Randy C. Davis
It’s been said that complacency is the enemy of progress. Interestingly, complacency is often a byproduct of success. That sounds counterintuitive, but think about it. When things are cruising along and we experience win after win, we can slip into cruise control. If we don’t stay alert and engaged, we can fall asleep at the wheel.
This became a realization for me years ago. I had Dr. Harry Piland evaluate First Baptist Church, Morristown, when I was pastor there in the 1990s. Dr. Piland was consulting at the time and offered a significant amount of insight. His evaluation was short and to the point, and it has stayed with me for decades.
“Randy, I’ve got good news and bad news,” he said. “The good news is your people are satisfied. The bad news is your people are satisfied.”
We are nearing the 150th anniversary of the first Tennessee Baptist Convention. The stated dream of forming the Tennessee Baptist Convention in Murfreesboro is found in a resolution adopted on the first day of Tennessee Baptists gathering 148 years ago and it reads: “We are assembled in convention in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for the purpose of carrying out the intentions of these bodies we represent by establishing a more perfect union among Baptists of Tennessee, by eliciting, combining and directing the energies of the denomination throughout the state … for accomplishing objectives.”
Look back across these nearly 150 years and Tennessee Baptists can say they’ve had a part of carrying that dream forward, passing it from one generation to the next. I am proud to have been a Tennessee Baptist for 30 of my 46 years in ministry. God has blessed Tennessee Baptists with much ministry success, and we can be satisfied with what’s been accomplished.
But are we too satisfied?
I have no doubt God has a desire to bless us in the future doing the same things we’ve always done and probably even see continued success. However, would it be as good as we can do or the best we could do?
We stand at the threshold of a historic moment, and our 150th anniversary gives us the perfect opportunity to replicate the courage of those who have gone before us to find out if God is ready to do a “new thing,” as Isaiah 43:19 says, through Tennessee Baptists.
That is why we are launching the Acts 2:17 Initiative. Acts 2:17 reads: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.”
The great hope of the Acts 2:17 Initiative is that Tennessee Baptists will come together in unity beginning at the Summit this November to seek God’s preferable future for our work as a network of Great Commission churches. Basically, the question on the table is: “What will be the priorities of Tennessee Baptists post 2024?”
To prepare for this initiative, we have secured Claude King, coauthor of Experiencing God to ensure prayer is the foundation of this initiative and that we stay focused on finding God’s will through praying together.
We have enlisted Lifeway Christian Resources’ consulting group Auxano to guide the convention in asking the right questions, securing feedback, and framing the ultimate vision.
The thoughts and opinions of grassroots Tennessee Baptists are at the heart of this process. This is a chance for you to articulate opportunities you sense God is leading us to seize, needs God is directing us toward that our churches must meet, and problems God is challenging our churches to solve.
The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board will serve only in a coordinating role for this initiative. Tennessee Baptists will dream the dream. The result of the Acts 2:17 Initiative must be God speaking through His people to see His vision.
This is our opportunity to reset and reengage our mission field called Tennessee for the good of people and for the glory of God. I strongly encourage you to participate and to commit to passionately pray as we seek God‘s preferable future.
It is a joy to be on this journey with you now and into the future. B&R
