In case you’re unaware, the Southern Baptist Convention is trying to find itself right now.  Who were we?  What have we become?  Where are we headed in our rapidly changing society?  Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently spoke to these issues with his characteristic insight and candor.  If you’re concerned about the future of the SBC, you should listen to his message.  If you’re not concerned about the future of the SBC, you really ought to listen to his message.

Here’s the link, and here’s a summary. The message begins with an enlightening historical overview of the development of the SBC mindset, a mindset that began with mission but has led to a corporate mentality.  If you’ve grown up in the SBC, you’ll enjoy Dr. Mohler’s autobiographical reflections.

Around the 24 min mark, Dr. Mohler uses two metaphors to describe the current SBC situation.  We’re in danger, he warns, of meeting the modern-day fate of General Motors and shopping malls.

Around the 37 min mark, Dr. Mohler offers ten questions that our convention must answer as we head into the future.  (These are slightly paraphrased.)

1. Will we be missiological or bureaucratic?
2. Will our identity remain tribal or become more theological?
3. Will the basis of our cooperation be convictional or confused?
4. Will our logic become secular or will we be appropriately sectarian (i.e., distinct within culture)?
5. Will we become younger or dead?
6. Will we become more diverse or be diminished?
7. Will we become missional or remain methodological?
8. Will we be more strategic or become more anemic?
9. Will we be bold or become more boring?
10. Will we be happy or bitter?  (“We as a denomination have taken on the reputation of denominational crankiness.”)

The conclusion begins just under the 51 min mark.  If you’re spot-listening, listen to this spot!  Dr. Mohler speaks of problems with perception and reality in the SBC.  He closes with an analogy drawn from the Apple/PC commercials, which so brilliantly expose a different logic in computing.  Are we more like the PC guy or the Apple guy?  I bet you can guess.

Southern Baptists have much to consider as we look ahead.  May God help us change where we need to change, for the sake of the gospel going to all nations.

No, SBC Live isn’t a new late night show.  The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention is taking place in Louisville, KY, today and tomorrow.  You can watch the proceedings live either here or here.  Let’s hope the convention isn’t as “entertaining” as late night TV.

Meaningful membership in the SBC is officially on the radar of our denomination.  I couldn’t be happier about this development.  Please take time to read carefully Resolution 6, passed by the convention last week in Indianapolis.

Before Concord called me to serve as pastor seven years ago, I wrote a letter to the membership detailing several pastoral convictions of mine that were likely to seem strange.  One of those convictions had to do with meaningful membership (i.e., how we understand membership, and how we receive, care for, correct, and count our members).  Where do we stand right now?  Here is my brief assessment: 

Awareness is rising.  Many of our members are becoming more aware of the biblical issues involved with meaningful membership.  We are learning that admitting someone to membership is supposed to be our affirmation that this person is a baptized believer who is walking in fellowship with Christ.  We perceive that having 1000 members at Concord reflects poor health rather than good health when only 35% of those members are actively involved with our fellowship.  And we’re more familiar with neglected and uncomfortable passages like this and this.   

Small steps have been taken.  We receive people into membership only after they have expressed their understanding of the gospel, shared their testimony of conversion, and discussed details about our church.  Hardworking members of GO Outreach have contacted most of our inactive members by mail, more than once.  We’ve tried (and are continuing to try) to help our members engage with one another more personally in prayer and spiritual conversation.  Over 35 of our men have read What is a Healthy Church? and discussed meaningful membership.  We have begun praying through our entire membership list.  

More ground needs to be covered.  We need to hear more teaching about this, and not just on Sunday or Wednesday nights.  We need to take more concentrated steps in reclaiming or releasing our ~600 inactive members.  We need to consider expanding the ”business meeting” to a “members meeting” that includes more emphasis on membership matters.  We need to formalize parameters and procedures for restorative church discipline.  All of this before the year 2010 concludes? 

I dream of the day that Concord’s membership roughly equals its attendance, that nearly all of our members are actively engaged in some form of mutual spiritual encouragement, and that we are more prepared to handle sin biblically.  I dream of the day that meaningful membership has become vital to our pulse.  I dream of the day, ultimately, that God’s glory is more fully displayed among our neighbors and the nations through our increasing commitment to corporate love and holiness.

Membership should mean more than having a name on the roll and voting privileges.  Concord has already moved in that direction, and I’m hopeful that God’s grace will continue compelling us forward.  And, in the wake of the annual convention, I’m thankful that this formerly odd conviction of mine is growing less strange in our denomination.  Resolution 6 has formally put meaningful membership on the radar.         

Not Obama or McCain, but Hunt.  Johnny Hunt was elected to serve as the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention for 2008-2009.  Hunt said he hopes to inspire the younger generation coming behind him to support the SBC, and to encourage the denomination as a whole in evangelism, discipleship, and missions.  Hunt assumes the presidential mantle from Frank Page, who has served for the previous two years.

The SBC Annual Meeting is being held in Indianapolis today and tomorrow.  You can visit the website here, on which you can see the schedule of events, watch the meeting through live streaming, view pictures, and read updated news stories about convention happenings.  Pray that the Lord will guide our convention to make wise decisions about our future.  May we become an increasingly gospel-shaped, gospel-sharing people.