FBC photo by Barbara Denman
SCANNING Ted Traylor of Pensacola, right, and Ronnie Lawrence of Okeechobee read through the Florida Baptist Witness during Executive Editor James A. Smith’s report.
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HIALEAH (FBW)—The State Board of Missions voted
unanimously May 29 to create a task force to study the Florida Baptist
Convention in response to the growing discussion in Southern Baptist life about
a “Great Commission Resurgence.”
The action came in response to a 322-word statement by John
Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, which
included a suggestion to assemble the current and former Florida Baptist State
Convention presidents who still live in Florida as a task force.
The State Board of Missions met for the first time at the
Florida Baptist Convention’s new South Florida Urban Center in Hialeah,
recently renovated property that was transferred to the Convention by First
Baptist Church in Hialeah, which continues to meet at the property.
FBC photo by Barbara Denman
HANDSHAKE John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, left, expresses appreciation to Gary Morris, chairman of deacons at First Baptist Church of Hialeah.
Southern Baptist Convention president Johnny Hunt, pastor of
First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., issued the “Toward a Great Commission Resurgence” declaration in late April, a
10-point statement outlining steps Southern Baptists should consider to
re-ignite commitment to Jesus’ missionary mandate to His disciples.
Although the GCR declaration (available for review at
www.GreatCommissionResurgence.com) boasts 3,000 signatories as of June 1, some
Southern Baptist leaders, including many state convention executives, have
expressed concern about Article IX, “A Commitment to a More Effective
Structure.” The article, which has been revised twice since its April 27
release, calls for a streamlining of the denomination.
In a May 13 interview with Florida Baptist Witness, Hunt confirmed a motion will be offered at
the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Louisville, June 23-24, to
establish a task force to study GCR and make recommendations to the 2010 annual
meeting in Orlando.
FBC photo by Barbara Denman
PRAYER SUPPORT Hayes Davis of Port Orange, standing left, prays for Bill Bunkley, Convention’s legislative consultant, center, following Bunkley’s report to the Program Committee.
(A package of articles about the Great Commission Resurgence
can be found on Florida Baptist Witness
Web site, www.FloridaBaptistWitness.com.)
Concerning the “great deal of discussion” about GCR,
Sullivan made six points in his statement: (1) affirming the “principles” of
the declaration, which he has communicated to Hunt and Danny Akin, president of
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and principal author of the
declaration; (2) noting he will be meeting soon with Hunt to “address concerns” he has about the declaration and to “assist in the
implementation;” (3) noting he has not signed the document and will not “until
I have had an opportunity to address my concerns;” (4) expressing his “daily
prayer” that signing GCR will not be made a “test of fellowship;” (5) noting
it’s his “heart to be the very best, most efficient, deliberately dynamic and
missional state convention” in the SBC and “good stewards of all resources
entrusted to us;” (6) noting he will not be “defensive of the work of the
Florida Baptist Convention, but to review for more effective missions,
evange-lism and strengthening churches is not a problem. We need to set
the pace.”
FBC photo by Barbara Denman
PRESIDING Board president Don McLaughlin of Tallahassee studies Board documents.
Sullivan concluded by suggesting the “sitting president and
all former presidents of the Florida Baptist State Convention for the last 20
years who are still serving in Florida to become a Task Force to review every
facet of the convention and bring recommendations back to the State Board of
Missions for further discussion and recommendation to the Florida Baptist State
Convention.”
(Sullivan’s statement can be read in its entirety on page
three.)
Elaborating on his prepared statement, Sullivan noted the
referenced meeting with Hunt will occur on June 8, without naming the location,
and will include eight state convention executive directors. He also said the task
force would likely meet sometime during the summer and would likely require
only a two-day meeting.
Asked by State Board member Steve Harness, pastor of The
Crossroads Church, New Port Richey, if he would be willing to discuss his
concerns, Sullivan underscored again the implementation of GCR.
FBC photo by Barbara Denman
SBOM MEETING Enjoying a break from the rain on a bench outside of the new South Florida Urban Center in Hialeah, site of the State Board of Missions meeting, Erik Erskine of Havana reviews Board materials.
“I do not think Baptist polity should be negated,” noting
the Southern Baptist Convention does not have the authority to study other
Baptist bodies, like state conventions.
“I just need some answers for myself,” Sullivan added.
State Board member Juan Sanchez, a layman from Sebring,
asked Sullivan if he would elaborate on his statement about GCR not being a
test of fellowship.
“If your conscience allows you to sign it and mine does not,
that should not be a test of fellowship,” Sullivan explained.
John Holloway, State Board member from Greater Orlando
Baptist Association and executive pastor of First Baptist Church of Sweetwater
in Longwood, asked Sullivan about dialogue he has had with other state
executives about GCR.
Sullivan said he has participated in one conference call
with eight state convention executive directors and noted the same group would
participate in the June 8 meeting with Hunt.
State Board member Randy Kuhn, pastor of Howard Carlisle
Baptist Church in Panama City, affirmed Sullivan’s task force suggestion, but
added, “I’d like to voice the idea that I don’t care about changing
bureaucracy” because doing such will not “win America” to Christ.
Don McLaughlin, pastor of Parkway Baptist Church in
Tallahassee, noted that he signed the GCR declaration, but not in his capacity
as president of the State Board of Missions.
Barbara Denman,
director of communications of the Florida Baptist Convention, contributed to
this report.
FBC photo by Barbara Denman
SBOM MEETING Listening to reports are, from left, Board members Steve Moore of Port St. Lucie, Randy Alonso of Lake Panasoffkee and Arlene Keeley of Fort Myers.