GRAPEVINE, Texas – An agreement made public here Sept. 14 by state Baptist convention and North American Mission Board (NAMB) leaders affirms discipleship across the board, according to the executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC).
John Yeats came away from the annual NAMB-sponsored state executive directors meeting stating that “this agreement validates that every level of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) life has an important role to play in making Great Commission disciples in cooperating Great Commission churches.”
Representatives of the state executive directors, led by David Hankins of Louisiana, met with NAMB President Kevin Ezell and other mission board execs as part of the two-day gathering near Dallas. (There were 33 state execs present.) Yeats said the goal of those leaders is “to maximize efforts in reaching people without Christ in this generation and the next,” and that the outcome is that all parties will move forward together in unity.
In February, a special study committee was created during the Fellowship of State Executive Directors’ annual meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. The study committee’s assignment: to evaluate relations and cooperation between state Baptist conventions and NAMB.
Apprehension and uncertainty have marked the relationship between NAMB and a number of state conventions as the mission board has increased funding for its Send North America church planting and evangelism strategy prioritizing Southern Baptist missions efforts on those areas of North America with the greatest spiritual lostness and the smallest number of Southern Baptist churches. The shift has reduced joint funding for staffing for longstanding omissions and ministries in the states.
Yeats acknowledged how challenging this year has been.
“The implementation of NAMB’s recent strategies created tremendous disruptions in new work, non-south conventions with a larger proportion of smaller-in-attendance congregations,” he said. “This comprehensive agreement assists these conventions of churches with a workable strategy.
With this agreement the larger conventions like Missouri are delighted to partner with NAMB in penetrating the lostness in North America.”
The full text of the three-paragraph statement by representatives of the state execs and NAMB follows:
“On Sept. 13, 2012, state executive directors met with North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell. David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and chairman of the special study committee, presented a report that was enthusiastically received by the Execs. The result is that the conventions and the North American Mission Board have determined to move forward together in unity to impact the lostness of North America.
“‘It is our desire that all of us can join ranks around the task of evangelizing and congregationalizing North America,’ said Hankins. ‘Southern Baptists can have confidence in our united effort.’
“Ezell added, ‘We are excited to be moving forward together in unity for the sake of the kingdom.’” No further details were provided.
Members of the state execs’ study committee, in addition to Hankins, are: Anthony Jordan, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma; Cecil Seagle, executive director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana; Mark Edlund, executive director of the Colorado Baptist General Convention; Bob Mills, executive director of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists; and Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
Emil Turner, then-president of the fellowship, added at the time that “this study committee can help get beyond anecdotal reports about difficulties that new-work conventions face and arrive at quantifiable conclusions. The desire is to cooperate with NAMB in a way that helps strengthen new-work conventions.”
New-work conventions are those where Southern Baptist outreach is not as well-established as conventions in the Bible Belt.