A Great Commission Resurgence and the SBC’s decline in membership
Our denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has a wonderful history and tradition of supporting missions. In many ways, missions has been a defining mark of the denomination’s work. Through the Cooperative Program, the SBC has supported perhaps the finest international missions agency in the world.
However, in recent years a great deal of concern has arisen from the fact that, after decades of growth, the denomination’s membership is shrinking. I must admit that when I first heard about this a couple of years ago, I didn’t necessary think it was a bad thing. Falling numbers would not be a bad thing if churches were simply updating their roles to be more accurate in reflecting who is an actual, participating member of the church, removing the names of people who have not darkened the doors in five years. If that were the case, I’d be exciting about this “membership decline.”
Another scenario in which I’d welcome the decline in baptisms would be if large numbers pastors were actually taking greater care in who they baptize. While I do have respect for Rick Warren and many aspects of his ministry, I was shocked when I read this letter to his church family. In it, he is promoting a mass baptism. I think more personal, pastoral care is necessary when counseling a person toward baptism. But at least Warren was requiring candidates to attend a new members’ class; many pastors and churches are unwilling to even do that! Fewer baptisms would be a welcome headline if it reflected churches taking greater care to examine the conversion experience of baptismal candidates – you know, like Baptists used to do.
Unfortunately, neither of these scenarios are behind the decline in SBC baptisms and total membership. The denomination that began largely with a call to missions work, that still today does incredible international missions work, is losing the missionary front here at home. The political infighting of the denomination over the last three decades — not all of which was unimportant — has trickled down into a malaise in many of the congregations. Some of us have gotten more focused on “being right” than sharing the gospel. For this, I have had to repent at times.
This is why I am so thankful for the current movement in the SBC calling for a Great Commission Resurgence. A declaration of ten articles has been drafted and can be signed by anyone who is a member of a Southern Baptist church. Though I had heard of it before, I finally read it after Jim Hamilton plugged the document on his blog. I signed it yesterday, and I hope you will do the same after reading it. These signatures will hopefully come together as one loud, united voice at this year’s denominational annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.
Between now and the SBC meeting in late June, I hope to blog through the ten articles and talk about how they apply to our church. We at FBCMB have a lot of room for growth — personally and corporately — in having our own Great Commission Resurgence. But as a pastor, I can think of no group of people I’d rather join with in taking on this challenge.
May the gospel saturate and animate our lives. May the good news of Christ warm our hearts, shape our minds, and drip from our lips before the lost world. Amen.
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