Watts' Words

Many years ago I heard my good friend, Dr. Dean Register, make a statement which clearly expresses my feelings. He said, "I'm Baptist-Born, Baptist Bred, and one day when I die, I'll be Baptist Dead! In fact, were you to cut me, I'd bleed the Cooperative Program." I love Baptists, being a Baptist, and I especially love the Southern Baptist Convention. Yes, we have our faults and failures, from time to time we have fought among ourselves like siblings, and yet, evangelism and missions have remained at the forefront of our "denomination." For all of my years as a Southern Baptist, "Jesus" has been our focus. Yes, this sounds simplistic and does not resound with intellectual elitism of which we are becoming accustomed, but for Baptists, "Jesus" has always been the 'name above all names.' As I have prayed, studied, and diligently read God's word it seems to me that anytime we give blanket adherence to any other beside...

The debacle of the SBC Executive Committee seems to still light up the Press, Twitter, and even Facebook. Today I read response after response calling for Dr. Morris Chapman's resignation. Even in this heightened emotional time, most (if not all) acknowledges Dr. Chapman's longevity and leadership during these past 30 years and thus, simply states that he has lost touch with the rank and file Baptist, has developed a skewed perception of what the SBC is all about, or is one whose time has passed. Candidly, it is not my place (at this point) to join this call as I believe him to be a good man who has indeed led us for years and deserves better than this. But it is my belief, that every person employed by an SBC church or entity deserves better than this. That being said, there still exist several telling issues which require the Executive committee's attention (now, I'm talking about the ENTIRE Executive Committee as opposed to only the officers and administration of...

In the aftermath of the SBC it has been interesting to talk with people who were "in attendance" in Louisville and those who "attended" via the internet. The consensus has been that this was a good Convention but like so many times before, the after story becomes the story. Enter a fine young man named "Clark Logan" accompanied by the bureaucratic "two-step" which has become so prominent. Candidly, I've met Bro. Morris Chapman one time about 15 years ago and I've never met Bro. Clark, so it is not that I have a "dog in the fight" of the employee-employer relationship publicity scandal which has surfaced. However as a Southern Baptist, any time a situation develops which causes a black mark on the Southern Baptist name and thus, negatively impacts our testimony of grace and gospel concerns me greatly. While those "inside the beltway" of the Executive Committee might see this as a "Personnel Policy" being ...