I am thankful to be a part of the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. God has used Southern Baptists to advance his kingdom in significant ways throughout our history. It is my prayer that he will continue to use us for his glory as a denomination focused on fulfilling the Great Commission.
Fred StoneWe already have some key components in place. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 has been embraced by most Southern Baptists and provides us with a unified doctrinal foundation. Theological soundness is essential for us to be used by God in any endeavor. We also have many godly men and women serving in our local churches, associations, state conventions, and national convention who are committed to our Lord’s Great Commission. While most serve here in the U.S., more than 5,000 of God’s finest servants are proclaiming the gospel and making disciples around the world through the International Mission Board.
While there are many positives that could be listed about our denomination, we must not fail to see the serious negatives. Statistics reveal that we are not growing. We are actually losing ground in some key categories like baptisms. One category that disturbs me is the small number of younger pastors and church leaders involved in denominational life. That trend is something I would like to help change.
I am impressed with what I see in many of the younger pastors in our convention today. They are theologically sharp, committed to the local church, and passionate about fulfilling the Great Commission. They have a lot to contribute to the SCBC and the SBC. One of my goals as state convention president is to encourage more of these younger leaders to get involved in our convention. I plan to host several Younger Pastors and Church Leaders’ Gatherings across the state over the next two months. The purpose of these gatherings is to give pastors and church leaders under the age of 40 an opportunity to share their ideas and vision for working cooperatively with other Baptists in carrying out our Lord’s Great Commission.
I assure you younger leaders that this will not be an event where you are simply encouraged to get involved in denominational life and maintain the status quo. I will listen to you and encourage you to get involved in transitioning our convention into a future you help shape, and then lead as our future key leaders.
I appreciate you older leaders who mentored me and allowed me to be involved in convention life as a younger pastor. You made the transition of convention leadership from your generation to mine a peaceful and positive experience. We have a history of doing that in the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
It is my prayer that we, who are older leaders today, will welcome the younger generation to the table of convention leadership as warmly as we were. As we learn from each other, we can work together to be more effective today and make a seamless transition into the kind of convention the next generation will lead for God’s glory in fulfilling the Great Commission.
I want to invite all pastors and church leaders under age 40 to join me for a time of fellowship and dialogue at one of the following locations. They will all begin at 11 a.m. and conclude by 12:30 p.m. The locations and dates are as follows: March 4: New Prospect Baptist, Laurens; March 18: Lake Murray Baptist, Lexington; April 1: Hillcrest Baptist, North Charleston; April 8: Socastee Baptist, Myrtle Beach; April 20: Second Baptist, Lancaster; April 29: Anderson Mill Road Baptist, Moore.
I also want to encourage all South Carolina Baptist pastors and church leaders to join with the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. Johnny Hunt, at While Oak on March 23. This will be a day of encouragement for us all. I hope to see you there.
– Stone, pastor of Pickens First Baptist Church, is president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.