If we do not have intentional evangelism we are going to have unintentional universalism — assuming that everybody’s OK, which is a false, unbiblical assumption,” Rick Lance told messengers attending the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Montgomery.
“We are intentional about being a witness for Christ when we share our faith. This ‘Intentional Evangelism’ is a three-year focus of Alabama Baptists,” said Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
He said Alabama Baptists are about living out what it means to be on mission for Christ — both personally and eternally, and the churches should lead their members in that.
He said as good as many Baptists feel about governmental leadership on the state or national levels they (government leaders) are not going to “intentionally evangelize Alabama or the United States.”
Commissioned to go
“That job has been given to us as Great Commission Christians. It is biblical, practical, personal, eternal, local and global,” he said. “Intentional evangelism begins right in front of you and it spreads way beyond your reach.”
This year Alabama Baptists put this concept into practice as Alabama Disaster Relief responded to the needs of people affected by multiple hurricanes in Alabama and Florida.
Lance noted that helping others in times of crises such as these is a way to intentionally minister and witness in the name of Christ.
By joining hands with several agencies, such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Alabama Baptists have delivered hope to the hearts and smiles to the faces of hurricane victims, young and old.
“Not since 1979 have we had this kind of mobilization,” Lance said.
He noted that Baptists outside of the state have also extended their hands to help in the hard-hit areas.
As many as 15 state Baptist conventions came to help Alabama with disaster relief after the hurricanes.
He said the SBOM would continue to work in partnership with Alabama Baptist churches, associations and the larger family of Southern Baptists across America to fulfill the Great Commission in all that Baptists do.
“This next year (2005) our staff will be in a process of refocusing our energies upon the priorities the state convention has given us,” Lance said.
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