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Today: An Interview |
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| Submitted: Monday, July 27, 2009; 9:16 p.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
During a few of my church visits, I have encountered some rather
humorous situations, especially when the pastor and church
members wonder why I am there. For some of them, visits from
state missionaries are not a normal occurrence. In my case, I
have had several occasions when people would say something like,
"Now, who are you?"
One time, a pastor – when introducing me to his congregation –
forgot my name and simply said, "And now, we will hear from the
man from Montgomery." "The man from Montgomery" sounds like an
important person but, as I came to the podium, I felt the people
might need to know my name and that I was a state missionary and
not a representative of the governor or the Alabama Bureau of
Investigation. The visit went well, and the people seemed to be
encouraged by the presentation I offered concerning state
missions.
Another church visit is equally memorable. I was visiting a
congregation of Hispanics in a new church start in our state. As
I came to the door of the church, a cute little boy saw me and,
with a big grin, he turned and shouted, "Momma, the old gringo
is here." Now that is a welcome committee to remember.
More recently, I was in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., for a one-night
speaking engagement. The pastor, Jeff Vanlandingham, a former
Alabama Baptist, introduced me in the most complimentary fashion
I can ever recall. He said to his congregation, "He is the man
with One Mission, The Great Commission."
If I have a legacy among Alabama Baptists, I would love for it
to be what my friend, Jeff Vanlandingham, articulated. I would
like to be known a "The man with One Mission, The Great
Commission." I couldn't ask for a better introduction, and I am
humbled by it. Thanks, Jeff, for answering the question, "Now,
who are you?"
| Submitted: Tuesday, July 7, 2009; 2:23 p.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
A fine Christian couple, who thought they could never have
children, were surprised to learn that they were expecting. It
was a miracle to them and a true gift from God. Then came the
startling july2009.htmnews from the doctor, "Well, you are going to have
twins. "Their excitement was doubled, and the journey of joy
began for them in indescribable ways. They were the proud
parents of two, not one child. It was a double blessing!
I would love to see a double blessing come to Southern Baptists
and Alabama Baptists. As many of you well know, GCR was the
focus of the 2009 SBC meeting. Since Baptists are extremely fond
of acronyms, let me remind you that GCR represents Great
Commission Resurgence. It has been the hot topic of Baptist
media, the blogosphere and Twitterverse -- before the annual
meeting, during it and since that time. I predict the interest
in this subject will remain high, as we look to the future.
A task force has been named, and a call for 5,000 people to
commit to praying for their work has been made. I have contacted
several of the task force members, including our SBC president,
to pledge my prayer support. You can count me in on any attempt
to see a revival of commitment to the Great Commission of our
Lord.
In an earlier blog, I attempted to underline
the need for a CPR, a Cooperative Program Resurgence, to be an
outgrowth of the GCR effort. My prayer is for that desire to
become a reality. I do not want to belabor the same point I
sought to make in the recent blog, but I do hope my Baptist
family will reflect over the data highlighted by the feature.
If the churches of the SBC had maintained the percentage level
of giving of 1989, which was slightly above 10 percent, rather
than the current 6.6 percent, the missions giving picture would
be remarkably improved. Last year alone, the SBC entities would
have received $869 million, rather than $539 million. That is a
61 percent increase in one year.
How many missionaries could have been supported by this
increased giving? How many more students in our seminaries could
have been helped by the enhanced funding level? These are
hypothetical questions, but I contend they are legitimate ones
to consider. These are people's lives, not just dollar signs.
That is what the Great Commission is all about: namely being
obedient to the Lord in Great Commission living and giving.
Ponder with me the broader two-decade period for even more
reflection. If the 10 percent level of CP giving from local
churches had been maintained from 1989 to 2008, then there would
have been an increase of more than $2.77 BILLION, not million,
for missions causes. That is a 65 percent increase in giving.
For me, that figure is mind boggling. Unless you work in
Washington, where talk is made about TRILLIONS of dollars, you
too are probably astounded.
I affirm local church autonomy, and I do not want to make the
Cooperative Program into a Coercive Program. That is not my
point at all. What I would like for the Baptist family to
realize is that we have a system of unified giving, which is a
major part of the glue holding us together. To even consider
departing from that approach is similar to a local church
deciding not to have a unified budget for their ministries. That
would be unimaginable chaos. The Cooperative Program has been a
primary part of our effectiveness as a Baptist family. It can be
for generations to come. We can have a Cooperative Program
Resurgence along with a Great Commission Resurgence. Like the
family I described earlier, we can celebrate a double blessing
from our Lord. That is the kind of future I would hope to see
for my Baptist family. I refuse to think that our best days are
behind us. With a revival of personal commitment to Christ, to
His Great Commission and to our proven way of cooperating
together we can be like the proud parents of newborn twins. We
can look forward to a future of working together for our Lord.
