Speaking of Approval Ratings...

[pjerwin]

...Dwight Stinnett reports on that ABC/USA's leadership received only a 27% approval rating for "providing strong and effective leadership on the most important issues facing our denomination" and a 29% approvoval rating effectively addressing "the needs and concerns of 21st century congregations."

[jerryl]

[Ed Pettibone]

[jerryl]

[Bruce Gourley]

[jerryl]

[jerryl]

[Ed Pettibone]

[pjerwin]

[David Flick]

[pjerwin]

[Ed Pettibone]

[pjerwin]

[jerryl]

[Haruo]

[pjerwin]

[jerryl]

[jerryl]

[mattreal]

I could probably, like the Apostle Paul claim about Judiasm, claim to be an American Baptist among American Baptists. I grew up in an ABC church, I attended an ABC church in college and seminary, was ordained in one region and have served in two others. I was also part of the SeekIt team at Green Lake a few years ago.

But I find these numbers disturbing, like pjerwin, too. Many of you here are exiles from SBC like my friend Glen Stassen who left Southern. My life has been blessed by him and others who have joined in to our movement. But I wonder if inclusivity and stability are a higher value for those of you have left the cataclysm of the SBC than it is for me.

I do not think this survey was biased against the national body. If anything, the regions that seem to have them most problems with national were underrepresented not over. My region, the West (GHC), had fewer respondants than many much smaller regions.

Here's my core issue. Most of the churches I have been associated with in the ABC have grown a little older, a little smaller, and a little less relevant to the culture every year. And yet every year each church claimed success, while we were becoming a dimmer and dimmer beacon to those who desparately needed the love of Jesus.

I do not want to do the same thing at a local, national, or regional level. Become less relevant, become more insular, and reach fewer for Christ. If we need to make a change, so that we might reach more for Jesus, I want to do that. If we do not believe in our leadership, and if we do not believe in our structure, lets change it. But lets not pretend that everything is great while we are becoming less missional in giving, less committed to one another nationally, and more fractured in our witness for Christ.

Matt

[mattreal]

[Ed Pettibone]

[mattreal]

[pjerwin]

[Ed Pettibone]

[pjerwin]

I'm sure it's frustrating for you, Ed.

One of the fist things I did upon accepting the call to this congregation was meet with the pastor search committee for the purpose of having them discuss their two-year experience and write down some thoughts for future search committees. During those discussions, there were many stories of falsified resumes along with misrepresentations of other kinds. They received more than 90 resumes of supposedly "vetted" individuals channeled through denominational resources, some coming with personal recommendations from denominational leaders. I won't go into any further detail. You can take it or leave it.

As to the review of Joining the Dance, it was posted on a website that is no longer in existence; I don't have a copy of that digital file. If I find a copy of it I will post it; in the meantime, if I have the time, I'll pull out my copy and jot down a few notes for you. It's just humorous to me that folks STILL can't find it within themselves to admit that M.T. Marshall is theologically liberal.

And, yes there is still a question hanging out there about evidence regarding Democrat obstruction of the current war effort. That question isn't even worth the effort of reply; if a person hasn't been engaged enough in news and current affairs since the second week after 9/11, when the Democrat leaders stood on the steps of the Capitol and blasted Bush, to recognize that FACT, there's no amount of evidence I could produce that would satisfy them. I do not plan on even trying. I doubt that you're REALLY interested anyway beyond preparing arguments of refutation. In regard to my contention that Democrats were largely responsible for the failure of the Viet-Nam War to acheive the vision of Democrat Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, one can read the history books and listen to such thins as the outrageous testimony of folks like John Kerry before Congress during the War.

As to you having "some problem when it comes to considering [me] as knowledgeable about the ABC-USA, a denomination in which [I] played a marginal role in for such a short time," would it have helped had I played a marginal role for a longer time like many of the folks here have in this and other denominations? It is interesting, however, that I -- as admittedly limited as my knowledge is -- seem to understand AB history better than most ABs -- including those so carefully credentialed.

BTW: If anyone wants me to leave, all they have to do is ask.