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| Submitted: Friday, March 12, 2010; 1:37 p.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
As
a young child growing up in a relatively small Baptist church in
Alabama, I was involved in Bible drills and other exercises of
scripture memorization. One of the first passages I memorized
was what we fondly call the Great Commission found in Matthew
28:19-20. Those words, in various translations, can still come
from my lips and my heart as a basic foundation: (a) for
Christian living personally and (b) for missions and evangelism
cooperatively.
When I have those flashback moments and think about the times I
recited the challenging words of the Great Commission, my spirit
soars. I can never forget the joy of learning what being a Great
Commission Christian means. My local church nurtured that
understanding in me. I truly hope that spiritual exhilaration
never abates as I move along in the pilgrimage of life.
When I fast forward to my call to preach and the early years of
my ministry, I remember vividly preaching on the Great
Commission text on numerous occasions. More than 30 years ago, I
was honored to be asked to preach at the State Evangelism
Conference in Birmingham.
"What is so great about the Great Commission?" was my title. I
recall being scared to death standing before the relatively
large crowd of people. My voice was raspy from a siege of the
flu, which left me weakened to the point of barely being able to
stand, much less preach. Yet, the Lord, who is always faithful,
gave me the energy physically, emotionally and spiritually to
deliver the message. That moment is etched in my mind.
Years
before, as a seminary student at New Orleans, I had learned
firsthand what being a Great Commission Christian means in a
city known for its pervasive secular influence. New Orleans, the
Mardi Gras capital, can party with the best of them.
As a pastor in that city, I tried to impact the lostness through
the proven methods of Vacation Bible School and preaching at
rescue missions. I saw children come to our church who would
have never attended a Sunday service. I shared the Gospel with
people so down and out, that they often lived under the
interstate overpasses.
As a pastor in Alabama, I sought to lead our relatively strong
churches to be on mission with the Great Commission. We were not
always as effective as I would have wished, but we never gave up
on the Great Commission, with an Acts 1:8 strategy. The churches
I served were always concerned about Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria
and the ends of the earth.
Almost
12 years ago, when I was called to state missions, the only real
agenda I had was to help Alabama Baptists to be even more
committed Great Commission Christians. Since then, Alabama
Baptists have become leaders in Cooperative Program giving and
in contributions to international missions and North American
missions. We have sought to assist people in need through our
disaster relief efforts. We have endeavored to be good partners
with fellow Baptists in Pennsylvania and Michigan and other
states. Our global partnerships with Spain, Venezuela, Guatemala
and Ukraine have made a kingdom difference, which only eternity
will reveal. I have been an eyewitness to some real
breakthroughs in these areas.
My
10 years as a trustee on the International Mission Board was a
real education for me. I was able to see the world through the
eyes of multitudes of missionaries. I rejoiced to know how our
Lord was using them in some of the most difficult places to be
Gospel messengers. I do not believe there is a substitute for
God-called long-term missionaries living among the people.
I
believe in incarnational missions. My seminary professor, Dr.
Helen Falls, helped me to understand the worldview of a
missionary. She had been there and done that personally. She was
a God-send in my formative years of ministry. As a trustee for
the IMB, I saw her frequently in Richmond. She worked as a
volunteer in the office. Dr. Falls saw me one day and she smiled
brightly and asked, "Now, tell me you haven't forgotten what I
taught you years ago." My response was quick and enthusiastic,
"No ma'am, you taught all of us well."
The Great Commission is the talk of the Southern Baptist
Convention today. In a real sense, that can be positive. It has
the potential to help us refocus on what being a Great
Commission people means for the 21st century.
However, the discussion about the Great Commission should not
become a Great Commotion. We do not have to be in conflict over
the challenge of being Great Commission Christians in our
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. There is
way too much for us to do in Alabama, North America and around
the world to be engaged in intramural conflicts. I am praying
for a Great Commission revival to come over us as a people of
God. That is a movement which is spiritual, not structural.
I have my opinions about the current debate. In my own feeble
way, behind the scenes, I have sought to share my concerns with
people I know and trust. These conversations have been candid
and frank, but I will not allow our disagreements to define our
relationships. As a missions leader, I want to be a good steward
of what influence I have for our Lord.
I cannot predict the outcome of this debate, but be sure of this
one thing: When the talk is all completed, I intend on trying to
lead Alabama Baptists to remain focused on our
One Mission, the Great Commission. I will do all I can
to lead our people to see the eternal value of being committed
to the One Program we have called the
Cooperative
Program.
Here I stand, I can do no other!
