Green urges Convention staff to godly leadership

JACKSONVILLE (FBC)- Members of the Florida Baptist Convention staff were called to their knees by State Convention President Tommy Green as he urged them to purge the trash from their lives and recommit to the zeal and passion of godly leadership.

"Nothing honors God more than to be on our knees before the Lord Jesus Christ," said Green during a one-day spiritual renewal staff retreat April 1 at the Radisson Hotel in Jacksonville.

Green, pastor, First Baptist Church, Brandon, laid out a white sheet on the floor to represent God’s holiness and then covered it in wadded up pieces of paper and crumpled drink cans to symbolize sin. "All of us put trash in our lives," he said, adding that sins may have been committed through negligence, lack of faith or commitment, indulgence or compromise.

"We’ve tried to bury it and hide it, but we cannot hide it from the Lord. Yet if we will confess our sins, He, and He alone, will forgive our sin and cleanse us."

Speaking on leadership, Green called the staff "instruments of change in this state. God has strategically placed every one of you in this room in the state of Florida."

The right kind of leadership, he said is "critically important to be successful and to bring glory to the Lord. Leadership is pivotal to success in ministry."

Green said leadership for those serving in ministry is seen in four areas: relational, professional, spiritual and in the church.

All too often, he suggested, the church is filled with followers. But "someone has to step up and lead, someone has to carry the water."

Green outlined four characteristics that qualify a person as a leader: compassion, competency, commitment and courage.

The ministry of Jesus is marked by compassion, Green said. Servant leaders will "demonstrate compassion that will compel you to respond to others. Leadership is about response."

He added, "Just because I’m the pastor doesn’t mean I have the right or authority to run over people."

A person with compassion will "believe in the power of God to save the lost," he said, to change a life, to alter an attitude, to heal the sick, to help the hurting, to restore a broken home, to dry up an alcoholic, to clean up a drug addict and give hope to the hurting.

"Do I believe enough that I am willing to invest my life in meeting the needs of others in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ?"

Green defined competency as "having an unquestioned personal life in order to be a public leader. God knows your heart and has anointed your life. You must avoid the appearance of evil. Sin is unacceptable in the life of a leader."

He outlined four areas as competency factors: personal–family relationships, people skills and disciplines; professional—education, capability, proficiency, organization and administration; and purposeful-spiritual growth, continuing education, building relationships and community involvement.

Spiritual leadership should always be expressed through an evangelistic commitment, Green proposed. "Evangelism is not an option or luxury. It’s a mandate from God. The mandate is to go and tell over big business."

To the convention staff, Green suggested, "If your division is not about reaching people for Jesus Christ, you need to realign your priorities today."

Sharing how his church is meeting the evangelistic challenge in its community, Green decried the belief that door-to-door evangelism will not work in the state.

When considering how many people are moving to Florida and are looking for some place to belong, Green said, he is amazed that 70 percent of Florida Baptist churches are plateaued or declining.

A leader must demonstrate courage, he continued. "It takes courage to sell out for Jesus Christ." Noting that Tampa has become the hotbed of adult entertainment, Green said he has joined a group of local pastors to protest recent public decency issues. Their stand will not be popular, he warned.

"We have been silenced as the Church. We have allowed the fear of being identified politically to deter us from taking a stand on morality. "

Many on the convention staff expressed gratitude for the on-day spiritual emphasis which is held annually.

"It is always good to pull away from the routine and busyness of work and just focus on the reason that we do all this—Jesus and the furthering of His Kingdom," said Faye Lockamy, secretary in the Church and Community Ministries Department. "We all need time in our lives to evaluate where we are in our relationship with Jesus and this retreat helped quite a bit."

Lockamy said the illustration with the white sheet on God’s holiness and the clutter "will stay with me for a long time and also challenge me to try live a blameless life."

"The spiritual renewal retreat was a mini revival and a blessing for me," said Alma Surrency, administrative assistant in the African-American Ministries Division. "It renewed my commitment to the Great Commission, especially in family evangelism. I’m committed to demonstrate more in my daily walk what God commands of us; and to witness to and pray for family members, confirming they are saved and recognize Jesus Christ as their personal Savior."

"Our jobs are to assist and minister to individuals, churches and associations in the Florida Baptist Convention," noted Hugh Cater, director of the New Work Assistance Department. "We are always looking to help others. It was gratifying and a real blessing to know that someone was interested in ministering to us. I am very appreciative for Tommy Green’s sensitivity and insight into the spiritual needs of the state staff.

"More personally, I think it is always in order to be reminded that my personal life should always honor God, and my reputation has a great effect on my ministry."