Yesterday was interesting at the convention. The highlight was the motion on the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. Hopefully this will produce some good thoughts for our convention to look at next year. We certainly need ways to streamline our missions effort. One tough thing to hear was the Lottie Moon Offering, that supports International Missions, missed the goal by almost $30 million! If things don’t change quickly the IMB will be pulling 700 people off the field and only 500 of the 2000 in preparation to go, will be able to go! I can remember in years past the call to pray for God to send more laborers into the harvest around the world. God has answered that prayer by calling more to go. Now, the funds aren’t there to send them!
It was encouraging to hear of churches taking a “Christmas in August” Missions Offering in August. It was also encouraging to see the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Texas give a check for $100,000. God is still working!
It was interesting hearing some of the motions from the floor. Any messenger can make a motion from the floor. If it receives a “second”, the Committee on the Order of Business looks at it and determines what Board it should go to, if it should come to the convention floor, or if it is “out of order.” As someone said, “apparently you can say the craziest thing, and someone will second it.” We had motions ranging from studying the claim that the world will end in 2011 and that our churches are run by Satan (same motion), to a committee studying the impact of the 1611 KJV in preparation of the 400th Anniversary. There were people who wanted to ban the sale of books by certain authors, investigate seminary presidents for inviting certain chapel speakers, and for Lifeway to only purchase things made in the USA when it comes to VBS materials! You’ve gotta love the freedom to make such motions!
All in all, it was good to see us end the day with the focus on sharing the Gospel around the world. That is what we are called to do. That is why this convention formed in the first place.
A Pastor's Thoughts 