Now that the dust has settled from the annual SBC meeting in Orlando and we have all seen and read the thousands of words concerning the implications of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report, I want to share with you my views as to what this all means for us in Arizona.

First, I would say we should focus on the fact that the GCRTF Report is first a document that calls us to spiritual accountability. There are some things discussed in this report that all of us can begin to fulfill immediately. For example: ask yourself, am I sharing the gospel with my next-door neighbor? Am I a part of a mission trip with my church? Is my church continually considering how we can increase our financial support to mission causes like my local association, the Cooperative Program or Lottie Moon? Is my lack of concern for a lost world a matter of schedule, or is it a spiritual matter in my life? Is there any unconfessed sin in my life that keeps me from following Jesus to the ends of the earth?

Second, while the GCRTF Report does address the relationship between the North American Mission Board and the state conventions, we need to understand in Arizona that we are on the right track in terms of our field-driven strategy and how we have worked together in a high relationship process. The initial response I am hearing from NAMB is that having a field-driven process where the needs emerge from the churches and associations is a model that can be supported in the new structure. We will also need to work on continuing to build increased accountability in the process. All of these are good things that are welcomed.

A third issue has to do with the “pause” that has been implemented at this time with regard to NAMB, specifically related to hiring of jointly-funded positions that are currently open. This pause will affect us related to two positions that are currently open in Arizona: the DOEM position in San Carlos Association and the Church Planter Strategist position in Central Association. Both of these positions have not been eliminated but are simply “on hold” until NAMB calls a new president and has an opportunity to get back to fulfilling the strategy in each state. The hope we have relates to the fact the GCRTF Report says the new emphasis by NAMB will focus on the new work states with significant population areas. Arizona’s population demands that our state been viewed as a key strategy state. And so we pray and hope with a positive outlook.

In case you have not heard …

The long-awaited initial progress report from the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force has been posted. You can find it at www.pray4gcr.com. Here, you will have an opportunity to review the report as delivered by GCR Task Force Chairman Ronnie Floyd to the SBC Executive Committee.

To say the least, this report has generated many more questions than answers. I want to take a few more lines and defend my last statement. The reason the statement is true is that the GCR Task Force cannot possibly give complete answers to everything they recommended. It’s not their fault … it just happens whenever a major report is given in summary form.

And Ronnie Floyd was not asked to give a detailed report, only to share a progress report in preparation for a final report. And so we do need to give the Task Force some time to further communicate about their more detailed understanding of the report.

With that said, it does appear that if the report is adopted, it will definitely impact the work of the new-work states like Arizona. At this point, we do not fully know what the implications will be for all of us, but it does seem to suggest that things will be different.

If the progress report stays intact, it will recommend the current Cooperative Agreements will go away after four years. And it appears that the North American Mission Baord will move to a regional approach that will be their attempt to get closer to the field.

What the report does not specify is how NAMB will relate to the work in Arizona, the rest of the West, and the remainder of the nation that is under-reached. We hear from certain persons that it means that NAMB will do their own direct missions. Others counter and say NAMB will enter new agreements with the new-work areas that will enhance their work and bring greater support. The million dollar question is which do you believe? I guess it depends on which blog you read on a given day.

One thing is certain at this time: the answer to the above questions will not be finalized during one vote in June. Rather, it is my belief that we are on a journey that will unfold, step by step, over a multi-year period.

Here are some crucial markers for you to watch:

1. The final May report of the GCR due May 3rd. This will have the final recommendations for the annual SBC in June.
2. Whatever is passed in June, who NAMB elects as president will be critical to this process of “putting meat on the bones” of the recommendations of the GCR.
3. It will be the responsibility of the NAMB Board of Trustees and their new president to implement the implications of the report as adopted. From this journey, NAMB will begin the process of rolling out how they will relate to state conventions in the future.

And so … here is my commitment to God, His Kingdom and our work in Arizona. We are going to remain focused on our vision to evangelize and “church” our state. We are also going to remain committed to the development and training of God-called leaders and to the disciple- making process of fulfilling the Great Commission. And we are going to enter a time of prayer and planning in order to respond (notice, I did not say “react”) to potential scenarios concerning what these changes may mean to us in Arizona.

In the meantime, I am going to communicate with the leaders of our SBC and the GCR and share with them our field-driven strategy of hearing from our churches on a yearly basis concerning evangelism, church planting, disciple-making and leadership development. And I pray that when it comes time for our Southern Baptist family to think and pray about the best way to reach Arizona, that they will join us as partners. Don’t expect the answer to come overnight, for it will take several years for it to come to light.

Meanwhile, share the Gospel with your next-door neighbor.

I am continuing to learn …

This past week I attended the annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention Executive Directors’ Association. I will not bore you with the business details of our meeting, but I do want to share with you one great lesson I picked up on.

We had the opportunity to hear a pastor from a church in Idaho who is having remarkable results. The pastor’s name is Jim Putman, and he leads a congregation of thousands in Post Falls.

Here is what I learned from him: it is never enough for a leader to cast a single vision for the church he leads. While the vision is great, especially when it is clear, concise and compelling, it is never enough.

Jim teaches that each church needs not only a single, compelling vision, but it also needs a single “engine” that drives the vision. God’s church that is a part of Jim’s influence is not only focused in its vision, but it is also focused on the engine.

And what is the engine? It is a small group disciplemaking strategy that takes a person from conversion to full-blown mission.

This church family honestly believes that every believer is to be a witness and every convert begins a journey toward the end of mission/ministry. No exceptions! This church has an incredible disciplemaking ministry of one-on-one discipleship and small group strategies. You can read about this church in Jim Putman’s book entitled Church Is a Team Sport.

As I heard his story, I walked away confessing that many of our Southern Baptist churches left Sunday School years ago as the single-driving engine of our churches. But now the question comes back around anew: When you dropped Sunday School as your engine, what did you replace it with? Anything?

Please remember, you will not help your church family if you drop one engine and do not replace it. Or worse yet, if you drop one engine and replace it with five engines.

I thank God that even though I am getting older in my walk with the Lord, I can still stop long enough to learn from a younger generation of leaders. And the lesson I learned last week is: Single Vision/ Single Engine.

It is not a new lesson really. It is simply a new pastor teaching an older student that not all we learned years ago is bad.