Comments on: Want to see a GCR? Idea #2

By: Stephen Fox

Stephen Fox — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:58:49 +0000

SBC churches that have been going along aren’t gonna buy the GCR until the Ronnie Floyds of the world get up to 10% CP giving.
Churches like high percentage Dawson Memorial in Alabama as an example will cut their percentage and designate to state convention entities.
EVen Adrian Rogers son DAvid recent SBCimpact blog on the Idolatry of Politics implies Richard Land’s ERLC fronting as a PAC for Karl Rove should be slashed.

IMB trustees need to be cut in half to save half million dollars for missions as strong statement to struggling SBC churches the SBC is serious about better stewardship of their SBC dollars.

In clear language distance the SBC from the Tea Party and Birther movement. Have more integrity in the politics of the abortion debate
Engage in a civil discussion Leroy Treat’s new book about Fundamentalism and its lack of virtue.

By: bobby gilstrap

bobby gilstrap — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:17:38 +0000

Guys,

I’m doing research for an Audio Conference for Pastors with the G C R T F on March 16th. I’d be interested in what questions you feel still need to be asked of this task force? Some questions have already been submitted to our partner’s blog site (http://NoBAsbc.org). Look over the questions already submitted (see link in middle of page) and tell me what you think are the most critical questions to ask. I’d appreciate your insight.

By: Matt Svoboda

Matt Svoboda — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:24:31 +0000

Dave,

A lot of the CP failures in Nebraska have been the result of bad strategy…

It’s looked like this: Some Director of Missions or Church planting dude that is paid by the State convention(Kansas-Nebraska) starts a “Bible study/church plant” and once it has a consistent core the DOM passes it off to a guy that hasnt been from the area as a part time job and the core group either doesnt connect with him or the guy leaves. It’s been pathetic.

By: Dave Miller

Dave Miller — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:03:39 +0000

I think I can deliver that!

By: Dave Miller

Dave Miller — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:03:18 +0000

At Matt’s request, I’m nominating Micah Fries for SBC President. I suspect you’ll get several dozen votes!

By: Dave Miller

Dave Miller — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:02:11 +0000

Our church planting here has been plagued with failure as well. Often a good pastor builds a church up then leaves and the transition doesn’t go well. People either drift away or there is a big fight.

Iowa is littered with the wreckage of churches that have died because they fought with each other instead of the forces of darkness.

By: Rick Patrick

Rick Patrick — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:12:08 +0000

This whole train of thought regarding our bloated state conventions seems a waste of time to me for the following reasons: (1) I don’t think the so-called bloated state conventions are consuming too many dollars, but even if they were, because they are autonomous they would have to admit this fact and voluntarily cut their own budgets, programs and staff, and since they don’t believe they are bloated this is something they will obviously never do and no one can make them. (2) I do think individual churches giving less than ten percent through CP is directly responsible for all missions funding shortfalls and since everyone is saying the local church must lead a GCR, then the bloated churches, many of them large megachurches, must prioritize CP giving over against their other ministries, but since they too are autonomous and do not believe they are bloated, they are not going to do this either.

If the GCR Task Force wishes to persuade SBC entities of their bloatedness, they would be wise to spread such an accusation beyond the state conventions to our institutions, churches and individual Southern Baptists. To the extent that state conventions are bloated, all of us are. Such a challenge would no doubt be more palatable at the convention.

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:32:44 +0000

Any talk about GCR and sending more money to missions and unreached people groups has to start with cutting back the state conventions. Keep Associations and National Entities and trim back dramatically the bloated State Conventions.

By: Micah Fries

Micah Fries — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:09:03 +0000

Greg-

I just did a bit more research & found out that the Florida Baptist Convention took in over $39 million this year – compare that, for instance, with the Minnesota/Wisconsin State Convention which took in $454,094 this year for both states combined. Add to that the fact that Minn/Wis only has 10 employees for the entire state convention and you have a massive discrepancy. The truth is that Florida has all the resources it needs to reach it’s state and help reaching other states. NAMB money is not needed there, leaving it there only takes it out of the states where it really is needed.

By: Micah Fries

Micah Fries — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:29:01 +0000

no Greg, it’s not irresponsible at all – church planting is the job of churches, not mission boards. In those states where plenty of churches exist to do the work of church planting, they need to do so. We eliminate NAMB’s dollars going there and instead focus NAMB’s energy in areas where there are not churches with resources to do the biblical work of church planting.

Aside from that it’s my opinion that NAMB does not need to be involved in any other work other than church planting, with the possible exception of disaster relief as that needs someone on a national scale to coordinate. The failure of local churches to do their job does not need to be corrected by NAMB, it needs to be corrected by the local churches. Just because local churches are failing to do their job does not mean that NAMB needs to step in and clean up their mess. Evangelism, missions, etc. is the work of a local church. Florida, Alabama, Georgia, my state of Missouri, etc. don’t need NAMB to reach their state, they need their churches to step up and be biblical churches to reach their state.