Ken Braddy said the traditional Sunday School is “Step 2” after worship in the tools that growing Southern Baptist churches use for evangelism and discipleship.
“Every church has its own personality and culture, and wise leaders respond to this culture in appropriate ways,” Buddy Champion, pastor of First Baptist Church Trussville, said.
Birmingham evangelist Scott Dawson recently told a group of ministers that his work isn’t really a “calling,” but an “adventure.”
Michael Adler, dean of worship for the STS Institute in Homewood — a ministry of the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association — said that most pastors are in a “driven mode,” and the task of the worship pastor is to support them.
Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, predicted that by 2030, one-third of the existing Southern Baptist churches will have been started since 2010.
“Policy affects our lives, and Christian leaders cannot ignore issues, isolate themselves or be intimidated by opposition,” said Greg Davis, president/CEO of Alabama Citizens Action Program. “Instead, we must use our influence for good.”
“Gen Z is riddled with anxiety, and their belief system doesn’t help,” Boyce College dean Dustin Bruce says. “They’re lonely, and we make the case for faith in the context of community.”
During his breakout session at the Alabama Baptist State Evangelism Conference, Tim Dowdy explained that pastors need to create a culture of evangelism and help each church member embrace the mission to reach their community.
