I am not going to Louisville

For the first time in 5 years, I am not attending the Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville. Our church budget won't allow it. I thought about going but it was a choice between feeding Scott, Faith and Jesse and me feeding my face with some good southern cooking, my better angels won the day. Seriously, our budget issue was the primary reason.

But I still follow the blog world as they chat about the upcoming convention, read the news articles and even signed a document. But I follow it from afar. I realize that unless we as a church choose to listen to and accept, nothing of what they do there will affect us. Each level of the SBC is autonomous with the church being the final arbiter of what will be done in the local church.

But I am still interested.

My friend, Pastor Mike Landry is preaching at the Pastor's Conference. If they are streaming at 8:55 am, I'll be listening. Pastor Mike and his wife, Cindy, have been great friends to Sara and I. He is a godly man and a great preacher. The convention needs to hear from men like Pastor Mike.

The Great Commission Resurgence is sure to make headlines and waves. I hope they will start making strides towards making that a reality. There are lots of issues to deal with concerning the document. But it is a starting point. For the last 6 years or so, the SBC has been in flux concerning the direction that we will take. There are a few competing visions. Unfortunately, the people involved in the competing visions major on the few areas of disagreement rather than building from what all of us and them hold dear.

Other than that, I am thankful that our budget couldn't afford me to go. I might have gone, seen some friends, raised my ballots and generally been bored like any good baptist gets when he goes to a business meeting, which the SBC convention really is.

I will listen over the net, but I'll do so as I fulfill my real calling: pastoring the best people in the world.