As we enter the Fall season, now is the time for Association and State Conventions to hold their annual meetings. While I enjoy engaging in Convention issues and participating on the national level, I find that the local association and state convention have been vitally important to my growth and development as a pastor and in building relationships with other pastors.
Our national conversation continues to consider what is the long-term role of state conventions and local associations. The reverberations of GCR have called on us in the Midwest, where the number of SBC churches is fewer and the churches are smaller, to “do more with less.” As our entities contract and NAMB’s investment in central staff diminishes, the question of what the long-term future of our denomination will look like structurally remains open.
In the meantime, our state Convention meeting is next week and I’m looking forward to it. In our state, our Executive Director has done what EDs do – developed a multi-year strategy that touches on the key areas of impact like revitalization, church planting, leader development, … you get the idea. The plan is sound and includes several “markers” that set specific goals and the strategy to reach them. Good stuff to be sure (well done Dr. McNeil!).
What really resonated with me, though, is how he presented it in his annual report. I’ve heard Dr. McNeil say it before, “Cooperation is a choice.” In this report, he calls us to “choose to engage” and looks for God to move and see “[C]hurches helping churches! Churches planting churches! Churches serving each other! Churches doing ministry together!” Guys (that’s yankee for y’all), this is why I am a Southern Baptist.
Now I realize being SBC in Indiana is different than being SBC in the larger conventions, but the DNA is the same. Our denomination is built on cooperation. Yes, giving to be sure. Cooperative missions, of course. But also, and vitally, the cooperation built on relationships that churches and pastors have with one another. I’m thankful to have served in churches that give faithfully to CP. I’m even MORE thankful to serve in churches that choose to cooperate, that choose to work together, that choose to encourage one another in the work, that choose to invest in each other, that choose to pray for one another.
I know that every State Convention and association doesn’t enjoy that level of cooperation/fellowship/partnership/koinonia. Maybe I’m spoiled. What I am most, however, is thankful. Thankful for a denomination that holds biblical cooperation as one of its highest ideals. Thankful to have served in associations and a state convention that realize that cooperation is a choice and do indeed choose to do this thing together.
As we continue to wrestle with big issues on the national level, as we anticipate new leadership in more than half of our entities, as we move forward and anticipate a new move of God in our denomination, whatever that might look like, let’s not forget this key essential to what it means to be SBC. Let’s keep choosing to engage God’s mission together! Let’s commit ourselves to one another. Let’s choose cooperation.
Amen Todd.
I’ll be leading out Association’s fall meeting in a couple weeks and these ideas have already been on my mind.
Cooperation is a choice.
Churches plant churches. Churches send and are responsible to encourage and support missionaries,, Churches ARE the association/convention.
Associational, state, and national structures, when operating rightly, exist only to facilitate cooperation among the churches.
One reason I’m Southern Baptist is because we are not a top down denomination. We are a group of individual and autonomous churches united in confession and cooperation.
Love how you explained it!
Todd,
I have always appreciated how you lead by example in cooperative work at the associational and state levels. Our convention is better because of men like you.
I’m thankful to be a part of the Jacksonville Baptist Association, which is filled with churches who are looking to work together to address the lostness of our city.
Keep up the good work!
Well said, Todd! Instead of looking to NAMB or a national entity for help, let’s pitch in and work together. That is how the Southern Baptist Convention developed. You mentioned church planting churches. That is the only way we can plant the number of churches necessary to reach North America. The SBC cannot afford to support the large number of salaried church planters required to “church” North America. I’m not saying we should not support any; I’m just saying that the scope of the need requires a church planting churches strategy.
Yeah, I think I remember one of my favorite professors making that point often.
I remember one of my missionary friends in the Philippines. He met with our Area Director for his pre-furlough evaluation. The director asked, “How many churches have you planted during this term?” My friend replied, “none.” The director huffed, “Well!” “But,” my friend quickly added, “the churches I work with have planted 100.” “That”s ok, then,” the director said. If we must have churches planted individually by salaried church planters, then the number of new churches will grow arithmatically–1+1+1+1, etc. However, if churches plant churches, then we can see geometric growth–1-2-4-8-16. We (the SBC and NAMB and state conventions) must focus on strategies that lead to multiplication, not addition.