FBC Jacksonville

dh1948,

I echo the sentiment. It was a great week as usual. I took my staff and some lay leadership- they were refreshed and revived.

Mac Brunson will be named new Pastor either this Sunday or next.

 

Recon he's packin' right now??? Recon he's a country boy preacher who'd just a' soon pack his own things in a U-Haul truck---drive the truck from Dallas to Jacksonville---his wife right behind him in the pick-up truck towing the bass boat---not really concerned that her China and Crystal is packed in with the Iron Skillet???

See??? Thats how I pictured Homer Lindsey, Jr.---a man of God with a "Country Boy Twist"----Jerry Vines---he's one of my heroes in and of himself---and a toe headed boy from the hills of Georgia---you can't get any more "Country" in the city----if Mac goes---I pray he'll follow suit with Homer and Jerry---UltraConservative and would die for the cause of infalliblity of Scripture and love for the Lord Jesus Christ!!!

Can't you picture this, too??? Now I'm not critizin' Mac---he's "one of us"----but you do have to think along the "big" scale of FBC Dallas to FBC Jacksonville---and then compare it to the "small scale" preacher boys who have a tendency to imitate the "big boys"

FBC Dallas---runs about 4000 in SS---right??

FBC Jacksonville---runs about 7000 in SS---right???

And Mac is over in the kitchen with his wife sayin'---"Honey! I'm just undecided!!!"----now compare that to the average SBC pastor who "gets the offer" to go from a church running 70 in SS to one running 450 in SS---and saying----"Honey! I'm just undecided!!" ---- meanwhile---his wife is gonna "decide" FOR him!!!

 

Check out the website for FBC of Jax, FL. They announced this morning in the service.

Barry W. Stone

 

Dr. Mac Brunson, the man to whom God has unanimously led us, will be preaching in view of a call this Sunday, February 19, 2006, in the morning service beginning at 10:20. Dr. Brunson is currently senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas.

 

I've been to FBC Jax many times. Perhaps I will stop in next Sunday or I can wait until the following Sunday when the service is broadcast on TV.

 

blackbird,

You illustration is funny. But Mac was about as undecided as the preacher going from 70 to 450.

He is definitely an ulatraconservative who would die for the cause of the infallibilty of Scripture and love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

As far as "country boy twist" goes, don't worry, his neck is plenty red. (In spite of the BMW SUV.) Just don't expect him to know and love his people like Homer, Jr.

And pray to God that he leaves his neon blue suede blazer in Dallas. Better yet...pray it falls out of the moving truck somehwere in between. Though it would be funny to see it contrasted with the blaze red carpet.

 

RandR,

You said,

"You illustration is funny. But Mac was about as undecided as the preacher going from 70 to 450."

Dr. Brunson said,

"Brunson told the Dallas congregation that he had declined an offer in 2004 to become co-pastor of a prominent church, without naming the church, and then explained that when the First Baptist Jacksonville pulpit committee contacted him, he initially declined to be considered, but began reconsidering later in 2005 because of the persistence of the committee. He decided he would not make a decision until after Christmas.

During a trip to the Holy Land, Brunson said he became convinced that God was leading him to Jacksonville. While traveling at night on the back of a camel up Mount Sinai, Brunson said he prayed for two hours that the God who spoke to Moses through a burning bush would offer him so much as a matchstick of light to direct his path.

“There were these two great congregations, the convention looking on and watching and I’ve got my family. I’ve got to know what your will is for my life,” Brunson said he told God. “Some of you folks think I’ve been plotting and planning this for the last five years –- that it’s some great devious scheme of some kind. The fact is you’re just mistaken. You’re looking at a man who has wrestled and struggled with this and sought godly wisdom, godly counsel.”"

It appears that you are calling Dr. Brunson a liar. Is this so?

 

isaaksdad,

I'm not sure that I'm calling him an outright liar. I do not doubt that he was sincerely praying for a clear sign from God to confirm that he should indeed go in the direction he was already leaning.

I've said too much about this on this board already. I do NOT intend to use a forum such as this to delineate specifics. But...if I'm not willing to delineate specifics, then I should probably shut up. Which I will be doing. Consider this my last post on the subject.

 

that is a huge shift in SBC life...can you imagine someone leaving FBC Dallas 10-20 years ago to take another pastorate?

 

Its been about 12 years ago that Joel Gregory left FBCDallas----started selling buriel plots, I believe---but don't quote me on that!!

O S Hawkins left "without blinkin' an eye!"

Dispite the Texas sized pride-----preachers do leave FBC "Big!"

 

He got more money at the annuity board.

 

He got more money at the annuity board. </font>[/QUOTE]Come to think about it---it hits close to home---O S runs across my little bit every now and then---it hits close to home!!

 

I sure hope Brunson doens't try to transform FBCjax into some version of Saddleback etc...
Just by looking at each churche's websites FBCjax. looks to be way more traditional in its approaches to different ministries.
FBCdallas looks like they been tinkering around in the shed trying to implement some of that new, hip stuff that everybody thinks they have to have.

I've always appreciated FBCjax and Bellvue for proving that you don't have to sell out to the "seeker friendly" model to be a big and dynamic, relevant church.
BTW, I just read the "Love Worth Finding" book about Adrian Rogers. I found it a delight. I really enjoyed the section on Dr. Rogers' philosophy of preaching.
Also, I really appreciated the section on how the building program for the move of Bellvue to its current location was envisioned and put together.
Dr.Rogers simply used the Bible and all it has to offer to guide people to bigger and better things. He didn't need "market driven principles".
He just used Caleb and Jacob and the claiming of the promised land as the role model for moving the church to where it needed to go.
It was refreshing to read that story and also encouraging. All the man of God needs to do great things is a deep conviction as well as faith that God and His Word is sufficent to accomplish what needs to be done.
I have to believe Dr. Rogers had the faith to build that new building because of the faith that he had to get out there and dig the footers for that little Nursery addition in one of his first churches himself along with one man. Even though one of the ladies in the church said it couldn't be done.
I know this was off subject but talking about big churches and their pastors made me think of it.
The book is a easy read. I suggest one read it. It is was touching. It encouraged me to keep on keeping on. To be faithful to the Word. Be a good example to my family etc... Dr. Rogers wasn't perfect no man is but he was a good man who loved Jesus and the Word.
What else can any of us men desire to leave behind other than the fact that when we leave we can only hope at least myself that it can be said that "That man loved the Lord, loved the Bible, loved others and was good father, he was faithful"?
That book reminded me of how important those things can be and what a mark they can leave on this earth after we are gone.

 

ShannonL----I've been to both churches----they both are what I would call "Oasis in the Desert!!"

I pray too, that Mac won't do any PDC "Dances" in the pulpit---give me good, solid exogesis from the pulpit anyday!!

 

Shannon,

[Braking my own self-imposed exile on the subject momentarily.]

If you'll look carefully at the FBCD website, you'll notice that while some of the terminology is anything but traditional, the FUNCTION of the ministries, staff positions, etc. really aren't that different from the norm.

Note, though, the Mac will most likely be bringing Mike Miller with him to Jax from Dallas. Mike is a former Lifeway exec hired to "consult" with MB and try to help him gain control of his life and calendar early last year. Not sure how that particular experiment turned out, but he ended up moving to Dallas to be the Senior Executive Associate Pastor or somesuch--basically a guy to run the church and deal with the staff in Mac's absence.

He was basically the architect of all the new names, titles, organizational changes, etc. that you discovered on the website. And yes, he most likely will moving to Jax in the near future as well. So staff members will probably have to reapply for their own jobs and justify their employement, etc. And some title might change along the way. But don't fret. Paper shuffeling is not vision. So I doubt you have to worry about FBC Jax looking different or doing things differently any time soon.

 

Somehow I can't visualize Rodney Brooks "applying" for a job like he's at Burger King or Wal-Mart!!

"Oh, please, please, please re-hire me! Pretty please!!"

 

Blackbird,

I, too, would hope that no staff member with that many years of faithful service would be subjected to the humiliation of "interviewing" for their own job.

Perhaps God will spare the staff at Jax the experience.

 

There is one way to cure that problem. Everyone resign all at once at the same time. There will only be one person left.

 

I'm not Rodney Brooks---but if I were---and I were told I had to interview for the job I have been holding now for the past 15 + years---I would consider it an insult to my intelligence and a slap in the face of all the ministry I have done at FBCJAX in that period of time and if I were still forced to do it I would tell Mac

"Adios Amigo!!"