A Concise Explanation of the SBC Guidepost Abuse Report

November 21, 2022December 2, 2022Kirk E. Miller

Note: The above diagrams are admittedly simplified, obscuring two things.

First, for most participating churches, their financial contributions do not go directly to the “Cooperative Program” or its entities. Rather, their financial contributions are made to their respective state convention, which then collects some of those funds for its purposes and then passes on the rest to the “Cooperative Program.” It’s not required to give this way. A church can give directly to the “Cooperative Program,” or select “Cooperative Program” entities, by sending their money straight to the Executive Committee and bypassing any state convention.

Secondly, although LifeWay and Guidestone are entities that serve participating churches, they do not actually receive financial support from the “Cooperative Program.” I nonetheless included them here though to make you aware of their existence within the “SBC ecosystem.”

I’ve heard things about abuse in the SBC. What was that all about?

In early 2019, an investigative journalist published a report detailing cases of abuse that occurred in churches that participate in the “Cooperative Program” (often less precisely referred to as “SBC churches”).

Participating churches grew in concern over how abuse was being handled within the association. More and more victims continued to speak up. And suspicions eventually emerged regarding how the Executive Committee (EC) in particular handled (or better, failed to handle) reports of abuse they had received.

So at the 2021 annual Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in June 2021, the church delegates voted to hire an independent entity to conduct a thorough (and very costly) investigation into the Executive Committee’s handling of abuse claims.

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Should I Attend My Friend or Family Member’s Gay Wedding Ceremony?

November 21, 2022December 2, 2022Kirk E. Miller

I was recently asked, “Can you think of any particular Bible passages that might help us think through the above question?” I answered as follows:

My mind goes to 1 Cor 10:25-29.

“25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his.”

Paul seems to say, if your participation in something gives the unbeliever the impression that you condone something wrong, don’t do it.

Of course, loving the gay friend or family member is imperative, as well as showing love to their partner. And if your unbelieving friend or family member has an event that’s super special and meaningful to them, your presence at the event communicates that you care about them. I think that’s why most people find this to be a difficult question. Attending such a special event feels like a way of saying, “I love you.”

The question here though is, is it possible to attend a homosexual wedding ceremony without your very attendance implicitly acknowledging it as a wedding ceremony–which Biblically speaking it is not (a gay marriage is an oxymoron and not an actual marriage whatever the state says). In other words, you aren’t just attending an event which happens to involve a wedding you disagree with that you can somehow distance yourself from while remaining in attendance. The event itself *is* a wedding you disagree with. It’s comparable to the unbeliever in 1 Cor 10 saying, “This meat is offered to my god.” Can your attendance at an event that claims to be a wedding be perceived in any other way than you recognizing the event’s legitimate claims to be what it purports to be? In other words, is it possible to attend what others are calling a “wedding ceremony” while simultaneously saying, “But I don’t think that’s what I’m attending”? Then what are you attending, and why are you attending it? Or, is it possible to attend while making it clear to those around you, or at least those who know you, that you disapprove of what the very event you are attending claims to be?

Someone might respond, “But aren’t we all sinners? I wouldn’t not go to someone’s wedding just because they are a sinner.” Of course! But the issue with a so-called “gay marriage” isn’t that its participants are sinners. It’s true, every marriage involves sinners! The issue here, though, is that the “marriage” itself is sinful.

I can celebrate a legitimate marriage between two sinners, because the marriage itself is still a good God-given thing. I can’t celebrate an illegitimate marriage that in itself is an affront to God’s design.

Fulfillment of the Immanuel-Child Come to Save (Matthew 1:18-25)

November 21, 2022December 2, 2022Kirk E. Miller

Fulfillment of Immanuel-Child Come to Save (Matthew 1:18-25)
CrossWay Community Church
November 20th, 2022

Podcast link.

See all other content in this series.

Matthew shapes his telling of Jesus’ conception and birth (Mt 1:18-25) to highlight how its details match those of Isaiah 7:14, thereby showing how Jesus fulfills its prophecy.

Truth Over Tribe: Against Political Tribalism (with Patrick Miller)

November 8, 2022December 2, 2022Kirk E. Miller

Have you noticed that you’ve been more anxious recently? Have political differences put a strain on a relationship with a friend or family member? Has politics caused division in your church? Society is increasingly polarized and tribal. And unfortunately, we as Christians are often not immune, but at times even the worst offenders. In this episode, Patrick Miller, an author of Truth Over Tribe, helps us see the causes of our tribalism to pursue a healthier Christian political engagement.

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)