Floyd issues Vision 2025 call to reach every person with the Gospel /// PREVIEWED ON COVER >> by Jonathan Howe and Amy Whitfield
SBC EC VICE PRESIDENT & ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNIC ATIONS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee (SBC EC) President Ronnie Floyd announced a new five-year initiative in conjunction with multiple entities to reach every person with the Gospel in every town, every city, every state and every nation. In his address Monday night Feb. 17, Floyd presented this Convention-wide initiative to members of the EC and a packed crowd in attendance for the group’s February 2020 meeting. “Vision 2025 is not a slogan or rallying cry,” Floyd said. “It’s a path forward to help us reimagine a new future together of reaching the world for Jesus Christ—every person, every town, every city, every state and every nation.” Vision 2025 contains five major strategic actions for the SBC to take on over the next five years: 1. Increase the total number of full-time, fully funded missionaries by a net gain of 500, giving the SBC 4,200 full-time, fully funded missionaries through the International Mission Board (IMB). 2. Add 6,000 new churches to the Southern Baptist family, giving the SBC more than 50,000 cooperating churches. 3. Increase the total number of workers in the field through a new emphasis on “calling out the called,” and then preparing those who are called out by the Lord. 4. Turn around the ongoing decline in the SBC in reaching, baptizing and discipling 12- to 17-yearolds in the prime of their teenage years. 5. Increase SBC-wide annual giving in successive years to reach and surpass $500 million given through the Cooperative Program.
Joining the call for this new vision in the That year there were 25 million Americans between SBC were the presidents of both misthe ages of 12 and 17, and baptisms of this sion boards. age group in the SBC totaled 137,667. In “I know of no better way to 2018—the most recent year with availbring His presence into a comable data—there were only 57,552 munity than with a new, evanbaptisms reported of 12-to 17-yeargelistically-focused church,” olds, but there were still 25 million said Kevin Ezell, president Americans in that age group. of the North American Mis“We must focus on evangelizsion Board (NAMB). “We ing and discipling this next genhave to stay committed and eration while we still have the opfocused on planting Gosportunity,” Alex Himaya, pastor of pel-proclamation outposts Broken Arrow, The Church at Batwhere they are needed most tleCreek, said in a statement. “Our in North America.” student ministries need to be known >> PHOTO: ERIC BROWN SBC Executive The SBC currently boasts Committee President Ronnie Floyd anmore for intentional evangelism more than 47,000 churches nounced a new five-year initiative. and discipleship than for events and across the United States. The games. May we raise up a mighty goal of 6,000 new churches algeneration of men and women paslows for growth through church planting, new affil- sionate for taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.” iations, and multisite campus multiplication, as well Cooperative funding is also integral to reaching as retention through replanting and revitalization. the goals set forth by Vision 2025. In 2018, CooperPaul Chitwood, president of the IMB added: “We ative Program giving totaled $463,076,368. An inlive in the most populous century in the history of crease of 1.25 percent per year through 2025 would humanity where 155,252 lost people die every day. see this goal attained and funding needs met to By growing our mission force by 500, and many of attain others—especially the sending of 500 new those 500 being devoted to training churches over- missionaries and planting of new churches. seas to send their own missionaries, Southern Bap“All our talk about more missionaries, more tists will see an exponential impact from their Great church planters and more seminary students is just Commission faithfulness.” that, talk, unless we show our willingness to pay for As of January 2020, the IMB had 3,673 mission- them,” Hance Dilbeck, executive director-treasurer aries deployed around the globe. The goal of 500 for Oklahoma Baptists, told Baptist Press. new missionaries is also one of IMB’s internal goals The SBC EC voted Tuesday, Feb. 18, to recomfor the next five years. mend Vision 2025 to the messengers at the 2020 Vision 2025 also addresses the continued decline Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting to be of baptisms among 12- to 17-year-olds. Floyd shared held June 9-10 in Orlando, Fla. his personal story of coming to Christ as a teenager For detailed reports on the SBC EC meeting, visit in the wake of the Jesus Movement in 1972. baptistmessenger.com
Atoka Coal Association continues mission support in Guererro /// PREVIEWED ON COVER
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>> PHOTOS: RANDY HURT 1) Missionary Norberto De La Cruz, right, helps a boy test his new glasses in the optometry department; 2) From left,
>> by Chris Doyle
MANAGING EDITOR
GUERRERO, Mexico—A missions team of four from Atoka Coal Association witnessed a move of the Lord in January. During a nine-day mission trip to Altamirano, a city in Guerrero, Mexico, this team experienced 164 people make professions of faith in Christ. The team consisted of Randy Hurt, director of missions in Atoka Coal Association; Jim Lewis, pastor of Coalgate, First; Tristan Robinson, missions leader at Coalgate, First; and Brock Woolf, youth pastor at Coalgate, First. Woolf shared with the Baptist Messenger a journal on the mission trip, reporting the team served with Fishers of Men medical caravan. Overall, this mission team served 808 people with the medical caravan. Woolf’s journal began with the team’s travelling experience, flying from Dallas to Mexico City and then to Acapulco. From there, the team caravanned to Altamirano, which was an all-day journey that included a truck breaking down and congested roads of political groups blocking the roads. Once in Altamirano, the missions team spent two days helping people with medical treatments.
Coalgate, First’s Pastor Jim Lewis, Mexico church planters Conny and Antonio with baby Zabdi, Coalgate, First’s Missions Leader Tristan Robinson, Coalgate, First’s Youth Pastor Brock Woolf and Atoka Coal Association Director of Missions Randy Hurt; 3) Guerrero Baptist Convention President Santos Rodriguez and evangelism team member Elizabeth Santana lead a mother and daughter in prayer to receive Christ.
“We had many different stations for people to get medical help, optometry and dentistry,” Woolf said. “We had a nurse who administered shots and minor treatments. A small pharmacy was set up to provide medication, and a doctor gave examinations and advised patients. “The evangelism team was there to share the Gospel with the people,” Woolf continued. “They were ready to sit and talk and answer questions that people had about the Bible, and (we) were excited to share what the Bible says and what God had done in (our) lives.” Woolf gave his thoughts about sharing the Gospel with more than 800 people and experiencing the 164 professions of faith in Christ. “It was incredible to see and to be a part of God working in their lives,” he said. On their journey back to Acapulco, the team had some minor encounters but “nothing too terrible,” Woolf said. After stopping for lunch, they encountered another truck breakdown, but Woolf said one of the national Christians named Juan who was part of their team knew how to get the truck working again. “He is kind of a magician when it comes to fixing vehicles,” Woolf said about Juan.
After arriving safely back in Acapulco, the team decided to stay an extra day and worship with their friends on Sunday. Rescheduling their flights turned out to be another blessing, as Woolf explained. “We found out that the road in Teloloapan was blocked again with cars backed up,” he said. Traffic was at a standstill all day. “If we had stuck to the (original) plan, our way back would have been blocked, and we would have missed our flights back home. It reminded me of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Woolf concluded his mission trip report acknowledging God’s sovereignty. “Even though our world is crazy, and things don’t always go the way we think they should, God still has a plan for us,” he said. Atoka Coal Association will continue to do mission work in Guerrero, specifically in Altamirano, the association’s adopted region. The association provides ongoing support to Caplet Lorenzano, Guerrero state director of missions, as well as five churches and missionary pastors.
Features | February 27, 2020 | The Baptist Messenger | www.baptistmessenger.com
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