One year ago, on January 1, 2008, I made ten predictions regarding 2008. I have made it a practice to offer predictions for the New Year each of the past three years. Before I offer my predictions for 2009 on New Year's Day, we will take a quick look back and formulate a scorecard for this past year's predictions. If you do not wish to read the entire post, just know that I failed miserably in my 2008 predictions. It's a good thing I have never claimed to be a prophet or else I would be stoned; that is, stoned more than I am already by those who like throwing rocks at me. My predictions for 2008 were as follows:(1). A pastor with a strong commitment to the Cooperative Program will be elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2008, defeating Al Mohler.
Correct. Johnny Hunt became President of the SBC. Al Mohler announced he was running for President, but later pulled out of the running.
(2). The Oklahoma Sooners will play for the BCS National Championship on January 8, 2009, in Miami, Florida, the very city where they won their last National Championship in January 2001.
Correct. Had I walked in to a Las Vegas casino and put down $100 bucks down on this proposition one year ago. I would have won over well over $2,000. My $100, however, was far better spent on family, the things of Christ and things with lasting value.
(3). The average price of gasoline will reach $4.00 a gallon by the summer of 2008.
Correct. This prediction was ludicrous at the time - happened just as I said - and now gasoline is back down to $1.50 a gallon in areas in and around Oklahoma.
(4). After declining an offer by Sheri Klouda in 2007 to settle for future lost wages, Southwestern Seminary will make an offer to settle in June 2008 when it is realized that the Klouda case is actually going to trial - only to discover, too late, that Sheri Klouda will ultimately allow a jury of peers to declare the verdict and judgment.
Incorrect. The judge said that he would not allow the case to be heard by a jury, simply because he said the seminary was a church, and the state cannot intervene in church matters. In the ever growing bizarre ecclesiology of the SBC, the seminary lauded the announcement that the seminary was a church. Soon the SWBTS baptistry will be completed and duly authorized baptizers will be immersing people under the watchful eye of the Pastor, er, President.
(5). The Klouda jury judgment in the summer of 2008 will be over eight figures.
Incorrect. See above.
(6). Hillary Clinton will be elected President of the United States in November 2008.
Incorrect. I'm not sure anybody could have predicted what did happen.
(7). The stock market will be static in the first half of 2008 (periodic big one-day losses and steady, small daily gains), only to rocket past 15,000 by year's end.
Incorrect. This, my friends, is why I shouldn't invest in the stock market.
(8). The IMB Executive Committee will be informed that they do not have the authority to bar from participation a duly elected trustee, and that if they wish this trustee to not participate in trustee meetings, they must make their rationale for this desire known to the Convention at large - at a time and place that the trustee in question will be allowed to speak in response - and then the convention will decide.
Correct. The SBC attorney issued a statement saying that trustee leadership had no authority to bar me from trustee meetings.
(9). The world will mourn the loss of Billy Graham.
Incorrect. A stupid prediction; I promise never to make another silly one like this one ever again.
(10). The biggest national news coming out of the Southern Baptist Convention will be the report and/or response of the SBC Executive Committee to the motion to investigate the possibility of establishing a sexual predator database that will identify those Southern Baptist staff members and pastors who have been either convicted - or credibly accused - of sexual abuse.
Correct. In a bizarre twist, the SBC did more, wrote more, and talked more about why we would do nothing about this one issue than we have ever done for any proposal where we actually proposed to do something.
Go figure.
In His Grace,
Wade
31 comments:
#1 seems like it must be half incorrect also, seeing as he didn't defeat Mohler. Can you get half credit in this game?
You're right on #9 as well. Don't predict people's deaths. Its not nice.
Congrats on the Sooners prediction though. I'll be happy whoever wins the Championship game. Will we get a prediction on the outcome? I bet I can guess what you're going to say!
Wade, you had better explain that the picture is not you in your new ministerial robes.
A lot of people are too young to remember Johnny Carson as 'Karnack the Magnificent'. :)
P.S. If it IS you, I apologize.
My vision isn't what it used to be.
just occured to me that BCS and SBC are the same initials just rearranged.
hmmmmmm...
Best price per gallon of regular grade gasoline in Texas tonight: $1.17 in Houston (www.gasbuddy.com at 6:10 PM).
Reminder: TTU beat the team that beat the team that might win the BCS in January (and, 70% of OU's 104 players are from Texas or states other than OK; true: OU chose talent, and the talen chose scholarships; PREDICTION: this team-building trend will continue at OU and OSU in 2009).
;~] Guns Up, Texas Tech!
(6). Hillary Clinton will be elected President of the United States in November 2008.
I never in a million years thought I'd say this, but that actually sounds good compared to what we got. At least with her you know what you're getting.
#10 is dead on. They could have used all the time they wasted explaining why they can't have a database making one.
DAJ
I hate being a stickler for dates, but your post should read your predictions were on Jan. 1, 2008 (not 2007).
Had you made these 2 years ago, well that would really be amazing!
A friend like me can be irritating at times I know, but I also think everybody needs one. :)
God Bless 2009!
SL1M
I would have to say #1 was incorrect. Johnny Hunt did not defeat Al Mohler nor has shown a commitment to the cooperative program unless you consider leading your church to give 2.2% to the CP commitment.
By the way, I predict Southern Baptists will take the savings they are gaining with lower gas prices and bless missionaries serving overseas with a record LMCO of 175 million dollars.
:)
For the record, we were paying $9 a gallon when it was $4 a gallon in the States and we are still paying $9 a gallon even though it is under $2 in the States.
SL1M
Ron,
I grant number one could be considered incorrect by some because of the reasons you stated. However, with as many as I missed, any prediction that even looks close gets a win from me.
Smile,
Wade
Brent,
Ditto.
SL1M,
Thanks!
Google in 2004 Democratic Convention Keynote Speech by Barack Obama.
That speech is the reason Hilary didn't get elected.
Don't watch Obama speak.
Watch the faces of the delegates as they listen to him.
Talk about a 'turning point'.
I thought Hillary would win too. I didn't (and still don't) think Barack has the experience to govern the country. Either way, it was a lose for me as I am a republican.
Wade,
“Soon the SWBTS baptistry will be completed and duly authorized baptizers will be immersing people under the watchful eye of the Pastor, er, President.”
I need to know; is this actually happening? Is SWBTS really installing a baptistery?
I recently ran across an article in the Florida Baptist Witness showing John Sullivan the Executive Director of (the Non-Profit, Para-Church Organization) the Florida Baptist Convention actually Baptizing individuals.
If this is the direction the SBC is heading, where schools and conventions are baptizing then I suppose they will be administering communion next? Just where is the line that separates a Church from a Para-Church in the SBC?
This is dangerous ground…
Grace Always,
Greg,
Yes, there is a baptistry already installed at SWBTS. Ostensibly, it is used to "train" pastors. With the new designation of SWBTS as "a church" it might become the equivalent of being baptized at the Mormon Temple.
What is Johnny Hunt's educational background?
Is he a college graduate?
Are his 'degrees' from 'diploma mills' or merely 'awarded honorary degrees'?
Are any of his claimed educational credentials actually earned from a reputable college or university?
In short, is he for real or just another pretentious phony?
Contempt for education may be rumoured to be traditional among fundamentalists but did the choice of Johnny Hunt actually confirm that the contempt is real?
It's not the degrees or lack of degrees that qualifies a man for a pastoral position in the church, but a man's integrity and ethics should be examined.
Examine the man's integrity in claiming degrees: are they real?
or are they phony?
Is he real? Or is he a phony?
I guess in the SBC,
PhD.'s only work for men, even if the PhD. is from a 'diploma mill'.
Real integrity at work, here.
Attended SWBTS during the '90's. Traveled down Seminary Drive to Southwayside BC for field ed class to learn how to baptize folks. Those were in other days . . .
Pastor Wade,
Though you consistently proclaim the clearest and most concise and theologically accurate presentation of the Gospel I've ever encountered, remind me to never take stock market advice from you. ;)
Although Hillary didn't win the presidency, I've watched the cabinet picks of Pres-Elect Obama with much appreciation of his wisdom and will continue to pray for him daily.
I am especially glad that you were accurately prescient on the Sooners, but do you have any foreknowledge on the outcome of that great foretold game in Florida?
Mike Kear,
I shall give one of the newest members of Emmanuel my bold prediction of the BCS game, which my wife and I shall enjoy in person in sunny Miami Gardens.
OU - 48 - Florida - 28
Blessings,
Wade
"OU - 48 - Florida - 28"
YES! I think you are right on. And the only reason that the Sooners will not score over 60 points on the Gators is that they will have spent too much time relaxing since the last five whippings that they've dealt out.
Wade,
Florida has scored over 30 points on every SEC team this year, something that has never been done by any SEC team in history. And Florida has held all but one opponent to 21 or less points, Ole Miss (spit and wash out my mouth after say their name) is the only team to score more than 21 points and they only beat Florida by one point; 30 to 31.
So I think if you flip that projection around you might be closer to being right.
Florida - 48 - OU – 28
I do however hope you enjoy your time in sunny Miami Gardens… Florida is a great place to be in January!
Grace Always,
PS. - Be sure to pack sunscreen, shorts, and your golf clubs… I do want you have some fond memories of this trip… because the game is not going to be any fun at all for you OU boys. (smile)
Off Topic:
Cheryl Schatz is not feeling well. Please visit her latest blog post and offer a kind note. God bless you all.
A soft place to land
(7). The stock market will be static in the first half of 2008 (periodic big one-day losses and steady, small daily gains), only to rocket past 15,000 by year's end.
Incorrect. This, my friends, is why I shouldn't invest in the stock market.
Pastor Wade, you are in good company. That is, if you like William Safire of NYT.
NYT: The Office Pool, 2009 by William Safire
Last year, in the 34th annual Office Pool in this space, I predicted that the Dow Jones industrial average would break 15,000 in 2008. (Readers whose pick was “recession has brokers selling apples for five euros on Wall Street” won that round.) But this year — I’m due.
Dear THY PEACE,
I could not leave this prayer for the sick on Cheryl Schatz's site because I do not give my e-mail.
Could you copy it and place it there for her. I would so much appreciate your kind help. L's
Prayer for the Sick
Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Dear Wade,
About that stock market prediction:
many years ago, my dear father told me to save my money and not 'speculate'.
He said CD's were fine but the stock market was gambling.
I listened.
I am the ONLY one in the family who listened. THE ONLY ONE.
The rest of the family got burned and my sister is toast.
Maybe there is something to that commandment:
'honor thy father. . . . '
Can't imagine speculating with hard-earned money anyway. L's
P.S.
(Actually I DID several times invest some money. The 'speculating' I did was to 'invest' in the missions.
Now THAT was a safe bet and I imagine that the rewards will be beyond my wildest dreams. :)
Surprised at the Hillary Clinton prediction, I really had a sneaking suspicion that Obama would win both the primary and the major elections. The timing was just right for him in every way imagine. Also on the stock market, I knew that it would fall sharply late in the year due to gas prices being so high. That was not the reason, but they did fall. I do have sort of a prognosing prediction for 2009 concerning Paige Patterson but it is contigent on a another matter TBA at a latter time.
Somewhere West of Enid
Two other predictions, Limbaugh will go down in his ratings and lose contracts in some markets. Third party alliances may take form.
Somewhere west of Enid
Wade:
I thought this was fun when you took it up. Your recap needs some improvement, however.
2 - should be "incorrect" and not "correct." Dr. Mohler wasn't "defeated" by a strong CP candidate. Dr. Mohler pulled out for health reasons and did not run.
4 - you right to say "incorrect", but then you got snippy. The Court's opinion speaks for itself. Frankly, when I read the opinion and saw that an appellate court had already held the SWBTS was protected legally by its religious status, I was surprised the lawsuit was brought in the first place. District Court's don't make law. The District Court Judge did not make up some new doctrine re SWBTS. He simply applied the law as it had been interpreted previously.
Un-numbered - it's fun to guess about the stock market, politics and gas prices. Don't beat yourself up about that. I, too, thought that HRC would be prez. I changed my mind when Oprah entered the fray and Obama won Iowa. And then the Republicans nominated a dead guy. I am surprised it was as close as it was and not an LBJ or Reagan type landslide.
10 - you are correct here. "Go figure" is right. Somebody figured out that despite all the good pub it would give, it would not really help the people as it promises (for the many reasons previously mentioned by me) and it had unintended consquences written all over it. We can be grateful in this instance that smarter heads prevailed along with some good counsel in Nashville. Probably the same guys who gave the counsel that is was wrong to exclude you from the IMB meetings.
Happy New Year.
Louis
"A pastor with a strong commitment to the Cooperative Program."
Aren't you still waiting for that one to be fulfilled? Or was it "a strong verbal commitment?
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