June 15, 2021
Greetings, brothers and sisters! I pray this finds you well in the Lord.

Today was the start of the Annual (Business) Meeting…and it was a long day. Except for a 2-hour lunch break, we were in packed into the convention hall, shoulder to shoulder, standing-room only, from 8:00am to 7:30pm. And yet, it was to us a fascinating and even God-glorifying day.

There’s much to report as your messenger, but let me highlight just a few of them here below. Again, as we did yesterday, the other messengers will share with you on video here (which includes some speaking in Chinese).

1. New President – in a close run-off election vote, Pastor Ed Litton of Redemption Church in Alabama edged out Pastor Mike Stone of Georgia to become the next President of the SBC replacing J.D. Greear. Significantly, Litton was nominated in a stirring speech by the first African-American president in the history of the convention, Pastor Fred Luter (2012).
2. Vision 2025 – presented by Ronnie Floyd, the president and CEO of the Executive Committee, set out the strategic goals over the next four years: (1) Increasing the number of missionaries in the field by 500; (2) Adding 5,000 new SBC churches; (3) “Calling out the called” into pastoral and occupational ministries; (4) Reverse the steady decline in teen baptisms; (5) Surpass $500 million in annual giving to the Cooperative Program. (A sixth goal of eliminating racial discrimination and sexual abuse was added by an accepted motion on the floor)
3. Resolutions – As expected, a number of resolutions were presented to us messengers on which to vote, and, as expected, many people came to the mics to make comments or motions to amend the resolutions. However, contrary to expectations, the emotional tone was not angry nor contentious, but civil, cordial and respectful. It was a rather beautiful picture of Colossians 3:12-17! Your messengers address this in more detail in their video debrief. The resolutions ranged from the esoteric (Resolution 6 on “Sole Membership”) to current hot-button issues in society (Resolutions 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 on racial reconciliation, abortion, homosexuality and transgenderism, abuse perpetrated by pastors, Uyghur genocide and COVID-19). I am thankful for a convention of churches that is committed to Scripture and speaking its truth with grace into a world that has deviated so far from it.
4. Outgoing President J.D. Greear – gave a heartfelt plea for us Southern Baptists (which he also calls “Great Commission” [Matthew 28:19-20] Baptists) to hold onto the truths of God’s Word while speaking it in love to a world that needs both. Negatively, he urged us to not become Pharisees, who were like leaven (Matthew 16:12)—holding fast to the Scriptures and the traditions of the faith while ignoring justice and the love of God (Luke 11:42). I stopped counting the number of times he was interrupted by applause after reaching ten…and I found myself applauding often as well. How tempting is the kind of “knowledge that puffs up” while ignoring the “love that builds up?”

As mentioned above, the rest of the messengers have shared on a video here. Thanks to brother Patrick for sharing in Chinese to our brothers and sisters in the Mandarin and Cantonese congregations. Until tomorrow, we are…
 
Together on Mission with you,
Pastor Godfrey