SBC Leaders Dancing to Sweet Home Alabama at SBC, June '19

[GoodTidings]

‘Slide Into Apostasy’: Top Southern Baptist Leaders Sing Lynyrd Skynyrd Before Thousands of Pastors at ‘Send Luncheon’

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Top leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention took to the stage on Monday during the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) “Send Luncheon,” and donning wigs, hats and electric guitars, sang karaoke to the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit “Sweet Home Alabama” for the thousands of pastors who had gathered for the event. Video footage of the performance, which is a part of the 2019 annual Southern Baptist Convention, has generated concern that the SBC is “sliding into apostasy.”

“Sweet home Alabama, where the skies are so blue,” they sang out, with the lyrics appearing on the screen behind them and the name Lynyrd Skynyrd in large letters.

According to reports, the five Southern Baptist leaders who put on the karaoke performance were:


Kevin Ezell, president of the mission board; Ronnie Floyd, former SBC president and current president of the SBC Executive Committee; Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board; Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; and Adam Greenway, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

(And if that is not enough, back in Feb. Our SBC President was twerking to "I Just Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston

February, concerns were also generated among some as current SBC President J.D. Greear was recorded singing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” during a youth event.

“I wanna dance with somebody. I wanna feel the heat with somebody,” he sang and danced after being introduced as “Pastor J.D. Greear, a.k.a. Whitney Houston.”

President Greear, the pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina and author of books such as “Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send,” was joined on stage by two others who likewise belted out the tune as they danced together on stage. The audience laughed and cheered.

Here is the Grear video:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10218863126238556

(Both stories are on the same link at the top of this post)

 

[Baptist Believer]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Top leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention took to the stage on Monday during the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) “Send Luncheon,” and donning wigs, hats and electric guitars, sang karaoke to the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit “Sweet Home Alabama” for the thousands of pastors who had gathered for the event. Video footage of the performance, which is a part of the 2019 annual Southern Baptist Convention, has generated concern that the SBC is “sliding into apostasy.”

They were meeting in Birmingham, Alabama and they simply repeated the chorus over and over about "coming home" to Alabama. It's very silly and is supposed to be an icebreaker.

I don't care for it, but the perception that it reveals the SBC is "sliding into apostasy" is nothing but hysteria. There was nothing immoral there or any expression of doctrine.

(And if that is not enough, back in Feb. Our SBC President was twerking to "I Just Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston

He WAS NOT twerking. Twerking is a very specific type of lewd dance move that violently shakes the buttocks in simulation of an activity we are not allowed to mention here. He simply moved his hips.

Whoever claimed "twerking" is exaggerating or simply doesn't know what he or she is talking about.

 

[Scarlett O.]

Definitely not twerking. Just stupid. I don't understand the purpose of it.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Definitely not twerking. Just stupid. I don't understand the purpose of it.

I don't think there's enough context for it to understand it. I suspect some people are scandalized because he is attempting rhythmic movement.

 

[Scarlett O.]

I don't think there's enough context for it to understand it. I suspect some people are scandalized because he is attempting rhythmic movement.

"attempting rhythmic movement" - Just go ahead and say it. He can't dance and has no rhythmic movement.

 

[Reynolds]

‘Slide Into Apostasy’: Top Southern Baptist Leaders Sing Lynyrd Skynyrd Before Thousands of Pastors at ‘Send Luncheon’

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Top leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention took to the stage on Monday during the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) “Send Luncheon,” and donning wigs, hats and electric guitars, sang karaoke to the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit “Sweet Home Alabama” for the thousands of pastors who had gathered for the event. Video footage of the performance, which is a part of the 2019 annual Southern Baptist Convention, has generated concern that the SBC is “sliding into apostasy.”

“Sweet home Alabama, where the skies are so blue,” they sang out, with the lyrics appearing on the screen behind them and the name Lynyrd Skynyrd in large letters.

According to reports, the five Southern Baptist leaders who put on the karaoke performance were:


Kevin Ezell, president of the mission board; Ronnie Floyd, former SBC president and current president of the SBC Executive Committee; Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board; Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; and Adam Greenway, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

(And if that is not enough, back in Feb. Our SBC President was twerking to "I Just Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston

February, concerns were also generated among some as current SBC President J.D. Greear was recorded singing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” during a youth event.

“I wanna dance with somebody. I wanna feel the heat with somebody,” he sang and danced after being introduced as “Pastor J.D. Greear, a.k.a. Whitney Houston.”

President Greear, the pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina and author of books such as “Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send,” was joined on stage by two others who likewise belted out the tune as they danced together on stage. The audience laughed and cheered.

Here is the Grear video:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10218863126238556

(Both stories are on the same link at the top of this post)

I see no problem with either.

 

[InTheLight]

Hmmm... I wonder what that lyric means,

"I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody."
??

I've got a good idea what it means. Another dumb, inappropriate thing for church leaders to do.

I don't have much of a problem with repeating the chorus to Sweet Home Alabama

 

[Reynolds]

Hmmm... I wonder what that lyric means,

"I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody."
??

I've got a good idea what it means. Another dumb, inappropriate thing for church leaders to do.

I don't have much of a problem with repeating the chorus to Sweet Home Alabama

So long as he is married to the somebody it's all good. (Dang I hate taking up for J.D.)

 

[InTheLight]

So long as he is married to the somebody it's all good. (Dang I hate taking up for J.D.)

The somebody in the song is obviously a random man the singer hopes to meet that night when she goes out dancing. She wants to "chase the blues away."

More lyrics:
"I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last"

No problem with him singing this song, huh?

 

[Reynolds]

The somebody in the song is obviously a random man the singer hopes to meet that night when she goes out dancing. She wants to "chase the blues away."

More lyrics:
"I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last"

No problem with him singing this song, huh?

Future husband. No problem.

 

[InTheLight]

Future husband. No problem.

So when SBC President Greear sings:
"I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last,"
he's singing about his future husband"

M-kay...

 

[Reynolds]

So when SBC President Greear sings:
"I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last,"
he's singing about his future husband"

M-kay...

He can't re write the song. Future wife etc.

 

[rsr]

Interesting. The story had only one named person objecting, and his prime criticism seemed to be that rock music was being played.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Christianity that tries to entice people with endless programs and parties... shameful

 

[Revmitchell]

I wouldn't do it and I would not recommend anyone else do it but good grief. There are far more bigger fish to fry. This is not picking and useless.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I don't think there's enough context for it to understand it. I suspect some people are scandalized because he is attempting rhythmic movement.

The emphasizing word here is “attempting.”

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

There should be an HBO series .... “The Young SBC President.”

Reference the Young Pope series

 

[Marooncat79]

Stupid, Silly pastors thinking that they need to be perceived as young cool hip and groovey

 

[agedman]

Appalling!

That a pastor would discredit and appeal to the flesh before an audience is so very wrong!

A disqualification of being pastor by violations of this from Scripture:

2Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.​

 

[agedman]

Where the world was yesterday, the church is today.

How do folks who desire conservative ideals expect to achieve those ideals if their life in the most public arena displays the opposite?

Inappropriate action, inappropriate song, inappropriate venue, does not present what is appropriate!

If folks needed a break from the intensive business of the gathering, they should perhaps have been better doing as The Lord did. Find a place of solitude and pray!