This year’s meeting in Louisville was marked by more younger people present than in previous conventions. The music was a great blend. The hall was comfortably filled for most of the sessions.
Rudy GrayLike every convention, people had the opportunity to renew friendships and make some new ones. This year the Great Commission Resurgence created some controversy, but paled in comparison to the days of the conservative resurgence. In the end, the messengers adopted overwhelmingly a motion by Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, calling for SBC president Johnny Hunt to appoint a Great Commission Resurgence task force and report back at the Orlando convention in 2010.
It seemed obvious to me that we are a convention in transition. How well we transition to the next stage of our development as a denomination will certainly depend on God’s grace among us and our willingness to adapt and change.
It is still daunting to observe the world’s largest deliberative meeting in action. There is no question that well crafted and planned movements, motions, etc., were played out on a worldwide stage. However, it was also evident that given the right time, a messenger from the smallest church could also have a voice in the deliberations.
This year, our meeting seemed to have more videos than ever before. Most of them presented a picture that a thousand words could not have captured. Those who spoke were effective, and the actual business portion was a relatively small percentage of the total convention experience.
My wife and I observed that Southern Baptists, by a large majority, are dressing much more casually for these meetings than ever before. Coats and ties were present, but in a definite minority.
Watching people has been a fascinating practice for me at the convention. This year I noticed a man (likely a preacher because of his coat and tie) escorting his wife to the handicapped section. He took his time and led her to the seat. She was blind, and I wondered (with so much visual emphasis) how she was interpreting what she was hearing. It was evident he cared for her and she for him. What impressed me the most was the fact that they came.
We talked with a pastor’s wife and her two daughters on our shuttle from the hotel to the convention hall. The girls didn’t seem too excited about the convention, and we shared with them that our girls were not very excited about the meetings when they were that age either.
This year I noticed more texting than ever before. There was the usual number of cell phone conversations (while the convention was in session). There are always conversations in the area outside the meeting hall, but this year there seemed to be more conversations in the convention hall itself. These large meetings have never been comparable to a church service, but there does seem to be an increasing amount of distractions within the convention hall itself.
Morris Chapman, president of the Executive Committee, was opposed to the Great Commission Resurgence declaration because he did not believe we needed to restructure. He asked, “Is it more about the Great Commission or the SBC? It is more about the transformation of our hearts or restructuring our convention and institutions.” Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary, was for the same declaration and ardently supported it when he preached. “You can count me in for a Great Commission Resurgence,” he said.
One of the moving moments of the convention came when LifeWay President Thom Rainer honored the first recipient of the Holman Christian Standard Bible Award, Kevin Winter. He was the pastor who was shot and killed during Sunday services at his church earlier this year. His widow and children accepted the award.
The International Mission Board is approximately $30 million short in Lottie Moon Offering gifts. This prompted many to emphasize having a Christmas in August to help make up the deficit.
In light of the economic downturn, all our institutions are experiencing cutbacks. At the same time, our seminaries are moving forward with new delivery systems for theological education (such as Internet classes, etc.).
Because of various types of broadcasting at the convention, many thousands of people were able to watch the proceedings on the Internet.
I left this convention thankful to be a lifelong Southern Baptist and also hopeful for what the future holds. Our convention may not look the same in the future. The names of some things may change. (This is nothing new.) The way we do missions and ministry may change. I came away encouraged that regardless of our differing methodologies, our identity as a people of the Book remains firm. We differ on many things, but the foundation that keeps us together is our commitment to the word of God.
We have many great leaders, faithful missionaries, loyal pastors, dedicated professors, and scores of varied and sundry specialty workers. Collectively, we own great assets and we have the ability to impact the world for Christ. The only question is, “Will we?” I left with a strong impression in my heart that there is still a great work for Southern Baptists to do. We can do it through Christ Jesus.
As we exited Louisville, I felt that the 2010 convention in Orlando will be one of our largest in recent years. We will hear from the Great Commission Resurgence task force. What comes from that group will create significant interest and passion. The debate may be strong. In the end, our denominational structure may change in minor ways or we may enter a time of dramatic change. One thing is for sure, the Orlando convention promises to generate some excitement and offer, in whatever degree, some changes.