Archive for December, 2015
5 Reflections in 2015 About Our Southern Baptist Convention
Serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention has been one of the greatest privileges and responsibilities in my life. I have now served for eighteen months in this role.
In my final article in 2015 to our Southern Baptist Family, I want to share five reflections.
1. WE ARE A CROSS-GENERATIONAL CONVENTION
One of our unique strengths is that we are a cross-generational convention of churches. I was so encouraged to see more younger pastors and leaders at our annual meeting last June in Columbus, Ohio. I am convinced the more we focus on reaching our nation and world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we will continue to be a cross-generational convention. The more cross-generational our churches are, the stronger our churches will be internally and externally.
2. WE ARE A MULTI-ETHNIC CONVENTION
Over 10,300 of our churches are non-white churches. In fact, 58% of the almost 1,000 new churches we planted together last year in North America were non-white. The Southern Baptist Convention is becoming more and more diverse.
In 2014, Dr. Timothy George, the Founding Dean of the Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, released a powerful article entitled Troubled Waters. In this article, he gave the following observation about our convention:
Southern Baptists have become one of the most ethnically diverse and multilingual denominations in the country.
In my travels across our nation, I have found these very words to be true. This must continue to occur with an even greater acceleration for us to reach our own nation for Christ. The real key to becoming more multi-ethnic is that it occurs in our churches exponentially.
3. WE ARE AN INFLUENTIAL CONVENTION
As the largest Protestant denomination in our nation, I believe our decisions and actions are influential. The decisions we make can impact other denominations and the greater evangelical world in a positive or a negative manner. This is why we must remain committed to Scripture as our final authority so we can point others to the Lord continually.
I believe there is another angle of influence that is far-reaching and long lasting. There are many leaders who attend our Southern Baptist churches: CEOs, university presidents, elected and government leaders, teachers and school administrators, military leaders, and first responders. Millions of hard-working Southern Baptists desire to live out their faith in Christ.
This is why all we teach and do in our churches is significant.
4. WE ARE A CONVENTION WITH MANY NEEDS
We are not a perfect convention. We are a convention that has many needs. We are all sinners saved by the grace of God alone. Thankfully, God is actively conforming us into the likeness of Christ.
We have so many spiritual needs. Many of our churches are spiritually unhealthy. This is due to being led by and comprised of people like each of us that will sometimes make choices that are not the will of God.
At times, this results in things being said or written that are not godly and honoring to Christ and others. Yet, we are family. The challenge of navigating and leading is extremely difficult when our own culture within our Southern Baptist family becomes unhealthy. Often, this limits our impact in evangelizing, baptizing, discipling, even financing and sending others to be on mission with God.
Therefore, we must always see ourselves in need of the strong hand of God upon us.
5. WE ARE A CONVENTION THAT RESPONDS TO NEEDS
Each time a crisis occurs in our nation and world, it is with confidence that I can say, “We are there as Southern Baptists.” Whether it is through our Global Response teams, our Disaster Relief teams, financial support, or prayer, we are there.
The gospel of Jesus Christ being made known to all is the last great hope for this world. In these uncertain days in America and across our dangerous world, we must forward the impacting message of Jesus Christ. This is why I believe our Southern Baptist churches will rise to give the largest offering in our history to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.
More than ever before, there is a need for us to rise up and respond to the overwhelming needs in America and the world. If we are true to our history, 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 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.
Deliver Us From the Evil in America
The continual shootings in America are unprecedented and they are evidence of a desperate need for a spiritual awakening in this country.
Whether the shootings in America are related to terror, work, race, family, mental illness, or hate, they are killings. Violent. Lawless. Evil.
This lawlessness cannot be solved by legislation, but by the power of the love of Jesus Christ to destroy the evil in our hearts.
More Than One Evil Shooting a Day
The New York Times addressed the San Bernardino killings as the 354th mass shooting in America this year. The New York Times stated1,
“Since January, there have been at least 354 such cases in about 220 cities in 47 states, according to shootingtracker.com.”
In response to the San Bernardino mass shooting, The Washington Post stated2,
“The Mass Shooting Tracker is different from other shooting databases in that it uses a broader definition of mass shooting — the old FBI definition focused on four or more people killed as part of a single shooting.”
In fact, both the New York Times and the Washington Post illustrate graphically the shootings that have occurred in 2015.
Others can debate the terminology and statistics regarding what comprises a mass shooting. Regardless, we cannot deny we are seeing people shoot and kill others at a rate of more than one a day.
This is pure evil. It is a spiritual problem.
The Human Heart and The Forces of Hell
What is the cause of this shooting spree in our nation? Opinions abound, every one is expressed passionately, and they are debated continually. Yet, almost no one discusses the real problem, which is much deeper.
The problem is the condition of the human heart, as affirmed by the Holy Scripture in Jeremiah 17:9,
The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
The human heart has the potential to express evil in unimaginable ways. We are experiencing this today. While each of these shootings is occurring in different cities and for different reasons, the root problem is consistent in each of them… the evil condition of the human heart.
Jesus Himself answered a question from his disciples about various signs that will point toward His coming and the end of the age. One of these glaring signs Jesus gave to them is stated in Matthew 24:12,
Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.
This is the evil we are witnessing in our time. Lawlessness is multiplying. The love of many is growing cold. Everything we are seeing relating to the devaluation of human life from an epidemic of abuse to the coldhearted murder of innocent people begins with the condition of the human heart.
I believe the Bible speaks clearly about the powerful force of Satan and his demonic forces; and a weak, sinful, and evil human heart is vulnerable to the evil forces of hell. The Bible states in 1 Peter 5:8,
Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
Be assured, Satan is alive and well, scheming against each person who is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, and stoking the fire of hate in the hearts of those who chase after violence.
I believe Satan is especially and continually scheming against America because of our Christian heritage. His goal is to destroy our lives, our nation, and all it represents. This is why evil abounds not only inside of our nation, but also from outside our nation.
America is becoming more susceptible and vulnerable to our enemies when we fail to listen to the words of Psalm 11:3,
When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The foundation of our nation is strong, but with every attack on that foundation, our nation suffers. Presently, America seems to be experiencing a season unrestrained and unrelenting attack.
The Hope for America
On December 2, 2015, an op-ed was printed in the Wall Street Journal by its owner – Rupert Murdoch – who is also the executive chairman of News Corporation. Rupert Murdoch had received the Hudson Institute’s Global Leadership Award, and the op-ed, which was entitled America the Indispensable3, was an excerpt of his remarks in that gathering. Murdoch’s remarks are worthy of the attention of America.
He called for, “Reviving our sense of direction and celebrating America’s exceptional nature.” Then he stated these words that captured my attention: “Around our country, there is a restless desire for revival.” He is speaking not of a spiritual revival, but a revival of our nation that is in, as Murdoch called it, “a slow descent.”
I appreciated his dynamic words and his call to our nation.
Yet, my call to America would take his concern one step further – to a revival of the human heart. I love America and believe in our future greatly. But the evil we are seeing unrestrained in our nation today will not find its answer politically, socially, materially, nor financially. Rather, it all begins in the heart.
My Hope is in the Gospel
The condition of the human heart discovers its cure only in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we repent of our sin and by faith turn to Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven completely. A spiritual transformation occurs within us, changing us from the inside out.
We must share, speak, write, and preach the gospel to people and in places where the gospel has never been before, across our nation, and world.
My Hope is in the Revival of the Church
I believe there is a restlessness also occurring in the church that is desirous of an unprecedented move of God like we have never seen before. Spiritual revival in the church is our hope.
When the church desires this move of God and seeks the God who can give it, then we will become even more convicted of the need to pray for ourselves and for our nation the powerful words of Jesus from the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:13,
“ …deliver us from the evil one.”
The Church needs to get prayer back in the church. We need our churches to become houses of prayer as Jesus said we must be. The Church must become the leader in praying, “Deliver us from the evil in America.” It is the Church that must lead the way in praying for the security in our nation.
My Hope is in a Great Spiritual Awakening
I am often asked, “Dr. Floyd, have you given up on America?” I respond immediately, “Absolutely not!” I have not given up on America because I believe in a God who can do anything, any time, anywhere, with anyone.
This includes America. A great spiritual awakening is the greatest hope for America. This is our hope.
Lord, deliver us from the evil in America.
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
1LaFraniere, S. & Cohen, S. & Oppel, Jr., R. A. (2015, December 2). How Often do Mass Shootings Occur? On Average, Every Day, Records Show. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/us/how-often-do-mass-shootings-occur-on-average-every-day-records-show.html?_r=0
2Ingraham, C. (2015, December 2). The San Bernadino shooting is the second mass shooting today and the 355th this year. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/02/the-san-bernardino-mass-shooting-is-the-second-today-and-the-355th-this-year/
3Murdoch, R. (2015, December 1). America the Indispensable. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/america-the-indispensable-1449013820
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.