Response to the Chronicle Report

My Response

On Sunday, Southern Baptists were rocked to the core as they read the Houston Chronicle and learned about the report of over 700 individuals being sexually abused within the supposed safety of Southern Baptist Churches.  As Baptists read the article and the news spread around social media, we were grieved, angered and mourned those who had been victimized but such evil people.  I wept as I read the reports of sexual abuse. We are well beyond the point of asking, “How can people do this?” and to the reality, that evil men and women are hurting our children, and adults,  in untold evil and horrific ways within the supposed safety of our church walls.  As a Convention, we can not stand idly by.  This report must grieve us, but we also must go beyond feeling to action. Sexual abuse cannot be allowed to continue in any fashion within the ministry of the local church.  As a church, I am pleased to say First Southern Baptist of Salina has already taken many steps to assure our children can learn, play and worship in a safe environment.

FSBC, Salina, has taken a proactive approach to church safety.  For many years the church has vetted potential child workers through a deep screening process.  If you want to work with children, you must complete the screening. There are no exceptions. Last year we even expanded the net wider to include screening everyone who would like to be a part of any ministry in our church. If you want to volunteer at the Coffee Bar, we ask you to be screened.   A couple of years ago we established a “Safe Church” team whose primary job is to evaluate and implement safe church strategies continually.    We also have cameras strategically placed around the church.  We have a strong safety protocol within our church, including a two-adult rule in our rooms. We try extremely hard to make sure an adult alone in the room with a minor.  If they are for some reason, we have a mandatory “door open” policy.  Finally, we have a zero tolerance for sexual sin.  If there is an accusation of sexual abuse in our church, rather staff or volunteer, we immediately contact the police, remove the person from serving, and allow the issue to be taken through the proper external and legal investigation. We treat all sexual abuse as a criminal act and allow the authorities to get to the truth.  At First Southern Baptist, Salina, we believe very strongly in the safety and well-being of our children (birth – 18 years of age) and adults, of any age,  and have taken many steps to create a safe environment. We hope to make our environment extremely difficult for a sexual predator to commit these acts of evil while on our campus.

For many years, churches across America have covered up sexual abuse.  We must stop this immediately.  God in His mercy, has exposed the sin.  Now exposed, we can deal with sin.  As a Convention, we must take proper actions to assure sexual abuse is eradicated in all churches everywhere. As a Baptist, I’m so sorry for those who were abused and hurt through the evil of these people. It angers me and grieves me.  Thankfully, sin has been exposed.  Pastors, please use this exposure of sin as a catalyst to act.  Evaluate your safety plan.  If you need help or ideas, please let me know. Our church would be more than happy to help you and your church. We don’t live in fear, but we do implement and plan for the good of others and the glory of God.  Parents, you and your children are as safe as possible at First Southern Baptist Church, Salina.  We will continue to strive to make FSBC, Salina,  a safe church.  If you have questions, please contact me.  I would always welcome questions and suggestions on how we can make our church even safer. Finally, please remember, people fail but God never fails.

One of the great Southern Baptist voices is Russell Moore.  I trust him and have often found he and I think along the same lines about many issues.  He is the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.  Here is his response.  Russell Moore

Here is the original article: Houston Chronicle 

Jonah: Fact or Fiction

sunday-extra

It is one of the earliest stories I remember learning.  While running from God, Jonah was swallowed by a whale, or was it a fish?  Either way, it was dark and slimy.  As a 50 some odd adult male, do I still believe in Jonah and his encounter inside a giant fish?   Surely I don’t believe in something so outrageous as that?  Before proceeding, there’s something you need to know about me.  I believe in something even crazier.  I believe a man died for my sin, was buried, and on the third day, He was raised to life.  That’s not all; I also believe He is coming back, now get this, riding a white flying horse (See Revelation 19:11-16). If I believe in the works of Jesus, it’s not hard for me to believe a man was swallowed by a fish.  Is the story of Jonah real and historical?  For me, this is at the heart of inspiration.  Jonah is historical and authentic.  Despite what I believe, there are some who believe Jonah is a myth or an allegory about a prophet swallowed by a fish.  Is Jonah a real and historical character?  Does it even matter?  As you read, you will find the historical reference in scripture confirms it’s historicity, the inspiration of Scripture demands Jonah’s authenticity and the “Sign of Jonah” in Matthew 12 seals the deal.

First, Scripture treats Jonah as a historical figure.  In 2 Kings 14:25, we find this phrase, “in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through the servant Jonah, son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.”  As you can see, the Jonah we find in the book bearing his name, is the same Jonah, son of Amittai, we see in 2 Kings.  Scripture treats Jonah as a real historical prophet just as it does with Elijah and Elisha. The historicity of Jonah is not in question.

Secondly, this is a matter of biblical inspiration.  Can I trust the Bible?  Did God inspire men to write the Bible or was it simply words put down in writing?  When Paul writes, “All Scripture is God-breathed …”(2 Timothy 3:16) “All” means all.  If Scripture talks about a man named Noah who built an ark, it means a man named Noah built an ark.  If a crowd of over 5000 men was fed with five loaves and two fish, a large crowd was filled to the brim with fives loaves and two fish.  If Jonah is simply a legendary tale like King Arthur or Robin Hood, what other parts of scripture might be legendary or fictitious? If all of scripture is trustworthy and accurate, then I can read believing every word as it is, the inspired and infallible word of God.

Finally, in Matthew 12 Jesus clearly and convincingly confirms the historicity of Jonah.  In verses 39-42, Jesus used the men of Nineveh has a group of changed men who would one day stand in judgment of the generation of Jesus’ day. Consider J Silow Baxter’s words, “Will anyone dare to maintain that the Son of God was here teaching that ‘imaginary persons who at the imaginary preaching of an imaginary prophet repented in imagination, shall rise up in that day and condemn the actual impenitence of those, his actual hearers, that the fictitious characters of a parable shall be arraigned at the same bar with the living men of that generation?’” (Explore the Bible Vol 4 page 150).  The words of Christ confirm the story of Jonah is both true and historical.

If Jonah is historical and factual, there is woven through the story of the Bible a beautiful thread of God’s wonderful grace expressed toward humanity. If it is true, God’s grace can reach even me; there is no one beyond the reach of our relentless God.  If it is a mere fable, it is a nice story too fanciful to believe and having about as much significance in my life as Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”  Furthermore, if the book is fiction, the very integrity of inspired Scripture is compromised.  However, the true answer to the authenticity and historicity of the Book of Jonah is both clear and convincing to the thinking mind. Jonah was a true historical figure who was miraculously swallowed by a giant fish and preached the good news to a difficult and dangerous people to the glory of God. So, is it important that Jonah is a real historical figure?  Yes, it is! In fact, it is imperative to my faith.