SBC President Candidates: Question 9

Editor's note: This is one part of three articles with Q&A's posed by Baptist Press to all six candidates for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The other parts of the Q&A and associated articles can be viewed via the Related Coverage links.

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Related Coverage SBC president hopefuls from South to West complete Q&A SBC President Candidates: Questions 1-4 SBC President Candidates: Questions 5-8

9) We hear reports that God's spirit is moving in astounding ways in many parts of the world, with people being saved and churches being started so fast no one can keep track of the numbers. Based on your missionary experience, what do you think keeps God from moving in such remarkable ways in America?

WAGNER:

Once again I refer back to my missionary experience. I have always felt that our mission work in Western Europe was very important because I predicted that we in America were going to follow Europe's experience and eventually become secular. What is done for Christ in Europe could be useful in other parts of the world in the future. People refer to Europe as being "post-Christian." This term is coming very soon to America. In reading Matthew 24, I was always baffled by the statements that say that in the last days there would be a falling away from the faith and at the same time the Gospel would be preached to the whole world. That very thing is happening today. Many are giving up on Christianity but at the same time the Gospel is being received all over the world. Now I understand what Jesus was predicting. We are living in the end times.

But to answer the question, I feel that we as Southern Baptists have made a very big mistake by breaking our ties with conservative Baptists around the world. I visit many countries and almost all leaders ask why we do not have more fellowship with them. These are conservative Baptists who hold to the same doctrines that we hold to. If elected, I will do everything possible to rebuild these relationships so that we can help them and they can be a blessing to us. We must have a global approach to our faith. I might add that we need to give Dr. Jerry Rankin credit in leading out in world evangelism and church planting. We are the world's leaders in this area. I am very proud of our IMB, as well as the NAMB and the WMU. These are the agencies leading us in missions.

But what keeps God from moving in America? It is the fact that spiritually we have removed ourselves from Him. Our first priority is to come back to God, thus I recommend a solemn assembly. If we as Southern Baptists return to Him, we will see His blessings and we shall experience a revival and a new outpouring of His Spirit. We might do well to restudy 2 Chronicles 7:14)

9) Your ministry is known for bringing large numbers of people to faith in Jesus Christ. What does your church do to deepen new believers in the faith and help them become fruitful Christians themselves? How would you bring this experience in your ministry to bear on an evangelism and discipleship strategy for the SBC?

COX:

At North Metro, we follow up with new believers in several ways. First, we get them involved in a small group (SS), where they are accountable to a smaller group in our congregation. We lead them through a new believer's class, where they learn the basics of the Christian life. We provide various classes to assist them in growth such as Survival Kit, Experiencing God and The Mind of Christ. In evangelism, we seek to do evangelism with integrity. We train our people through the Faith Evangelism series to equip them to share their faith. Through our stewardship ministry, we attempt to find ways to involve all our membership in ministry and missions through our church.As president of the Southern Baptist Convention, I will be very supportive of the National Evangelism Initiative that will be revealed at this year's convention. I am committed to see it come to fruition. I'm excited that the North American Mission Board, as should be, is leading out to reaching America for Christ. I will work with the national leaders and continue to develop the initiative that will lead Southern Baptists to do evangelism with integrity and with the desire that it will impact our nation for Christ.

9) Your ministry is known for bringing large numbers of people to faith in Jesus Christ. What does your church do to deepen new believers in the faith and help them become fruitful Christians themselves? How would you bring this experience in your ministry to bear on an evangelism and discipleship strategy for the SBC?

HUNT:

We host a new members' class and strongly encourage all new members and new believers to attend. We have found that the majority do attend. As it pertains to the SBC, I would certainly encourage the churches to involve their people in small groups, but I believe the ultimate response belongs with the local church. Also, I believe expositional preaching is the best method of preaching to disciple from the pulpit.

9. We hear reports that God's spirit is moving in astounding ways in many parts of the world, with people being saved and churches being started so fast no one can keep track of the numbers. Based on your missionary experience, what do you think keeps God from moving in such remarkable ways in America?

WILLIS:

Having been to approximately 120 countries, I would affirm your statement about God's Spirit moving in astounding ways overseas. Let me pose the question like this, "What are they doing in their situations to work with God to experience phenomenal growth in numbers of churches and Christians that we are not doing as well with here?"

Conditions are different in every situation. There was a time when we saw phenomenal growth of churches and membership in the United States. However, missionaries and nationals in their respective countries are doing many things that further that kind of growth and avoid the things that hinder it. Here are some things we could learn from them as we pray that God will pour out His Spirit on us as He has on them. They are missional in their strategy, by which I mean they approach their situations as missionaries and I think we need to do the same thing in the United States if we are to reach the lost here.

—Prayer and the absolute authority of the Bible are integral to their discerning where God is at work.

—They research the people groups and population segments and the study the culture in each situation to understand their real needs.

—They devise multiple strategies to reach them.

—They sow abundantly and intentionally plant churches using local unpaid leaders.

—They communicate the Gospel using stories and other visual and oral means as Jesus did and make clear what it costs to become a real disciple of Christ. They teach them how to deal with persecution when they become followers of Jesus.

—They involve new converts immediately in initial discipleship and applied Bible learning.

—They focus on discipleship in relational small groups in homes or other available places.

—They implant the DNA of witnessing, making disciples and multiplying simple churches as rapidly as possible.

—They coach emerging leaders in the actual experience of doing the above.

—They involve other Great Commission organizations who can contribute their expertise and energy in appropriate strategies.

Here are some things that they avoid:

—Dependency caused by subsidy or dependence on outside leaders.—Extra-biblical requirements for leadership.

—Church models that are not reproducible by the local people.

—Inappropriate leadership training models for their situations.

So how do you sum up what we are seeing on the mission field that we need to return to as Southern Baptists? It is not a formula, for such movements come only from God. I believe He wants a spiritual revolution of our 21st-century Christianity to become first-century disciples afresh. Here are seven marks that we have seen in Baptists when God used us most and I believe they are guideposts to God using us again as a people after His own heart:

—Gazing on God's glory in worship.

—Returning to God in spiritual renewal.

—Following Jesus in discipleship.

—Bringing the Bible to life through authenticity obedience.

—Telling God's story in evangelism.

—Making disciples of all nations in missions.

—Starting churches where we are not, through church-planting movements.

I wish I had space to spell them out here and I will do that if elected president. My track record in these areas and a concise plan of action for pastors and churches will be posted soon on my website, www.averywillis.com.

9) You wrote on your blog that you felt like you were somewhere between Baptist and Presbyterian. What did you mean by that?

PURYEAR:

I hold to a Reformed position regarding soteriology [the doctrine of salvation]. I also believe in a regenerate membership and the use of church discipline. Until very recently, these have not been the majority views of most SBC churches. These positions have been more indicative of Presbyterian churches. However, I also affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 without any caveats. Therefore, I hold to the essential beliefs of Southern Baptists and to some which are more Presbyterian in nature. That is what I meant by that comment. I am happy to say that I see more and more Southern Baptists joining me in these views, so I am encouraged to see this movement in the SBC.

9) While you served as SBC second vice president, controversy arose over what some alleged was your use of the title to push your personal issues. Should Southern Baptists be concerned you will use the office of president to promote activism rather than lead the SBC?

DRAKE:

I did not use my title or position to push personal issues, only to push us to win more people to Jesus by doing what Article XIV and XV said we were to do. I assure Southern Baptists I am a team player, and if any member of the SBC asks me to not proceed in an area, I will listen.

I will use my position and presidential office to promote activism in the area of Articles XIV and XV, nothing else.