Archive for the 'Leadership' Category
Mental Health Challenges and the Response of the Southern Baptist Convention
On Tuesday morning, June 11, 2013, I presented a motion at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention about the issue of mental health challenges. From that point until late last night, I encountered people all over the convention center who stopped to thank me, many with tears in their eyes, for standing in the gap for those who struggle daily with mental illness. Additionally, emails, twitter messages, and text messages were expressed.
Why Were These People Passionate With Their Gratitude?
They were passionate and thankful because their lives have been interrupted by the challenge of mental illness. What was expressed?
*People losing children and fathers to suicide
*Pastors with depression
*Parents dealing with major issues with their children like bipolar disorder
*Parents with special needs children
Imagine…these are numerous people overwhelmed with gratitude for presenting compassion for the least of these.
What Did I Present To The Southern Baptist Convention?
I presented the following motion to the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2013 Order of Business Committee:
Mr. President and messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, since 58 million Americans and 450 million people globally suffer with the enormous challenge I bring before you today, as well as the world needing us to address this issue, I make the following motion, appealing passionately for us to be pro-active about this concern in a positive, hopeful manner; therefore, I make the following motion:
I move the messengers of the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Houston, Texas, request that the Executive Committee and the Bylaw 14 entities of the Southern Baptist Convention, work in cooperation to assist our churches in the challenge of ministry to those suffering from mental health issues, and that each entity in their written Annual Ministry Report inform the messengers what they have done, are doing, and will do annually, to assist people in our churches and communities who suffer with mental health issues.
What Did The Southern Baptist Convention Determine To Do With It?
The Committee on Order of Business determined to refer it to the Executive Committee and the 11 entities of the Southern Baptist Convention; however, they did desire for me to speak to the motion. At our microphone, miscommunication through technologically prevented this from happening. I was ready, yet it could not occur before the motion was voted upon. This caused unintended confusion, resulting in a problem that had to be discussed by the committee, the parliamentarians, and myself.
They requested me to speak to the convention for three minutes about the subject of mental illness. Therefore, the President, Fred Luter, extended a privilege from the chair, to speak to the convention. Prayerfully, in all of our hearts, all of us desire that our entities will deal with this issue with the ultimate goal of assisting our churches in how to minister to people with mental illness challenges.
What Did I Say In This Three Minute Appeal To The Southern Baptist Convention About Mental Health Challenges?
I’ve decided to show you below what I stated so all will understand the significance of this issue. I hope it will help us to engage in serious conversations about ministry to those who are struggling with mental health challenges. Here is my three-minute appeal:
Mr. President and Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, I wanted to appeal to you for your overwhelming support of this motion. Jesus called us to care for the suffering, “the least of these.”
We often overlook them. At times, their lives are so disrupted and severe they require intervention. These people and their families are often isolated, stigmatized, and rejected. They are referred to as “the mentally ill.”
Our churches and communities are filled with people who need us to minister to them and their families. 58 million Americans and 450 million people globally meet criteria for a mental disorder. These are often chronic conditions that must be managed, not cured. One million of these individuals around the world die as the result of suicide annually.
In recent years and days, we have seen mass shootings and disturbing events that have left us stunned. Even some of our well-known Southern Baptist families have lost loved ones due to mental health challenges. Southern Baptist Pastor Rick Warren tweeted recently: “Why is it…if any other organ in your body breaks you get sympathy, but if your brain breaks, you get secrecy and shame?”
The church must answer this question. We can no longer be silent about this issue and we must cease stigmatizing those with mental health challenges. Pastors, church leaders, and all of our churches must become equipped to care for the least of these.
When that horrific EF5 tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, our Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers were on the scene immediately. Baptist Press reported a powerful testimony of a woman who was led to Christ by one of our chaplains. She stated, “I was going to take my life today. But now I know God cares for me and people care.”
When disasters occur, we do a phenomenal job as Southern Baptists in the middle of material and physical rubble.
Now it is time that we do as great of a job in our churches and our communities, demonstrating compassion in the emotional rubble that can be piled high in the people and their families who deal with mental health challenges. It is time NOW that the Southern Baptist Convention is on the FRONT LINES of the mental health challenges.
Therefore, I call upon the Southern Baptist Convention to rise up with compassion, letting America and the world know that we will be there to walk with them, minister to them, and encourage them in the mental health challenge that plagues their lives and traps their families from the needed love and support they long for from the body of Christ.
So friends, this is what has happened thus far. God is in control. We trust Him. Prayerfully even today, June 12, we will adopt a resolution on ministry to those with mental health challenges and the heart of God for them.
Where Does This All Go From Here?
The Board of Trustees and the President of the Executive Committee and the Presidents of our 11 entities will hopefully bring back the requests of this motion. Pray for them as they study and consider, realizing that we will not know ultimately what is done about our response to the mental health challenges until our 2014 Southern Baptist Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.
The 46,000 plus churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and beyond need assistance in how to deal with these challenges. From our smallest to our largest church, we all need help.
Yours For The Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
One Pastor’s Perspective On The Recent Statistics Released About The Southern Baptist Convention
On Wednesday, June 5, Baptist Press released the most recent statistics about the status of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can read that article here. I am just one Pastor of a local church but I would like to give my perspective on a few of the highlights and the report itself:
*We have 270 more churches this year than last year.
*We have 46,034 local churches in our convention, along with 4,992 “church-type missions” operating; IF these would be or should be combined, this means that we have 51,026 local churches and “church-type missions” operating.
*Baptisms were down to 314,856, which is a 5.52% decrease and the lowest since 1948.
*Membership is down to 15,872,404, which is a decrease of 0.66%
*Weekly worship attendance is down to 5,966,735, which is a decrease of 5.52%.
As I stated above, I am just one pastor, but I want to focus on these statistics and perhaps one day I may share a few thoughts on the rest of the statistics released.
Three Brief Observations About These Statistics
1. Our total number of churches is growing so be encouraged; however, it is imperative that we continue increasing the number of congregations due to the demographic reality of many aging churches and the urbanization of America.
2. Our total baptisms are down significantly so be burdened; however, this can be turned around by having more churches planted, churches being revitalized, and having a much greater commitment to evangelizing people. Yet, what is very disturbing is that this number reflects the lowest number of baptisms through Southern Baptist churches since 1948. Our status is even more severe than these baptismal numbers indicate when we consider that we have thousands more churches today than we did in 1948, as well as we have millions more Americans today in population. This is heartbreaking.
3. Our weekly worship numbers are decreasing, which is not surprising to me as people, including many leaders in our churches, are coming to church less frequently in a given one or two month period of time. Therefore, when you take this grim reality, combine it with an even more grim reality that we as a convention are not reaching lost people as we should, the result is what we have before us. Additionally, the devaluing of church membership must be addressed so people will know and own the basics of the Christian life like Dr. Thom Rainer has stated so powerfully in his newest book, “I Am A Church Member.”
Two Specific Actions To Consider
1. Personally and collectively in our churches, we must begin to call upon the Lord with desperate hearts for a fresh move of God to take place within us as leaders and in our churches as members. Additionally, our prayers need to be action-oriented, appealing to God for:
*Strategies in how to penetrate the lostness in our communities as well as strategies to equip our people on how to win others to Jesus Christ.
*Strategically plan the type of Gospel invitations we give weekly, however we give it — public or private — we must have urgency and intentionality must arise in calling people to Jesus.
*Strategic actions to happen now in reaching children, junior and senior high students, and university students. Intimidation and excuse-making must cease. Local churches near university campuses must stop handing responsibility off to some para-church ministry. We must advance into this demographic of society like never before. This is our future.
I have additional thoughts relating to this whole spiritual need, but let’s not kid ourselves: we have to pray AND act. Without prayer, we will never penetrate lostness dramatically. We are desperate and in need of God. Prayer must become prioritized in our lives and churches.
2. We need to simplify our reporting system of the Annual Church Profile. Whether a church is small or large in membership, the probability of completing this report annually and accurately will be more likely if we could see it more:
*Simply, like in a one-page “reality” report
*Consistent, meaning the same questions appear annually
As a Pastor, who watches a team of gifted staff members expend much time to insure our church report is accurate and fulfilling what is requested, I always think of the church I grew up in that ran 30-40 people. Statistics are important measures and significant to progress; but more importantly, they serve as a measure of some of the things God seems to be doing in the lives of people.
Therefore, I am suggesting the development of one simple form that churches of all sizes can follow, regardless of where they are located, so that we may not only obtain more information but more accurate information. If we could create a simple, consistent, and systematic means of obtaining information, we might find more churches able to report what God is doing annually.
Please understand, these suggestions may have a limited positive affect on the dismal baptism numbers and a few other issues highlighted in last week’s report. Yet, as one pastor only with no influence in the process, I just wish it could be addressed in some way.
Be Encouraged
Be encouraged, God is moving in many of our churches, from the smallest to the largest. We are seeing pockets of His power being unleashed and experienced. We just need it happening in all of our churches. And I believe we want to see it happen.
Do Not Make This Mistake
This reality report that was released last week is not a convention problem so be careful of blaming “the system” or asking “what our state conventions” should do better or what the “Southern Baptist Convention” should do better. Please get this: The Southern Baptist Convention is simply compiling and releasing what our churches are telling them happened throughout the last year. Pastors, church leaders, and all church members, we must own it!
This is our problem, no one else’s! We need to pray for one another and help one another become more effective.
I can promise you this about our associations, our state conventions, and our Southern Baptist Convention: the desire, passion, and goal is to assist our churches to be more effective in reaching our communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why these entities do what they do. Sure, they have to evaluate, even as we evaluate, but this one is on us. May we see the next great move of God in our lives and in our churches.
The Southern Baptist Convention Has A Strong Vision
While we do many things, everything we do should be committed to presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations. I have been thinking about the vision God is now creating through the Southern Baptist Convention. I believe this vision is so strong and becoming more clear all the time, that it appeals to all generations — from the youngest to the oldest. In other words, it is a cross-generational vision that is emerging through what we are doing. What is it?
We are:
1. Theologically conservative, committed to biblical fidelity.
2. Reaching the unreached peoples internationally.
3. Strategically planting Gospel churches nationally.
4. Extending compassion through hunger and disaster relief ministries dynamically.
Listen friends, you present these four things to any age leader or any evangelical church, telling them about what God is doing and everything else we are doing that I did not mention, and they will see this vision as being compelling, concise, and clear. Lord, fall upon our 2013 meeting this week.
Yours For The Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.