Milton Dale Thompson

Christ follower, husband, father, pastor at Grant Avenue BC, Inventory guy at Fiocchi USA, @NOBTS M Div 2005

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@philipnation Matthew

[Clay Smith @claysmith79]

"Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others."

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@nathancreitz Reminds of Mayor Dayley when we lived in Chicago—politics aside, you could not deny his love for his city, the Bulls, Blackhawks, Bears, and White Sox—and his “oh well” attitude toward the Cubs lol

[Clay Smith @claysmith79]

As a Baptist, I advocate for religious liberty; not religious neutrality.

Citizens are free to bring their religious convictions into the public square, advocate for them openly, and seek to persuade others through reason and persuasion rather than government force.

[Nathan Creitz @nathancreitz]

I am grateful for my time at #sbc26 in Orlando. I only wish we as Southern Baptists could speak as clearly and decisively on men who are disqualified to serve as pastors as we do on whether women are qualified to preach. Only one of those is a real problem in the SBC.

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@nathancreitz Nathan, they just want to do the easy ones…

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@ViriliterageSDG @theadamsbennett 1 in 5 years—does that not meet the 80% threshold proposed in the OP?

[Tyler Campbell @osucowboytc]

Any denomination that would allow William Wolfe to speak but would silence Lottie Moon is not a serious Christian organization.

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

Congratulations, @WillyRice. I will be praying for you during your term.

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@pakin33 @rhyneputman You’re father is a treasure to the SBC. Best wishes!

[Griffin Gulledge @griffingulledge]

Incredibly special moment to have the whole room and all panelists honor Danny Akin at the B21 lunch. Well deserved.

Danny Akin is a hero in this convention.

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@AdamPage85 Amen

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@DannySlavich

[Ronnie Parrott @ronniep]

63 new IMB missionaries commissioned to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

This is who Southern Baptists are. From church planting to missionary sending, cooperative, faithful, and Great Commission focused.

The enemy hates this & stands against our gospel work & unity.

[Wes Church @Dubya_D]

What does #SBC26 need in a president?

Conviction without arrogance.
Humility without weakness.
Wisdom without compromise.
Courage without harshness.
A love for our churches and our cooperative mission.

By God’s grace, I have seen those qualities in Josh Powell for many years .

[Milton Dale Thompson @dalethompson41]

@MattCapps @kevezell @DrPaulChitwood @NAMB_SBC @IMB_SBC Baby It’s Cold Outside

[NAMB @NAMB_SBC]

What a JOY to gather with over 6,000 of our favorite people at the NAMB luncheon! 🎉

Southern Baptists, thank you for the incredible way you love, pray for, and support your missionaries. | #SBC26

[Daniel Ritchie @DanielRitchie]

If I have learned anything about the Southern Baptist convention in the past 12 months as first vice president, seeing the breadth of Great Commission ministry the convention does.

There are more Baptist doing gospel work then I can begin to conceive.

I praise God that we take the call to “Go” seriously.

[Jimmy Scroggins @JimmyScroggins]

SBC OPTIMISM (updated) #SBC26

I am thankful and generally enthusiastic about where we are in the SBC. I am just one man and I don’t claim to speak for anyone else. 

10 reasons I am optimistic:

1. We have a strong cohort of hard-working, theologically solid, evangelistically minded pastors in churches of all sizes. Very encouraging.
2. Many of our SBC churches of all sizes are growing and multiplying. There is unprecedented interest in spiritual things right now in our country - especially from young men. I’ve never seen anything like it. Praise God!
3. Many of our state conventions are becoming stronger, more connected, more strategic, and more visible. Glad to see it. The more local the connections the better I think.
4. We have a solid confession that clarifies important doctrines and unifies us - the BF&M 2000. That document provides the boundaries of our big tent. @albertmohler’s amendment will bring greater clarity on the title, office, and function of a pastor. I’m all for it.
5. Our seminaries and mission boards are headed by clear, unapologetic conservatives. I don’t worship these guys and I disagree with them from time to time but I am thankful for every one of them. They have difficult jobs. 
6. Our mission boards are doing excellent work. They are not perfect. But I believe they are effective. I am proud of their leadership and proud of the thousands of missionaries and church planters that we get to support through NAMB and IMB.
7. Our seminaries are a tremendous asset. Again - not perfect - but overall - effective. I was educated at SBTS. Almost all of our pastors at Family Church have degrees from SBC seminaries . I am grateful and supportive.
8. I do not believe the SBC has a widespread problem with feminism, liberalism, racism, sexual abuse, or women pastors. I definitely do not believe there is any large-scale “leftward drift.”  
9. Every pastor I know wants to protect kids every way that we can. Every pastor I know wants to offer the gospel to every person regardless of ethnicity. There is near-universal clarity and biblical unity on gender, sexuality, and family structure.
10. If an entity leader is out of step (as some have been)? They can be corrected by their trustees. If a church is out of step (as some are)? They can be corrected at the associational, state, and national levels. Ultimately churches can be voted out. The SBC has a proven willingness to disassociate with churches (even large churches with famous pastors) in egregious and consistent violation of the BF&M2000.

Must we be vigilant about articulating and guarding our conservative commitments? Absolutely.

Are we perfect? Of course not. 

Can we make adjustments or tweak certain things to get better? Of course.

The thing I am most excited about for our Convention of churches is the unprecedented opportunity for gospel advance. It’s happening right now.

We live in the greatest and freeest and most prosperous  country in the history of the world. The SBC is the greatest and most influential network of evangelical churches in the Western World. There is a highly unusual openness to spiritual things in our culture right now. And we have a powerful gospel that really saves.

What a time to be alive. What a time to be Southern Baptist. What a time to serve Jesus.