I am not the dictator of the Southern Baptist Convention… yet. But, in preparation for that eventuality, I have additional mandates which will be observed during my dictatorship of the SBC.
First, boring sermons are going to be outlawed. Slap downs will ensue for those breaking this edict. Come on, preacher, don’t bore the folks with a bad sermon on the most exciting message the world has ever known! Use a story once in while. Humor is not forbidden. Poke some fun at yourself. Show some passion. And, for the record, sermons can be both expository and interesting. Preach meat and bring some sizzle. Don’t make me come up to that pulpit!
Second, seminaries will become more practical. The dictatorship will remind you that the future for most seminarian students is not academia. Most will become pastors and missionaries and youth ministers, etc. Professors who teach students factual information without practical application in real life ministry will be in trouble. The dictator will give them a low D on a real fake model of a report card which they must show to their mothers. To their mothers! Seminaries will focus more attention on godly leadership, people skills and how to deal with problems- in addition to Greek, Hebrew and Systematic Theology.
Third, churches will support missionaries with vigor. The dictatorship will encourage mission trips and projects and such. But, churches will not do those things instead of supporting the IMB personnel on the field. If you aren’t supporting the career missionaries, aren’t you kind of missing the point? The dictator will not allow an abdication of cooperative missions. He has disallowed it- boom! The brutal hand of the dictatorship will punish infractions through forced attendance at Justin Bieber concerts. (Okay, he has some catchy tunes, but really, do you want to deal with thousands of screaming tweener girls? I told you the hand of the dictatorship can be brutal!)
The mercy of the dictatorship causes a brief pause in mandating. And, I need a snack.
Doug Munton 
Just a thought… the Old School at SBC is like the Old School of the Republican Party. It’s been their way so long they forget they are supposed to be for the people. The SBC, Mr. Dictator, knows what is best for us. And, you sir, are standing up filibursting and you better be careful, because, you will have multitudes of us that know nothing, following you.
Every FBC that is stuck in the old ways… I remember it was bad for us to even laugh in the sanctuary, To have fellowship prior to the service was looked upon as be irreverent in God’s house.
Those FBC’s, that couldn’t make the change, whose pastor’s were themselves stiff… well the people went to Oak Valley Baptist Church or some other church where evangelism and discipleship were preached, taught and done so with enthusiasm and the people had fun doing the Lord’s work.
What do I know? Not much. Just a pastor of a small country church. But, Common Sense Says… ,.
Thank you for the wonderful and practical comments in your 2 part blog. I would like to add my views to the practicality of seminaries and lay out a challenge . My daughter attends FBA and travels with African Vision of Hope
to Zambia on a regular basis working with the children at our 4 schools. For the last 7 years we stay, along with our mission team at the Southern Baptist seminary in Lusaka Zambia. There we get a chance to spend time with the seminary students as they prepare themselves with Gods direction and eventually plant a church. Recently SBC has cut the funding to the seminary eentirely ,hoping that local churches can pick up the shortage. We ourselves sponsor 17 seminary students and then equip them as they graduate and plant their churches. My challenge is for local churches here to partner with African Vision of Hope to keep the doors of a much needed seminary open.Pressing On!
Pingback: Lessons learned from Dr. Roy Fish | Doug Munton