When I read World Magazine's recent article about Paul Pressler, I decided that it was time to tell my story. My prayer is that survivors of grooming and abuse will know they are not alone And that the church will take all abuse of power seriously. 1/3 wng.org/articles/beyond-the-…

"Oh my goodness gracious" Brayan Rocchio makes an UNBELIEVABLE play 🤯 (MLB x @JAL_Official_jp)

If you’re looking for a through-line for how a denomination so vocal about biblical fidelity can have such upside down priorities, the short answer is POWER. #SBC26 [I’ve written about the long answer in the 2nd & 3rd articles in this thread 👇🏻]

Our church has been partnering with non-SBC missions entities for more than a year, so I have largely stepped out of the debates. All I will say is this: it grieves me to see so much attention and energy spent on restricting women rather than protecting and empowering them.

Those in the SBC who think I no longer should have anything to say about the SBC profoundly underestimate the power of love. I’d served southern Baptist women for 40 years by the time I left. And when I left, I left directly on their behalf because it became disturbingly clear to me that the SBC as an entity was more interested in protecting shepherds than the sheep entrusted to their care. When protecting the pulpit from women becomes a far greater priority than protecting women (& children) from an abusive pulpit, something is wrong. Which has been the greater problem: women trying to become your senior pastors or pastors misusing or abusing women? My biggest concern is that what happened with the CRT witch-hunt will happen now in regard to women. The overreach resulted in numerous pastors, teachers and professors dropping the immensely important biblical teachings against racism rather than risk being accused of CRT. I heard from pastors at that time who preached against racism and already had emails Monday morning from people in their congregation accusing them of CRT. Because the difference wasn’t clarified, they lumped all of it into the one category. The aim became: shut every mouth to shut some mouths. I pled for SBC seminary presidents and leaders to please clarify to pastors and teachers and, thereby, to congregations & students what qualified as CRT and what indeed was the proper and deeply rooted and needed biblical approach to anti-gospel racism. Crickets. I see the same potential here. I have never once fought for SBC women to take over church pulpits. I have esteemed and supported the role of male senior pastors. My own pastors would tell you that. If you think I was in the SBC trying to lead a revolution against men, you are clearly not familiar with my materials. What I believed then and believe now is that God has called both men and women to serve their churches and communities and proclaim the gospel. He has poured out his Holy Spirit on men AND on women, calling them to broadcast the good news. You have beaten the drum loudly about what women in SBC churches cannot do. So, what CAN they do? Clarity here is essential. What is a woman to do who has been gifted BY GOD to teach the Bible, especially if her church has moved to the community group model and there is no Sunday school to teach? Here is what I see on the horizon. If you leave these matters involving women so vague that it becomes about pastoral roles/actions rather than the title of pastor, it will shift to the subjective rather than objective. I wish I was naïve enough to think that wasn’t the point to some of these leaders but, sadly, I’m not. What if that senior pastor doesn’t allow a woman on the prayer team to pray over people at the end of the service because he deems she is acting pastorally? What if the pastor sees that a woman’s Sunday school class of WOMEN is getting, in his estimation, a little too big? Can he just decide she acting pastorally and remove her from the role? Can she counsel people with her God-given wisdom and knowledge or would she be acting pastorally? The examples could go on and on. And, of course, I realize many would not use their positions to disesteem women but surely you and I both know countless others would. God only knows how many unqualified, unloving, mean-spirited men are in pastoral positions but the obsession remains the women. I have no desire to see SBC women leave the denomination. I loved and flourished in that denomination. I want them to be able to flourish in their spiritual gifts. I want them to be esteemed in their serving inside and outside their homes. I want them to be able to serve Jesus and proclaim his glorious gospel. I know I’m going to get hit here. That’s fine. But you should know I will fight for them to the death. Because I love them. And, yes, whether they love me or not.

No one gets to The Show alone. Anytime a big leaguer walks onto a field, an unseen army of former coaches & teammates walk with him... not simply as passive observers, but as active participants. And so it was last night, when one of Daniel's best friends, Alex Romo, got to watch his former high school teammate play baseball on a Major League field in Atlanta, GA. How can you not be romantic about baseball? Man! I love this game!

Parker Messick is my guy. Love his fast delivery, competitive edge, and personal humility. #GuardsBall

Chase DeLauter, you are unbelievable. #GuardsBall

Carlos is the reason that I am a Cleveland fan. I was watching the 1992 All-Star Game when they told the story about his dad teaching him to hit. He told @BaergaCarlos that if he could learn to hit switch then he could be an All-Star then cried years later when he did. 😭😃

Waking up as a fan of the undefeated Cleveland Guardians like…

A 2-HR game for Chase DeLauter! His first two homers in the Majors 😱

Hey @LockedGuardians…maybe Chase will hit 20 this year. 1/10 of the way there already!

When you hire your twin brother to be your bench coach #GuardsBall

Guardians Update: