With the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention set for next week, my newsfeed is saturated with posts concerning the sin, concerns, and challenges within this family of churches. Release of the Sexual Abuse Task Force report has reminded us of the sin, sin that all Southern Baptists should repudiate and grieve. The concerns, including entity accountability and the scope of cooperation among the different wings of the SBC family, are likewise valid. And, while one could easily spend days calling out the every sin and concern within the fellowship, we also face the challenge of ministry in an increasingly secular culture.
So, with all this, why am I still thankful for the Southern Baptist Convention?
I’m grateful that, despite the darkness of our hearts, the Lord has released through us a great missionary force. Media call attention to the bad actors, at least the ones who get caught, but few hear the stories of the faithful missionaries serving around the world among unreached peoples, or the small church pastor who has planted his life so a rural community would have a gospel witness. For every seminary professor whose book sparks controversy, countless others invest themselves in the next generation of church leaders, faithfully teaching God’s word and fruitful ministry practice. Our cooperation still matters.
This is not to make excuses for the sin. As is true of the local church, denominational entities must hold a high standard of holiness at every level. When we fail, we must remember that witness is never protected by the concealment of sin. It is, however, advanced by humility, sincere confession and behavior appropriate to repentance.
When Karen and I served as missionaries with the North American Mission Board, we experienced closer access to high-level denominational leaders than ever in our ministry. Everyone we met, I believe, sincerely served the Lord and His church. But, to my great disappointment, I saw in a few attitudes and actions that, at least as I read scripture, were sin at worst, unwise or self-serving at best. I never experienced anything in them that I believe was disqualifying for service (though I know others who have), but I definitely came to understand that our fellowship is comprised of broken people at all levels.
When sin comes light, whether it’s the mistreatment of abuse victims, failure to follow protocols for abuse prevention, or any other sin for that matter, those complicit should repent and the entire SBC family should grieve and act so that the same doesn’t recur.
I said this to a friend the other day and he asked me, “But when do we get past this? When will the repenting stop?” My answer, “I don’t think it will. As long as Christ’s church is comprised of broken people, there will always be something. So, we keep seeking Him, serving Him. We trust His Spirit to lead us according to His word. When we’re fruitful, we celebrate. When we fail, we confess, repent, and follow Him.”
If the SBC is an instrument of God, it’s not because of who we are or what we’ve done. It’s despite of who we are, by His grace, as we humbly obey Him.
So, I’m still thankful. And I hope you can share my gratitude.
Blessings,
Bro. Jim