Monthly Archives: June 2012

Dr Bill Crews, Executive Director of the Northwest Baptist Convention announced his intention to retire (again…that’s another blog entry) on December 31 2012, or at such time as a new Executive Director has been identified and elected. Since 1967, when Bill and his family arrived in the Northwest he has been a fixture. Yes, he pastored in California for a few years and served as president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary for a few more years- but he has been a fixture at our annual meetings for as long as I can remember.

These last five years he has served as the interim  (2007) and then as board elected Executive Director (2008-2012) and led us through some difficult and demanding challenges. His leadership is evidence of God’s hand- bringing the right man to the right place at the right time. 

Replacing him is impossible. However God has a successor already in line. It is our duty to pray for the search committee which we be nominated by the officers of the Convention and elected by the Board tomorrow as they seek to discover who God has in His heart for the future our our network of churches.

As I sit here in New Orleans one more night waiting for an all day trip back to Oregon tomorrow I am reminded of why the annual meeting of the SBC is a significant event worth attending. First, there is an opportunity to hear great preaching. This year I heard Tony Evans, David Jeremiah, and David Platt to mention a few. The message from David Uth (the annual convention sermon) today was an excellent presentation of truth from the word of God. Apart from a meeting such as this I wouldn’t have the opportunity to hear such preachers live and in person. Second, the worship leaders exemplify excellence in guiding the gathered people of God to corporately praise Him. Third, the business sessions of the convention remind me that we are a congregational denomination. Messengers are elected by their home church. Messengers have the opportunity through motions and resolutions to address the convention in general. Last, the opportunity to connect with friends is important. Beyond friends I was able to connect with agency presidents and other notable persons in our convention. Speaking face to face with Thom Rainer, Pres. of Lifeway; Tom Eliff, Pres. of the IMB; Kevin Ezell, pres. of NAMB and several vice presidents of NAMB, IMB, Lifeway as well as the seminary presidents is an opportunity that can only occur at the annual meeting of the SBC.

This convention was historic in that the messengers elected Fred Luter, an African American pastor born and raised in New Olreans as President of the SBC. For a denomination born during the slavery era this was truly a God-moment, a watershed event in our efforts to allow God’s truth to be incarnate in our lives.

Another highlight of this convention was the willingness of those chosen to speak, and other convention leaders to address the bubbling controversy between Calvinist’s and what some are calling Traditionalists. We were regularly reminded that Southern Baptists in particular (just had to use that word) are comprised of both streams. Our history as Baptists in America reminds us that we owe a debt of gratitude to men (and women) from both streams of theological understanding. What unites us is our common commitment to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to recognize that what God does in salvation is solely His work and His alone. 

Finally, I am reminded once again, that my church needs a denominational structure that allows us to partner with other churches all across the United States to collectively share our resources in a strategic way that the message of the gospel is proclaimed clearly and powerfully in our world.

In a recent editorial Marvin Olasky offers a distinction between the Constitution’s guarantee of “freedom of religion” and what he describes as the “freedom to worship.” He writes

The Obama administration, by stipulating that an organization to be defined as a “religious employer” must primarily serve only people of its own faith, is beginning to treat Christians as many Muslim countries treat Christians. Those countries allow Christians to meet for worship in nondescript buildings, but that’s it. Christians cannot evangelize. They cannot make disciples. They cannot engage in social services and help others.

Some Christians in Muslim lands have some freedom of worship. They do not have freedom of religion.” http://www.worldmag.com/articles/19482

In the same editorial he suggests that Christianity by its very nature “claim[s] to deal with every square inch of our territory and every moment of our existence.”

In  the flurry of meetings that I choose to attend I have to regularly remind myself that God has opened doors not for my advancement but for the application and advancement of His kingdom purposes. In many of the meetings I attend I don’t have a platform to speak but I can quietly pray for those in attendance and for those in decision making roles. In some of the meetings I attend I do have a voice and then I must carefully choose to frame my words so that the truth of the gospel can be proclaimed- even if indirectly. I am not often given the opportunity to ‘preach’ at these meetings as I would have the freedom to do in church circles. However, I can speak from a gospel perspective- that God indeed so loved the world that He sent His Son; that Jesus died and was raised again for us; and that the cross is an opportunity for forgiveness and a challenge to press on in the work of spiritual transformation. Transformation is intensely personal but as individual’s are transformed by the good news of Jould esus Christ the structures of our society should also be transformed.

Is it too late to see a transformation? I believe as long as God gives believers breath there is opportunity for the Holy Spirit to use our words and our deeds to spark spiritual transformation in the lives of people. And as people are transformed by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, He can indeed transform even governments and the social institutions that surround us.