Let the Shepherd Lead

Last month our family along with the other messengers from our church attended the SBC Annual Meeting in Nashville , TN. With over 15,000 messengers gathering for the first time in my memory, I knew from the moment we entered the convention center to the time we completed our meetings we would be experiencing an annual meeting unlike any of those I had previously attended.

Since the convention accusations of sermon plagiarism, executive committee overreach as well as SBC entity power plays have raged on social media. These sentiments I am sure were present in June, but I do not think they reflect the majority of the people in the room. As we all know what is talked about outside of the room is very different from the mood in the room.

Without a great deal of analysis of specific moments on those two days in June, I think the mood in the room reflected a desire for Southern Baptists to be….

• Conservative but not Cruel
• Compassionate but not Compromised
• Cooperative but not Controlled
• Commissioned but not Conformed

So as I consider how to move forward in light of all the accusations and the mistrust that is being fostered from social media outlets, I return to those four major themes as what I hope to embody as a Baptist.

I strive to be a theological conservative clinging to the biblical text as my guide in faith and practice. That said, I have no right to deploy my theologically conservative viewpoints as weapons intended to tear people down rather than build them up (Eph. 4:29).

I strive to be compassionate, considering others interests as significant as my own (Phil 2:3-4) striving to be kind towards others even when they do no deserve or reciprocate my kindness. Even so, having compassion does not excuse me to compromise my beliefs in order to be kind to those affected most by issues of sexuality, gender, critical race, or abortion to name a few.

I strive to be cooperative, looking for ways to pray, give, and go (2 Cor. 9)in order to promote and advance the spread of the gospel. Yet I do not want to be controlled by executive committees, convention entities, or convention mandates. I am controlled by my devotion to Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures and illumined by the Spirit .

Finally, I am commissioned to make disciples in every aspect of my life. That means that I cannot be careless with my words, my witness, my worldview or my walk (1 Thess. 5:16-22). Being commissioned means that I must care about my mission above all my other concerns. So, I press on from SBC 21 (Phil. 3:13-14) straining towards the mission that lies ahead – making disciples for my Lord.