One of the criticisms often bandied about in the transition that Southern Baptist Life is undergoing is that people have to realize this isn’t the 1950’s anymore.  I’m grateful for the wakeup call because I was just about to make a run to the local Gibson’s on the corner  I think it might surprise some that I agree the SBC is long overdue for transition – or perhaps a better word is renewal.  Often organizations cycle through a vicious sequence that can lead to demise, decay, and even death.  It’s why I embrace the concept of a resurgence centered on the Great Commission – such is an impetus that could bring unity and clarity.  I think much of the murmuring that is bubbling up in the meantime is the natural byproduct of what happens in the midst of transition.  The question becomes how do we bring people along that are resistant and perhaps comfortable where they are?  I think the following might offer a few suggestions that could help facilitate the process.

Rebuild trust.  Help everyone feel like they are in this process together.  There is a perception in some circles of Southern Baptist Life that some groups are receiving a larger share of input than others because of their position or connections.  I know from many conversations that small church pastors feel disconnected from the process.  I can sense from the reaction of some state convention presidents that some too feel detached from the process.  I’m sure the initial launch that spoke of bloated bureaucracies (while at times true) was perceived as threatening. There is the perception that the megachurch network has a preconceived agenda about the Cooperative Program and the SBC.   I think that the listening sessions are a key component, but I would dispense members of the task force to board meetings, network gatherings, and other venues to make sure that perception does not become the defined reality.  Use venues from Baptist Press to upstart blogs to communicate the necessity of renewal and resurgence.  Tell us the truth – the whole truth about what we need to say adios to.  If NAMB needs to be restructured or even reinvented or merged let us know.  I, for one, am not threatened by dismounting horses that need to be put out to pasture whatever they may be.

Continually define the purpose.  Take us out of the wilderness into the Promised Land.  Different is not necessarily bad.  Different is not necessarily good.  Define the new beginning in images and symbols that resonate with the SBC.  Make sure the “official reason” for change is the “official reason” for transition.  Some people always believe that there are hidden agendas driving change: power plays, personality clashes, and the good old boy system.  Tell us what the purpose of the Great Commission Task Force is.  Tell us over and over again until we “get it”.  Realize that people integrally involved in the SBC may overreact and feel shortchanged.  Not all such folks should be written off as laggards and malcontents – they might just be struggling through the transition.  Paint a picture of what the resurgence will look like.  Help us walk through this with you.  One suggestion would be to allow a mechanism for every Southern Baptist to communicate their ideas and concerns.  Make certain this mechanism is widely communicated.

Buy into the vision yourself.  One of my complaints in past restructuring is that key proponents of the change are no longer even on the SBC scene.  They are AWOL and disengaged from Southern Baptist life.  I am a loyal Southern Baptist and I want loyal Southern Baptists guiding the ship.  We are not starting from scratch but attempting to bring about a resurgence that will lead to new ventures and an expansion of the Kingdom of God.  I want to know that those guiding us to burn some ships will be with us in the future.  Give us an idea of when and how the plan will be unveiled.  Don’t wait until May to tell us what the changes will be.  Give us plenty of time to digest, pray for, and work through the implications of the proposed new steps.  Tell us what has to immediately change, what will take time, and what is absolutely off the table in terms of change.   Above all, make sure the change is initiated and directed by God.  Be willing to scrap the whole enterprise if God is not in it.   I, for one, will pray for God to lead you and us toward a new beginning.

Many argue do not discount how God is using the contemporary church to impact the age. No doubt! Often, though, the arrogance of those engaged in the contemporary sees revolution when what is at work is disillusion, confusion, and many contusions among the body of Christ. Those who dismiss the church as irrelevant forget their own souls have been forged on the anvil of the very altar they wish to discard. Postmodernism is not the final word. Jesus said he would build the church to a triumphant conclusion. That is why an additional corrective to some strident voices of the contemporary church needs to be offered to all leaders. The church will always be relevant. It is not our task to make the church relevant but to be the church period. We live in a paradox where the ancient words of the Ancient of Days are as living as the day God breathed them forth, and yet those words must be lived out. This is the test of every movement. It is not ultimately about form but function. It is not a pragmatic measurement of what works but of God’s workmanship. The seductive sirens of prepackaged publications offer a new and improved solution for every problem that plagues the programs of our day.
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