Byron Day

In recent years, we have seen an ever-increasing rise in lawsuits. We live in a day and age where people sue one another over the least little thing. Moreover, we are encouraged by the legal community to examine every aspect of our lives to determine if our present condition was caused by the negligence of someone else. Therefore, we are called to question if the doctor did something during that surgery that causes us discomfort, if our dentist was negligent, or whether McDonald’s got the coffee too hot.

We hear of all types of lawsuits; disputes over inheritances, over free agency, over land, over patents and over songs. Perhaps the clearest indication of our society’s thirst for litigation is the number of televisions shows dedicated to displaying for us our inability to settle the most minor disputes.

We have people’s court, divorce court, and even animal court. We have Judge Hatchett, Judge Brown, Judge Judy and Judge Mathis. My casual observance of these shows has often revealed that the dispute is minor in nature and that they usually involve family members, mothers against sons, fathers against daughters, brothers against sisters.

This reminds me of the situation in the church at Corinth. The members of that church had trouble settling disputes among themselves (1 Cor. 6:1-11).

This text poses a question that our churches must ask today. What do we do when disputes arise in the family of God?

The upcoming convention in Orlando will give voice to a dispute among Southern Baptists, a dispute not about whether the great commission should be the central focus of all Southern Baptists but about how we go about fulfilling the great commission. Simply stated we are at odds over the best allocation of resources that will provide the best opportunity of fulfilling the Great Commission. I am hopeful that we will not allow this minor dispute to hinder us from working together. I am prayerful that we will recognize the strategy of the enemy of divide and conquer and continue cooperating together for the building up of the kingdom of God. The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) vote in Orlando will not affect my church’s Cooperative Program giving; we will continue to support the Cooperative Program. Our level of giving will remain the same and our goal of increasing Cooperative Program giving will continue regardless of the outcome in Orlando.

My concern for Maryland/Delaware Baptist churches is that some might abandon cooperation if things do not go in their favor. The convention in June will provide plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate, but at the end of the day we must all determine not to let this issue divide us and to accept the outcome as the will of God (Prov. 16:33).

This is not a doctrinal issue and therefore does not warrant separation. I hope that we will consider the words of Jesus, “by this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:35.

Perhaps now more than ever the church should be “endeavoring (be diligent) to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (and to remember) there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in all” Eph. 4:3-6 [italics mine].

Bob Simpson, BCMD Associate Executive Director, Editor of BaptistLIFE

I’ve been thinking a lot about the impact of the SBC’s Great Commission Task Force.

While Southern Baptists will vote their wishes at its national convention in Orlando in a few weeks, it is clear that the role of state conventions has been surveyed and highly evaluated during the past year.

It has caused me to take inventory of just what would happen if, for any reason, state Baptist conventions should suddenly just go away.

How would the following things get done for Baptists who live in, say, Maryland and Delaware? It’s a great question!

First of all there would be no dedicated, talented, and highly motivated BCM/D staff to take all the calls and inquiries that come from our churches. I’m always amazed at the constant flow of requests that our BCM/D staff receive for information, resources, training, consultation and expertise. While no organization is perfect, I am positive that all of the BCM/D staff are both focused and motivated in their desire to help Maryland and Delaware Baptists in churches of all sizes and ministry styles. While your church may not need BCM/D right now, scores of others are calling every week.

Secondly, Baptists in Maryland and Delaware would lose an excellent advocate for ministers and their families. The ministry in our time is very stressful.  Your state convention is totally committed to supporting all of our pastors and their families. A short list would include “Ministers & Mates Annual Retreat,” ministers’ wives events, financial assistance for professional counseling for all members of a pastor’s family, leadership training, coaching and mentoring and regular prayer support, just to name of few.

Thirdly, our churches would lose an invaluable source of tax, non-profit, human resource, and church treasurer expertise that our finance team provides. Whether in the form of annual seminars on specific tax-related issues or just the daily resource to answer the myriad of questions that our constituents ask, this relatively low-profile resource is becoming increasingly significant to our church leaders. In an ever-changing world of tax and corporate law, this would be a huge loss to our churches if the state convention ceased to exist.

A fourth area of loss would be church multiplication in Maryland and Delaware. While no one denies the vast pocket of lostness that exists in our two states, there is often a debate about the best way to impact that lostness. At best our present churches (numbering over 500) are not even keeping up with the population growth.
There are still multiplied millions of people in Maryland and Delaware that don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior. The role of a state convention is to stimulate the planting of new churches strategically across the two states. Without it will some churches plant other churches on their own? Yes. But historically, it will not produce the kind of church planting movement that is needed.

For the past ten years, this state convention has intentionally advocated for, provided resourcing to (both human, strategic, and financial), and developed within a nationally acclaimed system of assessment, support and ongoing coaching for church planters. We are currently assisting, on average, nearly 30+ new church starts annually.  These run the gamut of ethnicity. That means that over the next 20 years, we could actually plant more new Southern Baptist churches than now even exist with the BCM/D! That potential would most certainly be lost or severely truncated if there were no state convention.

[Editors Note: This month, David Jackson, BCM/D missionary for church multiplication, said we have started 20 new church plants since the beginning of 2010. In the nine years Jackson has been at BCM/D, we have never had 20 new plants this early in the year. One of the new plants is our first Cambodian work ever in BCM/D!]

Though I could really go on and on, let me mention one more part of our work together that would be sadly missed if our state convention went away. That would be the supply, interim, and church/minister relations aspect of BCM/D. Every Sunday, a BCM/D staff member walks into a church and ministers to a congregation that is hurting either by the loss of a pastor or some other set of stressors. This can run the gamut from overt church conflict to just providing pulpit supply during the interim between pastors.

Admittedly, these are not the stories covered by “BaptistLIFE” or other media. But when the history of Maryland/Delaware Baptists is fully written, it will not fail to note the incredible impact of the godly men and women both on that state convention staff and/or trained by them who gave their time, expertise, and spiritual coaching (not to mention their love) to many, many congregations in need of some measure of help for a temporary time.

I could keep on making a significant case for the value the state convention. You, of course, would expect me to do so. I know that no organization is perfect. I recognize the need for continuous evaluation and improvement in all of us. But I just can’t imagine what it would be like for Baptists in Maryland and Delaware if suddenly there were no state convention…no BCM/D.

I just don’t want us all to wake up someday and mourn the loss of something so significant to Kingdom advancement in our region of the country. Hopefully we won’t ever be in the position of understanding what we have only after it’s gone!

David Lee, BCM/D Executive Director

So many times as a pastor I have stood alongside a church member when a doctor relays the news that he has cancer. The “C-word” can be unsettling to even the strongest Christ follower.

The speaking of that word has the capability in one split second of literally rocking a person’s world. Sometimes the best response from those standing by is not a word, but a hug. That moment is not the time for a sermon. It is not a time to repeat a theological discourse on the power of God to change things. Often silence is the best posture for the moment while the patient and those who care most about him catch their collective breath. I discovered time and time again that the real contribution to the family at the time was my presence—not that I personally brought anything to the room. It was the fact that I was there representing a God who knew more and could do more in than moment than anyone else, an anchor in the midst of their storm.

I went for an annual checkup in the beginning of the year. Some of the blood work caused some concern for my primary care doctor. He referred me to my urologist. After examining the tests and doing his own examination and assessment, the urologist turned to me and told me that I had prostate cancer. He had used the “C-word” about me. I now have a much deeper appreciation for the body blow one experiences when the doctor is talking about you! The biopsy confirmed his diagnosis, and as I write this, I am nearly three weeks post surgery.

The recovery is going well. There are still parts of the journey that lay ahead of us. Yet, Sherry and I are confident that God will use each step to teach us and help us grow in Him. A member of our staff gave me an article that had ministered to him and his family as a part of their journey. The title of the piece is “Don’t Waste Your Cancer!” Join me in praying that I will not waste mine.

I am learning so much. My prognosis is good, but this has certainly been a wake-up call. I want to say “thank you” to Maryland/Delaware Baptists for your prayers during our journey. It has been a unique and rewarding experience for Sherry and me to be on the receiving end of your ministry to us. We are so grateful. We are learning so much about life, about ministry, about ourselves and about the God who has been so faithful. I am a living testimony of the sufficiency of God’s grace and stand even firmer in the conviction that God can take all things and make them work together for His purpose and our good.

Here is a short list of things that we are learning or re-learning. Maybe you and I will have time at some point to talk through the longer list.

I have re-learned the sufficiency of God’s grace. I knew that what I preached was true, but the conviction runs even deeper now. I have re-learned the value of family. Sherry is a saint. (I knew that already.) My boys are such fine men. My extended family has been so supportive. I have been reminded that true friends and colleagues are more precious than gold or silver. I have re-learned the value of a church family. Faith Church in Glen Burnie, our home church, has been everything a church family is supposed to be in ministering to Sherry and me through this journey.

I also have the luxury of having a big extended church family thanks to my privilege of serving here. Brothers and sisters in Christ across Maryland/Delaware and literally all over the world have been praying for me. I know that because I have heard from so many of you. I have seen again the awesome power of prayer.

I have learned that some things I thought were important prior to hearing the “C-word” are not so important any more. And some things that I had placed on the back burner of my life and ministry are now priority.

This has been a good time-out for me. I certainly would not relish going through this again, but I would take nothing for what God is teaching me through it all. I continue to pray as I have from the beginning that God would be honored in whatever happens through this journey. What a privilege it is to be a child of the King! Praise His glorious name! What a privilege it is to serve you.

Byron Day

When we leave this world, we ought to leave a mark. Something for which we will be remembered, admired, or recognized by those family, friends, or those who crossed our path in life. In days gone by, young people would carve their name in the desk to let you know that they had spent an entire school year in that desk. It was not unusual to discover ”Clarence was here” or ”Denise was here” scrawled somewhere on the desk. This was a way of leaving your mark or to some extent obtaining some glory. This reminds me that as followers of Jesus we ought to leave a mark, make some kind of impression that allows others to know that we were here and hopefully made a difference for the kingdom of God.

In the month of May, we celebrate Mother’s Day and that reminds me of a mother that is noted in scripture but is seldom mentioned. Jochebed, the mother of Moses, is mentioned by name in Exodus 6:20. I am always fascinated when God takes the time to mention someone by name in His Word. Most probably do not give her much thought, but I think that there are a few things worth noting from Exodus 2:1-10. I would like to suggest that a mother’s glory can be found in her faith, her faithfulness and her fame.

Jochebed’s faith is demonstrated in the midst of adversity in the promise of God. At a time when Pharaoh has issued an edict that all Hebrew males born are to be killed, this mother dared to hold onto the promise of God and hide Moses for three months (Ex. 1:22; 2:1-2). She also showed faith in the present circumstances with an awareness of the presence of God by recognizing God’s favor upon the child and hiding him despite the potential danger to her own life (Ex. 2:2). Moreover, she showed faith in the future of the child and power of God by placing him in an ark and believing in God’s power to keep and deliver her son (Ex. 2:3-6).

Jochebed’s glory is also exemplified by her faithfulness. Hebrew women had a difficult life. They were considered nothing more than a possession and not much more value than a slave. Their primary duty was to bear children, to serve the clan or family and act as household manager. Jewish women were teachers of the children who were weaned within 1 to 3 years and taught history, manners and religion from ages 3-6 years old. No doubt, this woman was able to perform this duty in the life of Moses (Ex. 2:7-10). Finally, the mother of Moses left her mark and her fame as revealed in Hebrews 11:23-27. No, her name is not mentioned, but her character, her faith and faithfulness is displayed in the testimony of a son who perhaps was one of God’s greatest servants. This is her mark, this is what she left behind, and this is a mother’s glory.

About a month ago, I lost my mother who is now with the Lord. Her name is not in the Bible, she is not famous, and she barely graduated high school. However, the faith, faithfulness, character and love of Dorothy Day hopefully will always be exemplified in her son.

Bob Simpson, BCMD Associate Executive Director, Editor of BaptistLIFE

Over the past several months I have been reading an excellent new book entitled, “From Disgrace to Amazing Grace” by Jonathan Aitken. It chronicles the life and ministry of John Newton.

If you’re not sure about that name, John Newton was not the one who discovered gravity. That was Isaac Newton (no relation). John Newton was one of the eighteenth century England’s most influential Christians. His personal journey was one of the most remarkable ever lived. In one lifetime he went from slave ship captain to preacher to abolitionist. On his deathbed he said, “I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great savior!”

His influence on 18th century England’s social conscience toward the disgrace of slavery cannot be overemphasized. This part of Newton’s journey is told in the recent movie “Amazing Grace” about John Wilberforce, Newton’s friend and member of Parliament. If you haven’t seen the movie, I would highly recommend that you see it.

The reason you know the name John Newton is probably because of the great hymns he wrote that include “How Sweet The Name of Jesus Sounds,” “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” and the greatest hymn of all time, “Amazing Grace.” Written over 238 years ago, “Amazing Grace” is still to this day the most sung hymn in the world. It is publically sung over a million times annually. It is also the most recorded song in the world. No other song, spiritual or secular, comes close in terms of number of recordings. It has been recorded over 3,000 times in the U.S. alone. In the 70’s singer Judy Collins recorded it and immediately found herself on the Top 30 Chart. In 2007, John Newton was inducted posthumously into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

“Amazing Grace” was conceived by Newton in late December 1772, as a part of his preparation for a New Year’s Day sermon on Jan. 1, 1773. Newton often used new hymns he had written as a unique way to communicate the points in his sermons. His goal was for everyone who sang his hymns to find them easy to sing, easy to understand and easy to commit to memory. He really succeeded with “Amazing Grace.” It is a masterpiece of clarity and simplicity. The entire hymn (which includes several more verses than are typically published or sung by congregations) has only 146 total words. 125 of them are only one-syllable words.

The text Newton used for that Jan. 1, 1773 sermon was I Chronicles 17:16-17.  These are the opening words of the prayer that King David offered to God after Nathan the prophet had assured him of God’s promise that David’s descendents would be enthroned as kings of Israel forever. Nathan further told David that they would be blessed by a divine love that would never end. Astounded by this assurance of God’s promises, David prayed, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?”

Newton resonated with the obvious parallels between God’s grace to David and God’s grace to himself. Newton, like so many of the Biblical examples, clearly understood the grace “that saved a wretch like me.” He must have thought of David, the murderer and adulterer, and Peter, the traitor, and Paul, the persecutor. He was so grateful for grace that always, like water, flows down to the lowest point. Without that where would each of us be? Like Newton, I continue to be both amazed and grateful!

Byron Day, BCM/D President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel, Md.

The Southern Baptist Convention 2010 in Orlando Florida promises to be one of the most important meetings in recent Southern Baptist History. The progress report of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force has certainly generated great discussion and at the very least will cause some concern.

The report was delivered to the SBC Executive Committee on Feb. 22, 2010 by Task Force chairman Ronnie W. Floyd. Floyd and all of the Task Force members are to be commended for their prayerful and diligent work. The Task Force has responded well to its charge to bring a report and any recommendations to the Southern Baptist convention meeting in Orlando, Fla., June 15-16, 2010, concerning how Southern Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.

The report states that Southern Baptists need a new and compelling vision for the future and that this new vision put forth by the Task Force be accepted and endorsed this June by the convention. I have read the report and I am concerned that the recommended changes may prove to be a pill that is too large to swallow at once. In my opinion the overall tone of the report suggest that the North American Mission Board is lacking in performance and appears to be somewhat of a mild rebuke. The report asks Southern Baptists to embrace a new vision stated in six components some of which would have direct impact on our state convention.

The second component is one that would have the most direct impact on our convention. The recommendation by the GCR Task Force is that Southern Baptists charge the North American Mission Board (NAMB) to renegotiate its cooperative agreements and budgets with the goal of eliminating these agreements within four years. In my opinion, this second component implies that State Conventions have not done a good job managing resources and that national oversight is now required. Moreover, in order to ensure accountability, only projects approved by NAMB would be funded. This would mean that projects deemed necessary by the churches in our convention that support the cooperative program would not be able to have access to funds that would enable us to do great commission work without NAMB’s approval. I cannot speak for other conventions, but I believe the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware does an excellent job managing all of its resources.

Another component that caught my attention is component number four which calls for State Conventions to reassume their primary role in the promotion of the Cooperative Program and stewardship education. I was unaware that this was the primary role of State Conventions.

One of the most difficult things to do is to get Baptists to agree. The GCR Task Force Report in its present state, in my opinion, is a pill to big to swallow. While I can embrace most of the report’s recommendations, I hope that the Task Force will reconsider and modify those components concerning the role of the State Conventions in this proposed new vision of missional strategy.

David Lee, BCM/D Executive Director

I have been an active Southern Baptist for more than forty years. I have witnessed Southern Baptist missions as a pastor of a local church, as an appointed missionary on an associational staff, and from the perspective of a state convention worker. I have seen our high moments. I have experienced the underbelly. Yet, through it all I have remained convinced that our commitment to the Word of God and our cooperative efforts to accomplish the Great Commission still put us head and shoulders above so many other groups in our Acts 1:8 effectiveness.

I was in Nashville when the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force delivered their recent progress report to the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. I invested time and resources to be there for I knew that what was presented there would have a significant impact on our work as Maryland/Delaware Baptists and as Southern Baptists.  I went there knowing that major changes were coming. I needed to hear it and understand it for myself.

I have consistently embraced healthy change. Mark Twain was correct, “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” I expected as a state convention leader to be called upon to lead our convention to sacrifice in order to free more resources to “reach the nations.” I had already begun to formulate talking points.to encourage Maryland/Delaware Baptists to do our part. I surmised that all entities of Southern Baptist life would be called to join in that effort. My hope had been that we could agree on a strategy that would unite our hearts and our hands and our pocketbooks in taking the Great Commission commitment of Southern Baptists to a new level. Unfortunately, none of that happened. Instead, I felt as if I had been transported back to Washington and was witnessing one political party positioning itself against another, making proposals that were not in the best interest of our mission or constituents, and hearing monologues laced with unfair accusations and innuendo. My heart broke.

For the sake of our mission I feel obligated to call attention to potential actions that in my opinion will have major detrimental effects on the work here and will do little to move us forward in reaching the nations.

Let me begin by stating areas of agreement with the report:

I agree that we need to do more to reach the nations.

I agree with the mission outlined in the first initiative. This is not a new statement. For as long as I have been a Southern Baptist, it has been the mission of Southern Baptists to enable every person in the world to hear the gospel. The wording may have changed from decade to decade, but the mission itself has not really changed.

I agree that we need to become more missional. That is a good word. The BCM/D has championed a move to a more New Testament posture of taking the gospel to the people, rather than our predominantly “come and get it” approach modeled by many of our churches.

I agree that we must target the high population centers of lostness in our cities. That is why we sought to Embrace Baltimore. Embrace Wilmington is in progress. Embrace Silver Spring is on the planning table. And as we proceed, our goal is to apply what we are learning in those efforts in Frederick, Hagerstown, Cumberland, Waldorf, Annapolis and the other pockets of urban hurt and need.

I agree expanding our church planting effort is a needed part of any strategy to reach the nations. BCMD has been out front in these efforts. We assisted in starting 35 new congregations in 2009 in this multi-state region.

I am not opposed to a larger percentage of resources being channeled through our International Mission Board. Since my early days as a pastor, I have sought to champion our missionaries—national and international. I led my churches to give at least ten per cent (often more) through the Cooperative Program with a desire to fund our missionaries as frontliners in reaching the nations with the gospel. I have long been a proponent of equal sacrifice to accomplish the Great Commission. We as Maryland/Delaware Baptists are more than willing to do our part.

I agree we need the North American Mission Board (NAMB). I was with a group of state executive directors who met with the GCR Task Force and strongly encouraged them to not do away with NAMB as had been rumored. The North American Mission Board has been a good partner with Maryland/Delaware Baptists. NAMB has struggled with leadership and focus, but those who have related directly to us have been good partners.

I agree that all SBC entities including state conventions need to re-evaluate priorities and processes so as to enhance effectiveness, eliminate duplication, become better stewards, and strengthen our missions impact. None of us is without flaw. We should all be on a regular course of evaluation and improvement.

With that said, there are some major concerns for me in digesting the report as it stands today. I am in hope that the May update and the final report to the SBC in Orlando in June will reflect some of the changes that have been discussed with the leaders of the Task Force. But as for today, it is what it is! I am asking you to read the report for yourself. Hear my heart. Assess the concerns that I mention. Prayerfully arrive at your own conclusions. I hope your church will send messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando in June. Ask your questions, make your decisions, and vote your convictions. That is what Baptists do!

Major concerns:

Unfortunately, the report to date does not live up to what had been communicated as the priority purpose of the Task Force. The main subject is not the International Mission Board and a strategy for getting more resources and missionaries to the nations. It is predominantly about the restructuring of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), setting the new president (yet to be named) and his directly appointed missionaries in control of a national evangelism and church planting strategy.

For the most part state conventions such as ours are excluded from involvement in that strategy with the exception of raising funds. An organization that has fired its last two presidents and has minimal track record of success in doing direct missions is being told to shut down cooperative agreements and cooperative budgets with state conventions within four years. It has been the cooperative efforts between state conventions and NAMB that have produced much of the missions advance throughout the United States and Canada, especially in the large pockets of lostness such as ours.

One friend of mine compares this new proposed strategy to taking a trip to the moon and then dismantling the ship that got you there before you build the new one to take you back home.

For Maryland/Delaware, the approval of this report will remove one million dollars a year from our operating budget. Much of that resource helps pay the salaries and benefits of 12 of our jointly appointed state missionaries and will reduce funding and benefits for all our associational directors of missions in Maryland and Delaware. It also would dramatically reduce the financial resources for church planting and evangelism.

To be more specific, we would lose our entire church multiplication staff, all of our present evangelism staff, three of our key collegiate evangelism staff, our point person and lead missionary for Embrace Wilmington, and our resort missionary who through years of effort has opened doors to reach Eastern Europeans coming to work in Ocean City as well as mobilizing volunteers for cutting edge evangelism strategies for reaching one of the Northeast’s most popular vacation spots.

Unless we can make up a substantial portion of that loss, we will be forced to release many of these key leaders. I deem that to be unacceptable. Neither is there any guarantee that the missionaries lost to us would be retained by NAMB. And if they are retained by NAMB as direct missionaries, they would most likely not be assigned in our area. The result would be a great deal of needless confusion and pain and loss of momentum. Doors that have taken years to open will close. Hard won credibility and relationships in local mission efforts will be lost.  Kingdom work in infant stages will be shut down.

Meanwhile, a newly reconstructed entity will be charged to design immense plans for reaching the lost in every area of our vast nation. They must quickly become culturally aware in diverse urban centers coast to coast, select and equip a staff tasked to evangelize the entire country, develop indigenous leadership in areas where there are few or no local congregations, create a finely tuned infrastructure to support this effort, and reach full implementation in four years. Please hear my heart. It is not just about the money or even the staff. If this happens, it will dramatically reduce our ability to accomplish our cooperative mission as Maryland/Delaware Baptists and as Southern Baptists.

One of the key elements missing from this report is what has been the marquee of Southern Baptist success in doing missions—cooperation. Despite the call for unity, this new strategy will in essence pit the national SBC entities against state conventions and local associations making us compete for resources. I know that there are areas where poor accountability exists. The implication of the report is that this is widespread and exists primarily as the fault of the cooperative agreements with state conventions. That is not true. I know that working through institutions can sometimes be challenging. “Cumbersome” is the word cited in the report. Just ask those in the local church how challenging it can be to get things accomplished. But we have learned as Southern Baptists that we can accomplish so much more together than we can individually.

I also have a concern that the new approach of celebrating Great Commission giving is not going to enhance our financial support for reaching the nations. The Cooperative Program has been the lifeline of this convention’s mission strategy since 1925. It has been the envy of other religious missionary sending groups. Our missionaries do not have to spend their time raising money. They can remain on the field and stay focused on the mission. Every church gets to play a part in this world-wide disciplemaking enterprise—large membership churches and smaller membership churches. Through the Cooperative Program and our special missions offerings we have been able to resource a comprehensive and effective Acts 1:8 strategy at the international, national, and local levels.

What this new proposal suggests is tantamount to the local church saying to members, “We would like for you to give to the general fund, but if you had rather designate your tithe for the pastor’s salary or the student ministry or to buy a new bus, that will be ok.” I fear that this new designation has more to do with making some of us feel better about how we already do things than it does about calling us to a higher level of stewardship and missions commitment.

I am disappointed. That is obvious. I do believe that some of what will happen if this is approved in Orlando will fit the category of “unintended consequences.” Task Force members may not have taken into account that in their efforts to address certain concerns that they would severely impact the work of reaching the pockets of lostness within our strategic mission field here in MD/DE. They surely did not realize that they would practically shut down the work of the Pennsylvania/South Jersey Convention, the New York Convention, or the New England Convention. These are our children. Each of these conventions was birthed in cooperation with the Baptist Convention of MD/DE because of the need for an infrastructure to support the work of missions in the Northeast. Virtually all of their staff are jointly appointed missionaries whose positions will most likely disappear in four years or less. Ironically, the scene for this dismantling is the very region cited in the report as one the largest pockets of lostness in our country.

I do agree Southern Baptists needed a jolt. We needed something to wake us up. I am awake. But I am concerned. I am praying that God will help us get clarity. I am praying that he will show us that our main issues are not structural or denominational. They are spiritual. I join Ronnie Floyd in calling for repentance and spiritual awakening.

There is still time to rethink what is being proposed. Again, I urge you to prayerfully read the report. Formulate your own perspective. Then as Baptists let your voices be heard. The GCR Task Force website is www.pray4gcr.com. Contact the Task Force.

May God lead Southern Baptists through the storm and stir our missionary hearts. Keep in mind, the final decisions about all of this will be made in the local church. And that is the way it should be.

David Lee, BCMD Executive Director

Life has slowed down for me the past few days. That in itself is not a bad thing. The catalyst—Blizzard Number Two! I look outside my window watching the snow just keep piling up. For the past several days, with one small exception, the snow has confined me to the house.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have a very comfortable home and to this point one with heat, electricity, and food. I am so thankful. I know that many are struggling without necessities. I don’t take any of this for granted.

There have been a number of real benefits to being confined. What a special blessing to spend this time with Sherry. We make it a point to carve out dedicated time on our calendars to be together, but this is lagniappe.

I was able to actually watch the Super Bowl without having to record it.That is a rare treat for me. I often work on Sundays!

I met several new neighbors as we huddled and applauded the snowplow driver who finally made it to our street after Blizzard Number One. It also reminded me of the mission field right next door.

I have been able to catch up on some detail work that often gets pushed to end of the list when I am in the office or on the field. I actually have enjoyed doing some of the “think work” that is important to my ministry. I will definitely schedule more “think work” days in the future, because I have seen how productive they can be. I suppose you could say, “it pays to think” once in a while.

I have caught up on some of my reading. That too so easily gets re-prioritized in the midst of a busy schedule. Especially fun and productive has been my re-reading during this respite. I highlight religiously when I read. What I have done with some of my extra time is to go back to books previously read and re-read the highlighted sections. Talk about adding richness to some of my future sermons!

Perhaps some of the most rewarding time has been spent in my basement. We still have unopened boxes from our last move. Working through those boxes was tantamount to taking a trip down memory lane. Some of the memories were good. I found some things that my children had made when they were small. I even found an old autographed baseball from a trip I took with my sons to Dodger Stadium decades ago. Talk about sweet memories! Not all of the memories were good memories. I have kept mountains of old correspondence from previous ministry including letters from hurting people.

I found old files and books and resources that now are available to be put to use that previously fit only the category of “clutter.” Clearing out the clutter in life is always a productive, though sometimes painful exercise.

Now the big, fluffy flakes are falling. It is beautiful outside my window. What a reminder that God is in charge of the weather and my life. That has been the sweetest part of this journey these few days. I been able to slow down and spend more time with Him.

Byron Day, BCM/D President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel, Md.

Finally spring is near and after shoveling more snow this winter than I can ever remember, I am determined to turn my thoughts to warmer weather. The recent completion of the Winter Olympic Games however caused me to reflect on the sacrifice and training of the Olympians. The dedication, discipline and determination of the Olympic athlete commands great admiration. Those who compete in the Olympics seek the highest honor, the greatest glory.

The athletes who choose to compete in an Olympic event spend their entire lives preparing for this moment. They sacrifice going to the movies or skating with their friends in order to train. They get up at 4 o’clock in the morning to train before school or work. They spend years running miles a day. They eat a restricted diet for years in order to mold their bodies into the best shape. Every athlete denies herself of the pleasures and treasures of life in order to focus her entire life around that one competition. Every athlete runs, sweats, he lifts weights, and he pains, and pushes his body to its very limits.

The athletes who compete in the Olympics exercise great earthly discipline, life changing earthly discipline, for an earthly crown and earthly glory. They run for a gold medal, a sneaker endorsement and their picture on a cereal box.

The Olympic competitor reminds me that we discipline ourselves for a far greater reward than a gold medal. We are striving for a heavenly crown.

The apostle Paul after dealing with his own self-denial when it came to preacher’s rights begins now to grant us a view of his purpose in life. He lets the Corinthians know that there is a method to his madness. There is a reason why he suffers these things, the answer is found in verse I Corinthians 9:25 for an imperishable crown. Paul was striving for a heavenly crown.

Paul answers the question, why? Why do I put myself through all of this pain and suffering? Why do I put up with wild animals, robbers, persecution from Jews, and persecution from Gentiles? Sometimes we may find ourselves asking those types of questions. Why do I continue going out witnessing? Why do I keep teaching Sunday school? Why do I keep singing in the choir? Why do I keeping preaching and teaching? The answer is for an imperishable crown. So keep striving for a heavenly crown because there is a crown reserved for all those who remain faithful and love his appearing.

Bob Simpson

By Bob Simpson, BCM/D Associate Executive Director, Editor of BaptistLIFE

There’s a country song written by singer/songwriter Mac Davis that goes “I thought happiness was Lubbock, Texas, in my rear view mirror…” With apologies to Lubbock, I am glad to have the 2009 finally in my rearview mirror. I broke most of the rules of “pacing one’s self” over the past 4-6 months. I admit it. I did what I have advised and even preached to others that they should never do. I worked at a frenetic pace and did not even take the usual time off to re-group. Admittedly, some of it was self-induced by my having taken on more “projects” in my life than I should have. Some of it was just unfortunate timing for me professionally. Sometimes it just comes at you in waves and patterns that are not always in your control. But, nevertheless, I was wrong to let myself get into that position.

I am pretty efficient most of the time juggling the complexity of what is my life. Most people who know me well tell me that I am multi-talented and very gifted in numerous disciplines. I recognize that. Often, though, I am my own worst enemy when it comes to prioritizing things. Part of my nature is to do it all and do it all with excellence. But the last several months even I got to the point of feeling like I was drowning. Frankly, I didn’t like the feeling. It made me commit to simplifying my entire life as I moved into 2010.

So… I am in the process of slowing myself down. I have made the following commitments to myself which I hope will also be of help to you:
(1)    I will try hard not to let myself get into that condition again.
(2)    I will take what I learned (and felt) and apply it directly to learning to say “no” more often in the future.
(3)    I will stay focused on resisting the professional “creep” of doing more and more beyond my capacity.
(4)    I will make time for re-fueling and re-freshing.

I know my strengths and I know my limitations. This year I have learned that I just can’t do it all. But when I operate within my strengths, I am so much more effective both personally and as a minister.

But now I need to stop staring in my rearview mirror and get focused forward once again. I don’t know whether any of this makes any sense. But I feel better having mused it over. 2010 is a fresh new canvas for me to see if I really learned my lesson. I’ll keep you posted!