Minnesota Baptist Association to host Phil Johnson as conference speaker

Outstanding!

Straight Ahead!

jt

ps - Congrats to Greg and the rest of the committee that came up with this. Believe me, if I were still pastoring near Backus, I’d be driving to this!

What is ironic about having a man who is baptistic in his theology speak at a Baptist Association? The Minnesota Baptist Association seems like a great group and I trust that they will have a great meeting.

[Alex Guggenheim] Rather ironic that a non-denomonationalist is selected to be the featured speaker at an event with the slogan shown at the website which says “Save the Minnesota Baptist Association”.

Website actually says “Save the Date”

I attended a men’s retreat this weekend at a baptist camp in PA. The speaker was from a Bible church in FL. His teaching actually blessed my gizzard.

[Pastor Joe Roof]

I attended a men’s retreat this weekend at a baptist camp in PA. The speaker was from a Bible church in FL. His teaching actually blessed my gizzard.

You do know that human beings don’t have gizzards! :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizzard

But chickens have ‘em …. just saying

[Jim]

[Alex Guggenheim] Rather ironic that a non-denomonationalist is selected to be the featured speaker at an event with the slogan shown at the website which says “Save the Minnesota Baptist Association”.

Website actually says “Save the Date”

[Pastor Joe Roof] What is ironic about having a man who is baptistic in his theology speak at a Baptist Association? The Minnesota Baptist Association seems like a great group and I trust that they will have a great meeting.

But notice what you did, you misrepresented with careful nuance what I said and its emphasis to dilute its effect, thus this might explain your inability to notice the irony.

The non-denominationalist, Phil Johnson, is not merely speaking as you put it but is the featured speaker as I emphasized per the announcement, not at a Non-denominational Association but at a Baptist Association. Johnson is NOT a Baptist, deliberately.

And as to the other portion of your objection, that the MBA is a great group, I am sure they are but so are LCMS districts. But you won’t have Phil Johnsons or any other non-LCMS as the featured speaker at meetings specifically identified as “LCMS”. In fact, the LCMS does one of the best jobs of modeling forms of ecclesiastical separation that even Fundamentalist ought to consider, but that is a side issue.

And the issue is not whether the group is good or whether a non-denominationalist can ever speak to a group of Baptists such as at a Bible conference. But when the meeting is specifically Baptist and even further, that of a Baptist Association, yes, it is quite ironic that a non-baptist and non-denominationalist would be the “featured” speaker.

It’s cheaper to bring “the Shepherds’ Conference” (albeit but a portion of it!) to Baptists then to send Baptists to the Shepherds’ Conference

Actually I would like to attend this and think it’s a great idea!

Knowing what I know about the MBA (which is somewhat limited) I’m guessing that there might be a subset of the MBA that could be ruffled by this.

I’ve always enjoyed “irony.” It has been known to cause one to pause and reconsider. It often illuminates. It can stimulate and challenge. It is certainly capable of nuance and it can build discernment. It almost always catches attention.

So if Phil Johnson brings an ironic twist to a Baptist meeting, I congratulate both him and them.

Baptist is a set of beliefs. That it is a denomination in some ways (SBC) doesn’t change that. Johnson embraces baptist beliefs. I would find it strange for him to be a featured speaker at a presbo group but not at all a baptist group.

…I wish I lived in Minnesota.

[Dan Burrell]

I’ve always enjoyed “irony.” It has been known to cause one to pause and reconsider. It often illuminates. It can stimulate and challenge. It is certainly capable of nuance and it can build discernment. It almost always catches attention.

So if Phil Johnson brings an ironic twist to a Baptist meeting, I congratulate both him and them.

Especially thankful for the reality of “irony” today!

This is a question I’ve asked for 30 years.

What is wrong with Baptists having associations with non-baptists?

(And can Alex answer this in under three sentences?)

Ron, I am not sure where Alex said it was wrong. I think it is good to follow what is actually being said. Ironic doesn’t mean wrong. He can answer for himself though.