Undergirded by 300 years of ministry experience, Baptist associations should move into the future with a willingness to innovate and nurture relationships with younger Christian leaders, local churches and Baptist entities.
Speakers underscored those themes during a 300th anniversary celebration of Baptist associations in America June 10 at First Baptist Church, San Antonio, prior to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.
The celebration was jointly sponsored by the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions (DOM) and Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU).
Jim Henry, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla., called associations to face the future with creativity and innovation.
“There are changes in the air,” Henry noted. “Today I call on you as directors of missions … to expand your horizons in a rapidly changing culture. … We are called to move from limitation to innovation.”
With innovation can come penetration of the culture with the gospel, Henry noted. “What about the future?” he asked. “It’s extinction or expansion. One of the two will happen.”
Change can be positive, Henry told the audience.
“Don’t be afraid of innovation,” he said. “Change is always happening. Change is not always good, but many times it is something that moves us off the edge and out of our comfort zone and can be powerful and positive.”
Associational ministers should be committed to relationships with younger Baptist leaders who “want to know their DOMs on a personal level,” Henry said. “They do want to cooperate with sister churches.”
Wanda Lee, WMU executive director, told the associational leaders she was glad for the opportunity to hold a joint meeting with them.
“We have strategically decided to begin our meeting celebrating with you,” Lee said. “WMU has enjoyed a long partnership with your predecessors. … Even before WMU was officially organized in 1888, women were working in associations.”
Lee thanked associations for their involvement in missions and predicted a positive future relationship between WMU and associations.
“At the heart of what we do together in the associations has always been a missions purpose,” Lee said. “We look forward to the next 300 years of working together.”
Geoff Hammond, president of the North American Mission Board, called associational missions “the first line of Baptist cooperation.”
Hammond said directors of missions “get the privilege of being closest to the churches. … You’re important in missions, evangelism and planting churches.”
Many DOMs are “jointly funded missionaries,” Hammond said. “We have a tremendous interest in this partnership we have together.” (BP)
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