Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd will propose at the February EC meeting revisions to the EC mission and ministries statement including a new prayer ministry, he announced Thursday, Jan. 30.
“Updating the language of the SBC Executive Committee’s ministry assignments and the explanation of them is important as we seek to better serve Southern Baptist churches,” Floyd told Baptist Press. “Furthermore, the addition of a ministry assignment for prayer will enable the EC to provide strategic leadership for prayer in the SBC.”
In the proposed revision, to “assist churches through elevating the ministry of prayer” would become the EC’s seventh ministry, with an express goal of providing “strategic leadership to lift up and promote coordinated prayer for spiritual awakening, ministry effectiveness, and the completion of the Great Commission.”
The stated mission and all six current ministry assignments would be amended, with only the sixth assignment remaining intact — that of assisting churches in stewardship education.
The current mission and ministry statement is found on page 40 of the 2019 Southern Baptist Convention Annual, available online at sbcec.org/bor/2019/2019SBCAnnual.pdf.
As required by the SBC Organization Manual, Floyd has informed SBC entity executives, state convention executives and state Baptist paper editors of his recommendation. To become effective, any ministry statement changes must be approved by the EC and then by a majority vote of messengers at the next SBC Annual Meeting.
The proposed new statement is printed in full below:
Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee
MISSION
The Executive Committee seeks to empower churches to prioritize, elevate, and accelerate the vision of reaching every person for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state, and every nation through collaborative partnership, cooperation, and generosity.
MINISTRIES
1. Assist churches through conducting and administering the work of the Convention not otherwise assigned.
The SBC Executive Committee serves as the fiduciary, the fiscal, and the executive entity of the Convention in all its affairs not specifically committed to some other board or entity. Furthermore, the Executive Committee is authorized, instructed, and commissioned to act for the Convention ad interim in all matters not otherwise provided for. It also serves as the managing agent of the Southern Baptist Convention Building.
2. Assist churches by providing a Convention news service.
Provide regular news releases about Southern Baptists; tell and celebrate stories of what God is doing through Southern Baptist churches and ministries; serve as the Convention’s press representative; coordinate news operations for annual meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention.
3. Assist churches by developing and strengthening cooperative relationships.
Interpret the Southern Baptist Convention to internal and external publics; strengthen relationships with state convention, associational, and other Southern Baptist affinity groups; pursue cooperative relationships with theologically likeminded churches to fulfill our missional vision of reaching all people for Jesus Christ and making disciples of all the nations.
4. Assist churches, organizations, and individuals with investment management and generosity.
Encourage and partner with Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches, entities, organizations, and individuals to invest in Kingdom causes by providing comprehensive investment, fiduciary, and planning services for maximum impact for Southern Baptist or other evangelical causes.
5. Assist churches by promoting the Cooperative Program and celebrating other cooperative giving.
In consultation with cooperating state conventions and Southern Baptist Convention entities, prioritize, elevate, and accelerate giving through the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing Southern Baptist churches and extending our collective efforts to reach every person with the gospel and make disciples of all nations; celebrate all cooperative giving to achieve these ends.
6. Assist churches in stewardship education.
Produce, develop, publish, and distribute products that help Southern Baptists to grow in commitment to Jesus Christ by applying biblical principles of stewardship.
7. Assist churches through elevating the ministry of prayer.
Provide strategic leadership to lift up and promote coordinated prayer for spiritual awakening, ministry effectiveness, and the completion of the Great Commission.
RELATIONSHIPS
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will work within the Southern Baptist Convention entity relationship guidelines approved by the Great Commission Council and the Executive Committee and printed in the Organization Manual of the Southern Baptist Convention.
— Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ general assignment writer/editor. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists’ concerns nationally and globally.