Comments on: Learning the Landmines of Blogging

By: Marty Duren

Marty Duren — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:50:11 +0000

For the record, my name is not Bob Allen.

By: Bob Allen

Bob Allen — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:44:33 +0000

This is the other Bob Allen — the one who does not write for Associate Baptist Press. I’m the one who lives in Kenya. It always catches me off guard when I see my name attached to something that I didn’t write.

I appreciate my namesake reminding us of the original statement of purpose for the SBC.

By: Bob Allen

Bob Allen — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:41:28 +0000

For the record, the Bob Allen posting the first comment is not the Bob Allen who writes for Associated Baptist Press. That would be me.

FWIW, I have been surprised by this whole dust-up. When those men in 1845 organized for the purpose of “eliciting, combining and directing the energies of the whole denomination in one sacred effort, for the propagation of the gospel,” I doubt that any of them envisioned a system where three cents of every dollar raised in the churches is spent for foreign missions.

That’s the point I thought Dr. Rankin was trying to make in his remarks to IMB trustees and, turf wars notwithstanding, I don’t see why anyone would take offense.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:28:46 +0000

Nice. Thank you for making your apology public, shows a lot of character and humility. Looking forward to your email.

By: Chris Carr

Chris Carr — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:42:33 +0000

thanks Dr Rankin for clarifying and apologizing. I have to confess that I have admired both you and Dr Chapman for some time. It is an honor to serve with you via IMB; we have been serving in a different country for ten years now. I do hear your heart cry regarding priorities. It troubles me deeply that we continue to spend (tithes/offerings in our local churches) a very imbalanced amount of money trying to reach the lost of USA and service/maintain our church facilities & church staffs compared to the spending trying to reach the staggering number of lost people (who are increasingly good soil in the context of Mark 4:3-20)around the world who don’t have even the fading echo of Christendom we have in North America. I believe you are on target and appreciate your candor and heart. Your labor is not in vain!

By: Tim Rogers

Tim Rogers — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:29:20 +0000

Dr. Rankin,

Thank you for responding. So I can have it straight in my own mind. You are telling me that the various quotes in paragraph #9 above is what you perceived to be Dr. Chapman’s lack of concern for the Great Commission? Or, was it his illustration of the IMB that caused you to feel he was more interested in cooperation than he was in fulfilling the Great Commission?

Thank you for your leadership in this and other issues we face as a convention.

Blessings,
Tim

By: Norman

Norman — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:21:35 +0000

Thank you for your apology to Morris Chapman. At the same time, I urge you not to let this bump early into your blogging initiative dissuade you from being as frank and clear as possible — always amiably of course!

By: Jerry Rankin

Jerry Rankin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:20:16 +0000

No, I wasn’t questioning the veracity of BP, Tim. I added that to emphasize that my perceptions were based on the truth of what I read. However, I readily acknowledge that Dr. Chapman may have meant something other than what I perceived him to be saying, but I did not want anyone to think I was putting words in his mouth because I was not present to hear his actual remarks.

By: Steve Schenewerk

Steve Schenewerk — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:00:13 +0000

Let me add my thanks as well. In an evnironment of difficult choices it is encouraging to know that differing perspectives are allowed. As an observer from a distance to this process I appreciate your honesty and forthrightness. I have never met Dr Chapman, but understand him to be a caring, compassionate, committed believer and I thank God for leaders such as the both of you. Your personal examples have been an encouragement to me as a pastor of a small SBC church in the Northwest.

By: Jim Tantley

Jim Tantley — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:20:57 +0000

Thank-you for this post, Dr. Rankin