Robin Williams

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@MattWalshBlog Do you know we don’t share a border with Guatemala? Have you ever been with a woman 30 minutes from giving birth ?? Trust me there is no sprinting going on

[David French @DavidAFrench]

An absolutely remarkable meltdown is underway on the MAGA right. We've had this policy for generation after generation, it's right in line with the vision of the Founders, and our country is the most powerful and prosperous free nation in world history.

[Builders @BuildersMvt]

Checks and balances only work if we defend them consistently.

[Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @NotHoodlum]

@RonFilipkowski You can tell from the body language here that she “begging”. 🥴

[Dwight McKissic @pastordmack]

THE BAPTIST NETWORK
One Kingdom. Many Voices.

This is not a new denomination. Nor is it an effort to encourage churches to leave their current denominational affiliations. In fact, we strongly encourage pastors and churches to prayerfully consider remaining engaged within the fellowships and conventions where God has placed them. Rather, The Baptist Network exists to provide a place of connection for pastors and churches seeking a healthier path forward. Our mission is centered on three priorities:
• Equipping - empowering leaders through training, resources, and ongoing
development.
• Mentoring - strengthening leaders through learning, intentional
developmental relationships, and discipleship.
• Connecting - sharing ideas, resources, and best practices that help churches
thrive.

We Affirm:
The Baptist Network affirms the historic Baptist commitment to the autonomy of the local church. We believe every congregation is responsible under the Lordship of Jesus Christ to discern how it will engage questions related to ministry practice, including matters such as the role of women in ministry, biblical justice, and the exercise of spiritual gifts.

We Welcome Pastors and Churches who:
• Believe in the autonomy of the local church.
• Desire fellowship without unnecessary division.
• Have grown weary of being criticized or marginalized for addressing issues of race, immigration, poverty, and justice from a biblical perspective. Preserve the local church's right to govern itself free from excessive influence or control by national organizations.
• Desire a Christ-centered, Gospel-focused community that prioritizes the Kingdom above political ideology.
If you are seeking a place for connection, conversation, encouragement, and collaboration, prayerfully consider affiliating with The Baptist Network. If you are interested in learning more, scan the QR code to join our mailing list and receive additional information regarding upcoming gatherings, resources, and
opportunities for engagement. And remember, the Kingdom is larger than our institutions. The Gospel is greater than our divisions. And we are stronger when we walk together.

The Baptist Network

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@Adopt4uLynn @ChristaBrown777 @kevinmyoung Because they remain hopeful that the institution can and should do better. Some are called to leave and some to stay

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@EWErickson And taking the Bible seriously and taking your interpretation of the Bible seriously are often very different as well

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@EWErickson There is a world of difference in literally and literately.

[Jay the Baptist @geekyguyjay]

"What is now being proposed would be a clear departure from historical Baptist polity in regard to local churches...Such a move will subtly but clearly move us from a bottom-up governance to a top-down structure."

Which is the whole point.

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@MustangMan_TX @carmine_trivi How familiar are you with the founding documents of our country? And, truly interested in how you define Marxist and proof if the Marxist revolution?

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@laralogan What about the way he comported himself do you consider “respectable”?

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@Pastor_Jump @BethMooreLPM I think all agree with that except that what is clear in one persons reading may not be clear to another. It will depend on the hermeneutic applied.

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@KSPrior So many of us understand and find ourselves in similar circumstances. Our default position was not to question leaders who had contributed to our spiritual growth. We walk the line of discernment yet guard against becoming cynical.

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@Pastor_Jump @BethMooreLPM How about leaving the specifics of how women serve their local church to the local church because they are autonomous.

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

Sure wish more would listen

[Beth Moore @BethMooreLPM]

Those in the SBC who think I no longer should have anything to say about the SBC profoundly underestimate the power of love. I’d served southern Baptist women for 40 years by the time I left. And when I left, I left directly on their behalf because it became disturbingly clear to me that the SBC as an entity was more interested in protecting shepherds than the sheep entrusted to their care. When protecting the pulpit from women becomes a far greater priority than protecting women (& children) from an abusive pulpit, something is wrong. Which has been the greater problem: women trying to become your senior pastors or pastors misusing or abusing women?

My biggest concern is that what happened with the CRT witch-hunt will happen now in regard to women. The overreach resulted in numerous pastors, teachers and professors dropping the immensely important biblical teachings against racism rather than risk being accused of CRT. I heard from pastors at that time who preached against racism and already had emails Monday morning from people in their congregation accusing them of CRT. Because the difference wasn’t clarified, they lumped all of it into the one category. The aim became: shut every mouth to shut some mouths.

I pled for SBC seminary presidents and leaders to please clarify to pastors and teachers and, thereby, to congregations & students what qualified as CRT and what indeed was the proper and deeply rooted and needed biblical approach to anti-gospel racism.

Crickets.

I see the same potential here. I have never once fought for SBC women to take over church pulpits. I have esteemed and supported the role of male senior pastors. My own pastors would tell you that. If you think I was in the SBC trying to lead a revolution against men, you are clearly not familiar with my materials. What I believed then and believe now is that God has called both men and women to serve their churches and communities and proclaim the gospel. He has poured out his Holy Spirit on men AND on women, calling them to broadcast the good news.

You have beaten the drum loudly about what women in SBC churches cannot do. So, what CAN they do? Clarity here is essential. What is a woman to do who has been gifted BY GOD to teach the Bible, especially if her church has moved to the community group model and there is no Sunday school to teach?

Here is what I see on the horizon. If you leave these matters involving women so vague that it becomes about pastoral roles/actions rather than the title of pastor, it will shift to the subjective rather than objective. I wish I was naïve enough to think that wasn’t the point to some of these leaders but, sadly, I’m not.

What if that senior pastor doesn’t allow a woman on the prayer team to pray over people at the end of the service because he deems she is acting pastorally? What if the pastor sees that a woman’s Sunday school class of WOMEN is getting, in his estimation, a little too big? Can he just decide she acting pastorally and remove her from the role? Can she counsel people with her God-given wisdom and knowledge or would she be acting pastorally? The examples could go on and on. And, of course, I realize many would not use their positions to disesteem women but surely you and I both know countless others would. God only knows how many unqualified, unloving, mean-spirited men are in pastoral positions but the obsession remains the women.

I have no desire to see SBC women leave the denomination. I loved and flourished in that denomination. I want them to be able to flourish in their spiritual gifts. I want them to be esteemed in their serving inside and outside their homes. I want them to be able to serve Jesus and proclaim his glorious gospel.

I know I’m going to get hit here. That’s fine. But you should know I will fight for them to the death. Because I love them. And, yes, whether they love me or not.

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@conservmillen God the Father has not taken human form thus not male or female as we as humans are male and female. Jesus is the only member of the Godhead to take the actual form of a male.

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@LeahFaithRC @Charlie_TPA @baptist_news Exactly

[Nancy French @NancyAFrench]

If you are MAGA, you have to cave on the Clinton issue.

But here's a different approach:

What if you agreed that sexual predation (and lying under oath) was bad, no matter the party?

This approach is possible... and you can sleep at night.

https://t.co/U0bvbg8OFe

[David French @DavidAFrench]

Can we be done with the pretense that Republican primary voters vote for MAGA candidates in spite of their apostasy and corruption? The transgression is a feature, not a bug. It tells voters they don't care about law or morality. Only power.

[Robin Williams @willi16667]

@DennyBurk What does preaching to a church through a podcast mean? Are they replaying the podcast from the pulpit Sunday morning ? A podcast is not a church service