The Call to Columbus, June 16-17, 2015
As the newly elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention, I want to call every pastor, every church leader, and every layperson from a Southern Baptist church to join me in Columbus, Ohio, on June 16-17, 2015. As I work with our Order of Business Committee as well as other leaders, I will respectfully request for us to dedicate as much time as possible in next year’s convention to pray extraordinarily for the next Great Awakening. I want to call you to Columbus, Ohio, to what could be one of the most significant prayer gatherings in our history to pray for the next Great Awakening.
Extraordinary Prayer for the Next Great Awakening
Yes, we have to conduct business at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, and we will do it with great diligence; but we will also bring to fruition a year-long emphasis of praying in an extraordinary manner for the next great spiritual awakening in America. For the next year, I want to humbly request from each church, each national SBC entity, and each state convention that we begin to pray in an over and above way for God to move mightily in our lives, our churches, and our nation.
Why is this Important?
Why is this important? Our convention has bemoaned our continual decline in baptisms, membership, attendance, and giving far too long; now is the time we take aggressive action by calling out to God together in prayer; at the same time, we must take the needed strategic actions to change our trajectory as a convention of churches. While we face these critical times, we know God is doing some amazing things right now through Southern Baptists. As we celebrate those to God’s glory in Columbus, we will also call out to God in urgent desperation.
Why is revival in the church and awakening in the nation so important? I have been greatly convicted that one of the reasons God has placed me as President, for such a time as this, is for the purpose to call His people to what Jonathan Edwards called “extraordinary prayer.” We need extraordinary prayer for the purpose of revival personally, revival in the church, and spiritual awakening in America, so we can see commitment to the Great Commission escalated, and accelerate it to its completion in our generation. I believe this should be our heart and our goal.
I have been privileged to catch a glimpse of extraordinary prayer in the Praying Pastors gatherings. We have led over 1,500 pastors in these four gatherings, two of which have been national gatherings. God is doing something very unique right now, and I believe that extraordinary prayer is our number one need. In extraordinary prayer, we recognize that only God can do what is needed in us personally, congregationally, denominationally, nationally, and internationally.
Pray Now for the Next Great Awakening
We’ve had a great conservative resurgence in the SBC. We are in the midst of a Great Commission resurgence in the SBC. In order for the Great Commission resurgence to be elevated to the proper priority, we need a great spiritual movement and a mighty spiritual awakening, which this nation has not seen in a long time. Yes, we need to pray now in an extraordinary manner for the next Great Awakening.
Mark Your Calendar: June 16-17, 2015
Mark your calendar now for June 16-17, 2015, and join us in Columbus, Ohio. Why should you come? Who knows, this may be the moment, the time, and God’s place to begin the next Great Awakening in the United States. And consider coming in early for Saturday, June 13, to join us in Crossover Columbus. Consider these facts about Columbus, Ohio:
- 15th Largest city in America
- 139 Languages spoken in Columbus
- 111 SBC Churches in Metro Columbus Baptist Association
- SEND CITY in our national church planting strategy
- Home of the Ohio State University
Soon We Will Begin To Connect Together
Our team is right now beginning to work on various ways we can begin to connect together via technology. We will use email, Twitter, and Instagram to help all of us be a part of a movement toward Columbus, Ohio. But greater than that, a movement of praying for the next Great Awakening in America, so that we can see commitment to the Great Commission escalated, and accelerate it to its completion in our generation.
Please call upon your church and others to pray for me daily. I want to represent our Lord, our church, and our Southern Baptist family in the highest manner. I cannot do that without you praying for me daily.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
[…] Our new SBC President, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, has issued a clarion call- an invitation loud and clear- that every Southern Baptist join him in “extraordinary prayer” for personal revival, revival in our churches, and national spiritual awakening. Early this morning, I committed to him the unqualified support of Hyde Park Baptist/The Quarries Church in this heart cry for our souls, our congregations, and our nation. How could we do otherwise? The time is NOW! (You can read Dr. Floyd’s urgent call here https://blog.ronniefloyd.com/7143/southern-baptist-convention/the-call-to-columbus-june-16-17-201…) […]
[…] of the large and influential North Point Community Church, went on a twitter rant last week about Southern Baptist Convention leaders praying for revival and calling on churches to do the same. I summed up his tweets as a call to stop […]
[…] to your email by filling out the “Subscribe” box in the right column. My first article, The Call to Columbus, was published this past Monday. Please take time to read it […]
[…] my first article to Southern Baptists as your President, The Call to Columbus, I […]
[…] my first article to Southern Baptists as your President, The Call to Columbus, I […]
[…] The Call to Columbus for June 16-17, 2015, is genuine and one that I pray each of you will respond to personally, not only in prayer, but with attendance. As stated again last week, I believe one of the most strategic things we can do is to cry out to God in extraordinary prayer, asking Him for the next Great Awakening. […]
[…] the site of the next annual meeting, to focus on prayer for revival. You can read his thoughts here. Further, the OneCry initiative calls for prayer for a nationwide awakening. You can find out more […]
Dear Dr. Floyd,
I have been reading your articles and following your heart for revival. I am a N.C. Evangelist, who has a passion to see God manifest His presence in my life, the church and this nation. I am crying out to God, with you, to send revival. I don’t know what this will look like for the men of God, who preach for the modern church or the nation. But, as I look at the characteristics surrounding the life of Jesus, John the Baptist and Paul, I see a common cord running through their lives and ministries…..humility, power and the proclamation of a message that turned the world upside down. I was reading this morning in Ephesians 3:8 – “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Dr. Floyd, the Lord gripped my heart with the need to humble myself and understand who I am (who we are)…..the least of all! John the Baptist said, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30) “…God resists the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” (1Peter 5b) Where there is revival, there is humility, grace and power. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that HE may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) Then, we may preach the message that ushers in revival, breaks down strongholds, and sets the captive free….THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST! I am praying, with you, that the world will know that HE IS GOD AND THERE IS NO OTHER! You are loved, prayed for and appreciated!
In Christ alone,
Craig Church
Thank you for your encouragement, Craig. Continue praying with us!
[…] the moment I was elected as President, I have extended a clear calling to Columbus, Ohio, for our annual gathering in 2015. Regardless of the size of your church, we need your church […]