Welch urges pastors to reach out

Bobby Welch, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, challenged Alabama Baptist pastors to build churches that reach the lost, not forts to seclude satisfied saints.
   
The native of Fort Payne and pastor of First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Fla., addressed the Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference Nov. 15 at First Baptist Church, Montgomery. He urged, inspired and enlisted pastors to be part of a nationwide evangelistic movement — “Everyone Can” Kingdom Challenge — begun with his bus tour of the United States and Canada earlier this year. The goal is to win 1 million people to Christ in 12 months, beginning in June 2005 at the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville.
   
“We need to raise the bar of commitment (for evangelism) among Southern Baptists,” he said.
   
Pointing to Psalm 142, which expresses the psalmist’s feeling that no one cares. Welch explained that many people in the world are living their lives not knowing that anyone really cares.
   
“It’s a sad affair when people around us all the time are dying and going to eternity and nobody cares enough to talk to them about Christ,” he said.
   
Welch reiterated the idea of the church building a bridge saying, “We must train people to walk across that bridge with loving hands and caring hearts to get involved with lost people and win them to Christ.
   
The church is “God’s forward operational base — it’s where you get the map, the instructions,” he explained.
   
“It should not be a place to meet with your buddies behind the gate and never reach out to anyone.”