Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Proposal by David S. Dockery. (B&H Group: 2008) 238 pages / $9.99.

A new book by David Dockery, President of Union University Jackson, Tennessee, invites Southern Baptists to embrace both conviction and cooperation in pursuit of fulfilling our Christian duties. He writes:

“Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal is a call to cooperation and unity among Southern Baptists. It likewise is an invitation for a renewed commitment to truth, to doctrinal fidelity, and to faithfulness to the Christ-centered message of the Gospel. The book grows out of the desire to see Southern Baptists once again cooperate together, particularly for the purpose of advancing evangelism, global missions, and education.”

The foundation for such convictional cooperation rests on a shared belief in the doctrine of Scripture, clarified over the course of an entire generation during the “Battle for the Bible.” In the tradition of his earlier work Christian Scripture, Dockery lays out the doctrine of Scripture and calls Southern Baptists to unite around both belief in and obedience to the Scripture.

Southern Baptists need to focus and refocus on the gospel. This means a conversation about both history and the future. It means a dialogue about the simplicity of the gospel, as well as showing the complexity of the doctrines. Dockery writes: “Pastors, theologians, evangelists, and lay people must work harder at closing the gap between theology and the work of evangelism so that our theology is done for the church and our proclamation is grounded in biblically based theology.”

With the foundation of Scripture under our feet, and with a focus on the gospel before our eyes, Dockery calls Southern Baptists to seek renewal in three key areas of our church and denomination – worship, global missions, and education.

Dockery has a lot of good analysis of SBC worship, both past and present, and notes that this is one key area where consensus is hard to find across the denomination. He writes: “[T]here are few places with less consensus, even among those who have settled on a common theological core,” and “The first step in rediscovering the missing jewel of worship is simply to help the redeemed community recognize the worship of God as a primary function of the church.”

Dockery also has two fine chapters showing the importance of consensus and renewal in global missions and education. In both chapters, he provides historical context, current problems, and a hope for the future.

If you enjoy reading Baptist history as I do, the fifth chapter highlights the “theological heritage” of the convention so we can “learn from the past as we look to the future.”

I will be gone for the month of June. Big changes are taking place in the life of my family right now - exciting and wonderful events. And, with those changes comes a press on my time and schedule for the next 4-5 weeks. I may see many of you at various Southern Baptist events and places, but for the rest of you - see you in July.

Grace and Peace,

Scott

For the purpose of this review, I will assume you have at least a little knowledge of A.W. Tozer. If you don’t then just stop reading this right now and go get yourself a copy of his books - The Pursuit of God or The Knowledge of the Holy.

This new biography of Tozer by Lyle Dorsett is both inspiring and troubling.

The inspiration comes from imagining that I too could gain such an interest in the Savior as did Tozer. I like to think I too could come to the point in my prayer life where I wore out the knees of my pants praying with an informed head and an enflamed heart. Taking note of Tozer’s forthright speech in the pulpit, I hope to speak the truth with little, if any, fear of man residing in my heart. To eschew riches, to not be a slave to modern entertainment and distraction, to be a lifelong learner, to work hard till my dying day – these are all things that Dorsett’ wonderful biography of Tozer bring to my mind, inspiring me to follow in his footsteps.

However, showing himself once again to be a good biographer, Dorsett also brings forth troubling aspects of the life of Tozer. From the beginning of the book to the end, Tozer’s loneliness, his aloofness and neglect of his wife, his emotional absence in the life of his children – these aspects of Tozer’s life were deeply troubling. They are troubling not because I am shocked that a great man of God could have shortcomings, but because deep down I know that I am a spiritual pygmy compared to Tozer… so what are my blind spots and who am I hurting?

Regarding Tozer’s strengths, Dorsett writes:

“A.W. Tozer heralded biblical truth. He loved the Bible and unflinchingly preached what he believed people needed to hear, regardless of what they wanted.”

and

“Like the ancient Hebrew prophets, Tozer alienated religious leaders. He spoke publicly of his disdain for materialism, consumerism, and worldliness, wherever he detected it infiltrating the church.”

and

“There is no way to measure the hours he spent in a typical day or week reading books and wrestling with ideas, but it was substantial. In a similar vein, we know that he increasingly devoted many hours each week praying, meditating on Scripture, and seeking deeper intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ. During the 1930s Tozer read voraciously, and he also developed a magnificent obsession to be in Christ’s presence- just to worship Him and to be with Him.

However, in revealing the lack of family intimacy between Aiden and his wife Ada, Dorsett writes:

“Aiden’s traveling schedule wounded Ada. Consequently, their marriage never knew the intimacy for which she so deeply longed. As painful as this reality became to Ada- and there is no evidence that Aiden ever longed for more than a surface relationship- she learned to cope. During the West Virginia years Ada found ways to put on a mask of contentment, and she channeled her affections to the children and needy families in the church.

and

“By early 1928 the Tozers had a routine. Aiden found his fulfillment in reading, preparing sermons, preaching, and weaving travel into his demanding and exciting schedule, while Ada learned to cope. She dutifully washed, ironed, cooked, and cared for the little ones, and developed the art of shoving her pain deep down inside. Most of the time she pretended there was no hurt, but when it erupted, she usually blamed herself for not being godly enough to conquer her longing for intimacy from an emotionally aloof husband.

And the lack of intimacy existed between he and his seven children too:

“It is true that all seven children remembered periodic outdoor walks or the occasional times to shoot a rifle at attic or basement targets. But with the exception of Rebecca- the youngest- they all felt somewhat estranged from their father, albeit in differing degrees depending upon age. Lowell, the oldest, sardonically stated that his mother was a “single parent.” The other boys did not use identical language but they all acknowledged that even though their father was kind and never abusive, they felt they never knew him. Not one son said he experienced intimacy with his father.

Given his ministry of preaching the Word, it astounded me to read Dorsett’s words regarding Tozer’s practice, or lack thereof, of family worship:

“On and off over the years, Aiden exercised his role as head of the family by encouraging times of family devotions. These never lasted more than a few weeks. As one son explained, the children just did not want it and they were seldom all together for extended periods in any case.

Tozer’s thoughtlessness extended to financial concerns, never purchasing a car for the family even with seven children to care and provide for. Dorsett gives this anecdotal evidence:

“The woman [Ada] was left to shift for herself and her busy husband refused to invest in a car. Clara Moore remembered “Mrs. Tozer coming to church freezing from the long cold walks in the winter.” Clara saw her “trying to bum rides to get places.” In brief, it seemed to this young woman [Moore] that for Mrs. Tozer, life was “very hard for her.”

Dorsett wraps up Tozer’s legacy as a family man in this manner, “For numerous and perhaps tangled reasons, Aiden Tozer increasingly found time to invest in people other than his sons and wife.” He also quotes Ada’s words about her husband, coming several years after his death when she herself was experiencing joy in a new marriage to a widower:

“My husband was so close to God, a man of such deep prayer, always on his knees, that he could not communicate with me or our family. No one knew what a lonely life I had, especially after the kids left home.” How ironic and sad that Ada Tozer experienced such loneliness when Aiden was overheard commenting to a pastor not long before he died: “I’ve had a lonely life.”

Dorsett does let the reader know that something good was obviously going on in the home, and that by God’s grace, it can be written of Tozer’s children:

“All seven of Tozer’s children became solid Christians and not one of them carried bitterness in their heart toward their father. Each one became relatively successful by the world’s standards and functioned quite well in society, and they all expressed gratitude to God for their mother and father and with good reason.”

In closing this review, I have emphasized all these negative qualities of Tozer’s life as a family man only because this was a main emphasis of the book. On one hand, it is obvious that Dorsett greatly admires Tozer and assumes the reader already does too. Therefore, great pains are taken to avoid the charge of writing hagiography, seeing no faults in the life of the one being examined. Certainly Dorsett does not fall into that error.

The book itself contains some repetitiveness in that Dorsett will reuse an anecdote several times giving the reader a sense of déjà vu. Also, I really desired to learn more about Tozer’s “mysticism”. In reading the biography it seems as though if Tozer was mystic, that word simply means he was a man given much to prayer and Scripture meditation. Certainly that is not all there was to it though, and I would have liked to have heard more about it. Also, since Tozer was involved in the Keswick movement, what national leaders did he interact with? What did they think of him? Further, Dorsett mentions ministerial criticism of Tozer, but does not provide any of the details. So, my main critique is simply that I wish the biography was 400 pages instead of 200.

There is much more to say about this book, including an interesting connection between Tozer’s Chicago church and the current news conversation regarding Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But time escapes me for now, so let me encourage you to pick up a copy of Dorsett’s work – it will both delight and depress you. But in doing so, I think this biography will transform your own ministry, both in your church and in your home.

These three books are part of a 5-book collection called “The Building on the Rock Series,” each utilizing true stories from the 19th century. Beeke & Kleyn write: “All of the Christian stories contained in these books are based on true happenings, most of which occurred in the nineteenth century. We have gleaned them from a variety of sources, including several books by Richard Newton, then rewrote them in contemporary language.

Here is the entire series:

Volume 1: How God Used a Thunderstorm

Volume 2: How God Stopped the Pirates

Volume 3: How God Used a Snowdrift

Volume 4: How God Used a Drought and an Umbrella

Volume 5: How God Sent a Dog to Save a Family

With four boys in my home, these volumes are extremely well-received by both father and sons. The stories are 1, 2, or 3 pages long, and have never been longer than the attention span of even my antsy-pants tyke. There are some really great stories. The imagination of my children is strengthened because as they listen to my reading their own minds create the mental picture of what they hear.

Beeke and Kleyn suggest two uses for the stories - devotion reading and children’s class talks. Don’t worry about these being man-centered moralisms. The gospel message is strong. For example, in one story where the character has a reversal of fortune resulting in a rags-to-riches turnaround, the story ends like this:

“I do not want you to think that God rewards all of His children with great amounts of money. God’s children must serve and obey Him our of love for God. They must be willing, as this barber was before he became rich, to obey God no matter what the cost. you must remember that God’s children can also be truly happy and content even if they are very poor, or in great pain, or in great trouble. The lesson in this story is that we must obey God, even when things do not seem to go right. God wants our whole heart, and He is worthy of it!”

Parents, make it easy on yourself to get Biblical instruction into the ears of your children. Pick up these volumes for some enjoyable and spiritually-profitable reading.

My next Pathway column…

Today we look at four books all written by or about Baptists, providing historical and biblical insight into contemporary issues facing the church.

Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches (Kregel, 2008) If you only purchase one of these four volumes, make this your selection. Various authors – Mark Dever, Daniel Akin, and Stan Norman to name a few – provide overlapping chapters on themes like “Regaining Meaningful Church Membership,” “Fencing the Table,” and “The Reestablishment of Proper Church Discipline.” This book mentions by name current debates within the SBC on these issues. There is no doubt that this book will benefit the daily conversation among denominational leaders and pastors regarding the health of Baptist churches. I found the authors to be soaked in Scripture, aware of church history, and given to pastoral practicality.

The Formation of Christian Doctrine (B&H, 2008) Malcolm Yarnell served as an editor of Restoring Integrity and First Freedom, so I thought I would also throw out for consideration this solo effort of his. It is an unusual book, and I don’t mean that pejoratively. Yarnell interacts with Catholic, liberal, and Reformed theologians before laying down his own foundation of doctrine, the “Believers’ Church Proposal.” He explains what the Anabaptist tradition has to offer contemporary theological discussion. Don’t try to take in this book too quickly; the reward is in the slow chewing.

First Freedom: The Baptist Perspective on Religious Liberty (B&H, 2007) I picked up this volume last fall and have worked through it slowly, learning many new things. Again, it is a compilation of authors – Richard Land, Paige Patterson, Emir Caner, etc. – each providing an introductory lesson on biblical and historical foundations of religious liberty. Baptists throughout history have been at the forefront of religious liberty issues. Given the recent attention given to the “Evangelical Manifesto,” I appreciate Russell Moore’s chapter, “Conservative Christians in an Era of Christian Conservatives: Reclaiming the Struggle for Religious Liberty from Cultural Captivity.”

Readings in Baptist History: Four Centuries of Selected Documents (B&H, 2008) Here is an anthology of Baptist writings spanning the last four centuries, from 1609 to the 2000 revision of The Baptist Faith & Message. Even in our day of online access for much of this material, having them all in one volume is a convenience that makes for more efficient study. Compiler Joseph Early writes, “Access to the primary sources is the key to a deeper understanding of the events in question. By examining the primary sources, the reader has the opportunity to delve further into an issue and see it in its original context and through the eyes of the writer.”

(Scott Lamb is a founding pastor of Providence Baptist Church, St. Louis, and is the ongoing book reviewer for The Pathway. To read about other books, visit www.AChristianManifesto.com.)

If there are nine marks of a healthy church, then how many challenges can a church face? No, that isn’t the setup line for an ecclesiological comic. The answer is “twelve” - at least that is the number of challenges Mark Dever highlights from the book of First Corinthians.

Here is a book that will serve you well from many angles. First, there is the actual content itself. Taking the disunified and dysfunctional church of Corinth as a launching pad, Dever brings forth the following challenges a church may face: forgetfulness (1:1-9), division (1:20-3:23), imposters (4), sin (5-6), asceticism (7), disobedience (8:1-10:13), legalism (10:14-11:1), autonomy (11:2-16), thoughtlessness (11:17-34), selfishness (12-14), death (15), decline (16).

Second, preachers can utilize this book as an example of fast-paced, “big-picture” expository preaching. Dever gives solid exegesis even as he covers the entire biblical book of sixteen chapters in only twelve of his own chapters. Now, we can all admit there is a season to commit more time to a book, delving into the forest and looking close at the trees. But, I for one had never considered the book of First Corinthians in such a united manner. Sure, I’ve looked at some of these texts in excruciating detail that Dever’s book lacks. But I have also looked at them in such detail that I forgot how they fit into the broader context of the book. So, I think a book like this great for preachers who can soak up the method of combining good exegesis and big-picture homiletics.

Third, Dever brings in history (Hugh Latimer, Frederick Douglass, Teddy Roosevelt), references to culture and current events (Moby, Hurricane Katrina) right alongside a robust theology of the cross, church discipline, and divinely mandated gender-distinction. All that to say, Dever thinks and writes both wide and deep, and serves as a model for how to weave various arenas of thought together.

At a brief 180-ish pages, I’d rather see it produced as a $12 soft back rather than an $18 hardback. I think it would get more play at a cheaper price. Be that as it may, there is good profit to be had from this book.

In thinking through the question of who might find this book profitable, a group of church elders reading through it together would be an excellent idea. Another use would be to use it as a study for a Sunday school class, taking a quarter-year to go through the twelve chapters.

Let me close with one particular paragraph from the book, a few sentences serving up the gospel in brief. I read this to my kids – they understand Mark. It comes from a chapter on “division,” showing that for a preacher like Dever, the gospel of the cross is foundational to his well-established ecclesiological passions. Although this paragraph doesn’t mention the church, it comes from a section called “Godly unity displays Christ”:

“My friends, let me be clear about what Christianity teaches. There is one God who has made us all. We have sinned against him – we have done what we have wanted rather than what he has told us to do. We have rebelled against him, and so he is rightly committed to punishing us, as our sins deserve. But, in his great mercy, he came in Christ – fully God and fully man – and lived a perfect life with no punishment of his own to bear. Yet Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all those who would ever turn from their sins and trust him. He rose to new life, and he offers us new life as well, if we will turn from our sins and trust him. We lay hold of Christ savingly by believing in this message and having faith in him.”

If you are a pastor, imagine this scenario. A bunch of pastors regularly meet together for fellowship and a meal, and today you have been invited along. Maybe you don’t know a whole lot about these men, but you do know they have a passion for the growth and health of the local church. Although there may be areas where you differ in theology and methodology, there is no doubt that these men want to obey the great commission and to see lives changed with the gospel, and that they have brought that to bear in fruitful gospel ministry. Furthermore, they are not pessimists nor are they just talkers – they go forth with great hope and action in the work of the gospel.

Would you want to join them and listen in on their conversation? Would you like for the Christian optimism to rub off on your own ministry? Knowing that not everything thrown out for discussion would jive with your own understanding of ministry, would it still be worth your time to go?

If so, then you will probably enjoy and profit from this new, fast-paced book from Frank Page, the current President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Reading through it will take no longer than that hypothetical lunch engagement.

Packed with personal anecdotes and a generous helping of quotes from other similar books (i.e. Stetzer, Rainer, Warren), Page serves up a lot of pastoral counsel to pastors who want the church to stop “shrinking” and instead find growth and life and vitality.

You can hear the Southern charm of Page coming through in lines like this zinger - “The fields are white with harvest, but these churchgoers don’t care for the crop. There’s corn and cucumbers everywhere, and all they want is tomatoes.”

Page gives practical advice –

“One thing I encourage pastors to do, whatever the size of their churches, is to be personally involved as much as possible in the lives of their people. In this age of impersonal electronic communication, a genuine personal letter is like a little present delivered by the mailman. I write personal letters every week to members of my church. I write to every member who has lost a spouse the week before the first anniversary of that loss. I also write personal notes before Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to every member who has lost that parent in the past year. Until our membership climbed above one thousand, I used to call members on their birthdays.”

Page wants to see pastors really love the church, meaning people- “Wise pastors set two goals for themselves in the first year of a new pastorate: to learn and to love.”

When I say that this “lunch meeting” is full of optimism, it is because of quotes like this:

“Hold onto the promises of Scripture, ditch the fear, and forge ahead with faith. Faith produces a vision for success that is impossible to capture if all you see is the mess your church has become. …Let faith shape your perspective. You haven’t come to your calling as pastor by accident. You haven’t come to this church by accident. God is moving and working in your life, ready and willing for you to call on Him for assurance any time. Claim the faith that God has for you, base your perspective on faith instead of fear, and the Lord will show you the way to lead your church forward into a brighter future.”

As a pastor myself, I am glad I took the time to listen in on the encouraging conversation this book offers.