As you read this Rachelle and I are making our way to the Far East for a mission trip. Rather than attempting to blog during the two week journey, my computer has been left at home. I will be speaking to several groups in several places during the trip, and my goal is to be an encouragement to those who follow Christ on the other side of the world.
My next post will be a synopsis of the trip and my thoughts in preparation for the impending International Mission Board meeting in Gainesville, Florida on January 28-30, 2008. I will be present at the IMB meeting and I will participate as I always have - faithfully attending every session, quietly listening, and writing about those issues that are discussed in the public plenary sessions so that Southern Baptists can be kept informed about the work of our cooperative mission efforts. The IMB meeting is in Gainesville, Florida and I will be paying for my own way to attend. I am also paying for the air fare, hotel and meals of a fellow church member to attend the IMB meeting with me. His name is John Pardon and he is a colorful and interesting Christian that I had the privilege of leading to Christ a few years ago. John was a member of the original SEAL TEAM ONE (Navy Special Forces) sent to Vietnam in the early 1970's and some of his stories will make your hair curl. I am looking forward to introducing him to how SBC missions operate, as well as continuing my discipleship of him as he advances in his walk with Christ.
I will post again on Monday, January 21st, 2008. In my absence let me encourage you to venture over to the blog one Mary Burleson, my mother, entitled Reality Check. But be forewarned. If you have a problem with a woman teaching men truth (in Hebrew or English), then stay away, because you will definitely be taught.
Until then, grace and peace to each of you.
Wade Burleson
15 comments:
God's Speed, Wade.
Looking forward to your synopsis of the trip.
Gary
I pray you have a wonderful, safe trip.
I know that you and Rachelle will be great encouragers for the M's over there. All the Best!
Wade,
One question. Since you are one of the ones who propagated incomplete [faulty?] information about Highview Baptist Church, will you take the time to correct your error? Or would this not be expedient for you at this time? Perhaps, at the least, you could have Ben notate on this blog so your readers could be fully informed?
John B.
Uh, John B. how about asking a simple question instead of tainting it with prejudicial words. The information about Highview's missions giving in Wade's post and comment are linked and come from here and here. Since Wade seems to actually believe that doing missions is more important than writing about it, I will offer the corrections that have now been offered here. Ironically, the original 'faulty' information is due to a lack of reporting by the giving church - as well as a lack of desiring CP funds to go to the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
Nice cooperation.
Pastor Carl,
So it is the victim's fault? Nice try.
Bro. Scott Schaffer,
Victim? A victim is someone who has been raped. A victim is a child who has been abused. A victim is a neighborhood of civilians bombed by terrorists. A victim is a person murdered.
A victim is not a church staff who does not accurately report ACP numbers. Incompetency maybe, victimization never.
The quote below from ABP shows Pastor Wade's heart. It is a direct quote because it shows his ability to separate issues from people.
Burleson said he does not oppose Mohler personally. "I appreciate what he has done for evangelicalism," Burleson said. "I have nothing negative to say about Al Mohler."
May more Southern Baptists arise with such an attitude.
We who are responsible to monitor Pastor Wade's blog in his absence are not quite as patient as he. We have decided to place all comments on moderation in his absence, and will allow him to make decisions regarding their appropriateness upon his return. Pastor Wade's tolerance of what is, and is not appropriate, seems to be much wider than ours, and after a half day of removing comments that we deemed inappropriate, we determined our time would be spent better actually doing the work of ministry, rather than monitering some who seem unable to discern what real ministery is. We encourage you all to pray for Pastor Wade and those who will be reached for Christ through his mission trip and we invite you to return to this blog on Monday, January 20, 2008, when Pastor Wade shall return.
May God bless you on your trip.
Blog Monitors,
I cannot imagine what his reaction would be if other bloggers took this same action when Wade comments on their blogs--or even if you applied the same standard for his own comments on his own blog. Even Carl gets it halfway when he calls it incompetent. Obviously, we will pray for Wade and the missys around the world. However, it is a problem for Wade to have his "blog monitors" leave comments out that would attempt to correct what Wade has incorrectly postulated.
Mike
Blog Monitors:
I believe it was Our Lord Jesus who pointed out that the wheat could not be separated from the tares until after the harvest. It has been Pastor Burleson's wise choice to follow that policy here on this blog.
Godspeed, Wade, and may you and Rachelle journey in safety.
Kurt A. Ehrsam
You have got to see this:
http://praisegodbarebones.blogspot.com/
Wade,
This post is both encouraging and extremely discouraging...
I am encouraged that you and Rachael would travel to mission fields to speak with and encourage IMB personnel serving overseas. I wish that more trustees and more SBC pastors would do this. I do not see the total cost as prohibitive, but too many of our pastors and IMB BoT hide behind cost as an excuse for not going. I am upset that the IMB must divert funds from overseas work to pay for the trustees to visit the field. Each of those trustees should ask their church to fund it. I do not think many SBC congregations would balk at funding a member of their congregation to go to the mission field.
But, my extreme disappointment is what you described as being required to pay your own way to a meeting that our convention wants you to attend. I have tried to think of some less negative way to describe the leadership of the IMB BoT than infantile babies, but could not. If the lack of Christian Grace, Love and Maturity is what is leading our BoT, then we on the field need to be prepared for even more childishness from supposed adult Christians.
A 10-40 Window Missionary
have a great trip and remember don't drink the water
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