THE SBC - WHAT NOW?

I’m sure you’ve heard the latest report on the state of our Southern Baptist Convention. While statistics aren’t everything, they are something. And these are not good.

If the SBC were a ship, it would be sinking. 

First, the number of Southern Baptist churches actually grew by almost 500 to 47,272. I am sure this is due to the increased focus on church planting by NAMB. We can celebrate this reality. The total number of baptisms, however, dropped by almost 15,000 to 280,773 nationwide. That’s the lowest number of baptisms reported by the SBC in over 70 years. That means that the average church baptized just under 6 converts. The problem with that statistic is that a large number of churches baptized none, and even more baptized just 1 or 2 new believers.

Allow me to use the 2015 numbers from my state convention of South Carolina as a sample for this discussion. Of our 2,130 churches, 375 reported no baptisms, while another 158 churches reported only 1 baptism. So 533 churches baptized 1 or none. That is 25% of our South Carolina Baptist churches. Surprisingly,1,000 churches in our state baptized 5 new believers or less. Yes, that’s almost ½ of our churches baptizing less than 5 people each year. 

The chart below shows the disturbing state of our denomination. While the number of SBC churches is on the rise, our baptisms are in a constant state of decline.

Follow the link provided to read the full Baptist Press article and get more of the specifics from the annual church profile. http://www.bpnews.net/49005/acp--churches-up-in-2016-baptisms-membership-decline

Sure we care, but do we care enough to do something?

This may surprise you, but I am not surprised by these reports. I think we all expected this type decline was inevitable. Dr. Chuck Kelley, President of the New Orleans Baptist Theological seminary, recently made this statement: “The SBC is in decline, and it has been so for a number of years.  The typical SBC church is struggling mightily to reach people for Christ in its city, town, or community, and it is struggling mightily to keep engaged the members it already has.” While I agree with his analysis, I’m not sure it’s an accident in every case.

The average Christian, maybe even the average pastor, has lost a sincere concern from the lost. Many want to blame it on certain theological positions, while others point the finger at methodological differences. But the truth is many pastors and churches have lost any concern for baptisms and/or church growth. Oh sure, we say we care about the lost, but that doesn’t always translate to actions.

I can find a similar trend in my diet. I sincerely want to get in shape. The doctor would tell me I’m about 40 pounds over weight, and I would not disagree. I feel the pain in my knees and feet, and my clothes don’t fit. I’m uncomfortable, and often feel embarrassed by my appearance. Still, my actions are unchanged. So, it’s not that I don’t care about my weight; it’s just I don’t care enough to do something about it. Listen, the average pastor and Christian care about unbelievers. But they should ask, do they care enough to do something about it? So what should we do now? How can we change the trend?

We must abandon a competition mentality.

Every church should focus on what they can do well. Too often we are obsessed with everything that is wrong with our ministry, and we idolize other pastors and churches for their success. We must learn to celebrate what God is doing in other ministries, without feeling compelled to become exactly like them. God made you unique, and He has uniquely gifted you and your church members to accomplish the task before you. We must stop comparing ourselves to other pastors, and it’s time to discover who God has made you to be.

God has not created you to be the next Charles Stanley. While I can appreciate Don Wilton’s South African accent, I could never pull it off. I’m from Alabama! So, let Don be Don, and let Charles be Charles. You be the best you…you can be. This competition mentality is not beneficial in any way. In fact, it’s killing the church. God has called us to be partners, not competitors. Pastors should edify and encourage one another in their work.

There will always be countless things we cannot do that others are doing, but this does not make it bad. It just makes it different. It’s their thing…what God is doing in them and through them.

Let me encourage you to do what YOU can do now. Serve God where you are now, refusing to have a “one day” mentality. You are called to reach your world today. Every church can find its own unique niche, that ministry that no one can do quite like them. Consider your gift set, your passions, and your interests. Then ask God to show you how to use those things to reach unchurched people. Look at your team, and develop a game plan. One thing is for sure…keep doing the same thing you’re doing now, and you’ll continue to get the same results. Get fired up for Jesus!

We must take the crosshairs off other believers!

It seems most pastors have little time for gospel conversations because they’re way too busy criticizing what the church down the road is doing. One of the most challenging developments in SBC life over the past 2 decades has been the internal fighting. My generation heard all about the fighting of the Conservative Resurgence, and we caught the tail end of giants like Adrian Rogers and Jerry Vines in their prime. But something happened during the transition. Some will blame the Calvinists, while others will blame the contemporaries. The truth is, we’re all to blame!

The older group didn’t trust the younger group, and the younger group had an entitlement mentality that fed the older groups reservations. We have had theological and methodological division, and then there was the GCR. While the task force was not divisive, the context of the SBC was so volatile it felt like it was. Even then, the convention leadership could see the storm coming on the horizon. They were attempting to wake the giant before it was too late. Sadly, little changed.

I don’t pretend to think that my little pep talk will change thousands of hearts and minds, but I do believe that God could use it to change yours.

Let me ask you this question. No matter how old you are, or what category, methodology, or alumni association you claim…this question is for you. Can we work together again? Allow me to use that famous SBC term. Can we cooperate again? Could we find a way in the craziness of the 21^st Century to lay aside our differences for the sake of the gospel? Can we agree that the mission is far more important than the peripheral issues that seem to grab the headlines? I for one am ready to work with any Southern Baptist who is willing to work with me.

We must think like missionaries.

We all know missionaries who have relocated to the foreign field and yielded their entire lives to becoming immersed into a new culture. Every people group has its own unique set of customs, philosophies, and preferences. The foreign missionary is trained to study and adapt to the culture they hope to reach. Ironically, we somehow separate this logical approach to global missions from our own personal evangelism across the street. We must personally embrace a biblical view of missions, understanding that the main thing that separates a missionary in Asia from a member of “Your Church USA” is geography. YOU ARE A MISSIONARY!

Yet the average church member seems to have more concern for his/her own comfort and preferences than they do the hurting people around them. It’s a common story. A church has been strong for many years, but the community changed…the community culture changed. Strangely, the church stayed the same, refusing to embrace the culture. The members moved away one by one, but many of them continued to drive long distances to maintain “faithful” membership to their church. The congregation continued to die a slow death, year after year – decade after decade, but the church and community are like oil and water. The church is ineffective in its primary mission to reach the community in which it was planted. How can this be? This does not have to be the case!

My church home, First Baptist Simpsonville, is one of many churches that has a desire to turn this trend. We want to partner with churches in the Upstate of South Carolina, hoping to bring revitalization and revival. Your church can shift its focus from survival to rescue. It’s not too late to turn it around. I believe your church can double in baptisms this year. You can experience revitalization and revival, but it won’t happen if you do nothing.

Let’s pray for one another. Pray that God will send a revival among pastors and churches in the SBC. I truly believe it must begin with us. Let’s pray for a broken heart for souls, and a renewed passion for His church. The cause is worth the cost. Don’t give up. Charge on in the matchless name of Jesus Christ!