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Ky. Great Commssion Task Force Meets Thursday

March 10th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, KBC Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Kentucky's Great Commission Task Force will meet Thursday at the Kentucky Baptist Building in Louisville.

Please be in prayer for Kentucky’s Great Commission Task Force as it meets March 11 at the Kentucky Baptist Building in Louisville. The committee’s February meeting was snowed out so I am sure they will be looking to make up some lost ground if possible. At this month’s meeting, the committee will hear from the heads of a number of the agencies and institutions of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

The committee was appointed at the KBC’s annual meeting in November after messengers approved a recommendation to form a committee to study “how Kentucky Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” The task force will work throughout the coming year to study the work of the KBC’s Mission Board, agencies and institutions, and will report any recommendations it might have to messengers attending the 2010 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

Members of the Kentucky committee are:

–Robert Reeves

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The World is Coming to Kentucky’s Colleges

February 27th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Baptist Campus Ministry, Cooperative Program, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Keith Inman

As I have shared here before, one of the powerful ways that Kentucky Baptists are reaching the world for Christ is through the international missions work of Baptist Campus Ministry. Each year, thousands of students from countries around the world come to U.S. colleges to receive the benefits of American higher education. Many will be returning home to take on leadership positions in business and government. Their presence on our campuses gives us a wonderful opportunity to minister and share the Gospel at a time in their lives when they are open to listening to and considering new ideas.

In this guest post, Keith Inman, collegiate and young adult ministries director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, shares about how this important ministry of Kentucky Baptists:

The World is Coming to Kentucky’s College Campuses

Every week it seems as if I hear of another international student coming to faith in Christ through our Baptist Campus Ministry on our university campuses. There is a reason for this news.

Ten years ago, Tommy Johnson, currently our campus minister at Western Kentucky University, shared a dream of reaping the harvest that God was bringing here to our state from countries all over the world. The Cooperative Program and Eliza Broadus Missions Offering make this possible. I am so grateful to Dr. Bill Mackey and Joy Bolton for supporting a vibrant international ministry on the campuses.

Currently, we now have committed semester missionaries on various campuses specifically for the purpose of international ministry. Under the influence of Riley Byers, a former International Mission Board Journeyman and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate, the KBC Collegiate and Young Adult Ministry Department, in partnership with students from SBTS, has one of the best international ministries in SBC collegiate ministry. A committed base of lay ministers provides a support that makes our efforts so much easier and effective.

According to statistics gathered by the North American Mission Board, more than 623,000 international students are studying in the United States today. Below is a brief snapshot of who is coming to our country to study on our campuses:

International Students in the U.S.

These statistics are from The Institute of International Education which publishes Open Doors, Fast Facts.

Top 20 countries of origin for international students 2006-2007, 2007-2008.

1. India (over 94000)

2. China (81,000)

3. South Korea (69,000)

4. Japan (almost 34,000)

5. Canada (29,000)

6. Taiwan (29,000)

7. Mexico (almost 15,000)

8. Turkey (12,000)

9. Saudi Arabia (almost 10,000)

10. Nepal (9,000)

11. Thailand (9,000)

12. Germany (9,000)

13. Vietnam (9,000)

14. United Kingdom (8,000)

15. Hong Kong (8,000)

16. Indonesia (7,700)

17. Brazil (7,500)

18. France (7,000)

19. Columbia (6,600)

20. Nigeria (just over 6,000)

These countries contain some of the least reached people groups. Just the top 5 countries send 49% of all international students, with 15% from India, 13% from China, 11% from South Korea, and 5.5% from Japan.

The number of students from India increased by 13%; the number from China increased by 20%. Increases South Korea were 11%, Saudi Arabia 25%, Nepal 15%, and from Vietnam 45%.

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site, Kentucky has between 2,000 and 4,999 students currently studying on our university campuses. The Baptist Campus Ministry is the most consistent witness to Christ of any ministry in our state.

Recently, I received this e-mail from Brian Combs, our campus minister at Northern Kentucky University which is indicative of the intentional effort to reach these international students.

“We (NKUBCM) are meeting with Dr. J.D. Payne, director of the Church Planting Center at SBTS to develop a strategy of reaching international students for Christ and discipling/training them to be prepared to start a contextualized church at home when they return.  The thinking is that we have so many students coming to the US from countries of unreached people and if we can reach those students while they are here and send them back prepared to share the Gospel, we will be able to continue to make a difference for Christ around the world.  fyi…JD and I grew up together in Corbin, went to UK together…  He’s a great guy that is seeking to follow what the Lord has laid on his heart and I look forward to partnering with him and seeing what God has in store.”

The command to “go” is obviously intended to extend to the “uttermost parts of the world.” In the 21st Century, the “uttermost” is coming to our back door! This is creating an interesting dynamic: students going overseas on mission are coming back with an awareness that these same people groups are studying with them on their campus. Furthermore, as these Christian students “recruit” others in our effort to be intentional in building relationships with our foreign friends, students find a new desire to go overseas.

International students in the university culture are very open to hearing the Gospel because our students genuinely befriend them and help make life easier as they adjust to a new country. The Gospel is presented, the message is shared, and the presence of Christ is manifested in love. New brothers and sisters are born into the family of God because of a Great Commandment and a Great Commission intersecting in friendship with peoples from around the world.

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Floyd Presents GCR Update to Executive Committee

February 22nd, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force, Southern Baptist Convention

Dr. Ronnie Floyd, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Resurgence task force presented an interim report from the group to the SBC’s Executive Committee in Nashville earlier tonight. The report itself was not available live but Floyd had previously recorded a version of the report for the web that has just been released.

Click here to view the report on the Great Commission Resurgence Web site.

You can also click here to see the report on Vimeo.

Click here if you prefer to read a text version of the report.

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GCR Task Force to Provide Report Preview

February 21st, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force

Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Please be in prayer for Ronnie Floyd, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force as he presents an update of the committee’s work to the SBC’s Executive Committee in Nashville on Monday night, Feb. 21. As soon as he finishes that live report, a previously taped video version will be released on the task force’s Web site at approximately 10:30 p.m. EST.

Although the task force has not yet fully completed its work, this report is expected to be a pretty solid overview of what the group plans to present to Southern Baptist messengers attending this year’s convention in Orlando in July. The report will also be the first concrete information that the committee has released to Southern Baptists about its proposals.

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Needs Great in American Samoa

February 18th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Disaster Relief

Disaster Relief Team Member Billy Hobbs of Arizona drives rebar into concrete to strengthen walls at a house in Fagasa, American Samoa.

With all of the focus on Haiti since the tragic earthquake that struck there on Jan. 12, it’s easy to forget that Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is also working right now in American Samoa to help the people there recover from a devastating earthquake-generated tsunami that swept the island last September. The needs in American Samoa are great, however, and Baptists have a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel there by being there for the people during this difficult time when they are feeling a bit forgotten by the world.

Kentucky Baptists have sent two of our very best disaster relief volunteers — Larry and Elaine Koch — to the island to serve as coordinators for all Southern Baptist work through April. Larry is retired as disaster relief associate for the KBC and Elaine, a nurse, is a seasoned disaster relief volunteer. The couple is coordinating volunteer teams from Southern Baptist state conventions for the North American Mission Board and assessing the remaining needs of the area.

Click on the map to enlarge.

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Baptist Campus Ministry Finding Unity in Diversity

February 15th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Baptist Campus Ministry

Kentucky State University BCM students

If Southern Baptists are to be a part of seeing the Great Commission fulfilled, one of the barriers we must ultimately overcome is that of racial prejudice. Much progress has been made but Sunday morning continues to be one of the most racially segregated times of the week in America. In this guest post, Curtis Woods, the Baptist campus minister for Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky, shares how Baptist Campus Ministry students are helping to bring people together on the campus of this historically black school.

KSU BCM: A Story of Hope

“The people of God are not merely to mark time, waiting for God to step in and set right all that is wrong. Rather, they are to model the new heaven and new earth, and by so doing awaken longings for what God will someday bring to pass,” says Philip Yancey.

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KBC’s Great Commission Task Force Meets Today

February 15th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, KBC Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Kentucky Great Commission Task Force at its first meeting in January

Please be in prayer for Kentucky’s Great Commission Task Force as it holds its second meeting today at the Kentucky Baptist Building in Louisville. The committee was appointed at the KBC’s annual meeting in November after messengers approved a recommendation to form a committee to study “how Kentucky Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” The task force will work throughout the coming year to study the work of the KBC’s Mission Board, agencies and institutions, and will report any recommendations it might have to messengers attending the 2010 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

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Dateline Haiti: Survivors Will Not Be Forgotten

February 14th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Series - Dateline Haiti

A fitting wrap-up of the Dateline Haiti series is this video dispatch just released from the International Mission Board from an interview of Butch Vernon, the chaplain of our 10-member Kentucky Baptist Convention Disaster Relief medical team that arrived home earlier this week. If you’ve been following the series, you know that Butch was the author of the posts from the field.

For those who may be reading this on a platform that doesn’t allow you to see the embedded video,  click this link to go to the video on the IMB Commission Stories Web site.

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Dateline Haiti: God Revealed on Hectic Final Day

February 6th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Series - Dateline Haiti

Nurse Nancy Clark with patients

This is the sixth of several guest posts from the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s disaster relief team in Haiti. The 10-member medical team arrived in Port-au-Prince Monday and began ministering through a makeshift hospital on the edge of a tent city on Tuesday. In this post, Butch Vernon, pastor of Thoroughbred Community Church in Nicholasville and the chaplain for the group, shares about the group’s final day of work.

I’m writing to you on our last night in Haiti. Our prayer this morning in the van on the way to the hospital was that we might finish strong. Praise God He allowed us to do just that!

We had three babies born this morning and it was crazy hectic. My day was really different. The doctors suggested that I take pictures of the wounds up close so that we might use them later on in clinics to teach Haitians how to do their own clinics. To say I was out of my comfort zone in the surgical area as fingers and toes were amputated would be an understatement. However, God didn’t send me here to be comfortable, He sent me here to be obedient.

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Dateline Haiti: A Day of Miracles

February 6th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Series - Dateline Haiti

This is the fifth of several guest posts from the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s disaster relief team in Haiti. The 10-member medical team arrived in Port-au-Prince Monday and began ministering through a makeshift hospital on the edge of a tent city on Tuesday. In this post, Butch Vernon, pastor of Thoroughbred Community Church in Nicholasville and the chaplain for the group, shares about the group’s fourth day of work.

A Haitian brother and sister at the hospital

What a day! We thought the hospital was losing 50 staff today but it ended up being more like 90. Yet we saw as many patients as we did any day this week. When we found out this morning how many people were gone and how thin the ranks were, Glenn Hickey, our team leader, and I went aside and prayed.

Before we got here another medical team had shared a testimony about how they prayed for God to stretch their medicines and God never let the suitcase run out of what they needed, although they kept track and knew that they had given out considerably more than they ever could have had. I felt led to pray the same thing for our two medical teams. I asked the Lord to let it be like we had extra doctors and nurses and to send in extras as we needed them. It was amazing! God allowed us to do more than we could ever have imagined and then when it seemed we were going to have to turn people away, He sent fresh doctors from nowhere! It was awesome. Our God rocks!

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Dateline Haiti: New Life in the Rubble

February 4th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · Haiti, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Series - Dateline Haiti

This is the fourth of several guest posts from the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s disaster relief team in Haiti. The 10-member medical team arrived in Port-au-Prince Monday and began ministering through a makeshift hospital on the edge of a tent city on Tuesday. In this post, Butch Vernon, pastor of Thoroughbred Community Church in Nicholasville and the chaplain for the group, shares about the group’s third day of work.

Kentucky doctors minister to a little girl brought to the hospital by ambulance

Another great day in sunny Haiti! Every day is different. We got to the hospital this morning and right after we got there a beautiful little baby was born. Kind of like Jesus in the manger, he ended up in a copy paper box.

Big prayer request: about 50 of the hospital staff left today to go back to their respective countries.

We probably saw about 600 patients today. We will have 10 new folks helping tomorrow. It could be a really, really busy day tomorrow.

Our team is essentially going to be heading up most of the areas in the hospital tomorrow. What’s really great is how well these guys and girls will handle it with a Christlike attitude. This is one of the finest teams of any kind that I have ever had the opportunity to serve with.

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Dateline Haiti: Team Confronting Difficult Situations

February 3rd, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Kentucky Disaster Relief medical team

This is the third of several guest posts from the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s disaster relief team in Haiti. The 10-member medical team arrived in Port-au-Prince Monday and began ministering through a makeshift hospital on the edge of a tent city on Tuesday. In this post, Butch Vernon, pastor of Thoroughbred Community Church in Nicholasville and the chaplain for the group, shares about the group’s second day of work.

Click here to get more of the big picture view of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief work in Haiti from Baptist Press.

Just wanted to give a quick update. It’s getting late quick and we had a really long day and tomorrow will be the same.

Doctors minister to Haitian gunshot victim

We were in the hospital across from the national capitol building today. It was amazing. Probably had 500 patients through the whole day. Had one guy brought in on a wheel barrow who had been shot in the head. He was brought to the hospital in a pick up truck and the hospital basically said there was no chance. Pray for his family. We don’t know any of the situation.

We didn’t see a lot of the tragic things from the early days after the quake but it looks like there could be a real possibility of some serious health issues with these folks. Please pray that the Lord would stop any outbreaks.

It looks like we are going to be in the same place for the rest of the week. This should be great as it will allow us to continue to build relationships with the staff and other support personnel.

Continue to thank God for this team. They are incredible. We put some people in some situations today that were waaaaaaay out of their comfort zone but each one of them sailed through with flying colors praising the Lord for the opportunity  to be stretched.

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Dateline Haiti: “People Here Are Scared”

February 2nd, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Series - Dateline Haiti

Vernon chats with nurses and patient

This is the second of several guest posts from the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s disaster relief team in Haiti. The 10-member medical team arrived in Port-au-Prince Monday and began ministering through a makeshift hospital on the edge of a tent city today. In this post, Butch Vernon, pastor of Thoroughbred Community Church in Nicholasville and the chaplain for the group, shares about the group’s first day of work.

Just wanted to update you on the first day of the clinic. When you pray for this trip, take the time to thank God for the team that He put together. These doctors and nurses and Glenn Hickey, our leader (called a Blue Hat in Disaster Relief terms) are amazing! They each have a truly Christlike attitude.

Glenn Hickey with members of the security team

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Dateline Haiti: A Bookcase Becomes a Pharmacy

February 1st, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Series - Dateline Haiti

Butch Vernon

This is the first of what we hope will be several guest posts from the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s disaster relief team in Haiti. The 10-member medical team arrived in Port-au-Prince today (Monday) and will be ministering through a makeshift hospital on the edge of a tent city. In this post, Butch Vernon, pastor of Thoroughbred Community Church in Nicholasville and the chaplain for the group, shares about the group’s first two days.

Greetings from Port-au-Prince, Haiti! We made it. What an amazing trip. The airline (Delta) let us take 42 packages for no extra charge. The problem was, we had so much that 12 bags containing very vital medical supplies got left in Atlanta. Initially the Dominican airport officials very apologetically told us that it would be the next day before we could get them. We prayed for God to intervene in a very direct way and just a few minutes later they called us over and said the bags would be there by 9:00…and they were. Praise God!

A collapsed Haitian home

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Kentucky Medical Disaster Relief Team Now in Haiti

February 1st, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Series - Dateline Haiti, state conventions

Disaster Relief Associate Coy Webb briefs the 10-member medical team.

Please be in prayer for a 10-member Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief medical team that should be in Haiti by now if all is going as planned. The team left Louisville early Sunday morning and arrived in the Dominican Republic later that day. Today (Monday, Feb. 1), they were making an arduous nine-hour or more bus ride into Port-au-Prince.

The team is connecting with a similar team from Mississippi and teams from other state conventions are scheduled to arrive later this week. The doctors and other medical personnel on the teams will be providing vital life-saving services for the people.

The team will be staying in a mission house operated by the Florida Baptist Convention as part of their 15-year partnership with Haiti Baptists and working in makeshift facilities in Port-au-Prince.

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GCR Task Force Finalizing Recommendations

January 27th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force, Southern Baptist Convention

Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Please be in prayer for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force as it completes a three-day meeting in San Antonio on Thursday. The task force is finishing up work on a report it plans to make to the SBC’s Executive Committee Feb. 22-23 in Nashville. Chairman Ronnie Floyd has referred to this last intense burst of committee work as the “crucible of decision-making,” which I take means that the group is certainly down to finalizing language and proposals.

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$20 Buys 100 Pounds of Rice in Haiti

January 26th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Haiti, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention

disaster relief logoThe Southern Baptist disaster relief assessment team is back in Miami and meeting with the assessment team from the Florida Baptist Convention to formulate the long term Southern Baptist response to the Haiti earthquake disaster. I think we can anticipate recommendations that will keep Southern Baptists busy for the long haul but that may also be a bit different than the kind of disaster responses we’ve had in the past.

The assessment team has already signaled that it is unlikely that we will be sending down feeding units as we have in response to hurricanes and other disasters. Instead, it is more likely that we will do food distribution through Haitian Baptist churches that will allow families to pick up food staples and prepare it themselves.

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Haiti Prayer Video Available for Download

January 22nd, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, Kentucky Baptist Convention

A short video to encourage prayer and giving in the wake of the Haiti earthquake disaster is available for free download. The video was produced by the Florida Baptist Convention but they have given permission for us to tag it with information about how to give to support Haiti relief through Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief.  The video would be a great one to use in worship services during this time of crisis.

Click here to view or download the “Pray for Haiti” video  from the Kentucky Baptist Convention Web site.

– Robert Reeves

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Baptists Do Know How CP Gifts Are Allocated

January 21st, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky Baptist entities, Southern Baptist Convention, state conventions

CP logo - colorThis post continues the GCR Myth Buster series I introduced earlier. Find links to the other posts released so far at the bottom of this one.

One of the statements I sometimes read within the Great Commission Resurgence discussion is that Southern Baptists do not understand how their Cooperative Program funds are being used. This usually shows up in a tweet or within a blog post with the implication that if Southern Baptists did understand how their money is being spent, they would somehow be disappointed. I disagree with this sentiment, however, and feel that in general most Baptists do understand that they have put into place an extremely accountable and transparent system for managing their missions giving through CP.

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Disaster Assessment Team at Work in Haiti

January 20th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist Convention

Pockets of violence and looting, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are hindering the delivery of relief supplies, like this shipment from the Samaritan's Purse relief organization. Photo by David Uttley/Samaritans Purse/Genesis Photos

Pockets of violence and looting, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are hindering the delivery of relief supplies, like this shipment from the Samaritan's Purse relief organization. Photo by David Uttley/Samaritans Purse/Genesis Photos

Southern Baptists’ disaster assessment team is in Haiti after a grueling trip over the mountain range that separates the island nation from the Dominican Republic to its east. The five-member team, which includes Disaster Relief Associate Coy Webb from the Kentucky Baptist Convention, is now at work setting up the logistical structures that will be needed for a prolonged Southern Baptist response to the island.

Conditions are extremely difficult and disaster relief experts are warning volunteers desiring to help to make sure they are prepared physically, psychologically and spiritually for dealing with what will be harsh conditions for the foreseeable future. Specialized teams with very specific missions will be the first to go in initially with additional work crews added in the weeks and months ahead.

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Remember These Specific Prayer Requests for Haiti

January 15th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Haiti, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention, state conventions

CBS News screen capture of Haiti damage from Baptist Press.

CBS News screen capture of Haiti damage from Baptist Press.

I am sure everyone is already in prayer for the people in Haiti and the chaotic situation there today but let me give you a few specific items to add to your prayer list in the wake of this terrible tragedy.

First, pray for the Southern Baptist assessment teams that are going into Haiti this weekend and on Monday to determine how our disaster relief volunteers can best be of help in the coming weeks and months. Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief Associate Coy Webb will be part of a team of five that is flying in on Jan. 18 and will spend four to six days on the ground.

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‘Find it Here’ Media Buy for Kentucky Announced

January 13th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky missions, North American missions, state conventions

The Kentucky Baptist Convention has just announced its plans for a major media buy in conjunction with the “Find it Here” door-to-door evangelism initiative set for this Spring. The media campaign will allow us here in Kentucky to reach approximately 85 percent of our state’s adult population with a gospel message an average of three-and-a-half times during the three weeks leading up to Easter this year.

One of the things that I find exciting about this particular Great Commission push is the way it demonstrates the power of Baptist cooperation. In terms of implementation of “Find it Here,” we have nearly every area of Baptist life engaged in a coordinated way to share the gospel.

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State, National Missions Also Important

January 12th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, International missions, Kentucky missions, North American missions, state conventions

North America from spaceThis post continues the GCR Myth Buster series I introduced earlier. Find links to the other posts released so far at the bottom of this one.

I’ve never heard anyone say specifically that missions work in the United States is less important than international missions work but I’ve certainly come across some who, in their commendable zeal to support our international missions effort, imply it.  If I understand correctly, their thinking seems to be that since we have many existing churches in the United States — especially in the South — there’s no real need for a cooperative effort among Southern Baptists through associations, state conventions and the North American Mission Board to reach the lost here at home. The churches and individual Christians, the logic goes, should be all the missionary force we need here in the United States so all missions giving should therefore go for work outside our home country.

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Taking the Great Commission to American Samoa

January 11th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Larry & Elaine Koch

Larry & Elaine Koch

Often when we think about sharing the gospel across the United States, we think about our 48 contiguous states plus Alaska and Hawaii. But there are other parts of  “America” around the world as well.

Kentucky Baptists are ministering in one of those places right now — American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States in the South Pacific Ocean. The island suffered a devastating tsunami back in September and Southern Baptists have been helping ever since in a Hurricane Katrina-style clean-up and rebuilding effort.

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State Conventions Stretched, Not Bloated

January 8th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Kentucky Baptist Convention, state conventions

In contrast to the myth that state conventions are bloated bureaucracies, most are actually finding themselves having to do a lot of belt tightening as they seek to serve their churches.

In contrast to the myth that state conventions are bloated bureaucracies, most are actually finding themselves having to do a lot of belt tightening as they seek to serve their churches.

This post begins the GCR Myth Buster series I introduced earlier. Several posts on this topic will follow in the days ahead although I’ll also be posting other items as needed.

As a communicator, I have to say right up front that part of me hates to even talk about the “bloated bureaucracies” myth because simply writing the words tends to reinforce them. It’s kind of like telling a person not to think of an elephant. The mere act of reading those words forces you down that thought path whether you want to go or not. This myth has been so repeated, however, that it’s necessary to deal with it right off the bat in this series of posts.

Of course, the origin of the myth is no secret. When the original Great Commission Resurgence document was first presented, it contained the following statements:

“… our denominational structures have become bloated and bureaucratic at every level, from local associations to state conventions to the SBC itself. We believe our ministry effectiveness is being strangled by overlap and duplication, poor stewardship, and a disproportionate amount of Cooperative Program dollars being kept by the state conventions.”

The statement was probably meant as hyperbole inserted to help make a point. The authors realized the choice of words was unfortunate almost immediately, however, and quickly softened the language. Unfortunately, calling the words back has been kind of like trying to recall a hand grenade. The damage was done and I often still hear the phrase “bloated bureaucracy” bandied about. In fact, it’s kind of taken on a life of its own as one of those phrases associated with the GCR conversation.

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Kentucky GC Task Force Chairman Provides Update

January 6th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, KBC Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Dr. Hershael York, chairman of the Great Commission Task Force for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, has provided this update for Kentucky Baptists from the committee’s first organizational meeting held on Tuesday:

Hershael York, Kentucky Task Force Chair

Hershael York, Kentucky Task Force Chair

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Great Commission Task Force of the Kentucky Baptist Convention met for the first time. Our goal is to examine the work of the KBC to determine how we can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission. Throughout the coming year, we plan to study our mission efforts so that we can make recommendations to the churches and to the KBC that will result in a true resurgence of Great Commission commitment.

The heart of our purpose is about mission. We will study the ways the Kentucky Baptist Convention serves it churches and reaches out to the lost in an effort to determine the most effective ways to obey Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19-20. We are convinced that Kentucky Baptists already are doing a lot of things well and that our desire to honor the Lord and reach the lost is evident. The challenge for us as a task force is to recommend ways that we can improve our strategy, structure and funding base in order to reach the next generation and the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We want our work to be an encouragement and not a distraction for our KBC staff, agencies and institutions. We are excited about the Find it Here emphasis and all of the good things that are happening in the Kentucky Baptist Convention. We hope our process will only strengthen, broaden and deepen that work.

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Kentucky Task Force Holds First Meeting

January 5th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, KBC Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Ky GC Task Force 3

Ky GC Task Force 2

Dan Summerlin, left, pastor of the Lone Oak First Baptist Church of Paducah, and Jeff Crabtree, director of missions for the Warren Association of Baptists, chat during a break of the first meeting of Kentucky's Great Commission Task Force on Tuesday. (KBC photos by Kristie Randolph)

Kentucky’s Great Commission Task Force held its first organizational meeting at the Kentucky Baptist Building on Tuesday. Please be in prayer for this special committee as it proceeds with its work during the coming year.

The committee was appointed at the KBC’s annual meeting in November after messengers approved a recommendation to form a committee to study “how Kentucky Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” The task force will work throughout the coming year to study the work of the KBC’s Mission Board, agencies and institutions, and will report any recommendations it might have to messengers attending the 2010 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

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Great Commission Resurgence Myth Busting

January 4th, 2010 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force

Unlike the Mythbusters television series, there will be no explosions, speeding cars or endangered crash test dummies, in this series of posts. I do hope you'll find it enlightening, however, as we examine some of the common misperceptions within the GCR.

Unlike the MythBusters television series, this series of posts will feature no explosions, speeding cars or endangered crash test dummies. I do hope you'll find it enlightening, however, as we examine some of the common misperceptions within the GCR.

Dr. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a member of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force recently wrote a series of blog posts about what he described as myths regarding the GCR Task Force. He dealt with such topics as: “The GCR is about more money for the seminaries,” “The GCR is about farming out church planting to non-SBC groups,” and “The GCRTF is trying to influence and control presidential search committees,” as well as others. (I’ve included links to his other posts at the bottom of this item.)

I found the series to be helpful both in the information provided about the specific myths and also for the insights into the heart of one who is so closely linked to this effort. I don’t think there’s anyone who would question Dr. Akin’s passion for missions and his sincere desire to see Southern Baptists be as effective as possible in fulfilling the Great Commission.

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SBC President Calls for Day of Prayer on Jan. 31

December 31st, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force, KBC Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist Convention

SBC President Johnny Hunt

SBC President Johnny Hunt

Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt is calling all Southern Baptists to a special day of prayer on Jan. 31 to help us all focus on seeking God’s will as major decisions impacting the denomination are made in 2010.

The president specifically cited the meetings of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, the God’s Plan for Sharing effort (which will bring the “Find it Here” door-to-door evangelistic campaign here in Kentucky), and the work of search committees for three of the entities — the Executive Committee, the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board, along with the general moral decline in America as major reasons for calling all Baptists to a special season of prayer. Here in Kentucky, we can also add our own KBC Great Commission Task Force, which starts work Jan. 5, to the prayer list.

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Pray for KBC Task Force’s First Meeting

December 28th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, KBC Great Commission Task Force

prayerPlease be in prayer for the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Task Force as it begins its work with an organizational meeting on Jan. 5.

The committee was appointed at the KBC’s annual meeting in November after messengers approved a recommendation to form a committee to study “how Kentucky Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” The task force will work throughout the coming year to study the work of the KBC’s Mission Board, agencies and institutions, and will report any recommendations it might have to messengers attending the 2010 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

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There’s Still Time to Give to Lottie Moon!

December 21st, 2009 by Robert Reeves · Cooperative Program, International missions, Southern Baptist Convention

It's not too late to make your Lottie Moon Christmas Offering gift! Because CP covers the adminstrative costs, 100 percent of your gift goes to the international mission field.

It's not too late to make your Lottie Moon Christmas Offering gift! Because CP covers the adminstrative costs, 100 percent of your gift goes to the international mission field.

If you’ve not already made your gift to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions you can still do so even if you don’t get it in before Christmas. This offering is the ideal way for Southern Baptists to support international missions for a couple of really good reasons:

  1. Because your Lottie Moon gift is to a Southern Baptist Convention-approved designated offering, it means 100 percent of your gift goes to the International Mission Board. Typically, when you put a gift in the offering plate to support your church, most of what you gives stays with the church to support your local work and other church-sponsored missions and ministries. If you attend an average Southern Baptist church, just over 93 percent is used at the local level with about 7 percent going on to your state convention which then divides it according to the Cooperative Program funding allocation approved by annual meeting messengers between state, national and international Southern Baptist work. But when your gift is designated for this special offering, all of it goes for the vital work of international missions.
  2. Because the Cooperative Program is already at work covering the administrative costs of the International Mission Board, 100 percent of your gift through this special offering can go directly to supporting the work of missionaries on the mission field. This may sound a bit similar to the first statement but it’s really not. What I am saying here is that once you’ve given your Lottie Moon gift and it gets to the International Mission Board, none of that gift has to be used to cover overhead such as electricity at the Richmond headquarters, accounting work to manage the gift, administrative salaries for those handling planning and logistics, etc. All of that is already covered by CP so your gift goes straight to missions work. You will not find a more efficient transfer of your giving directly to the cause in any other charity.

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MSC Helping to Fulfill Great Commission

December 15th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky missions, North American missions

In my last post on Appalachian Regional Ministry, I mentioned that a number of Eastern Kentucky ministries are led by Mission Service Corps missionaries. MSC is a task force of missionaries who give full or part time service for two years or more.

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Appalachian Ministry Reaching Out With God’s Love

December 10th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky missions, North American missions, state conventions

Whitetree, Greg & Alice

Missionaries Greg and Alice Whitetree of the North American Mission Board, who serve at the Freeda Harris Baptist Center in Lookout, Ky., provide after-school programs, emergency food and clothing for people in the community as part of Southern Baptists' Appalachian Regional Ministry. (NAMB photo by Carol Pipes.)

The world has tremendous needs and Baptists are right to think long and hard about the best ways to ensure that every dollar given is used to spread the Gospel. This has led us to think primarily about international missions in the current focus on the Great Commission Resurgence. I think it’s equally important for us to think about the work that still must done in our own backyards as well.

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GCR Task Force: Progress Has Been ‘Enormous’

December 4th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force, Southern Baptist Convention

The SBC's GCR Task Force

The SBC's GCR Task Force

We may be getting close to knowing what the actual proposals from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force are going to be. Following the group’s latest meeting in Atlanta this week, Chairman Ronnie Floyd said the group had made “enormous” progress and planned to bring a substantial report to the SBC Executive Committee meeting in February.

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The World is Coming to Us Right Here in Kentucky

December 1st, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, International missions, Kentucky missions

A Baptist Campus Ministry student ministers to children in the Dominican Republic.

A Baptist Campus Ministry student ministers to children in the Dominican Republic.

Since so much of the energy of the Great Commission Resurgence is focused on international missions, I’ve tried in this Great Commission Kentucky blog to direct attention to some of the many ways Kentucky Baptists are participating in international missions through their state convention. One of the most significant of these is Baptist Campus Ministry.

In Kentucky, we have 12 full-time campus ministers located on the largest colleges and universities in the state and another who serves several schools in the Owensboro area. We also have nine part-time campus ministers who serve many of the smaller campuses where we don’t have ministry centers.

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Ky. Seeds Reap Harvest in Republic of Georgia

November 21st, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention

A Southern Baptist volunteer serves food in Gori, Georgia.

A Southern Baptist volunteer serves food in Gori, Georgia, in Sept. 2008.

Baptist Global Response is one of the ways that state conventions play a direct role in international missions. BGR is basically an extension of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief but with the emphasis placed on responses to international disasters.

Kentucky most recently sent a BGR team to the Philippines in October following massive flooding there that left some 1.2 million homes damaged or destroyed and 400,000 people homeless. While there our volunteers assisted both with “mud-out” projects and with training nationals to safely do the cleanup work themselves.

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Task Force Concerned for Both SBC & KBC Work

November 18th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Todd Deaton

Todd Deaton

Todd Deaton, editor of the Western Recorder, the Kentucky Baptist newspaper, included information about the members of the newly appointed Great Commission Task Force for Kentucky in this week’s issue. He also included information about the Cooperative Program giving record of the churches the committee members attend.

The committee was appointed last week by outgoing Kentucky Baptist Convention President John Mark Toby after approval for the committee was given by messengers to the annual meeting. Not included in the listing below are new KBC President Don Mathis, staff evangelist as Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green, and KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey. Both men will also be on the committee by virtue of their roles.

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Thoughts on the KBC Annual Meeting

November 12th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky Baptist entities, Kentucky missions, Southern Baptist Convention

KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey recognized outgoing KBC President John Mark Toby and thanked him for his year of service during the evening session of the KBC annual meeting.

KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey recognized outgoing KBC President John Mark Toby and thanked him for his year of service during the evening session of the KBC annual meeting.

The Kentucky Baptist Convention had an excellent annual meeting at Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown this week. Attendance was up slightly this year with 840 messengers and 270 other church members and guests joining together for worship, reports, business, fellowship and inspiration.

We heard strong sermons from KBC President John Mark Toby, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler and Student Leadership Academy President Jay Strack. Young leaders got together for a convention-sponsored event during the Tuesday evening meal break as they have for several years now. Messengers seemed to enjoy the exhibit hall as usual and this year’s addition of a Twitter fountain which captured comments about the annual meeting seemed to be a big hit.

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Kentucky Great Commission Task Force Appointed

November 10th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Hershael York, Kentucky Task Force Chair

Hershael York, Kentucky Task Force Chair

Messengers at the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s annual meeting at Severns Valley Baptist Church today approved the formation of a Great Commission Task Force for the state convention.

The approved recommendation calls for the formation of a committee that will study “how Kentucky Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” The task force will work throughout the coming year to study the work of the KBC’s Mission Board, agencies and institutions, and will report any recommendations it might have to messengers attending the 2010 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

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Great Commission in Forefront of KBC Meeting

November 8th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Great Commission Task Force, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky Baptist entities, Kentucky missions, North American missions, Southern Baptist Convention

KBC President John Mark Toby

Dr. John Mark Toby, KBC President

The Great Commission will certainly be in the forefront of Tuesday’s annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention which will convene at Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown. More than 1,000 messengers and guests are expected for the meeting with the theme “Find it Here: Sharing Christ Across Kentucky.”

Here are some of the expected areas of Great Commission focus:

  • “Find it Here” theme interpretations – Messengers will be hearing a lot about the “Find it Here” door-to-door evangelism campaign with theme interpretations set for each session as well as a special report on plans for the spring campaign during the morning session. The KBC is coordinating the “Find it Here” campaign in conjunction with Kentucky associations, churches and the North American Mission Board. This initiative is part of the GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing) strategy that NAMB is using to reach every person in the United States and Canada with the Good News of Jesus Christ by 2020.
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Excitement Building for ‘Find it Here’

November 3rd, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky missions, North American missions

FinditHeregraphicsmallExcitement continues to build for “Find it Here,” a major evangelism initiatve that the Kentucky Baptist Convention is coordinating in conjunction with Kentucky associations, churches and the North American Mission Board. This initiative is part of the GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing) strategy that NAMB is using to help us reach every person in the United States and Canada with the Good News of Jesus Christ by 2020.

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State Execs Offer Perspectives on GCR

October 28th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Great Commission Task Force, North American missions, Southern Baptist Convention

Hankins presents to GCRTF. (Photo by Dr. Al Mohler)

Hankins presents to GCRTF. (Photo by Dr. Al Mohler)

Baptist Press has just released a report on yesterday’s meeting between the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force and executives from 22 state conventions. All parties have been describing the meeting as being one that was cordial, respectful and frank. It sounds like the meeting was helpful in sharing various perspectives which should prove valuable to the committee as it does its work.

Here’s the story from Baptist Press:

DALLAS (BP)–In what might be arguably the most significant meeting yet for the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, 22 executive directors of Southern Baptist state conventions met with them Oct. 27, to offer some competing, some complementing views and vision about the Southern Baptist Convention and what is needed for a Great Commission resurgence. [Read more →]

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Mackey Requests Prayer for GCR Meeting

October 26th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Dr. Bill Mackey, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, is asking for special prayer for the Oct. 27 meeting of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force in Dallas. Mackey and some 21 other state convention executives will be meeting with the task force from 8-10 a.m.

Hankins, David

David Hankins

Dr. Mackey is serving as the president of the fellowship of state convention executives this year and helped to organize what is expected to be a presentation followed by a dialogue time at the request of Task Force Chairman Ronnie Floyd. He said Dr. David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, will make the primary presentation on behalf of the state executives. Hankins is a former pastor, former chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and served as the vice president for Cooperative Program for the SBC Executive Committee prior to becoming executive director in Louisiana.

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Cooperative Program Definition is Important

October 21st, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist Convention

CP giving illustrationThere has been some discussion in recent months about the possibility of changing or adjusting the definition of what constitutes a Cooperative Program gift. The official definitions were only nailed down precisely by the Southern Baptist Convention at the annual meeting in June 2007 and by the Kentucky Baptist Convention at its annual meeting in November 2008.

This isn’t to say these definitions are really new though. In both instances, the committees working on crafting the language simply sought to put into writing what has been in practice since the establishment of CP in 1925.

The official SBC definition is as follows:

“The Cooperative Program (CP) is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries.”

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State Leaders to Meet with GCR Task Force

October 15th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Great Commission Task Force, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Dr. Bill Mackey

Dr. Bill Mackey

Executive directors from state Baptist conventions will be getting an opportunity to share with the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force at the group’s next meeting, Oct. 27, in Dallas. Task Force Chairman Ronnie Floyd extended the invitation to the meeting through Dr. Bill Mackey, the executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, who is leading the state executive directors’ fellowship this year.

Some 22 of the leaders are anticipating being able to attend the meeting which will feature a presentation from Dr. Mackey and at least one other state convention executive followed by a dialogue session. I encourage everyone to be praying for this meeting and for the important work of the task force. Dr. Mackey has shared with me that he is appreciative of the invitation and is looking forward to the state leaders contributing their thoughts about how best to move forward in helping all Southern Baptists to be most effective in fulfilling the Great Commission. (You can read some of Dr. Mackey’s thoughts about the work of the task force in this earlier post.)

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Associations Are Vital Great Commission Partners

October 13th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky missions, North American missions

handshakeAs Southern Baptists have focused on fulfilling the Great Commission, the discussion has largely centered on the work of our two mission boards — the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board. I’ve also shared quite a bit about how the Kentucky Baptist Convention is engaging in missions both across the street and around the world as well. Today, though, I want to talk about one of our Great Commission partners that sometimes gets overlooked — the local association.

I’m spurred on by a great report I received recently from the Christian County Baptist Association, which serves 43 churches in the area surrounding Hopkinsville, Ky. Bobby Melton, the director of missions there, was reporting on missions projects and trips that the association’s churches had engaged in during 2008-09 and it definitely impressed me. According to Melton, nearly 1,800 volunteers had participated in more than 70 community, state, national and international missions projects or trips during the time frame.

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It’s Not Always Glamorous But CP Sure is Vital

October 5th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, International missions, Kentucky missions, North American missions, Southern Baptist Convention

offering plateDesignated gifts are wonderful things. Just ask any pastor who has experienced the joy of having someone in his congregation share that they want to make a special donation to buy the new piano needed in the sanctuary, make the lead gift to get the church’s capital campaign off the ground or make up the difference between what the youth group raised and what they need for their upcoming summer missions trip. These important and valuable gifts are often answers to prayer with their givers inspired by the Lord to meet a very specific need.

Giving a designated gift is fun as well. It’s nice to know that when I give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, the World Hunger Fund or to any of the other excellent special offerings we have in Southern Baptist life that the money I give is going to a very specific cause and to nothing else. I get great joy from the thought that my gift is making it possible for someone I will probably never meet in person to receive a Bible, hear a gospel message or eat a meal. Being able to picture these specific needs being met become a part of my worship and helps me to rejoice in the Lord and give Him the glory for what He is doing in the world.

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Partnership Missions Goes to ‘All the World’

October 1st, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention

Sometimes we have a tendency to think that state conventions minister only in their states or that the International Mission Board ministers only overseas in far away lands. The reality though is that both organizations minister both at home and around the world. A prime example of this shows up in partnership missions.

The Kentucky Baptist Convention’s Partnership Missions Department works hand-in-hand with the International Mission Board to help Kentucky Baptist churches get practical, real-life experience in working with people groups around the world. On the flip side, IMB ministers in Kentucky by helping Kentucky Baptists who participate in partnership missions get excited about sharing the Gospel and sending stronger, more committed Christians back home to the local mission field.

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Missions Made Easy at Oneida Baptist Institute

September 28th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Cooperative Program, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky Baptist entities, Kentucky missions

W.F. Underwood

W.F. "Bud" Underwood

I’m pleased to share the following guest post from Dr. W.F. Underwood, president of Oneida Baptist Institute, one of the institutions of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Oneida is a boarding school supported in part by Cooperative Program gifts.

Missions Made Easy at Oneida Baptist Institute

The words of Jesus in the Great Commission are clear. Reach the nations for Christ and teach new believers to live out the gospel. We have a unique opportunity at Oneida Baptist Institute to carry out both of these commands—simply by going about our daily work.

Though OBI was founded as a school for eastern Kentucky mountain children, it has grown into a boarding school for grades 6-12 that reaches teenagers from our own county, across the Commonwealth, all over the U.S. and around the world.

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GCR is Deja Vu All Over Again — Part 4

September 24th, 2009 by Robert Reeves · All Posts, Baptist History, Cooperative Program, Great Commission Task Force, International missions, Kentucky Baptist Convention, North American missions, Series - GCR is Deja Vu All Over Again, Southern Baptist Convention

globe with money linksIn Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of this series, I’ve focused on how similar the rhetoric surrounding the Great Commission Resurgence today is to the rhetoric regarding the newly formed Cooperative Program in the mid 1920s. In this final post in this series, I think you’ll see this to an even greater extent in the missions debates of the two eras.

Then, as now, the focus of discussion surrounding the Cooperative Program was on concerns about the best ways to carry out missions and evangelism. Once the Cooperative Program was adopted in 1925, promotion of the plan within the churches began in earnest. State papers and denominational leaders stressed that if church members would simply tithe one-tenth of their income to their churches, the resulting $150 million would establish CP gifts from the churches at a level that would provide for “all of our (Southern Baptist) activities with reasonable adequacy.”

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