Is LifeWay's Ed Stetzer Clueless Or Conniving?
Pastor Tim Rogers has a new blog article about a recent LifeWay survey he received in the mail. His comment was "
it doesn’t take rocket scientists observing questions to realize the desired outcome of the Research team at Lifeway." Another pastor commented, "This survey is completely misleading, and it really makes me wonder if
someone is
trying to make every Southern Baptist think that they are
Calvinists." Take the time and read it carefully.
My only comment is that either Ed Stetzer is extremely clueless or exceptionally conniving. Of course with Thom "
Nepotism" Rainer at the helm it's no wonder.
For more on Ed read our blockbuster story on
LifeWay's misuse of statistics and our later
apology.
Ed has an agenda. No doubt about it.
Charles
Labels: Calvinist, Ed Stetzer, LifeWay, Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptists, Thom Rainer
The Future Of Southern Baptists Churches?
Here is the future of Southern Baptist churches if Tom Ascol, Al Mohler, and Kevin Ezell get their way.
Charles
HT: Steve A
Labels: Al Mohler, Kevin Ezell, Tom Ascol
Update on Aaron Coe's Gallery Church
On February 17th, we introduced you to North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell's right hand man,
Aaron Coe. Aaron came to NAMB from planting and pastoring The Gallery Church in New York City. Since Aaron is responsible for distributing millions of dollars of Southern Baptist money to NAMB church plants around the country one would hope that he was someone who could not only plant but
grow a church. As a good steward of Southern Baptist money President Ezell would want that kind of experience, right?
No, not Kevin. In our article, we showed you Aaron's less-than-stellar performance as a church planter and pastor. We linked to article after article describing the free help and resources that Aaron received. From Kevin Ezell's church, to NAMB money and personnel, to mission trip volunteers from other churches, Coe's Gallery Church received what seemed to be a nearly unlimited amount of help and resources. Yet year after year under Coe's leadership the church declined.
Yes dear readers, this is the man Kevin Ezell selected to distribute Southern Baptist money to church plants. Now I know what you're thinking. Charles, you say, maybe Kevin was seduced by Southern Seminary's
slick video interviews with Aaron that attempted to show him as one of their success stories. No, that's not it. Kevin knew Aaron and even claimed credit for helping to plant The Gallery Church. (Note to Southern: You might want to pull those now embarrassing videos.)
So what's up with Gallery Church these days? After Aaron's departure, the church is now pastored by Freddy T. Wyatt. Like Aaron, Freddy is
Deformed Reformed in his theology. Last year the church
downsized to one worship service and only a few months ago the New York Times reported that the church had
around 100 members. This is sad considering the "lostness" in America's largest city and especially considering the vast resources that NAMB and others have poured into the church for years.
Like most Southern Seminary graduates, Freddy's hero's are not Southern Baptist pastors and evangelists who are proven soul winners. In one of his
blog entries Freddy wrote:
I first heard John Piper preach, and first read a few of his books in 1998. His sermons and books became and still are water for my soul. Piper’s personal ministry (which is really the overflow of his preaching ministry) is Desiring God. Desiring God recently began to interview pastors and I really enjoyed this one of Tim Keller. Keller planted Redeemer Presbyterian Church here in Manhattan 21 years ago. Most young planters like myself have gleaned much wisdom from Keller.
Note to Freddy: You can do better. Start by forgetting everything those "regeneration before faith" Southern professors taught you about growing a church. It's not working!
Freddy also serves as the
director of Southern Seminary's extension program in NYC and I'm sure the extra income is a help to him and his family. And NAMB? Don't you know they're still involved! (At what point do they quit pouring money into a black hole?) The church has a business administrator who "is officially employed by the Gallery Church
through an internship program with the North American Mission Board." All this for a church of 100 members. I kid you not.
When Kevin Ezell tells you about all the church planting that NAMB is doing, ask him how much time and money he has in The Gallery Church. Then duck.
Charles
Labels: Aaron Coe, Gallery Church, Kevin Ezell, NAMB, North American Mission Board, SBTS, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
