It was a great week to be in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville is a beautiful city with much to offer. I enjoyed the five years we lived in Kentuckiana while attending Boyce College at SBTS. Enough of the introductory remarks.
The SBC meeting and Pastor's Conference were both very good. I really enjoyed hearing David Platt for the first time on Monday night. His passion for the Word of God, Jesus Christ, and missions is very refreshing and challenging at the same time. J.D Greear probably did not endear himself to older SBC'ers but his message was right on topic on Sunday night. I really enjoyed Francis Chan, especially since I am leading my young adults through a study using his book Crazy Love. Kudo's to Ed Litton for putting together a really great conference.
Other than the usual business that takes place every year, this year we had the Great Commission Resurgence issue to consider. Dr. Johnny Hunt and Dr. Danny Akin both have a passion for seeing the Gospel proclaimed throughout the world. FBC Woodstock and SEBTS are both well known for their extraordinary missions emphasis. With that being said, some personal reflections on GCR and the task force that Dr. Hunt appointed:
(1) I was surprised, yet not shocked, to hear Dr. Hunt announce the members of the GCR Task Force on Wednesday morning. Either he was on the phone all night on Tuesday or he already had approached these people about serving in this capacity. I tend to believe the latter, which is not a bad thing in and of itself. The task force was not a last minute issue and I would expect someone of Dr. Hunt's stature to be ready for the eventuality of the GCR Task Force being approved. Now that they are appointed, they can begin the process of meeting to set their agenda for the next year.
(2) I was surprised by some of the people appointed to the team. The selection of Dr. Ronnie Floyd was certainly a surprise. Since his defeat three years ago in Greensboro, NC, I have not heard much from or about him. I would rather have seen someone such as Larry Wynn, pastor of Hebron Baptist in Dacula, Ga, chosen to serve as chairman of this team. Larry's church gave$1,000,000.00 to the CP several years ago whereas Dr. Floyd's church gave less than 1% to the CP. Even so, I do not think Dr. Floyd's commitment to missions can be seriously challenged or questioned. One may not agree with or like the way he or his church does things, but I would never seek to question his integrity. I certainly would not have selected him to serve in this capacity but that is no reflection upon him or his character. It is just my personal reflection.
I also was surprised that Dr. Hunt selected Dr. Danny Akin and Dr. Al Mohler. I love, admire, respect, and really like both of these men. However, with the stated goal of the GCR force to question all of our agencies and their effectiveness, was this really the wisest choice? After all, both of their schools receive CP dollars. Does anyone really believe that they will not have any bias when it comes to questioning whether or not CP dollars are being used with utmost effectiveness at their schools? I am not suggesting that they will not be honest or effective on this team, as both men's behavior, integrity, and service to Christ are above reproach. I do mean to suggest, however, that there could be a conflict of interest. We will know more in a year. I trust both of these men explicitly. I just think that the team would have been better served to not have any SBC employees on the team.
(3) Although the majority of the SBC is made up of churches with less than 200 in attendance on any given Sunday, there was not anyone chosen from a small church to serve on this team. At the risk of sounding jealous, envious, or anything else unbiblical, are small church pastors not qualified to serve on committees of any significance in the SBC? I realize that their time may be limited due to serving in a single-staff church, but could we quit talking about grassroots Southern Baptists and then stocking important committees with pastors and members from churches that average 500 or more per Sunday? Am I the only one who feels this way?
Now, with all of that being said, I am committing to pray for all of the GCR Task Force. I really believe that introspection is necessary and good. Otherwise, we run the very real risk of becoming like the Federal government and becoming bloated beyond repair or remedy. I look forward to hearing what they have to present at next year's meeting in Orlando, FL. After all, whatever they present still has to be approved by the convention. I imagine that there will be a lot of posturing and parading taking place between now and then :)
Just thinking,
Joe
Thanks for sharing!!
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