Clarifying the GCR? Not Quite . . .

Ronnie Floyd, chairman of the GCR Task Force gave an interview for Baptist Press that was posted today. In it he says positive things about the GCR and a movement toward the Great Commission by Southern Baptists - all good stuff. He also says that the battles and wars for control and power from the past will not be repeated in the GCR. I am glad to hear it. I suggest that he spread the message to all on the task force and others in support of the GCR that the old political battles that we have seen so much of in the past will have no place here. I fully commend this attitude and plan to remember that he said this. Then, the article says this:

Floyd said it was a "great question" whether the "Great Commission Resurgence" declaration issued April 27 by Hunt and Daniel L. Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, would give total direction to the task or whether it was just a starting point. The declaration, which is posted at greatcommissionresurgence.com, sparked lengthy discussion of its clarity, tone and content, especially a section that called for restructuring the denomination "at every level." Although messengers to the SBC annual meeting in Louisville, Ky., voted overwhelmingly in June to appoint the task force, the declaration itself was never presented for discussion and adoption.

"I can honestly tell you I don't know the answer to that right now," Floyd said. "Our group has to decide that. I do believe ... the document served as the catalyst for the motion that received such a high commitment at the SBC. So to minimize the document would not be wise. At the same time, the convention did not vote the document in.... It will have a significant place. But I don't think it will chart everything by any means."

This is really interesting. The SBC voted to approve a task force on the basis of the GCR document to look at what the SBC can do to better fulfill the Great Commission. Never in the history of the SBC has a task force been appointed with as much latitude as this one. Now, the chairman of the task force is saying that the document will not "chart everything by any means."  I would ask what is guiding the GCR Task Force? What have we appointed them to do, exactly, if it is not to bring forth ways that we can carry out the axioms of the GCR?  Will they go beyond the GCR document? Fall short of it? Focus primarily on restructuring? What is guiding this group?

The article goes on to begin to answer some of those questions:

Referring back to the declaration, Floyd said: "The real call in the document was that we would evaluate and examine where we are as a convention, all that we do as a convention, to try to get more dollars, more people, more resources, more everything toward the actual fulfillment of the Great Commission, specifying three important things: pioneer global missions, church planting in North America and theological education, which is building leaders in order to do that very task."

I am for all of that. But, without a guiding directive, you can see why some people are nervous. Perhaps they should be. We should not be concerned about saving people's jobs, but rather, we should focus on doing the most with what we have to fulfill the Great Commission. I agree with that. But, I also think that the GCR document is a very good guide and the main focus should not be on article 9 calling for restructuring. 

Here is my concern: I fear that we will spend a year focusing on how to restructure the SBC. The truth is, restructuring the SBC only moves money and resources around. It doesn't change hearts. We desperately need a heart change. That is why Ronnie Floyd is calling for prayer, I think. He understands this, it seems. His call is good and we must heed it. But, my concern remains that spiritual renewal will be lost in the battle over how the SBC will be structured in the future and we will again miss a great opportunity to see the SBC revived. Floyd seems to want the right things and I will pray for him and the Task Force. I hope that these meetings and listening sessions focus as much (or more) on spiritual renewal as they ultimately will on restructuring.

We will see. I do hope that Floyd is right and that the battles of the past are over. I applaud him in calling for a new approach and I hope that others listen.

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By the way, there are two other posts up today regarding thoughts on the GCR from guys that have been paying attention to this stuff for a long time. Todd Littleton and David Phillips both ask some really hard questions about what is happening here and present a view of things that is not being articulated elsewhere. Their posts merit some reflection. 

Comments

[Andrew]

Perhaps Floyd means the task force will be guided by the Great Commission itself, i.e. how the SBC can best reshape itself to fulfill it....although I too thought the the GCR document was what they would be responding to/with and be their boundary.