In just a few days, thousands of Southern Baptists will journey to Indianapolis for our annual meeting. Every year, it feels like the SBC is a big pressure cooker on the stove building steam throughout the year until we hit the release valve at the annual meeting each June.
There are multiple issues of significance that have certainly led to quite a bit of pressure being built through social media debates, articles and blog posts, and podcast interviews. As we look to June and the “pressure release valve” of our time together, I want to share four things I am praying for our convention of churches and specifically for our meeting in Indianapolis.
First, I am praying for focus. As someone said of the SBC a few years ago, “Any time the Great Commission is not the lead conversation, we’re having the wrong conversation.” The intent in saying that and my intent in sharing it is not to belittle or demean other issues and conversations that are needed and important. It’s to recognize and remember the reason for the conversations and the reason for our cooperation is to make and mobilize disciples to reach the nations for Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). I pray that as we discuss and debate very important subjects that our focus will remain on reaching the world for Christ, for that mission is the reason why our cooperative family of churches exists, why we train ministers and missionaries, why we give resources, and why we have mission boards to give strategic direction to our cooperative mission.
Secondly, I am praying for charity. It is perfectly okay to have differing thoughts, ideas, and even convictions when it comes to the issues facing our denomination. It’s healthy to voice those in appropriate ways and at appropriate times, which is part of why we have these days set aside each year for messengers to gather.
But I think we all can agree that it is not okay to approach and carry out the conversations and debates in a mean-spirited manner. Conviction and kindness are not mutually exclusive, and I pray that both will be evident as discussions take place. We can certainly debate ideas without attacking and belittling our brothers and sisters in Christ. Healthy families debate and work out differences of opinion, but healthy families also do it with a spirit of kindness and love that honors the Lord, shows value to each other, and represents Him well to a watching world (John 13:34-35).
Thirdly, I am praying for wisdom. Thank goodness God has invited us to call on Him and promised that He will abundantly provide the wisdom we need in the moment we need it (James 1:5)! We certainly need the wisdom of God to guide us in the decisions before us. Many people whom I love and respect have differing opinions and convictions regarding the decisions before us.
There are many layers of implications and next steps to consider. The conversations and the decisions are weighty and godly people see some of those things very differently. This is where we need the wisdom only the Lord can provide to prevail upon us and lead us forward. May we hear clearly from Him and then courageously follow His lead.
Finally, I am praying for unity. The sign of a healthy family is what happens after the discussions have taken place, opinions and viewpoints have been shared, and decisions have been made.
I am praying that we can walk away from Indianapolis and travel back to our places of ministry walking together in unity because we handled our business and even our disagreements in ways that honored the Lord. I am praying that the healthy, charitable debate could even serve to make us stronger in our cooperative relationship as a family of churches, especially those in our local contexts.
When our meeting in Indianapolis is over, there will still be billions in the world who have never heard the name of Jesus and we will still be a part of the greatest, cooperative, missional effort to impact global lostness with the hope of the gospel! I pray we can debate our differences, make God-honoring decisions, and then move forward together in reaching the world for Christ (John 17:20-21).
Join me in praying these things for our SBC and let’s continue living these things out as Tennessee Baptists. See you in Indy! B&R