Books and Publications

Upon This Rock  A recent conference at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary featured speakers addressing topics set forth in the article on “The Church” in the Southern Baptist Convention’s Baptist Faith and Message statement. Upon This Rock gathers those presentations and answers such questions as: • What is the basis for our denominational distinctives? • Are they merely a collection of “faded traditions” or true doctrinal necessities rooted in the Bible alone? • Are they theologically rich cornerstones of faith that easily transcend time, culture, and preference? Contributors include Malcolm B Yarnell III (“Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church: A Theological Exposition of Matthew 16:13-20”), Paige Patterson (“Observing the Two Ordinances of Christ”), Thomas and Joy White (“Church Officers and Gender: Can Women Be Pastors? Or Deacons?”) and Bart Barber (“A Denomination of Churches: Biblical and Useful”) as well as Jason G. Duesing, David Allen, Emir F. Caner, James Leo Garrett, Jr., and Byron McWilliams. Franchising McChurch We live in a fast-food nation, where the service is efficient, the products are predictable, and size is king. Unfortunately, this consumer-driven approach is seeping out of our happy meal and into our church. Across the country, churches are creating entertaining, pop culture-savvy services that feel more market-driven than ministry. On the menu? A proven blend of dynamic music, high-tech dazzle, and topical teachings. And just like any successful product, churches are launching campuses that build on their brand. But is the franchised church of today leading to the disenfranchised believers of tomorrow? Is this approach harming local congregations? Though thousands flock to these services, how many lives are truly being changed? Have we traded real truth for relevancy? Franchising McChurch takes an honest look at the rise of consumer-minded ministries. Authors Thomas White and John Mark Yeats tackle a spiritual shift that is raising provocative issues such as: * The blurry line between entertainment and evangelism * A marketing approach to ministry * The warped yardstick for measuring church success * Feel-good messages that avoid tough truths Candid and compelling, Franchising McChurch calls us back to the heart of Christ’s church, and shares the Biblical design for delivering meaningful, life-changing ministry in a fast-food world. Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church and director of 9Marks.org says, “What’s wrong with multisite churches? Thomas White and John Mark Yeats have written a book that tells us. The book tackles current, thorny issues with both criticism and grace–inflated membership statistics, plagiarizing sermons, multiple services, and video pastors. White and Yeats say that consumerism is killing churches. This is the best, most thorough treatment of these topics that I’ve read. In fact, it’s the book many of us have been waiting for. I couldn’t put it down.”

Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches brings together notable contributors to discuss a central question facing the church today: How does the local church – which is often influenced by a consumer-driven, numbers-oriented society – restore integrirty and establish purpose?Contributors include: John Hammett, Mark Dever, Daniel Akin, David Allen, Jason Lee, Emir Caner, Gregory Wills, R. Stanton Norman, Malcolm B. Yarnell III, Jason G. Duesing, and Thomas White.”My favorite verse in the Bible is found in Proverbs 20:7, which magnifies integrity. The church will be blessed by our Heavenly Father in direct proportion to its integrity. This book will chart the path that leads to the place of knowing His hand on the church’s work. What we are in the inward parts is what matters most.”  Johnny Hunt Pastor First Baptist Church of Woodstock Woodstock, Georgia “Restoring Integrity in the Church. Formidable Assignment! Formidable scholars! Formidable proposals! I believe the Lord will use this book by committed conservative scholars to return our churches to New Testament integrity.” Jerry Vines Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL Two-time President, Southern Baptist Convention and President, Jerry Vines Ministries “The loss of a biblical vision of the local church – indeed the collapse of biblical ecclesiology in many congregations – is the greatest threat to the Baptists. Restoring Integrity is a book urgently needed and well timed. The writers of this book are some of the brightest theologians and scholars in Baptist life today, and they are deeply committed to the recovery of integrity in Baptist life and in Baptist churches. We have needed this book for a long time.” R. Albert Mohler, Jr. President The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

First Freedom First Freedom is an important gathering of messages from a 2006 conference on religious liberty held at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.One of the editors, Jason G. Duesing explains:”The purpose of this collection is, first, to provide an introductory look into the biblical and historical foundations of religious liberty combined with several instances of contemporary expression and defense for the purpose of instruction, edification, and encouragement to all who take the time to read this volume. Second, however, we wish to remind Baptists in the twenty-first century of the price that was paid by their forefathers for the establishment and defense of religious liberty. To be sure, there were people of various religious and denominational preferences that providence used to implement the religious freedoms now enjoyed by all, but for Baptists to overlook the contribution of their own would be a travesty.”  Contributors include: Barrett Duke, Paige Patterson, Malcolm B. Yarnell III, Richard D. Land, Craig Mitchell, Daniel R. Heimbach, Russell D. Moore, Emir Caner, Paul Pressler, Jason G. Duesing, and Thomas White.

Calling out the CalledThis book has four chapters. I wrote the first two chapters discussing the call to ministry and the call to a seminary. I hope these chapters discuss in an entertaining and helpful way some items that anyone who is struggling with the call to ministry or seminary should consider. The third chapter is written by Dr. Paige Patterson, the current president of Southwestern Seminary, on being called to your first church. The final chapter is reprinted from the work of L.R. Scarborough, the second president of Southwestern Seminary, and is on the importance of the call to ministry.The best thing about this book is that IT IS FREE. All you have to do is request as many copies as you would like. Hopefully this book will help pastors and God called men and women to consider the importance of working for eternal rewards rather than the things of this world.  If you would like a copy, please email me at twhite@swbts.edu and provide your address.

Selected Writings of James Madison PendletonEditor with Introduction: Selected Articles of James Madison Pendleton. 3 Volumes. Paris, Ark: The Baptist Standard Bearer, 2006.