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State Missionary Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

Other Recent Blog Entries:

The Caleb Spirit in 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
In my mind, Caleb is the Barnabas of the Old Testament. When others seemed to lose hope, he offered encouragement to them.

A Year to Remember
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what is called the Advent.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Thursday, December 8, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what is called the Advent.

Finishing Strong
Monday, November 21, 2011
I do not pretend to be a football coach, but I do believe this "sports experience" translates into our everyday lives, most notably in our Christian lives. There are times when we have seemingly given our all and we feel spent, emotionally, physically and even spiritually.

Be Encouraged!
Thursday, October 28, 2011
In periods of history like the one we now face, Christians have often done some of their most effective service for Christ. But in order to be an effective servant, we must find our source of encouragement in the face of these discouraging situations.

SBC Today: An Interview
Thursday, October 16, 2011
Managing ourselves means more than controlling the calendar, staying morally and ethically pure, reading the latest books, keeping family time balanced, and running things smoothly in one's ministry. I am convinced this means staying in touch with Lord and with yourself in such a way that you make the right decisions and lead in the right direction.

May 2009

Singing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was known by many as "the Prince of Preachers." His books continue to be in print, and his sermons are read by a large number of evangelical Christians in the 21st century. The Metropolitan Tabernacle Church, where he became renowned for his expository preaching, is still a strong congregation today. His legacy of Biblical preaching is alive and well at this church and in many places around the world.

During our British Baptist tour, which included a visit to the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Pam and I listened to one of the church leaders, Chris Cooper, describe the vitality of the current ministry of the congregation. He also offered a commentary on the secular culture which has now become entrenched in Britain. Adversaries of the Christian gospel are omnipresent in this nation where the message of Christ was once welcomed openly. Now evangelical Christians are a very small but distinct minority living and serving amidst the multi-cultural political correctness of the British society.

As I heard this testimony, my mind raced to Psalm 137. Here, the Psalmist sadly paints a picture of God's people held captive by adversaries of the redemptive message of the Lord: "When we remembered Zion, we wept" was the tearful message of the psalmist. He and others reflected upon the good memories of their home land with a sense of painful sadness. They could remember the times when the joy of freely worshiping God was their way of life. No, the people of God were taunted and insulted by the voices found in this culture of captivity.

Spurgeon's Britain is gone! Yet, evangelical churches, like the Metropolitan Tabernacle, are finding ways to "sing the Lord's song in a strange land." They are focusing upon the younger generation of London, especially on the south side of town where immigrants from other countries have come to Great Britain. People from African and Caribbean nations currently represent the largest number of worshippers at the church. They and others are hungry for the gospel and they are responding to Christ by becoming faithful followers of Him in a strange land.

As evangelicals in Britain face this culture of captivity, those of us who claim the name of Christ across the Atlantic need to seriously study ways in which we can effectively communicate the Gospel in an environment fast becoming hostile to the Christian message. Of course, as the old adage reminds us, this is much easier said than done.

During this visit to Great Britain, I experienced a growing sense of renewal or revival coming in my life. I am not a Charles Haddon Spurgeon but, like you, I am a follower of Christ and I want to be found faithful to Him in the day in which I live. You and I did not choose this period of history for the living of our lives, but it is our time and, like all epochs, it is God's time. Together, as a small but hopefully distinct minority in this culture of captivity, we must rededicate ourselves to the task of faithfully and effectively communicating the gospel of Christ in the time in human history God has given us. This, in essence, is living faithfully for Christ in a culture of captivity. Let us "sing the Lord's song in a strange land."

Welcome to the family, Chuck Weaver!!!

Chuck Weaver comes from an independent Baptist background. In his first pastorate -- Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Hale County -- Chuck is serving an Alabama Baptist church which cooperates with the State Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. Sometimes, pastors who have been independent Baptists try to lead the church in the direction of becoming more independent and less cooperative with other Baptist churches, locally and globally.

This is not the case with Chuck Weaver. Chuck has become a Southern Baptist and an Alabama Baptist. How did the transformation take place? Well in all honesty, the church building caught on fire and burned to rubble. As I have previously mentioned in an earlier blog, Alabama Baptist disaster relief's first responders moved swiftly into action. State Missionary Mel Johnson was on site the next day and, within 48 hours, I represented Alabama Baptists with a disaster relief check for the church.

Additionally by the first Sunday in May, their homecoming, a new mobile chapel was placed on the property. This mobile chapel and all the others used for disaster relief and church planting come from cooperating Alabama Baptists who want to help people in a time of need.

Through the mail, Chuck Weaver received a check from a lady who also wanted to assist the church in their efforts to rebuild. Chuck knew this lady was living on a fixed income. In his mind, she was giving the "widow's mite" to the church. Then, as he pondered this significant gift, he asked himself, where did the money given by Alabama Baptists come from? Other "widow's mites" was his answer. Chuck thought about all the cooperating Baptists in Alabama who sacrificed for his church during this time of crisis. "I guess that day I became a Southern Baptist," he stated.

Conversion to Christ is the main issue of life for everyone. It is life's most important decision. Chuck Weaver has evidenced a second type conversion, a conversion to cooperation. Cooperating by giving through the Cooperative Program is a means of supporting efforts of sharing Christ with people, who do not know Him. Inherent in this conversion, there is the joy of cooperating with other like-minded believers who want to help people when a need arises.

Welcome to the family Chuck Weaver!!! You are now in a big family, one known for cooperating in local and global missions and evangelism. Here is our commitment to you. We will pray for you as you lead your church during this most challenging time. We will help your church get back to a new normal. We will work with you in the future, as you serve locally and impact others globally. We are family, and family members help each other in times of need, like Pleasant Hill and you now face. Again, welcome to the family Chuck Weaver!!!

To Sign or Not to Sign: That Is the Question

The Great Commission is in the news in SBC life. The conversation is centered around an online document with the Great Commission in its title. In the first incarnation, the document contained 12 axioms and after further revision it now features 10 commitments. At the time of this blog posting, more than 1,700 people have placed their signatures to the document. Some Alabama Baptists have chosen to be among the number.

I have not signed the document, because I feel we as Alabama Baptists have already been at work in Great Commission Ministries in very effective ways. The original document also contained some language with which I could not agree. I do not see our state convention as a bloated bureaucracy but rather as a fellowship of Great Commission Christians on mission with the Great Commission.

For more than a decade now we have affirmed the more than a motto affirmation: "We Have One Mission, The Great Commission; We Have One Program, The Cooperative Program; We Have Many Ministries...Great Commission Ministries." Many times when I am introduced to a congregation, the pastor will incorporate this affirmation into his remarks. This is the highest compliment I could ever receive as a state missionary.

Consider with me the following missional points in Alabama Baptist life:

We have One Mission, The Great Commission

"We have One Mission, The Great Commission" is all about partnership. We partner as a Great Commission people to reach people for Christ in Alabama, North America and internationally. As for the matter of streamlining of the State Board of Missions, we have reduced the number of our staff by 20 percent over the past decade. Yet, as state missionaries, we are committed to serving the churches and associations in our state as true partners in ministry.

We Have One Program, The Cooperative Program

"We Have One Program, The Cooperative Program." Alabama is the only Deep South state convention which does NOT have a state missions offering. The Kathleen Mallory Offering is for the support of the WMU ministries in our state, and we are glad that our WMU partners have this opportunity for support from the churches.

Alabama Baptists currently lead all other state conventions in Cooperative Program giving to SBC causes. From October through April, Alabama Baptists have given more funds to support missions causes in the Southern Baptist Convention than any of the other 41 conventions. This is not a matter of pride for us but praise. We are blessed to be at this point, when the state and national/global economies are in decline. This is good stewardship on the part of Alabama Baptists.

The Cooperative Program is not the Coercive Program. No church is forced to give. Rather, churches choose to cooperate so that a world can be reached for Christ. The Cooperative Program enables Alabama Baptists and Southern Baptists to be all over the world, all the time at the same time. The Cooperative Program is the tried and proven way to do so.

The Cooperative Program is not the Cafeteria Program. In Alabama Baptist life, we have the purest form of Cooperative Program giving. An undesignated gift from churches is given through the Cooperative Program and therefore supports ministries in Alabama and around the world. A designated gift can be made, but it must represent a ministry included in either the SBC or State Convention budgets. That is the same principle of unified giving practiced in almost all of our churches in their own budgeting process.

We Have Many Ministries, Great Commission Ministries

"We Have Many Ministries, Great Commission Ministries." As a State Board of Missions, we have been given three priorities, which emanate from the Great Commission. All four of our teams are focused clearly and intentionally on these priorities.

In evangelism and discipleship, Alabama Baptists have given attention to the basics of reaching people for Christ and helping them grow as faithful disciples. Sammy Gilbreath, the Evangelism & Discipleship Team Leader, has been instrumental in doing what we call evangelism on the edges. Horse Whisperer evangelistic events are just one example of this ministry. The historic method of touching the lives of people through Vacation Bible School is also a matter worth considering. As many as 7,500 professions of faith were made during VBS last year in our state. Additionally, Alabama Baptist state missionaries on college and university campuses touch lives of almost 10 percent of the students enrolled in these educational institutions.

The Leadership Development Team benefits from the wise and veteran leadership of State Missionary Dale Huff. In a day when there is a leadership shortage in all walks of life, even in Christian circles, the priority focus of this team is to develop Christian leaders. Teman Knight, who serves on this team, works closely with younger church leaders, many of whom minister to churches, large and small in membership.

The Missions Mobilization Team is led by a man who has served the Lord internationally as well as here in Alabama. Reggie Quimby is the "go to" guy for mobilizing volunteers for mission work in Alabama and in our global partnerships, such as the current ones in Michigan, Guatemala, the Appalachian Regional Ministries and the vast nation of Ukraine. Disaster relief and church planting ministries are the focus of this team too.

Yes, Alabama Baptists are a Great Commission people, whether they have signed an online document or not. For more than a decade, we have sought to unapologetically devote ourselves to the clear priorities growing out of the Great Commission. Each Alabama Baptist will have to determine whether signing a document is of value to the cause. However, I contend that 10-plus years ago, we made a fresh commitment of our lives to becoming Great Commission Christians. For me, that is far more significant than signing any kind of document.