Also it was great to hook up with college buddies Jeff and Carol Young, to have lunch with Claude and Eric Thomas and to spend a few minutes with my old buddy David Leavell and to put faces to names of so many in the blogging community I have gotten to know but have never met in person. As always, I enjoyed hanging out with Wade, Marty, Ben and the gang.
The downside for me was leaving my family and church after such a long time away. But now that it is over and I am back to the comforts of home, I can finally say I am glad I went. The Greensboro convention will be remembered, I believe, for historic changes.
Let me just give you the highlights as I see them:
1. Many will say this was the best Pastors Conference ever. Kudos to Bryant Wright.
2. Substantive discussion on theological issues. The dialogue between Mohler and Patterson was very well attended and a great addition to the conference. I was especially impressed with Mohler.
3. Bobby Welch did an outstanding job as moderator and leader in the convention. I was impressed with his fairness, his good humor and the smooth way the proceedings were run.
4. The election of Frank Page on the first ballot was a big surprise to many, including me. Time Magazine has given credit to bloggers. I believe there were at least six factors:
- IMB. The Wade Burleson issue has created great interest. The attempt to remove him from the board has made Wade a household name among Southern Baptists. There were many who rallied around this issue and came ready to vote for change. Anyone who was associated with "the establishment" would be voted out.
- NAMB. To a lesser degree the problems at NAMB contributed to the already anti-establishment fervor.
- Cooperative Program giving. The issue of percentage giving to the CP has gained momentum as cumulative giving has decreased in recent years. The SBC needs real leadership in this area and there is concern that big time pastors who give small percentages aren't helping.
- WMU. The vote to make WMU an SBC entity right before the election only set things up for Frank Page. The WMU was there in force and they were prepared to vote for the candidate who was committed to missions giving.
- Nomination speech. The truth is, more people decide who to vote for on the spot than we might think. Forrest Pollock spoke from the heart and connected to the convention with his nomination of Page.
- Bloggers. Blogging has made an impact. Probably 8 of 10 speakers I heard mentioned blogging in some way. Even Al Mohler made a statement about them. The bloggers have kept the issues fresh and have created a great deal of energy in the convention. Love em or hate em.... they will be a fixture in convention politics in the future. Their impact, however dramatic, is unquestionable in my opinion.
5. Great IMB presentation on Wednesday night. The highlight of the week for me was the report and prayer time at the end the IMB presentation on Wednesday evening. Dr. Rankin did a wonderful job in rallying the convention around the needs of West Africa. Tom Ellif led us in a meaningful prayer time. I could not help thinking as Rankin was giving his report- this is what it is about! This is why we are all gathered here, from many different theological perspectives, churches and points of view- we are all here to rally around the need to bring the gospel to the nations.
I am hopeful and encouraged by what I observed at our convention. I believe there is a new day dawning in SBC life. My prayer is that this year will mark the beginning of a great revival of purpose and initiative as we work together for the cause of Christ.
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