The Next SBC Prez?

by Joe Thorn on May 8, 2006

Ronnie Floyd has been nominated as a candidate for SBC Prez. Is it a requirement that those who serve as President have first names that end in a vowel sound? Bobby? Johnny? Ronnie?
Anyway, go to Floyd’s site here, and click on “Become a Winner.”

About Joe Thorn

I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Saint Charles, IL, and author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself. Jen is my wife, and Katherine, Elias, Madeline and Kilian are my kids.

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  • Benjamin S. Cole

    Wadey?

    Just kidding ;)

  • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

    I am pretty certain if he is officially nominated, he will have to add the “y.”

  • Benjamin S. Cole

    And how do you feel about Joey?

  • http://www.twelvewitnesses.blogspot.com art rogers

    A 2/3 vote of the convention will force the issue to the floor. The motion is, of course, “in order.”

  • http://www.jasonsampler.blogspot.com jason sampler

    Art,

    There you go again beating the same drum with this ’2/3 vote of the convention will force the issue to the floor’ routine again. You’re like a broken record player bellowing out the same thing over and over!!!

    Ha, love ya man!

    Blessings,
    Jason Sampler

    P.S. And I’d vote for “Joey”; wadda ya say???

  • Benjamin S. Cole

    Joe, at your urging I watched Pastor Floyd’s “Become a Winner” video. I think I misunderstood him, but I heard him say, “Thank God, years ago, I made the turn.”

    “If you believe and acknowledge it verbally, Jesus Christ will come into your life.”

    “Everyone who calls on the Lord’s name CAN be saved.”

    “If you meant what you just prayed, then you’ve just become a winner forever in God’s eternal family.”

    Tom Ascol pressed the point in Memphis that we’ve lost the gospel as Southern Baptists. I’m starting to agree with him.

  • Benjamin S. Cole

    And if you want to see something really interesting…go check out his Tuesday sermon “A Mysterious Manifestation” under the tab “This Week on Winners.”

  • Benjamin S. Cole

    I think God wants Ronnie Floyd to be a winner.

  • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

    For the record,

    Many people call me Joey (mostly people who knew me long ago and family). I know all is in jest, but as a pastor of a small church (no multiple staff) I have no time for political offices in the convention, nor any desire for them. BUT, if the new Prez needs a theological advisor, I would be willing to serve. :)

    Ben, the Gospel is indeed obscured, and in many cases lost all together. I look forward to Tom’s sermon on the topic at Founders conference.

  • http://www.wordsarenotenough.com Joe Kennedy

    Ah, Joe. I too went by Joey. Until college, actually. It’s so confusing for people to get it straight, now, when mix old and new friends and family. Both sides look at me funny and tell me the other name that they’re not used to doesn’t sound right.

  • http://jason.voxtropolis.com jason allen

    Wow, I watched the stuff. And this may be very mean and crass but, “you’ve gotta be kidding me.” I really don’t have anything else to say about it.

  • http://jason.voxtropolis.com jason allen

    I’m not very bright, but what in the world is a “biblical life coach”?

  • Stuart

    Jason,

    It seems to be what one would get after crossing Zig Ziglar and Joel Osteen.

  • Jeff

    I took your advice, I watched the video… and now I am very sad.

    As you know JOEY, I came out of a religious dogma (WELS) that sees S. Baptists as individuals steeped in decisional theology, thereby invalidating “oh, so many doctrinal truths”.

    10 years removed from them, I was able to see, through practical application and study, that this was not the case. I do so mourn the fact that the SBC is playing right into their hands.

    SO SAD!

    jl

  • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

    Yeah Jeff, sometimes stereotypes exist for a reason. Sad indeed. And on the one hand that sort of thing comes off as very worldy to me (the Anothony Robbins Don Lapre sales pitch deal), and on the other hand I am convinced most of these evangelistic presentations are put together for the church, not the world. What I mean is, the same string of verses tied together and quickly rattled off is virtually incomprehensible to the unchurched man or woman. But Christians are happy to know the Romans Road was followed. I prefer a different way.

    Today I listened to a Sermon by the man on “Finding the Favor of God.” You can find it here: http://www.ronniefloydwinners.com/ I may wind up posting something on it.

  • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

    Eh, I take it back. I am not going to spend any time on it. I think it would be fruitless. But check it out if you have the time.

  • Benjamin S. Cole

    I got through six minutes of Pt. One. Just up to the point where it is announced that the reason he’s where he is and others are not is that he has the favor of God upon his life.

    Astounding.

  • http://middlekid.typepad.com Paul

    Is that considered expositional preaching?

  • http://downshoredrift.com Alan Cross

    I can’t believe that you people would dare criticize Dr. Ronnie Floyd on his gospel presentation! You should be positive at all times about a brother. Paul never criticized anyone’s gospel presentation, for crying out loud! How could you be so unbiblical! Oh, wait – I just read Galatians.

    Seriously, before reading any of your comments I turned off the video because he smiled all the way through talking about how the wages of our sin is death. I started wondering if he was trying to imitate Joel Osteen. I really wasn’t trying to be critical, it just struck me as another sales pitch.

    Our focus on “surrendering all” makes our decision the basis of our salvation rather than the finished work of Christ. I am not a Christian because of a decision that I made, but because of the work of Christ expressed through the preaching of the gospel – I express faith in that, but He is the one who saves me. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe – not my decision. I am not a Calvinist, but I get that part. When we get the gospel wrong, we seem to get the whole Christian life wrong.

  • http://downshoredrift.com Alan Cross

    You know, the truth is, I don’t really know anything about Ronnie Floyd. My comments have more to do with projecting on him what I have seen in so many others from whom the gospel has not really been good news. He might be doing a great job and might be greatly used by the Lord. So many others, however, have turned the gospel into something that we have to do to get to God, through surrender, walking the aisle, etc. Repentance is necessary. So is faith. But, if those elements overshadow the initiative of God and His grace, then we are putting the cart before the horse. I really don’t know where Ronnie Floyd falls on this, to be honest. He might have it totally right, for all I know – I sincerely hope he does.

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