I have been asking myself a question over and over since the Southern Baptist Convention met in Louisville last year, voting to form the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force. My question is this: Is our convention’s main problem primarily organizational, structural, systemic, faulty processes or partnerships – or is it spiritual?
Richard HarrisI have a great deal of respect for chairman Ronnie Floyd and all the work being accomplished by the GCR Task Force. It is impossible for most of us to realize the excruciating hours of analysis they are spending as they examine mountains of material and information. Their assigned task is huge. I have committed to pray regularly for these dedicated convention servants.
I would suggest the greatest need of Southern Baptists is spiritual. Two minutes of Pentecost would do us more good than 20 years of reorganizing or restructuring. This is not to say that some restructuring or reorganizing could not make us more effective or efficient. It certainly can. But allow me to share just some of the rationale as to why I believe our need is spiritual.
Research completed in 2009 by Richie Stanley of NAMB’s Missional Research Center found that from 2003 through 2008, 29 percent of SBC churches were growing, 43 percent were plateaued and 28 percent of SBC churches were declining. This means 71 percent of SBC churches are plateaued or declining. Why is this happening? For some, it is a shift in population. For others, it is a change in community demographics or economics. For others, it is the secularization of our society. But I believe that, for the majority of our churches, it is a loss of passion to reach lost people with the gospel and a drifting away from a sincere commitment to fulfill the Great Commission.
Since 2001, the sad fact is an increasing number of our churches are baptizing no one, fewer of our churches are baptizing 10 or more people annually and an increasing number of our churches are baptizing no teenagers.
I believe these statistics bear out that our primary problem in the SBC is spiritual. It is reflected in plateaued and declining churches, in decreasing baptisms, conflict in churches, dissension among church leaders, moral failure on the part of pastors and church staff, and a diminished or total loss of a burden for lost, unchurched and/or unreached peoples. The church in North America increasingly is too much “of the world,” and the world’s ways are too much “in the church.”
Where do we begin? The leaders of God’s churches and this denomination must evaluate anew our passion and commitment to the Great Commission by the personal sharing of the Gospel. As leaders, we must lead our members to do likewise. We must begin to believe, as never before, that anyone without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord has no hope of heaven.
Almost any organizational structure will work for the SBC if our people, our churches and our denominational entities are spiritually renewed. When our people and our church leaders are renewed spiritually and become more concerned about pleasing the Lord rather than man, then we will see an increase in baptisms, disciples, resources, growth, unity, passion, cooperation and commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission.
Our problem in the Southern Baptist Convention is primarily spiritual, and if we get serious with God about turning it around, he can make it happen. My prayer for 2010 is that we will be renewed spiritually and refocused on fulfilling the Great Commission.
– Adapted from an essay by Richard Harris, interim president of the North American Mission Board. To read the entire essay, go to: http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=32083#.