About Rod D. Martin
Praise for Rod D. Martin
Book Rod to Speak
Politics & Economics
Technology & Markets
Faith & CultureAs a lifelong Southern Baptist, it thrills my soul to see our previously exceedingly contentious denomination:
1. Debate theology in a deep and meaningful way, but thoroughly within the bounds of our Lord’s revealed Word.
2. Specifically, debate Calvinism in a serious yet entirely affirming and friendly way. This is an issue many expected to rip the Convention apart, and Calvinistic denominations have a history of ripping themselves and each other apart. Seeing happy friendly Calvinists and happy friendly not-Calvinists being happy and friendly toward each other now for a period of many years is beyond refreshing: it’s something of a miracle. It’s also one of the main reasons R.C. Sproul said the future of American Calvinism is in the SBC.
3. Above all, it’s just glorious to see all of these people united in their love for their brothers and sisters who need Christ. Because all of this is just hooey apart from our precious Lord.
Are there exceptions? Duh. But leaders set the tone, and this is where our leaders are today.
— RDM
Panelists Debate Theology, Agree on Evangelism
by Bob Smietana
Baptist Press
June 20, 2014
BALTIMORE (BP) — Participants in a panel discussion held during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Baltimore shared their disagreements concerning theology and evangelism, but agreed about the urgency to evangelize.
The breakfast meeting was sponsored by The Gospel Project, a LifeWay curriculum series, and drew more than 500 people for an honest and spirited discussion about how differing views of salvation impact the way Christians do ministry and mission.
Ed Stetzer, general editor of The Gospel Project, hosted the panel discussion on soteriology entitled “Salvation and the Mission of God.”
He started the conversation by asking Frank Page, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, about his book, “The Trouble with the TULIP,” which warns that too much Calvinism is bad for evangelism.
Page said he especially worries about the concept of “irresistible grace,” the idea that God compels some people to accept the Gospel. Taken to an extreme, Page said, that concept could lead Christians to believe that sharing Christ doesn’t matter.
“I do believe there is an extremism that kills passion for evangelism,” he said at the June 10 meeting.
During the discussion, Page was asked if the rise of Calvinism among Southern Baptists was to blame for the ongoing decline in baptisms. Page said no. Instead, he said, Baptists of all theological stripes seem to have less enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel.
He pointed to the Crossover Baltimore event, an evangelistic outreach held on June 8, before the SBC annual meeting. Page said he watched to see how many of his Calvinist and non-Calvinist friends would participate. Few did, he said.
“I am seeing a lessening of evangelistic passion across the board,” he said. Trevin Wax, managing editor of The Gospel Project, agreed.
Wax said many non-Calvinist Christians practice what he called a “fuzzy inclusivism” by acting as if evangelism isn’t an urgent matter. That can be as problematic as extreme Calvinism, he said. “The result of both those trajectories is no evangelism,” he said.
Panel members didn’t shy away from discussing other hot-button issues. David Platt, senior pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., explained his concerns about the use of the “sinner’s prayer” in evangelism. Platt said the Gospel calls people to repent and believe in Christ. But he voiced concern about reducing salvation to a formula.
Platt said he doesn’t simply proclaim the Gospel in sermons and then watch and see what happens in a passive way. “We are not presenting, preaching and sharing the Gospel if there is not a pleading to respond in faith,” he said. “This is not for information. There is persuasion, there is pleading here.”
Despite the weighty topics, panel members laughed together as they talked, and gave each other some good-natured teasing.
Having healthy conversations about theological differences is important, Stezter said.
“We can all come in here and say, ‘hey we all love each other,’ but there are issues we need to discuss.”
While addressing how God’s sovereignty intersects with human free will, Page told the panel he believes human beings can thwart parts of God’s will, especially when it comes to evangelism. There are consequences, he said, when Christians don’t share the Good News. “I believe there are people in hell today who should not be in hell,” he said.
Platt disagreed, instead stressing the sovereignty of God. “There’s no question — God loves the whole world … at the same time, not everybody is saved,” Platt said.
Wax said panel members were “wrestling with the biblical tension” over doctrines about God’s sovereignty and free will. “We are trying to put together what we mean when we say God is in control and humans are responsible,” he said.
Wax added that his belief in God’s sovereignty makes it easier to evangelize. Sometimes Christians share the Good News out of guilt, he said, or feel entirely responsible for the success or failure of their evangelism
“It’s freeing when you realize the power is not in the presentation and packaging — the power is in the Gospel itself,” he said.
Page emphasized that panel members have compatible but not identical theological views, which means they can cooperate in ministry, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.
One thing they all agreed on is a need for urgency in sharing the Gospel. “At the end of the day, will you come witnessing with me?” Page said.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.