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 also 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."

I also find this statement interesting, "Baptist scholars will be presenting a Biblical response to the well-known tenets of the Presbyterian Synod of Dort".

Some would also argue that there is a 'biblical basis' for these 5-points, and furthermore, there are Baptist Scholars who hold to these 5 points.

This conference may prove to be energizing for much of the old guard, but the truth of the matter is, many of the ministers coming out of the SBC seminaries are more Calvinistic or hold to a form of compatiblism. So I highly doubt that this 'majoritarian' language fits much of the young SBC.

I also hope this conference is about dialog. The convention will be in trouble unless the old guard decides to converse on this issue and not call to arms.

Many of the seminarians are having a hard time finding churches because of this issue, and many of our SBC churches are having a hard time finding young pastors because of the same.

Resolve please?

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 am glad that snide comments have been edited. In my previous comment I was aiming for 'dialog' within the convention, and apologize if it came off as disrespectful. I guess this is one of the obvious limitations of communication over the Internet, there can be ambiguity when typed words are the main mode of communication. I should have clarified.

I do think that there are certain people (from both sides, generally speaking) who come off as combative. That is why i hope for dialog.

My only fear is with the convention as a whole. Yes the majority of the SBC is non-Calvinistic, but it seems that there is a large portion of the younger SBC which leans in the other direction. As to my fear, that these younger SBC types will grow a distaste for the SBC because of the majority.

This is a major issue in the convention right now, and it's not an issue which should cause distraction to our main goal. I respect the men mentioned and know that they will be considerate at this conference, and should be now more than ever.

The wording of the post threw me off a bit. Its now or never that we resolve to build bridges, if we don't I fear that many will walk away from the convention.

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.