FROM THE PRESIDENT
Column by Kevin Ezell
Partnership Power
Partnership is no new development. Jesus required it as He sent the disciples into towns. It was central to the work and letters of the Apostle Paul. Partnership just recognizes that we were never meant to do our work alone. Even more, it admits that we absolutely cannot go it alone if we’re to be effective in our Great Commission efforts. This understanding is what has made Southern Baptist work so strong for more than a century and a half.
Now we are shaping a new century of Great Commission work. NAMB is better understanding that many SBC churches are already playing a hands-on role and meeting essential needs for new churches in North America. For those churches, we want to ask “How can we help you do even more?”
For churches not yet involved in a personal, hands-on way, we want to ask “How can we help you get started?”
It’s not about NAMB taking the lead or getting the credit—it’s about the local church fulfilling the Great Commission and NAMB helping in whatever way we can.
State convention leaders are helping in our major cities as well. Florida Baptists are partnering with Las Vegas; Oklahoma with Denver; North Carolina with New York City; Mississippi in Vancouver; and many others. These partners are adding their resources to the mix not so they can call the shots, but so local churches can be even more effective.
This new way of partnering won’t come without some change. At NAMB we have downsized our staff in Alpharetta by more than 100 positions, cut travel and operations budgets and reallocated millions of other dollars so we can put more money on the field to fund church planting and missionaries. We are making progress. In 2010 32 percent of NAMB’s budget went to church planting—today it makes up 42 percent and we are working toward making it 50 percent.
What should encourage Southern Baptists is that as a denomination we’re staying true to our original mission and character as we take ownership of making disciples and starting new churches. Southern Baptists are jumping in and getting their hands dirty in the areas with the greatest need.
Participating in Send North America—whether as a church or individual—means you are seeking God’s direction and how He wants you to fulfill the calling He’s placed on your life and your church. From spending a committed time in prayer for a church planter to stepping out to become a church planter yourself, you are doing whatever it takes to be obedient to Christ. And when you’re obedient to Christ, you’ll do whatever it takes to help people know Him.
Kevin Ezell
President
48 Winter 2012 •
onmission.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52