Graham Avis

Husband, Father of 2, Student @ The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Roll Tide Roll

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

@ErikReed They moved to a red state. Not hard to figure out why

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

TLDR: taxes in Indiana and regulations are so much better than this nonsense

[Chicago Bears @ChicagoBears]

Statement from Chairman George H. McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren:

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

Yes.

[Robert P. George @McCormickProf]

People with Down Syndrome are human beings. They are, as such, bearers of profound, inherent, and equal dignity and the right to life. To target them for extermination on the basis of their condition is as wicked as targeting people on account of their race, sex, or ethnicity.

[Colin J. Smothers @colinsmo]

This is ridiculous, and should be reason enough to vote for the Truth and Unity Amendment to ensure this kind of thinking no longer has influence in our denomination.

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

@DemarsSean I genuinely didn’t expect the topic when I read this post. What in the world.

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

@LOTR_Daily_ Do not tempt me! I would build this model for good, but it would only bring financial ruin.

[Alisa Childers @alisa_childers]

My 2 cents on the Al Mohler thing. (Late to the party again, I know.) I have zero issue with what he said. He didn't say women shouldn't have podcasts. He said a woman shouldn't be on an official church podcast where her role is to "expound on the sermon, exposit the Word of God to the whole church, and offer practical application advice."

If I were asked to do such a thing I would decline and have to seriously reconsider the church I attend. That may be considered "extremist" by some, but as best as I can understand the Scriptures, it's just biblical.

The context for Paul's command in 1 Tim. 2:12 is church government, authority, and normative worship. If the podcast falls within that context, I agree with Mohler that a woman would be functioning as a pastor were she to expound, exposit, and apply the Word of God for the congregation.

If the context of the podcast is something different, I don't see why a woman couldn't be interviewed. (For example, Al Mohler has himself interviewed several women on his podcast.)

[Denny Burk @DennyBurk]

Bingo. People keep distorting the question he was asked and how he answered it. He wasn't asked if a woman can talk on a podcast. He was asked if a women should preach the Bible to the congregation through a podcast. Of course the answer to that question is that she should not do that because it's a violation of 1 Timothy 2:12.

He answered the question he was asked, and I would have answered it in the same way. But there seems to be a lot of folks super-invested in distorting this into something it isn't in order to score points against a theological position they hate. At least that's how it appears to me.

[Denny Burk @DennyBurk]

The attached image is also from Mike Bird’s essay. It’s another false allegation that betrays a basic misunderstanding of Baptist polity.

What Mohler said 25 years ago is an absolutely true statement. In fact, you’re not a Baptist if you can’t agree with it. We don’t tell any church what they can or can’t do. If a church wants to have a female pastor, there’s nothing the SBC can do about it. That church is free to have a female pastor.

The SBC, however, is also free not to cooperate with that church.

Mohler’s statement reflects the reality that churches and conventions are sovereign in their own sphere. This is Baptist Polity 101.

[Andrew T. Walker @AndrewTWalker]

I am firmly in support of the Truth and Unity Amendment at the upcoming meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.

My point in this post is not to explain why I support it (I’ve supported previous iterations because I believe biblical precision and clarity always serve the goal of cooperation).

I want to address what I see as an area of confusion.

In watching the conversation unfold, I’ve seen good-faith questions emerge from friends seeking clarity about how the Truth and Unity Amendment could be wielded excessively.

I would like to address this because I think this is where ultimate confusion lies, and I do not fault messengers for not fully grasping our polity. It was not until I served on the Cooperation Group that I became fully aware of what is in the power of messengers and what is not. Polity is not one of those areas that lends itself to ease.

At present, any messenger from any church can bring an accusation that another church is not in friendly cooperation and move to unseat its messengers. What is important to stress is that this is possible right now.

Questions about the Truth and Unity Amendment that go beyond the amendment’s text belie the reality that, even now, a church could foreseeably move to unseat a church that has a woman teaching Sunday School to a mixed audience. As the amendment foresees, however, many areas lack a strong consensus within the convention. I have convictions on whether a woman teaching Sunday School is appropriate, but even I will acknowledge that there is a wide range of opinion on the matter across the convention. I do not, though, believe there is wide variance across the convention on who a pastor is and what he does. Hence, the amendment’s language is restrictive rather than expansive. Its objective targets only where there is consensus (and a consensus derived from the Baptist Faith and Message 2000).

The basic argument of the proposed amendment’s language is to restrict the question of function to preaching to the gathered assembly. Rather than the amendment licensing further charges, restricting the language to “such as” preaching to the gathered assembly provides clarifying guidance to the Credentials Committee.

The reasonable concern that this will fuel witch hunts belies reality because we already have the mechanism for witch hunts, and there is no real groundswell for doing so. This amendment would do nothing to license inquiries beyond the language of the proposed amendment.

By restricting the amendment to preaching alone, the amendment instructs the Credentials Committee to act on that consensus alone.

I believe there is profound consensus on the title and function of “pastor” in Southern Baptist life, and my hope is that messengers are even better informed about why this amendment brings needed clarity and precision.

[Denny Burk @DennyBurk]

I cannot stress enough the importance of what Andrew writes here. Dr. Mohler has been explaining this in his various appearances. Andrew has done so now. And I want to add my voice as well.

People are raising concerns that some future overzealous credentials committee would use this amendment to "kick out churches with a female children's minister." That concern is misplaced, and here's why.

The credentials committee already has the power to remove such a church now. There is nothing preventing such a church from being referred to the credentials committee. Messengers could remove such a church now if they wanted without this amendment. This amendment doesn't change any of that.

The fact is that our credentials committees have not been overzealously pursuing churches. That simply has not been the posture of these committees. Indeed, you may remember that the committee initially declined to take action on Saddleback. It was only when the messengers expressed their displeasure on the floor in Anaheim that things went in a different direction.

Because the committee has at times appeared reluctant, this amendment would help them to see that the convention really does want them to take action on churches with female pastors and women who preach to the gathered assembly. Heretofore, some of the committees have been slow to apply our doctrinal standard to those churches. This amendment would give them clarity.

But let us underline this point. We could vote out churches with female children's ministers now. We don't do that because none of us wants to do that. The mechanism is already there for that, and this amendment wouldn’t add or take away messenger rights or CC rights to deal with churches how they please.

Our credentials committees have not been overzealous, and I don’t believe they will become overzealous in the future. But for the sake of argument, let’s imagine that they do become overzealous. Let’s imagine a group takes over the committee and starts trying to remove churches with female children’s ministers.

Do you know what would happen should that church come to the floor for a vote? The messengers would override the credentials committee and reinstate that church, and it wouldn’t be a close vote. Why? Because Southern Baptists overwhelmingly support women in ministry in a variety of roles, and that’s one of them.

Again, the bottom line is this. The Truthy and Unity Amendment does not give or take away any powers from the credentials committee that they don’t already have. Neither does it give or take away any powers to messengers that they don’t already have.

It simply provides clarity on where Southern Baptists already stand on this issue, and that clarity will be useful for the credentials committee when they do their work. They will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Southern Baptists don’t want to cooperate with churches that have female pastors or women who preach to the gathered congregation. That’s why I am supporting this amendment, and I hope you will too.

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

@TeawithTolkien This is what Beyonce was talking about

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

@TolkienWorldG less than half of what I hoped for

[Andrew T. Walker @AndrewTWalker]

The cost of having children is worth the presence of children.

Full stop.

I am dumbstruck at how our society thinks of children as a costly, time-consuming drag. What an impoverished way to think.

No vacation will hold your hand in the hospital. No amount of mimosas at brunch can walk with you through grief. Double incomes cannot replace empty seats around the dinner table.

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

If your college football campus has a statue dedicated to a famous player or coach and your real mad about trumps statue being idolatry… that may be a plank in your own eye situation. I don’t like it either, but it’s no more idolatry than other statues.

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

@NCAAPortal @daileyjoyf Being booked for driving to fast

[SEC Numbers Guy @secnumbersguy]

Ohio State had the TOUGHEST schedule in the Big Ten.

During their 9 conference games they faced a total of 26 draft picks.

Texas A&M had the “EASIEST” schedule in the SEC.

During their 8 conference games they faced a total of 40 draft picks.

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

This could so easily be restated in the opposite.

[Phil Vischer @philvischer]

When David French and Alex Jones BOTH think you've lost your mind... when Tucker Carlson and the Pope BOTH find your words "evil"...

... maybe you should pause and reconsider your direction?

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

This is just great stuff. Love the cooperation. Grateful for the books that both these publishers provide.

[Reformation Heritage Books @RHB_Books]

Yes, @banneroftruth, our impression is roughly the same. Readers will discover a vast treasure trove of spiritually profitable material in either edition, well before they encounter any minor differences!

[Graham Avis @GrahamAvis3]

@jenniferwilkin I need a rest from this