SBC Opportunities in Chicago

I recently received an email (edited for content below) from a Southern Baptist pastor in downtown Chicago about some very cool opportunities to be a strategic leader in SBC work in downtown Chicago...

Last year we basically wiped the slate clean with staff [at the Chicago Metro Baptist Association] and designed three new full-time roles that we think will help our churches BRING GOOD NEWS to Chicago.

Director of Missional Leadership and Mobilization:  This position will help to “develop ministers of the gospel” by equipping current and future pastors.

Director of Evangelism and Church Growth:  This position will help to “strengthen local churches” by assisting them in bringing the Good News.

Director of Church Planting:  This position will help to “expand the Kingdom of God” by planting new churches.

We advertised and tried to spread the word and got around 150 applications, but none of them have turned out.  We really believe that these positions are so strategic that we want to make sure we get the right people here and have no false starts.

Chicago is an alpha class, major global city.  Yet as far as a real movement of the gospel goes it’s pretty pathetic here.  I really think these positions could potentially play a huge role in reaching our strategic city.  Exciting stuff is happening in New York and Seattle and other major cities around the world.  Why not Chicago?

I was wondering if you knew anyone for any of these positions that would be good for Chicago and getting a movement started here.  They’re full time positions, partly funded by NAMB.  But we want to take more initiative in going out and finding the right people.  We’re praying like crazy and super excited about the potential.

I know I have some readers out there who would be well equipped for this sort of work.  Chicago is a great city with far too few good churches.  If you are interested and feel you fit as SBC/missional, email [email protected].  If you feel your blog readers might be interested, please point them to this post.  Thanks.

Comments

[rick bennett]

I would join you in a heartbeat if I were not less than Kosher by NAMB.

[Rob]

Steve:

I guess I'm having a little difficulty reconciling this posting with the things you had to say about the dysfunction of your Association and your vision for Calvary's developing other partnerships for ministry during your recent message series. Is the Association your church is currently affiliated with a different one than the Chicago Metro Association, did I mis-hear you, or have things changed dramatically in a short period of time that have caused you to re-think your position regarding the Association?

Since you're in what sounds to be a pretty traditional Southern Baptist congregation that is in transition, your journey is of great interest to me....just trying to be sure I'm tracking with you....

Rob

[Steve McCoy]

Rob, very good question. I don't assume most of my readers have heard my sermons (why would you?).

The answer is simple: The Chicago Metro Baptist Association (CMBA) is not the same as my association, which is the Fox Valley Baptist Association. That said, I will have more to say about my association as well as the other changes our church is going through in the next day or two. So hold tight for that.

[Rob]

okie dokie...will do! Will it be before Easter? (We're headed out for a few days with the family in an area so remote that the only wi-fi hotspot in town is McDonalds! How lame is that?)

Anxiously holding on!

R

[Ann]

so, if someone gets the job... I guess they cannot come and have a beer with you in the burbs