Bobby Welch, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will launch a nationwide bus tour Aug. 29 from First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Fla., where he is pastor. The native Alabama Baptist will visit churches in all 50 states to encourage Southern Baptists to evangelize more passionately and reach a goal of 1 million baptisms.
“My invitation, prayer and expectation are to visit all sizes and types of churches in order to string together a mosaic of what the SBC really looks like at its grass roots and heart,” said Welch, who will travel in a 45-foot-long bus.
Painted on the side of the bus are faces of Southern Baptists interposed on an American flag with the words “The Southern Baptist Convention Kingdom Challenge” and “Everyone Can Witness, Win and Baptize … One Million!” The design also reads, “Do all you can … with all you have … where you are … NOW!”
In 25 travel days from Aug. 29 to Oct. 7, Welch expects to log approximately 20,000 miles.
On board will be a six-person team of Welch, two drivers, a Baptist Press reporter, a media specialist and a coordinator.
The format for each stop will be for Welch to make some opening remarks before joining church members in door-to-door visits within the community.
In each state, Welch will invite the executive director, evangelism director, Sunday School director, convention president, pastors conference president and newspaper editor to join him on the bus while in their state.
“[This will be a time] for me to hear from them what they think our convention needs most and how I can help their state work,” Welch said.
From Daytona Beach, the bus will travel up the East Coast through Georgia and the Carolinas as it begins the journey. It will arrive in Alabama Sept. 8 and then move on from there.
The bus tour will wrap up with a trip to Vancouver, Canada, an SBC Strategic Focus City with the North American Mission Board. Welch’s travels will finish with trips to Alaska and Hawaii. (BP)
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