I’m going to be brutally honest here (hope Ronnie Floyd doesn’t read this!). I’ve heard Ronnie Floyd speak several times and always felt he was long on passion and short on content. The first two times he ran for SBC president, I opposed him. The first time (2006) I was a blog commenter who had no forum to speak out but I traveled to Greensboro to vote for a man I’d never heard of – some guy named Frank Page.
I thank God for Greensboro, because Frank Page was elected, then became our EC President, a friend, and someone I think has had a remarkable effect on the direction of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In 2014, I became heavily involved in the candidacy of Dr. Dennis Kim and when the election took place, having talked to a lot of people, I thought perhaps that we were going to win that one as well. It was close – way closer than anyone ever thought it would be. A relatively unknown (to the SBC at large) Korean pastor took about 42% of the vote in that election. We were amazed and just a little disappointed.
As thankful as I was to God that Frank Page won the 2006 election, I am now just as thankful that our efforts to promote another candidate failed and that Ronnie Floyd was elected president of the SBC in 2014. I cannot remember my impressions and opinions about a man changing as dramatically and quickly as they have with our president.
He has done a good job. The 2015 Columbus convention was the best I’ve been to in many ways. The night of prayer was one of the best evenings of convention life I’ve ever experienced.
And then there was this message – preached Tuesday morning at the chapel at Midwestern. I told Ronnie afterward (he doesn’t know me, I’m quite sure, but he knows “bloggers!”) that he gave us bloggers ammunition for discussion for 6 months to come. But there was nothing vague about this. It was specific. Dramatic. Concrete.
I encourage you to watch this video. If you are Southern Baptist and care about the future of our denomination, it is worth your time. I am not endorsing every one of his proposals. I may disagree with him on some of those things he is suggesting. But we need to interact with what Ronnie is saying.
He said things we need to talk about. Not argue about. Just discuss!
2015 SBC Symposium with Dr. Ronnie Floyd from Midwestern Seminary on Vimeo.
PLEASE take the time to watch this. I have notes in a previous blogpost. Also, Rodney Hammer has interacted with this in his post yesterday.
Dave,
I think the most encouraging thing Ronnie described was his 29 years ministering in the same place. That is very encouraging and rare. Yet, it is probably the most meaningful way to increase a cohesive growth strategy.
His other comments though, seemed like a high level pass at what is already in motion, so nothing new to learn. Ronnie is a good representative of the convention, but for the SBC to become robust, it will need to adapt wisely into the emerging global communication and collaboration structures that are currently and quickly making the old SBC system obsolete.
Chris
Being an old codger, I cannot tell you how much I would love to disagree with you…..but…..alas…..you are right!
D.L.,
It is very very sad, and as the SBC will continue on, it will only diminish in its effectiveness as a collective without a clear and corrective strategy. The even more sad scenario is…It does not have to be that way.
To become agile and meet the goals of growth in this new and emerging age of communication, it will take a different strategy in order to deliver the content of the gospel to those that are no longer engaged in the old ways. The old radial dial phones have been gone for a while.
What encouraged me was the progress his church has made in CP giving. Back in 2006, the reason he was not elected was CP %, primarily. Now, his church gives over a million annually to missions through the CP. That is progress.
Refresh my memory…who did we elect in o6?
More to your point that is encouraging
Frank Page
thanks
I know I am bringing up an old post, but wanted to share this. The GCR has caught a lot of flack at times, but this is good news that is certainly a result of the GCR recommendations.
http://www.bpnews.net/46010/wrapup-23-states-increase-cp-for-sbc-missions-and-ministry