Eight reasons I believe in denominationalism
Chuck Lawless is the Dean and vice-president of Graduate Studies and Ministry Centers at Southeaster Seminary I’m a Southern Baptist. We’re hardly a perfect denomination, but I’m honored to be part of our team. I realize that my generation in general tends to be more denominationally loyal than younger generations, but I don’t think my age is a primary reason I’m part of a denomination. Instead, here’s why: 1. I know I’m not alone as...
First Person: Racism and the church
By David Hooks, Pastor, OKC, Bryant Ave., Member, BGCO Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee A wave of TV reports showing African-American young men dying in confrontations and arrests by law enforcement officers has raised the issue of racism to the forefront of our consciousness once again. Regardless of where we stand on each individual incident, we can agree that there have been too many, and too often. Now comes the Academy...
First person: Pursuing holiness
Let me ask you a question. What do you pursue every day in your life? The Scripture tells us in Psalm 37:4, “Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” I might ask, “What is the desire of your heart? What does it mean to be holy? Separation from sin. I Pet. 1:14, the word “holy” (hagios) means to be righteous, pure, sinless and godly, to perfect and complete and filled in every possible sense, to...
Guest Editorial: It’s time to increase CP giving
Increasing your church’s financial giving through the Cooperative Program (CP) is like your church giving more money through your ministry budget. Just as it moves up your financial base of support in your church, it moves up the overall financial base of our Great Commission ministries of our Southern Baptist Convention. /// The answer is through the CP More than 90 years ago, the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention became...
Reader responds to OSSAA prayer ban editorial
EDITOR NOTE: The July 9 Baptist Messenger featured a guest editorial submitted by State Rep. Bobby Cleveland. The following is a response to the article by Mike Whaley Member, Blanchard, First I have been an assistant director for the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) for the last six years and prior to that time spent 30 years coaching and teaching in Oklahoma’s public schools that were members of OSSAA. Never...
Guest Editorial: State Rep. responds to OSSAA prayer ban
EDITOR NOTE: The following is a guest editorial submitted by State Rep. Bobby Cleveland who is a member of Norman, Bethel. The June 14 edition of The Oklahoman featured a comment from Ed Sheakley, director of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), “…we’re not going to allow student-led prayer at our contests.” The OSSAA recently reiterated and in fact bolstered its policy prohibiting student-led prayers at...
