The Launching of David Sander's Political Career Is Good for Us All

Recently I wrote about my friend David Sanders leaving his highly popular television and newspaper media positions to become the campaign manager for Stanley Reed in Reed's attempt to defeat incumbent Arkansas U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln. Unfortunately, due to a deteriorating prognosis from doctors regarding Stanley Reed's physical health, Mr. Reed had to pull out of the U.S. Senate race shortly after hiring David. But the turn of events has led David Sanders to run for office himself--the beginning of what I believe will lead this young, conservative Christian to the governor's mansion of Arkansas and beyond. He's that good.

My wife and I sent a contribution to David's campaign today. Though we live in Oklahoma, and David is running for a house position in Arkanas, we contributed to help David in his campaign. I'm a firm believer that Christians everywhere should support people who have similar moral and ethical values. Let me encourage those of you who either know David through his writings, or are interested in helping a wonderful Christian young man launch his political career, to visit David's campaign website at www.davidsanders2010.com and make a donation or sign up to help his campaign team.

David J. Sanders, 35, is a Republican candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives in District 31, which covers portions of West Little Rock and Hot Springs Village as well as western Pulaski and Saline Counties. Sanders began working in politics in the early 1990s. While a college student pursuing a political science and communications degree at Ouachita Baptist University, he was a member of then-Lt. Gov. Mike Huckabee's 1996 gubernatorial transition team. After graduating from Ouachita, Gov. Huckabee selected Sanders to serve as a policy and communications aide on his staff. He left the governor’s office to serve as press secretary to the late-Dr. Fay Boozman on his 1998 U.S. Senate campaign. During 1999 Legislative Session, he worked with the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives and Paschall Strategic Communications.

From September 2000 until December of last year, David served as columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. During that time, his twice-weekly column appeared in more than 25 newspapers in Arkansas. In 2002, at the age of 27, Arkansas Business named Sanders to its annual "40 under 40" list. In addition to weighing in on Arkansas and national politics, as well as a myriad of policy debates, Sanders was a tireless advocate for lower taxes, limited government, protection of the unborn and property rights. A recognized conservative voice, his work has been featured nationally in The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online and World Magazine. Last year, he began writing a nationally syndicated, bi-monthly column for the Associated Baptist Press in Washington.

In addition to writing, Sanders created, produced and hosted "Unconventional Wisdom," an award- winning public affairs program carried by the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN). He served as an essayist for public radio in Little Rock, frequent contributor to AETN’s "Arkansas Week" and as a regular political commentator for Arkansas television stations. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious Robert D. Novak Journalism Fellowship by the Washington-based Phillips Foundation to begin work on a project entitled: "The Reluctant Convert: Why Arkansas Has Not Joined the South's Republican Realignment."

David and his wife, Rebecca, have five children: Abigail, 10, Noah, 9, Isaac, 7, Elijah, 2.5 and Levi who was born last October. He is an ordained deacon at Little Rock’s First Baptist Church.

Where Are All the Young Leaders in the SBC?

The following email was received from one of our missionaries on the field. I do not know this person, nor have I ever correseponded with him before. The email is unsolicited, unedited, and offered without commentary:.


Mr. Burleson,

I am not a big blogger, partly because I am scared to see what the next new law is that others may be trying be pass and partly because it is overwhelming. The reason I am writing you is to encourage you, I hope.

I am a young missionary on the the field with the IMB and I am staying here because I feel that there is hope for the SBC and missions. Unfortunately, many of my young colleagues are resigning by the droves and it is not because of what is usually toted in the States "the mission field is tough and some can't cut it". Rather they are "choked out". They can't take take the politics, laws on top of laws, hypocrisy, and the "BIG COMPANY" mentality anymore. The room for diversity in the IMB and SBC is very narrow and is becoming even narrower. That is so sad to me.

The fact that some Southern Baptists are not "Southern Baptist" enough... where will it end? The funny/sad thing is we keep hearing from the leadership "where are all the young leaders? Where are the supporting churches?" The answer is the leaders are on the field being supported by the churches that don't want to deal with it anymore.

When we here that trustees are coming to "visit" our ministry it brings a constant anxiety,shouldn't that be joy and not anxiety? Anyway, I digress. I say all that to say THANK YOU, for having the guts to stand up for the Bible, and for freedom of speech (which by the way is almost non-existent in our organization).

It is people like you that keep people like us on the field. You give us hope. I am here for the long haul, I am here to spread the Gospel, obey my Lord and do it with SBC churches along side of me. We are here, we exist (we just can't speak up or we will be fired)!

So on behalf of all of us who are praying for change and leadership that is not scared of open discussion and diversity, thank you.

*If you share this with anyone please remove my name and email address.

Grace and Peace,

An Unidentified Southern Baptist Missionary

Creative Genius in the Southern Baptist Convention

We who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls affirm the eternal, unchangeable nature of the gospel message. However, the methods by which this unchangeable message is delivered to others should constantly be evaluated and creatively changed for the advancement of the kingdom at large. If local churches, the Southern Baptist Convention and evangelicals in general REFUSE to constantly adapt our methods in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, neglect the necessary emphasis on ministry creativity, and deny anyone the freedom to stretch traditional and established models of gospel ministry, we will find ourselves trapped in a crystallized methodology that dooms our effectiveness in reaching a world in need of a Savior.

It is interesting to note that in both the study of mathematics and gospel doctrine one learns precise systems of thought with established, constant truths that never change (at least from my conservative theological viewpoint). In this post I would like to examine the education of the great physicist and mathematician Albert Einstein and ask this question:

'What kind of environment is needed for great thinkers and theologians to arise out of the Southern Baptist Convention who possess the creative genius to lead us into new and even more effective methodologies of gospel ministry?'

Until Albert Einstein was seventeen years old he was educated in the German schools of Munich. Most German schools, including Albert's, were run with a Prussian sense of military style and efficiency. The students were like privates while the teachers acted as authoritarian officers. Learning was regimented and mechanical with an emphasis on rote memorization and repetitive lessons. Rewards were based on conformity and any creative learning was stifled.

Einstein struggled.

Albert found the style of teaching - rote drills, impatience with questioning, and corporate conformity - to be repugnant. His beloved sister, Maja, made this observation of Einstein's feelings:

"The military tone of the school, the systematic training in the worship of authority that was supposed to accustom pupils at an early age to military discipline, was particularly unpleasant."

According to biographer Walter Isaacson, in his recently published book simply entitled Einstein, Albert developed a deep contempt for the authoritarian style and militarist atmosphere of German schools. One day when troops in a parade marched down the street where Einstein lived, and all the children came pouring out of their apartments to watch, Einstein refused to join in. He told his parents . . .

When I grow up, I don't want to be one of those poor people. When a person can take pleasure marching in step to a piece of music it is enough to make me despise him. He has been given his big brain only by mistake.

The Reason Einstein Began to Flourish Academically

In 1895, when Einstein was seventeen, his family moved to Switzerland for reasons associated with his father's business. Einstein enrolled at the cantonal school in the village of Aarau before his entrance into the Zurich Polytechnic School.

Aaru was a perfect school for Einstein. According to Isaacson,

The teaching was based on the philosophy of a Swiss educational reformer of the early nineteenth century, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, who believed in encouraging students to visualize images. He also thought it important to nurture the 'inner dignity' and individuality of each child. Students should be allowed to reach their own conclusions, Pestalozzi preached, by using a series of steps that began with hands-on observations and then proceeded to intuitions, conceptual thinking, and visual imagery. It was even possible to learn - and truly understand - the laws of math and physics that way. Rote drills, memorization, and force-fed facts were avoided.

Einstein loved Aarau. Maja, Einstein's sister, said of the school,

Pupils were treated individually. More emphasis was placed on independent thought than on punditry, and young people saw the teacher not as a figure of authority, but, alongside the student, a man of distinct personality.

It was the exact opposite of the German instruction Einstein hated. His love for Swiss education and the freedom of individuality eventually led Einstein to renounce his German citizenship. Of course, the German system of worshipping human authority eventually led to the rise of one of the world's worst dictators just a four decades later.

Einstein later said of his year at Aarau,

When compared to six years' schooling at a German authoritarian gymnasium, Aarau made me clearly realize how much superior an education based on free action and personal responsibility is to one relying on outward authority.

Application to the Southern Baptist Convention

(1). Young evangelical pastors and leaders need an atmosphere where they are free to think and flourish in their own, individual, and creative way according to the manner in which God has gifted each of them.

(2). Demands to submit to authoritarian control through mental assent to force-fed facts or truths, and demands for blind allegiance to established systems of denominational structure will thwart any sense of creativity and possibly restrict new and more effective means for accomplishing even greater Christian ministry.

(3). The discovery and advancement of more effective methodologies in missions ministry comes from hands-on experience of Southern Baptists who are actually doing missions rather than Southern Baptists who are hearing about missions.

(4). If young evangelical pastors and leaders ever get a taste of the freedom to do ministry as they visualize it needs to be done, but feel attacked or threatened by older mentors, they will eventually renounce their allegiance for, and membership in, the Southern Baptist Convention.

(5). The threat to the Southern Baptist Convention does not come from more freedom given to her members, but rather, the tightening of parameters and the authoritarian control that stifles creativity in missions and ministry.


In His Grace,


Wade Burleson