Young SBC Leaders

Is the Southern Baptist Convention worth changing?  Can young "emerging" leaders not only feel welcome, but also start to influence this denomination?  Should we? 

I'm a Southern Baptist.  I heard the gospel for the first time in a Southern Baptist church in Southern Illinois and was converted as a 21 year old college student.  I've been a member of Southern Baptist churches in Colorado, Texas, and Kentucky.  Now I pastor one in Northern Illinois.  (It was nice not to say "Southern" one more time.)  I'm excited about our mission focus, our historical doctrinal understanding, and our cooperational goals.

I'm also engaged in the conversation called "emergent" or the "emerging church."  While emergent is not monolithic, and though I'm still learning myself, I have found all kinds of people taking part and working to reach emerging generations with the good news.  I'm excited about shedding some modern barriers to understanding the Bible and Jesus, dropping my judgmental attitudes toward culture, and embracing a biblical call to social justice that has been missing in my life. 

The thing is I would guess that many SBC'rs would read the above and think that any tie to emergent is a silly postmodern sellout.  (Or they would say, "What's emergent?")  And many in emergent would probably read the above and think that anyone who is thinking emergent thoughts is crazy to stay in the SBC fundamentalism morass.  (Or they would say, "SBC'rs don't dance, right?")

I think it's time for young Southern Baptist pastors and church leaders to start a conversation of our own.  I know Lifeway has facilitated that on their own discussion board and through some meetings hosted by Jimmy Draper.  But after perusing the board, I'm not sure that conversation is really going to be helpful.  Young SBC leaders, in my opinion, need a place outside the denominational web pages to find each other and get our own conversation going. 

If the Southern Baptist Convention is going to be relevant in the future, some pretty dramatic changes are going to have to take place.  That doesn't mean abandoning truth, becoming postmodernists, and producing The Deconstructed Holman Christian Standard Bible.  It means realizing that reaching emerging generations will mean much smaller and very different organizational structures, talking differently to the culture (boycotting boycotts, etc.), and getting leadership from emerging leaders among other things.

I've already found some helpful thoughts from Adam.  I know Joe is game.  If you are a young SBC leader and realize some of these changes need to happen, I invite you to leave a note, spread the word to others, and let's start building a conversation of our own.  Share your ideas about how we can encourage more conversation.  And if you aren't in the SBC but you know SBC'rs who need to be in this conversation, please encourage them to come here.

Comments

[Charlie Wear]

Excellent post, and a great idea to get your own exchange of ideas going....May I suggest a software tool for you that I just heard about? http://smartcommons.com/ check it out, I think there are some possibilities within that framework....
Blessings...

[John]

I admire your desire to be more involved in social justice causes. I think Christians do need to more involved. But social justice groups use boycotts and divestment as means of "speaking truth to power" far more than the SBC. one example of a denomination historically committed to social justice causes is the PCUSA. one boycott just ended. http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2005/05145.htm
divestment intentions against Israel are currently expressed and will probably be finalized in 2006, although it is possible that the situation will be worked out before then.
http://www.pcusa.org/israelandjewishrelations/

The last action has angered many Jews and deepened their suspicion of Christianity.
Both the SBC and the PCUSA claim to be protesting against the "sins" of those with power. The SBC felt that Disney was promoting a homosexual agenda. The PCUSA feels that Israel violates the human rights of the Palestinians.
Both denommination's actions were perceived as self-righteous acts by those targeted.

If the church addresses the major social issues of the day it is bound to tick some people off. It's unavoidable.

I'm still thinking this through.
The prophets of the old testament were stinging in their rebukes and still they offered grace and hope. Maybe I can find some help from them.

[Danny]

Steve,
even though i'm not a Southern Baptist, i am interested in the conversation, so i want to listen in. As an ex-Roman Catholic(including the Pope Pius XII award), a former Catholic Charasmatic, A/G, Calvary Chapel Christian (converted @ a Billy Graham crusade, while still sitting in my seat!) I hope to both learn and in turn inspire some thoughts that may prove beneficial to me and others. If you get a chance, come on by and see what's on tap @ Project 66...in all of this may Christ be seen as our very life! Peace.

[Steve McCoy]

Charlie, thanks for the encouragement and I'll check out the software.

John, I have thought many of the same thoughts. It's not a simple thing. I have no problem ticking off some people when working for justice. But the SBC is pretty notorious for ticking people off for non justice issues. Boycotting Disney is not a means of working for justice. My desire is that each local church work for justice in their local community instead of the whole SBC voting to stop watching Toy Story. I think that is very different.

Thanks Danny. I do keep up with your site.

[adam]

steve, good stuff. looks like a dialogue is inevitable. i've already had an offer for web space should we need it...

btw, i'm glad there are those interested in sticking with the sbc. and, you're right, we're in a bizarre place. those who left look at us as though we're morons for staying. and there are those within the sbc that wish we'd leave. i'm game for a new dance.

The [inerrant] Deconstructed Holman Christian Standard Bible... hehehe *ahem.*

[Ryan Abs]

Steve-
Count me in. I'm a church planter in OK. Been SBC since the cradle and I've thought about leaving a lot over the past few years. I'm for change and relevancy. Hit me with a link, an email, whatever and if I can help let me know.
Abs

[Steve McCoy]

Adam, that's great about the web space. We need to look into some options.

Ryan, cool. I'll shoot you an email.

[Kiki]

Steve,

I love the fact that you are opening up dialogue about this subject. I am also an SBC minister (wait--I can't use that term--I'm female!) Correction--I am a co-director of Baptist Campus ministry with my husband.

We work with emergents and desire to be both doctrinally sound and yet relevant to the students we work with. We read and learn as much as we can--(even non-SBC stuff!) and work cooperatively with other denominations on campus. In fact, tonight we had a joint fellowship with Intervarsity.

I think you are right on in your comments about sensitivity to culture. It can be done in a way that is doctrinally sound while exhibiting grace and love. We have relationships with several students who are homosexual, pro-choice, promiscuous or who are making other destructive lifestyle choices. But I guarantee they are not drawn to Christ through boycotts. They respond when they feel genuinely loved--without an agenda. And they desire more of Christ when they discover grace.

We have got to walk the journey with people, understanding that growth in Christ takes time. And we need to stop throwing out an "evangelistic formula" and a "fast-food gospel" then abandoning baby Christians with no follow-up.

[Paul]

Good to see the discussion here. I've become a little skeptical of the value of what's going on at the Lifeway site. Seems to have too many older folks (don't know how they ended up commenting on the "Younger Leaders" boards) who want to argue for the status quo to me. That, and I see absolutely no interest from any other entity head (or subordinate, for that matter) in joining the discussion. (Patterson's "I'm old and used up. Thanks for all you do" doesn't seem to be much of a discussion to me). It's becoming increasingly clear to me that we're going to have to chart our own course. Thanks for getting it started.

[Bryan]

I have been involved in the emergent conversation on theooze for about a year now. I am also a youth pastor at a small SB church in central Florida. I saw your post on theooze and have browsed the site some. With that said I have some questions. 1) To what extent do you wish to reform the SBC? When speaking about deconsturction there seems to be two camps. I call them the sledge hammers and the wreaking balls. The sledge hammers just go in and knock downs some walls but leave the structure intact. The wreaking balls wish to take the whole structure down to the foundation and start over. Where is this coversation heading? 2) If it is the former then is the SBC really worth reforming? Just some questions I am also asking myself.
bryan

[Steve McCoy]

Kiki, make sure you make it to the new site:

http://www.stevekmccoy.com/sbc/

I worked in Baptist Campus Ministry (actually called BSU) in Kentucky for 3 years with international student work. So I get where you are coming from. It's good to hear your desire for doctrinal and practical emphasis. Awesome. I look forward to talking more about how we as SBC'rs can impact emerging generations.

[Steve McCoy]

Bryan, good to get you out of the ooze and onto more solid ground. hehe :)

Great questions. I don't have it all ironed out in my head. I don't see a future where the entire SBC is ripped to shreads and we start over. Not going to happen, IMHO.

I do think that we can have emerging voices start to catch the ear of others in the SBC and through our actions and words and example we can start having an SBC wide impact. Look, we all know there are many "camps" in the SBC already. We don't have to have everyone be emerging. But we need young leaders, teachers, writers, artists to start bringing new thoughts of an ancient faith to the SBC and I think we can do that. This conversation is about wrestling with your questions, so join in brother and invite other emerging SBC leaders to join us too.

goto: Emerging SBC Leaders Blog

[Kiki]

Steve--

Tried to go to the new site and couldn't get it to work. I'll keep trying.

Bryan--my thoughts are not to try to reform those who are already set in their ways, and I'm not the least bit interested in new programs.

Our vision is to raise up a new generation of young Southern Baptists with a passion for God's glory and a willingness to do whatever it takes. My current theme verse is Philippians 3:10. My heart's cry is to know Him more and more. I believe in the power of the resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.

I also believe in the two "Greats." When we seek Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love people without an agenda, then we will begin to see "the church" lived out as God intended. When we begin to truly abide in Him, discipleship will be a natural outflow of our lives. I love Piper's statement "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

I'm not so much trying to reform the old as find a handful of fellow Christians within the SBC who share the same passion. I know some of you are out there, and desperately want to connect with and walk the journey together. We are hungry for genuine Acts 2:42 fellowship.

[Steve McCoy]

Kiki, glad to hear your passion. I can tell you are a really boring laid back person. ;)

I think you are right on, though I would make one exception. By it's very character, the gospel is about changing people who are set in their ways. I think I know where you are coming from, though. I think you will agree that if we are faithful in doing what you say in your comments, then some will see our faithfulness and reform will happen naturally. Wouldn't we like to see both revival and reformation, should the Lord be so gracious?

Thanks for adding your thoughts and your heart.

[Kiki]

Steve,

Point taken. Sometimes I can be a little cynical, and often a little passionate. : )

But I also get discouraged when we go back to speak at multi-million dollar church complexes and share our heart for what God is doing, and get flat, apathetic responses.

I struggle, too, with the vast number of resources I see being poured inward when there are so many outward needs.

I grew up as an IMB missionary kid in a poor area, and now work in a region where we are desperate for both workers and financial resources.

It is heartbreaking to see how much is wasted on things with no eternal value.

Every day on our campus we are in contact with people who do not know the Lord. Yet we are limited in how many relationships we can invest in, despite the vast need. We could invest in the lives of so many more if we had more workers and more resources. I love our campus, and it breaks my heart!

Our time here on earth is short. I just want to be part of an organization that is being a faithful steward of the time and money that God has given them. I know that every denomination has issues, but I do often question if we are throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Are we truly seeking God's purposes, or have we compromised to accomodate our own selfish standards?

[G.E.dominy]

Hello Folks ,
your discussion about the relevancy and the error of pushing moral issues and boycots is well taken, please look at the article by John MacArthur on Moralism on my site, www.Decree.Info it puts this attitude into scriptural perspective as does the article by John Ortberg about boundary markers. It seems within SBC leadership we have adopted the ways of the sect that Jesus had some of his harshest words directed towards during his lifetime.

That is not something to be proud of , regardless of who you are!

Press on
Decree.Info

[Steve McCoy]

Kiki, believe me when I say that I understand. I worked for 3 years with international students and had to go speak to churches about our ministry. I was raising the support our family needed to do ministry because the SBC wasn't supporting outreach to these future leaders of the world.

So I would watch churches (including the megachurch I attended for 2 years in KY) spend multi-millions on land and other plans, like huge workout centers and double-wide gyms and racquetball courts. Yet I would present the need for our ministry and the impact we could make and the response was to throw pennies at me in comparison to the hundreds of missionaries they could have supported by staying put and giving away their millions.

But we have a growing number of us in the SBC that can encourage a whole generation to prepare to really turn loose on the world with the gospel. If we leave the SBC we can have that kind of impact on our local community and maybe a few other places. But if we stay we can impact our community and maybe thousands of others places with emerging generations equipped to love the world like Jesus did. Don't we want that?

That's why the generations before us who have been faithful in setting up associations for cooperation have paved the way for us to have a trickle down influence.

Again, if the time comes we need to just get out, I'll do it too. But where I live, my buddy planted a church with SBC money that is growing and preaching the right things. He and I are being encouraged by our local DOM to go to our seminaries (planning to go to one in a couple of weeks) to find young guys like us to get up here to Northern IL to plant more churches with our mentality.

I know the problems of the SBC all too well, but there are sparks of possibilities that really have me excited too.

Continuing to think it through guys. Good stuff.

[Kiki]

Steve,

Thanks for the wisdom and encouragement. You're right. There are sparks of hope.

I just got off the phone with a student who was sobbing so hard she could barely talk. Her family are disowning her for deciding to follow God into missions this next year. They told her they hope she likes her new family, because she doesn't have one at home anymore.

My heart was breaking for her, but at the same time, so proud of her willingness to sacrifice everything to obey God's call. Please pray for her. She needs all of us supporting her right now.

We do have a lot to be hopeful about in this emerging generation. I'm glad there are caring SBC ministers like you out there, and that you have decided to stick with our denomination.

[Steve McCoy]

Praying Kiki.

[Pete]

I know this cuts across the grain of most of what we consider to be emergent, but serving in a traditional downtown SBC church, for the past five years, we have made a Spirit led decision to embrace transition rather than separating from the old and inventing something new. We started with a commitment to reach George Barna's 88% of students and young adults who are not engaging in anyone's church. We evaluated our context in Southern Middle Tennessee. Now, we are learning together what makes a 125 year old church "emerge." We have tried some things that worked and a bunch of things that did not, but my point here is this. I am not a young SBC leader. I am a forty something bald overweight overworked pastor who wants with all his heart to encounter God and lead others to do the same. I serve in a church that is still reaching a cross section of ages but is moving toward a style of worship and teaching and responding that allows the unchurched to connect. We look a lot different than we did five years ago, even meet at a new location. Most of young SBCers though would reject us as traditional while the traditional would see us as selling out. Maybe, it is time to realize that emergent is not a movement but a process that both people and churches should engage in and that it is possible for not only a pastor but for a church to emerge, and neither has to be young.

[Steve McCoy]

Interesting comments Pete. Thanks for sharing them.

At the heart of the emergent conversation (and what should be at the heart of evangelicalism as well) is speaking the truth in the language of the culture. It sounds like that's what you are working to do, while remaining faithful to Scripture. Good words.

[Tom]

Steve,
Great discussion going on here (I jumped from The Ooze..)
I recently LEFT a SBC state denom ministry in Texas to get back to the local church. The longer I served in a close capacity to the SBC entities, the more difficult I felt change was.

I now live in the Austin area, serve on staff of an SBC church (BFM 2000 and the whole 9), but with a staff concerned more about reaching Austin than fighting battles of denom life.

I would be deeply saddened to lose the SBC, but am conflicted about the possibility of saving her. I'm still thinking all this through. Turning around the Titanic is a huge task...it's much easier to launch my own boat. But at what cost? What long-term effectiveness will we have on Kingdom growth by starting from scratch?

The more closely I've moved in towards my SBC denom workers/pals, the more cynical I've become. (It's one of my gifts, along with sarcasm). But I'm not ready to give up the ship....

Keep the discussion flowing. We'll rely on the scripture and the Word. I know we need to remain faithful to the scripture as well as speaking truthfully and lovingly to our culture.

Hmmmm. I have a lot more questions than answers at this point, so thanks again for the dialogue!

Blessings!

[shawn]

I am a planter in Oceanside Ca and I am relieved there are some like minded SBC'ers out there. I am entering the conversation

[Paul]

hey, I am an SBC Church planter in Wisconsin. this is an important conversation. Thanks. I will be back. Is there hope for the convention...??? Do I belong????