Archive for the 'America' Category
Why We Are Where We Are in America and the World
We are living in an unprecedented time in America.
The secularists in America had an original goal to see Christianity become extinct from American life. They failed. Then, their desire was that Christians and Christianity would be neutralized. This desire has been met with some level of success. Now, their goal is to see Christianity become silenced in America. Sadly, their intimidating methods have been successful with some Christians, but thankfully ignored by others.
Where We Are in America
Consider these things with me today: Lawlessness abounds nationally. Racial unrest and violence erupt endlessly. Marriage and family are being completely redefined. God’s definition of sexuality is constantly degraded. Killing the unborn is shamelessly accepted or ignored. Arguments about immigration occur constantly.
Simultaneously, biblical authority and infallibility are defiantly mocked. Political promises are repeatedly broken. Religious freedom is continually losing ground. National security is now the #1 conversation in America.
What is the answer? What do we do now? Where is our hope?
Where We Are in the World
The world is becoming more dangerous daily and more frightening by the minute. Why?
Iran is becoming more empowered by our own nation. Many across the world are marginalizing Israel. Russia is being ignited and permitted to be a world leader. Syria and Iraq are in disarray. This has resulted in 7 million refugees from these two countries. This stands as the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today.
At the same time, ISIS and Boko Haram are on the move, showing no reserve or retreat. Both are destructive forces in the world. Women are being raped, girls are sold into sex slavery, and Christians are beheaded. The recent destructive and deadly attacks on Paris in mid-November have now placed fear not only in European countries, but also globally. Since a Russian jet was destroyed in October, killing hundreds of people, air travel has changed both nationally and internationally.
Yes, the world is becoming extremely dangerous.
Why We Are Where We Are in America and the World
Why are we where we are in America and across the world? It would be easy to point fingers, but the blame game never leads to anything productive. It always divides; it never unites. Since we are the Church of Jesus Christ, built upon the infallibility and inerrancy of the Holy Scripture, we need to approach where we are spiritually.
In our world comprised of 7.28 billion people, an estimated 3 billion are regarded as unreached and unengaged with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This means that to our knowledge, the gospel has never been known among these people. Some missiologists even believe that to our knowledge, the vast majority of the world has no knowledge of salvation by faith in Christ alone. Therefore, could it be that the world’s condition of lostness is the reason our world is where it is today?
Here at home, of the 322 million Americans, missiologists believe that three out of four do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is a need for the pure gospel of Jesus Christ to be communicated to all persons in America and across the world.
Regardless of what research may report or studies conclude, thankfully, we know that God is always working and knows what we do not. We do know that God is committed to redeeming the world.
America and the world are acting just like they are supposed to: Spiritually lost and in deep need of the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. This is why we are where we are in America and the world.
We are where we are in America and the world because so many people are spiritually lost and in deep need of the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, Back in the Southern Baptist Convention
While all of these realities are undeniably happening nationally and internationally, back in the Southern Baptist Convention, we are facing enormous challenges:
- We are baptizing fewer people today than in 1948.
- Seventy-four percent of our 51,094 churches and congregations that comprise our convention are plateaued or declining.
- We are bringing home 600-800 of our global mission force due to financial challenges.
- Many pastors and churches are struggling in their own relationships with each other, resulting in disunity and division.
- In our own convention relationships, pastor-to-pastor and church-to- church, there is more talking about each other than talking to each other. The distrust is disgraceful.
Therefore, in This Moment
Therefore, in this moment when violence in our nation and world is increasing, the church must rise up, condemning unjust and senseless violence, and resolve to advance the gospel of peace to every person here and across the world.
Pastors, church leaders, and churches, regardless of what has been said, written or presumed about you, let it go. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Forgive.
Preach and share the gospel anytime, anywhere with anyone. God will be with you and empower you to do it in His power for His glory.
It is more obvious by the minute that we need a great Spiritual Awakening in America and the world. Therefore, pray, live, and lead accordingly.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, Southern Baptist Convention
*******
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is currently serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.7 million members in over 51,094 churches and congregations nationwide.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
What Happened to Evangelism in the Southern Baptist Convention
What happened to evangelism in the Southern Baptist Convention? It was our commitment to evangelism in the past that set us apart from all other denominations. The events and experiences churches offered to their community were done with the specific intent of winning others to faith in Christ.
What happened? Where did this go?
Waking Up To Reality
I do realize that all of our 51,094 churches and congregations do not complete and report the Annual Church Profile. However, of the churches who did report, in the church year from October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014 the number of baptisms was lower than it was in the year of 1948. This is deplorable!
The U.S. population in 1948 was 146 million in comparison to 317 million in 2014. Therefore, with thousands of more Southern Baptist churches with millions of more members, along with having 171 million more Americans to reach today, we are reaching and baptizing less people than we did in 1948.
We need to wake up to reality. We need spiritual revival in the Church and spiritual awakening in America.
I Can Remember When
I can remember when some of my seminary classes were filled with exciting challenges about reaching people for Christ.
I can remember when my seminary evangelism classes equipped me in how to lead an evangelistic church that had a strategy to reach your town or city for Christ.
I can remember some of my seminary classes built within me a deep belief of how God wanted to work in our day, just as He did in and through the revivals and awakenings of the past generations.
I can remember when there was a proven record of evangelism regarding pastors and evangelists who were invited to bring the keynote message in the local association, or speak at an evangelism conference of a state convention, or preach the national pastors’ conference of the Southern Baptist Convention or preach at the Southern Baptist Convention. The only pastors considered led a strong evangelistic church and had a reputation for baptizing great numbers of people for Christ in proportion to their community and their opportunity.
I can remember when nominations for offices of any kind in Southern Baptist life were not even considered if you were not a part of a strongly evangelistic church.
Is it still like this today? I really cannot answer all of these questions, but I can surely answer some of them.
Quite honestly, I am not impressed by how many books a pastor sells, how many twitter followers he may have, at how many conferences he speaks, how great of a preacher he is, or how much his church does around the world if he pastors or is associated with a church that has a lame commitment to evangelizing and baptizing lost people and reaching his own community with the gospel of Christ.
Could It Be
Could it be that we have scrutinized the evangelism of others so much that we have cut the heart of evangelism out of our pastors and churches? Could it be that we so fear what others think about the ways we reach others because we fear being misunderstood, we have ceased talking about evangelism with our pastors and churches? Could it be everything else in our convention is more important than evangelism?
Could it be that we recognize and reward many others things before we ever recognize evangelism through our churches?
I pray not, but could it be?
What Our Southern Baptist Convention Can Do
The 42 state conventions and 12 national entities of our Southern Baptist Convention can hold up high the banner for evangelizing lost people and baptizing new believers. Within their assigned roles, they have the influence to help our churches by elevating evangelism to unprecedented levels.
We need them to elevate evangelism before our churches through conferences, conversations, and strategies they implement.
We need to begin to celebrate, again, pastors and churches that are reaching and baptizing great numbers of people in proportion to their opportunity afforded to them. We need to celebrate them in relationship to the size of their community and what has been entrusted to them by the Lord.
What Our Pastors And Churches Can Do
The real issues of evangelism lie with our pastors and churches. It is on us, not our Southern Baptist structure, regardless of how they could be or should be assisting and helping our churches.
Therefore, pastors and churches, please consider these things to see more people reached for Christ and baptized by your church:
- Through each event or experience you offer as a church, regardless of the audience, strategically use it for evangelism.
- Preach each message and plan each service with the eventual goal of calling people to follow Jesus Christ.
- Offer a public invitation weekly. If not a “walk down front” invitation, use other ways to call people to follow Jesus weekly.
- Highlight baptisms in your worship services weekly.
- Creatively offer ways for people to begin to follow Christ; we did this recently and 74 people came to Christ and are being baptized as a result of a unique Sunday morning emphasis.
- Add outreach events or experiences to your church calendar that are solely committed to reaching people with the gospel.
- Renew your commitment to develop, equip, and empower people to share their faith with lost people regularly.
- Create a specific strategy to reach your community or city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let’s not be paralyzed. By no means do I believe I have all the answers, but I do know…
It begins with us. It begins with our churches.
Do something. Do more than you are doing now. Take a risk.
Return to the importance of reaching and baptizing people.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, Southern Baptist Convention
*******
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is currently serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.7 million members in over 51,094 churches and congregations nationwide.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.