Archive for the 'SBC Annual Meeting' Category

10 Important Things Happening Now to Prepare for the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention #SBC16

10 Things SBC-blog

Significant actions are taking place right now for our upcoming 2016 Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 14-15. Permit me to give you a briefing today.

SBC #-1Online registration opens today

Online registration opens today at 8:00 a.m. CST for the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention. You can begin registering messengers from your church today at SBCAnnualMeeting.net. This website also answers all your questions about becoming a messenger to the Southern Baptist Convention.

SBC #-2Anyone can attend the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention

While our convention does have elected messengers from our churches, anyone can attend a Southern Baptist Convention gathering. You can come and attend everything, even if you are not a messenger. Please join us even if your church has its messenger capacity filled.

SBC #-3Crossover St. Louis needs you and your church’s assistance

The week before the Southern Baptist Convention, but especially on Saturday, June 11, our convention has many people volunteer, making an investment in personal ministry throughout metro St. Louis, on both sides of the river.

Please go here to find out more about Crossover 2016. Please pray for Jim Breeden and his team from the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association who are making this a fantastic experience. This association is comprised of 150 cooperating churches in a region of 2.7 million people. We have a need for 2,500 volunteers to come and help these churches in 75 different projects. Contact them today.

SBC #-4Final decisions are being made

We are making final decisions now in relationship to our convention program. While we have much already completed, there are so many more decisions that must be made. Please pray for us.

SBC #-5Committee on Resolutions is almost completed

Within the next several weeks, I will release names of the ten persons who will serve on our 2016 Committee on Resolutions. This is a very important committee. There are many pieces that complete this puzzle, by-laws to follow, and many matters to take into consideration. I can announce to you today that Dr. Stephen Rummage will serve as Chairman of our Committee on Resolutions. Dr. Rummage is the Senior Pastor of Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Brandon, Florida. He is also an officer on the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please begin to pray for Dr. Rummage.

SBC #-6Committee on Committees is being recruited now

Additionally, within the next several weeks, I will release a list of the sixty-eight members of our 2016 Committee on Committees. There are many by-law restrictions that are part of appointing this significant committee. It is a long process from initial work to final completion. I can announce to you today that Dr. Willy Rice will serve as Chairman of our Committee on Committees. Dr. Rice is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Clearwater, Florida, and served last year as the President of the 2015 Pastors’ Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention.

SBC #-72016 Pastors’ Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention

Dr. John Meador is serving as the President of our 2016 Pastors’ Conference this year. John is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas. Please plan to join thousands of us in this pre-SBC conference that begins on Sunday night, June 12 and goes through Monday night, June 13. Please go to sbcpc.net to learn more.

SBC #-8Tonight I am speaking to the SBC Executive Committee and leadership in Nashville

Tonight I will speak to the SBC Executive Committee and the SBC leadership meeting in Nashville. Please pray for me. Also pray for Dr. Frank Page and the entire Executive Committee during all their meetings on Monday and Tuesday, February 22-23.

SBC #-9A strategic time with leaders from across our Southern Baptist family

On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, February 23-24, I have called a strategic meeting with leaders from across our Southern Baptist Convention. I have invited all State Convention executives, State Convention presidents, SBC entity leaders, and a group of pastors to join Dr. Frank Page and me in Nashville for this strategic time together.

This is an unprecedented gathering in our modern history, as these groups are rarely together except for our annual convention, and do not typically meet together in a strategic sense. Please pray for us. We are all partners in the gospel and need to be together to chart our future. While schedules prohibit some from coming, approximately ninety of us will be meeting together.

SBC #-10#SBC16

Most of us use social media in some form or another. When you mention our 2016 Annual Meeting in St. Louis on social media, remember to use the hashtag #SBC16. We will all benefit from sharing with one another in this way.

Finally…

Finally, these are great days to be part of our Southern Baptist Convention. Please pray for these days leading up to and through our 2016 Southern Baptist Convention on June 14-15.

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.

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

It’s Time to Turn the Tide in the Southern Baptist Convention

Turning the TideTurning the tide means to reverse the course of events and move in another direction. It is time to turn the tide in the Southern Baptist Convention during 2016 in four specific ways.

1. Turning the Tide in Evangelism

I have written recently about the deep need we have to turn the tide relating to our evangelism through our churches. Somehow, some way, our pastors and church leaders must lead the way in being convinced again that evangelism matters.

If we truly believe in the gospel, we will be evangelistic. If we are truly a people of the gospel, how can we not want to see people come to Christ? We need to practice the gospel we talk, write, and preach about so much. Practicing the gospel involves many things, but above all, it must involve sharing Christ with the intention of leading others to faith in Christ.

It is time to return to the urgency of being personal evangelists and active participants in churches. We must be intentional in leading people to faith in Christ, encouraging others to follow in baptism immediately, engaging in church membership vibrantly, and living on mission with God daily.

As a convention, we need to again celebrate evangelism. We have been way too hesitant to do so. Leave behind the analysts and the critics of evangelism. Jesus is more than clear as recorded in Matthew 4:19, “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”

2. Turning the Tide in Our Nation

2016 may go down in history as the year America begins to find our way back to God or we depart from God even further. I believe the people of God will determine the future of America.

As God’s people, we need to pray like never before and we need to pray for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. Prayer is not inaction, but our greatest action.

In this pivotal election year in our nation, we need to educate ourselves on the candidates and the issues, not only at the presidential level, but also at each level of government and service. Relating to our nation’s highest office, we need to pray now for God to raise up His future leader for America. Prayerfully, God will have mercy on our nation in this hour.

I encourage you to consider leading your church to set aside a day or days for prayer and fasting for our nation. Additionally, pray for our nation during worship services. Another call to consider is turning an entire Sunday morning service into a time for prayer.

Cross Church is setting aside 21 days in January for prayer and fasting. We will conclude these days by giving the entirety of all eleven worship services to prayer on each of our five campuses. Yes, all eleven services that day will be focused on prayer. Pray for our fellowship as we go on this spiritual journey that will conclude on Sunday, January 31.

3. Turning the Tide in Our Upcoming Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis, Missouri

Last year, we saw a very positive turn in our Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. We saw a positive turn in attendance, spirit, and in the program itself. As we build upon last year, I believe we have potential to see a real upsurge on June 14-15 in St. Louis.

This can happen and should happen when pastors and church leaders determine the necessity to have representation from their church in St. Louis. Each church can bring messengers, so please reserve your space now.

Every church that invests financially in our gospel work together through the Cooperative Program should come to St. Louis to learn more about the investment your church is making. Every church that is concerned about the reports of bringing home hundreds of our missionaries from the field should come to St. Louis. Unquestionably, any church that is concerned about the future of our nation should join us in our appeal to God to awaken America and empower us to reach the world for Christ. To this, we need to agree, unite, and pray together.

4. Turning the Tide in Our Financial Support Through the Cooperative Program

Last fall, I conducted conference calls with 400 – 500 pastors, talking to them about the need to increase their church’s financial support through the Cooperative Program.  I have given a lot of my time privately and publicly on this subject.

Be encouraged! Churches are responding and we will see the results of this within the next year through the year of 2020. From smaller membership to larger membership churches, we are seeing a stronger growth commitment.

This is the time for each of our churches to pray through and begin to give more through our partnership ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Cooperative Program is the most strategic way your church can advance the gospel through your state, our nation, and the world.

Now is the time to turn the tide in the Southern Baptist Convention. It begins with me. It begins with you. It begins with Cross Church. It begins with your church. We can do this, if we will.

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