KANSAS CITY – Midwestern Seminary announced March 18 that the institution will host a symposium entitled, “The SBC & the 21st Century: Reflection, Renewal & Recommitment,” on Sept. 28-29 in Kansas City.
The event will be highlighted by the presentations of key Southern Baptist leaders such as Frank Page, Ronnie Floyd, Paige Patterson, Thom Rainer, Albert Mohler, and David Dockery.
According to Midwestern Seminary President, Jason Allen, who will also present a keynote address, the symposium will be the first edition of a triennial symposium which is designed to address the Southern Baptist Convention, its heritage, identity, and future.
“This is shaping up to be one of the most consequential events in the SBC in recent years, and we are grateful to be hosting it at Midwestern Seminary,” Allen said. “Nothing quite like this has been held for some time within the SBC, but I believe engaging these issues is integral to our Southern Baptist work, and the opportunity is ripe for this event to make a substantial contribution to the SBC for years to come.”
Allen added that this symposium is open to anyone wishing to attend. “‘The SBC & the 21st Century’ is for pastors, denominational servants, laypersons, and anyone else who cares about our collective work as Southern Baptists,” he said. “For all those who care about the SBC and its future, this is the place to be this year. We designed the symposium for key SBC stakeholders to speak to urgent denominational matters in a way that serves the entire SBC. It is going to be a special two days, and I believe that God is going to use it in a profound way to impact our Southern Baptist Convention.”
Allen said that in addition to the event’s availability via livestream and postings on the school’s website, each presenter’s paper will be compiled into a book.
“We are pleased to be partnering with B&H Publishing to produce a book that will stem from the conference. The book will be released at the 2016 SBC Annual Meeting in St. Louis,” Allen said. “We believe the presentations taking place at this symposium will serve to strengthen the SBC, and the release of this book will extend its reach.”
Four of the symposium’s participants expressed excitement about the event and noted the strategic role it will play in the future of the SBC.
“This is an extraordinary event for this moment in history,” said John Yeats, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention. “With my Missouri Baptist hat on, I would encourage our Missouri and regional pastors to participate. With my SBC officer hat on, I would think it is worthy of a church leader’s time to invest in learning what our SBC leaders are thinking in regard to the impact of Southern Baptists on the future of the bride of Christ, which is the instrument the Lord has chosen to use to reach the lost of North America and the world.”
“I look forward with great excitement to learning, growing, and investing in the upcoming Midwestern Symposium on the Southern Baptist Convention,” said Floyd, president of the SBC. “I am convinced this gathering has the potential to be a defining moment for each of us who are seeking God’s future for our convention. Any conscientious Southern Baptist will discover this experience to be both enlightening and challenging, so join us in this journey.”
“I am excited about being a part of the upcoming symposium, ‘The SBC & the 21st Century: Reflection, Renewal & Recommitment,’” said Page, president and CEO of the SBC. “We desperately need this kind of event to have a clear understanding of where we have been, where we are, and where we need to go. My prayer is that it will result in our being more effective in accomplishing the Great Commission of our Lord.”
“This generation of Southern Baptists stands at Ground Zero of cultural transformation, missiological opportunity, and theological emergency,” said Mohler, president of Southern Seminary. “This is the right time for Southern Baptists to ask hard questions, think seriously about the future, and talk about what faithfulness to Christ will demand of us. ‘The SBC and the 21st Century’ is the right conversation at the right time.”
More information on the symposium, including a full schedule of events and how to register, can be found at www.mbts.edu/sbcsymposium.