Jun 23rd

SBC Day 1

The official first day is over for the 2009 SBC.  I got up early and attended the Mid-America Alumni breakfast.  I met a few new people.   Visited with Celia Thompkins father for a while today.  He has been coming to the SBC since 1978 and it sounds like Celia spent a lot of time through the years traveling to the SBC.  He retired from the Army as an officer and upon retirement entered the ministry as an associate pastor then becoming the missions pastor where he has been for the past 22 years.

The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force was approved overwhelmingly tonight.  President Johnny Hunt will appoint a 12 member task force to study our convention.  The motion was made by Al Mohler, pres. of Southern Seminary and spoken for by past SBC pres. Frank Page.  The IMB report was challenging because of the short fall in giving keeping folks from the field.  Jim and Shirley McGimpsey were able to give a testimony tonight on the big stage of the IMB report.  They did a great job.  They did not reveal their names or where they served, but we were sure proud of them.  

The convention looks a little younger this year.  I think there is some excitement in the air for some while some are wondering what it will look like.  One more day and we will be heading home.  We have heard some inspiring messages, got reacquainted with several people that we have not seen in a long time. 

Let’s pray for Nate Gairhan who will be having back surgery at Children’s Hospital tomorrow.  We also need to lift up the family of Gary Akers who went home to be with the Lord last Friday.  Gary was the faithful pastor of Central Baptist in Pine Bluff for over 20 years.  He was faithful husband and father also.  These needs just remind me of how much we need and depend on God for every thing from our children’s needs to our own next breath.  While some of us are inspired by great messages and great ideas, many are struggling suffering and just hanging on.  In the midst of it all, Jesus Christ is Lord.  This highlights the fact that life, pain, struggle is all ultimately about the glory of God and His purposes for eternity. . . . until next time.  Wes

Jun 22nd

Southern Baptist Convention

We have just returned from the SBC Pastors’ Conference here in Louisville.  We arrived around midnight eastern time Sunday night.  Alvin Reid and David Platt preached a couple of great sermons tonight.  Johnny Hunt concluded the night with a call for forgiveness, kindness, and allowing God to unblock whatever has caused a dam in our lives.  Lisa and I met a neat couple in their 70s while eating ice cream before the evening session began.  Roscoe Brewer founder of E.P.I.C. is doing some amazing things among unreached people groups around the world especially among Muslims.  I forwarded an urgent prayer request last week from Johnny Hunt about a newly baptized Muslim believer who had been arrested, beaten, hospitalized, then beaten again while distributing Bibles (maybe even some Bibles that FBC Rogers purchased with the MBD emphasis).  Roscoe was the contact for this prayer request and is close to the persecuted believe being called Bento (not real name).  The official convention business begins tomorrow.  Johnny Hunt will deliver his president’s address and will certainly speak to the Great Commission Resurgence document.  There has certainly been much made about the shortfall in the IMB offering which has resulted in suspending all ISC appointments.  That really hits close to home since Tim and Adrienne Terrazas are in the ISC pipeline and their progress has been put on hold. Some interesting facts that were brought out was that France would become a Muslim nation by 2020 at the current rate of growth of Islam.  That even emphasizes more the importance and guidance of God in pointing us toward Turkish Muslims in France.

On a personal note, I want to give a shout out to Caleb on his birthday.  We are certainly proud of him.  Unfortunately, we are out of town on his birthday.  A big thank you to Barb and Kearsten for taking Caleb out for a birthday dinner tonight while we are in Louisville.  He had a birthday lunch on Saturday at the Catfish Hole in Fayetteville.  It’s getting late here.  Everyone is in bed except me and they are ready for the lights to go out.  I have an early start tomorrow with a breakfast meeting at 7:00 am before the convention activities begin.  Until next time. . .Wes

Jun 12th

Great Commission Resurgence

Our Southern Baptist Convention is promoting or proposing a document that was written under the leadership of the president, Johnny Hunt and much of the credit or blame depending on your take on the matter for writing the document goes to Danny Akin.  Let me say at the beginning that I appreciate both of these men and their commitment to God’s Word, the Gospel, and our denomination.  I wrote an article in the Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine that was a brief cautious but optimistic support of a Great Commission resurgence.

In the article, I pointed out that I thought the document was too long.  I expressed that opinion to Johnny as he allowed the state presidents to have a look at it.  The document was modified by removing some language that included the word “bloated” when referring to the bureaucracy of the SBC.  Denominational workers were offended by the language although I did notice some signatures on the document by some state executives.  I think we can learn a lot from this whole discussion and how we go about the discussion.  No one who believes the Bible would not support a Great Commission resurgence.  Unfortunately, that’s where the common ground stops especially as we evaluate how we accomplish this.

For me, the local church is the only institution that is given the responsibility of fulfilling the Great Commission.  I have heard Jerry Rankin say that the Great Commission was not given to the IMB.  I agree.  Neither was it given to the SBC, or the ABSC or associations, etc.  Now I have great friends who work in all the agencies and organizations that I have mentioned and many that I have not mentioned.  Simply passing a resolution or adopting a new theme or calling for a new emphasis at a gathering of messengers will not translate into life change in the local community.  That’s my opinion anyway.  While others whose opinions are probably much more valuable than mine discuss or debate what is working and what is not, how to correct the issue and get headed in the right direction.  I have read in Baptist publications of a underground strategy to consolidate the IMB and NAMB.  I certainly do not have any first hand information that proves or disproves such speculation.

This kind of speculation and question and even discussion can really turn off a lot of people who are great folks who believe the Great Commission and want to honor God.  Guys my age and older wonder why young guys don’t have denominational loyalty while others say that young pastors do have it.  This stuff frustrates an older guy (that is older than the young guys) like me.  There are a lot of people I think that are looking around to see if anything significant happens to change the decline of what I think is the greatest group of cooperating churches on the planet.  Lots of folks are tired of red tape and bureaucracy.  Lots of folks want to see the power of God and lives changed.  Lots of folks want to see their life, their ministry, and church count for something significant.  Lots of folks understand that significance only comes from glorifying God in obedience to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

We need on the local level to honestly evaluate what we are doing.  Are we honoring God first in Worship and also in witness where we are located?  You can’t brush with a broad brush because God always has the remnant.  Usually the remnant is not jumping up and down saying I am the remnant!  Do it like me!  Or even come to my conference for $$$$$ and I will help you do it like me.  (Hey, I know I just went to a conference. . .that’s the next blog).  But generally speaking and for most specifically speaking, we are not being as effective as we should or better as we want to be.  Some keys might be repentance, humility, responsibility,focus, and determination.  Until next time. . . .Wes

Jun 3rd

Resurgence of the Local Church Conference

I am getting ready to head out to Raleigh, NC for Resurgence of the Local Church Conference.  Lisa will be making the trip with me.  The speakers include John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Bryan Chappell, Ed Stetzer, Danny Akin.  I have not been a conference goer.  As a matter of fact, I don’t recall going to a church conference since I have been at Rogers (7 years).  There seems to be a groundswell of concern about the losing of ground by the local church.  As I read about and even talk with young people, the recurring theme seems to include a need for authenticity, relationship, community, ethics,. . . .  I have run across the statement in more than one place that young people are not down on Jesus but they are down on church.  That statement makes me very uncomfortable on two planes.  The first plane causes me to want to rise up and obliterate that statement.  The church is Christ’s bride.  If you don’t like the bride then the bridegroom will not be very fond or welcoming of you.  Jesus promised to build His church not bless some consumer minded individualistic hippie type who wants to hug a tree in Jesus name.  (This statement is hyperbole… exaggerated, but we 40 plus guys understand this statement.)  The second plane of concern is the reality or possibility that young people do not love the church that they do not see the church as relevant or see members as hypocrites or judgmental.  The rule of thumb is always balance.  We cannot compromise the truth of the Gospel or the challenge of denying self and taking up a cross.  This defeats the problem of a flaky consumerism.  But we must consider the impression that many have of the church and the validity of that concern.  I am afraid that in many cases, churches have earned that reputation.  The question should be asked, Would our community care or miss us if our church closed its doors tomorrow?  Better go.  Early flight in the morning. . .until next time. . .