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.

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...

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 -...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Jul 11, 20217 min read

Sexual Abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention

SBC 2021 in Review: Part 5 Sexual Abuse in the SBC The Story Breaks... In 2019, The Houston Chronicle Newspaper ran a series of stories...

Jul 5, 20214 min read

Critical Race Theory and Race Relations

SBC 2021 in Review: Part 4 Critical Race Theory and Race Relations Race continues to plague the SBC just as it does the wider culture....