Reflections from the 2013 SBC

Below are links to encouraging and hopeful reflections from this year's annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The first is from J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church, and the other two are from Nathan Finn, professor of church history at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

• J.D. Greear's Reflections on the 2013 SBC

• Nathan Finn's Reflections on the 2013 SBC, Part 1  

• Nathan Finn's Reflection on the 2013 SBC, Part 2

A Hopeful Future for the Southern Baptist Convention

The Baptist & Reflector, our state Baptist paper, was kind enough to run an article I recently wrote on "Signs of a Hopeful Future for the SBC." 

To read it, click here.

There will be another one next week on "Signs of a Hopeful Future for the TBC." 

Mohler's Reflections on the 2012 SBC in New Orleans

Al Mohler offers his reflections on last week's Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, organized around eight areas of importance:

1. The importance of meeting in New Orleans
2. The importance of electing Fred Luter as President
3. The importance of leadership
4. The importance of our name
5. The importance of doctrine
6. The importance of our mission
7. The importance of the total event
8. The importance of getting to work

To read the details and see his reflections in their entirety, click here.

Just the Kind of Providential Irony Our God Loves

Russell Moore has a great post on the expected election next week of the Southern Baptist Convention's first African-American president and on how providentially ironic it is. Here are a few excerpts:

As I write this, news reports tell us that we just might see, by the time you read this, the election of the first African-American president of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is significant for all sorts of reasons: one being, of course, that the SBC was founded, partly, to protect the “right” of slaveholders to be missionaries. It’s important also because it’s a test for whether the SBC will go forward with the gospel and mission we say we believe.

.....................

I’m thrilled about where God might be taking the SBC. A denomination formed to protect slavery led by a descendant of slaves, that’s just the kind of providential irony our God loves. Maybe it will prompt our denomination to stop seeing non-white people as opportunities for “ethnic ministry,” and prompt us to see there opportunities to find our leaders. Maybe seeing a non-white face with the gavel of the SBC might remind us that the Man we’ll see on the Judgment Seat, well, he isn’t a white guy either.

Read the post in its entirety here.

SBC Keeping Legal Name, Informal Name Suggested

Baptist Press reports:

The task force appointed to study a possible name change of the Southern Baptist Convention is recommending that the convention maintain its legal name but adopt an informal, non-legal name for those who want to use it: Great Commission Baptists.

The name "Southern," task force chairman Jimmy Draper said, is a barrier to the Gospel in some regions of the country. The task force was appointed by Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright.

The task force made its recommendation during the Executive Committee meeting Monday night. The Executive Committee will consider the recommendation Tuesday.

The recommendation means that the legal name of the convention will remain “Southern Baptist Convention” and can be used by any church who wishes to use it. But other SBC churches can call themselves “Great Commission Baptists” if they wish.

Task Force Appointed to Study Prospective Name Change for the Southern Baptist Convention

Bryant Wright, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, announced Monday evening the appointment of a presidential task force to study the prospect of changing the name of America's largest Protestant denomination. He had two primary reasons why the study could prove helpful:

First, the convention's name is so regional. With our focus on church planting, it is challenging in many parts of the country to lead churches to want to be part of a convention with such a regional name. Second, a name change could position us to maximize our effectiveness in reaching North America for Jesus Christ in the 21st century.

There are four main questions he wants the task force to consider:

1) Is it a good idea, that is, is there value in considering a name change?
2) If so, what would be a good name to suggest?
3) What would be the potential legal ramifications of a name change?
4) What would be the potential financial implications?

Click here for the full story from Baptist Press.

A website, Pray4SBC, has been created for people to submit their opinions and possible name changes.

Summary of 2011 SBC

Here is a summary and recap of last week's Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix.

9Marks Interview with Danny Akin

The most recent 9Marks interview is with Danny Akin on "Life and Ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention." Dr. Akin is the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

GCR Report Passes Easily (with amendments)

Baptist Press reported that messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention adopted the GCR Task Force Report by an overwhelming margin (after two amendments related to the Cooperative Program).

Dockery's Call for a "Both/And" Vision for the SBC

David Dockery, president of Union University and member of the GCR Task Force, wisely calls for a "both/and" vision for the Southern Baptist Convention in his most recent article concerning the Task Force's final proposal.

In recent weeks I have heard Southern Baptists from various sectors of our Convention express some concern regarding the proposals to be recommended by the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force at the forthcoming gathering of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting this year in Orlando. As I have tried to listen to these concerns, I have noticed that several of them have been framed as “either/or” one-sided arguments. Historically, some of the church’s saddest moments have come when people have wrongly insisted on “either/or” answers. And, some of the church’s most significant breakthrough moments have come when “both/and” answers have shed light on a challenge.

And here is his conclusion:

I personally believe that the Great Commission Resurgence proposals can be used of God to help Southern Baptists thrive. To do so, we must remain convictionally connected to Scripture, to the Gospel, and to the best of our Southern Baptist heritage that has emphasized cooperation and partnership in missions and evangelism. Learning to work afresh in cooperative ways will also be important, with associations, state conventions, and the SBC no longer seeing themselves as rivals. It is time for us instead to refocus our convictional grounding while celebrating our commonalities with a kingdom-focused cooperative spirit and mindset.

I believe the GCR proposals can be used of God to launch a new “both/and” vision, which will include both preaching and praying, giving and going, worship and witness, conviction and cooperation, teaching truth and touching needs, defining boundaries and building bridges, all the while encouraging both sacrificial stewardship in the pews and the sending of missionaries to the nations. This vision must include the refocusing and the re-prioritizing of denominational structures combined with the renewing work of the Holy Spirit in and among us. All will be necessary to move the SBC forward in dynamic and constructive ways in coming years.

The GCR proposals point the SBC in a trajectory that, if adopted, will begin to move us forward toward shared service in extending the work of taking the gospel to unreached people groups in this country around the globe. One of the real dangers of this present hour is the possibility of becoming sidetracked by “either/or” thinking. The duties of this present hour call for us to recognize the amazing opportunities that are ours even in the very midst of complex local and global challenges. This unique moment pushes us toward a new and bold “both/and” vision, nothing less than a Great Commission Resurgence vision that calls for us to cooperate together in pushing back lostness, a vision grounded in the gospel itself, and a vision motivated by the words of the resurrected and exalted Christ who has commissioned us to “make disciples of all the nations.”

Read the whole article here.

A Summary of the SBC's Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Proposal

For those of you who are Southern Baptist (or others of you who may have interest), Trevin Wax provides a helpful summary of the GCR Task Force's proposal to be discussed and voted on at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting, which is a little over a week from today in Orlando, Florida. You can read it here.

Top Ten SBC Stories and Events of 2009

Baptist21 offers their top ten list of stories and events from 2009 in the Southern Baptist Convention.

1. Missionary Work Overseas
2. Changing Presidential Leadership
3. Dr. Danny Akin's GCR Sermon
4. Increased SBC Unity
5. Union University's "Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism"
6. Higher Attendance at SBC Louisville
7. Cancer Classroom
8. Christmas in August
9. SBTS's Sesquiencentennial
   
10. GCR Task Force
    

Click here for the full story.

More Reflections from the SBC

Michael Spencer offers his thoughts about what took place at the Southern Baptist Convention. Read them here.

Seven Reflections from the SBC

Aaron Menikoff offers seven reflections from the Southern Baptist Convention at the 9Marks blog. You can read them here. They are refreshingly encouraging.

9 Marks and the Southern Baptist Convention

If any of you are planning on going to the annual Southern Baptist Convention next month in Louisville, make sure you schedule time to go to 9Marks at 9 on June 22-23.

June 22 - Why the Nine Marks Are Central to the Future of the SBC, Mark Dever
June 23 - The SBC: Where We Are and Where We're Going, Danny Akin

Panel discussions will follow each evening.