Monthly Archives: March 2014

Not a White Church

Posted on March 23, 2014 | 4 comments

I am not a white pastor. Don’t get me wrong, I am quite Caucasian. I’m named Douglas, get sunburned pretty easily and live in suburbia. That sounds pretty Caucasional…Caucasionistic…Caucaustic? But I am not a white pastor. I am a pastor… who wants to be a man of God.
My church is not a white church. While we have a lot of whitish skinned people in our church we are not a white church. We are a church. And, by the way, Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in baptist, Christianity, Church, integration, segregation, southern baptist convention, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Why I’m Not More Evangelistic

Posted on March 17, 2014 | Leave a comment

Recently, I was standing outside of a restaurant waiting for my bride. (Sometimes we husbands must do that.) I was alone except for an employee of the establishment. He said “Hi” and I responded with the same. Then it dawned on me. Perhaps the Lord would have me talk with this man about His love.

I spoke to the man and he responded in a way that suggested he was eager to talk. I told him I was a Baptist pastor and he seemed surprised. The older, fatter and balder I get, the less surprised he will be.  🙂

Then I asked him a question. “Do you know what Baptists believe?”  “No,” he said.  “What do they believe?”  I used that opportunity to tell him Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in baptist, bible, Christianity, evangelism, faith, Uncategorized

Tagged , , ,

Midnight Worship

Posted on March 10, 2014 | 2 comments

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”  Acts 16:25

On the night my father died, our family gathered in his room.  After weeks of battling physical ailments, death was near.  While we did not grieve as those who had no hope, we still grieved.  And we sang.

As we circled the room where our family patriarch was dying, we sang hymns and choruses of faith.  It felt like midnight in our souls, which made it a good time to worship.  It is good to worship the Lord in the pleasant Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Christianity, prayer, Uncategorized, worship

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Unsolicited Advice for the International Mission Board

Posted on March 3, 2014 | 33 comments

Tom Elliff is retiring after a short, but effective stint as the head of the IMB, the international mission agency of the Southern Baptist Convention. Here is some free (like someone is going to pay for this?) advice to the trustees who will choose his successor.

I care deeply about this decision for at least three reasons. 1, I love missions. God grabbed my heart for missions on my first mission trip and I am all in. 2, The church where I am pastor (FBC O’Fallon, IL) is in the SBC, goes on many IMB connected mission trips each year and has a few families from the church serving with the IMB. 3, My son-in-law, daughter and granddaughter serve with the IMB as new career missionaries to Madagascar.

1.  Don’t worry much about who recommends them.  We don’t need any kingmakers because we don’t have any kings.  (Further free advice extends to my recommendation that you read that last sentence again.) Continue reading →

33 Comments

Posted in baptist, Christianity, International Mission Board, missions, southern baptist convention, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,