The 2023 Southern Baptist Convention: In Review
The 2023 Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana June 13-14, has now come and gone. My first comment is: New...
top of page
Shepherding Thoughts
by Pastor Ben Francis
Welcome to Shepherding Thoughts: An inside look at a Southern Baptist Pastor's comments on navigating popular topics in Christianity and Religion.
Search
Ben Francis
- May 25
- 5 min
2023 Southern Baptist Convention: A Preview
In just a few weeks, the Southern Baptist Convention will gavel itself into session in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a reminder, the...
143 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Feb 23
- 5 min
Was Disfellowshipping the Right Move? Yes.
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023 the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention reported out that it had voted to Disfellowship...
211 views1 comment
Ben Francis
- Dec 2, 2022
- 8 min
The State of the SBC: A Mid-Year look…
This post will be lengthy, but I hope to provide an accurate summation and overview of SBC happenings at present… Things Going Well… 1 -...
75 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Aug 12, 2022
- 3 min
SBC Under Investigation: The U.S. DOJ Investigates the SBC
The U.S. Department of Justice Investigates the SBC According to Baptist Press and the Baptist Standard, “The Southern Baptist Convention...
207 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Jun 19, 2022
- 9 min
SBC 2022 Follow-Up Thoughts
First things first: Southern California is beautiful! Tera and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Anaheim. The weather was in the upper...
508 views1 comment
Ben Francis
- May 23, 2022
- 9 min
A Sad Day for the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Sexual Abuse Internal Audit At the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Nashville, TN, the messengers to the Convention...
713 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- May 7, 2022
- 3 min
How to Pray for the SBC 2022
In just a few short weeks, Southern Baptists from all around the nation and world will gather in Anaheim, California for the Annual...
43 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Apr 3, 2022
- 7 min
The Commodification of Discipleship.
A building Crisis comes calling… Have you ever thought about how odd it is to walk into a grocery store? It is odd to walk into a store...
66 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Mar 23, 2022
- 3 min
Presidential Uncertainty...Again!
The SBC Presidential race heats up… It seems like the Southern Baptist Convention is gearing up for another fight for the Presidency....
81 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Mar 13, 2022
- 7 min
The Evangelical Industrial Complex and the Fall of Discipleship.
What Happened to Discipleship? The Evangelical Industrial Complex — “Big Eva” - Big Evangelicalism. If someone were to ask you, “What is...
321 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Mar 2, 2022
- 4 min
Elitism and Power in the SBC - A Follow-Up
Elitism and Power in the SBC - Part 2 In August of 2021, I wrote a post entitled, “Elitism and Power in the SBC.” It was meant to serve...
141 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Nov 1, 2021
- 5 min
Can the Southern Baptist Convention Change?
Organizations and Power: A Question for the Southern Baptist Convention. Do Grassroots Movements Work? Can an organization truly be a...
114 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Oct 26, 2021
- 4 min
Should Mike Stone sue Russell Moore?
Some thoughts… On Wednesday, October 20, 2021 Baptist Press broke the story that Pastor Mike Stone is suing former ERLC President Russell...
219 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Oct 8, 2021
- 8 min
The Conveniently Forgotten Aspect of Abortion
Several weeks back, the 87th Texas State Legislature passed what is known as Senate Bill 8, or, the Texas Heartbeat Bill. The bill...
167 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Sep 21, 2021
- 1 min
The Cover-Up Continues as the Rabbit Hole Gets Deeper
Today, September 21, 2021, a letter was posted from Jennifer Lyell to the SBC Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, who...
503 views3 comments
Ben Francis
- Aug 11, 2021
- 12 min
Elitism and Power in the Southern Baptist Convention
Some follow-up thoughts... Is there a power problem in the Southern Baptist Convention? Is there a culture of elites? When someone...
236 views1 comment
Ben Francis
- Aug 9, 2021
- 8 min
SBC 2021 in Review: Part 6 The Forest and the Trees...A Path Forward?
As we bring this series to a close, it will be helpful in this final post to think of each of the specific issues in the first 5 posts as...
88 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Jul 11, 2021
- 7 min
Sexual Abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention
SBC 2021 in Review: Part 5 Sexual Abuse in the SBC The Story Breaks... In 2019, The Houston Chronicle Newspaper ran a series of stories...
189 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Jul 5, 2021
- 4 min
Critical Race Theory and Race Relations
SBC 2021 in Review: Part 4 Critical Race Theory and Race Relations Race continues to plague the SBC just as it does the wider culture....
309 views0 comments
bottom of page