something shameful, adoption is a beautiful picture of grace and love rooted squarely in the heart of God. The biblical […]