EDITOR'S NOTE: Missouri's National Day of Prayer observance is scheduled for noon on May 6 in The Rotunda of the State Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft will be the featured speaker. Other speakers who have committed to attend include Gov. Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. Other statewide officeholders will attend along with members of the Missouri General Assembly. The event at the State Capitol is free and … [Read more...]
We need a restored focus on the Great Commission
The propagation of the gospel has long been the vision of the Southern Baptist Convention. For over 175 years, we have extended this call to churches to rally and direct our energies to this one shared vision: The propagation of the gospel. The call to cooperation went to a new level in 1925 when the Cooperative Program was proposed and established. There was a deep belief that financial cooperation between our churches would provide a new and greater commitment to the fulfillment of the … [Read more...]
A Statistical Analysis of Growth in SBC Congregations by Race and Ethnicity from 1990-2018
Last spring, I commissioned our Great Commissions Relations and Mobilization Team to discover where we were in our SBC congregations by race and ethnicity from 1990-2018. The team consists of Julio Arriola, Peter Yanes, Charles Grant, Ashley Clayton, and team leader, Willie McLaurin. Our Asian American Executive Director, Peter Yanes, was asked to lead this study and secured the needed assistance to accomplish the project. This fall, one of the most informative and encouraging sessions … [Read more...]
Will Southern Baptists practice biblical conservatism or acceptable progressivism?
In my reading over this past Thanksgiving weekend, one of the articles that really caught my attention reported how a mainline denomination may soon cease to exist. Over the years, this same denomination has captured media headlines because they have popularized a very progressive theological direction relating to the cultural issues of today. Yet, our Southern Baptist Convention remains a convention of churches that deeply and unashamedly believes in the authority and infallibility of … [Read more...]
We will not retreat: The real reason for supporting the Cooperative Program
NASHVILLE (BP) – When the coronavirus (COVID-19) began to spread across the globe, our work as Southern Baptists did not stop. And as we approach and celebrate Cooperative Program Sunday in the SBC on April 26, it's possible that in our lifetimes, we have never had greater reason to continue to generously support the Cooperative Program. Our missionaries are still on the field, both overseas and in North America. Our seminary students are still being trained for ministry and missions. … [Read more...]