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Shepherding Thoughts
by Pastor Ben Francis
Welcome to Shepherding Thoughts: An inside look at a Southern Baptist Pastor's comments on navigating popular topics in Christianity and Religion.
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Ben Francis
Jun 13, 202413 min read
The 2024 Southern Baptist Convention in Review…
For those of you interested in a recap of the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention, here is a broad, and hopefully fair overview of the main...
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Ben Francis
Apr 5, 202411 min read
Is the Southern Baptist Convention Overstepping its Authority?
A discussion of Creeds, Authority, and Autonomy There is a growing discussion in some corners of the SBC that the Convention is preparing...
571 views2 comments
Ben Francis
Jun 19, 202312 min read
The 2023 Southern Baptist Convention: In Review
The 2023 Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana June 13-14, has now come and gone. My first comment is: New...
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Ben Francis
May 25, 20235 min read
2023 Southern Baptist Convention: A Preview
In just a few weeks, the Southern Baptist Convention will gavel itself into session in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a reminder, the...
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Ben Francis
Feb 23, 20235 min read
Was Disfellowshipping the Right Move? Yes.
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023 the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention reported out that it had voted to Disfellowship...
218 views1 comment
Ben Francis
Dec 2, 20228 min read
The State of the SBC: A Mid-Year look…
This post will be lengthy, but I hope to provide an accurate summation and overview of SBC happenings at present… Things Going Well… 1 -...
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Ben Francis
Aug 12, 20223 min read
SBC Under Investigation: The U.S. DOJ Investigates the SBC
The U.S. Department of Justice Investigates the SBC According to Baptist Press and the Baptist Standard, “The Southern Baptist Convention...
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Ben Francis
Jun 19, 20229 min read
SBC 2022 Follow-Up Thoughts
First things first: Southern California is beautiful! Tera and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Anaheim. The weather was in the upper...
530 views1 comment
Ben Francis
May 23, 20229 min read
A Sad Day for the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Sexual Abuse Internal Audit At the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Nashville, TN, the messengers to the Convention...
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Ben Francis
May 7, 20223 min read
How to Pray for the SBC 2022
In just a few short weeks, Southern Baptists from all around the nation and world will gather in Anaheim, California for the Annual...
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Ben Francis
Apr 3, 20227 min read
The Commodification of Discipleship.
A building Crisis comes calling… Have you ever thought about how odd it is to walk into a grocery store? It is odd to walk into a store...
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Ben Francis
Mar 23, 20223 min read
Presidential Uncertainty...Again!
The SBC Presidential race heats up… It seems like the Southern Baptist Convention is gearing up for another fight for the Presidency....
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Ben Francis
Mar 13, 20228 min read
The Evangelical Industrial Complex and the Fall of Discipleship.
What Happened to Discipleship? The Evangelical Industrial Complex — “Big Eva” - Big Evangelicalism. If someone were to ask you, “ What is...
907 views1 comment
Ben Francis
Mar 2, 20224 min read
Elitism and Power in the SBC - A Follow-Up
Elitism and Power in the SBC - Part 2 In August of 2021, I wrote a post entitled, “Elitism and Power in the SBC.” It was meant to serve...
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Ben Francis
Nov 1, 20215 min read
Can the Southern Baptist Convention Change?
Organizations and Power: A Question for the Southern Baptist Convention. Do Grassroots Movements Work? Can an organization truly be a...
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Ben Francis
Oct 26, 20214 min read
Should Mike Stone sue Russell Moore?
Some thoughts… On Wednesday, October 20, 2021 Baptist Press broke the story that Pastor Mike Stone is suing former ERLC President Russell...
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Ben Francis
Oct 8, 20218 min read
The Conveniently Forgotten Aspect of Abortion
Several weeks back, the 87th Texas State Legislature passed what is known as Senate Bill 8, or, the Texas Heartbeat Bill. The bill...
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Ben Francis
Sep 21, 20211 min read
The Cover-Up Continues as the Rabbit Hole Gets Deeper
Today, September 21, 2021, a letter was posted from Jennifer Lyell to the SBC Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, who...
503 views3 comments
Ben Francis
Aug 11, 202112 min read
Elitism and Power in the Southern Baptist Convention
Some follow-up thoughts... Is there a power problem in the Southern Baptist Convention? Is there a culture of elites? When someone...
239 views1 comment
Ben Francis
Aug 9, 20218 min read
SBC 2021 in Review: Part 6 The Forest and the Trees...A Path Forward?
As we bring this series to a close, it will be helpful in this final post to think of each of the specific issues in the first 5 posts as...
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