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| Photo of Paige Patterson (Courtesy: BaptistMessage.Com) |
Dr. Paige Patterson, architect of what some call the conservative resurgence of the Southern Baptist Convention will most likely no longer be the President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
The question left to decide is whether Dr. Patterson will be allowed to resign and retire or will he be terminated? The Southwestern Seminary trustee Executive Committee has been meeting for the past two days, and I'm told the full board of trustees will meet soon (May 22, 2018).
Paige Patterson loyalists, as always, want a fight to the finish. Let me introduce you to two men on the Executive Committee of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary who are Patterson loyalists.
Dr. Bart Barber serves on the Executive Committee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He seems to be fighting hard to keep Dr. Patterson in positions of leadership. At the 2009 Southern Baptist Convention, I stood on the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention and opposed the nomination of Dr. Bart Barber as a trustee for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
I publicly stated at the 2009 Southern Baptist Convention that Dr. Bart Barber's appointment as a Southwestern Seminary trustee "would be a clear conflict of interest."
Dr. Barber served at the time as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received a paycheck from the institution he was being nominated to oversee. Dr. Paige Patterson ultimately hired Dr. Bart Barber, and now the Southern Baptist Convention was about to place him as a trustee of that institution?
I warned the messengers.
"Placing an employee of an institution on the board of trustees of that same institution is a conflict of interest, and very well could cause future trouble in the Southern Baptist Convention."Dr. Bart Barber is now serving on the Executive Committee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a Patterson loyalist who is blind to the optics of how it looks for Paige Patterson to continue in Southern Baptist leadership. My opposition to Bart Barber as a trustee was and is not personal, but it is and remains principled. Dr. Bart Barber never should have been appointed a trustee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Now the Southern Baptist Convention has to overcome Bart's opposition to the removal of Paige Patterson.
There are no women on the Executive Committee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. There are only two women on the entire board of trustees at the seminary. Men - all men - are right now dealing with the very important question of what to do with a man who is seemingly indifferent to the physical abuse of women. It's a critical and important time of decision for those males in that trustee meeting room.
Another Patterson loyalist on the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Executive Committee is a pastor named Jeff Crook. If Paige Patterson kisses the bear for Jeff Crook, then one might assume Jeff Crook will find it hard to remove Paige Patterson.
In fact, Jeff Crook is on video denouncing any Christian who goes after Christian leaders. A Christian leader should "never quit, never give up, and never step down," says Jeff. Christian leaders can't be wimps. And, according to Jeff, any Christian who "goes after" a Christian leader should be ashamed. Watch the video for yourself. How can Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustee Jeff Crook ever hold Paige Patterson accountable with that type of mentality?
The tense discussions are ongoing within the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Executive Committee even as I write. I believe in the end the smarter, younger, and wiser seminary trustees will prevail. They comprehend the optics. They are not blinded by loyalty. They understand that the Southern Baptist Convention - and especially Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary - cannot survive the image of thousands of Southern Baptists standing and applauding Dr. Paige Patterson at this year's convention. Dr. Patterson by his own words seems not to care if a woman is physically abused.
Paige Patterson is scheduled to deliver the Southern Baptist Convention annual sermon on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.
In this day and age, people don't stand and applaud men who treat women as second-class citizens unless you wish to die a swift and sudden organizational death.
For years I've been trying to convince Southern Baptists that if we say we believe the Bible we should start acting like it.
It is the teaching of Jesus Christ that liberates women.
There's something to be said about the weakness of the Southern Baptist Convention when the culture around us trumps Christ within us.
The ancient Hebrews never considered a person a disciple because someone said he believed something. The Hebrews defined a disciple as one who displayed his belief through his behavior. Later, the Greeks separated the soul from the body and followed that dogma by separating beliefs from behavior.
Southern Baptists have been too Greek for too long. We talk a good talk, but we're crippled in our walk.
Southern Baptists will no longer follow leaders who say they believe in the equality of women but behave differently. We will no longer give credence to people in power who say they are against abuse, but cover, excuse, and dismiss allegations of abuse.
Southern Baptist leaders must have a profession that lines up with their practice. Leaders must have a creed consistent with their character, a duty determined by their doctrine, and a behavior birthed by their beliefs.
It's about time we behave like the Jesus we say we believe.
58 comments:
Drag a Southwestern trusteeship or a faculty position through a trailer park, and you'll never know what you find."
It is well past time to remove Paige Patterson. Too many men are blindly loyal to him due to his spoils system, his enemies list, and his intimidation tactics. I cannot fathom how someone can claim to believe in the Bible and support his actions. They are gutless in my opinion. They support Patterson and his warring actions to better themselves and out of fear of reprisal. Regarding inerrancy, he is not actually for genuine, authentic study of the scriptures to grasp what they fully believe. He believes only HE is inerrant and we all must believe whatever edict he decrees are inerrant. I have ceased to trust or believe men who support him. I believe the Bible is without error, inerrant, and I have dedicated myself to service to the Lord. How someone can follow the shameless slander, bullying, intimidation and ruthless character of Paige Patterson, they should be ashamed of themselves. They are not Christ-followers nor do they believe in the Bible.
What is the summary of the ministry of Paige Patterson? Ed Stetzer stated it well, “Nobody criticizes Paige Patterson and keeps their job.”
Several years ago, Jeff Crook withdrew a significant amount of financial support to a church plant we were involved with for one simple reason: the lead pastor did not hold the same teetotaler position Crook did on alcohol. I might add that out of respect for a few of the partner churches the lead pastor agreed to maintain abstinence from alcohol while under their partnership. However once Crook found out indirectly that our position was different (even though our practice was equal), he called to let us know they were withdrawing 10k of support and then he proceeded to preach an entire message about the issue the following Sunday and called the pastor and church by name from the pulpit ... he misrepresented the entire ordeal to justify why they would withdraw support from a fledgling church plant in a tough field. In the end, God provided way more support through other means because of what happened with the Crook.
sometimes it really is about what's in a name...
If he resigns...spineless leaders remain in place that are compromising and placating.
If he is fired...there may be a ray of hope in the leaders that remain. But only a ray.
Oh, and does he still get his mansion on the grounds?
There is a very heavy push among the trustees to censor PP as a compromise. Patterson intractable; wises to force a decision on his legacy. Supporters of Patterson fighting hard to keep him. The SWBTS board of trustees is indeed at a critical time.
I am not hopeful they will do the right thing and let Patterson go.
If they are concerned about the future of their institution, there is no decision that helps SWBTS but to terminate.
Carville aint here and you're no ghost.
Kinda like Forrest Gump, "I dont know about all that". Would like to know if scroll fragments are fake.
Scott,
Legitimate journalists from Chronicle of Higher Education and other national organizations will soon give some answers on the fragments.
Thanx for that ppint of information brother.
Not in London. Point.
That's gonna be interesting considering the middle eastern archaeology emphasis between NOBTS and SWBC. A lot of experts and tenured perhaps still around?
Wade,
Have you read this?
https://religionnews.com/2017/12/11/influential-southern-baptist-layman-paul-pressler-subject-of-sex-abuse-suit/
“The suit also names as defendants Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and its president, Paige Patterson, and Houston’s First Baptist Church, and claims they are liable for their professional, personal or denominational connections with Pressler. The legal document also goes into the movement led by Pressler and Patterson starting in 1979 that turned the Southern Baptist Convention in a more conservative direction after deep theological battles. It claims that the movement was focused on power, which the suit called “a key ingredient in the abuse of children and women.”
Rex,
I have. It's extremely sad.
Thanks to the "leadership" of the SBC-they can not allow a woman in a position of authority and have made women 2nd class citizens. And as you say now men will decide what to do with a man who has been no friend of women for years. It is no wonder to me why the SBC is no longer great!
Patterson should have been fired years ago IMO.
More light will shine soon. Sadly. As tgey say, you aint seen nothin yet
As I review Wade's 2 posts on Paige's totally inappropriate remarks about women and stating that a wife should remain in an abusive situation for the purpose of possibly salvaging her marriage, I see that none of these quoted remarks transpired within the past decade or two. I reviewed the associated links (admittedly not all) and find that nothing has happened that is "new". So, some may say, "What difference does it matter if it was 20 years ago or yesterday?"
For me, these quotes having passed one or even two decades ago diminishes arguments and the credibility of outrage occurring at this late date. It gives me the impression that all of this outpouring of contempt and protest is disingenuous and "fickled", for lack of a better description. It all seems to be consistent with current trends of US society and the "groupie" mentality of going along as mindless mice following "the piper" of the moral machine driven by the winds of secular populists and humanists. It is this same sort of "following the leader" mentality that has got us (The Southern Baptist Convention) in this mess in the first place.
Why in the world are we seeing the sudden rise in outrage, despair, and disgust at this point, 20 years following all of this egregious behavior? The SBC hierarchy's acceptance, celebration, and acclamation for this monarch who has been held in the highest position, (king?) of our Southern Baptist political and academic arena has existed for a long, long, time. Yet, his display of such arrogance, inappropriate behavior, and rejection of any accountability has never seriously been brought to question.
The current, growing, protests appear to be driven by the whimsical facade of moral outrage similarly displayed by our secular society's "Me Too" movement. It is driven by the winds of social media and popular cause originated by those with little substantive motive other than to join in on what seems to be "politically correct" at the moment.
To rally protests and demand resignation of some figurehead who represents the rottenness of our SBC core at this late date would not display any sort of genuine remorse, repentance, or change for the better of our Southern Baptist Convention or the person in question. It would instead be like a childlike-person crying in feigned remorse, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" only because they are caught with their hand in the cookie jar and the only thing they are sorry about is having been caught. It would be like SBC resolutions condemning racism only after society has moved along and forced the Convention to join in the moral parade. Such Convention resolutions are often made because the previous position has been made unpopular and unacceptable by society, not God. The stated change wasn't due to The Spirit of God moving in hearts, it was due to our being carried along in whatever is popular at the moment.
None of this "call to arms" for resignations will change the nature of our Convention's ailments. The only thing that will do that is for "God", to create a wave of revival that will result in a sincere change of heart and values among those involved in determining SBC politics. That change in players will only occur when the base masses of SBC members have a genuine sense of repentance and standard of values for leadership. Such a sincere change will be displayed by choices in leadership being made as determined by those most likely to uproot the current power players that meet in secret rooms and eloquent hotels to form the strategy for the SBC in coming decades. If we ever do see such a revolution in SBC politics, only then we might see real change with a replacement of the traditional power players and our having leaders who will be committed to "CLEANING OUT THE SWAMP".
RB: I was with you till you made the following statement--" If we ever do see such a revolution in SBC politics, only then we might see real change with a replacement of the traditional power players and our having leaders who will be committed to "CLEANING OUT THE SWAMP".
I know, Tom, forgive me for overstepping. Once my pen or mouth gets going it's hard for me to stop, as if you cannot notice. Keep me straight!
HEY! I thought CLEANING THE SWAMP was RIGHT ON!
When do we break and form a new convention? Because that seems like a more likely option.
SWBTS Student; please know that I am not advocating replacement or dissolving our SBC. It's kind of like our nation of America in the sense of being the best there is but still having its problems. Both are amazing feats of God that are suffering some obesity problems.
In the case of our Convention, I do believe that it is the one denomination that most adheres to Scripture and the truth of God's Word with the greatest emphasis on winning lost souls into The Kingdom and the world for our Lord Jesus Christ. But the pains of our politics which are tainted by our enchantment with the world's glittery emphasis on celebrity and entertainment has got us off course. All of this in the opinion of one man.
https://www.baptiststandard.com/opinion/profiles/keith-parks-missionary-still-dominant-dna/
Keith Parks was the President of the Foreign Mission Board from 1980 until 1992 when the ‘highjack’ or the ‘Conservative Resurgence’ took place. Parks argued the glue that held Baptists together was missions, but the ‘powers’ said it was doctrine. Doctrine became ‘Our way or the highway’.
Parks became the first coordinator of the ‘Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’ (CBF) in 1993 and served there until his retirement in 1999. The CBF has a membership of 700,000 with 1,800 congregations.
When the Baptist World Alliance (BWA)accepted the CBF into their membership, Paige Patterson led the SBC to withdraw from the BWA by lying that they were “gay-friendly”. (I heard him say it as well as Billy Graham’s son-in-law, Danny Lotz, general secretary for the BWA. He died in 2015.) Afterwards, the CBF gave more money to the BWA than the SBC ever did.
Parks had rheumatic fever when he was six and the doctor told his parents he would not live past 13. They prayed to God for his life to be spared and they would do all they could to dedicate him to his service. Parks did not know of any of this until his older sister told him when he was a senior in high school and had made a commitment to “full-time Christian service.
I first met Parks at a large meeting to discuss a course of action for the SBC. I wanted ‘war’ and he spoke for ‘peace’. A newspaper quoted me and not him.
Many years later my cousin attended church with him. His wife, Helen Jean, asked if he knew a Rex Ray.
Yes, he’s my uncle that was a missionary to China.
No, I’m talking about Rex Ray the blogger.
Yes, he’s my cousin.
I believe every word he writes.
:)
Saw this statement from Paige on Twitter last night:
https://swbts.edu/news/releases/press-release-paige-patterson/
RB - This statement was PP's attempt to address the current criticism for past comments. Instead of refuting his prior council as bad advice he retold the story in a more favorable light and claimed that he was being misrepresented. This may work with the constituency that wants to believe him but did not hold up to the scrutiny of those who looked at his original telling of the story and his current version and found him to be the one who was "misrepresenting".
No matter what statement Paige makes to clarify or backtrack, all of the points Wade made previously are reasons enough. Perhaps the most overlooked is the fact how enrollment has nosedived over the past 15 years & will more so even more. What has not even been mentioned are the NUMEROUS stories of students/faculty/employees over the past 15 years (I was at SWBTS all 4 years under Patterson) of both Paige & Dottie P's actions & conduct that has not been publicly reported. I've known & heard story after story of what they have said & done to those who they think are there to serve them although Jesus told us to have a different attitude [Mark 10:45]. Former SWBTS Student
Rex Ray, thanks for the reference to the Keith Parks interview. We were appointed under him many moons ago.
In the interview, Keith Parks was asked, "What element of ministry do you wish you could have changed?"
I think His response to that question was the most profound statement of his interview: "We tended to spend too many of our resources developing Christians and not enough reaching those who had never heard."
I believe he qualified what was meant by adding, "Our approach was influenced too much by our own cultural expression of Christianity and not enough by biblical patterns." I conclude that he was making it clear that when he says,"too many resources developing Christians", he is referring to our international mission strategy focusing too much upon our own domestic needs than those which are essential for impacting the international arena. I totally agree with that.
If Keith thought we were "off-target" in the past in this regard, I can imagine what he thinks about the current SBC global strategy. Having the past two IMB Presidents (and I am sure the upcoming President will be the same) with "zero" background and experience in international missions strategy implementation accentuates this disparity. With such leaders chosen, the emphasis becomes the accommodation for SBC domestic churches (especially mega-churches) and their desire to be more personally involved in what is happening abroad. That's admirable, but not as being positioned as the "priority" of the organization.
IMB trustees are choosing mega-church personalities with zero experience in "living and serving long-term" abroad to lead what is supposed to be an "international mission" organization. Of course, one would logically think that an "international" mission organization would be focused on engaging peoples of distant cultures and participating in equipping and supporting "their" indigenous agenda of winning "their" people into The Kingdom. But when you have someone leading your organization who has never done that you know it is not going to be the priority and your strategy will not be relative to that.
Keith's statement is reflective of something a leader would say whose "DNA" consists of a passion for sincerely making sacrifices that are required to "go to the uttermost parts of the earth" with The Gospel. Too bad we don't have any of those in leadership of IMB.
Since the enrollment has nosedived under Patterson the last 15 years, can you imagine the precipitous drop it will have after this latest embarrassment? A good name is worth more than gold.
http://sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc04/newsroom/newspage.asp?ID=40
In 2004, “Patterson told FOX News analyst Linda Vester on the "DaySide" television news program that Southern Baptists decided to withdraw from the fellowship because of the continual drift to the left on the part of the BWA, and in addition to theological liberalism, the BWA had become anti-American.”
Lotz, who appeared on the DaySide program opposite Patterson. He denied the assertion of a leftward drift in the BWA. The organization is not anti-American. The BWA is an inclusive group comprised of evangelical Baptists from all over the world. We belong together because we belong to Christ. The real reason Southern Baptists voted to withdraw from the world fellowship was because of the resurgence of conservative theology and the emergence of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a group that broke with the SBC in 1992. The real issue is not being discussed. For 25 years the SBC have had a conservative resurgence. A group of moderates withdrew that was called the CBF. They formed their own convention. Last year in Brazil we [BWA] accepted them as members."
How do you explain this to a non-Christian? Where is the repentance? I see none....Stuff like this is why more and more younger folks have stopped going to church.
"Govteach" said, "Stuff like this is why more and more younger folks have stopped going to church."
Are you one who has stopped going? Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?
RB, stopped long ago. You can get kicked just so many times. ( And I'm an alumni of a SBC seminary)
Since I became a "Done" or "None" I could not be happier.
This is the background of the SBC withdrawing from the Baptist World Alliance (BWA).
BTW, when the SBC couldn’t pay our missionaries in Cuba because of Castro’s regulations against the U.S., they gave the money to the BWA, and they routed the money to our missionaries.
Because the BWA was ‘pondering’ accepting the CBF, Patterson led the CBC to lower the amount of money given to them “just because they were thinking about it.”
The next year when the BWA accepted the CBF as a member, Patterson had to dig up ‘dirt’ on the BWA to justify his plan to sell the SBC on withdrawing from them.
So, some on the Executive Committee and Patterson traveled in a group to many countries. Patterson quoted a German professor in the BWA as saying something awful. The German proved the group had twisted his words. The rest of the group said that it wasn’t them; it was Patterson.
After the CBC withdrew from the BWA, Patterson traveled the world to start a different BWA with countries that would accept the 2000 BFM. He failed to get one.
It could be said how to know when Patterson is lying…his lips are moving. And this guy is going to open the SBC in prayer?
I think I’ll turn my chair around and face the opposite direction just like they did when Billy Graham’s daughter spoke just because she was a woman.
https://www.google.com/search?q=chairs+turned+around+when+Billy+Graham's+daughter+spoke&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjTipjso-raAhWQ7lMKHfuqD7EQsAR6BAgAECk&biw=1280&bih=603
Govteach,
People who know me understand that if there were an admission of guilt, repentance from treating women as second-class people who should be able to endure abuse, and a commitment to honor all the body of Christ as His people, then I would be the most gracious, accepting, loving person of the sinner in repentance.
I agree with you.
There is no repentance of the low view of women.
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=x2zrWrqSEdCkzwLMoLz4Bw&q=chairs+turned+around+when+billy+graham%27s+daughter+spoke&oq=Chairs&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.35i39k1j0l3j0i20i264k1j0l3j0i20i264k1j0.5908.8302.0.13077.7.6.0.0.0.0.138.756.0j6.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.6.751.0..0i131k1j0i131i20i264k1.0.0jNxbzHzJ4k
OK, I can’t get this link to work.
This will work on Google.
chairs turned around when billy graham's daughter spoke
Hey REX RAY, I LOVED your story about your uncle. Comic relief in the midst of sadness! Thank you.
Rex, we think along similar lines . . . I also remembered that incident about Anne Graham Lotz and those chairs.
I found this:
"While Lotz has attracted a wide audience, Safer argued, "In the culture of conservative Christianity, being a woman still has serious disadvantages."
She told Safer of an experience 14 years ago when invited to a convention of preachers from different denominations. "I stood up to speak and not all of them, but enough of them that it caught my attention, put their backs to me." That experience drove her to examine from God's Word whether women are permitted to teach men, asking God to settle the issue for her.
Safer described her conclusion by saying, "Sure enough, the Bible confirmed her mission for her in the person of Jesus asking Mary Magdalene to give her testimony to his disciples."
http://www.bpnews.net/11051/60-minutes-segment-on-anne-graham-lotz-muddied-sbc-stance-on-women-in-ministry
ah, the 'mission' Our Lord gave to the Magdalene . . . . this is why she is called 'the Apostola Apostolorum', the Apostle to the Apostles
"Govteach", I did not want to respond to your statement,"Stuff like this is why more and more younger folks have stopped going to church." until I understood a bit more about your personal situation.
This is the saddest thing of all; that you have been so beat up by the weak aspects of the church that it has driven you out of fellowship with other believers in worship, prayer, Bible study and cooperative service to our common Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To me, that is the saddest thing posted on this entire blog stream.
It is true that "the church/physical body of Christ on earth/Bride of Christ" is still susceptible to being impacted by Satanic attack. It is true, there are people, even non-believers, in the church who are controlled by Satan. They are his implanted saboteurs. Jesus warned us about them and said to be on watch for them. We, even though sincere believers, are still "carnal" in the sense of being influenced by Satan who wants us to fail our Lord at every turn.
There are those in the church who are very immature in their spiritual relationship with God through Christ, so they behave more like someone who is still in the "world" than withdrawn from it. I have personally been one of those when I drifted far from my Father so as to not reflect His influence upon me. Then there are those who are literally insane, mentally/emotionally, that mingle in with church-goers on Sundays. They often behave as though they are on prescription drugs or something, and probably are. They rant and rave and stir up all kinds of turmoil that makes one ask, "Wow! Where in the world did that come from?!" It involved spiritual warfare and is very intense because of the eternal stakes involved in its business and affairs. But you can't give up on the entire flock due to those who are weak and destructive to the Godly spirit of unity and harmony.
Govteach, you cannot allow any of these problems to drive you out from being involved and serving with what is literally the physical body of Christ in the world today. You MUST persevere! The church, with all of its warts and battle scars and worldly blemishes, is still the ONLY hope this world has. We simply try to make it better, mend damage done by those others bent on causing destruction and undermining the effectiveness of God's Kingdom-machine on earth today. Do not abandon The Church. It has many alternatives, diverse forms, from the huge mega-church to small groups of believers meeting in an apartment living room on Sunday or in the inner-city shop and ministering to those suffering without knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Church needs your involvement and in spite of your saying you are "happy" with the status quo, you cannot be joyful with the knowledge that you are in the center of your Father's will if you are not actively participating in the activity of The Body of HIS Son, Jesus Christ in the world. YOU need the church.
Plus, don't read Wade's post if you do not want to be exposed to so much of this inner-play and innermost dealings of church "politics". It can distort the reality of things, similar to watching too much of "Fox News" or "CNN". If it shakes your faith or results in your distancing yourself from the church then don't read it. The intent of the post is not to be negative or destructive, but it does often deal with those carnal aspects of the church which are not pleasant to deal but need to be addressed in the hope of improving things.
The Bride of Christ is truly one bride that is abused and beat up by the world! But she's still beautiful!
Thanks CHIRSTIANE,
Does anyone remember?
At SWBTS chapel, a talk was made by a woman. The students spoke how great it was. So much so, Patterson put the podium she spoke from and put it in an attic because he said it had been contaminated by a woman.
Rex Ray - Here you go: http://www.wadeburleson.org/2008/04/contaminated-pulpit-and-other-bizarre.html
RB KUTER: You quoted as follows: "We tended to spend too many of our resources developing Christians and not enough reaching those who had never heard."
Developing Christians is the Great Commission, right?
Can you imagine how bad the FTE's would be were it not for seminary undergrad programs. Back in the day there were on "undergrads" on these campuses. Cheaper than a state school so I guess the fix is in. Seminarys today and a few years back are like comparing apples and oranges.
No undergrads. Spelling.
Bob, "making disciples" is our mandate/commission but of course, the church must feed its own babes.
I believe the point being made in Keith's statement is that an "International" Mission Board's focus should be on a strategy/method/emphasis that most effectively addresses winning the lost of other lands rather than what most accommodates US domestic mandates. Having leaders in the "International" Mission Board whose qualifications are primarily that of being well known in church celebrity circles in the US is not likely a wise choice for a job position charged with creating and implementing a strategy to expand the Kingdom in cultures foreign to ours.
The strategy created/implemented by such a domestic leader would more likely be biased as to what best fits the needs and desires of the domestic church in the Southern Baptist Convention.Our recent Presidents support this conclusion. Best of intent but just poorly equipped for the assignment.
I'm a 1994 graduate (M.Div). Although there are many reasons, my witnessing the dirty political tactics (that seem no different from "secular" political plots) deployed against my professor Dr. Dilday (yes, he insisted on teaching a class each semester--a reflection of the minister and man) and the spiritual coup de tet against President Dilday were the genesis of my journey to stay away from such people. Time appears to prove that I made the right decision. Despite living in the DFW area, I have not returned to the campus except once to appeal to the seminary to not sign a gas drilling lease that exposed a middle school and neighboring families, including the seminary community, especially those living in the family village to toxins and potential catastrophic explosions. They ignored my and the pleas from the many community members, many of whom were immigrants and working poor. I was surprised that Dr. Patterson replied to my email directly about the issue. His short but clear message was essentially:it's a lot of money to be made and we can't turn down God's blessing (i.e. a few million dollars). He didn't bother to acknowledge children and families and their health and well-being, not even seminary students and their families and children living within the same blast zone of a couple hundred feet.He must have misunderstood my request for a prophetic voice with his succinct profit-ic voice in 2009. The memory of hundreds of students singing hymns through streams of tears in front of the president's residence will stay with me for as long as I live, along with the grace and what I consider Christian behavior and attitude that Dr. Dilday showed during his brief remarks in response to chants for him to say something (since he was locked out of his office and escorted off campus by armed security guards like a criminal or a capture prisoner after a coup de tet). He broke the sadness and tension with his soothing pastor's voice (not the theatrical preacher's voice & inflections)and his trademark humor and charm, "Did you all just chanted 4 more years?"
"Govteach": please take time to read Jesus' parable in Matthew 13:24-30. He articulated what I was trying to say much better than could anyone.
Wade,
Since the anonymous link went to your post, I’ll write to you.
You stated, “It is widely believed that Dr. Bullock delivered one of the greatest chapel talks (sermons) in the history of Southwestern Theological Seminary.”
THAT’S IT! She wasn’t fired just because she was a woman, but “Saul has killed his thousands but David his ten thousands.”
JEALOUSLY enraged Patterson just as it did Saul; NO ONE IS A BETTER SPEAKER THAN ME.
X-Baptist in Texas,
Patterson saying “…we can’t turn down God’s blessings” reminds me of:
“For it seemed good to the HOLY SPIRIT and to us to lay no greater BURDEN on you than these few requirements: (Acts 15:28)
VS.
“…Why are you challenging God by BURDENING the Gentiles believers with a yoke…” (Acts 15:10)
Did the Holy Spirit and God disagree?
Sorry, just an old battle with James that I can’t win.
Govteach: In Matthew 13:37-43 Jesus gives a more defined explanation of the parable which displays the church's situation in this age.
Scott, I've been told seminary today is pretty much a joke compared to 20-30 years ago when I was a student.
My how time flies eh?;)
I fear that if scroll fragments are fake...will refrain from commenting until regaining composure.
GovTeach, were are both,then,from a Byzantine denominational experience. Hats off to ya brother.
Rex Ray,
You are a fountain of history & wisdom,much like Pastor Burleson.
Paige Patterson, Ph.D., seems to label anything and anyone that benefits him as blessings from G-d and his godly kinsman (maybe kinswomen, too, although at a lower level, obviously).
He and his fellow "victors" in their holy war (or not so much, but definitely "bloody" spiritually with too many casualties and collateral damages to list)behave more like ecclesiastical royalty akin to the archbishops and cardinals and other bigwigs in other traditions, with the stain glass windows and massive paintings fir for such high holy rulers and the massive "apartment" (per national publications) built right inside the grounds where he has ruled (and plans to continue ruling from the shadow).
This is such a start contrast to the very influential but humble Dr. Naylor, who dedicated many years to building a firm foundation at Southwestern...and retired to a modest house in the area. Since there were no massive paintings or colorful stain glass images of his face around campus , besides a simple portrait among the other presidents, I only found out who the quiet, small elderly man strolling on the sidewalk around the edge of campus regularly (picking up pecans in the fall) was the venerable Dr. Naylor after asking around.
Dr. Patterson seems to practice power politics and rule of personality, not too much in the way of serving the least among you and such scandalous precepts. He ascribes to the alternative golden rule: he who has the gold makes the rules and rules over those who don't have as much. That was the message surrounding that period in the Barnett Shale, when gas "royalties" overruled other values and no prophetic voice was heard when a morally and spiritually needy community was in desperate need for guidance.
Last thing: is it the grey or black smoke wafting from Seminary Hill that signifies Dr. Patterson's departure?
What specifically did Dr. Patterson say about the woman in the abusive marriage? When was this? What has he historically recommended in abusive situations similar to this? I know God's word is truth. Malachi 2:16 tells all of us that God hates divorce. Could this be the reason why Dr. Patterson is hesitant to recommend divorce. It may come from his fear of God. If so, we need many more men like him.
Mr. Anonymous - come out from behind your cloak of anonymity. State your name. There are Christ-followers who support Dr. Patterson and SWBTS. Mark Jumper, Kingwood TX.
After watching a disturbing movie involving a rape I decided to research a bit about a man I knew in the 80s. I went to First Baptist Academy in Dallas from 1984-1986 and my beautiful teacher's husband was a pastor of a FBC church plant. He was put in prison after being caught as a serial rapist. As I looked for him, this article came up. It is from 2010, before Paige Patterson was in the spotlight. It's pretty interesting to me that Paige Patterson was in leadership at the church at that time.
http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2010/03/village-rapist-was-minister-sponsored.html
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