A Few Quick Notes and Thoughts
I had hoped to post something of substance before I head to Florida this week, but I’m not optimistic about getting to it. I’ve got a full schedule, about 45 papers to grade, some errands to run and fewer than 20 hours before my flight leaves. So here’s just a few random notes…
I’ll be in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center for the FLorida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Convention. I’ve been there 22 of the last 23 years as a delegate, the President of FACCS or a speaker. I’ll be speaking three times and introducing the current President, Dr. Dino Pedrone, as he gives a keynote address. If you happen to be at the convention or in the area, let me know and we’ll try to link up.
We had a great day Sunday. Attendance was up, we had a large number of guests, 88 of us went to lunch at Logan’s Restaurant (where the service ended up being only marginally better than it was at Max and Erma’s, so we’re going to try a third restaurant this week), we had a very good offering, Sunday night attendance was very strong and there’s a good spirit all over the campus.
This coming Sunday night, there will be an information meeting at Northside Baptist Church to discuss the motion to give final approval for the massive church parking lot repaving and road expansion project. I’ll be giving all the details after the evening services at 7:15 in the main auditorium and I’ll post them again on this blog for Northsiders next week. These are exciting days for our church and you won’t believe the change this project will make in the look of our campus.
As details come out about the sad killings in the Amish school house in Pennsylvania this week, it seems like there is no safe place for innocence or innocents any more. I grew up right outside of an Old Order Amish Settlement (these folks were even more conservative than the PA sect) and they are decent, hard-working (albeit, peculiar) folks. They have the same kind of problems in their homes and community and churches that we do — maybe worse. We often look at them with a sense of detachment due to their odd beliefs, but they deserve our prayers and compassion.
Speaking of the loss of innocence, my revulsion over Mark Foley and his vile, predatory, criminal conduct just expands with each new wave of information. I’m outlining an article I’m planning on completing for my syndicated column which I’ll post here as well. The GOP is a mess these days. (For the record, if Foley had been a Democrat, he could have been schooled on how to survive this scandal by Barney “the Pimp” Frank who allowed a homosexual escort service to be run out of his house by his gay lover — so spare me the hand-wringing by Pelosi and pals. Frank is a chief spokesman for the Dems these days and should be named the Patron Saint of Hypocrisy so as to represent their parties handling of past moral scandals in comparison to this one.) It’s just sickening and in my opinion, this would be a good year to clean out the entire Congress from top to bottom. And for those who are trying to rally the Christian Conservatives to protect the Republican majority, I say, “There are worse things than having a Democratic majority in Congress for a couple of years. One of them is becoming comfortable within a political party that has lost it’s moral will and direction in the swirl of desperation and arrogance that comes with wanting to stay in power at all costs.”
Finally, my good friend, Dr. Charles Wood will be speaking at Northside tomorrow night at our WOW (Worship on Wednesday) service at 6:30. If you are in the area, you should come hear him. And now, I’m off to have dinner with him. I’ll write more from Orlando if I get the chance.
Sean Fullerton said,
October 9, 2006 @ 2:40 pm
Brother Dan,
I really enjoyed your sessions at the FACCS convention last week. I appreciate another point of view. I have just recently been meeting with parents of teenagers, and would love to have a full set of notes from your Beaver Cleaver workshop. I appreciate your heart and I’d love to share your thoughts with our parents. If it is possible to e-mail me the completed notes I’d greatly appreciate it. I realize you are busy so I appreciate your consideration.
Sean Fullerton
Gloria Yeo said,
November 1, 2006 @ 9:51 pm
Normally I would agree with you but I have to ask—-What kind of hypocrisy are you spewing over Foley and his vile predatory criminal conduct? Why haven’t we heard this same outrage over the Bob Gray vile predatory criminal conduct? Talk about a good year to clean out Congress from top to bottom—-How about cleaning out the group from which you fellowshipped with in Orlando and Jacksonville? Which is worse Bob Gray or those who continue to cover it up with lies and deception? Dino Pedrone, Jerry Falwell, Jerry Vines, you and anyone else who continues to hide on this issue are going to be held accountable for being ‘willingly ignorant’ on this issue. Maybe you should be as interested in getting the facts in this case and then INITIATING the big clean up in the house of fundamentalism. What a breath of fresh air that would be!!!!!!
Dan Burrell said,
November 1, 2006 @ 10:35 pm
You have no idea what you are talking about. I have indeed spoken out about the Bob Gray fiasco and others. Go back and read my blog articles. What are you talking about “fellowshipping in Jacksonville”? I haven’t been in Jacksonville for at least seven years. I spoke at the FACCS Convention in Orlando as an invited guest. I used to be the President there. I’m not now. I have no authority or voice in anything. What in the world does Jerry Falwell and Jerry Vines have to do with Bob Gray? What do you want me to do? What have you done beside throw out false accusations? I dare you to give one iota of evidence that I’ve ever covered ANYTHING in my ministry that had to do with sin. I’ve practiced church discipline, exposed known sin and I deal with it with integrity. And I don’t go around posting false accusations on other people’s blogs when I do.
Gloria Yeo said,
November 2, 2006 @ 1:15 am
Jerry Falwell and Jerry Vines and your good friend Dino Pedrone spoke at Southwide Baptist Fellowship last week at Trinity. As I recall, Jerry Falwell calls this a ‘bump in the road’. I have written both Jerry Falwell and Jerry Vines with no answer. I think their association speaks for itself just as your sharing the platform with Tom Messer at FACCS speaks for itself. If you didn’t attend Southwide, then I apologize and give you credit for that. However, we all have a voice and maybe yours hasn’t been loud enough on this issue within the fundamental ranks.
Gloria Yeo said,
July 6, 2007 @ 12:47 pm
I made the above statements publically and feel that I must apologize publically. I hope that you will get this apology as I know this thread is in archives. However, I felt the apology needed to be placed directly with my previous statements.
I for one want to apologize as I have recently learned that you did not attend Southwide Baptist Fellowship which was held at Trinity last October. I also heard that you and several other pastors tried to request that the meeting be held somewhere other than Trinity and when that did not happen you chose not to attend. It has been so discouraging thinking that there were no men of God to take a stand against this wickedness. At that time, it seemed that everyone was willing to just look the other way. However, I am encouraged to know that there were some men of courage, like you, that did take a stand.
I am also encouraged and have the utmost respect for you in that you are trying to reach out to victims of clergy abuse. Thank you for hosting the Conference of the Lambs. I heard that it was really great and a blessing to those who attended. I pray that all victims will find God’s healing power and peace through the support that these conferences will offer. Thanks again for your desire to help the victims.
I pray that you will accept my apology.