New NAMB President Interviews with Al Mohler

[William Thornton]

[William Thornton]

Ed, the CBF forum was created so that those who wished could discuss, exchange ideas, etc without a lot of interference or commentary from SBCers like me. I respect that.

Perhaps in time it will change but if you are a woman who wants to pastor you have little or no chance of getting a pastorate in a CBF church. My statement is factually correct. Who is near me?

Gene, the batte is over, as you say, but you keep reliving it. I am happy to correspond with you or be criticized but the giant colored fonts are unnecessary. You're not one of those baptist preacher types who, when he is out of arguments, just shouts, are you?

[Big Daddy Weaver]

[Gene Scarborough]

William---

I'm not arguing and am surprised you accuse me of such. I find in this the typical SBC approach of knowing a man is right and then trying to belittle him for being so!

You have used funding / women / grey-hairs to belittle the CBF. What you don't recognize is the welcome given women and the chance they have to succeed under the CBF umbrella. We are on this blog many "grey-hairs" who don't need to go back 40 years ago to argue things already done BUT none of us can forget the awful things done with a big inerrant Bible to molest and hurt fellow believers who don't choose "the exact same words" to describe our faith.

Please stick to the topic at the beginning = Ezell critical of things done in the NAMB since 19979. In this I join him and have expressed as best I can the reasons why.

[William Thornton]

[Ed Pettibone]

[William Thornton]

Ed, you can quibble with my wording but a woman who wants to pastor a CBF church has virtually no opportunities. You know that better than most here.

I

[Ed Pettibone]

[Tom Parker]

William:

I would say the following. A woman has no chances of pastoring a church in the SBC or of being in any administrative position or position of leadership.

It is a man's only world for the SBC.

Surely the CBF offers some opportunities for a women to serve as a pastor or administrator, which is infinitely better than no opportunities.

BTW:Gene said to you:"BUT none of us can forget the awful things done with a big inerrant Bible to molest and hurt fellow believers who don't choose "the exact same words" to describe our faith."

I 100% agree with Gene. The CR takeover was never really about the inerrant Bible is was the 100% takeover of the SBC and sadly that is exactlly what happened.

Those that know what really happened will never forget!

[William Thornton]

What proportion of the CBF partner seminaries and divinity schools are female? Half or more, I'd bet. Very few of those will find opportunities in CBF churches to be the pastor. I suppose that those women who attend the schools understand that and have factored that into their career plans.

I'm not saying that there is a sinister plot to deny them these positions. Most CBF churches will never have a woman senior pastor in my liftime.

UMC seems to be the best option I can see.

[Gene Scarborough]

William---

I don't understand why you persist on the female pastor stuff when this is about missions and the Ezell / Mohler take.

If you want to discuss female opportunities to be Senior Ministers, then start a topic on it---PLEASE!!!

I'm sorry your enjoy trying to dismiss CBF in every way. Hate to tell you, but it was the displaced followers who met in the catecombes and had to endure suffering who are the spiritual ancestors of CBF. Same is true for Smythe and Helwys and many others of the early reform movement.

They suffered much. They was a small minority in the face of large and organized traditional bodies whose ways had become one and the same with society. CBF is a voice crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." Isaiah heard the real voice of God in stillness and not in the thunder or wind.

Peace / love / joy, my bother!

[William Thornton]

Gene, Ezell was dropped long ago here, but if you promise not to use colored fonts and large fonts, I'll cease discussing the CBF. I dropped one phrase way back in this thread and others picked it up.

Can't we get some SBCer to moderate this SBC News Trends mess?

[Stephen Fox]

How many national CBF meetings have you attended in the last ten years?

Why do people in the pew who know better continue to support the CProgram?

And for Thornton and Gene; what is keeping the two of you from reading Miller on Billy Graham and Crespino on Charles Pickering.

Both of you write well, but I don't see much evidence other than following blogs you do much updated reading.

What works have given you insight into SBC milieu in the last five years?

[Gene Scarborough]

William---

I promise to tell the truth as best I know it. If you guys persist in perceiving large fonts as yelling, so be it. I personally see them as space fillers for the most part.



Get over it, my brother---it's a simple truth told me by my good SC Democratic Farmer Grandfather---who knew well human nature.

[Gene Scarborough]

Steve, old buddy---

Q: How many national CBF meetings have you attended in the last ten years?

A: Only one because I have to foot my own bill out of my personal pocket---but it was great for me!

Q: Why do people in the pew who know better continue to support the CProgram?
A: Once one buys into the big lie they must protect their ego at all cost from admitting they have been had!

Sorry I don't follow your dictates in reading! I have to work for a living cutting trees and that does not get done sitting on my porch blogging and reading all day.

Please tell me your secret for income allowing you to do such without giving a personal word well thought out---and without reference to some list of "people of power / whatever who said thus-and-so." Just tell us what YOU think!

[William Thornton]

[Sandy]

[Ed Pettibone]

[Gene Scarborough]

At my church, New Bern First, there are 3 Staff Ministers = 2 male / 1 female.

Steve Fitzgerald graciously shares his pulpit with both staff members equally. At least once every 2 month Sharon is on and always does a splendid job. She is a Baptist minister's daughter with a sincere call and gift to preach.

I think Ed is expressing how culture and expectations seem never to change very fast, but when they do it can be beneficial.

I would love to hear Trudy preach. At the least, I bet Ed gives her some great illustrations at times!

My favorite was when Lonya and I were first married. I came from a family which rolled its toilet paper down the wall. She came from one which rolled their off the top and into the room. We spent our first month of marriage switching the direction of the roll with each visit. Finally, I thought to myself---"What's the difference?" So ours rolls from the top to this day!

That silly little newlywed illustration has gotten more positive feedback than almost any others I have used!

[Dave Roberts]

In the area where I am, there was a female pastor at a CBF church 9 miles east of me, another now serves 10 miles north of me, one served about 20 miles south of me, another serves 35 miles to the west, and there are 2 CBF churches in Richmond where women are the senior pastors. Maybe GA matches William's anecdotal report, but this area of VA does not.

[Tom Parker]

William:


Are there any female pastors in the SBC?

[Gene Scarborough]

There are a few female Senior Ministers in the SBC / many female staff members / few ORDAINED Female clergy.

If FBC Decatur is an example of future SBC activity, there will be no participating churches with ordained women! After all, isn't that the intent of BF&M 2000, in part----to keep women "in their place."

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

Tom, I don't think that SBC friendly state conventions have rooted out all SBC churches who have women pastors, so I'd bet there are a few churches with women pastors who have some affliliation with the SBC and state conventions. I don't know of any.

My point is that any woman who wants to be a pastor will probably be savvy enough about her prospects in the SBC to conclude that she has zero chance at a pulpit. So, she goes to the CBF and one of the CBF's partner schools where she are welcomed and affirmed in her career goals. But, guess what? She have only a slightly higher chance of obtaining a pastorate in a CBF church. The reason is that there are only a few hundred CBF churches at the most, and many of those are larger and beyond entry level pastor positions. There is also an abundance of mod/lib male, experienced, educated and connected pastors with whom she has to compete for the few pastorates available making her chances rather slim.

If the CBF had thousands of churches, most of which were smaller and a good proportion rural, like the UMC, and if the CBF assigned clergy, then women would have readily available opportunities to serve as pastor. So, why would a woman who wants to be pastor of a church not just look ahead and say, "UMC for me"?

BaptistLife has very few women. I would be interested in how any woman who wants to pastor feels about her prospects in the CBF. Seems like there was one who participated not too long ago. If I'm all wrong in my reading of this, I will be happy to admit it.

[Gene Scarborough]

Great question!!!!

I hope we get some input from women on this.