Ronnie Floyd

Archive for the 'SBC Annual Meeting' Category

May 9th, 2016

Pastors and the Church in American Politics Today

America, Join the Movement, SBC Annual Meeting, Southern Baptist Convention

In the last four weeks, Jeana and I have been in Washington, DC three times. Each time I go to America’s Capitol city, I am captivated by it. As I jog around the National Mall, I become even more burdened for our nation and our leaders. There is always something special about making my way through the entire terrain from the Supreme Court to the United States Capitol, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial.

As I returned from the National Day of Prayer in Washington, DC, I was not just reflecting, but anticipating our upcoming Southern Baptist Convention. When we meet in the closing session of the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention on Wednesday afternoon, June 15 in St. Louis, our Order of Business Committee has allocated time for a special panel on investing in the lives and ministries of our messengers.

Navigating Through These Turbulent Times

Just as we did last year, we are going to address one of the challenging areas in life today. Last year, we provided The President’s Panel: The Supreme Court and Same Sex Marriage: Preparing Our Churches. It was well received and appreciated.

Early last fall, when our Order of Business Committee began discussing possible topics, our chosen panel for this year seemed to be extremely relevant and interesting. Even though we have wrestled with fulfilling this vision, I think it is important for us to assist our pastors and laypersons while we are gathered. The decision we made last fall has now proven to be not only relevant and interesting, but extremely challenging to accomplish.

Please know, no one but God has the corner on this subject in American life. Regardless of your political party or your personal feelings concerning this subject, we need to converse and navigate together through these turbulent times.

Pastors, Churches, and Politics

Pastors and the Church in American Politics Today is the subject of our presidential panel scheduled to take place at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, June 15. These twenty-five minutes will be just one segment of this incredible Wednesday afternoon session.

Introducing the Members of Our Panel

There is a real passion to hear from local church pastors about this challenging subject. It is local church pastors who have to, anchored in the Word of God, navigate these matters in their church and community. Local church pastors identify with other local church pastors.

We are a convention of local churches. These local churches have entrusted the leadership of their churches to God-called pastors.

Since so many of our pastors and churches are uncertain about this subject, with many never even addressing it, we believe that beyond five proven local church pastors, we need a respected and gifted attorney to help us address some matters.

Let me introduce the five local church pastors and attorney who will serve on our panel, in alphabetical order:

HANCE DILBECK is the Senior Pastor of the Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Hance is the President of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention, our immediate past 2^nd Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and one of the most respected pastors and leaders in Oklahoma. His church is a leader in the Southern Baptist Convention.

JACK GRAHAM is the Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. In the years of 2003 and 2004, Jack served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention. He pastors one of the most incredible churches in the world and is widely respected both nationally and internationally. Last fall, Jack led and moderated The North Texas Presidential Forum, which included many presidential candidates from our current election cycle.

DAVID MCKINLEY is the Pastor of the Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia. He has also pastored in Florida, as well as served alongside Jack Graham in both Florida and Texas. David has invested in churches in different states with different perspectives. He is a gracious and godly pastor to people.

MAT STAVER is the Founder and President of the Liberty Counsel in Orlando, Florida. The Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and the family. He is the former vice president of Liberty University and dean and professor of law at Liberty University School of Law. He has argued landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court; written over 230 legal opinions; authored eight scholarly law review publications, 10 books and hundreds of articles. Mat is a member of the First Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida.

A.B. VINES is the Senior Pastor of the New Seasons Church in Spring Valley, California, which is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-generational church. He has also served as one of the past Presidents of the African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention and currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Southeastern Center for Pastoral Leadership and Preaching.

K. MARSHALL WILLIAMS is the Senior Pastor of the Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is also the current President of the African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention. He has pastored the same church for thirty-two years, and has preached at our Southern Baptist Convention the past two years. He is also the Director of Community Outreach for the Germantown Academy of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and a founding Trustee of the Community Partnership School in North Philadelphia. He is a powerful prayer warrior and a leader of leaders.

As I facilitate this discussion through these turbulent waters, may God lead us to His will and to experience His glory.

I Am Convinced

I am convinced when we complete this discussion on June 15, we will all leave with one strong conviction: Our help comes from the Lord. Read and pray this for your life, family, church, America, and our future together.

I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.
Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.
The LORD protects you;
the LORD is a shelter right by your side.
The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all harm;
He will protect your life.
The LORD will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.

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 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.

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May 6th, 2016

A National Conversation on Racial Unity, 2016 Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis

America, SBC Annual Meeting, Southern Baptist Convention, Spiritual Awakening

When I was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention in June of 2014 in Baltimore, little did I know God would take me through the open doors of addressing racial challenges in America.

While racial unrest already existed in our nation, it was not until August 9, 2014, and the tragic death of a black teenager named Michael Brown, shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, that we began to see this racial unrest erupt like a volcano across our nation.

God Adjusted My Path of Understanding

From my very first press conference as the newly-elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention, I began calling upon Southern Baptists to join me in praying extraordinarily and passionately pursuing the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. When the Ferguson tragedy occurred, God burdened my heart immediately, adjusting my path of understanding. Politicians, corporate leaders, educators, religious leaders, and pastors in America rarely initiate and move forward a positive agenda that leads to racial unity. We should seek to change this.

While this path is still toward the next Great Awakening, God revealed clearly to me and anyone else that has been spiritually alert in America that one of the greatest sins in our nation today is the sin of racism.

I encourage you to take the time to review the following articles, which will recount the journey taken to bring us to the upcoming session at our 2016 Southern Baptist Convention, A National Conversation on Racial Unity.

Jerry Young, Marshall Blalock, and the Racial Unity Panel

Immediately following my Presidential Address, we will move into our National Conversation on Racial Unity. Dr. Jerry Young, President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, and Marshall Blalock, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Charleston, South Carolina, will begin the conversation. Dr. Young will speak on “Where We Are Today and Where We Must Go in the Future,” and Pastor Blalock will speak on “The Tragedy and Triumph of Charleston, South Carolina.”

From this foundation, I will lead a panel conversation on racial unity in America. During this fifty-five-minute section of our Southern Baptist Convention, we will be joined by the following ten pastors:

Marshal Blalock, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Charleston, SC
Jerry Young, President, National Baptist Convention, USA
H.B. Charles, Senior Pastor, Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL
Joe Costephens, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Ferguson, MO
Timmy Chavis, Senior Pastor, Bear Swamp Baptist Church, Pembroke, NC
D.A. Horton, Church Planter, Reach Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
Fred Luter, Senior Pastor, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA
Gregg Matte, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Houston, TX
Kenny Petty, Senior Pastor, The Gate Church, St. Louis, MO
David Um, Senior Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Cambridge, MA

The entire Tuesday morning session will be powerful, so please do not miss any of it. All scheduled luncheons will occur following the dismissal of the morning session. You won’t be late!

Tuesday Morning Will Help Set Up Tuesday Night

One of the areas we will pray about on Tuesday night of the convention in our National Call to Prayer for Spiritual Leadership, Revived Churches, and Nationwide & Global Awakening is the racial crisis in our nation. How do we not do this when we are meeting within twenty minutes of Ferguson, Missouri?

Pray Now for This National Conversation

Would you begin to call out to God daily by name each of us who will be participating in this conversation during our convention gathering? Put the attached graphic in a prominent place and join me in this prayer initiative.

The sin of racism is a spiritual stronghold in this nation and now is the time this wall must come down. As we repent of it personally, repent of it in our churches, and repent of it in our nation, we will perhaps see the next Great Spiritual Awakening in our generation.

Now is the Time to Lead,

Ronnie W. Floyd

Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, Southern Baptist Convention

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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 nationwide.