If the vote on the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force report were taken today, only 1 in 4 respondents to a recent survey would vote for it.
At least that’s what an unofficial survey commissioned by The Alabama Baptist indicates.
The anonymous eight-question survey on SurveyMonkey.com ran from May 18 to June 2.
The 283 participants had opportunity to share opinions as well as answer the multichoice questions. Excerpts from the questions, answers and opinions can be found on page 5.
“This is certainly not a scientific survey, and these types of experiences tend to attract those with the strongest opinions,” said Bob Terry, president and publisher of The Alabama Baptist. “There is no indication that this truly reflects what will happen in Orlando (Fla., at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting) June 15 when the official vote is taken.
“But it does seem to affirm what we are hearing anecdotally across the state,” he noted.
The survey indicates that while the majority of votes in each of the questions opposes the GCR Task Force report, it also makes it clear that the consensus is certainly not overwhelming.
As far as the up-or-down vote for the report itself, 27 percent of responders indicated they would approve the report while 39.5 percent said they would vote to defeat it.
The remaining responses were closely divided between preferring to receive the report as information and referring it to various Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) entities (19.6 percent) and postponing the report for more study and reflection (16 percent).
In the area of funding, 58.4 percent said they oppose the new giving category called Great Commission Giving “because of its possible impact on CP giving.” Those supporting the new giving category and seeing “no relationship between it and CP giving” made up 24.9 percent of the responses. Another 12.1 percent support the new giving category but did indicate concern about its impact on CP giving.
Addressing the report’s recommendation to remove the geographical limitations on the International Mission Board (IMB), 46.4 percent of survey participants preferred leaving IMB’s focus outside North America. They favored leaving missions work in North America as the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) responsibility.
Other responses included 27.9 percent noting the IMB should be able to work anywhere in the world and 26.1 percent calling for the IMB to work under NAMB’s leadership when targeting North America.
As far as whether the existing cooperative agreements between NAMB and state conventions should be phased out, 50.9 percent of those responding said no and 24.9 percent said yes.
In the question concerning CP promotion, 27 percent favored assigning it to the state conventions while 52.2 percent said CP promotion should be shared by the SBC and state conventions. The SBC should lead CP promotion, according to 21.6 percent. (TAB)
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Excerpts from participants
• As much as I want to support this report, I sense an ulterior motive behind its inception. … I’ve seen far too much back-room work in the SBC’s past two decades to trust anything coming from a group composed primarily of seminary presidents and megachurch pastors.
• As a young, restless and reformed Southern Baptist, I am convinced that if the SBC does not change in the way it allocates its funds then it is destined to fail. If the people of the SBC realized how much money was spent on ourselves and on greasing the wheels of the machinery then they would leave the SBC even faster than they already are.
• Since 1925, the Cooperative Program has enabled Southern Baptists to develop, support and grow the message of Jesus Christ — His love, His life changing power and His Commission to us to go and tell. … Apparently this group of people either don’t know the real story of Southern Baptist work and missions, don’t care or are so power hungry that all they see is their plan.
• Conventions are not churches. Much of the argumentation against the GCR simply misunderstands or ignores this point. … The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force has given us a great report with good recommendations.
• There are no representatives of normal Baptist churches, only megachurches which, with few exceptions, have not demonstrated any interest or involvement in the Cooperative Program, the work of their state conventions or the ministries of their own associations. Their ignorance of what is really happening through these ministries is evident throughout the report.
• It seems to me that a “resurgence” should begin where the decline is. Our seminaries as a whole have been and are in a steady decline. Whatever form of Calvinism being taught puts a resurgence of the Great Commission … at risk.
• I believe there is a need to examine the many levels of management in each of the institutions and make as many “cuts” as possible, freeing up more funds to send people out into the field.
• Increasing giving to the IMB 1%???!! Are you kidding me? What is that going to do?
• I recommend that no one else that serves on the GCR committee be recommended for the other postions at NAMB or IMB.
• If the IMB should gain the responsibility and the extra funds that the report recommends, they would eventually appoint people to the very ministries that the state convention and NAMB personnel now perform. The strength of the CP and IMB is dependent on the work of mission education and support of the state conventions, NAMB and WMU.
• After only one year of working on this effort and considering some of the major concerns and issues that have been raised, I think it would be prudent for us to postpone the acceptance of the report until Southern Baptists and state conventions from across the nation have had the opportunity to pray about and discuss the matter further.
• We needed leadership in a resurgence what we got was a refinancing. If we would pray, preach and practice the Great Confession of John 20:28, the Great Commandment of Matthew 22:37–40, and the Great Commitment of Acts 1:8, then we will have a Great Commission Resurgence. II Chronicles 7:14 is still the formula for “resurgence.”
• The most urgently needed and significant aspects of the original report have been dropped. This effort is an exercise in futility. The SBC is not truly interested in repentance, reformation and a radical investment in ministry that is effective.
• The six seminaries need to be scrutinized.
• I am in agreement with the need to reexamine our ministry/missions efforts with a view toward more effective strategies. I do not see the need to totally revamp the way we work together.
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