Pastoral Musings

Several of us have teamed up to host a blog called RE:Fundamentals.  We desired to Renew, Reform, and Revive fundamentalism.

We’ve recently let the blog go out of date with very little posting going on, as we are all so busy.  At the same time, we’re asking whether or not Baptist fundamentalism (not historic Fundamentalism) can be restored.

I have a feeling that we’ve been very naive in thinking that we can change the minds and hearts of the “small ‘f” fundamentalists” who do not wish to think or change.

Related articles

• Historic Fundamentalism part 1 (pastoralmusings.com)

It seems that the Fundamentalist Baptist Fellowship International has before them a resolution on sexual abuse.

It is getting some interesting comments on Sharper Iron, with several of them being against it for various reasons.

There is also a blog that supports it, and a FaceBook page for supporters of it.  A “recovering fundamentalist” has an interesting take on the resolution.

These are good words.  In the end, the FBFI is not a legislative body, and these folks are still Independent Baptists.  The resolution has no teeth, as the FBFI can enforce nothing.  I also think that there is a sense in which it is too little, too late; especially when Chuck Phelps is slated to speak at the FBFI meeting.  This seems to be an attempt to save face.

The greatest resolution regarding abuse in the church is the resolution of a church and its leadership to follow Jesus with all of their hearts.  I think you know how the rest would work out…

Related articles

• The “Non-Networked” Network’s Resolution (iamarecoveringfundamentalist.wordpress.com)
• Schaap Responds to The 20/20 Coverage of Sexual Abuse And Coverups in IFB-dom. (pastoralmusings.com)

Though we were blessed with a rain today in parts of our county, it has been very hot and dry.

This dry spell has had profound effects on churches in our area:

It seems that the Baptists have  abandoned immersion and started sprinkling, the Methodists have begun using wet wipes, and the Catholics have been praying for their wine to turn into water!

On the doctrines of grace and the five solas:

On theology:

Most people don’t know that Saddleback has a 72-week systematic theology course thatis required for every small group member and every staff member. And I’ve had over15,000 people go through this 72-week systematic study. I would take doctrinalknowledge of any 500 Saddleback members and compare it to any 500 members of anyother church and we’d beat them.

On pride and temptation:

I’m begging the people who watch this, please pray for me. I would rather stick a knife in my heart than dishonor the name of God.

Full transcript on Scribd

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/55821766

Related articles

• John Piper Still Being Taken to Task Over His Use of Rick Warren At DG Conference (pastoralmusings.com)
• Transcript of John Piper’s Interview of Rick Warren (5ptsalt.com)
• John Piper Interviews Rick Warren on Doctrine (allthyngs.wordpress.com)
• John Piper Interviews Rick Warren At Saddleback (5ptsalt.com)
• John Piper Interviews Rick Warren at Saddleback (slaughteringthesheep.wordpress.com)
• A La Carte (5/27) (challies.com)

 

Despite all the many other ways in which Southern Baptist churches cooperate, Southern Baptist officials have propounded the doctrine of local church autonomy as an excuse for denominational do-nothingness on clergy sex abuse. This religious rationalization rests on an island that is void of any moral ground. If Baptist churches cannot cooperate on a shared strategy to better protect children against clergy-predators, they lose moral credibility and they betray the very faith they profess.

via Associated Baptist Press – Opinion: John Jay report holds lessons for Baptists.

There is a legitimate complaint here.  Local church autonomy should certainly not be an obstacle to churches cooperating by at least having a process by which issues could be reported, investigated (with the cooperation of the local church), and at least the possibility of a database of proven offenders being provided for those interested.

Related articles

• The John Jay Report: Why the Woodstock Defense Won’t Do.. (thecatholicthing.org)
• The New John Jay Report on Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church (psychologytoday.com)
• John Jay abuse report raises two big questions.. (osvdailytake.com)
• Bill Donohue: Abuse report’s failure to note role of homosexuality ‘unacceptable’ (catholicnewsagency.com)
• Child abuse tests how the church relates to the secular world | Catherine Pepinster (guardian.co.uk)
• NH Man Found Guilty of Rape of Tina Anderson (abcnews.go.com)

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Wouldn’t that be a good idea?
Someone obviously thought so.

Louisiana College, a small Southern Baptist college in Pineville, La., plans to open a tuition-free graduate school for ministers next August.

A foundation has promised $1 million or more a year “in perpetuity” for the Caskey School of Divinity, said Joe Aguillard, president of Louisiana College, which currently has about 1,450 students. The first $1 million check arrived Dec. 14.

Complete story here.

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Yesterday I posted about the welcome Fred Phelps and Westboro “Baptist Church” received in Mississippi.  That post has received about 2,000 clicks alone in 24 hours.  That amazes me.

Obviously, for many different reasons, Fred Phelps brings sensitive issues to light.

Let’s forget “gay rights”, and just recognize that Christians aren’t necessarily “anti-gay”.  They are anti homosexual behavior.  There is a difference.  That, however, is not the important thing that we need to take away from the whole discussion.  Not by a long shot.

The important issue with Phelps, et al is the issue of civility.  Phelps has the freedom to protest at funerals, if he wishes.  I’ll not begrudge him his freedom, though I may have helped block a few cars with Kansas licenses if I were present.  Phelps simply has shown us that incivility is horrible.

What is sad is that many on the other side of the issue cannot see that answering incivility with incivility is wrong.  None of that group deserved a beating.  I think, too, those who were blocked in could have had someone to sit down, explain to them that they weren’t going to let them disrupt the solemn observance on a funeral, and then buy them lunch.  It would not have hurt at all.

Folks, Phelps isn’t a Christian.  He’s hate-filled.  That is obvious.  What is in his heart shows up as the fruit of actions.  Those actions show hate, because they speak hate.  That’s what his signs say.  This isn’t about homosexuality.  This is about what is true Christianity and what isn’t.  Mississippi did a good job stopping the protest, but we failed in that we didn’t show Phelps what true Christianity is.

Though I don’t think Mr. Phelps will ever visit here, I wish all to understand that God is love, that He loves the world and demonstrated that love by becoming a man and dying for our sins, then rising from the dead.  That loving God will forgive ALL SINNERS who trust Him ( See John 3:16 ), EVEN Fred Phelps.

We live in a society that has forgotten what civility is, because we have forgotten what Christianity is.

Christianity is not a social movement.

Christianity is not a political party.

Christianity is not a moral stance.

Christianity is not even a church.

Christianity is a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

There are those of us who are against homosexual behavior who still understand that God LOVES homosexuals ( See 1Corinthians 6:9-11 ), and will forgive them their sins.  He also LOVES Fred Phelps and will forgive him, if he trusts Jesus.

We need to learn to discern…

Related articles

• Jeremy Hodges: Westboro Baptist Church Goes To Mississippi – And Loses (thehayride.com)
• Americans Ready to Picket The Funeral of Fred Phelps The Pastor of The Westboro Baptist Church (newsflavor.com)
• Faithlink Discussion: Free Speech (jacobjuncker.wordpress.com)
• Patriot Guard Riders (dakotavoice.com)
• The Fred Phelps Supreme Court Decision and Why We Shouldn’t Look for Loopholes in the First Amendment (alternet.org)

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David Cloud says that it’s not as bad as it sounds.

To lump all IB churches together into one pot of cultic abuse is slanderous.I have personally preached in hundreds of IB churches whose pastors do not demand “unquestioning loyalty,” whose pastors are humble men who know that they are under discipline just like anyone else in the church, whose deacons and teachers are godly, compassionate men and women and are nothing like those exposed in the 20/20 report.20/20 interviewed and gave total credence to the criticisms of some people who were allegedly the subjects of abuse in IB churches, but they could have interviewed thousands of people who grew up in IB homes and churches and would testify that they were treated with Christian compassion and grace.

via 20/20s Hit Piece Against Bible-Believing Baptists | Fundamentalism, Church | Way of Life Literature.

Sure, he has warned against the cultic mentality.  He has, however, contributed to that same mentality by being careless with his coverage of those with whom he disagrees.  Not only so, but he is slanted in his reporting.  One only needs to click through to his article to see that he has more of a concern about the image of Independent Baptist Churches than he does the fact that there is a problem in the movement as a whole.  Consider the fact that he characterizes the 20/20 program as a “hit piece.”

He would have done much better to have stated that the program was inaccurate, but that there are indeed serious problems within IFBX circles (Not the he believes in the existence of the X in IFBX.) and then given recommendations on how to fix them.

It is sad that there is the feeling that we need to prop up the movement.  God will prop up the movement, if He pleases.  We need to recognize our failures, repent, and fix the problems.

Related articles

• That’s what grace is for: reflections on the ABC News 20/20 IFB Report. (growup318.com)
• Compassion or Cover-Up: Teen Victim Claims Rape; Forced Confession in Church (abcnews.go.com)

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Stuff Fundies Like has a video of Jack Schaap of FBC Hammond, Indiana responding to the 20/20 coverage of sexual abuse and coverups in Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches.

Schaap represents so much that is wrong with IFBX-dom.

“If it’s arrogant; so be it.”

That’s the essence of it all, I think.  So many of them simply don’t care about the heart.  Let’s just be sure that we’re in line with what Jack Hyles did.  Oh, wait!  Are we sure that we want to do that?  Jack Hyles was not a clean guy, was he?  Not at all.  Hyles was an adulterer who tried to cover his sin for more than fifteen years.

Are all Independent Fundamental(ist) Baptists like Hyles, Schaap, FBC Hammond, etc?  No, thank God.  Sadly, these guys give all of the rest a bad name.

Related articles

• Teenage rape victim was forced to confess her ‘sin’ in a fundie Baptist church (freethinker.co.uk)
• Growing Up Fundie (unreasonablefaith.com)
• My childhood in the ATI/IFB world (johndcornish.wordpress.com)

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A Baptist, A Methodist, and A Catholic have coffee together at Waffle House …

Can you finish this?

It truly happened.  Well, at least the first part happened.

I think it’s called “ecumenical coffee”.