Rachelle and I are packing to head to the airport to catch our flight back to DFW. I thought I would take a couple of minutes to post something that has been on my heart and mind.
For reasons that are not of my making (at least in my opinion), I have been involved in the politics of the SBC for the past three years.
It is now time for me to step aside.
For the next year I will be taking a sabbatical from any SBC political discussions on this blog. I will continue to write posts, but they will concentrate on theology, church work and those things that are positive about all Southern Baptists, including those who I consider to be my Baptist Identity friends.
Further, if someone reads a post of mine and believes it to be political in nature, whoever it is that believes it to be political, I commit to remove that post at the simple request of the reader.
I will, of course, reserve the right to write on theological issues, but there will be no mention of those who disagree, nor comparisions with anybody else's theology, methodology or ecclesiology.
We have far too much at stake, and far too much in common as Southern Baptists to be polarized in the manner in which we have been polarized. My little part to help bring unity in the blogosphere may not amount to much, but those who know me will tell you that I stand by my word.
So, until the next SBC in Orlando (2010), I hope you enjoy reading my blogposts - sans any political SBC discussions.
In His Grace,
Wade Burleson
59 comments:
I know I will enjoy the political-free zone.
Wade,
I am one, among the silent majority, who reads your blog but chooses not to comment.
Your blog has been for me the "Reader's Digest" of Convention politics. I, for one, will miss your insights.
God bless you!
Wade,
Ignoring the elephant in the room will not make the elephant go away....it will simply mean the elephant is not talked about. If you deem this a contribution to unity of Baptists, Southern and otherwise, then God bless you. I for one doubt that it is going to be that simple. Just my opinion.
I respect and honor your decision because I know you have prayed about it but that doesn't mean we won't miss you! Sometimes a prophet has to sacrifice because his calling--and I do indeed believe you are a prophet among Southern Baptists.
My concern now is that there will be no legitimate voice rise to the occasion.
Pastor Wade, will you continue to speak out on behalf of oppressed or in cases where injustice has occurred in SBC?
Also, if you can elaborate (if not, I fully understand) on the change in your thinking or what prompted this decision.
Thanks. I continue to learn much from this blog.
Good!
I for one am tired of:
1. having to reset my google password every time I post here. Any suggestions?
2. politics instead of evangelizing.
3. Complaints from commentors about mean old geezers not letting the young'uns run the church to win young'uns, or mean old young'uns not letting the geezers run the church to win geezers. Why can't some churches do one, and some the other?
I am hungry for teaching about: conservative equalitarianism (I am familiar with conservative complementarianism but beginning to doubt it.)
I am hungry for teaching about Calvinism--I am modified Arminian but beginning to wonder if Calvinism is not closer to Biblical truth.
Linda
Please do not delete any existing posts. This forms the history of a slice of time period of SBC.
Wade, I appreciated the topics you brought up and the concerns you expressed about your denomination. To a lowly-pew-sitter who attends and is active in a Baptist church, it opened my eyes and acquainted me with some of the inner workings of the denomination. I often struggled to understand terminology and language that was WAY above my head. The difficulty I had was in reading comments which spoke negatively about other commenters and the "debate" which often evolved into hateful argument that served no good purpose. I appreciated those who tried to interject reasoning and humility in their comments. I will continue to read and will continue to attempt to understand the wide differences in the minds and hearts of believers who, after all, are connected, above all, through the sacrifice of Christ.
I look forward to the change in direction. This will necessitate adding your blog to my reader now. Before now, I would only follow in SBC Voices because of the constant SBC political nature of your blog. The new direction will serve you well. Thank you.
Wade,
I don't know whether to rejoice that someone with influence is hearing the need to ratchet down the anxiety level and maybe even reduce the polarization (something the SBC desperately needs) or to be sad that one of the very few (prophetic) voices protesting the dangerous direction the SBC is taking is effectively becoming silent.
At any rate, I shall continue to read you, and pray for you.
John
Scott,
Ignoring evil won't make it go away. It only emboldens it and creates more victims of that evil.
Why do we think it is godly to ignore evil in the Body? Paul tells us different in 1 Corin 5 and other places.
In effect, you are implying that Wade is the sinner for making evil known and not those who have done evil to others.
I am curious as to why you believe such a thing?
Brother I understand, but am saddened.
I truly believe you have been a lone voice in the wilderness speaking from a position on the blogs that God ordained and put you in.
If not for your blog, many would never have known the depth of corruption and lack of ethics of so many in SBC leadership.
In our lifetimew we may never know how many lives have been blessed and touched by your work here. (Klouda's grandchildren??)
In my own house, we have recieved blessings and help from knowing you from this blog.
Keep that gracious Godly spirit, ignore the wolves and the know-it-alls
In His Service
Wtreat
Ministry of Reconciliation [Debbie Kaufman] > My Thoughts On The Southern Baptist Convention.
But, Thom Rainer said it for me in his blog post today. The question each of us must ask is what am I going to do? A personal resurgence must take place before it can become corporate. Each of us must examine ourselves and our own motives. Are we willing to do that? Time will tell.
Wade's Blog > It Is Time for Me to Step Aside from Blogging [MAY 14, 2008].
Well, it appeared to work for James Buchanan....?
Wade, God bless you! Thanks for sharing with us. I believe you have enriched us all, even in disagreement.
Please do just one more blog post for us on the Great Commission Task Force.
Donna Gaines, Ronnie Floyd, and Jim Richards!
How convenient.
I'm with Texan. Please, just one more post on the composition of this task force.
(And haven't you made this same pledge before?:)
Pastor Wade wrote this in Never Take for Granted the Freedom to Dissent [MAY 12, 2008]:
My desire is to always deal with the issues, but I will resist tooth and toenail the bullying and intimidation tactics of Southern Baptists who wish to silence dissenter - not only when it involves silencing me, but particularly when other Southern Baptists happen to be the recepients of such intimidation.
Pastor Wade are you going to stop this for the next year? or is it only politics? What if you voiced on the above, but your detractors labeled it as politics?
When people hear only one view they believe it because there is no other information. When BP was taken over etc.
The SBC is, in part, at the place where you may be able to step aside without as much negative results as there would have been if you had not had the courage to do what you did in the past.
Are we now safer and therefore we do not need you anymore? Do you now trust with certainty our leaders? Can you convince us that
we "are in good hands" with the task force?
There is a sadness in the tone of your announcement. Ben! Help!
Thank you Wade. You are great.
Wade:
I wish there were some middle ground for you where you could do politics unless twice a month.
Nothing says you have to post your 95 theses daily.
I do wish you would comment once again on The Baptist World Alliance.
I think you and Anne Graham Lotz are being a little less than you could be by not speaking strongly to that matter.
The likes of you and Ben Cole, and on some occasion David Rogers continue to mystify me. You are too bright to support the shenanigans of the SBC.
Then again if Kate Campbell can't bring her Dad, Jim Henry, out of it; then I guess I am expecting too much from you.
Yet, Hebrews 11:13 is strong and the Gospel is enormously bigger than the last 30 years of the SBC.
Preach the Word; Pray without ceasing.
The Wind Blows whither it will.
Read Marilyn Robinson's The Death of Adam.
And Sally Jenkins The State of Jones, especially pages 140-159 about the spiritual pilgrimage of Confederate Newton Knight of South Mississippi who became a Yankee Sympathizer through his own very existentialist pilgrimage as a Primitive Baptist.
Consider baptism through the eyes of novelists Ron Rash and Luc Sante
Fbc Jax Watchdog > Blogging Gems From the FBCJ Faithful.
"I urge caution Mr. Rich. Suing the church is a big thing. Remember, power players, and lawyers, and judges are hard to fight.I don't think your lawyer, Mr. Roberts is he?, can win this one."
WD Comments:
More threats. My bringing a lawsuit I'm "fighting" judges? What power players should I fear? This shows the arrogance of FBC Jax - how DARE you accuse US. Bring a lawsuit against US? Don't you know who WE are? This writer assumes that a person going up against FBC Jax will be squashed because of the power the church wields.
If Pastor Wade throws in the towel for SBC politics discussions, maybe we can convince Fbc Jax Watchdog to become SBC Watchdog? (I think he has already registered this long time ago)
Does anyone know Johnny Hunt's email address so we can email him about his task force?
Wade:
Your book is aptly titled: there was a lot of "Hardball" in SBC Life.
However, I think that we are at the beginning of the end of the SBC fighting. You "blew the cover" on one venue which was probably at the epicenter of the fighting. Stuff like this can't survive under the full light of day.
Personally, I don't have a dog in these fights myself, other than to try to call for civility and repentance. I believe the main task now is to monitor the situation so that the BoTs of the agencies don't either (a) revert back to boxing rings or (b) slide into theological debating societies.
I think 70% of the turnaround at the IMB BoT has happened in the last six months to a year -- coincident with the publication of your book and/or the ascendancy of new leadership in the BoT.
People -- all the way from the bottom to the top -- are fed up with "power trips" and petty fighting. I was very impressed by the call for repentance and holiness that was called for by many speakers in Louisville -- from every "camp" in SBC life.
I agree with Dr. Reid's [maybe it was Dr. Finn, I'm not exactly sure of the source] comments at SEBTS' BTT blog, saying in essence, that there have been more petty power trips and fights in the SBC than you could shake a stick at. Fortunately, most of these aren't surviving now that they have been / are being exposed to the light of day. Throwing red meat to fellow partisans is just going to run out of gas in terms of building any consensus going forward. Most people would rather be doing God's work -- spreading the Gospel.
There is just not any spiritual joy welling up in the soul from winning a theological debate. People just can't live in the desert forever. God is not going to sustain them as fighting warriors in a semi-wounded state.
Some guys might be one step away from total dehydration and dying of thrust in the desert. Instead, they need to come to their own rescue and tap into a well of living water.
I think Facebook, blogs, and twitter, are great agents in facilitating change in the SBC. Younger pastors, and even old guys like me, are not going to stay on the reservation any longer if this fighting keeps going. Who needs this?
I don't like fighting myself. I'd rather spend my time driving my Vette, working rare DX on my ham radio, raising my disabled daughter, helping my wife who has MS, attending a Thursday night Bible study here in OKC, or going to choir practice. I don't find fighting to provide long term succor for the soul. No matter what side anyone is on; they can't continue in this spiritual wasteland for ever.
Wade, I sincerely believe change is on the way.
I'm still on target to attend the IMB BoT in September. I've contacted Dr. Chitwood a couple of times and he has "invited" me to attend.
My prediction is that the stuff I will be reporting on at the BoT meeting will be very positive. Even those who are cynical will then have to acknowledge that the BoT is back on track working at 110% of capacity to keep the Great Commission running at full throttle.
Wade, please send me a "virtual autograph" that I can put in my copy of your book. I'm going to keep it along with the "virtual" BI Identity card I got from Dr. Barber. I'm going to treasure both of them equally.
Roger K. Simpson
Oklahoma City OK
Dear Friends,
If Wade has prayed about his decision, and he is led to follow a different path for a while, do not call him from it.
I am reminded of the story of Henri Nouwen, who taught at Harvard, and Yale, and Notre Dame, and began to become quite famous. He was much in public demand to speak on the subject of 'humility', and was very gifted at this.
But Father Nouwen did not feel peaceful. He knew he needed a change away from all the attention for a while and prayed to God for direction, so that he could find peace again.
He received an invitation to work in France at a retreat for the severely disabled and mentally handi-capped. He went there, and was given the task of caring for a young man named Adam, who needed almost total physical care, including bathing, and dressing, and feeding.
There, in that quiet place, the Lord helped Father Nouen regain his peacefulness, as the famous priest cared for the broken body of this severely disabled Child of God.
Sometimes people are 'called' away from all the busy-ness:
for reasons WE could not understand,
for reasons that THEY may not altogether understand at the time, for reasons perhaps known then only to Mind of God.
We should respect that Wade has made his decision.
Perhaps the Lord has called him out into the deep waters for a while, and, in time, Wade will know why, and will see the benefit of the Lord's leading.
Whatever the reasons, I support Wade.
May the Cross of Christ pierce our souls, that we may always seek His Peace. Love, L's
Wade!! I hope and pray (really!) that this will beneficial for your soul and beneficial for our Convention. I expect it will. I am adding you back to my feed reader. There are certainly enough exciting developments in the Convention, exciting working of the Spirit among our churches, and glorious mysteries of God to warrant a year-long sabbatical from politics. Amen.
Lydia,
Thank you for your concern. You may misunderstand me. In no way do I accuse Wade. His calling in the SBC is different than mine. His influences are different than mine. My own walk is not unlike Wade's in that I too tried sounding warning clarions. I gave up on it, shifted my focus, and am being, I believe, much more effective in true Great Commission efforts. That is what I see Wade getting ready to undertake.
For me, it became a Titus 3:9-10 issue.
Look forward to more Theological Blogs.
Love listening to your sermons via the INTERNET. How about beginning a verse by verse study through Acts or Hebrews this fall.....just a suggestion.
Linda, come hang out at my place for in-depth discussion on the egal/comp issue as well as the Calvinism/non-Calvinism issue. Just wrote a book and a booklet on each (see my Scribd docs).
After reading this post, I would like to invite you to be a guest post on http://gillites.wordpress.com. I'm working on a Th.M. thesis on Gill and the other two administrators are working on Ph.D. dissertations. I saw your forward in John Gill and Justification from Eternity and thought about asking you if you would be willing to post there. Please contact me if you are interested at jfile76@gmail.com
Wade,
I respect your decision. I have often wondered how you have time to carry on your ministry, family and other responsibilities and still provide such a well researched and thorough coverage of the often carnal political activity in our convention. What concerns me is what I mentioned over the Bart Barber-BGCT gossip and blame game. Without bloggers such as yourself and a blog post where it could be discussed and exposed he would never have been held accountable and could have stone walled the whole thing as CR people have traditional done.
Roger, I admire you optimistic spirit and I hope you are right. As for myself, after watching this for 30 years I do not see any turn around until those in power are replaced by a new generation of leaders or they are forced out by truly theologically conservative leaders who are more concerned about the spiritual direction of our convention then maintaining their power and salaries.
I hope there is a forum where someone will be an honest broker on discussions of the GCR. BaptistLife.com has some good discussions. This has the potential of being the nail in the coffin of the SBC as we have known it. Ronnie Floyd is the chairman. He was on the last vision task force that implemented a restructuring program that did more harm than good. Most of the other members are from the old guard of CR hard ball politics. If Johnny Hunt was really wanting to bring about unity he could have included people such as Wade Burleson, Randell Everett, John Upton or others who would have been willing to ask the hard questions that need to be asked instead of covering up their own failings and waste of CP funds the way Danny Akin and others have done. For example, do all SEBTS employees get the same deal on purchasing autos bought by CP funds that Patterson’s aide received at SEBTS. I would like for the committee to publish the salary of all SBC entity heads along with the salaries of any family members receiving salaries involving CP funds. Why are the meetings going to be closed to the press? These meetings should be held in the full light of day. Is there anything they do not want us ordinary Southern Baptists to know?
Ron West
Ron West:
Only 1 woman on this visionary committee. Incredible!
Let's see 17 men and 1 woman.
Wade,
I benefit from your insights into the "behind the scenes" information on most issues. I will miss that aspect of your speaking on Convention politics.
At the same time, I am glad to see the intent of this most recent decision. I hope it portrays the feelings of many others.
I think your decision reflects a broken heart for the in-fighting and bickering going on that distracts us all from the "main thing" of sharing Christ with a world that is suffering so much.
I also understand the concern for other blog readers who fear giving up the school yard to the bullies. But sometimes in the midst of chaos the problem is in discerning just who the bullies are!
May God continue to bless you. I'll continue to look forward to your posts.
Haven't you done this before? Are you writing another book?
Wade,
I have always appreciated your heart, your voice, and what you have been doing.
One thing about saying that if a reader thinks anything you post for the next year is political, you will take it down. Are you sure that's workable. It seems like some people can make a cat yawning seem like a political statement...
Your voice will be missed. As one who had nearly given up on the SBC, coming across your blog and hearing your voice and the voices of many commentators was a breath of fresh air that has allowed me to thus far press forward.
However, I don't guess that you are going away. Now we will get to bring the wide variety of viewpoints your blog has gathered to discuss matters of Biblical and theological import. That may be just as valuable, if not more so. Perhaps as we become more used to thinking Biblically and theologically we will all begin to live more so. And then many of the problems you have had to "bring to light" until now can be completely avioded.
Here's to a future with eyes turned to Christ and the edification of His Body.
Wade, I think your decision is a political decision and this post is political. :) So reverse course...
Elizabeth,
Good point. I will reserve the right to keep the post up if it doesn't contain the name of any individual and is simply a theological position I am taking.
Thanks!
Wade
Jeff,
You are funny.
:)
Wade:
Some good thoughts on Politics.
http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2009/05/marquart-on-politics.php
Rob
”Delbert Funny Papers June 25, 2009”
Income tax auditor: “You claim your company is exempt from taxes because you’re incorporated in Heaven?”
Evil executive: “Exactly.”
Auditor: “I’m not allowed to question that claim because of the separation of Church and State.”
Watchdog, beware!
And heed the conclusion of the fired woman Hebrew teacher and missionaries who lost to Baptist justice, or do I dare suggest the ‘powers that be’ are tied to the Funny Papers?
Wade, you stole my heart with your stand against wrong several years ago.
When you can do nothing else, may you always stand.
Do you ever wonder where our churches would be had we not stopped preaching and gone to politicing?
Well you can always twitter a line or two, just to get it out of your system :)
Under Much Grace blog [Cindy Kunsman] > Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, Morieris.
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Wade,
I certainly understand; your decision is probably for the best for the SBC and for you.
However, I hope that you are prepared to have your readership cut in half.
Folks love controversy, you know.
Blessings to you!
Oh, one more thing--keep some tissues handy because your lip's gonna be bleeding a lot from all the biting of it that you are going to do.
Strong Coffee [Ken Coffee] > Unity Does Not Mean Silence.
Your decision is a blessing and a curse.
The silence will be a blessing for all who like what is happening.
The silence will be a cures for all who know change is needed.
Autonomy is a great thing but without some who knows what to look for and who to ask... many churches will continue to tow the line ignorantly because they do not know or do not know where to look or who to ask.
I can live with that at my level and begin to lead for change in my local church but in the end, if the convention continues its present path I will be very lonely and less involved.
But hey, does it really matter?
Remember that line from the Grinch about Christmas coming "without packages, boxes, or bags"?
The first generation church grew rapidly without:
-- business meetings
-- committees
-- chains of command
-- conventions
-- boards
-- buildings
-- pews
-- pulpits
-- altars
-- liturgies
-- bosses
-- etc. etc. etc.
Some of you may also be familiar with the term "viral marketing". That's how it was done, one person at a time, each one living the life and teaching the truth. Legalists wanted to complicate things. Pharisees wanted to boss people. Paul had to fight hard just to keep such destructive forces away while he lived, and as he predicted, they took over after he died. And so has it ever been since.
What matters is each believer relying on the Holy Spirit's power and the Word that Spirit inspired. Linguists can tell us what the words mean and theologians can debate what they communicate, but in the end it comes down to the individual believer to walk and talk the faith.
That's what matters.
Paula, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head.
Jesus Christ is a true revolutionary. No one before or after has come close. His nature decentralizes man made structures. This is where the real revolution takes place. In each person. One at a time.
No amount of Great Commission Resurgence or thousands of people pontificating does anything.
All it needs is one person at a time to live the life in Jesus Christ. This is what is radical and mind blowing. No amount of containment and control can tame this awesome power.
That is what is lacking today. We need people who live this life.
-----------------------------------
Off Topic:
If any of you are not in too many words, but love simplicity of pictures, child like fascination ... please explore this:
NYT > And the Pursuit of Happiness blog [Maira Kalman].
Wade,
Thanks for the open exchange here. And thanks for opening the drapes and letting some sun in to illuminate some serious problems in our leadership. Some of us saw extreme bad and cruel behavior from our leaders over the years and knew of innocent people here and there who were treated horribly in the witch hunt of the CR. (Many of us supported it in the early days until we realized that it was not about inerrancy. If it had been, some of these leaders would have been convicted of their bad behavior by the inerrant Word.)
But without some form of mass communication that is not controlled by these leaders, evil deeds are protected in this sort of environment because folks have been taught (since the CR, ironically) that it is sin to question the authority or deliver negative news about leaders. So my guess is that many leaders are cheering this decision of yours.
A while back, Big Daddy Weave, (who I like but disagree with on certain issues) said on another blog that many of us here were just Wade followers. He just did not understand at all.
As a matter of fact, I disagree with you on the big picture of the SBC. I think it is dead and has been dead for a while. Not in numbers or baptisms, etc. It has nothing to do with numbers. I learned a long time ago that walking an ailse and getting dunked is not an final indicator of regeneration.
Some of the most alive churches are small home churches. What I mean by dead is that it is a large institutional bureacracy that benefits a few. A career ladder. (What on earth is GER? And how is is NOT redundant?) Add to that the questionable behavior of some of our leaders that has been consistent and the constant focus on celebrity... following this or that pastor, seminary president, etc, going to war with the culture for 30 years and you have a recipe for death.
That is WHY we have campaigns like the GCR. Because the Holy Spirit is missing.
I hope this blog has caused some folks to question what they are doing when it comes to the Bride, the Body of Christ and 'Who' they are following.
I am looking forward to discussions on theology. I just cannot wait to find out Robert's position on Calvinism. (wink)
If anyone hears from Crowder, tell him hello for me. I miss his witty repartee.
Saint John of Patmos
wrote this in the Book of the Apocalypse:
". . . I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers;
you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.
If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent."
Wade - good luck with your blog posts. If you cease to be political, you will merely join the millions of other "theologians" out there pontificating about public interest stories and bible commentary. They are a dime a dozen and don't command the national readership your blog does. Your ministry to us was to shine light on abuses and make the cockroaches squirm. Now, I might as well read Al Mohler's blog, or SBC Today, or any other blog out there that can't effect any change.
Sorry to see you go. You were a friend, helper, and even "surrogate pastor" for many of the Lord's sheep that are without a shepherd.
Blessings to you. :)
VTMBottomLine [Paul Burleson] > Following An Example.
Four years later we have received word that Wade is laying aside writing anything of a political nature. Don't hear that as laying aside anything controversial because his theology will be that thank you. But he will be refusing to write anything that addresses the political state or condition of the SBC for the next year. I have not spoken to him since his announcement and am writing my thoughts without him knowing anything about what those thoughts might be. But I do have some thoughts.
In my humble but accurate opinion, [:)] Wade has been operating under a real calling of God for these past four years. He has suffered rebuke, revilement, questioned motives, and has been called too many things/names to begin listing them here. But the truth is, he could care less because of a belief that he HAS had a calling of God for what he has done. It has always ONLY been a principled thing for him like him or not.
Pastor,
Do what you need to do. Lead your church, love your family, and study the Word. I look forward to the insights.
It was interesting to be sitting right in the midst of your final effort in SBC politics on Tuesday. Sometimes you know who your friends are, but you don't realize who your friends are sitting with at the SBC!
Doug
The Wartburg Watch.
Egads
I can't even write the name of my blog;
www.thewartburgwatch.com
Wade, we finished looking at your book today. You might be interested how we tied it to this blog.
Thank you, Thy Peace
The Wartburg Watch > Yep, There Are Still More Reasons Why We Are Leaving The SBC (Part 6).
A few days ago, Wade Burleson, author of Hardball Religion, Feeling the Fury of Fundamentalism, announced that he will abstain from the discussion of politics for the next year. His wonderful blog will now be a site to discuss theology.
...
So, here is a list of concerns outlined in Burleson’s book. I leave it to you to decide if they are spiritual issues or “mere” politics. All page numbers refer to pages in Burleson’s book, Hardball Religion.
Post a Comment