I write these words less than 24 hours from the closing gavel of our 2024 SCBaptist Convention at FBC Columbia. My heart is still swollen with gratitude to our God, love for our people, and hope for our future. Let the 2024 gathering of SCBaptists in annual convention go down in history as a moment when heaven touched earth and when we committed ourselves to a great forward movement of the gospel that is worthy of Christ our King. The unified amens still ring in my ears. The proclaimed Word still fires in my bones. The genuine smiles still lift my countenance. The heartfelt hugs still warm my soul.
Five hundred feet from where it all began in 1821, SCBaptists put another stake in the ground this week, in our 204th annual convening. We prayed passionately that God would show us favor in our cooperative work. We sang enthusiastically of His grace to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We raised our ballots in unanimity to affirm new convention leaders and approve aggressive plans for forward cooperation. We agreed to double down on our evangelistic strategies and our Cooperative Program giving. We resolved some things. We reaffirmed some things. We asked God for some things. And we walked away from our gathering in full expectation that God can and will grant us favor, and that we will work together sacrificially and joyfully “until all have heard.”
We received the implanted Word from skilled and passionate proclaimers. We were led in worship by robed choirs with gray hair and by college students with tattoos and tennis shoes — often, the two groups together. I caught several of our worship leaders from all generations and ethnicities in the hallways, and all that could escape my mouth in those moments were the words, “This sounds like heaven; this feels like heaven; thank you.” We saw the fruit of our “One Family” cooperation not only in ministry reports, but also in the active investment and involvement of all our ministry partners during the annual session.
This week, SCBaptists decided that our mission is too great, the gospel is too urgent, and our time is too short to divide or delay over peripheral issues. Ours is a laser-sharp Great Commission focus. Let the gates of hell take note: We are coming for you. We are advancing the gospel, and all the power of heaven is with us.
This time of year, our hearts are captivated by the goodness of God in the advent of Christ our Savior. We were all God’s enemies — lost in sin, trespassing on His holiness, and destined for hell. Then, God came. Heaven touched earth when the Son of God became the Son of Man so that children of men might become children of God. We now live between advents. There is an expiration date on the Great Commission. Christ will come again. But His second advent will be very different from His first. He will ride a white horse, wearing a bloody robe, and He will strike the nations with the words of His mouth. In our day, God’s mercy abounds. But on that day, Christ the King will settle all accounts, and the redeemed of the generations, from all nations, will gather in victory and worship around the throne in heaven.
We just have this one moment, this one opportunity to outlive our lives by making worthy investments in the advancement of the gospel in our neighborhoods and to the nations. So, we give, and we go … until all have heard.
SCBaptists, this is not just what we do. It’s who we are. If I have been reminded of anything this week, it is that when God’s people are filled by God’s Spirit, fed by God’s Word, and committed to God’s mission, every offering is a worthy sacrifice with eternal reward. SCBaptists are unified, committed, passionate, and focused. Let the armies of hell take note. Through our unified, fearless, relentless gospel cooperation, the kingdom of heaven breaks through because of SCBaptist cooperation today.