This Is the Southern Baptist Convention
Wheels up for Nashville, Tennessee! As we left for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) we were all excited to see how our Convention was working to present Christ to the nations. On a personal note, this year’s Convention was the first for my wife and my daughter. They would get first-hand knowledge of everything I had described to them for the last 15 years. My wife and daughter were a bit skeptical of the “hard work” that was set before us (it seems they thought that all we did at the Convention was eat) but excited to see first-hand the inner workings of the SBC.
Due to the Coronavirus, the Pastors’ conference had been replaced by the “Send Conference.” The Send Conference, sponsored by the North American Mission Board, was prevalent at previous Conventions, just not given a day and a half to showcase its mission endeavors. The Send Conference did not disappoint. Dr. Tony Evans preached a wonderful sermon tying missions (innately, we usually equate missions to “overseas”) to the local church. The SBC sends 3,700 missionaries to foreign soil to reach the nations for Christ. We learned how we can be a part of this missionary work which spans the globe outside of Siler City.
Nashville is the unoffical home to many Christian musicians. This close proximity allowed them to use their talents for the edification of the messengers. Musicians such as Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, the David Crowder Band, Matthew West, and Ellie Holcomb lit up the stage and inspired over 15,000 Messengers in attendance.
Once the actual SBC began, it was “business” as usual. What was a treat for me was to look over at my “newbie” wife and see her try and digest the reports and understand the “Robert’s Rules of Order,” which guided the Messengers in their official business capacity. Not only did we hear reports from Guidestone (the Convention’s Healthcare, Insurance, and Retirement Provider), but we also heard updates from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. We also voted to affirm “Resolutions.” These shorts documents affirm what Southern Baptists believe and how our beliefs are acted out in the public square. Resolutions were plenty - from maintaining our public witness, to the sufficiency of Scripture for race and racial reconciliation, to shining the light of Jesus in the public square. Each was voted and affirmed as a collective body.
A highlight of the SBC was the unveiling of “Vision 2025.” This new vision seeks to reach every person for Jesus Christ in every town, city, state, and nation. This new plan narrows down the goal into 5 tangible actions. #1: Increase our missionary presence to 4,200 (an increase of 500) through the International Mission Board. #2: Add 5,000 new congregations equaling over 50,000 SBC congregations. #3: Increase the number of field workers by “calling out the called.” #4: Turn around the decade-long decline of baptizing teenagers. #5: Increase giving to missions to reach our Great Commission mandates.
We listened as missionaries spoke of the challenges of sharing the Gospel in the global pandemic and even post-pandemic societies. We heard reports from our 6 SBC Seminaries and how they were preparing God-called men and women to best serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. From Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (the Seminary closet to us), we heard reports of tremendous growth with over 5,000 currents students enrolled.
As the Convention drew to a close, a Messenger named David Bumgardner from Arlington, Texas, stood up, walked to a microphone, and waited his turn. When recognized, he said, “I’ve been to 3 different microphones trying to get you guys to turn on the air conditioning. For the love of everything that is good and holy, please turn on the air!” Applause and cheers erupted from the 15,000 sweaty Messengers in attendance. (Pastor Jeff’s unofficial estimate of the temperature in the assembly hall was nearly 210 degrees.) David even changed his designation on his Twitter handle to “SBC A/C Committee Chairman.”
As we entered our hotel room after the Convention was over, my wife apologized and told me she was sorry for ever questioning why I was so tired after the Conventions. I just laughed, and said, “I told you so.” However, she was more concerned about how she was going to get the $500 Yeti cooler I had won at an exhibit booth at the Convention as a carry-on on the flight home.
“Where’s the next Convention?” she asked. “Anaheim - just outside of Los Angeles,” I said. She unhesitatingly replied, “Count me in!”