Thursday, January 29, 2009

Smyrl on the Attack - This Time its Lifeway and Tom Rainer

Boy, who put starch in Jim Smyrl's shorts lately? He seems to be getting mighty grumpy these days. Maybe the pressure this economy is putting on him and Mac is starting to get to him.

A few months ago he decided to label all Catholic priests as "cult leaders", and declared Obama voters as needing to repent of their sin to be in full Christian fellowship. Then last week from the pulpit he effectively accused FBC Dallas of "blasphemous self promotion" when he read selected snippets of phrases from their latest branding commercial - a blatant mischaracterization of the commercial to be able to label it as blasphemy.

Now in the latest installment of "Smyrl on the Attack" we see this week Jim is slamming the SBC agency Lifeway and its leader, Tom Rainer in Jim's 1/27/09 blog entry entitled "Lifeway Without the Way". This article appeared on the FBC Jax blogsite but apparently they are having blog technical difficulties once again. Isn't it an amazing coincidence how the FBC Jax blogsite blows up whenever Jim makes a post blasting other Christian leaders? Out of my devotion to Jim and to the truth, I have done Jim the favor of posting his article below. In it Jim accuses Lifeway of offering "poision" in selling the book "The Shack", and he seems to imply that Tom Rainer went back on his word in NOT removing it from the Lifeway offerings.

Jim tells a story of how he and some unnamed "colleague" went to Rainer last year about their concern over Lifeway selling "The Shack" - and that in exchange for Jim not bringing a motion to the floor of the SBC Convention last summer Rainer agreed to pull the book. But Jim now claims that Rainer went back on his word and did NOT pull the book. So now Jim is outting Tom Rainer on the FBC Jax website for his theological and ethical breach. Jim, if you're going to keep doing this and blasting other Christian leaders, why use the church's website? Get your own blog - or put it over on your own 501(c)3 website.

A couple of observations about Jim's latest attempt to go after Christian leaders:

- I'm not sure I believe Jim's story - would love to hear Rainer's side of the story. Given our pastors' penchants for fibbing in the pulpit, I am very skeptical of Jim's recount of the facts in this case - and the rapid disappearance of this article from the FBC Jax websites makes me even more curious and skeptical.

- I'm no fan of the book "The Shack" and I wouldn't recommend it...but my gosh do we need Jimmy Smyrl telling Lifeway what books to sell? Mac himself admitted he read the book - Jim must have read parts of it to know he doesn't agree with it - but Mac has said from the pulpit that he worries immensely about the things we read and Jim obviously doesn't want us to read it. NEWSFLASH TO JIM: We're smart enough to determine what books to read. We can also read blogs, and we can read newspapers, and we can research your sermon stories to see if you're telling us the truth or "speaking ministerially".

- It is amazing that Jim outted Rainer publicly on the blog. I wonder if Jim tried to address this privately with Rainer out of the public eye. Why did Jim decide to go public with it on a blog and accuse Rainer of going back on his word? I thought those that oppose this blog at FBC Jax have said disputes or questions should be handled man-to-man? So why is Jimmy doing this publicly? Jim implies in his article that Lifeway is offering the book for financial gain, and that they are offering theologically incorrect books because it is profitable. Strong accusations there, Jim.

- This is just another example of Jim and Mac's overall disdain for the laity. First, Jim thinks he can snooker his listeners by reading selected words from a commercial, and that no one will bother checking his facts to find out he is being deceitful. Now, Jim says:

"Lifeway actually believes Baptist readers can filter through the bad theology and not allow the gross misrepresentation of God to influence their thinking. The problem with that logic is the assumption that Baptists or believers in general have been taught to read critically. "

Uh, yes, Jim, we don't need you to be the sole arbiter of what religious books we do and don't read. My God, does Jim mean we need to have college credit in "Critical Thinking" to be able to discern fact from fiction, truth from error? Mac and Jim don't trust "uneducated" lay people. Doesn't trust 'em to teach a bible study (need small groups), doesn't trust them to deal with knowledge of bylaw changes, doesn't trust 'em to manage their finances or handle raises, and doesn't trust 'em to teach Church Training classes (had to disband that and bring in seminary classes). Sure Jim, you can tell us what books you recommend and don't recommend - but must you demand that Lifeway pull books from the shelves YOU don't agree with theologically? Mac and Jim think their sheep are just too stupid to think for themselves; they don't trust the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer to help them discern truth and error. We need Mac and Jim to tell us what to believe, what to read. We're just supposed to shut up, listen to Mac and Jim, and fork over our money to Mac and Jim to start satellites, purchase TV advertising for Mac and Honey and Mac's new school.

- If a shopper at the Lifeway website searches for "The Shack" on Lifeway's website, they will see a warning that says "Read With Discernment"...and it gives an excellent warning AND explanation of why they offer it...if you click on the "Read With Discernment" link you will see Lifeway even provides hyperlinks to critical reviews and explanations that would be helpful to a discerning reader. Lifeway I think trusts people, and trusts God and the Holy Spirit to help readers discern truth from error.

Lastly, some helpful advice to Jim: MIND YOUR OWN STORE JIM. You and Mac have enough problems and scandal at your own church before you go pointing fingers at SBC agencies that are NOT accountable to you. As a member of FBC Jax I'm sick and tired of you using our church website to blast Catholic priests, Obama voters, and now Tom Rainer and Lifeway. If you must do this, start your own blogsite and stop using our church name to lend credibility to your views. Maybe someone in the SBC needs to write a blog post about how Mac accepted a land gift and call him out and threaten to bring a motion to the floor of the SBC convention censuring Mac for that breach of basic ethical standards. How would you like the pastor of FBC Dallas preaching about how Mac lied in his pulpit about Sheri Klouda or about how FBC Jax is using trespass warnings to ban members who have been accused of blogging from stepping foot on the church property?

So stick to solving problems at FBC Jax, Jim. You've got your hands full.

--------------------------------

"Lifeway Without the Way", by Jim Smyrl - as appeared at FBC Jax Website 1/28/09, and available in the Google website cache.

At last year’s SBC meeting in the city of Indianapolis, a colleague of mine went with the intention of making a recommendation that Lifeway stores come under examination. The purpose behind the recommendation was to call our convention to hold Lifeway accountable to the Baptist Faith and Message in regards to materials offered for sale. At the time, Lifeway was rapidly selling The Shack, which heretically misrepresents the Trinity, presenting God from the viewpoint of a modalist. I believed and continue to believe that as a Southern Baptist entity, Lifeway should have enough integrity to offer materials that are chosen based on our BFM. The Shack is one of dozens of works offered on Lifeway shelves that not only contradicts the BFM, but more so, the Bible.

Word got out regarding the recommendation. I received a phone call asking for a meeting with Tom Rainer, President of Lifeway, and one of his associates. In a spirit of accountability, I took my colleague to the private meeting at the convention. In order to maintain integrity, I will not discuss the details or spirit of the meeting. I will confirm that in that meeting it was agreed that we would not go to the convention floor with the recommendation, on the basis that Dr. Rainer had, that day, taken steps to form a review committee that would scrutinize what went on the shelves of Lifeway. As an apparent bargaining chip, Dr. Rainer offered to remove The Shack from all Lifeway shelves and immediately did so upon my agreement to withhold the recommendation.

To my shame, as a man that did not know how the SBC hierarchy played the game, in just two weeks after the meeting, when time had passed for the recommendation to come to the floor of the convention and call Lifeway into accountability, Lifeway leaders made the choice to put The Shack back on the shelves. They placed a “warning to the reader” out to inform readers to be cautious and that books like the one in question were just fiction. It is incomprehensible that Lifeway actually believes Baptist readers can filter through the bad theology and not allow the gross misrepresentation of God to influence their thinking. The problem with that logic is the assumption that Baptists or believers in general have been taught to read critically.

Proponents of contaminated Lifeway shelves will readily inquire as to the viability of certain C.S. Lewis fictional works or Tim LaHaye works that may picture God in a less than biblically accurate manner. It is frightening when our convention leaders justify one gross misrepresentation of the very nature of God with a lesser misrepresentation of imagery relating to God. If Lewis or LaHaye serves as the standard by which we now choose our offerings on Lifeway shelves, I’m thankful they did not fictionally present Christ as a lesbian woman. If they would have lowered the bar to that extent, what would Lifeway leaders offer as Christian literature to young and immature believers today?

I believe believers should read from all genres of literature and have opportunity to critically examine all materials. However, for immature believers, such examinations should take place in environments where questions can be posed to them and answered from an open Bible. Such an environment does not diminish the priesthood of the believer, but rather allows pastors to build up a priesthood by properly equipping believers to become discerning, theologically minded readers. Currently, Lifeway offers poison and purity on the same buffet in hopes believers that purchase and ingest can discern, without help, between the two before damage is done.

When Scripture ceases to serve as the standard by which we make choices, even book choices we recommend to believers, anything goes. A few weeks after the convention Lifeway pulled from the shelves a magazine that contained a polemic in favor of women serving as pastors. Chris Turner, a Lifeway representative, said, “The buyers said the statements that were in it took positions that were contrary to what we would say. It wasn’t so much that there were women on the cover.” Who is “we”? What standard was used to make this decision? Why is such a standard not applied to much more influential books like The Shack or should I say, “much more financially lucrative books?”

Lifeway’s actions regarding this magazine should be applauded since women serving in such a role are clearly prohibited in Scripture. However, the inconsistency is glaring. Based on what is offered and not offered by Lifeway, are Southern Baptists to conclude that it is not acceptable to provide literature that presents women as pastors, but it is acceptable to offer literature that presents God as a woman? Or is the decision not ultimately about providing literature that promotes sound doctrine? Does Lifeway choose products that believers walk in, pick up, read and adjust life and belief accordingly based on financial gain? Would it not be better to have smaller stores, fewer employees, less merchandise, and lower profit margins in order to allow Southern Baptist pastors the ability to direct our people to a store that offers materials that represent God in the manner that He has revealed Himself?

Yes, it is the pastor’s role to equip the saints. Lifeway does not have the biblical mandate of the pastor. But why would Lifeway work in contradiction to the pastor’s effort to grow godly believers? Why would a Southern Baptist entity be allowed to offer materials that oppose the preaching in Southern Baptist pulpits? I say to Southern Baptists, either sever Lifeway from the Southern Baptist Convention or require Lifeway to fall within the boundaries of theological integrity in which our seminary professors and denominational agencies daily function.

33 comments:

  1. Jim is a hypocrite and a liar. He acknowledges that he believes Baptists in general can't read critically. This includes the Bible. So he wants us to trust his interpretations. He can't have it both ways. If we DID read books, and the Bible, critically, we might ask him about some very important doctrines that he says "the Bible clearly" speaks to. Like slavery. I bet Jim was one that interpreted the Bible "clearly" say "slaves obey your masters" and that Jesus never sought to free the slaves, but taught them to serve their masters. Also about women, Jim says the Bible says they are not to be pastors, and it also says they are to be silent, and not adorn themselves with outer beauty, and to submit themselves in all areas to their husbands. But he only picks out one of those to harp on?

    He also says the new testament gentile/christian should follow the Hebrew/Jewish legalistic practice of tithing. And that the tithe now, all of a sudden, includes cash money, not the animals and food the Jews tithed on. Interesting.

    Notice that Jim only says the "Bible clearly teaches" yet HE can't explain to us, or give any scripture, to back up his stances on women or tithing. Hey Jim, if the Bible clearly says it, how bout explaining it clearly to us. (No, I don't mean telling us what we have always been taught, or what Homer Lindsay used to preach) Or better yet, how bout going on to some academic, theological blogs and try defending your position to some real Bible scholars. You can't Jim. So please, back off complaining about how the poor sheep might be misled by a book. You sir, are the dangerous one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Watchdog,

    No problems at the FBC blogsite. Rev. Smyrl has: elected to delete their account and the content is no longer available.

    ReplyDelete
  3. George - yes, that was my point. Its clear that they took it down...which they did before but then put it back up. So we shall see if they put Jim's article back up.

    Probably what happened was when the big wigs in Nashville read the blog they called Deb, and Deb told Jim to shut 'er down. Can't have Jim popping off about SBC leadership when Deb's hob nobbing with them on the IMB board, and certainly not when Lifeway is selling Mac's books. Jim writing articles like that critical of FBC Dallas and Lifeway is not a way to endear Mac and Deb to the rest of the convention, especially with the pastors conference coming up. Come on Jim...remember, you're not the pastor, Mac is. If anyone is going to blast people in the SBC on the OFFICIAL FBC JAX BLOGSITE...it better be Mac, or you better get Mac and Deb's approval before you do it. Just trying to help mentor you, Jim.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thy Peace - don't sweat it. That guy has been here and raked the Watchdog over the coals too. I don't wish to send any traffic over there to even read his words.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Readers: Please check out Pastor Wade Burleson's two most recent blog entries and then think about what a fool Jim Smyrl is making of himself and our church when he writes: "I say to Southern Baptists, either sever Lifeway from the Southern Baptist Convention or require Lifeway to fall within the boundaries of theological integrity in which our seminary professors and denominational agencies daily function."

    The man is claiming (1) that all Southern Baptists agree on the issues he is discussing (they DON'T) and (2) that he knows what their beliefs are (He does NOT) and (3) that Lifeway should be "SEVERED" from the SBC since they allow opposing views from what Jim says SBC's "boundaries" are. (That is ridiculous)

    Just like at FBC Jax, Jim is so quick to say "either agree with EVERYTHING we say, even the highly disputed areas, OR we will SEVER you." (or ban you, or give you trespass warnings, or fire you, etc.)

    Jim...Listen up. YOU work for a lady. You are under the indirect control of, and respond and report indirectly to, a women. Your whole church does. So why don't you just try and tell Mac not to listen to Deb (and her heightened sensitivity to the Holy Spirit) regarding church decisions, and tell Deb not to speak in staff meetings (even if she is slandering Wade Burleson, a former board member on the IMB board she is currently secretary of) BEFORE you worry about Lifeway selling magazines with women's pictures on it. Hyprocrite and light weight, Jim.

    Boy, it must be tough for a good old boy like you to take marching orders from Deb Brunson. And have her shut your blog down at her whim. And watch her take the lead in the ministry ads, and watch her son come on staff, and watch her son-in-law get ordained and preach at our church, and watch her drive up in that carolina blue Jaguar with her two dogs. Your office is still over in the old Administration building with those lay pastors isn't it Jim? (Blount, King , Trey and Elkins can't carry your sandals theologically or talent wise can they Jim?)

    Yeah, you go get em Jim. Take on Lifeway and Tom Rainer on your blog. But when it comes to Deb Brunson, you just shut up and lie low. Yeah, we all see it Jim. Good luck with that. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mac Brunson and Jim Smyrl - the twins of deception. If you can't trust the messengers, you can't trust the message.

    The message? "You are OBLIGATED to tithe." (not found in scripture) "If you don't give $1 million in two weeks, then we'll go into debt." "I paid for that house." "My salary is nowhere near $300,000 per year." "Sheri Klouda admitted under oath she was wrong to bring her lawsuit." "That is blasphemous self-promotion" "those former staff members were "called" somewhere else" "We need a school to reach people" "No one's home anymore"...should I go on?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mr. George Wells and others who are wrong:

    None of the staff blogs are up and working. It's a problem with the whole blog feature not the content of Smyrl's blog.

    Pull your heads out of your posteriors so you don't look so stupid in your assessments of the church.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for clearing that up. Excuse me for thinking someone down there at the church had the discernment to know that Smyrl's article on Lifeway belongs on his own personal blog and not on our church website. Silly me, I thought someone make a correct assessment and took down his article.

    Still, it is very odd how this happened right after his Catholic Cult series too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jim will be glad to know that Tom Rainer will be the speaker this weekend at the deacon retreat at FBC Dallas.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I need to correct my previous post about Dr. Rainer. It is Thom not Tom.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh how I wish I knew what books to read. It may be that I have read some in the past that may have suggested something totally different. But, then again maybe not. Free speech has my vote. If the priesthood of the believer counts for anything, it certainly is the ability to know a con when you hear one!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Some people want all the attention. They are the only ones that have the intellect to figure things out...so they think!!! Funny isn't it, when things go wrong, they start a campaign against someone else to draw attention away from themselves? I believe John the Baptist said it best "I must decrease and He must increase". And this came from a man wearing animal skins and who ate locust and honey. Give me that old time religion, its good enough for me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My pastor plans to attend the Pastor's Conference. I have not informed him of the goings on at FBCJ, I want him to see from his own perspective. He has always thought J.Smyrl was heads above the rest of us; and he, himself, understands Smyrl when others do not. I will tell you when he returns, his trip will never be paid for by the church unless he can explain the hypocrisy of the pastors conference being sponsored by Brunson Team, not FBC of old.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Question: What has TDM accomplished? How many have accepted the Lord as their savior, new members, and baptized through the satellites? Anybody know?

    ReplyDelete
  15. HALF RIGHT JIM

    Jim is partially right about the problems with Lifeway. Lifeway is supplying material for all of the LIBERALS in the SBC.

    Oh! You don't think that is so? Then do your homework. Who is in the SBC nowadays? Just about any NEW PARADIGM church that comes along. So what are the qualifications. Listen to this.

    Ed Stetzer
    Partner Enlistment Manager
    North American Missions Board, SBC
    " House church, contemporary, seeker sensitive, and cell-based are new ideas to many Southern Baptist. However these are descriptions of many dynamic Southern Baptist churches. If the standard of fellowship and affiliation is to be the perfect Word of God and our confessional statement we must understand that this leaves a " big tent" in church practice while maintaining theological integrity. That's good news- Southern Baptists should affirm all forms of scripturally sound churches."

    Right!! Anyone who has sat in on these NEW PARADIGM CHURCHES Knows that they are not scripturally sound.

    But, with the SBC approving these LIBERAL churches, Lifeway has gone along with that philosophy and has allowed support material to be included in their mailing list.

    Jim you are still just half right.

    By the way if you are a hypocrite are you given over to Satan? 1Timothy 1:20

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous January 29, 2009 2:21 PM,

    Do you have some first hand knowledge or are you going by the Error 404 message now on the blog? My post was copied from the blog yesterday am. John Blunts blog was and is still up.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anon - I say he's less than 1/2 right. And his appeal on the Web is divisive and hyopcritical for the following reasons:

    - Lifeway is not accountable to Jim Smyrl and FBC Jax. They receive no funding whatsoever from FBC Jax. They have their own board that makes decisions best for their agency.

    - Its funny how Jim wants to pop-off on the church website about how Lifeway and Thom Rainer should be accountable to him and bow to his threats of bringing a motion at the SBC convention, when our own church has taken moves recently in our bylaws to make the leadership of the church less accountable to the people to whom they ARE accountable (more on this soon).

    - Jim demonstrates once again that he has embraced an angry "my way or the highway" view of ministry - do it my TDM way, or you're doing ministry wrong. Make a commercial my way, or its blasphemy. Do small groups and like them else you're a troublemaker, filter books that I think are theologically deficient, or away with your agency. Notice he doesn't write an article calling for reform, or asking Lifeway to reconsider some of the offerings. To Jim its: REMOVE BOOKS I DON'T APPROVE OF OR WE SHOULD SEVER TIES WITH YOU. Any good that Lifeway does is of no concern. Its 100% compliance and agreement with Jim theologically or they want to give the boot to Lifeway. Again, evidence of a cultic view.

    - How divisive. Why take a swipe at Thom Rainer of Lifeway by making it appear he went back on his word to pull the book? There are serious men and women at Lifeway who consider these issues and weighed the pros and cons, and here comes Jimmy Smyrl from FBC Jax to declare he knows how their agency should be run - and demands they agree with him or the SBC should jettison the entire agency. I sure hope Thom Rainer will speak out on this issue and explain the other side of the story. Or he might realize why bother get into a debate with the folks down at Jax who have their own set of problems they're not even worth the bother.

    - The leadership of FBC Jax critical of this blog believe disputes should be settled man-to-man, and that a blog is no place for that. So why is Jim calling out Thom Rainer on a blog and accusing him and Lifeway of being deceitful? HYPOCRITE.

    So keep being divisive Jim. Let's see, you've found the Dallas commercial to be blasphemous, and Thom Rainer and Lifeway are spreading poison and playing SBC politics by fooling you into not bringing a motion to the SBC convention floor.

    Who's next, Jim?

    ReplyDelete
  18. George - Jim's blog article was up for only a few hours. It was taken down late Wednesday, which was the day he posted it, and when it did go down Blount's was still up.

    Yesterday, the entire blog site was down, including Blount's

    Its very clear something happened to Jim's blog - and the message yesterday said someone deleted the blog site.

    Today, Blount's is back, but Jim's is not.

    I find it very hard to believe that its just a coincidence that the two times Jim's blog has had technical difficulties is just hours after he posts one of his offensive articles (Catholic Cults and now Lifeway without the Way).

    My guess is someone pulled the plug. We shall see.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I want to encourage everyone to keep praying for our church leaders. I also say, that not everyone that walks and shops at a LifeWay store is Baptist, or saved even. I used to work there. I have emailed my concern about "The Shack" to someone at LifeWay and they responded in a very professional, Christian (and quick) manner. I don't agree with the book, but am thankful they have at least put a disclaimer.

    I believe Jim Smyrl's "bashing" is meant to warn believers of a lot of the false teachings out there. Yes, the Holy Spirit helps us discern, but we still need to warn others of false teaching. Paul does it in his letters, so it's probably a good idea to say the least. I don't think he is trying to make us feel stupid at all.

    It's easy to get so critical to where we become self-righteous or at least be seen that way (I'm confessing here). And something I am learning is that some things we want to say don't need to be said. I'm not saying we should stand by and let others believe a lie. But we should, as Christians, pray for wisdom and discernment.

    ReplyDelete
  20. RUNNING SCARED

    Watchdog it's my guess that they are just BLASTING OTHERS to take the heat off of themselves. Or, saying they are against one thing that FBC JAX is really doing themselves. For instance.

    Fbc Jax has used Rick Warren's and Bill Hybell's corporate marketing strategies. The premiss here is GROW THE CHURCH WHATEVER IT TAKES AND WHATEVER IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL GET SOME PEOPLE SAVED IN THE LONG RUN. TO BACK THIS PREMISS THEY SAY THAT IF WE GET SOME PEOPLE SAVED, GOD IS IN IT. SO, ANY BIBLE IS OK.

    Go into FBC JAX bookstore. You will find all types of PARAPHRASED BIBLES. Yes, the MESSAGE BIBLE IS IN THERE. So Jim is pointing his finger at others while FBC Jax is doing the very same thing that he is accusing Lifeway of doing.

    Then too, Fbc Jax is pushing SMALL GROUPS, in everything. Jim blast the Catholics. Jim won't tell you that in small groups they major on CONFESSIONS. TELL OTHERS YOUR PROBLEMS. EMPATHIZE WITH PEOPLE, GET A CONCENSUS OF BELIEF. And, don't make anyone mad, just water down scripture to the lowest common denominator. Jim blast the Catholics while FBC IS BECOMING A LOOK-ALIKE

    It sure looks to me like FBC JAX is running scared.

    ReplyDelete
  21. If God chose to reveal himself and speak to Balaam through an ass (see Numbers 22), I suppose author William Paul Young can have God appear and speak to a fictitious person through a fictitious African American woman in his novel, The Shack, without doing harm to the person and nature of God.

    And, modalism? I suspect most every illustration pastors use to explain the Trinity is skewed a bit towards modalism, e.g. water is the same whether in the form of steam, ice, or liquid. This oft used illustration cannot be pushed too far nor can Young's metaphoric use of the identities of the Trinity in The Shack.

    Bottom line: WD is right. Most of us can deliniate the nuances of truth and error without Smyrl's campaign to ban books.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Watchdog,

    When I commented yesterday at 10:26am John Blunts blog was still up and Jim Smyrls said it had been deleted by the author. I guess the blog has been up and down.

    Not a big deal, it just seemed at the time that Rev Smyrl had deleted his account.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous said...
    Mr. George Wells and others who are wrong:
    None of the staff blogs are up and working. It's a problem with the whole blog feature not the content of Smyrl's blog.
    Pull your heads out of your posteriors so you don't look so stupid in your assessments of the church.

    Dear Anonymous:

    I would humbly recommend that you not to shoot your fellow Brunson supporters (myself) in your knee jerk reaction to talk about the FBC blog status.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Mr. George Wells,

    When I posted my original comment, the whole blogsite was down not just Smyrls. But like the Watchdog has said and I have seen, the blogs are fluctuating in functionality. But now it looks like Blunts and Ford's blog is working.

    The latter part of my original comment wasn't directed towards you George. It was for the other Anons on this blog such as Anon 10:11, 1:55 and 3:13.

    Glad to know your on the right side of the aisle though.

    ReplyDelete
  25. anon - there are not two sides of the aisle and certainly there is not a "right" side to be on. That is divisive Mac Brunson type speaking.

    There is one aisle. And it remains concerned with nepotism, receipt of a $307K land gift three weeks after his arrival, an ad played for the donor's family during the Sunday a.m. service, the lies and slander from the pulpit, the selling of the pulpit for donations, using our choir and auditorium to promote Israeli bio-medical investments for some trustees and deacons, the year long retreat on Amelia Island one hour from the church upon arrival, the million dollar home, the hypocrisy with what he wrote in his guidebook versus what he does in his ministry, the lying and slander about Sheri Klouda, the firing of staff he says were "called elsewhere", the changing of the by-laws without freely handing them out and discussing them first, and ignoring of legitmate questions from members who chose to email anonmyously.

    So love Mac or hate him, it is not about the direction he is leading this church. It is about the above, specific issues. So what about you, NONE of the above concerns you, all the while he is asking for another $20 million?

    Do I have to be on the "wrong" side of the aisle to be concerned about the A-group's role and expense in leading our church? What about cutting ministry while increasing advertising expenses?

    Does that require a side of the aisle? WAKE UP! You can love Mac and your church and Jesus and still have these concerns. GROW UP! It is not a game where those who ask questions are "against us" and those that blindly give without requiring transparency are more spiritual.

    But as long as Mac can paint it in these terms, they can keep on banning any member who is concerned enough to ask a question.

    ReplyDelete
  26. anonymous 10:32..I hope you are wrong on confessions made in a small group setting. That is entirely cultish. Jesus said to go into your closet and confess your sin to God and God alone. Once a group starts this confessing it leads to trouble. Some will use it against another, others will tell others, and it is like fodder spreading its ugly head anywhere and everywhere. Truely it is against scripture and God!!! There is no one in the group that can help you get over sin its strictly between man and God alone. Shameful practices.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I had trouble with Lifeway material years ago. When I complained about it to my pastor(?) it eventually got me thrown out of my church, and my reputation as a trouble maker was established in the church. At that time no one complained about anything out of the SBC and got away with it. But the Lord knows about it and He will take care of it in the end. I wouldn't trade places with them. But I can tell you one thing I no longer look for a Jesus centered church. They are over.

    ReplyDelete
  28. anon 3:23 Confession-share your problems, its is all the same.

    Ask any of your older classes if they like small groups. They don't need small groups they built fellowship the old fashion way, SUNDAY SCHOOL.

    As for the younger classes, Brunson doesn't need to " plow around them ". Younger classes enjoy change and they generally will not mind switching to small groups. That is until they learn about the negative problems that small groups bring. Anyway you look at it small groups is divisive

    ReplyDelete
  29. As of right now, all of the blogs are available EXCEPT Jim's.

    Looks like he (or they) pulled the plug, but kind of messy from a website angle, the main FBC website still links to his blogs (as well as the others that are up and running).

    ReplyDelete
  30. So is that a photo of Jim Smyrl or of Tom Rainer or of the illustrious but anonymous Watchdog, or who? I'm in Seattle, and I'm a liberal Baptist, so my ignorance is perhaps as understandable as it may be palpable. I just posted a question about the "New paradigm churches" reply at BaptistLife.com, where your church's odd goings on are a recurrent thread topic.

    Leland aka Haruo

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hey, dog. Do you have any estimates of the number of registrations that have been received for the 2009 Pastors' Conference? With all the freebies that have been added it appears the attendance is going to be down.

    ReplyDelete
  32. LifeWay does not receive CP dollars --- just the opposite.LifeWay gives to the CP out of their profits. The SBC cannot tell LifeWay what to do. The local churches cannot tell LifeWay what to do.

    The Shack is a strange read but if those reading it discovered the authors life history (which was in the book we had) the book makes sense from his viewpoint.

    Should LifeWay sell stuff like this? Absolutely, if a pastor fears his sheep are being polluted, don't blame it on an outside source.

    Ground you people in the word and books like the Shack will die a quick death.

    ReplyDelete

Anonymous comments are allowed, but troll-type comments, responses to trolls, and grossly off-topic comments will be subject to denial by the Watchdog.