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Tuesday March 11, 2008 ~ 12 Comments
Junior Hill
One of the things I love about my job is the chance to meet with and learn from great men and women of God. One such person is Junior Hill. I had dinner with Dr. Hill in Orlando last week. We talked about the gospel, evangelism, Calvinism, the emerging church, and the diet that helped him lose an amazing 125 pounds. My favorite moments came when he told the stories of men and women he had led to Christ. My guess is that tens of thousands have trusted Christ at a meeting preached by Junior Hill. I was honored to spend time with a man of his character and passion.
Rob Zinn, well known leader in SBC life and former head of the SBC Executive Committee, joins a chorus of voices calling for cooperation around God's mission. We both spoke to the Oklahoma Missional Ministry Summit in Moore, OK. While there, Rob said to the attendees: We got into this big battle in 1979 over the Bible. But I'm here to tell you, we won that battle! What we need to do is get on with the rest of life. We need to quit fighting a battle that's been won and get back to doing the main thing; which is the main thing, and that's winning people to Jesus, evangelizing the world, and starting missions and going out and doing what God told us to do. That's what we NEED to be doing! When there's a battle to be won, then we ought to get together. But folks, when the battle is over, then we need to quit beating people over the head with it and get down to the basics of ministry. And the basics of ministry is not politics, it's JESUS!
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is turning our book, Comeback Churches, into a process. Should be interesting...
If you have not yet signed up, let me encourage you to come with Johnny, me, and a host of other people at his Bonfire Conference. We talked a bit about the conference and its focus. We are going to talk much about church transformation and revitalization. It will definitely be worth your time.
Speaking of Johnny Hunt, his church (First Baptist Church of Woodstock) is hosting a conference with some of the great preachers of our day. My friend Steve Lemke sent me this note today. As Steve has indicated, there has been some buzz about this in the blogs. Steve gave me permission to post his note that gives some more details about the meeting. Steve explains: Ed, I can't go, but there are some good men sharing and I trust it will bring honor to God and a focus on the Great Commission. That is something upon which we can all agree.
I just finished preaching at the Southern Baptists Conservatives of Virginia Evangelism Conference (tonight) and the State Convention of Baptists Evangelism Conference (yesterday), so now I am on my way home. I must confess. I do love encouraging SBC pastors to engage their communities for the gospel. It is good to be around the family with common values, passions, and an abiding love for fried chicken. Are we perfect? No. But, I believe that the SBC is increasingly more focused on God's global mission and cooperating more effectively. That is good news. I am trusting that I made much of the cross and Jesus in my message tonight. That's my passion and, I hope, our purpose. Posted on March 11, 2008 at 8:28 PM ~ 12 Comments Tagged with: comeback churches, conference, hill, hunt, sbc, zinn Subscribe via RSS or Follow us on Twitter
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Recently, I inadvertently said good things about 
I had some time with Johnny Hunt this morning who is increasingly concerned with our denomination's lack of focus. He shared with me: "We can get 45,000 people to a convention to declare the Bible is true but we can't get 10,000 to a convention to live it out--we have lost our focus on the main thing.�?
Ed, sorry I didn't get to see you this week at SBC of Virginia Evangelism Conference. We were hosting the Flagship Conference (Military Missions), bringing together mentor churches and parachurch ministries to reach, equip, and send on mission the military men and women. I'm sure you inspired and encouraged many!
Eric
Thanks for coming to Indiana for the Evangelism Conference. Your message really spoke to me. I am a youth pastor here in Indiana and your stats about what keeps students connected to the church after graduation were very interesting. I have been trying to incorporate those very things into our youth ministry. Thanks for the encouragement.
The Bonfire Conference sure has some "HOT PRIZES". http://www.timothybarnabas.org/bf_prizes.asp Maybe I should attend since my teenagers need a car! Oh...it's only for Sr. Pastors. It says "The larger the group, the greater likelyhood to win a prize." Maybe I can get lots of folks from church to go we could do a prize pool sorta thing.
I find this statement quite interesting: "This conference is intended as a majoritarian Southern Baptist response to the “Building Bridges� and “Together for the Gospel� conferences."
Together for The Gospel isn't even an SBC event.
I attended the Building Bridges Conference and both Calvinist and Non-Calvinist veiwpoints were presented on each of the 5 points. The John 3:16 Conference, however is limited presentation.
Very encouraging, as always, Ed.
I wonder if Catalyst is being the kind of conference that Johnny Hunt describes. I hope so.
Your blog is the best on the internet.
I was saved under Johnny Hunt and he continues to be a friend to this day. I don't always agree with his alignment with some of the protectionist SBC guys but he's a Godly man. I hope guys like him will want to enter into conversation with the younger SBC guys and try to dialogue instead of judge. I'm afraid if we don't see changes there will be no one to pass the baton to. I hope Johnny and others see this.
Ed,
You're more hopeful about the 3:16 conference than I am.
I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect there will be more straw men at that conference than in a kansas cornfield.
"Southern Baptist scholars will be presenting a Biblical response to the well-known tenets of the Presbyterian Synod of Dort"
Maybe talking about the Presbyterian Synod of Dort will give the SBC renewed "focus".
I look forward to meeting you in BG for the Comeback Church conference.
KBH
I find it interesting that the organizers of John 3:16 seem to think Building Bridges needs a response. Building Bridges actually presented each topic in a (point/counterpoint) format. It was meticulously fair. It is unfortunate that the organizers of John 3:16 seem to be interested in burning bridges.
I get busy for a day and there is lots of enthusiasm about the John 3:16 conference!
I have posted all comments received, but I have edited a couple. Simply put, no snide comments on my blog. Get your own blog if you want to take a swing at these men—I admire them and respect them.
But, remember, this conference has not yet happened.
…And, remember, talking about theology is a good thing.
…And, finally, remember, the vast majority of Baptists are not Calvinists and I think it is OK to point that out.
If people go over the line, then respond then. I did that very thing at the Building Bridges Conference when some of the speakers used their "building bridge time" to caricature other paradigms of ministry. And, might I add, the room was pretty silent when I did so.
Perhaps, just perhaps, men of character can agree to disagree without being disagreeable.
That is a bridge we all can walk over.
Jesse, in some ways I think it is. Catalyst is the largest gathering of SBC leaders in the country each year. That used to be the SBC meeting, but no longer.
Now, to be fair, the SBC is really a big business meeting which is not always exciting. And, you boys do make Catalyst exciting, so it is different.
But, Johnny is rightfully asking, where did all that Bible enthusiasm going-- we fought for it, can't we now live it.
The answer to that question will determine the future of this convention.
And, I am honored that an employee of Catalyst considers this the best blog on the Internet, but I do wonder if you are still on dial-up. Grin.
I met Junior Hill in 2000 and he was one of the first "big time" guys who actually took the time to become my friend. I was blown away when he sent me a personal note a couple of weeks later. In a world full of "hot shots" who don't seem to have time for the little guys, Junior Hill is the real deal! Thanks for your post.
Building Bridges, I can understand. Why the John 3:16 conference is a response to a non-SBC event, I don't. OK, a lot of SBC pastors go there, but it is not an SBC event, though Al Mohler's presence may be used to debate that...long and short, I don't see why they are answering the T4G conference?
I am encouraged that SBC pastors are even willing to talk about Calvinism, I just hope that the Dutch Synod of Dort and the 5 points will be clearly examined.
Im not completly sure, but are any of the speakers Calvinists? If not shouldnt they be? Im not saying these men will misinterpret Calvinism but I sat through a lecture on Calvinism at an SBC church and he clearly did midinterpret what we believe.