More than 400* South Carolina Baptist church leaders have registered for a one-day “Great Commission Resurgence Conversation,” set for Aug. 24 at White Oak Conference Center in Winnsboro.
(*Editor’s note: Since this article was published, the number of registrants as risen to more than 500.)
The meeting is envisioned by South Carolina Baptist Convention officials as an opportunity to begin discussing how the SCBC might respond to the recommendations of the GCR Task Force, which were embraced overwhelmingly by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in June.
Jim Austin, SCBC executive director-treasurer, said the GCR Conversation is open to all pastors and leaders and will “get the ball rolling” as South Carolina Baptists grapple with proposals that could change the way church planting and missions work are done in South Carolina.
Among other recommendations, the GCR report calls for the elimination of longstanding cooperative agreements between the North American Mission Board and state conventions, an arrangement in which a significant portion of NAMB funds are sent back to state conventions to help fund missions work.
In South Carolina, more than 40 church planters are partly funded through NAMB cooperative agreements. The agreements could be phased out beginning as early as 2012 (see story, “Do things differently,” on page 1).
Speakers at the Aug. 24 event will include Austin, Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research (Stetzer will appear by live video), SCBC president Fred Stone and SCBC Executive Board chairman Ed Carney. The program will include small-group discussions followed by a plenary wrap-up session.
The day will get underway with refreshments at 9 a.m. and will conclude around 4 p.m. The event, which includes lunch, is free, but reservations are encouraged and can be made online at scbaptist.org/gcr or by calling 1-800-723-7242. The first 400 to arrive will receive a free copy of the new book by Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer, “Transformational Churches.”
Those unable to attend may submit questions or comments ahead of time via e-mail at info@scbaptist.org or by calling 803-227-6142 or 1-800-723-7242.