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.

I had heard most of the myths he described or, in seeking to read between the blurry lines of Southern Baptist politics, had wondered myself about some of the topics he addressed. The series has been widely discussed by those Southern Baptists who are keeping up with the GCR process.

As helpful as Dr. Akin’s series was, however, it did get me thinking about some of the other GCR myths that are out there that were not addressed and it occurred to me to take a crack at dealing with some of these. I don’t profess to have all of the answers about the best ways for Southern Baptists to follow our Lord’s command but hopefully I can contribute a little bit to this important conversation we are having as a denomination.

I’ll use several posts over the coming days to deal with these additional myths. Feel free to share your own thoughts as well by commenting. You don’t have to agree with me. I believe God uses our interactions with each other to help us develop good ideas so the more conversation the better.

Here are the links to Dr. Akin’s posts:

• GCR Myth #1: The goal of [particular members of] the Task Force to get more money to the nations is only a smoke screen to get more money to the seminaries.
• GCR Myth #2: The goal of [certain members of] the Task Force is to turn North American church planting over to Acts 29 or to at least enter into a formal partnership with them.
• Myth #3: The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force is attempting to influence and even control the search committee process at the Executive Committee, the IMB and NAMB.
• Myth #4: The goal of the Great Commission Task Force is to dismantle if not destroy the Cooperative Program as we know it today.
• Myth #5: The GCR is actually a grand Calvinist plot to infiltrate the SBC and gain control or at least greater influence in the Convention.
• Myth #6: Many members of the GCRTF are fundamentally opposed to the work of local associations and state conventions.
• Myth #7: The GCRTF is about diluting our Baptist identity and distinctives so that we begin to look more like the American Evangelical Convention than the Southern Baptist Convention.
• Myth #8: The GCRTF plans to abolish NAMB or dissolve it into the IMB.
• Myths Concerning the GCRTF: A Postscript