President's home at SWBTS

Rather than continue to steer the other topic off course I decided to start a new one here.

It is possible that my convictions are “missing the mark” and perhaps you can help me by addressing my points.

It is obvious others felt that having a large home was okay because they gave him money to do it. However that says nothing about what God thinks. Amos and Haggai recorded what God thinks.

You never answered the question, "Would 8,760 square feet be enough for two people?"How does a huge home demonstrate leadership to people following Christ in today’s world in the US and around the world?

If more room were needed to entertain guests there are some very nice large buildings on campus that are used for that very reason.

I want you to think about the condition of some people, while expensive buildings are being built and how building big buildings serves to meet the needs of people. Lots of people want to be like Donald Trump but how many want to be like Jesus? Being like Jesus means denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily.

James speaks to the issue of living and ignoring the person in need in James 2:15, 16, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”

Think about the following two examples. Years ago I went to school with a student who went go into the dining hall and removed uneaten food from the plates that had been turned in when people were done eating. The students took up a collection to give the student some money. I knew a student who coming from another country did not eat for days at a time because he had no money. Then compare that to the cost of a 7500 square foot house, its maintenance, and cleaning costs.

How did Jesus live in comparison to the modern standards then and yet he reached the world?

Of course adequate is subjective. What some people claim to need may be lavish living by the standards of others. Saddam Hussein had palaces and Rockefeller just wanted a little more money. Eventually all of their possessions will disappear. What we will leave with is not subjective and what we came with is not subjective. But what we do that will last for eternity is eternal.

My Bible teaches, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "

Does it not take more discipline to live on less and want less just so that others may have what they need than it does to simply have less? Isn’t the Christian supposed to help meet the needs of others around him by living on less and working hard?

 

I would say that the more heart we have for God and people the less heart we have for things.

Living life is full of questions and struggles.

I think the answer lies in our heart and our focus. Along with life should come wisdom. That is the reason why it is so important for all of us to have people we can trust to tell us the things we should hear, the good and bad.

There are people who will look at our lifestyle and question it. We should have those kind of people around us who will ask the tough questions.

I do not believe the answer lies in so much how much we should have but in what we do with what has been entrusted to us. Is the focus on Christ or ourselves and our wants? I have seen poor selfish greedy people and rich selfless people who give and give.

I think it takes a lot more discipline to have more and give a lot than to have nothing and nothing to give.

 

The Bible says in 1 Cor 6 that we are to be able to judge our own. Notice what the passage says in verse 5, “Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?” When there is nobody to settle issues then we have chaos and that is what many denominations have today.

1 Cor. 6:1-8, “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.”

It is not about judging with evil intent or condemnation but for good and holding people accountable to what is right and reasonable. By holding people accountable it encourages them to do what is right and it saves the church from doing what is wrong. It presents a healthy picture to the world of what a caring loving church looks like. It gives a genuine picture of what Christ is like.

No company would hire an employee and not expect that employee to work hard. The church should not expect itself to have leaders who are not what leaders should be. When leaders act like the world then the world sees a church they do not like and is not what it should be.

We have a serious problem when the world reads about troubles in denominations suing each other and problems that should be settled in house. We have problems when the SBC sues its own entities.

We also have a serious problem when there are people who do not have enough to eat and others are throwing away food. We have a serious problem when people are paying more for entertainment than the education of their children.

When we have compassion on people as Jesus did we will more closely see our own condition. When we look at God face to face how can we not want to do what we can to give and help others as we have been helped?

Luke 10:29-37, "But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. "And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. "Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. "On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

How can we pass up people who have needs that we can meet?

 

When I was at SWBTS the professors could not be full time pastors just interims. Several of the professors mentioned that there was a policy against it. Perhaps NOBTS is different.

Being a president of a seminary is about trust and doing what Jesus called servant leadership. For one to be first he must be last and put others ahead of himself. That means in every area.

Last I was told a starting professor out of seminary with a doctorate at SWBTS starts at less then a starting high school teacher in the secular schools. Doesn't seem rather strange when a starting pastor makes more than a starting professor. Doesn't it seem strange that the president of SWBTS lives in a $700,000 home and draws a big salary with all expenses paid including a car while a starting professor makes less than a starting high school teacher and has to pay his own rent. How does that speak of servant leadership as Jesus taught?

Leadership is not just about money, power, and position but about substance and serving others. It is about the trust others place in you. Servant leadership is about putting others ahead of yourself as Jesus did in Phil. 2. True leadership only happens when others put you there because they want to, not because of position.

 

So do you blindly trust the SBC leaders especially the trustees at SWBTS who had already proven themselves just a few years ago when there was little accountability? It was clear that there were some on the board at the time who spoke out against some things that were happening and the rest would not listen. Let's see the IMB tried to get rid of Wade Burleson and the trustee board at SWBTS tried to get rid of McKissic because they did not like what he had to say. To "protect" people, McKissic's sermon was not broadcasted. All in the interest of the public.

Prov. 17:10 “A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool.”

Did you not read what I wrote earlier about that issue? You really can’t be serious though. The board of trustees at SWBTS has many of the same board members who fired Dr. Dilday and lied to the press. And you really do expect them to do something? Come on! Would you trust a chameleon to not change color? Does a leopard change its spots?

Your suggestion is much like trying to rid the RCC of pedophiles by contacting the pedophiles and asking them to deal with the problem.

If it is just between you and God then who tells you when you are wrong or do you always have the right spiritual and mental condition?

So you are not accountable to anyone except God? Would you consider reading the exhortations found in Heb 10:24,25 and 3:13?

I am sure you have read Amos and Haggai and would know that they had something to say about the issue.

 

No matter how flat you make a pancake it still has two sides. So why not tell us your side?

 

I think the main issue is full disclosure and the wise use of funds. When that happens there will be less waste and much more trust. Full disclosure and a high level of accountability does two things. It helps to prevent abuses and sin. It also helps to protect the leaders and be assured they can be trusted. It does nothing but build trust and respect. I was a member of a church years ago where someone was stealing money and it quickly destroyed the credibility they had. The church up some additional paramaters to ensure accountability.

Spurgeon was given large sums of money and used it to help pastors and other Christian ministries. Just because someone would like to give money to build a building does not mean it has to be accepted for that purpose. Many times if a person was told about other needs such as the need to support pastors who are struggling financially or perhaps missions projects that person would elect to give their money to some other ministry if encouraged to do so.

For 14 years my wife and I were in a church that before any major leader was brought on, the person was nominated by secret ballot and then contacted by the pastor. If the person agreed to serve then his name was brought before the main church leaders. Once approved by the church leaders then the person’s name was brought before the church and the people were told. The pastor would say that if there was any reason why the person should not serve to let him know. After going through that process then there was an open forum held and somebody was the moderator. The man would start off by giving his testimony and answer some simple questions. Then it was opened up to the congregation. When I first joined that church and saw what happened I was impressed. They were godly men who wanted to do God’s will His way.

I was in a church that did not have designated funds except a building fund. Too many times it can be a way for people to force control on an issue and become divisive. It is a well known fact that people will give to projects quicker than anything else. People will give much more quickly to a sports arena than education and funds to improve a campus educational program. Look at the amount of funds given to build buildings rather than tutoring students in the projects and other poverty areas.