This month’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Fla., should prove to be one of the better attended and more interesting meetings in recent years. With the unveiling of the much anticipated Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force report and the denominational restructuring that will possibly accompany it, there should be plenty of drama as well as discussion.
Jim AustinAll keen observers of American Christianity are well aware of the decline occurring over the past several years in baptisms, overall church attendance and in the percent of population who attend church. Equally alarming is the growing number and percentage of those who express no church affiliation of any kind. In just a few short years, North America, once a bastion of the faith, has become significantly less, spiritually, than it once was. The opposite has been the case in many overseas countries and people groups, where we see unprecedented response to the gospel. Sadly, accompanying this decline at home and receptivity abroad, we are experiencing an increase in divisiveness within the church and a lack of cooperative spirit in joint ministries.
To address these and other issues in our own denomination, Southern Baptist Convention president Johnny Hunt appointed the GCR Task Force at last year’s annual meeting. The task force was charged to prayerfully analyze our denominational struggles and offer strategic solutions addressing these struggles. A compelling vision that can be embraced by all Southern Baptists became a priority as well. Since the initial rollout of the GCR report in February 2010, most conversations related to the report have been healthy to the developmental process. No doubt these conversations will continue right up to and through our annual meeting. While disagreements exist with some about the findings and recommendations of the GCR Task Force report, we should all agree with the statement from GCR Task Force chairman Ronnie Floyd: “We need to realize our number one need is to return to God in deeper repentance and experience a fresh wave of his Spirit in our lives, ministries, and work of our denomination.” Additionally, North American Mission Board interim president Richard Harris has stated that our problem is not so much a need to restructure as it is to receive a fresh touch of the power of Pentecost.
As you pray concerning the upcoming Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, would you join me in praying for that spirit of genuine repentance to permeate our personal lives, churches, associations, state conventions, institutions, and national convention as well? Would you also pray for a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit’s power in us personally and corporately?
Above all else, may we seek the centrality and exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives and ministries. No doubt, in so doing, we will begin to experience the Great Commission resurgence that we all seek.
– Austin is executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.