Since moving to Missouri and being called to this new role (which is such an honor!), I’ve been asked many times what initiatives I plan to emphasize. I think it’s a great question! First, one of my primary goals has been, and remains, to spend time with pastors and ministry leaders across the state to understand the “heart” of Missouri Baptists. A second goal has been to learn about and evaluate the current ministries of the MBC. Honestly, there’s a great deal of ministry happening all across the state that really excites me! And third, it’s always good to consider the numerical data (attendance, baptisms, giving, etc.) to understand exactly where we are in order to determine where we should go!
Truth be told, I’m still learning in all three areas, but I’ve met with hundreds of pastors and ministry leaders, and I’ve gained a great deal of understanding in the past eight months. Based on what I’ve heard, I already have multiple goals for the convention and a few specific initiatives I believe we should work towards. Today, let me share one specific area of ministry that we’ll be placing additional focus on in the days ahead.
I believe wholeheartedly in personal evangelism, and I believe we need to keep evangelism “front and center” until the Lord returns. Obviously, we already focus on evangelism at the MBC, but I intend to add fuel to the fire. For whatever reason, many believers have lost their zeal or passion for evangelism. Speaking transparently, some seemingly never had it to begin with! So, we need to prioritize both the responsibility and joy of telling people about Jesus!
This may be a difficult number to contemplate, but in 2023, 826 of our MBC affiliated churches didn’t have a single baptism. That number represents 48 percent of our 1,718 affiliated churches. Now, I have no desire whatsoever to add guilt to any pastor’s plate; I know the challenging burden, as well as the blessing, of leading a local church. I’ve experienced both the valleys and mountain tops of ministry. That being said, this information alone lets me know we not only need to continue our evangelism efforts; we need to add fuel to the fire! We need to reignite our zeal and our passion for telling the lost about Jesus!
How did we get here? Why has our passion waned? I believe if every lost person could fathom the reality of eternity without Christ, they would sprint to the cross. Likewise, I believe if every Christian truly believed what the Bible teaches about Hell, they would sprint to the lost! In many ways, we need to emphasize the basics again. Outside of Jesus, there is no hope. There’s only death and eternal suffering. I know it’s not the most popular message today, but it’s no less true today than when it was proclaimed in the great revivals and awakenings.
If we want to love our neighbors, we need to tell them the truth. Outside of Christ, there’s only death – eternal death. In Christ, though, there is hope, forgiveness, grace, and life – abundant and eternal life!
I pray you’ll join me in our efforts to re-prioritize evangelism. Let’s celebrate the fruit of our current evangelistic efforts, and let’s work towards an even greater emphasis on sharing the gospel. How can you best support this initiative? It’s very simple. Go tell someone about Jesus today!