I’ve been going to the SBC Annual Meeting since 1979 in Houston, when the CR began. They have always followed a pattern, though that pattern has shifted through the years. It used to last through Thursday afternoon, then was gradually shortened to ending on Wednesday. But this will be different than anything you’ve ever experienced.
Will we like it? Who knows?
The music will be different. All the music will be led by Julio Arriola of Ronnie Floyd’s Cross Church.
The schedule will be different. In the past, business, worship, messages, and reports were interspersed. Not so this week. Everything is compartmentalized.
This morning, after some opening activities, the primary event will be a joint reporting session of our six seminaries. I don’t know if each seminary will take questions individually or if they will take questions separately.
This afternoon is the business session. One of the chief complaints in the last couple of years has been the small number of people present for certain business sessions, especially the election of the second vice president. All business, including all the elections, will take place this afternoon. I have no idea how this will work, but they say they’ve got it figured out. We’ll see how it goes.
Tonight is the big event that Ronnie Floyd has been pushing, an evening of prayer for spiritual awakening. His theme for the week is
Clear Agreement – Visible Union – Extraordinary Prayer
Tonight is the session of extraordinary prayer, called, “A National Call to Prayer to All Southern Baptists for the Next Great Awakening and to Reach the World for Christ.”
Wednesday morning will include reports from NAMB and IMB and a commissioning service by the two entities.
Wednesday afternoon will have reports from LifeWay and ERLC, plus a panel discussion about Same Sex Marriage and the Supreme Court.
Observations
1. It seems to me that attendance may be up this year. We’ll see.
2. There seems to be little to cause division or conflict.
3. The biggest question mark, of course, is the questions to the entities. This is an important time for us as Baptists, where any messenger can question our leaders. You never know. This has provided some of our most memorable and entertaining moments in past conventions.
4. Resolutions and motions always offer some surprises.
5. The chairs here are the most uncomfortable ever and my back is not likely to survive two days of blogging sitting in these torture traps!
6. The set up in Columbus is pretty good for a convention. If we had 20,000 we’d be toast, but I’m guessing those days are done for now.
7. I’m in a little bit of a quandary about the whole critiquing thing. I don’t want to be Mr. Negativity, but all these changes seem to invite a little be of observation and analysis.
- Do we like the president’s music leader doing all the music?
- Do we like the new compartmentalized convention system (I think I will)?
When you make changes like this, you must expect some feedback.
8. As far as I know, there is only one nominee for each office that has announced. If that is the case, things will be easy. No drama there.
9. There have already been several shots taken at bloggers. I don’t know that these are directed at us here at SBC Voices, but I always get a little angry when I hear these. Makes me mad! We have our problems in the blogging world, but we are here to stay and they would do better to make peace with us rather than take potshots at us!
10. The fellowship is always the best part of the convention. The Bluster was great last night. Come join us next year.
