Not since Baptists gathered in Augusta, Ga., in 1845 to organize the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) have they faced so much change in such a short period of time. In a matter of months, Southern Baptists face major changes in leadership, relationships between the national body and state conventions and how to finance the work done together.
It is simply overwhelming. It certainly is too much change to allow anyone to be dogmatic about what the future holds.
Just last week, Frank Page was named the new president and chief executive officer for the SBC Executive Committee. He succeeds Morris Chapman, who is retiring after 17 years at that important post.
It was anticipated that a new president of the International Mission Board (IMB) would have been elected by now. Jerry Rankin retires July 31 after nearly 17 years as leader of the IMB. The IMB search committee set February as its initial goal to have a successor. That was moved to May, and now the IMB board of trustees is preparing to appoint an interim president if a nominee is not in place by Rankin’s retirement date.
At the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the search goes on to replace Geoff Hammond, who was forced out last August. Richard Harris has been serving as interim president of NAMB since Hammond left — first in a temporary role, then as the official interim president.
Arguably the three most important leadership positions in Southern Baptist life are all in the midst of change. No one knows what impact new leadership will have on any of the groups individually or the convention as a whole.
Add to the leadership changes a new president of the SBC. Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga., near Atlanta, completes his two years of service when Southern Baptists gather in Orlando, Fla., June 15–16. What emphases will the new president bring?
In addition to leadership changes, Southern Baptists are considering changes in the way state conventions work with the national body to carry out agreed upon ministries. The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force report recommends scrapping what is called “cooperative agreements.” This plan, used for about 50 years, allows NAMB representatives to negotiate with state convention missions leaders to determine what projects and ministries the organizations can mutually support.
Nothing is done that does not fit NAMB’s strategy and purpose, and nothing is done that state conventions do not support.
In place of “cooperative agreements” is a proposal for NAMB to work in cooperation with state conventions, especially in planting new churches, but what form that cooperation will take is unclear. In the meantime, there is a lot of confusion, even fear, about the negative impact the proposal could have on existing work.
There is more confusion about how established state conventions like Alabama’s will work with NAMB in the years ahead if the GCR Task Force report is adopted.
The question of who will do Cooperative Program (CP) promotion and stewardship education illustrates the confusion. Since the CP was established in 1925, state conventions and the SBC have worked together to promote it. Until 1997, Southern Baptists had the Stewardship Commission, which worked closely with state conventions in this area. The Covenant for a New Century, adopted in 1995, eliminated the commission, and the assignment eventually ended up with the Executive Committee.
The task force’s preliminary report recommended transferring the assignment to state conventions and taking the money the Executive Committee spent on CP promotion and stewardship education, with additional funds, and giving it to the IMB.
The final report states the Executive Committee will work with state conventions on the assignment but still redirects the money to the IMB. (The full report can be read at www.pray4gcr.com) That leaves many observers scratching their heads. How will the SBC and state conventions work together under the new plan?
Concerns about funding Southern Baptist work at home and around the world also abound. The CP has been the primary missions giving channel for 85 years. Special offerings for international missions and North American missions supplement this missions giving. No one is belittling the CP. Everyone affirms its importance.
Still some are uncertain about a new giving category — Great Commission Giving. This new category would be on the Annual Church Profile and include all funds given to Southern Baptist causes. What has some people worried is whether this is a subtle shift away from “equal sacrifice,” as evidenced by percentage giving through the CP, to a celebration of large dollar gifts by megachurches even though those dollars make up a small percentage of the churches’ income.
Added to all of this is the continued “trash talking” about ministry partners. The GCR was born in a speech at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., that blasted state conventions for being “bloated bureaucracies.” When state convention leaders howled in protest, that language was quickly dropped. But days before the final report was released, at least one GCR Task Force member was back on the stage at Southeastern Seminary blasting state conventions for being “bloated bureaucracies.”
Is this anyway to talk about one that is supposed to be a ministry partner and part of the same Southern Baptist family?
State conventions have not fired back in kind, choosing instead to try to calm the rhetoric and salvage relationships. But the “trash talk” has raised questions about whether the SBC wants to work with state conventions as the equal partners that they are or whether the SBC cares about state conventions at all.
All of the changes, all of the issues Southern Baptists face certainly should cause everyone involved to confess together with the apostle Paul that “now I see through a glass darkly.” This is no time for arrogance. It is time for humility. This is not a time to be concerned about winning or losing, “saving face” or being embarrassed.
This is a time when everyone should go slowly and speak softly. Working through change is difficult. It takes time and effort. Rushing through change usually leads to disaster.
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