The much debated and prayed-for report of the SBC’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force was presented to the Southern Baptist Convention at its annual meeting in Orlando last month.  The report, which can be read in its entirety at www.baptist2baptist.org, contains findings, opinions, challenges, and seven recommendations.  After one amendment to elevate the value of the Cooperative Program, the recommendations were overwhelmingly adopted by the convention. 

Allow me to reflect on some of the implications of this report for the future of Southern Baptists and especially for Louisiana Baptists.

Implication 1: Southern Baptists remain a gospel-centered denomination. The report identified our mission as presenting “the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations.” This is not news to anyone vaguely familiar with Southern Baptists and might seem redundant to some. But it is good to be clear about our aims and to say definitely, after an intense period of evaluation, “ We know what we are here to do, and we intend to do it.” We ought to be cheered by the knowledge that, while other denominations are mired down in discussions about the truth of Christianity or whether to maintain a rigorous biblical character, Southern Baptists are having a discussion about how to be more effective in obeying the Great Commission.

Implication 2: Local churches are “ground zero” in our efforts to be more faithful to the Great Commission task. The report reads in part, “We believe the local church is given the authority, power, and responsibility to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world.” We regularly gather in convention meetings and vote on things. But we realize that a whole raft of convention votes, even the recent ones in Orlando, will not advance the Kingdom one iota if the churches who form our conventions do not accomplish gospel work in their own locales and band together to foster gospel work throughout the earth. I am thankful for the serious and substantial efforts being made by Louisiana Baptist churches for the sake of the gospel.

In the face of many, many challenges our pastors and people are “penetrating lostness” at home and abroad. I believe we are ready to advance. I believe those churches who may be struggling can be helped to succeed. I believe we can strengthen the feeble, straighten the crooked, and encourage the oppressed among us.

I am confident our churches - large ones, small ones, old ones, new ones, all of them- want to be their best and will find a way, by God’s grace, to succeed in gospel work.

It is the privilege of your LBC staff to pray for and assist our churches. We know you are the key to Kingdom success.

Implication 3: The Cooperative Program is the best means to fund the Great Commission Resurgence. These are not my words; they are the words of the report adopted by the Convention.  The recommendation, which already identified the Cooperative Program as the “preferred” method for churches to support missions, was amended by a nearly unanimous vote to read “continue to honor and affirm the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing our churches and extending our outreach” and  “We affirm that designated giving to special causes is to be given as a supplement to the Cooperative Program and not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving.” Some feared (and others hoped) that Southern Baptists would say designated giving is just as effective and desirable as Cooperative Program giving. Southern Baptists said just the opposite.

It is my opinion that the report (prior to the convention and at the convention) would not have passed without the strengthening of the language affirming Cooperative Program.

What does this mean for Louisiana Baptists? It means the SBC has once again affirmed the process whereby Baptist churches give one gift to support all our causes at the state and national level. It means the SBC has once again affirmed the process whereby the state convention sets the allocation division and collects the receipts.

What are the challenges?  LBC needs to continue to follow the CP Advance plan that is constantly moving toward a 50/50 allocation with the SBC.  Our churches need to be more aggressive in increasing their support for missions through the CP by increasing the percentage of undesignated receipts sent through this process. I would say to all our pastors and other church leaders that, while we recognize your right to designate your giving, our convention of churches prefers we all give to the whole budget. I hope this strong reaffirmation by the SBC will spur us on to new heights in mission support.

Implication 4: The Louisiana Baptist Convention is a valuable ally in Southern Baptist advance of the gospel. The report recognized that partnership with the state conventions, especially by the North American Mission Board, is critical for reaching North America with the gospel. My support for the Task Force Report was predicated on the expressed commitment by the Task Force members to future partnership with Baptist state conventions.

The report makes several challenges to state conventions. You will be glad to know that the LBC has already accomplished or was already pursuing every suggested challenge (except for the one setting aside the month of January for prayer, which is a brand new idea). The Task Force was not persuaded by those voices that attempted to minimize state convention missions. Instead, the report calls for “a new pattern of strategic partnerships with state conventions.” This does not mean there won’t be changes.

Emphases of the report will affect LBC work in at least two distinct ways in regard to evangelizing North America: 1) We are being encouraged to relinquish NAMB resources which have been used in Louisiana (over $800,000 per year) so they may be reallocated, over the next several years, to parts of the country with fewer gospel resources per capita; 2) We are being encouraged to consider additional partnerships with state conventions outside the south.

I believe Louisiana Baptists view these emphases as positive opportunities to be more effective in reaching North America. It will require sacrifice on the part of our churches.

We will need to aggressively grow our gifts through the Cooperative Program and the Georgia Barnette Offering for Louisiana missions. Not only will we be called upon to help outside our state, but the burden for our on-going Louisiana mission work must now be borne by us alone. The SBC is counting on Louisiana churches to take care of Louisiana’s gospel work. I look forward to working with the churches to develop strategies for meeting this important challenge.

I plan to write about other implications in my next article. You may contact me at www.LBC.org with your reactions or questions regarding the Task Force Report. I welcome your insights and counsel in these days of change so that we can more effectively reach the lost with the life-changing gospel.