Leaders Respond to Challenges

I just finished serving on a Mission Advance Team for our state convention's board of directors. Up until being asked to serve, I'd maintained more than a professional distance from the Baptist Building, partly due to the time consuming demands of my own meager world of ministry, and partly because of lesser impressive reasons. Therefore this was my first significant exposure to some our leaders at the BGCO while gaining a greater understanding and appreciation for the work they do.

I could express the honor of being asked to work on recommendations that may impact state convention work for years to come, I could talk about the invaluable time spent building relationships with many of the finest church leaders in our state, and I could discuss the leadership experience gleaned from discussing, evaluating, and focusing ideas. Space could easily be used to celebrate any or all these, but instead I'll give some words to the BGCO leaders themselves.

It’s been said that managers do things right while leaders do the right things. Perhaps one of my lesser impressive reasons for not sooner getting to know our state leaders was my simplistic understanding of who they were and what they do.  My understanding has improved.  Recognizing present challenges of economic shifts, the newly evolved landscape of ministry funding, and the intricate sensitivities of Baptist cooperation, our state convention leaders will not merely manage the challenges of our future, but they will lead a response that answers these challenges.

Careful consideration of this response will be everyone’s right and responsibility, and while complete agreement with every jot and tittle is unrealistic, I’m confident the course of action presented will be prayerful, decisive, equal to the task, and very worthy of our support.