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- New BBC Open Forum
- This forum was created to provide a place where those who are seriously concerned about the issues facing Bellevue Baptist Church and the SBC can come to comment and exchange ideas. Anonymous comments are welcome, but it is respectfully requested that instead of choosing the "Anonymous" option those who want to post comments without logging in select a unique screen name. This lets everyone tell the difference between one anon and another without revealing any personal information. Under the box where you compose your comment where it says "Choose an identity," just check "Name/URL" and type in the screen name of your choice. You can leave the URL field blank. It would be helpful if you'd use the same screen name for any subsequent comments. This makes reading and following discussions easier, helps avoid confusion, and doesn't result in one person being credited for writing something s/he didn't. Comments by posters whose only purpose is to disrupt (i.e. trolls) will be subject to deletion. Your cooperation will be appreciated.
626 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 626 of 626Aaaand...speaking of the love of money as the root of all evil, which it is :), this is hot off the presses today...very interesting.
Senate Finance Committee Investigates Six Prominent Televangelist
Concerned: That is great! For some reason I have
never been spoken with about this particular church. Care to share? 50 - 75 members = HUGE. ;0
More numbers...
These are the numbers they give the deacons, and even their own numbers seem to conflict.
For example, in one place they list the YTD (through September) decisions:
POF ........... 250
Statement ... 119
Letter ........ 174
Other .......... 77
Total ......... 620
And elsewhere in the report they list the YTD membership additions:
POF ........... 348
Statement ... 217
Letter ........ 355
Total ......... 920
It states the report was last updated October 9th, so it's not clear if these numbers were supposed to be through then or just the end of September; however, I doubt there were 300 additions the first two Sundays in October.
Compare that to the reported drops for the same period:
Administrative .................. 2
To another denomination ... 144
Lettered out .................. 971
By request ...................... 47
Deceased ....................... 73
Other ............................. 2
Total ......................... 1239
I know a lot of people have left but haven't moved their memberships yet, but still, I think they've lost a lot more than this! They're gaining something like 15-45 people a week at Faith Baptist alone, and the vast majority of those are coming from BBC. I think they've lost more "administrative" than this. Off the top of my head I can think of Paul Williams, Richard Kilpatrick, Mark Dougharty, Bryson McQuiston, Jon Tyner, and Larry Ray, but they may not have all moved their memberships.
StoptheMadeness: We've talked some about Covenant Bapt. here before. We just celebrated our 10th Anniversary and we currently have about 600 members. We are on the line between Germantown/Collierville. We are a traditional, conservative SB church. Our pastor preaches expository sermons, starting in verse one of a specific book and continuing through the book. I am probably a little partial, being a charter member, but I love Covenant. It's a frienfly, grounded church that like all churches is not perfect. But we try to serve and love and worship in a way that is honoring to God.
Stopthemadness,
I like Covenant too. In fact I like it so much, I travel more than a little ways to get there. I feel at home there, feel loved, and the preaching and teaching are right on. The worship is God centered, not 'me' centered, and you don't go away without knowing that in one way or another, you have been in the presence of and have encountered God. Come visit us.
I WILL. WHAT TIME IS Sunday AM service?
Just sayin' ; }
Thank you for the sweet invite.
Directions from HWY 64??????
Covenant is on Houston Levee about a block north of Poplar.
All about Covenant Baptist.
For my concerned friends:
I had a brief vacation, compliments of the Tenn. State police. They didn't take too kindly to the congratulatory casserole I sent the mayor...of course I did deliver it while out on a shirtless jog.
After my release I hitchhiked up to the northeast but was beaten up by a van of senior citizens at a rest stop outside of Caribou. I sustained a pretty good head injury, and the next thing I remember I found myself in the woods...there was free food, so I stayed a while.
I am staying at a little bed-n-breakfast here in New Hampshire. Well, actually this half blind potbelly pig farmer is letting me stay in his toolshed if I slop the hogs...what they dont eat is mine!!!
I desire to return to Memphis, but my landlady ended up marrying my brother Phel, and he's renting my upstairs garage apartment to some nice Arabic guys while they get their pilot licenses...there's something fishy about that, but I just can't seem to put my tail on it.
Anyway, I have to tend to one of the pigs...he has a cold, so I figured I'd let him sleep on top of the wood stove to keep warm, and just in case he gets hungry I put an apple in his mouth...and a pineapple poltice on his back to help draw out the sickness. He ought to be done... I mean better, by morning.
William T. Loney, MD
ps...I'll be back before you know it, so cankles beware!!
Hey, doc!
I'm told your e-mail address isn't working. Perhaps you forgot to pay your AOL bill!
P.S. Welcome back.
Thanks NASS. You are such a great help!
Stopthemadness,
Let me know how to recognize you, and I'll meet you at the door. Or the parking lot. Or where ever. My email address is in my profile. I'll get you there.
Hey, Doc! I can smell that Bar-B-Que from here! I sure hope that pig tastes great....uh....gets better soon! ;)
When you get back this way, surely we can find you a luxurious place to live and continue with your life's work. I do know someone who has an empty guest house....well, actually it's a storage room.....but the floor only has one hole and if you fix the door, you're all set. It has access to a pool too! However, you will have to clean the filters after your swims....that hair would wreak havoc on the filter system. Just let me know if you are interested! I'm sure we bloggers could help you furnish it in a style fit for someone of your prestige.
Listen Doc,
I told you, if you would have kept me on the payroll, you would have not had to deal with the senior citizens at the rest stop in Caribou. I had at least 15 IHOP senior citizen discount coupons, not to mention 20% off Dentu-Cream
coupons. I could have thrown them up in the air as a distraction, while you jumped on the back of my motorcycle, thus making the great escape.
But of course, we would probably have the same problem that we have had before. Your back hair in the spokes of my motorcycle. I'm still recovering from that wreck. But the way, you lied. Your insurance didn't cover that.
And I have also learned that you don't contribute to workman's comp, nor unemployment insurance.
Uh, we need to talk. And soon.
Just sayin'.
oc.
Dr Looney!!
You were missed around here!!!!
Sounds like you've had a ruff time...so sorry your apt. has been rented out.
Maybe the tenants won't stay very long!
Be careful on your way back to Memphis!!!
AOG,
Interestingly enough, the national stats on divorce in 'conservative evangelical' circles is almost exactly the same as for society in general.
Also, seeing the stats (from my city) on spouse abuse where they list church attendance/affiliation I was stunned to see the numbers much higher for those who attend evangelical churches regularly. And that only counts what is reported. We do know that most abuse is never reported.
I do not find this second stat surprising when we have men like Paige Patterson counseling women to go back to their abusers and just pray more.
The Bible at your fingertips.
I will add this link to the front page.
The Spradlins joined GBC Sunday.
Re: Article on Divorce
The article states: "More conservative Evangelicals remain uneasy about divorce. If a split itself is inescapable, notes Christianity Today editor Andy Crouch, "remarriage is where the rubber meets the road," and many remarried couples find themselves denied church membership."
I agree with AOG in that many of the listed "reasons" are not scriptural at all. Look, not to oversimplify, but it all goes back to sin. The sin of "me." Children are not being raised to understand the seriousness of the sanctity of marriage, to understand the hard work, mercy and love necessary for a long-term marriage, and to quit thinking about themselves long enough to make the other person a priority. Divorce leaves a wake of destruction that lasts for generations. Things won't turn around unless teaching is begun with the children now. If you have little ones, show them a successful marriage and teach them about true love and sacrifice and commitment. Instead of spending a fortune on the wedding, invest time in your high school/college age kids praying for them, guiding them, and helping them to make a wise decision about their mate using their brain and not their emotions. If your children are already married, encourage a good relationship, be on guard to see how you can help, and above all, pray for them. The divorce debacle can be turned around but it's going to take a long-term investment. We live in a "fast" society, immediate results. That's just not how it works in a marriage.
My dream of a long-term marriage has been broken but I'm going to pray and do everything in my power to be sure my kids have the tools needed to have one.
AOG said: "this much I do know...with every divorce that takes place...whether within the church or without, the institution of marriage is degraded a little more, and civilized society becomes more uncivilized."
Amen. Christians and the church need to stop closing the barn door after the cows have already gotten out and instead focus on helping the cows be committed to stay in the barn in the first place.
And by the way......
If men loved their wife like Christ loves the church.....
many of the issues would be taken care of.
Okay...off my soapbox now.....
:-)
You guys have to see how bad it has become in the SBC. Now they are not allowing principled dissent at all even within leadership! I thought you may be interested since John Floyd is one of the leaders of this Soviet style censure of a fellow trustee:
http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com/
Wade Burleson blogs about IMB issues and the trustees do not like it one bit. They want to operate in secrecy with closed door meetings.
Your tithe dollars at work propping up a Soviet style operation that loves to lord it over others while operating in secret. This is NOT the baptist way.
And all the while they narrow the parameters of what they think it means to be Baptist. Not a Christian...but a baptist!!!
This just makes me ill. Of couse, they never say a word about Patterson and his 90,000 portrait. That is ok with them. But a brother blogging about issues? No way!
"And by the way......
If men loved their wife like Christ loves the church....."
Amen. As we see more and more churches sliding toward Patriarchy we are seeing a trend toward blaming the women and thinking that demanding specific roles in society and church will stem the tide of divorce.
That is a band aid on cancer.
Lin wrote:
"This is NOT the baptist way."
Apparently it is now.
"That is a band aid on cancer."
No, that is a cancer.
BTW: Debbie Brunson of FBCJAX fame is on the IMB BOT, too.
Can you say, Nepotism?
Lin: This is all getting to be a little much. What in the world ae these people thinking???
Lin: This is all getting to be a little much. What in the world ae these people thinking???
7:46 PM, November 07, 2007
Too much money and too much power. Did you see the gag rule the IMB BoT put into place because of Wade Burleson? Not one trustee is allowed to say anything publicly that is not positive about the BoT's decisions.
Ha! If that had been done pre-Conservative Resurgence...there never would have been one!
The moderates must be kicking themseleves because they were not nearly as clever (or greedy) as the new Conservative leadership has become in retaining power.
We gave these men too much power with no checks and balances. And now we are seeing they are obviously not in the Word.
Remember that when your church sends them all that money. You are paying for them to act like this. No money=no power.
That is why I give to church only and support other mission endeavors that I know how the money is used. There are some good ones out there that are focused on the Great Commission not personal power gathering.
These guys hate blogs because it is shining the light of day on their antics. they do not allow dissent or disagreement.
Sound familiar?
More from Two Rivers Baptist:
Judge wants to hear from money handlers at Two Rivers Baptist"
More court battles may await churches
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