Understanding the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting

As the pastor of an SBC church, I often have to field questions from folks in our church who have “seen something online” or a headline about actions the Southern Baptist Convention is taking. Because next week’s SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando promises to make headlines once again, I decided to write a post for our members – the people in the pews at Lakeside and members of any other SBC church who may be readers. The main issue that will provoke headlines involves a proposed amendment to the SBC constitution regarding female pastors. Two caveats right off the bat: 1. This post is going to be LONG because understanding these issues takes some explanation. 2. This post is NOT written for SBC pastors or denominational employees. It’s written for the folks in the pews of my church (and any others that may read) so that they understand what is going on and cut through the (great) load of misinformation that is out there. If you just want the bullet points summary, feel free to skip down to the final section.

A PRIMER ON THE SBC: UNDERSTANDING THE DENOMINATION

Starting here is essential to understanding the issues and what is actually happening. First of all, the SBC is NOT a “top-down” denomination like many others. Every SBC church is COMPLETELY autonomous. Let me say that another way: every SBC church owns its own property, calls its own leadership, and makes its own decisions. The denomination has literally ZERO authority to tell a local church to do anything. This is one of the key differences in Southern Baptist Convention life from most other denominations. Sometimes people ask me, “Why can’t Lakeside just be an independent church?” I always answer, “We are!” We are independent because there is no denominational structure with authority over our church.

The 48,000+ SBC churches that are part of the denomination do so because they CHOOSE to be part of it. The dollars that local churches send to their local Baptist associations, state conventions, and the national SBC? All 100% VOLUNTARY. Early on in my ministry, the SBC was described to me as “a rope of sand.” That is a great analogy.

Since this is the case, how do we have six SBC seminaries and two mission boards that train thousands of pastors and send thousands of missionaries all over the world each year? The national SBC has several ENTITIES – each governed by its own board of trustees. Each year at the SBC Annual Meeting, part of the business is electing people to the boards of trustees for these entities – The International Mission Board, The North American Mission Board, six seminaries, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), and LifeWay Christian Resources.

Now, let’s talk about the “annual meeting.” Happening once a year, normally in the second week of June, the SBC annual meeting happens when SBC churches send thousands of “messengers” who are members of the churches to do the convention’s business. Really, the SBC annual meeting is largely two days of a long business meeting that follows Robert’s Rules of Order. Motions are made and voted on. Reports are given. Questions are asked. The SBC Annual Meeting is the largest deliberative body in the world. Legally, “The SBC” only exists these two days each year when the annual meeting takes place. The ENTITIES exist all year. The CHURCHES exist all year.

Now, you may already have a headache just from thinking about all of this! I get it! Yet, here is where the key issue making the news comes into play…

THE ISSUE THAT IS MAKING THE NEWS…

The issue: Whether or not a local church is in friendly cooperation with the SBC.

Remember, the SBC is NOT top down, and participation is strictly VOLUNTARY. However, the SBC is not open to just any church sending messengers and having voting rights at the SBC annual meeting. The governing documents of the SBC (constitution and bylaws) say, “The Convention shall consist of messengers who are members of Baptist churches in COOPERATION with the Convention.” Then the governing documents define what constitutes a church “in friendly cooperation with the Convention.” Part of the definition of being in friendly cooperation is that the church “has a faith and practice which closely identifies with the Convention’s adopted statement of faith.”

What is the SBC’s adopted statement of faith? The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. You can read that document here…https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/

In article six of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message on The Church, there is this sentence about the office of pastor in the church…“While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Notice a couple of very important points in that statement. First, the statement AFFIRMS the many, varied, and absolutely essential gifts and ministries that women bring to the church. Second, the statement expresses the clear Biblical teaching that the office of pastor is limited to Biblically qualified men.

This section in our statement of faith reflects what is known as a COMPLEMENTARIAN understanding of gender roles in scripture: men and women have equal worth and value but COMPLEMENTARY roles in the home and the church. Southern Baptists have long believed that the scripture teaches complementary gender roles, part of which is that the pastoral office is reserved only for men.

What about the churches that have female pastors? They reflect what is called an EGALITARIAN view of gender roles. In that view, churches believe the Bible teaches that men and women are equal in every way in Christ, with no distinctions. Therefore, all church offices are open to both men and women. No restrictions or distinctions in the home or the church.

IMPORTANT POINT: The SBC has clearly, for many years, declared itself to be firmly COMPLEMENTARIAN in its convictions. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is very clear in this statement. These convictions are grounded in the authority of scripture and in its clear teaching. This is not anything new for Southern Baptists. It has been so for decades. Therefore, a church that is egalitarian in its theology does not “closely identify” with the convention’s statement of faith and is not “in friendly cooperation.” Got it?

If a church is not in friendly cooperation with the SBC, it cannot have messengers at the SBC Annual Meeting. If a church is not in friendly cooperation with the SBC, it is really no longer part of the denomination.

THAT is the issue. Remember, the SBC has ZERO authority over local churches. A church may very well decide to call a female pastor. The church absolutely has the right to do that. However, the SBC absolutely also has the right to declare that the church is not in friendly cooperation. The SBC has ZERO power over churches. It only has the ability to decide if a church is in friendly cooperation.

WHAT IS THE SBC VOTING ON?

Dr. Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, is bringing a motion to this year’s annual meeting that the SBC amend the section of its constitution to further clarify and solidify the convention’s complementarian theology. Mohler’s amendment would place into the SBC constitution that a cooperating SBC church… “does not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation.”

Why is this being done? Dr. Mohler says it is apparent that the SBC needs to further clarify this issue so that we aren’t dealing with it year after year at the annual meeting. In recent years, the convention has dealt with appeals from churches that had been declared not in friendly cooperation by the SBC Credentials Committee and appealed that decision to the floor of the SBC Annual Meeting. All of those appeals were voted down by margins of 90%+ or more. Dr. Mohler says this amendment will help to avoid most of those situations year after year. He also points out that the SBC took similar actions at points in the past, amending our constitution to make clear that churches that affirm or endorse homosexuality or knowingly embrace or promote racism are no longer to be in friendly cooperation. According to Mohler, we don’t vote on those issues every year at the SBC Annual Meeting because the convention has taken clear action, and we should place the issue of female pastors in the same category.

As you might imagine, amendments to the SBC constitution have a very high bar – requiring a 2/3 vote of the messengers for two consecutive annual meetings. At the 2024 and 2025 annual meetings, similar amendments were brought to the floor of the convention, and they had overwhelming support among the messengers, but it was just shy of the required 2/3 of the messengers. Therefore, the amendment failed.

Does this mean that over 1/3 of Southern Baptists support female pastors? Absolutely not! See the results of the appeals by egalitarian churches to the floor of the convention: 90%+ in favor of voting the churches out every time. So why didn’t the amendment pass with 90% in favor? Lots of reasons. Some believe the SBC already has procedures and mechanisms in place to address these issues, so the amendment is unnecessary. Some oppose such an amendment because they believe it moves us away from historic Baptist principles and erodes the autonomy of the local church. Some oppose such an amendment because they believe it will take the SBC down the road of policing titles of female staff members, etc. Some oppose such an amendment because they are uncomfortable with some Southern Baptists, whom they feel already go too far, don’t respect women, etc.

Bottom line: The SBC is clearly and nearly unanimously complementarian in its theology. Almost everyone who has voted against the amendment over the last two years did not oppose it because they are in favor of female pastors. They opposed it for other reasons.

CUTTING THROUGH THE HEADLINES YOU MAY SEE…

  1. No matter what happens with the amendment vote, the SBC is NOT endorsing, promoting, or otherwise affirming female pastors. The vote is on amending the SBC constitution and on the mechanism for declaring churches not in friendly cooperation. The SBC has consistently spoken clearly about its complementarian convictions on these issues for decades.
  2. Ignore the manipulative headlines. Now that you understand what is really happening, you can ignore sensational headlines such as “Southern Baptists Ban Female Pastors” or “Southern Baptists Vote Down Ban on Female Pastors.”
  3. The SBC and our churches absolutely affirm, value, and hold as equal members the women and girls in our churches. Our churches literally could not function without women. NOTHING about this discussion speaks about the value of women or seeks to put down women. In fact, complementarian theology actually values women as equal in God’s image and teaches that women can grow and flourish as they pursue God’s design.
  4. What the SBC believes about female pastors has not changed, is not changing, and it is not up for debate at the SBC Annual Meeting. The debate is all about how the SBC applies these convictions specifically in regard to churches that seem to have gone outside the boundaries of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.
  5. Social media doesn’t accurately represent the atmosphere of the SBC Annual Meeting. If social media is your only source of information, you would think the SBC is in real turmoil, fighting on every side. The reality is that 90%+ of the folks at the SBC Annual Meeting are joyful, united, and glad to see one another. The atmosphere in the room is totally different from what you will find on social media or in the news. Do we agree on every issue? No. Families don’t always agree about everything, but they do agree on the essential things. The SBC Annual Meeting is like a big family reunion. There is a fundamental unity that is real and can only be understood when you experience it.

SO, GREG, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT?

I intend to gladly support and vote for the amendment.

I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Jack Graham, the longtime pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. He wrote these words recently, and I leave them with you…

“The vast majority of Southern Baptists support the content and intent of the amendment…This should in no way diminish the dynamic role of the ministries of women in the church, but clearly identifies the authority of the pastoral office and pulpit calling. Let’s unite on this and move forward to reach the world with strong local churches and all of us doing what God has called and gifted us to do in the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus dear Name.”

It’s Time to Double Down

In this morning’s Bible reading, part of my time was spent reading 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul shares how he doesn’t lose heart in serving the Lord. Very needed words for all of us as discouragement is a very real battle. However, I noticed something else in this chapter: how to respond to those who reject the truth.

In v. 3-4, Paul speaks of those who reject the gospel. However, his answer is NOT to adapt or dilute or change it in order to make it more acceptable to those who reject.

His answer is CLARITY and BOLDNESS. Read v. 2, 5-6.

These two responses are playing out in the church today with many churches heading down the road to apostasy by compromising the clear teaching scripture. Rejection of the truth makes the false church compromise and makes the true church double down. Think about it.

An Acts 11:24 Leader

“Lord, help me to be an Acts 11:24 man.” That was the prayer of my late, dear friend Emerson Lyle. Honestly, I didn’t know the verse, so I had to look it up…

“for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.” (Acts 11:24, ESV)

On that very day, I highlighted that verse in my Bible, and I have revisited it often since. Acts 11:24 is a description of Barnabas, the great encourager. While it is not comprehensive of all that Christian leadership involves, it is foundational. Let’s take a closer look…

“a good man…” This is a man of high character. This same Greek word is also translated as “honest” and “kind” in other parts of the New Testament. This is not a perfect man. This is a good man. This is not a sinless man. This is a blameless man.

“full of the Holy Spirit…” The filling of the Holy Spirit references the Spirit’s control, influence, and enablement in the life of a believer. Barnabas walked with God. Barnabas prayed. Barnabas was surrendered to the Lord.

“…and of faith.” Not only was Barnabas saved by faith, but he also lived by faith. He walked by faith and not by sight. He was known as a man whose faith was in the Lord alone, and circumstances did not dampen his faith.

“…and a great many people were added to the Lord.” Barnabas lived the gospel. Barnabas proclaimed the gospel. Barnabas was a soul winner.

Many times since that day, I have prayed, “Lord, help me to be an Acts 11:24 man.” I learned it from one of the greatest Acts 11:24 men I have ever known.

However, the application is not limited to men. Anyone, anywhere who follows Christ and is called to lead should seek to live this way. Thus, the title “An Acts 11:24 Leader.”

Lord, help me (and you) to be an Acts 11:24 leader!

Is This the End of the World?

“Pastor, is what is happening in Iran part of Bible prophecy about the end?”

“Pastor, is this the beginning of the end of the world?”

Recent days have seen yet another war in the Middle East. As all of us have been praying for peace and praying for our men and women in uniform in that part of the world, it is only natural for people to begin asking questions about Bible prophecy, etc. Just this week, I saw one author arguing that this week saw the Jewish feast of Purim, a blood moon, and war in the Middle East all coming together in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

My mind went back to my college days as President George H.W. Bush was leading America to the first war with Iraq – Operation Desert Storm. As a young preacher and 20-year-old college student, I did the only thing I knew to do at that time: I went to a Christian bookstore to buy a book on Bible prophecy. A few minutes later, I emerged with my copy of Dr. John Walvoord’s book “Armageddon, Oil, and the Middle East Crisis”, complete with a picture of a jet fighter on the cover! Somewhere, I still have that book! Dr. Walvoord was a great man of God who taught for years at Dallas Theological Seminary. In those days, his book helped calm my fears and inspired me to study parts of the Bible I had never opened. I learned about the rapture of the church, the great tribulation, the rise of the Antichrist, and the Millennial reign of Christ. It was a great comfort to me to see that God has a plan that is unfolding in this world, and nothing can stop it.

In the coming years, as I attended seminary and continued to study for myself, I learned that Bible scholars held different views of end times and all that is going to take place. What Dr. Walvoord saw in scripture as prophecies of the future, other scholars saw as symbolic and already fulfilled in history. I learned that some scholars argued for a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, while others taught that the rapture will take place after the tribulation. I even learned that many scholars and Bible teachers believe that the millennium is symbolic of an indefinite period of time before the second coming, not a literal thousand-year reign. Those aren’t liberal scholars – these are conservative, Bible-believing scholars and pastors who hold these views. When it comes to the fine details of Bible prophecy, there is a lot of disagreement, and one needs to approach any position with humility.

I am not saying these distinctions are unimportant or that we shouldn’t teach or discuss them. Not at all! However, I do feel that focusing on the specific details of end times can lead us to miss the points that all Bible-believing Christians agree on and overlook the main purposes of Bible prophecy that scripture makes crystal clear. Let me show you what I mean by sharing several crystal clear truths that all conservative, Bible-believing scholars, churches, and preachers agree on…

  1. God is absolutely sovereign over all. Psalm 24:1 declares, “the earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it.”
  2. One day, Jesus will literally, bodily return to this world in power and glory.
  3. When Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will be raised and given glorified bodies, while those alive when Jesus comes will be instantly transformed and glorified. God’s glorified people will live with Him forever. This event is commonly known today as “The Rapture of the Church.”
  4. Evil will be eternally defeated. Sin will be eternally judged. Satan, his angels, and all who do not know Christ as Savior and Lord will spend eternity in Hell’s lake of fire.
  5. All believers will live with the Lord for all eternity in the new heaven and new earth. Revelation 21-22 describes this eternal place.

Again, scripture gives more details about the end times than this, and I definitely hold to some convictions about those details. However, our focus right now is on these five truths that ALL Bible believing Christian agree on. No debate. They are absolutely non-negotiable Bible truths.

What’s interesting is to see how scripture itself emphasizes the end times and the second coming of Jesus. The emphasis is never working up a chart or debating the fine details of exactly what is going to happen. The emphasis is always threefold. My recent preaching through 1 Thessalonians and the frequent emphasis on the second coming in that book reminded me of this fact.

The Bible’s threefold emphasis regarding end times…

  1. BE READY. Jesus is coming. The end can come any day. Know Jesus and have your hope in Christ alone.
  2. BE FAITHFUL. Our Lord is returning. Let us each one be found faithful until our last breath. Faithfulness doesn’t earn our salvation – that was earned by the work of Christ on the cross. Faithfulness shows the reality of our salvation.
  3. BE ENCOURAGED. No matter what happens in this world. No matter what happens in your life or my life. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever (Revelation 11:15).

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, NASB95)

Is the war in Iran part of Bible prophecy? Are we nearing the end? My answer: “I don’t know. It could be. We could be nearing the end. We may not be. There is nothing in scripture that must take place before Jesus comes. So, He could come anytime.” That is not dodging the question. Honestly, that is my answer when I am asked about it. Then I always point people to the “big picture” emphasis in scripture about the second coming….

BE READY. BE FAITHFUL. BE ENCOURAGED.

#1 PRINCIPLE: Leadership Starts with Who You Are

Leadership is a popular topic in the business world and, increasingly, in the church leadership world. Leadership books, blogs, substacks, and posts abound. Many are worthwhile. There are leadership principles, leadership frameworks, and leadership structures. However, I feel that many still miss the #1 most important issue in leadership…

People don’t follow positions or titles. People follow YOU.

That’s right. Leadership begins (and sometimes ends) with who you are. Do people believe in YOU? Do people know you believe in THEM?

Obviously, I come at leadership from the church leadership perspective. There is no higher place of leadership in the church than the role of pastor/elder. Look at the qualifications for pastors/elders in scripture…

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:1–7, ESV)

Did you notice something? Only one of these qualifications speaks of ability: “able to teach.” All the others speak to the pastor’s character. Certainly, that is the case first of all because the pastor must be a man of God who walks with God. However, a secondary reason is obvious: the pastor must be the type of person that people respect and follow. In 1 Thessalonians, we see the Apostle Paul describe the character with which he ministered among the Thessalonians. Notice the character and integrity he mentions…

“Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:6–8, ESV)

Paul says the Thessalonians knew he loved them deeply and invested his very life among them. I guess the old saying “People don’t know how much you know until they know how much you care” really is true!

People don’t follow positions or titles. People follow YOU.

So, the “secret sauce” of leadership is integrity, consistency, and character proven over time. All leadership must start there. Yes, leadership principles, leadership frameworks, and leadership structures can be learned and added to this character proven over time. However, the FOUNDATION of all true leadership is integrity, consistency, and character proven over time. All leadership must start there. If these traits aren’t present, our leadership will eventually end there.

The 21st Century? Study the 20th Century

Want to understand the 21st century? Study the 20th century.

If we look at history, we see how it informs today in a profound way. For instance, after centuries of rule by the Czars, the common Russian people, impoverished and with valid grievances,were open to the socialist message of Lenin and Trotsky. The resulting Bolshevik Revolution led to civil war and eventually communist rule. This upheaval allowed a strong man to arise: Joseph Stalin.

Under Stalin’s iron rule, the government encroached on every area of life. Property and businesses were seized. The government tried to socially engineer economic outcomes, and that failed miserably on every hand. Millions of Russians literally starved to death.

Multiple millions died in the gulags.

As the years unfolded, the Russian people suffered in unimaginable ways. 750,000 were executed in The Great Purge. The Great Purge was followed by the horrors of World War II.

Stalin went down in history as one of the most brutal dictators in history. He is likely responsible for more deaths than anyone else in human history – even more than Hitler. Oh, and by the way, Stalin was highly intelligent with a charismatic personality. He had a personal library of 20,000 books – most of which contained his personal notes as he had read them. He was known to read several books per week. He knew exactly what he was doing.

A history lesson is in order with the rising popularity of Socialism in America – especially among our young. The grievances and divisions that give rise to Socialism are not solved by it. Socialism has never in world history delivered what it promises. It will not work this time either.

Not only does Socialism never deliver on its promises, but it has far worse consequences than disappointment. Socialism always ends with poverty, despondency, and, eventually dictatorship where the government controls everything.

Communist Russia broke apart when the Iron Curtain fell. Out of that chaos, freedom did not last long. As the 20th century came to an end, a new Czar was rising, Vladimir Putin. The rise of Socialism had not delivered on a single promise in 100 years of Russian history.

I fear too many people are easily manipulated by social media. Too many people do not know basic history – to our nation’s peril.

The Clear and Present Danger of Progressive Christianity

While preaching in Ephesians 4 a few Sundays back I made the statement that Progressive Christianity is a clear and present danger to the church. I thought I would use this space to unpack that statement so that all of us can better understand and earnestly contend for the faith as scripture requires. Originally, I intended to write two posts – one defining Progressive Christianity and another sharing its danger. Really, I can’t deal with one without the other! Please let me share a brief, concise look at Progressive Christianity and why it is so dangerous for the church today.

  1. PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY REJECTS THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE.

This is very subtle – at first. Statements are made that emphasize “We need to mainly look at what Jesus said about issues.” Then we hear, “Well, Jesus never even talked about that issue.” Sounds good on the surface. After all, we have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in our Bibles. What Jesus said about an issue certainly matters greatly. However, Jesus’ words are not the only inspired words in our Bible. EVERY word of the Bible is God’s Word. It is an old trick from liberal theologians to seek to elevate the words of Jesus above all the other words of Scripture. It lays the foundation for saying the rest of Scripture isn’t binding. “The Apostle Paul said that, not Jesus” is a statement that is often made, meaning the Pauline epistles are not scripture in the same way as the words of Jesus are. The end result: we don’t have to go by those words if we don’t like them. Ultimately, this “new, modern” way to look at the Bible undermines belief in the inspiration of the Bible, the inerrancy of the Bible, and the authority of the Bible.

2. PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY REINTERPRETS KEY BIBLICAL TEXTS AND DOCTRINES.

For instance, it is now common to see the argument made that the clear words about the sinfulness of homosexuality in Romans 1 do not apply to us today. “Those were abusive same sex relationships. They were not the beautiful relationships like we have today” is one such argument. The crystal clear requirement that pastors/elders are to only be men in 1 Timothy 2-3? “Oh, that is just the Apostle Paul addressing a cultural problem in his day. Jesus never talked about women pastors.” Even “the gospel” itself (clearly defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3) is not immune. We see people adding to the simple, saving gospel of Christ as well as “viewing the gospel through new eyes.” As a result, the gospel is no longer JUST Jesus’ incarnation, sinless life, crucifixion, and resurrection. It is Jesus’ incarnation, sinless life, crucifixion, resurrection PLUS social justice issues, climate issues, etc.

3. PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY EMPHASIZES SOCIAL JUSTICE TO THE NEAR EXCLUSION OF OTHER BIBLICAL MORAL ISSUES.

Let me be clear at this point: Christians should absolutely seek racial reconciliation and justice for the oppressed. Christians should absolutely stand for the dignity and value of every human life. Those are clear, Biblical positions. However, proponents of Progressive Christianity constantly talk about social justice issues, but remain silent about the evil of abortion, the radical LGBTQ+ ideology in our education system, and lawlessness in our streets. Scripture speaks to those issues just as clearly as it does the social justice issues. For instance, Progressive Christianity constantly calls out fellow believers for not doing enough about social justice issues, but waffles when it comes to abortion. “That is just a complicated issue….”

4. PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY ULTIMATELY SEEKS THE APPROVAL OF THE WORLD INSTEAD OF THE APPROVAL OF THE LORD.

Once the authority of scripture is no longer the guiding principle, the church is unmoored from the anchor of God’s Word. How will church doctrine and practice be decided if not by the clear, authoritative words of Scripture? Inevitably, the answer will be…”Whatever is acceptable to the culture.” It may not start there, but it will inevitably end there. Compromise of doctrine and moral standards will happen in efforts to become acceptable to the world. Progressive Christianity starts out as “We will show you that we aren’t like these other, judgmental Christians” but it NEVER ends there. There is always another bridge to cross. There is always another doctrine that offends.

5. PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY INEVITABLY LEADS TO LEAVING THE FAITH.

Once the church’s beliefs and practices are no longer determined by Scripture, one biblical standard goes by the wayside followed by another and another and another. There is no end in sight. One look no further than the mainline denominations in Amercia today. They have some leaders who not only openly embrace the LGBTQ+ lifestyle, but also deny the reality of hell, the bodily resurrection, and the literal second coming of Christ. They no longer believe that personal faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation. Some actually believe that salvation can be found in most any faith. These leaders and those who follow them have left the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

Speaking of the mainline denominations, let me make a couple of observations. The argument is that the church must change what we believe and teach in order to be acceptable to new generations. If moving away from what the church has historically believed is the answer to declining church attendance, the mainline denominations should be thriving. They are not thriving. They are dying.

The issue for the church today isn’t really even declining chruch attendance. The issue for the church today is FAITHFULNESS. Faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. Faithfulness in living the Christian life in this confused world. Faithfulness to the gospel and the Great Commission in this broken, hurting world. The chuch must start there. How do we take these Biblical convictions and live them out faithfully in the culture without compromise?

Progressive Christianity starts with a different question: How can we change in order to become more acceptable to the culture?

I close with the words of the great English Pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He stood against downgrade in his own day. These are Spurgeon’s words in 1887 when the Downgrade Controversy was ramping up. He stood tall for truth and righteousness in the church when almost everyone else would not – even among the Baptists of that time!

“A new religion has been initiated, which is no more Christianity than chalk is cheese. And, this religion, being destitute of moral honesty, palms itself off as the old faith with slight improvements, and on this plea, usurps pulpits which were erected for Gospel preaching. The atonement is scouted, the inspiration of Scripture is denied, the Holy Spirit is degraded into an influence, the punishment of sin has turned into fiction and the resurrection into a myth, and yet these enemies of our faith expect us to call them brethren and maintain a confederacy with them.

We have before us, the wretched spectacle of professorly Orthodox Christians publicly avowing their union with those who deny the faith and scarcely concealing their contempt for those who cannot be guilty of such gross disloyalty to Christ. To be very plain, we are unable to call these things Christian unions. They begin to look like confederacies and evil. Before the face of God, we fear that they wear no other respect. In our inmost heart, this is a sad truth from which we cannot break away.”

The Truth in Love Space

The church is to operate in the “truth in love” space. Scripture is clear in this regard….

“but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,” (Ephesians 4:15, NASB95)

What does this look like? What are the challenges in today’s world? Continue reading as we examine this vitally important issue in more detail.

The first issue is our SOURCE of truth. We live in an age where increasingly people say “I don’t believe anything anymore.” People have been lied to by their political leaders too many tines. People have been lied to by the media. People have seen lies go around the world in seconds on social media. With AI, you can no longer believe what you see or hear anymore.  So, what do we do?  Is there truth to be found anywhere? Our culture offers only one alternative: each individual determines the truth. The individual is god! This folly leads to chaos, and we see this unfolding in our country today. We see moral chaos and, increasingly, chaos in our streets.

    The biblical, Christian worldview is clear about our source of truth. JESUS EMBODIES the truth (John 1:14, 14:6). The BIBLE REVEALS the truth (2 Timothy 3:16), and the church PROCLAIMS the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). The people of God live from the standpoint of revealed truth. If truth is a constant, moving target, then we have no basis to be bold about anything. Everything starts with our source of truth.

    BOTH truth and love are ESSENTIAL. There are voices in our culture today who only want to emphasize God’s love. They use the famous Biblical truth “God is Love” like a trump card over everything else. You aren’t supposed to name sin or call for repentance because, after all, God is love. That position is a lie because it is love without truth. At the other extreme are those who are clear about the truth, but they don’t really care about people. They use the truth as a cruel hammer. That is truth without love. The Biblical way is BOTH. Speak the truth and only the truth. When you speak the truth, make sure it comes from a heart of love – love for the Lord and love for people. Truth and love are not mutually exclusive. They go together.

    It’s truth IN love. After I recently preached on this text, a member of my church came up to me said, “Pastor, it’s very important to be clear. It’s not truth AND love. It’s truth IN love. There is a difference.” They are exactly right. It’s always truth IN love. It’s not truth AND love. What’s the difference? If it’s truth AND love, then I am obligated to speak the truth and I am obligated to love. However, truth IN love means that the truth I share must be wrapped up in love – like the picture at the top of this post. Love must permeate truth. Speaking truth must be MOTIVATED by love and DONE from a heart of love in the MOST loving way possible.

    The truth is OFFENSIVE to some. There is no getting around it. There are some truths that, no matter how kindly and winsomely you say them, will offend some people. For instance, to simply state the Bible’s simple, clear position on marriage and sexuality will bring howls of “bigotry” and “God is love.” We should make every effort not to be offensive. We should constantly search our hearts to make sure our heart burns from our love of God and is tender with love for people. However, if the truth offends, so be it. We must stand on the truth. The alternative is to lie to people. Just know that if we refuse to lie to people, some people will be offended.

    The “truth in love” space is where Jesus operates. I love the famous story in John 8 where the scribes and Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus who has been caught in the very act of adultery….

    “Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”” (John 8:2–11, NASB95)

    There it is. Truth in love. Jesus absolutely showed this woman love: “neither do I condemn you.” However, Jesus loved her enough to tell her the truth about her sin: “go and sin no more.” Jesus loved her enough not to leave her in her sin.

    The truth in love space is where Jesus operates. The truth in love space is where the people of God must be. The truth in love space is where I must be.

    NO Volatility

    One word describes the last five years well…VOLATILE. Five years ago we were in the middle of the COVID lockdowns and tensions were at a boiling point. Today, everyone is watching their 401K balance go down and talking about a subject most only know from history class: tariffs. In the last five years, we have lived through social volatility, international volatility, political volatility, and economic volatility. Everyone is tired of the volatility. It’s exhausting. When will it end?

    I do not know the answer to that question. I have no idea when this present season of constant volatility will end. I do not know for sure that it WILL end anytime soon. As a pastor, I hear from many people who are exhausted. They are exhausted from the constant change, constant upheaval, and constant fear of the next horrible thing happening. The rise of ubiquitous social media and everyone checking their phones all day long means that we “see and feel” everything happening in real-time. For instance, today many are anxiously checking the stock market every few minutes. It has not always been so. Just a generation ago, most people would have had to wait until TOMORROW’s NEWSPAPER to find out what happened with stocks today. Now, we have instant information at our fingertips. As a result, we are seeing and feeling everything that is happening in real-time. Many people have become emotionally and even spiritually depleted.

    What do we do?

    For those of us who follow Christ, we need to be reminded that there is NOT volatility everywhere. Jesus himself told us to expect volatility in this life (John 16:33). As we walk through life’s volatility, it is calming to remember that there does exist ONE place right now where there is no volatility…

    “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19, NASB95)

    There is ZERO volatility at the Lord’s throne in Heaven. There is no fear, anxiety, or anger there. There is nothing unclear. There are no ups and downs. The Lord’s plan for the ages is unfolding exactly how He pleases – right now, right on time. The Lord does as He pleases and when He pleases – it happens! This world is a stormy place. The throne of God is a calm place. How can this be? Because “His sovereignty rules over all.”

    Did you know that believers can avail themselves of the throne of God? We can come before the throne of God in prayer and worship. No matter how lost, tired, afraid, or angry we may be in this moment, we can come before God’s throne. It’s called a “throne of grace” in the scripture. Thank God for that! In fact, scripture actually commands us to come before His throne.

    “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, NASB95)

    I will see you on my knees before the throne where there is no volatility.

    Five Years After COVID

    It’s hard to believe that five years have gone by since COVID-19 turned everything upside down. It was five years ago this week that COVID was officially declared a pandemic and pandemonium followed! Sunday, March 15, 2020 was the first Sunday we did not meet for worship at Lakeside – remaining shut down until June due to the pandemic. We all remember the closed churches, closed businesses, closed schools, and the fear that permeated our country during those sad days. Now that five years have passed, I thought I would offer some personal, random thoughts about the COVID pandemic and its lasting effects.

    1. COVID is the only event in our lifetime that has negatively impacted every single person. We have seen recessions, wars, and natural disasters affecting many people. However, some people thrived during the Great Recession. Not everyone saw a family member or friend go to war. No matter how big or bad the disaster may be, the overwhelming majority of people aren’t personally affected. Not so with COVID. Everyone’s life was negatively affected by it. Every single person.
    2. COVID left America more deeply divided and distrustful. The divisions in our country existed before COVID, but the pandemic brought them to a head. For many, COVID was the last straw for trust in the government, the news media, etc.
    3. COVID did not produce a widespread rededication to faithful church attendance. Before COVID churches were experiencing a noticeable decline in frequency of attendance. Those who were members of a church were attending less and less frequently. Many, including yours truly, were hopeful that going through an extended period without meeting in person would result in a renewed love for gathering in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s Day. While that may have happened in the lives of some Christians, from my chair as a pastor, it appears that we are back to where we were before COVID with this issue – maybe even worse. Travel sports teams, dance, school extracurricular activities, family events, work schedules, sports, vacations, and many other activities increasingly take many believers away from their church on Sundays. I don’t have data to prove it, but anecdotally from speaking with many pastors I believe the frequency of attendance issue is likely worse than before COVID.
    4. COVID’s long-term impact on churches was mixed. Certainly, the short-term impact was very negative for all churches. As the pandemic faded and churches got back to the “new normal” after COVID, two common stories emerged. Churches located in suburban areas, small cities, and overall good places to live generally emerged from COVID with lots of new people, renewed energy, and financial blessings. While many of those churches have not completely gotten back to their pre-COVID attendance, many do report greater health, unity, and outward focus. Sadly, many smaller, rural churches, and churches in struggling areas of cities were decimated by COVID. I talked with a pastor not long ago whose church had 50 in attendance before COVID and now has 25. He feels that all of the energy was drained from his church during COVID. I know of another church that split over disagreements regarding COVID protocols for worship. That church is now a shell of its former self. Bottom line: many churches have thrived after COVID and many churches struggled.

    5. COVID did allow us to see the faithfulness of God in a tangible way. More so than any other time in my years as a pastor, I felt the weight of leading a church during COVID. When you are a leader, criticism goes with the territory. If you are a pastor, you accept the fact that someone is not going to be happy with you regardless of the decisions you make. It’s part of leadership. COVID was different. More than once, I sat in my office wrestling with the realization that someone could DIE becasue of decisions that I made. I had never felt that weight before. Like the people I shepherd, at various points along the way I was scared, confused, angry, and tired. Sometimes I was all of those things in the same day! At every point along the way and in tangible ways, I saw the faithfulness and goodness of God in a way that I had never before experienced. More than ever before in my life, I needed to see the Lord’s mercies new every morning – and I did!

    “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23, NASB95)