June 20, 2018 Illinois Baptist

Baptist

Landslide: Greear wins with 2-1 majority, becomes youngest SBC president ever

I ask it every year about this time

The gavel is passed

2018 Convention

Politics takes spotlight

Pence appearance overshadows abuse debate

Dallas | Argument by convention messengers over the last-minute addition of a speech by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence shunted discussion of Paige Patterson’s handling of sexual abuse allegations and subsequent firing. And Pence replaced Patterson as the most controversial figure on the schedule at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas in June.

After his firing by the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s trustees executive committee as president emeritus, Paige Patterson eventually withdrew as the scheduled preacher at the convention. Patterson was replaced by the alternate who was elected last year, Austin, Texas pastor Kie Bowman. Patterson’s firing produced a string of motions and debate, but it was Pence’s appearance that ignited the most argument in the hall and online, and produced a small protest.

Patterson withdraws as convention preacher after second firing

Action by Southwestern executive committee supported, messengers reject their removal

Task force identifies ways to increase evangelism and turn baptism declines

Actions on sexual abuse, role of women pass with little debate

Plus: Look who we saw in Texas

SPECIAL SECTION P. 5-13

PENCE

Team coverage starting on P. 5

Nate Adams P. 2

As Illinois turns 200 in 2018, IBSA is seeking to engage at least 200 churches in each of these challenges. Is your church one of them?

98

Total Participating Churches: 142

Read more about these challenges and register your church for one or more at IBSA.org/Pioneering, or contact IBSA’s John Carruthers at (217) 391-3110 or JohnCarruthers@IBSA.org.

BICENTENNIAL MOMENT

Happy 200th Birthday, Illinois!

Celebrating our state and Baptist work across two centuries

Four IBSA churches still active today were in existence at the time Illinois became a state in 1818: First Baptist Church, Elizabethtown (1806); Shiloh Baptist Church, Villa Ridge (1817); Bankston Fork Baptist Church, Harrisburg (1818); and Jonesboro First Baptist Church (1818).

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 6/15/18

$2,832,466

Budget Goal: $2,907,692

Received to date in 2017: $2,796,954

2018 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Multimedia Journalist - Andrew Woodrow

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3119 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. E-mail us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff.

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every three weeks by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

NATE ADAMS

Who cares

Though I grew up the son of a pastor and denominational worker, I was in my mid-30’s before I first attended a national Southern Baptist Convention. When the convention came to Indianapolis one year, a friend invited my dad and me to drive over and experience it with him. Though I was a Sunday School teacher and deacon in my church, I have to admit that my first thoughts at his invitation were, “Who cares? Who would want to take the time and spend the money attending what sounds like a large church business meeting?”

In fact, even after attending that first meeting, I came home thinking, “Well, that was kind of interesting, especially the big LifeWay bookstore and the exhibit area. But I don’t think it’s relevant enough to me or my church to go again.”

And so I didn’t, until the North American Mission Board invited me to join the staff there. That was 1997, in Dallas, and when I returned there this year it was for my 22nd consecutive SBC.

I think it’s probably healthy for me to remember that, as an Illinois Baptist layman, I didn’t find the annual SBC meeting particularly relevant, or at least worth the time and expense, until I joined the staff of the NAMB and now IBSA. But that’s when the phrase “who cares” stopped being a question for me, and started being the answer to a different question.

That different question became, simply, “Who decides?” Who decides who our missionaries are, and how our cooperative missions money is spent? Who decides how our national entities are led, and how we will speak to our culture? Who gets to decide Southern Baptist doctrinal positions, and how tomorrow’s pastors are trained?

What I’ve learned over the years is that the person who gets to weigh in on all those important questions and decisions is the person who cares. It’s the person who cares enough to attend the meetings, and to understand and participate in the process. The person who shrugs and asks, “Who cares?” doesn’t. The person who cares does.

Of course, not every person who cares gets his or her way in the process. There were several times during this year’s meeting in Dallas when I couldn’t believe what was being said by a messenger from the floor, or when I even disagreed with what was being said from the platform. At least one of the votes disappointed me.

But now that all is said and done, I look back on the annual meeting of messengers to the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention, and realize that, once again, spirited discussion among Spirit-led believers has resulted in both specific decisions and general direction that are trustworthy, and good stewardship of our shared beliefs and resources, and accountable to the churches.

Somehow the miracle of voluntary, grassroots cooperation by diverse, autonomous churches working together through respectful, democratic processes – led us once again to a place of blessing. And that blessing is the opportunity to do far more together than any individual church can do alone.

To be candid, I occasionally go back to the question form of “Who cares?” and wonder how relevant some of what happens at the national SBC level really is to the life of the average Illinois Baptist church. I’m sure some people ask that same question of their state convention or even local associational meetings. But things are decided at all those meetings that impact the mission of God through all our churches and missionaries.

While I can, I want to be in on those decisions, as one of the people who cares.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

How my doubts about the SBC Annual Meeting led to a place of blessing.

Efforts to “uninvite” Pence failed.

Pence told messengers who packed the hall Wednesday, after a lengthy pass through TSA security, that the SBC is “one of the greatest forces for good anywhere in America.” He shared a brief testimony of coming to Christ 40 years ago, before spending a half hour on the accomplishments of the Trump administration, including recent peace talks with North Korea. Pence received multiple standing ovations and even a few shouts of “four more years.”

Pence asked Baptists to “continue in your calling with renewed energy. Stand and go and speak. Stand in the gap. Because in these too-divided times, I believe that your voice, your compassion, your values, and your ministries are more needed than ever before.”

Most messengers in the hall gave Pence a warm reception, but outside the hall many other Baptists expressed dismay with the content and tone of his message.

“Have mercy on us,” tweeted Paul Cooper, pastor of Marshall Baptist Church in Marshall, Ill. “#SBC18AM just became a political rally. Not the place for election speeches. Nothing wrong with campaigning—but not here.”

North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley tweeted, “I love America. I like Mike Pence. I hate this.”

Newly elected SBC President J.D. Greear posted after Pence’s address, “I know that sent a terribly mixed signal. We are grateful for civic leaders who want to speak to our Convention—but make no mistake about it,

our identity is in the gospel and our unity is in the Great Commission. Commissioned missionaries, not political platforms, are what we do.”

But others supported the appearance by Pence. Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, tweeted from a different perspective. “Vice President Mike Pence speaking to SBC! Why do things like this matter? It is good for people in power to know us. We may need them at some point. Also, we need to affirm evangelicals in politics. It is a tough calling.”

On Tuesday, a messenger brought a motion to replace Pence’s address with a time of prayer and reflection. The motion failed, but two other motions made on the floor asked SBC leaders to avoid inviting political figures to address future annual meetings.

Those opposed to Pence’s visit said it could give the appearance that the Convention was endorsing one political party over another, would be disrespectful to minorities who feel the current administration doesn’t represent them, and could put international Baptist workers at risk. A small group opposed to Pence’s appearance gathered in the convention center hallway for prayer.

Three resign from seminary posts

Professors at three Southern Baptist seminaries resigned in May, including a leading SBC expert in evangelism and youth ministry.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Alvin Reid, a senior professor at Southeastern Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, N.C., resigned May 18, citing “personal and spiritual issues.” Reid, 59, said on his website, “I have resigned from teaching and public ministry to address personal and spiritual issues in my life. Please pray for me and my family. For now and the foreseeable future, to respect my family, I do not intend to say anything else publicly about this.”

Reid, who joined Southeastern’s faculty in 1995, held the Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism at the seminary. He also has resigned as pastor of the young professionals ministry at Richland Creek Community Church in Wake Forest.

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., accepted the resignation of Christian George, an assistant professor of historical theology and curator of the seminary’s Spurgeon Library and its digitized Spurgeon Archive. George’s resignation was “due to a personal moral failing,” Midwestern told North Carolina’s Biblical Recorder newspaper.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Recorder also reported the resignation of David Sills from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. Sills, professor of missions and cultural anthropology, had been a member of the International Mission Board (IMB) presidential search committee seeking a successor to David Platt. No reason for his resignation was stated by Southern.

Sills, who also resigned as president of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries, previously served as an IMB missionary in Ecuador. Southern Seminary, in a statement to the Biblical Recorder, said President Al Mohler “received the resignation of Dr. David Sills from the Southern Seminary faculty on May 23, 2018. Southern Seminary is committed to the highest standards of both principle and policy. Our policies and procedures are clear and are consistently applied. Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.”

OFFICIAL VISIT – Vice President Mike Pence addressed the Southern Baptist Convention June 13, raising questions over the SBC’s perceived ties to a particular political party.

On page 1: North Carolina pastor J.D. Greear accepts the gavel from SBC parliamentarian Barry McCarty at the June 13 conclusion of the convention, a day after his historic election as president of the 15-million member denomination.

Court goes against stream

The Supreme Court’s June 4 ruling in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips was celebrated by religious liberty advocates, even as many warned the Court’s narrow opinion doesn’t necessarily set a precedent for future religious liberty cases. What the Court did indicate by siding with the baker penalized for refusing to decorate a cake for a same-sex wedding, said Andrew Walker of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, is that expression of religious convictions isn’t necessarily hate speech.

“There’s growing concern on what role evangelical Christians can have in a culture that maligns biblical views on marriage as bigoted,” Walker wrote at ERLC.com following the Court’s decision. “What mainstream access can Christians have in a culture when its views are no longer in the mainstream?

“That’s an unsettled question, but the Supreme Court answered today with an encouraging reply.”

HB40 faces new challenge

Pro-life advocates are continuing their fight against HB40, the bill that legalized taxpayerfunded abortions in Illinois after Gov. Bruce Rauner signed it into law last year. The law, which provides abortions through Medicaid and state employees’ health insurance plans, prevailed in court earlier this year. But its opponents, including State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard), are now appealing that decision before the Fourth District Appellate Court.

Breen’s argument is that the state is unable to fund the abortions provided in the bill. Fox Illinois reports there is no timeframe for the justices’ decision.

Illinois ratifies ERA

The Equal Rights Amendment is one state away from the number it needs to become an amendment to the U.S. Constitution—as long as Congress agrees to extend its 1982 deadline. A May 30 vote in the Illinois House made the state the 37th to ratify the ERA; in order for it to become the 28th amendment to the Constitution, 38 states need to approve it.

Originally proposed in 1972, the ERA was approved by 35 states before the 1982 deadline. Nevada became the 36th to ratify it last year. Supporters of the measure say it would provide full gender equality; opponents say it would expand abortion opportunities and eliminate protections women receive under current laws.

– ERLC.com, Fox Illinois, State Journal-Register

Baptisms, membership decline

2017 report shows increases in worship attendance, giving

Nashville, Tenn. | The Southern Baptist Convention expanded by more than 270 churches in 2017. More people showed up for weekly worship services, and congregations gave more generously in a strengthening economy. However, reported baptisms and membership declined as fewer churches participated in the SBC’s Annual Church Profile (ACP).

Longstanding patterns continued to dominate the ACP, which is compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions.

-The number of churches cooperating with the Southern Baptist Convention grew for the 19th consecutive year, reaching 47,544. That’s a 16.3% increase in churches since 1997.

-Membership fell for the 11th consecutive year, to 15 million. Since 2006, Southern Baptist congregations have lost about 1.3 million members.

-Baptisms also declined, as they have for eight of the past 10 years. Congregations reported baptizing 254,122 people—26.5% fewer than in 2007. The latest ratio was one baptism for every 59 church members.

Baptist life, though the summary does include adjustments in some categories for non-reporting congregations. This summer, LifeWay Research plans to release statistical analysis of the current state of the SBC that includes estimates of the congregations that did not report.

Despite the lower participation rate, the ACP report shows increases in some areas:

-Average attendance at weekly worship services climbed 2.3% to 5.3 million, an increase of nearly 120,000.

-States outside the South reported some of the strongest signs of growth. California now has 47 more congregations and Michigan has 24 more congregations than the previous year. Those figures include churches along with church-type missions—congregations that are not fully independent or self-sustaining.

-Non-Southern states are now home to 21.3% of Southern Baptist churches and 32.2% of church-type missions.

-Reported baptisms nearly doubled in Colorado and rose 31% in Iowa, 17.6% in Alaska, and 13.4% in New Mexico. In North and South Dakota, weekly worship

“It’s heartbreaking to be baptizing fewer people for Christ, even though Southern Baptists have nearly 2,900 more churches than we had a decade ago,” said LifeWay President Thom S. Rainer

“Yet a quarter million baptisms is not an insignificant number. We praise God for every individual who has come to Christ and followed him in baptism. It is my prayer that God would embolden Southern Baptists to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors.”

Fewer churches reporting

The ACP numbers don’t tell the full story of baptisms or other measurables among Southern Baptist churches. Despite the best efforts of associations and state conventions across the country, 26% of churches did not participate, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. The percentage of SBC churches that participated by reporting at least one item was 74%, down from 80% in 2013 and 77% in each of the last three years. (In Illinois, 95% of IBSA churches submitted an ACP for 2017.)

For that reason, reported totals do not include all of the activity within Southern

attendance grew by 20.8% while baptisms climbed 34.8%.

Overall, Southern Baptist churches reported 4,376 church-type missions last year, down 2.6% from 2016. The count of churches and missions combined is 51,920 congregations.

Giving & mission expenditures

Southern Baptists saw an increase in overall giving of almost $267 million. Total and undesignated church receipts reported through the ACP increased 3.3% and 2.3% respectively.

Reported mission expenditures fell by about $4 million in 2017. However, the numbers are not directly comparable since there were changes in how many and which state conventions collected this statistic.

Congregations reported total mission expenditures of just under $1.19 billion.

Individual congregations voluntarily report their ACP data to their local Baptist associations and/or their state conventions. National statistics are compiled and released when all cooperating state conventions have reported.

– From Baptist Press

IN FOCUS

New faces, new issues

In tumultuous times, the new president of the SBC will be no figurehead

Dallas | J.D. Greear says his election does not indicate a generational shift in the Southern Baptist Convention. But the photos of Greear, 45, with his opponent Ken Hemphill, 70, and outgoing SBC President Steve Gaines, 60, might attest otherwise. Then there’s the jeans and tennis shoes he wore as the incoming SBC officers were introduced Wednesday afternoon.

“What I don’t think this [election] represents is a passing of the baton where the older generation fades off into the sunset and the new, young generation is in charge,” Greear said after his landslide win. “We walk forward together,” he said in a conciliatory tone.

Two years after he won the approval of many by stepping aside in a tight race with Gaines saying he wanted to avoid division in the denomination, Greear won this election by a 2-1 margin, taking 69% of the vote. With this overwhelming tally, Greear became the youngest president of the denomination in its 173-year history.

In the election, little mention was made of Greear’s reformed theology. In fact, much was made of his North Carolina church’s record of evangelism and sending missionaries to the field through SBC channels. His nomination speech seemed to take pains to assure those who might be concerned about a shift away from evangelism by the election of a Calvinist. Greear expressed his commitment to evangelistic

renewal in the denomination in a subsequent press conference.

Greear takes office facing a challenging slate of issues not evident when he announced his candidacy five months ago. In addition to the continuing decline in baptisms and per capita Cooperative Program giving to missions by SBC church members, Greear faces the issues of unreported sexual abuse and moral failure by SBC leaders, the role of women in Southern Baptist leadership, and the future of the Executive Committee, International Mission Board, and now troubled Southwestern Seminary.

In reporting Greear’s election, Christianity Today called the SBC presidency a “symbolic, visionary role.” Today, that description could not be more wrong. Greear will not only be the new face of the SBC, he will be the first of his generation to assume the role at a most critical juncture in SBC history. Greear told his church that his service wouldn’t require any more of his time than his usual travel schedule as a nationally recognized and much sought-after speaker. It will be interesting to ask him in a year if that assessment was correct.

Digging out of this mess will take more time and effort than anyone imagined. And it will require true leadership.

– Eric Reed

It’s not ‘Tricky’ now

Beth Moore is one of a dozen SBC leaders appearing in a new rap video, “Too Legit to Quit,” congratulating Greear on his election. A similar campaign video in 2016, called “It’s Tricky,” was criticized for the inclusion of many of those same entity leaders.

Reporting from Dallas: Lisa Misner

Staff reporters: Meredith Flynn, Eric Reed, Andrew Woodrow

Designer: Kris Kell

Editorial Assistant: Leah Honnen

Photos by Baptist Press

ILLINOIS BAPTIST TEAM COVERAGE

JORDANS

‘What’s the solution?’

After a troubled year, messengers hear hard but honest reports

Prior to their annual meeting in Dallas, Southern Baptists were already wrestling with issues of leadership. The departures of two key Baptist leaders from their posts had frayed denominational nerves and reignited old conflicts. And the upcoming SBC presidential election deepened divides over theology and generation and ministry philosophy.

Some years, the issues that create buzz online fail to figure prominently in the actual gathering. This was not that year. Baptists meeting in Dallas did address some difficult questions of leadership. But for the most part, they did so together, leaving Texas having made several strong statements of unity, with their voices and with their votes.

Greear’s decisive win

In 2016, J.D. Greear bowed out of the election for SBC president in order to avoid a contentious run-off with Steve Gaines. His withdrawal from the race defined that meeting in St. Louis, and set the stage for a probable re-run after Gaines completed two one-year terms. What was less expected was the candidacy of Ken Hemphill, a 70-year-old Baptist statesman respected for his contribution to SBC life in a variety of leadership roles.

The run-up to the Greear/Hemphill election wasn’t without controversy. Public campaigning for both candidates by Baptist leaders made a return this year, as did divisive rhetoric. But the candidates stood together on a number of occasions, in-person and on social media, to call Baptists to prayer for the SBC and its mission.

Greear’s victory was overwhelming: He received 5,410 votes (68.62%), to Hemphill’s 2,459 (31.19%). “Congratulations to J.D. Greear,” Hemp-

6 priorities for the SBC

Newly elected President J.D. Greear outlined his goals for the denomination at a press conference in Dallas:

1. The gospel. “For as long as there has been a convention you’ve had things that threatened to challenge that unity of the gospel,” Greear said. “[I’m] just wanting to see the gospel be what we unify around and not be divided on secondary and tertiary issues.”

2. Cultural diversity in leadership.

To answer the questions of a changing society, Greear said, “We need perspective and wisdom that our members of color are bringing to us.”

3. Evangelism. Greear defined it as acknowledging “our core responsibility to declare the gospel to all peoples of the world.”

4. Church planting. Greear wants to help every SBC church engage in church planting in partnership with the International and North American Mission Boards.

5. Mobilization of college students.

“I’d love to see a generation of Southern Baptist students that began to think of the Kingdom of God first in where they choose to live their lives and pursue their careers,” Greear said.

6. Engagement. Greear said, “We believe that the SBC is a mission and gospel organization for all peoples of the U.S., and not just a certain cultural or political kind or a certain age.”

– The Christian Post

hill tweeted after the election. “He will be a fine president.” Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in RaleighDurham, expressed his own appreciation for Hemphill and reached across the aisle with a message to his opponent’s supporters: “I hope the 31% who voted for Ken... would see I want to be a president that goes forward with them, because they are a necessary part of the body of Christ.”

As president, the North Carolina pastor seems poised to continue Gaines’s focus on renewing evangelism across the Convention. At a post-election press conference, he outlined six priorities for the SBC, including evangelism, a key issue for the past several SBC presidents. Greear also pledged to focus on diversity and mobilization and engagement of the next generations of Baptists (see sidebar).

Igniting passion for church planting and missions also will figure into Greear’s agenda as president. According to Baptist Press, Summit currently has more than 150 people serving as International Mission Board missionaries, and has planted almost 250 churches.

Although Greear has said his election is not about passing the baton from one generation to the next, that he is the first Gen Xer to hold the post is important at a time when the SBC is working to engage younger leaders. His bent toward reformed theology, while a matter of much discussion leading up the election, didn’t appear to dissuade many voters in Dallas.

“I don’t believe the issue is as much about handing the baton to the next generation or about reformed theology as it is about encouraging Baptists to be a sending force to the difficult places around our nation and around our world,” said Sammy Simmons, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton, Ill. “Who better to lead us than someone who is faithfully leading his church to be a sending force.”

Trust the trustees

For the generation of Baptists raised mostly after the Conservative Resurgence that began in the late 1970s, trustee boards and nomination processes are largely business boilerplate. In Dallas, however, trustees of Baptist entities were back in the spotlight—and the subject of debate on the convention floor.

Tom Hatley, a pastor from Arkansas, proposed a motion to dismiss Southwestern Seminary’s trustee executive committee, the body that terminated President Emeritus Paige Patterson’s employment two weeks prior to the Dallas meeting. Hatley took issue with the executive committee’s move to fire Patterson, who was removed as president May 23 and named president emeritus after weeks of controversy over past statements about women and domestic abuse. Then, the executive committee fired Patterson May 30, citing new information about how Patterson handled an allegation of sexual abuse

against a student during his tenure as president of Southeastern Seminary.

When Hatley’s motion was brought to the convention floor for debate and a vote, Bart Barber, a Texas pastor and member of the trustee executive board, stood to speak against it. “If you rob the trustees of their spine, you rob the messengers of their voice,” he said. Messengers sided with the trustees, voting down Hatley’s motion.

In another show of support for elected trustees, messengers also made the somewhat unusual decision to amend the Committee on Nominations’ report. Dan Anderson, who is completing a term as a trustee of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, was denied the opportunity to serve another term when committee members from his state convention, Kansas-Nebraska, chose to give his spot to another candidate from their convention. Their unusual decision was made, Anderson said, because of the perception that he wouldn’t oppose ERLC President Russell Moore.

Trevor Atwood, chairman of the ERLC trustees, spoke on behalf of Anderson, asking messengers to “right a wrong” and reinstate him. They did.

Moore, who recently marked his fifth anniversary as head of the SBC’s public policy agency, continued to face backlash because of his harsh criticism of President Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign. Some Baptists saw Moore’s refusal to support Trump, and perceived criticism of those who did, as an indicator that the agency doesn’t represent the interests of most Southern Baptists.

Nathan Rager, a messenger from Florida, proposed to amend the Cooperative Program budget by defunding the ERLC and moving its allocation—$3.2 million—to the International Mission Board instead.

NEW TEAM – Newly elected 2018 Southern Baptist Convention officers: (left to right) John Yeats, registration secretary, Felix Cabrera, second vice president, J.D. Greear, president, A.B. Vines, second vice president, and Don Currance, registration secretary.

Richard Land, Moore’s predecessor at the ERLC, spoke against the amendment and in doing so, seemed to caution messengers against muzzling the entity’s voice.

“One of the aspects of the ERLC is that if you do what conventions ask you to do, you’re going to offend everybody sooner or later when you speak the truth in love,” said Land, now president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. “The Commission has been called the conscience of the convention, and we need the ERLC to speak to Southern Baptists and to speak for Southern Baptists when they have reached consensus. We don’t wait for unanimity. Otherwise, we’d be mute.

“But when we reach consensus, Washington, the United Nations, and the world needs to hear what Southern Baptists believe about compelling issues.”

Righting the ship

Because the Annual Church Profile (ACP) numbers are released just before the annual meeting, the convention often is a setting to talk about bright spots and challenges, which has, in recent years, focused on declining baptism numbers.

Augie Boto, interim president of the SBC Executive Committee, used part of his report in Dallas to shed light on some of the numbers, and to encourage Baptists toward an all-hands-on-deck approach to the challenges they face.

Boto compared the denomination to a ship, that, while not sinking, is in need of maintenace. “If we look at vital stats, it looks like we may have been focusing on where our ship is, rather than where our ship should be going,” he said. Expressing concern for state conventions, he underscored the vital role they play in evangelism.

Boto said the SBC’s 34 state conventions have hit a high mark for how much Cooperative Program giving they forward to the Executive Committee for national and international missions and ministry. The concern is, Boto said, that the focus on sending more money out of the state can neglect important ministries there at home.

“Most of that work is being done at the state level. That most important work—evangelism—it must, it must be provided for. It must be done at the state level.”

Boto made two suggestions “to bring our ship back under power. We need to witness and to tithe—two things we used to do better.”

Two task forces brought reports to the Dallas meeting in hopes of reinvigorating Baptist efforts in evangelism and discipleship. The group appointed by President Steve Gaines to inspire greater effectiveness in evangelism presented several recommendations for pastors, churches, SBC leaders, and the Convention as a whole (see page 9). Another task force, this one focused on discipleship, brought its findings as part of the North American Mission Board’s report.

Tennessee pastor Robby Gallaty recounted that the task force analyzed the last 20 years of ACP data and discovered that, despite 7.1 million baptisms over that span, average church attendance remained virtually flat. Even after factoring in for mortality, Gallaty

said 6.5 million people had dropped out of church attendance over those 20 years.

“Our convention could be twice as large as it is today if we would have simply engaged the people we just baptized,” he said. Have we, Gallaty wondered, viewed baptism as the finish line, rather than a starting point?

He summarized the task force’s recommendations: increase Bible engagement for church members; examine the connection between salvation decisions and group involvement; and examine the number of groups that multiply on a regular basis. Gallaty encouraged Baptists to participate in the “80 by 20 challenge,” with a goal to increase the percentage of people engaging the Bible in SBC churches to 80% by the year 2020.

Revive us, again

Kie Bowman’s journey to the convention podium was in question up until a few days before the meeting convened. The Texas pastor, elected in 2017 to serve as the alternate convention preacher, filled the spot left vacant after Paige Patterson withdrew from preaching the message.

Even on the morning he was to preach, Bowman’s message was delayed by an address from Vice President Mike Pence (see page 1). When he finally stood to speak, the Scripture passage he chose seemed appropriate for a Convention rattled by weeks of controversy and difficult conversations. Preaching from the book of Ezekiel, Bowman focused on the God who is able to breathe new life into dead things, just as the dry bones came back together in Ezekiel’s vision.

Some messengers may be struggling in their marriages or with their children or in their ministries, Bowman said. “Some of you may be just struggling with where we are as a convention. We’ve heard some sobering reports. Yes, we believe in the Good News. Yes, we’re optimistic, but it’s going to be an uphill battle and we all know it.

“It may feel like to you that there are a lot of dry bones around your life, but here’s your good news: God specializes in raising the dead, and nothing is impossible with God,” Bowman said. “Anything God has ever done before he can do again, and anything God’s ever done anywhere he can do here. Anything God’s ever done with anyone, he can do with you.”

Gaines’s final president’s message was similarly encouraging, focusing on a supernatural God able to do supernatural things.

“What is going to be the solution to our decline?” asked Gaines, pastor of the Memphisarea Bellevue Baptist Church. “What can God do with us?

“First of all, you have to believe in a bigger God than you believe in right now. You need to believe in the God of the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Gaines opened and closed his message in song, concluding with the resurrection anthem, “He’s Alive.” He called Baptists to tell a waiting world what they know to be true.

“I believe one of the greatest things we could walk out of here with in a few days is to tell the world that God is still on his throne.”

– IB team, with additional reporting by Baptist Press

GAINES

Curt Starner, pastor of Erven Avenue Baptist Church in Streator, placed third in his division at the Global Hunger Relief Run.

Cell phones light the closing of the Crossover Harvest America crusade. More than 2,300 put their faith in Christ at the Crossover evangelistic outreach.

Rudy Luna (left) and Paul Garcia of Harvest Relief repair a home in Arlington, Texas. They were part of a team revitalizing the community as part of Crossover 2018.

Zak McCullar of Alabama makes a motion to add a Children’s Day to the SBC calendar.

#MeToo realities

Panels address sexual abuse and women’s issues

BY LISA MISNER

Dallas | The church’s handling of abuse and the #MeToo moment were major topics prior to the SBC’s Annual Meeting and at two panel discussions adjacent to the convention itself. Within the official meeting, actions were limited to passage of two resolutions on the role of women in ministry and an apology to abuse victims, some explanation in reports from seminary presidents, and a motion from the floor asking if a woman could be elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

All this comes on the 100th anniversary of women first being elected as voting messengers to the annual convention, and more important, following weeks of controvery surrounding the handling of abuse cases on two SBC seminary campuses, and remarks about women by former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson. Also former President of Southeastern Seminary where some of the allegations arose, Patterson was first removed from the SWBTS presidency by the full board of trustees, which promoted him to president emeritus with salary and benefits. A week later, as more allegtions emerged, the seminary trustees executive committee fired Patterson from that role and withdrew the offer of housing on the Southwestern campus.

Against this backdrop, messengers arrived in Dallas to find the topics of women and abuse allegtions handled mostly in ancillary panel discussions.

“You need to be trained in this like you’ve never been trained in this,” Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas cautioned ministry leaders at a luncheon sponsored by B21. “Most of these men who’ve done this are narcissists and are going to come off as great guys,” he warned. He warned that pastors should make what is meant by submission clear in their sermons. “Every time you talk about submission you need to add the caveat about spiritual, physical, sexual, emotional abuse, because these guys are using this.”

In the B21 panel discussion and another by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the debate

assumed a theological position of complementarianism, meaning men and women serve complementary roles in marriage and leadership.

Southern Seminary President Al Mohler said, “If you want to be a patriarchal abuser, complementarianism is an idiology you can grasp onto... Let’s just own this.” Mohler condemned “the distortion of complementarianism to justify predatory and abusive behavior (as) heresy and sin.” He also stressed that complementarianism doesn’t mean every woman is supposed to be submissive to every man.

At the same session, James Merritt, pastor of Cross Pointe Church in metro Atlanta said, “I don’t know of anything that Scripture prohibits within our denomination that a woman can’t do,” he said. “A woman can be president of the Southern Baptist Convention…. I don’t know of any position a woman cannot hold biblically. Outside the position of elder, I don’t know of any position of authority a woman cannot hold in the church.”

Merritt noted, “I think sometimes we complementarians go into a Pharisee mode of going beyond what the Scriptures teach, and I think it’s a good wake-up moment for us today.”

Southeastern Seminary President Danny Akin told B21 attendees his school did something historic by electing a woman to chair the trustees. “Becky Gardner is one of the most godly, competent women that I’ve ever met. There’s no sense in which you can make a biblical argument about it. She’s not serving as an elder, a pastor, or an overseer. She’s serving as an administrator.” Gardner is the wife of Joe Gardner, an IBSA zone consultant and director of missions at Metro Peoria Association.

But there’s much the local church can do.

Russell Moore, president of the ERLC, said to be careful when using spiritual language such as grace and mercy. “In almost every abuser in

No time for discussion Important resolutions passed with little

BY TOM STRODE M

essengers to the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention affirmed the dignity and worth of women, denounced all forms of abuse, and called for sexual purity among Christian leaders in adopting 16 resolutions.

Because of time constraints at the close of the June 12 afternoon session, messengers approved 14 of the resolutions with a single vote. Revisions were offered from the floor on the resolutions on abuse and human dignity, and the committee received them as friendly amendments. Messengers approved all the resolutions in votes that appeared nearly unanimous.

debate

Passage of the resolutions on women, abuse, and pastoral purity by nearly unanimous votes late in the afternoon session came after months of disclosures of sexual abuse and misconduct by male leaders had rocked Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches and institutions.

Adoption of the measures also came in the wake of the May 30 termination of Paige Patterson at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary following his alleged mishandling of the reported rape of a female student and criticism of his advice to a woman abused by her husband.

The resolution on women recognized May 15 as the 100th anniversary

a church context I’ve ever seen...[he] wants to identify himself as King David and says we need to forgive this, and move on, ‘I need to continue on the same place where I was before.’”

Moore said the church needs to be bold and say, “That is not what grace is as defined by the gospel of Jesus Christ. You cannot use the grace of God in order to harm and to destroy Jesus’ flock.”

Several of the panelists noted that some churches fear public reports of abuse can ruin their witness in the community. “This is not a public relations issue to be managed,” stated Moore.

“Jesus does not need you to rescue his reputation by covering up sin.”

Kimberlee Norris, sexual abuse attorney with Ministry Safe, said background checks are not enough. She recommended adding to the background checks “training, screening, and appropriate policies that address grooming behaviors.”

Some of the most poignant advice come from ERLC Outreach Director Trilla Newbell, herself a survivor of sexual abuse. She appeared as a panelist at both events. Newbell advised pastors and churches to think ahead about how to handle such incidents. “It is incredibly important that we have (reporting) procedures already developed so that women in your midst, and men, know that they are already safe,” said Newbell, “so that they know you have already been thinking of this. So that they know that they will be loved.”

of female messengers to the SBC meeting and honored “the immeasurable contribution of women to our cooperative mission of Great Commission work.”

It also affirmed women’s gifts “in their distinctive God-assigned roles” and urged Southern Baptists “to encourage, cultivate, and celebrate the diverse gifts, callings, and contributions of women in biblically appropriate ways.”

The measure on abuse renounced “all abusive behavior as unquestionably sinful” and called for decisive action to report abuse allegations to law enforcement authorities. It also offered compassion to abuse victims, “being careful to remind the abused that such injustice is undeserved and not a result of personal guilt or fault.”

In the resolution on clergy purity, messengers repudiated actions that undermine the New Testament standard of holiness for Christian leaders and urged churches “to exercise ap-

propriate redemptive church discipline” when needed.

While the subjects of these first three resolutions had some overlap, the Resolutions Committee—which received 38 resolutions, the most since 1997, “determined to address each theme individually” because of the number of proposed statements it received, Chairman Jason Duesing told reporters afterward.

“It was clear to us that the convention wanted to speak to those themes,” and separate resolutions allowed the committee to meet that desire, said Duesing, provost and associate professor of historical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo.

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, commented on the three resolutions by commending the Resolutions Committee “for strong, positive resolutions that address a crisis in our country and in our world right now.”

FRANK DISCUSSION – A panel in the exhibit hall included ERLC’s Russell Moore (second from right) and Beth Moore (no relation).

‘Where we stand’

Task force report clarifies Baptist position on evangelism

BY MEREDITH FLYNN

Taking the gospel to the world is a critical task—one that will require Baptists to work together, reported a task force appointed by outgoing SBC President Steve Gaines. The group, named by Gaines at last year’s annual meeting, presented their report in Dallas, where it was adopted by messengers.

Before the vote, the task force concurrently submitted to messengers a list of 12 evangelism affirmations and denials, based on and supported by Scripture. The report also includes several recommendations for individuals, churches, pastors, SBC entities, and the denomination as a whole—all meant to renew evangelism.

“We wanted to take the opportunity to provide a clear set of principles in terms of things we believe Southern Baptists can heartily affirm as it comes to speaking about evangelism,” said task force chairman Adam Greenway, “and with clarity saying things we do not believe evangelism entails.

“One of the most important things we can give to our convention of churches, and to a watching world, is a clear statement about...where Southern Baptists stand on the issues related to evangelism.”

The task force, which met throughout the year to develop the report, was created to study how Baptists can be more effective in evangelism, amid continually declining baptism numbers across the SBC. Doug Munton, pastor of First Baptist Church in O’Fallon and a member of the task force, said the group noted the element of personal responsibility inherent in evangelism. “We need to be intentional and purposeful,” Munton told the Illinois Baptist. “I was glad to hear our convention talking about evangelism. The evangelism task force work will be, I pray, a helpful step.”

The report, available in full at BPNews.net, alludes to differences in theology in the SBC, but also calls Baptists to unify around the Great Commission given to all Christians.

“We affirm that the Scriptures teach that gospel conversations should seek to include both clear

Resolutions continued from page 8

The resolution process not only speaks “to the outside world for the convention” but also serves “to help educate and equip” Southern Baptists, Moore said at the news conference. “And my hope is that these resolutions, as weighty and biblically crafted and worded as they are, would help to spark conversations and actions in local Southern Baptist churches and other churches about how can we best respond to those who are being abused.”

Messengers also continued to address racial reconciliation by adopting a resolution renewing the SBC’s “public repudiation of racism in all its forms,” including “the curse of Ham” teaching that God determined the descendants of this son of Noah would have dark skin and live in subordination.

In a measure on immigration, messengers again requested reform—as they had in 2011—that secures the

presentations of the ‘good news’ of salvation and genuine invitations for all people to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord,” the group wrote in one of the affirmations. Following it, the group denied “that gospel conversations are merely general talk about spiritual things and that an evangelistic invitation may only be extended by a singular methodological approach.”

The task force recommended the SBC Executive Committee put a “Baptism Day” on the denominational calendar. Illinois is among the states who have celebrated a statewide baptism emphasis— more than 400 people were baptized this spring on One GRAND Sunday.

Pat Pajak, IBSA’s associate executive director of evangelism, said the report was a great reminder

of Baptists’ mission to share the gospel and disciple people who come to faith in Christ.

“Anything we do that reignites a passion for evangelism is a good thing,” he said. “It’s so easy to get distracted by doing good things, busy work, administrative duties, and daily church work that we neglect the Great Commission. And, in eternity, the most important thing will not be if the newsletter was attractive, the calendar was up-to-date, the deacon meetings were on time, the piano was in tune, or the building was clean.

“What will count for all eternity is did we, as believers, share the good news of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection with others?”

borders and proves a pathway to legal status “with appropriate restitutionary measures.” The resolution also calls for “maintaining the priority of family unity.”

Messengers also approved resolutions that:

- Affirmed the “full dignity of every human being.”

- Called for “caution and wisdom in our media and social media” communications.

- Encouraged government authorities to establish policies that would curtail gun violence while functioning according to the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.

- Urged pastors and churches to be informed about the dangers of opioids and to minister to people impacted by opioid abuse.

- Pledged to pray for Arab Christians in the Middle East and around the world.

- Mourned the February death of evangelist Billy Graham, a Southern Baptist, and celebrated his life and ministry.

- Thanked God on the 100th anniversary of GuideStone Financial Resources.

- Voiced gratitude to God on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

- Offered thanks to God for 50 years of ministry through Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

- Expressed gratitude to God, as well as Southern Baptists in the Dallas area and all others who helped with this year’s meeting.

Messengers also passed a multisubject resolution that reaffirmed commitment to the trustworthiness of the Bible and “unswerving belief” in the one true God, continued to call for Southern Baptists to welcome refugees into their churches and homes, and urged church members to pray about adopting or fostering children.

Illinois’ Adron Robinson, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills and IBSA president, was one of nine people on the Resolutions Committee.

– Tom Strode is Washington Bureau Chief for Baptist Press.

SMALL PROTEST – Several women called for action at the 2018 convention.

DOOR TO DOOR – Kyle Walker (left), vice president for student services at Southwestern Seminary, and his wife Lauren (kneeling), share the gospel in Fort Worth during the Crossover evangelistic outreach prior to the SBC annual meeting.

– With additional reporting by Baptist Press

Standing on the promises of God

SPastors’ Conference speakers urge leaders to cling to the Word in a world of chaos peaking to a room full of pastors, Charlie Dates warned that what they say now will outlast anything they do.

“The Word we preach will outlive our ministries,” said Dates, pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. “What you proclaim will outlive what you’ve done.”

Dates spoke during the final session of the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference, held in Dallas prior to the annual meeting. Centered on the theme “Fulfill Your Ministry” drawn from 2 Timothy 4:5, the conference’s 12 speakers challenged attendees to finish strong in their calling to local church ministry.

The Chicago pastor preached from 1 Peter 1:2225, anchoring his message in the last part of the passage: “The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”

Dates cited examples of this truth in recent centuries, noting theologians Charles Spurgeon, Gardner Calvin Taylor, and Billy Graham may have passed away, but God’s Word lives on. It’s the same for all pastors, he said.

He urged all Christians to love one another, noting the words Peter wrote: “Because of our redemption in Jesus Christ we are bound in Jesus Christ to one another.”

“I wish everybody in the church I serve felt this way,” Dates said. “Don’t you wish everybody in the church, in the association in which you serve, loved one another? Where they’re glad you came?”

Dates acknowledged it isn’t easy. “One of the hardest things you’ll ever do in life is to love the folks you go to church with…Our love for one another is not the basis for our salvation, it is the result.”

Using an illustration about a beautiful floral bouquet he gave his wife, Dates said, “When God decided to be the architect of our salvation, he did

not pick something that would fade, he picked something that would last forever.”

The audience applauded as Dates picked up his cadence and used a litany of phrases to describe God’s living and enduring Word.

“It will build your faith, it will light your path, it will feed your soul, time cannot age it, the ages cannot time it, it’s the only book that’s ever read you…”

Summing up the statements, Dates declared, “Not only that the Word is alive and enduring, when you get the Word in you it sustains you. The Word will keep your feet moving and your gaze steady.”

“The Savior has come, be not dismayed, because the Savior has come,” Dates proclaimed. “His Word has come! The Word of God endures forever!”

Truth in chaos

Pastor Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas encouraged pastors leading churches in a world of chaos.

“God will cause distress to get our undivided attention and in order to do something new,” Evans said, speaking from 2 Chronicles 15:3-6. “God determines what he is going to do in a society by the presence, or the absence, of the influence of his people.”

Evans used the 2 Chronicles passage as a biblical example, pointing out three key elements to the chaos it reports—there was no true God; there was no true teaching priest; and there was no law. The God worshiped in 2 Chronicles is a dumbed-down version of the one true God, Evans said—and the same is largely true today.

Fulfilling ministry

“There is nothing sweeter, nothing better and nothing greater than the gospel. Hollywood can make you famous. Wall Street can make you rich. Washington can make you powerful. A university can make you smart. A hospital can make you well, but only the gospel can get you saved.”

“Every time you consider your calling, I want you to know that you have been chosen; that even when times get difficult, you have been chosen. Even when times get weary in the midst of ministry, remind yourself, ‘I have been chosen by God to serve his people and to declare his truth.’”

“Everybody wants God, they just want him on sale,” he said. “As long as they can get God cheap, they’ll get all they can handle. But the moment he comes at full price, they’ll shop elsewhere.”

Christians are called to seek after God, Evans said, noting that in the Scripture passage, “when they turned to the Lord God of Israel in their distress and sought him, he was found by them.”

Pastor Frank Pomeroy certainly can speak from experience about living and ministering in a chaotic world. His church, First Baptist of Sutherland Springs, Texas, was devastated last fall when a gunman charged in on a Sunday morning and killed 26 worshipers. Pomeroy and his wife, Sherri, who were both out of town that day, lost their 14-year-old daughter Annabelle in the shooting.

Pomeroy said he kept Jesus as his focus as the events of that morning threatened to sweep him away. Then God told him to go talk to those in the hospitals.

“At the hospital, every person capable of speech could not wait to express how blessed they were and how they could not wait to share the gospel,” he said. Pomeroy explained the church averaged about 75 in attendance at the time of the shooting but now has about 200.

“We have a temporary facility. We’re meeting in a tent. The worship leader is now paralyzed from the waist down. In the midst of that turmoil, people chose to stand in unity with Jesus Christ. In the midst of that uproar, our church chose to latch their arms with Christ. Because our people stood for Christ, revival is coming.”

– Lisa Misner, with additional reporting from Baptist Press

“I hear a lot of people talking about legacy…I don’t think we should be talking about our legacy or leaving a legacy. What I think we ought to be doing is living a legacy, because if you live a legacy, when you leave, God will take care of that.”

– James Merritt, pastor, Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, Ga.

– Bryan Carter, pastor, Concord Church, Dallas

– Jack Graham, pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas

INDELIBLE – Chicago pastor Charlie Dates told the audience at the SBC Pastors’ Conference in Dallas that God’s Word is alive and enduring.

FAITHFUL – God is there in times of chaos, preached Dallas pastor Tony Evans.

SUSTAINING – North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell (left) prayed for Frank and Sherri Pomeroy, who were in Dallas to share their story of God’s faithfulness following a November shooting at their church.

Testimonies of faith

Illinois planters featured at WMU meeting

Kempton Turner grew up in gangand crack-infested neighborhoods in East St. Louis. Destined to follow his parents’ lifestyle of addiction, during a wild and wanton trip to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras, Kempton was approached by a couple who shared the life-changing gospel with him. At that moment, “The Lord revealed himself to me,” Turner said, sending the young man on an unshakable pursuit of his faith.

Now as North American Mission Board church planters, he and his wife, Caryn, are planting their lives on the same East St. Louis streets. Through the City of Joy church, the Turners and their five children are making inroads for Christ by helping neighbors rehab homes and learn job skills, bringing hope to the devastated community with little hope.

The Turners, featured missionaries in the 2018 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions, shared their story as part of the National Woman’s Missionary Union Annual Meeting and Missions Celebration in Dallas June 10-11. The two-day conference also featured breakout sessions, a refugee simulation experience, and encouragement from National WMU President Linda Cooper and WMU Executive Director-Treasurer Sandy Wisdom-Martin, a former director of Illinois WMU.

During the Monday evening missions celebration, several hundred in attendance prayed for missionaries—many dressed in traditional clothing representative of their mission fields; gave offerings to support the mission work; and grieved over the 2.8 billion people in the world who have never heard the name of Christ.

David Platt, president of the International Mission Board, spoke to the group, recounting a recent trip to the Amazon River region where stories about a man named Jesus, the one true God, convicted many in the villages.

“God is seeking and saving the lost, and this gospel has the power to change lives,” Platt said. “May we be a people of unshakeable pursuit.”

David Melber, president of the North American Mission Board’s Send Relief outreach, shared how NAMB is focusing on areas of poverty, refugees and internationals, foster care and adoption, human trafficking and disaster response. He told of the work of ministry centers in Clarkston, Ga., Appalachia, and coming centers in Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, and New York.

Speaking on behalf of thousands of mis-

sionaries across North America, NAMB President Kevin Ezell thanked WMU leaders for their prayer and support.

“You are helping us mobilize churches to meet desperate needs in poverty in North America, helping others see the needs of those caught in human trafficking, boys and girls in foster homes.”

Kempton Turner echoed Ezell, “Thank God for NAMB, the Send network, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. Without gifts from the offering, we would not survive.”

IMB sends 79

In a celebration marked by the testimonies of new missionaries and prayer for people groups around the world, International Mission Board President David Platt reminded messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention that the SBC exists first and foremost for the spread of the gospel.

“Tonight we have the opportunity to remember the reason we came together in the first place. We exist to combine the efforts of our churches for the spread of the gospel in the world,” Platt said during IMB’s Sending Celebration June 12.

Platt introduced 47 newly appointed missionaries approved by IMB trustees during their June 11 meeting in Dallas. The celebration also recognized 32 journeymen—recent college graduates who will serve internationally as fulltime, fully funded church planters for two to three years.

All are going to “people and places where the gospel has not yet gone,” Platt said. He also led messengers to pray for people groups around the world by name, instructing the audience to open an envelope placed on their chairs before the service.

“There are an estimated 11,700 distinct ethnic, or people, groups in the world. In this room, we have about that many people, which means the card you are holding is most likely not matched by anyone else in this room. For the next few minutes, the responsibility of praying for that people group is upon you,” Platt said.

As the service concluded, Southern Baptists dispersed across the hall to lay hands on and pray for those being sent out. “With 2.8 billion in the world who have yet to hear the gospel and a room of 10,000 people who have the gospel, God may be calling out more than just these 79,” Platt said.

He challenged the audience by a show of hands to commit to ask God, “Do you want me to go, too?”

Across the hall, hands raised.

– Baptist Press

CARRY THE LIGHT – Missionaries held lanterns as they marched into the International Mission Board Sending Celebration June 12 in Dallas.

PLATT

– Baptist Press

UNSHAKABLE PURSUIT – Executive Director-Treasurer Sandy Wisdom-Martin spoke during WMU’s annual meeting and missions celebration focused on how God is working around the world.

SHARING THE STORY – Kempton Turner (center) and his wife, Caryn, spoke about their church, City of Joy in East St. Louis, at WMU’s missions celebration in Dallas.

Look who we ran into in

Always fun and informative, the exhibit hall was a good place to see Illinois faces.

Pastor Tony Munoz of Effingham

NAMB’s John Mattingly of Sterling (right) joins the “gun show” at the Strength Team display

Chicagoland’s Ric Worshill of the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship explains the words on the yarmulke

Pastors Sammy Simmons of Benton (left) and David Seaton of Collinsville

Salem South Director of Missions Kevin Carrothers and his family

Charles Spurgeon bobbleheads at a pop-up LifeWay Christian store

IBSA’s biker Pat Pajak at the Christian motorcycle riders’ display

Melissa Doyle of Chatham (left) and Andrea Hammond of Virden at the Southwestern Seminary tea Tribe of Judah Native Dancers from First Indian Baptist Church in Cushing, OK

Wasted moments in Dallas

We could have talked about how SBC entities and churches handle allegations of sexual abuse. We could have talked about the value of women in the culture and their role in our churches and denomination.

We could have talked about the direction of international missions, the SBC Ex ecutive Committee’s guidance of missions giving, and the future of Southwestern Seminary after the departure of Paige Patterson.

And certainly we could have talked about the report from Steve Gaines’s evangelism task force, their recommendations, and the crying need to share Christ worldwide and to turn the decline in baptisms and membership in the SBC.

But instead, we gave two hours of valuable floor time at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention to non-Southern Baptist interests, parachurch leaders, and panel discussions.

These were wasted moments.

Don’t get me wrong: We’re glad the ERLC hosted a panel outside the convention itself on the #metoo movement, and the seminary presidents said their schools are concerned about sexual harassment and proper reporting. But in the convention itself, there was no dedicated time for consideration of this critical matter.

A focus on stewardship is important and we appreciate the work of financial advisor Dave Ramsey. The Illinois Baptist runs his column in every issue. But did Ramsey and this topic really deserve so much attention when other issues have arisen in recent months?

The same is true for Ravi Zacharias. Apologetics are important in our era, and every believer should be prepared to share his beliefs

with clarity and conviction. But is the platform of our denomination the right venue to tackle so great a subject? And at the loss of time from our meager two days together to address the matters decried online for weeks and in the hallways for days at the convention center?

And the issue of welcoming Vice President Mike Pence to speak can be argued from several angles. Given the comments by incoming SBC President J.D. Greear and others of his generation (and younger), it seems less likely that the platform of the SBC will be the place for a speech that too quickly turned from evangelical political interests to mid-term campaigning. That’s valuable time we won’t get back.

We missed the opportunity to really, deeply, and meaningfully address the renewal of evangelism, the seachange coming at SBC entities currently without presidents, and women—more than half our constituency—their role and our respect for them. The whole event ran late, and the time for helpful discussion was eaten up by outside interests. Almost all of the resolutions were passed without comment because there simply wasn’t time.

Surely the planners of the 2018 convention had no idea their well-intentioned focus on stewardship and issues not exclusive to Southern Baptists would be swamped by headline-making events within the denomination. But when that happened, some shift in the focus of the meeting would have been appropriate.

With all that’s happening within the SBC these days, our short time assembled together needs a laser focus. The rest can wait.

Astudent recently asked me, “How do you feel about the future of the Southern Baptist Convention?”

He was surprised by my answer, “Very positive.” He replied, “Don’t some of the current problems mean the convention is in trouble?” My answer was, “No, not really.” He asked for some explanation and here are the reasons I shared with him.

First, God sustains any ministry riveted on his purpose. Our reason for having a denomination is expanding God’s Kingdom. He will sustain us as long as we are focused on his overarching purpose. Our vitality has never depended on human leadership, but on God’s power.

Second, current problems are just that—current problems. We have had serious problems in the past and God has helped us solve them. We may have even more serious problems in the future and God will help us handle those as well. There are real issues on the table this year, but let’s avoid every generation’s tendency to ignore historical perspective and overestimate current challenges.

Third, airing problems openly means our processes are working—not failing. Our annual convention is a public meeting, as are most sessions of each of the boards which govern our entities. Secular corporations and other religious groups have the same problems (or more) than we do, but they are not as public about their business. When Baptists learn about and face up to problems, that means our processes are working—sometimes methodically or haltingly—but they are working.

Finally, when faced with important decisions— like choosing leaders, clarifying positions, or correcting problems—the messengers almost always make the right decisions. The common piety and common sense of prayerful Baptists making important decisions has been a hallmark of convention meetings I have attended for the past 30 years.

May God give us the grace to admit mistakes and face challenges, while maintaining proper perspective on current problems and not losing hope for the future.

Jeff Iorg is president of Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention. This column, excerpted from Baptist Press, first appeared at his Gateway website, gs.edu/presidents-blog.

ZACHARIAS RAMSEY PENCE

sound off On political speeches at the SBC

Vice President Pence seems to be a man of deep Christian convictions, but he is still a politician, as demonstrated by the stump speech he gave on behalf of President Trump. The applause for Mr. Pence’s statement, “I am a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican in that order” came across as a ringing endorsement of the SBC for the Republican party. I don’t want the lost and unchurched, especially in our northern area, to feel that they must be Republican to be SBC, let alone to be a Christian.

– Heath Tibbetts, pastor, FBC Machesney Park

To my brothers and sisters who suggest that we refrain from having political leaders speak to our convention, I would remind them that dialogue involves both speaking and listening. If we expect to have an effective voice to policymakers in our state capitols and Washington D.C., we need to show respect to our leaders, welcome them, and thoughtfully listen to what they have to say. We also need to keep in mind that we will hear some “politicking” as part of the conversation. When God placed Daniel in a position of spiritual and political influence, he answered the call. He treated Nebuchadnezzar with respect, even though he did not agree with everything he did and, when needed, took loving stands for the Lord. Southern Baptists should follow his example.

– Scott Foshie, pastor, Steeleville Baptist Church

In hindsight, I believe having Vice President Mike Pence speak to our convention distracted us from the real mission of the convention. While I am thankful to have a Christian in such an important position, unfortunately, his address turned the convention into a political rally instead of a time for us to consider some of the bigger and more important issues at hand. I hope that in future conventions if invitations are given to politicians to attend the convention, those invitations involve the politicians sitting and listening to our mission and calling from King Jesus, rather than speaking to us about their mission and political hopes.

– Sammy Simmons, pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Benton

‘Very optimistic’

IORG

– The editors

people & churches

devotional

Lessons from a fallen leader

Read: 2 Samuel 11

Celebrating 200 years

Harrisburg | Bankston Fork Baptist Church reached a major milestone in May: 200 years of ministry in southern Illinois. The church is one of four IBSA congregations already in existence when Illinois became a state in 1818.

To mark their 200th anniversary, Bankston Fork held a Sunday morning service highlighted by a presentation on the church’s history, and a homecoming message from Mark Emerson, IBSA’s associate executive director for the Church Resources Team.

Homecoming weekend festivities also included a fish fry and a concert from gospel group Still Water.

ADRON ROBINSON

Recent events within the leadership of the SBC have caused me to reflect once again upon 2 Samuel 11. This passage is a warning to every leader and to every believer about the danger of temptation. It is a reminder to each of us of our great capacity for sin and our great need of our savior. And some hearing of the fall of others quickly said, “it could never happen to me,” let’s be reminded of the wisdom of 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

2 Samuel 11 opens by telling us it was spring, the time when kings went out to battle. But we are informed that David did not attend the battle. He sent others to fight, but he chose not to fight himself. David decides to stay home while the army of Israel is at war. He is in bed when he should be in the battle!

It’s not sinful to be in bed, there is nothing wrong with rest; as a matter of fact, I’m a big fan of rest. But leaders need to know when to lead and when to rest. David was resting when he should have been leading.

When we avoid our God-given responsibilities, Satan will always offer us ungodly activities. So David rises off his couch late one afternoon after a long day of rest. He goes up on the rooftop, sees Bathsheba bathing nearby, and you know the rest of the story.

If David had just looked away and walked away, he would have saved himself, his family, and those who followed him great grief, disappointment, and pain.

PRAYER PROMPT: Father we thank you for the promise that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Please help us to take heed and stand strong.

Adron Robinson is pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills and president of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

Church helps students ‘dare to dream’

Arts program plays key role in community outreach

Chicago | The culminating project in an after-school arts program at Chase Elementary School was a mural celebrating the city (left). Students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades created the mural with the help of teacher Kevin Luthardt, a children’s book author and illustrator.

The after-school class is part of Dare to Dream, an initiative of Armitage Baptist Church in Chicago. The Dare to Dream program, staffed with volunteers, takes technology, tutoring, and arts education to schools in Armitage’s neighborhood.

Dare to Dream is one piece of Chicago Hope, Armitage’s outreach focused on community transformation.

CLASSIFIED AD

The Clay Platte Baptist Association is seeking a director of missions to lead a network of churches in reaching a growing region of north Kansas City metro in Missouri. In response to current and anticipated growth, the ideal candidate will lead in church planting, vitality, strategic partnership, and administrative leadership. Inquiries or resumes can be directed to applicant@clayplatteba.org.

“Ask yourself...is it really quality time... or just a desperate need for a new sermon illustration?”

BICENTENNIAL – Bankston Fork deacons Danny Moore (center) and Steve Turner (right) accepted a plaque of appreciation from IBSA’s Mark Emerson during the church’s 200th anniversary.

EVENTS

July 9-13

IBSA Up Summer Camps

June 25-29: Grades 3-6, Lake Sallateeska

July 9-13: Grades 3-12, Streator

July 16-20: Grades 3-12, Streator Register: IBSA.org/Kids

Lunch and Learn

Webinar Series

June 20: Communicate to Connect

July 18: 5 Skills that Empower Others

Aug. 15: Best Practices for Planning

When: 11:30 a.m. to noon Info: IBSA.org/Women

June 24-28

WellHouse Mission Trip

What: Mission team will serve at the Birmingham, Ala., facility for women coming out a life of exploitation

Info: IBSA.org/Missions

June 25-29

Elevate Camp

Who: Students who have completed grades 7-12

Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp Register: IBSA.org/Students

Summer Worship University

What: IBSA’s premier worship, music, and arts event for students in grades 6-12 Where: Hannibal-LaGrange University, Hannibal, Mo. Register: IBSA.org/Students

July 15-20

Fused Camp

Who: Students entering grades 6-12 Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp Register: IBSA.org/Students

July 20-28

U.K. Vision Trip

What: Team will be introduced to the work of IMB missionaries serving among South Asian peoples in London Info: IBSA.org/Missions

July 26-August 6

South Asia Mission Trip

What: Team will work with missionaries who operate a girl’s center, and engage families through Bible storying Info: IBSA.org/Missions

July 30-August 2

Meet the Nations

What: Training week for students who have committed their lives to Christ

Where: Greenville College, Greenville, Ill. Register: IBSA.org/Students

July 6-10

Chicago Mission Trip

What: Serve alongside leaders from Uptown Baptist Church on various ministry projects in their community Info: IBSA.org/Missions

What: Mission team will spend time in a variety of Chicagoland communities, prayer walking and learning to engage different people groups Info: IBSA.org/Missions

August 16, 18

Coaching Clinics

What: Increase your leadership effectiveness through coaching skills Register: IBSA.org/Women

August 18

IBSA Softball Tournament

Where: Rotary Park, Decatur Info: IBSA.org/Men

Emmanuel Church in Sandwich prayerfully seeks a bivocational pastor. We desire candidates with seminary training who have worship leadership skills that align with The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), as well as community leadership and a vision to see our church continue to grow. Resumes should be mailed to: Emmanuel Church, Attn: Pastor Search Committee, 701 Lions Rd., Sandwich, IL 60548.

dave says

Q

My husband has an old car that has become a real sticking point between us. He bought it for $2,400, and it needs about $4,000 in repairs and restoration. Together, we bring home $50,000 a year, and I feel like this car is interfering with our ability to save money and pay off $35,000 in debt. We already have two decent cars we drive to work, so what should I do about this?

It takes two A

There are lots of guys out there who like shiny toys— especially cars. I get it, because I’m one of them. But these kinds of things are luxuries, and stuff like this should wait until the household and finances are in order. The family should always come first.

Dumping money into this while you two are struggling financially doesn’t make sense. On top of that, it’s causing problems between you two on a deeper level. I’m sure your husband isn’t a bad guy, so try sitting down with him and explaining how it makes

you feel. Let him know what it’s doing to your finances and your marriage. You might even write the financial side down, so he can see exactly what kind of shape you two are in and where the money is going.

Once you do this in a kind, but concerned, manner, it may be a real eye-opener for him. On top of that, you might consider giving him a little incentive to get on board with the idea of getting your finances in order. Suggest that once the debt is gone, and you’ve got some savings in place, there might be a little extra cash on hand to help get that car up and running.

DAVE RAMSEY

Church needed here...

Location: Pike County

Focus: Residents of this rural county in west central Illinois

Characteristics: Bordered by the Illinois River to the east and the Mississippi to the west, Pike County is known as a sportsmen’s paradise. With a population of around 16,000 people, nearly 60% of Pike County residents have no religious affiliation.

Prayer needs: A church is needed to reach the deer camps of Pike County.

Generosity

84 % #20 #28

The St. Louis area ranked while Chicago was #31 . 2.5% Christians in the United States now give about of their income to the ministries of their church. That’s down from during the Great Depression, according to an Oxford University Press study called Passing the Plate.

3.3% – OnFaith

Exegete the culture Understanding the world where

Pat’s Playbook

Parting thoughts

we live and serve

QMy pastor wants us to pre-plan our funeral service. Really? I don’t want to think about that. Isn’t that his job?

AIt sounds to me like your pastor wants to ensure that when the time comes for you to say goodbye to this world and enter the joys of heaven, he wants to communicate to those you leave behind the legacy and message you want them to hear. Remember, a funeral is not for the dead but for the living. That makes it a perfect opportunity to share Christ as people are already thinking about the afterlife. You don’t need to dwell on death to share with your pastor something you want to make sure he communicates with those who attend your final service.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

What’s fueling you?

The Bible ranked last when Americans were given four options and asked which they consider a daily necessity:

Family ties that bind

Now that I have grandchildren, I want to go to my daughter’s church to be near them. But my friends of 40 years at my own church don’t understand. Can you tell a grandma what to do?

If your daughter’s church is a Bible-believing church, and it helps her and your grandchildren to be more active, go! Real friends can still meet at other times and continue to enjoy each other’s company. You only have so many years to enjoy your grandchildren; don’t miss out on that wonderful opportunity.

Ask the question

QOur church started a Bible study, but we didn’t finish it. Same with an outreach project and a sermon series. I think our church has ADD. Any advice?

Coffee

Something sweet

“What many Americans rightly recognize is, that while coffee provides a nice temporary jolt of energy, only the life-changing message of the Bible gives lasting hope and peace.”

– Roy Peterson, CEO of American Bible Society, to Charisma News

AThat’s a good question that I think you can graciously take to the pastor. By your asking, he might be reminded that people are interested in finishing something before moving on. He might also be able to give you an answer as to why something was abandoned. However, if you don’t ask, you’ll simply wonder what happened. Please let him know about your concern and observation.

Pat Pajak is IBSA’s associate executive director for evangelism. Send questions for Pat to IllinoisBaptist@ IBSA.org.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

of people in Springfield, Decatur, and Champaign give to non-profits, making the metro among 50 U.S. cities.

PAT PAJAK

– American Bible Society, May 2018

However, people who read the Bible at least weekly tend to choose it as a necessity over the other three options.