Well, the Great Commission Resurgence motion passed overwhelmingly just moments ago. The document put forward by Dr. Danny Akin, Johnny Hunt, Dr. Thom Rainer, Dr. Al Mohler, Ed Stetzer, Tom Ascol, Timmy Brister, Nathan Finn, Alvin Reid, and others is now in play in the SBC. That is a good thing, in my opinion, but nothing will happen for another year on this that will affect anything. The motion was to create a task force that will study the GCR and make recommendations to be adopted or rejected next year at the convention in Orlando. This is how Southern Baptists do things. Of course, the task force has already been selected and I am sure that they will begin work very soon.
What does this mean? It means that Southern Baptists have taken a very positive step to restore the primacy of the gospel to our Convention, our churches, and our conversations. Based on the words of Dr. Hunt and others, there exists a great desire to refocus the Convention on the person and work of Jesus Christ. If they follow what they have said over the past two days, they will be standing on solid ground.
The Challenges: While I affirm the GCR and will be supportive of it, I believe that a grassroots approach would have been better than to take this to the Convention right away. Of course, you could say that what has happened the past 3 years was the grassroots support building and the GCR was the capstone that has taken the calls for reform mainstream. I like to see it that way. The problem will come in when you try and engage the thousands of churches that have not been engaged up until now in these discussions. They will see it as another top-down, acronymn laden approach to get the SBC moving again. I am afraid that the inertia that will become apparent when you try and move the vast middle of the SBC from the top-down will overwhelm the best efforts of the architects of the GCR. I would have taken this message to the people for a longer period of time, but Johnny Hunt only had two years as president of the SBC, so he had to act now. Who knows who will be elected in Orlando?
The Temptations: The temptation for those now in control of the GCR will be to try and centralize the SBC even more. If the SBC is to survive and thrive in the 21st century, it must become flatter and more decentralized. As my friend Caleb Crider said today, you cannot farm out the Great Commission to professionals. It belongs to the local church. If the recommendations are that more and more money goes to the national entities where fewer people control it as they see fit, then I think that giving will drop even further and churches will feel even further removed from the mission. Plus, put more money in the hands of fewer people and inevitably, you will see more waste and corruption.
The Potential For Success: The window of error here is small, but if the emerging SBC leadership will see this as an opportunity to really call us to refocus on Jesus, repent of our sins, live by the Spirit, and lay down our lives and engage the lost, then good things can happen. They need to keep Jesus the center of all of this at all times. The Gospel needs to be the banner that they wave. They need to appeal to the latent love for Christ, His Word, and the gospel and missions that exists within the heart of every member of the SBC. They would do wise to focus on that as much as possible and not give in to a temptation to spend all their time in restructuring debates. If they are even 1 degree off, it will show in Orlando and people will see it as more of the same.
The Future: The case has been made that the SBC is in decline. The silly motions were rejected. Christ is front and center, at least in our words if not in our hearts. Now, we need to move forward looking only to the Lord. I pray that God moves through this in a powerful way.
When I went to Greensboro in 2006, I would not have imagined that such a thing could happen. Three years later, we find ourselves in interesting times. What does it mean? God knows and we will find out if we follow Him.
I was glad to hear of this development.
Maybe there's still hope for the SBC, but it lies in God.
Posted by: Dr. Paul W. Foltz | June 23, 2009 at 08:47 PM
I am still a member of a Southern Baptist church but stopped being interested in the politics of it a long time ago. The SBC has gone the way of the American gov't- they started thinking that the people existed for them, instead of the other way around.
You can't make the gospel a corporation. And I've found from being on the "inside" a few years that most people in positions like DOM, state convention employees, etc., are there because they couldn't cut it as pastors or other ministers in churches. There is no spirituality whatsoever in our association offices and state convention offices. Most of those in these positions are lukewarm and liberal at best. They probably wouldn't recognize the Holy Spirit if He parked on their desks. And, yes at the risk of sounding judgemental, I have often questioned the salvation of many of these people. There is just no "fruit". Anyway, I guess that's enough ranting for today.
Posted by: Val in Jacksonville | June 24, 2009 at 09:55 AM
I am a huge supporter of the GCR. But, this may be the last stand for many young leaders. If young leaders spend the next year reading on blogs and in state papers about how our entity leaders are afraid to decentralize you will see young leaders walking away forever. It has already been clearly said...God was working before the SBC and He will work after the SBC. Many are already dismayed at the people who think this is a movement by Calvinists. Last time I check Johnny Hunt is not of that theological system. Shame on them for their ignorance. A large group of young leaders want to focus on the GC and renewing this great convention and its churches, but we shake our heads when folks in the SBC make motions that have little impact on the global attempt we as the SBC are should be marching towards...
Posted by: Kris | June 24, 2009 at 03:08 PM