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WHY OUR 'BRAND'
from IBSA 2023 Viewbook
by IBSA
WHY OUR ‘BRAND’
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is needed in Illinois
By Nate Adams IBSA Executive Director
A consultant assisting IBSA with strategic planning challenged us with this question: “Why does Illinois need a Southern Baptist ‘brand’ of disciple?”
He was making the point that there are many other evangelical groups in our state. While we are grateful for the work of all Christ-centered, biblically faithful churches, we do believe that the churches of our Illinois Baptist network and the missions work we do together bring unique, valuable, and powerful benefits to the mission field of Illinois.
Illinois needs Southern Baptists because—
Our churches deliver the gospel and teach doctrine that we believe most clearly interprets the Bible. The Baptist Faith and Message is a surprisingly brief yet powerfully clear statement that gives trustworthy guidance in the Bible’s most central truths. Those truths still meet the most pressing needs of our world today.
Some people think all Christians believe the same things or interpret the Bible the same way. But Baptists hold to unique and important beliefs about the authority of the Bible and the autonomy, leadership, and ordinances of the local church. For example, we believe differently than some other Christian groups how salvation takes place, and whether it lasts or can be lost.
Baptists also have increasingly countercultural beliefs about gender, sexuality, marriage, and the sanctity of life. Pastors trained in SBC schools and church members being discipled with SBC resources can be confident that they are building their lives on a clear understanding of God’s unchanging Word.
Our churches here are launching pads for sending the gospel everywhere. Each year, thousands of new believers profess faith in Christ through IBSA churches. New church plants often lead the way in the ratio of baptisms to church members. Many of them hear the gospel because our network provides training, resources, strategies, or events for intentional evangelism.
Our national SBC mission boards facilitate participation by these churches and their volunteers alongside thousands of career missionaries in evangelistic missions and church planting. Just think how slow worldwide mission work would be if each church had to attempt this on its own.
Our churches are a unique gift as a people. Our denomination with its cultural roots often translates to wonderful warmth and friendliness in church life—not to mention some pretty good cooking. Many of us grew up learning the Bible and loving missions, and that heart for the Lord and for the lost helps turn our churches inside out into our communities. Our churches have grown diverse in their ethnicities, music preferences, geographies, and sizes, equipping us to reach many different kinds of people.
We are not perfect by a long stretch. But at our best, our Illinois Baptist churches and the disciples they make are loving and unique gifts from God to some nine million lost people here. n
