A couple years ago Dave Miller ran—and was elected—as the 2nd VP of the SBC. In 2012 I noted that I would not be voting for him. I’m changing my tune this time around. I will, Lord willing, be voting for Dave Miller as PC President this year at the SBC Annual Meeting.
I know next to nothing about the person running against him, John Avant. All I have to go on is that what I read in this BP article. It sounds as if he will be running on a spiritual awakening type of platform. We’ve been hearing much of this within the SBC over the past few years. I agree that we need God to work and move within our world, our nation, our denomination, our churches, and our own individual hearts. I’m all for that. But I’ve got a different vision as to how that will happen.
When we analyze revivals from our viewpoint we naturally go to the figureheads of such revivals. We dream of being the next Edwards or Whitefield—ones whom God uses mightily to see many converted. We want to see the church renewed and I wonder if part of our “Lord, let it begin in me” prayers is really saying, “Lord, revive my heart, make me significant, and put my name in the history books as one you used”. (I’m only confessing here the temptation which bubbles up in my own heart).
But revivals did not historically begin from the top down. They were not manufactured—and anytime they were they ended up doing more harm than good (see Charles Finney). Most revivals began in a really small way by men and women who were faithful plodders. Men like Jonathan Edwards did not set about to set the world aflame. They were common pastors preaching common sermons and God set the world ablaze through them.
This is why I’m voting for Dave Miller for Pastor’s Conference President. I love the vision that Voices for Baptist Future has put together. I love the idea of ordinary pastors preaching ordinary sermons from an extraordinary Bible. I’m convinced a good deal of spiritual awakening will happen within our denomination once our drive for celebrity is slain.
I’ve heard the objections. Like, “nobody will come if they don’t know the people who are preaching”. We come to hear the David Platt’s of the world not the Tom, Dick, and Harry’s of Podunk Baptist Church. If this is true then we probably ought to be gut honest and say that we really don’t want revival—we want notoriety. Do we really expect to see revival if what draws us isn’t “a faithful exposition of Paul’s letter to the Philippians” but instead is “Mr. Celebrity Pastor telling us how to get things done”?
I’m convinced one thing our denomination greatly needs is to kick celebrityism right in the teeth. What better way to do this than to elect a common man—outside the good ol’ boy network—like Dave Miller? Dave is a plodding pastor of a smaller church in Iowa who will network with other smaller church pastors to see a bunch of “nobodies” stand before the largest congregation they’ll likely ever preach to and say, “thus says the Lord”.
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For full disclosure you will notice that my name is listed on that group known as Voices for a New Baptist Future. This is true really in name only. I’m a total outsider when it comes to any type of denominational stuff. These guys are just kind enough to let me chat amongst them and learn. So I’m not speaking for the group or even really as part of the group with this post. I’d vote for Dave Miller and this vision whether these guys gave me a seat at the table or not.
That picture is of Dave in his lime green suit. Nothing says “not gonna make it as a celebrity” like this suit. It’s also obligatory when writing an article about Dave that you have to include a pic of these infamous threads.
