In January 2020, SBC Executive Committee president Ronnie Floyd announced proposed revisions to the EC mission and ministries statement, including a new prayer ministry.
“Updating the language of the SBC Executive Committee’s ministry assignments and the explanation of them is important as we seek to better serve Southern Baptist churches,” Floyd told Baptist Press. “Furthermore, the addition of a ministry assignment for prayer will enable the EC to provide strategic leadership for prayer in the SBC.” In the proposed revision, assisting “churches through elevating the ministry of prayer” would become the EC’s seventh ministry, providing “strategic leadership to lift up and promote coordinated prayer for spiritual awakening, ministry effectiveness, and the completion of the Great Commission.”
The stated mission and all six current ministry assignments would be amended, with only the sixth assignment (assisting churches in stewardship education) remaining intact.
Here are the proposed and current statements:
Proposed
Mission
The Executive Committee exists to minister to the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention by acting for the Convention ad interim in all matters not otherwise provided for in a manner that encourages the cooperation and confidence of the churches, associations, and state conventions and facilitates maximum support for worldwide missions and ministries.
Ministries
- Assist churches through conducting and administering the work of the Convention not otherwise assigned.
Manage according to the Southern Baptist Convention Bylaws, Bylaw 18, The Executive Committee; manage the operation of the Southern Baptist Convention Building according to guidelines adopted by building occupants.
- Assist churches by providing a Convention news service.
Provide regular news releases about Southern Baptists; serve as the Convention’s press representative; coordinate news operations for annual meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention.
- Assist churches by providing a Convention public relations service.
Interpret the Southern Baptist Convention to internal and external publics.
- Assist churches, Baptist general bodies and their entities, and other evangelical organizations and individuals through estate planning consultation and investment management primarily for funds providing support for Southern Baptist causes.
Encourage and consult with Baptist general bodies and their entities, and other evangelical organizations and individuals, regarding wills, gifts, trusts, or deeds which benefit Baptist or other evangelical causes; and provide investment management for a balanced portfolio of securities.
- Assist churches through the promotion of cooperative giving.
Consult with state conventions and Southern Baptist Convention entities regarding cooperative giving advancement; interpret the Cooperative Program as the basic channel of support for the ministries of the state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention.
- Assist churches in stewardship education.
Produce, develop, publish, and distribute products that help Southern Baptists to grow in commitment to Jesus Christ by applying biblical principles of stewardship.
Current
Mission
The Executive Committee seeks to empower churches to prioritize, elevate, and accelerate the vision of reaching every person for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state, and every nation through collaborative partnership, cooperation, and generosity.
Ministries
- Assist churches through conducting and administering the work of the Convention not otherwise assigned.
The SBC Executive Committee serves as the fiduciary, the fiscal, and the executive entity of the Convention in all its affairs not specifically committed to some other board or entity. Furthermore, the Executive Committee is authorized, instructed, and commissioned to act for the Convention ad interim in all matters not otherwise provided for. It also serves as the managing agent of the Southern Baptist Convention Building.
- Assist churches by providing a Convention news service.
Provide regular news releases about Southern Baptists; tell and celebrate stories of what God is doing through Southern Baptist churches and ministries; serve as the Convention’s press representative; coordinate news operations for annual meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention.
- Assist churches by developing and strengthening cooperative relationships.
Interpret the Southern Baptist Convention to internal and external publics; strengthen relationships with state convention, associational, and other Southern Baptist affinity groups; pursue cooperative relationships with theologically likeminded churches to fulfill our missional vision of reaching all people for Jesus Christ and making disciples of all the nations.
- Assist churches, organizations, and individuals with investment management and generosity.
Encourage and partner with Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches, entities, organizations, and individuals to invest in Kingdom causes by providing comprehensive investment, fiduciary, and planning services for maximum impact for Southern Baptist or other evangelical causes.
- Assist churches by promoting the Cooperative Program and celebrating other cooperative giving.
In consultation with cooperating state conventions and Southern Baptist Convention entities, prioritize, elevate, and accelerate giving through the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing Southern Baptist churches and extending our collective efforts to reach every person with the gospel and make disciples of all nations; celebrate all cooperative giving to achieve these ends.
- Assist churches in stewardship education.
Produce, develop, publish, and distribute products that help Southern Baptists to grow in commitment to Jesus Christ by applying biblical principles of stewardship.
- Assist churches through elevating the ministry of prayer.
Provide strategic leadership to lift up and promote coordinated prayer for spiritual awakening, ministry effectiveness, and the completion of the Great Commission.
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