Southern Baptist Convention leader Jeff Iorg told Alabama Baptists their convention is a “powerhouse” in Cooperative Program giving.
Speaking at the 2025 Missionary Appreciation Banquet Oct. 2, sponsored by Birmingham Metro Baptist Association, Iorg noted he planted a church in Portland “years ago and that mission was possible through gifts like yours from around the nation.”
Iorg, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, spoke to the group from 1 Corinthians 4.
“The apostle Paul used the pronoun ‘we’ to indicate the church leaders in Corinth were partners in his mission,” Iorg noted. “He said they were, as we are, servants of Christ. We serve a person more than we serve an organization.”
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Paul further defined the work of church leaders as “managers of the mystery of the gospel,” Iorg continued.
“God revealed the mystery of redemption in Christ, and we are managers of this message.”
While the word “manager” may sound institutional, “some translations use the word ‘steward,’” Iorg noted. “A steward oversees what he does not own for the benefit of the owner, and is responsible to make the most impact.”
Responsibility
The former president of Gateway Seminary in Ontario, California acknowledged Baptists normally talk about “time, talent and treasure” when discussing stewardship, but stewardship of the gospel also is part of the responsibility.
“Paul exhorted the church to be faithful in their stewardship and to remember the ‘audience of One,’ since we serve the person of Christ [over] the organization,” Iorg said. “The organization is important, but our greatest motivation is serving Christ.”
Paul explained three evaluators of the work of the gospel that are of lesser importance, Iorg asserted.
“The writer said in verse 4 that he wouldn’t be judged by them,” Iorg said. “I’ve learned that if we try to please people, we’ll do a lot of good but have a lot of frustration. We do try to please people and move the organization, but this isn’t our greatest motivation.”
Paul further suggests a human court isn’t the ultimate judge.
“Courts in the first century were more public and more spectacle,” Iorg noted. “I liken this to the modern press and social media. These are not to be our ultimate judge either.”
The third inadequate judge is our “inflated ego,” he asserted.
“Paul used sarcasm to say he didn’t judge himself and didn’t know of any personal failings.
‘Ultimate judge’
“Of course he wasn’t serious since he called himself ‘the chief of sinners,’” Iorg explained. “He was declaring that self-appraisal isn’t the ultimate test of faithfulness. God is the ultimate judge, and He doesn’t miss anything.
“When Christ returns He will reveal all things, and He will praise His faithful servants.
“Please know, pastors and missionaries, that your work is valuable in His Kingdom.”
Chris Crain, executive director of Birmingham Metro Association, told the group, “As a young boy growing up in the Baptist church, I remember how we prayed for our missionaries on Wednesday night. And some of those we prayed for are you this afternoon. We’re grateful for you and grateful we feel a kindred spirit of fellowship in the work of Christ.”
Next year’s Missionary Appreciation Banquet is scheduled for Sept. 26.
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