As one of my co-laborers said, "We went to bed last night as Southern Baptists and woke up as Great Commission Baptists."
(Tongue firmly in cheek).
Last night, my twitter feed was illuminated with hashtags pointing to the new potential name change of the Southern Baptist Convention. Many think its a great move. Some think it sounds arrogant. Others feel the change didn't go quite far enough and should've removed the "Baptists" descriptor from its name.
Now, I'm in no way savvy or smart enough to know the best move that could have been taken. I do believe a tweak of our identity is in order considering the vast geographical and cultural reach of Southern Baptist work. I also feel that in an age of polarizing politics, it is wise to consider a brand that would not be trapped in one region of the country. Yet, regardless of my opinions and the myriad of views from other Baptists, this re-marketing of denominationalism has stirred up some passionate (and apathetic) view points.
Whether it is an over-the-top boycott of entertainment, archaic processes/methods, harsh-sounding moral stances or simply the suit-wearing cronyism, many from my generation are finding reasons to lose faith in the SBC. Millennials and Generation X are withdrawing their trust in the convention and placing it in networks that value their passions and ides.
This issue is something I have prayed, wrestled with and talked a lot about over the past couple of years. I've asked myself, "Is this entity worth the effort, the giving and the conversation?" and "Should I encourage others to support an organization that is taking the long road to change?"
Based on a Facebook conversation with people I love, value and trust due to their wisdom and input, here is where I land on this issue:
We should never be loyal to an organization or fellowship for loyalty's sake alone. I agree that the SBC has great self-inflicted wounds. On the other hand, I urge us to see that the scriptures demand one of our greatest passions be the gospel declared to ALL people groups. There are currently 6,000 indigenous people groups who are "unreached" (little to NO access to the gospel). Of those, there are 3,000 unreached groups who are currently not engaged by ANY missionary entity or local church. The apostle Paul reminds us that those of us WITH the Gospel have an obligation to send/take the gospel to those WITHOUT.
With this being said, I know of no other organization or partnership that sends more people or is more effective in taking the gospel than the IMB fueled by Southern Baptists and their giving. In other words, as a fellowship of churches, we can do "more together than we can apart." To date, our dollars can go farther and be more effective when we give cooperatively.
Therefore, my support is "passion-centered," not "denominational-loyalty centered." Until I discover a sending entity that is doing it better, I will support the SBC.
Do the SBC leaders have a long way to go to repair damage? Yes! Will people (including me) have problems with the current name and the potential new name? No doubt. Will certain (older) Southern Baptists continue to make ridiculous and irrelevant statements? You bet.
But, for now, these are risks I'm willing to associate with knowing that our reach goes farther with the SBC to reach those with little to no access to the precious gospel of Jesus.
