"As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:30-32 (NASB)
TWW Gals With Pastor Wade Burleson
We are bidding adieu to the old and looking forward to the New Year with great anticipation. Our tradition here at TWW is to highlight what we consider to be our TOP TEN posts of the year. Each of these articles garnered considerable commentary, and we are so grateful for our growing readership!
It is our loyal TWW family that inspires us to research the topics we feature here. Some of these ideas even originate with our readers who contact us by email or phone. We hope and pray that this forum is making a difference.
We will work our way up to what we consider to be the Number One post for 2011 and then throw in a few “honorable mentions”.
Here we go…
10. When Pastoral Care Means Taking Care of the Pastor (link)
Dee summarized what appears to be one of the overarching problems in 21st century Christendom. Have you noticed a trend where pastors want to be served by the congregation, rather than to serve the flock as they have been instructed to do in the New Testament? Authoritarianism is on the rise as pastors elevate themselves above the flock. It is unbiblical, and we will continue to expose this trend in the New Year.
9. Welcome Emmanuel! (link)
In stark contrast to authoritarian leadership, Dee wrote a post about our recent visit to Enid, Oklahoma, where we observed a man who exemplifies the role of pastor according to God’s Holy Word. Pastor Wade Burleson of Emmanuel Baptist Church has become a dear friend, and we believe that if more pastors would shepherd their flocks as he does, Christendom would explode with new believers and Christians would become more passionate in their walk with Christ.
8. What Are Family Integrated Churches (FIC)? (link)
Deb described the FIC model and explained how the National Center of Family Integrated Churches (NCFIC) appears to be a driving force behind this concept. Although NCFIC churches seem to cater to the homeschooling community, a variation of the FIC model is being promoted by some mainstream churches that endorse "connecting church and home".
7. An Ultrasound of Abuse (link)
It is incredulous that there are conservative pastors who garner the respect of a multitude of Christians, yet they (and their followers) excuse abuse "for a season". Deb provided evidence from the mouths of John Piper and Paige Patterson. She applauded John Shore at Crosswalk.com who wrote an excellent post "Why Pastors Struggle With Confronting Domestic Violence" as well as a commenter who are "getting it". Why does the Christian community appear to tolerate violence against women more than the secular community does? It's a sad state of affairs for 21st century Christendom.
6. SGM and Gender Roles: Radically Redefining the word "Gospel" (link)
This was an extremely important post as Dee took to task those who misuse the term "gospel". Examples are: “Gospel marriage”, “Gospel parenting”, “Gospel lifestyle”, etc. She hammered the Calvinistas who love to use the descriptor to give credence to their narrow theological viewpoints. We will continue to expose this misapplication in the New Year.
5. Masculine Love in Acts 29 Churches (link)
Did you know that pastors of Acts 29 churches have to demonstrate a "masculine love" to their congregants? Deb quoted the following from the Acts 29 website: "We are not egalitarians and do believe that men should head their homes and male elders/pastors should lead their churches with masculine love like Jesus…" This mandate generated a lively discussion, as you might imagine.
4. Does the SBC Fear Women Pastors More Than Their Kids Getting Molested? (link)
Dee addressed the tremendous hypocrisy in the SBC, which throws out churches that hire women pastors while turning a blind eye to pedophilia. She provided numerous examples of SBC leaders who ignored child molestation done at the hands of those who are to protect the flock. Darrell Gilyard certainly comes to mind. Looks like the chickens have come home to roost in the SBC as membership and baptisms are in terrible decline.
3. The Earth is Fixed and the Sun Moves – Real Christians Believe It! (link)
This fascinating post written by Dee received the most comments in the history of TWW — over 500! Dee gave kudos to Dr. John Lennox, who inspired her to write this amusing article. Hopefully, it opened a few eyes to how ridiculous some Christians can be with their rigidity in certain positions such as creationism.
2. Sovereign Grace Ministries and the SBC – Is There A Merger in the Works? (link)
Ever since C.J. Mahaney spoke at the SBC Pastors Conference in 2010, we have wondered about the connection between the SBC and the smaller SGM "family of churches". As your TWW sleuths discovered in 2009, Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries have given at least $100,000 EACH to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. What's really going on here? Now that Mahaney's son-in-law has relocated his family to Louisville so he can earn an M.Div. degree at Mohler's seminary, we are even more intrigued… Guess the SGM Pastors College wasn't sufficient for theological training.
1. Breaking News: CJ Mahaney, the “Trendy” Calvinista, Temporarily Steps Down to Deal With Sin (link)
As 2011 demonstrated, the internet is indeed making a difference. When Brent Detwiler released his 600+ pages of documentation against Mahaney, C.J. "temporarily" stepped down, as explained in a blog post on the Cheap Seats website. Dee weighed in on this surprising development. However, last month Mahaney confessed at the SGM Pastors Conference that he regretted his decision, and his blog post has been removed by the SGM Board. The Washington Post Investigates Sovereign Grace Ministries (link) is a related post which highlighted serious problems within the SGM "family of churches".
Honorable Mention
These posts also received considerable commentary and are worthy of your perusal…
No Professional Counseling Advised – One Woman’s Sad Story (link)
Mark Dever – C.J. Mahaney's BFF (link)
Confessions of an SGM Pastor (link)
Mark Driscoll: Did He Stutter? (link)
A Letter to My Daughters – Megapastor Excoriates TWW (link)
Russell Moore Tells Women to Stop Submitting to Men (link)
We fondly call 2011 "The Year of the Blogger" for obvious reasons, and we expect that the upcoming year will continue to demonstrate this new phenomenon, much to the chagrin of hyper-authoritarian leaders.
Hail to all truth sleuths, whether they are blogging from a secret location (like their mothers' basements) or whether they ARE THE MOMS like Dee and me who blog in designer clothes — NEVER underwear or bath robes! To whom it may concern, please make a New Year's resolution to retire that silly tirade – it has become so trite.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Lydia's Corner: Job 40:1-42:17 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Psalm 45:1-17 Proverbs 22:14
You’all have had a very good year with the blog, and you are to be congratulated. The attention you get from those you critique and their minions is proof that you are doing a good work and that it is having an effect. Praise be to God that you are out there for those who have been abused or are being abused by the fundegelicals, abusive pastors, and the like. Praying that you will have even more success in the year ahead.
Cringe worthy post: The assailing of a 70 year old grandmother who likes to wear hats.
Seneca
I said this to another commenter on another subject. There is the superficial and there is the heart issue. This post has little to do with the grandmother who likes hats. In fact, she would even be insulted if she thought you believed that she wears them simply for the sake of vanity. So, use those professional skills and tell me why she feels a need to wear the hat? That reason was the intent of that post and methinks you know it.
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I would disagree. It appeared the grandmother went out of her way to make sure the questioner and her audience did not see her example as a biblical principle.
Sometimes, you just have to accept their word.
Seneca
Dr Grandmother is the head of the bachelor’s degree in homemaking program at SWBTS. She does set herself up as a role model and Dr.PP encourages this. And, as you well know, their word does not always line up with their intent. And their dealings at SEBTS, SWBTS., Criswell, etc. belie that this is simply vanity.
I just started reading your site and I love it. Knowledge is power! Thank you so much for helping me along the path of my healing and also for helping me to realize that I’m not the only one going through these things and I’M NOT CRAZY!! I pray that this new year will be one of getting to know Jesus better and becoming more like Him and showing the world the love of Jesus.
Love you guys!!
Eagle,
Hang in there! I really admire your tenacity in searching for answers.
Looking forward to more dialogue in 2012. You are a blessing to me.
Wow — you took off your masks! it’s great to see you! I’m guessing deb is on the left, and dee is on the right.
Great blog year ladies. I read your thoughts every day along with about 3 others. You are very informative and thorough in your posts, and so very needed out here in authority world…
As for your early 2012 predictions, Ed Jr is at it again. First series out of the box for the New Year is “Sexperiment”, ostensibly a marriage series, but it is interesting in that the timing coincides exactly with the release of Ed and Lisa’s new book entitled, you guessed it, “Sexperiment”. Sounds like someone wants to hit the shock button, get on GMA and Letterman, and sell few, million, books. Hmmm?
I have never seen this type of blatant merchandising from a pastor in all my life. Except for maybe Osteen.
Happy New Year ladies.
Former Fellow
I think they are trying to glom onto the Driscoll book on the same subject. We’ll get a copy and keep up with it. Keep us posted with updates as well. It is good to know that your are a “former” fellow. There are a lot of formers, including myself out here. Happy New Year.
Elastigirl
Nope! We’ll post some closeups of us in the near future.
FormerFellow,
So glad to have you joining us. We’re in this together as we try to make sense of the nonsense that is being touted as Christianity. Driscoll’s new book certainly comes to mind. How anyone could endorse it is beyond me…
Dee,
Closeups? Oh no!
Oh, and let me be the first to wish you HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Deb
Happy New Year!
Interesting category: formers.
and if you are a “former” more than once, does that make you a “re-former”?? And when one stops, then is that when one is “re-formed”? Or is “re-formed”, as in the past tense, a case of arrested development?
Just wondering.
Arce
How do you think this stuff up at 6:45 AM? I would need two cups of coffee to think that through so early. Is a re-former a person who has left the same church twice or someone who has left two churches? Must said leaving be predicated on disagreement with theology, lifestyle, or music? And, if one leaves a Calvinista church, is that a former reformer? And if one leaves two such churches, are they reformer reformed?
Have a great 2012 ladies and thanks for your support in the past year.
Blessings
Dylan Morrison Author
It was 5:45 am at my house, and I had been up since 4, which is not atypical for me. I got to bed about 10:15 and get up between 4 and 5 am most mornings, do some puzzles on line (crossword, sudoku), read the on-line WaPost and NYtimes, and several blog/news sites, including TWW and FBC Jax Watchdog, plus Baptist Today, ABP, a Texas criminal justice blog, and Baptist Civil War blog. That is, unless I have urgent work for that morning.
Arce
Do you know if wade Burleson is aware of the Baptist Civil War blog? He knows scads about the Civil War.
I do not. It is not a comment oriented blog, but a piece of history in the words of Baptists for each day of the civil war era, starting just after the election of Lincoln.
http://www.civilwarbaptists.com/
Bruce Gourley writes it. There is also a good series on the NYTimes web site.
Dee and Deb,
You are so darn cute! But where are your frumpy pjs? And is that Mitt Romney with you?
J. Terry,
ROFL about the pjs!
It’s interesting that you should mention Mitt Romney. Earlier this evening as I was watching the national news, Romney was interviewed in Iowa, and I did notice a slight resemblance between him and Wade Burleson. Hope Wade takes that as a compliment.