There is one thing I have learned in this journey towards the Southern Baptist Convention…we need a mighty spiritual movement of God that will bring a radical change to Christians, Christian leaders, and churches. I have talked to so many people across the country through phone and email that resonate with this burden. I believe this mighty spiritual movement must be biblically-based, Jesus-centered, and Holy Spirit-empowered. Global, North American, and regional evangelistic impact is dependant on God moving in our lives and churches in a fresh and powerful way.

At this point, only the Lord knows whether I will be elected on June 13 to serve as President of this denomination; but if I am, I will do everything I can to hold the banner up for this great need for a powerful spiritual awakening to occur in this nation. Obviously, spiritual awakening is a sovereign activity that God brings to a nation, but we must do all we can to seek the God who can bring it. When I was a young student in college, I would periodically give my times at lunch with friends to ask God for a mighty spiritual movement in our nation. I yearn for and seek the God of Heaven even to this very day, to fall upon our nation with spiritual power. Yes, God is moving greatly through various people and at various places in our nation. However, I am speaking of a mighty spiritual movement when the church of America wakes up to its need for God and wakes up to the needs of its community and our world.

We need a movement of God that calls Christians to holiness. So many things are becoming too casual and too normal for today’s Christians. It is time we wake up to the reality that God is holy and wants His people to be holy. He wants us to be set apart to Him and for Him.

We need a movement of God that calls Christian Leaders whether they are Pastors, staff members of our churches, or denominational leaders, to a new level personally. We desire to be better leaders today. Yet, the higher need is for us to be greater men of God today. We need to act like men of God. Men of God who are committed to Jesus first and foremost. Men of God that are committed to holiness. Men of God that are on divine assignment to issue a call to God to every Christian, every church, and to our nation. Men of God that are driven to fulfill the Great Commission regionally, nationally, and internationally through our churches. I believe with all my heart that the future of this nation will be determined by the spiritual leaders in this nation.

We need a movement of God that moves the church into a new day. There is so much God wants to do through His precious church. I believe His heart breaks when He witnesses carnality and mediocrity in the church. I really believe Jesus is yearning for His church to come to Him. Before we can go out and be all we need to be, we need to come back to Jesus first.

If the Southern Baptist Convention is truly the largest evangelical denomination in the world, then we have the capacity and responsibility to lead the charge to see this mighty spiritual movement of God. Even the condition we find ourselves in as a denomination serves as a personal wake-up call to all of us. We do not need to be a denomination that that looks like 1 Corinthians 3 - filled with divisions, schisms, and accusatory and inflammatory remarks. We need to be a convention of churches that embodies the spiritual life and love of our Savior towards one another and towards a world without Christ. Yes, we need to fall in love with Jesus, the Great Shepherd of John 10.

Please pray for this kind of mighty spiritual movement of God among us in our generation. I want to be a part of this kind of movement of God in my generation. Join me in praying for this kind of movement of God in our nation.

Yesterday was a refreshing and relaxing day for the Floyd Family. Nick and Meredith have been home since last Thursday night. They have taken some vacation days from work and will return to Dallas tomorrow. Josh, Kate, and Peyton came to spend the night with us on Sunday night so we all could enjoy being together. Jeana and I got to enjoy Peyton at 1:30 a.m. for a while. He provided entertainment for us, well Jeana really. Yesterday was a fun day with all of them, as well as others who dropped by for a while.

Sunday was Nick and Meredith’s 1st Wedding Anniversary! They celebrated on the day before since normal events occur in our house on Sundays. After having a nice dinner in Bentonville, they returned to Fayetteville for a drive-in movie! Yes, Meredith loved it and has wanted to go to one all of her life. It is so hard to believe their first year has come and gone. We love them and we are so thankful to God for them. They are refreshing, humorous, and growing in every area of life.

Yesterday was the first day in a while where I really set aside all matters relating to the Southern Baptist Convention. I am thankful for that privilege in these days, as it seems every day is comprised of something to some level from great to small. Two weeks from today we will know God’s direction and pray believing Him for His will to be done in the SBC and our lives personally. Sunday is move-in day at our Springdale location. We are opening 30,000 square feet of new space, providing additional adult space for 400 adults and a Kid’s Theatre for that will hold up to 500 children, but yet will be used for multiple church opportunities. Even though August 20 is the BIG DAY we are making June 4 a great and special day for our people who attend the Springdale location.

I appeal to you again: pray for me like never before.

I was blessed to receive a fresh and exciting word from Dr. Johnny Hunt concerning nominating me to be President of the SBC. As my church family, I want to insure you see it. Johnny has been such a dear friend through the years, as well as one of those men in my life who continually sharpens me. I do not know of a Pastor in Southern Baptist life who has a better understanding of Worldwide Missions and Evangelism than Johnny Hunt. This is why his conviction and desire for me to be elected in June is a blessing to me…he understands national and international events and missions. With that introduction…

Click here to read a fresh and new word from Dr. Johnny Hunt.

For those who may be leaving early for Memorial Day weekend and will be away from the internet (you are blessed!), I wanted to start your weekend off right with some pictures of Peyton. I’ll be around this weekend, but just in case you’re not, check out this guy!

I really wanted to share some words with you yesterday, but I was consumed with “Mission Talk.” We are in a daily mode of evaluating how we can fulfill our mission as a church in a more affective manner. Our mission is “Reaching Northwest Arkansas, America, and the World for Jesus Christ.” This is a vision we have practiced since my coming here, but really have taken up to this definition since the late 1990′s and have attempted to formulate our strategy based off of each segment.

Since 1999, we have launched 17 new churches worldwide, which have fit into the overall strategic vision of Acts 1:8. In fact, our incredible people have done this on every inhabited country of the world for the glory of Jesus Christ. My conversation yesterday was with our Global Missions Pastor, Doug Sarver, my two Summer Assistants and future pastors, Matt Stewart and Michael Guyer, and also, a young man who is one of my heroes.

Brad Graves is one of my heroes, a 32 year-old strategic church launcher. Brad is leading the “Cleveland Hope” emphasis for Southern Baptists, targeting the beginning of 22 churches in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, over a two year period of time. Brad met Christ through our ministry his senior year of high school. He was called to preach in our ministry. He was discipled by this ministry, and I have personally spent days and hours with him. Upon completing studies at Southeastern Seminary, we helped Brad launch a church in the state of New Hampshire, where Brad stayed for six years doing a phenomenal work in the New England Baptist Convention. I recommended Brad to Randy Chestnut of the Cleveland region as well as to the North American Mission Board to lead this Cleveland Strategic Focus City effort in the launching of these new churches. How God has blessed!

Brad is coming up to his first year of completion in July and has at least 19 of the 22 churches committed to begin! This is unprecedented! I am so proud of him. He told me that he believes he may be able to mobilize the launching of 25 churches in a region that has not done this before at this level. The power of God is evident through this visionary church launcher and friend. Pray for he and Becky and their young twin sons, as they have paid a heavy price the last seven years serving as some of our heroes. I respect and love him so much. He ignited all of our faith yesterday! Pray for Brad Graves.

We spent much of our time yesterday formulating an initial strategy for the city of San Diego. We are praying through becoming the sponsor of their English speaking Flagship Church for the Strategic Focus City in 2009-2010. This is an entirely new level of commitment, but I want our church to do this in the 7th largest city in America. Why? It helps fulfill our mission! I want to help launch a great church that becomes a church multiplication center for the launching of many churches in years to come! Pray for us as we pray through and believe God is all over this for our church. We are so blessed and we want to engage the right opportunity that God has placed before us. Can you imagine this? Your church launching a major church in San Diego, California. Mission teams, vacation time, and even some of our people relocating there to help launch it for Jesus Christ! All of this would need to begin in 2008 at some point. Pray for us as we move towards this dream.

You are truly a great people of God, very committed to the mission of global evangelization. I am so proud of you and believe in you!

These are unique days among us. I sense God is stirring among His people wanting to do something great. The Holy Spirit’s presence was with us yesterday. As I shared our new Strategy Icon with you around the theme “Reach For Life”, we have laid before you a simple and clear vision path for our future. Over the summer we will expose this more to our leadership. Later in our summer, we will go down on some of these to a much deeper level.

I have completed my book entitled, The Top 10 Things Every Minister Needs To Know. The final chapter will be edited by a member of my team today and I will have it sent in by the end of the day. It should be out in September. I have never been more excited about investing in ministers from all backgrounds of life, persuasions, and perspectives. I am more passionate than ever about making this investment into their lives and ministries.

Investing in ministers is what I do each summer with my Ministry Assistants. We have joining our team for this summer two young men from Liberty University.The unique thing about these two young men, both of them came to Christ through our ministry and both have surrendered to preach through our ministry and both desire to be Senior Pastors. These ministry assistants are above intern status and are mentored by me and our staff in detail this summer. We are investing in their lives and future ministries. It is very time-consuming for many, but so valuable to their lives and futures, as well as our church placing itself into leaders.

Matt Stewart and Michael Guyer are these two young men. They are both radical for Jesus Christ and will make outstanding Senior Pastors. Their hearts are aflame with the Spirit and both driven by the Word of God. Please pray for them by name this summer.

Speaking of investment, Brad Graves, from Cleveland, Ohio, was with us yesterday. Brad is the Director of Cleveland Hope which is the strategic focus city effort by our own North American Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Brad was saved via our ministry, called to preach, and finished his education at Southeastern Seminary. We launched into beginning a church in New Hampshire and he did an outstanding job. After several years there, he left New Hampshire and is now directing this strategic effort of planting 22 churches in two years in Cleveland. In less than one year, he has 19 of those churches committed and believes he may be able to plant 25 or more new churches in his time there! Praise God for Brad and the power of God in his life. We are sending two summer missionaries from one of our seminaries there this summer to assist Brad in planting a Hispanic speaking work in Cleveland. It is exciting to see all God is doing, is it not? Again, the blessing of investment.

Pray for the week before us. We are moving rapidly towards opening up our new space on our Springdale campus for an additional 400 adults in Bible study and a new worship center for children that seats 500. Additionally, there will be a super atrium, coffee bar, and book store that is new and coming on line for you. In time, the fields will be completed and we will see emerging ministries occur that will take this campus’ ministry influence to a new level.

Yes, these are unique days.

There are too many to list all of the reasons why I am permitting myself to be nominated as President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). However, I will take a moment to list a few of them for you to help you understand why I am doing this. I want to make it very clear: I am not running for President. I never have and will not start. Many of you, our wonderful people, have asked me, “Pastor, why would you do this and take on this responsibility?” That question is worthy and deserves an answer. I began to answer that question on the Sunday I informed you of the nomination that would soon take place. Let me continue by listing just a few of these reasons:

1. I have always appreciated every opportunity the SBC has ever given me. When I was asked to consider the possibility of serving as the next President, if elected at the 2006 annual meeting, I responded as I have always to this denomination with the answer,”Yes.” The opportunities this denomination has afforded me have been plentiful and I am grateful for each one of them. After the prayer process, I eventually said “yes” to the Lord and to Dr. Johnny Hunt, who wanted permission to place my name in nomination on June 13.
2. I love the diversity of our church, and the people called Southern Baptists are very diverse as a people. Within our nation alone, every week our churches across America worship in several different languages of the world. The personalities and cultures are different, as well as models of innovation. Yet, we are united in our one great purpose, which is to mobilize our churches to reach their respective regions, our nation, and the entire world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Due to our diversity, I am not sure one man can represent all Southern Baptists as President, but I am very certain that one man can serve all Southern Baptists, which is my intention if I am elected.
3. I believe Southern Baptists need a leader who will insure the safety of our mission for today, as well as point to the fulfillment of the mission tomorrow. Our mission as a church is to reach Northwest Arkansas, America, and the world for Jesus Christ. The mission of our convention of churches is to take the Good News of Jesus to every people group in the world. The mission and purpose of my life as written on January 4 in my prayer journal, as well as declared to you in a morning service in early February: “to use my gifts, leadership, influence, and resources to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the entire world.” Taking the gospel to the entire world is what I am about, what we are about as a church, and what the SBC is all about. On this mission, I live and serve from before the sun comes up until exhaustion occurs daily.
4. I believe in our cooperative effort through the Cooperative Program of the SBC, which our church has given over $3.4 million to over the last 10 years for the mission causes of our denomination. In fact, let me state what has happened over the past five years and is happening this year as well: we have increased our Cooperative Program gifts 8% annually over the past five years and are doing so in our present budget this year. This 8% increase represents the amount of both Cooperative Program allocation areas; to Arkansas ($32,000) and to SBC in Nashville ($189,000) which totals $221,000 towards the Cooperative Program. With other SBC allocations, this combines to total $489,000 last year. This 8% increase to the Cooperative Program has happened while we planned and are now in the final stages of construction on two major building projects and expansions that are taking place on both campuses at a cost of $38.5 million. We are a church that is very committed to the Cooperative Program and believe in the cooperative effort to share the Good News of Jesus globally.
5. I love the Southern Baptist Convention. When I think about the privilege and honor it would be to serve in this capacity, I am humbly overwhelmed by the enormous responsibility that accompanies it. I love that we have such a great purpose we can all share. I love knowing that when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast last year, we were the first to be there and we are still there serving people. I love that “can do” spirit you find in our churches and as a denomination. I love the thought that a boy who was raised, then saved, and then called to preach in a small church that may have had an attendance of 40-50 people on a good day, could end up possibly serving as the President of the world’s largest evangelical denomination. This could only happen in the Southern Baptist Convention.
6. I know this denomination and understand the critical times we are in, but I still believe in this convention of churches and our mission in this era of church life worldwide. I served on the Executive Committee of the SBC for 10 years, serving as its chairman two of those years. Two of the years I served were during a very tedious, meticulous, but compelling time with six other Southern Baptists on the Program and Structure Study Committee that proposed the “Covenant for a New Century.” I loved our denomination then and love it now. We must appreciate our past, but we must face the reality of where we are, seeking to bring understanding, unity, and a future that is so bright, we can engage the generations before us.
7. I love the church, and we are a convention of churches. Our heritage is that this denomination is church-centered, with decisions coming up from the church to the denomination, not from the denominational entities to the church. Our churches are autonomous and engage in the denomination with voluntary cooperation. This is our heritage, our heart, and is our future. Never has the church of America needed a clearer voice from our denomination than now. God has positioned us biblically, doctrinally, and missionally as a convention of churches to resound with clarity in this unclear day in American church life.
8. The next generation is what ignites my heart when I think about serving as the President of this denomination. I believe in the next generation. This denomination must engage all generations to invest in generations to come. In our own seminaries alone, we are equipping over 15,000 future young leaders to infiltrate our churches and the world with doctrinal integrity, local church commitment, relevance in engaging the culture, and burning with a commitment to finish the task worldwide. Beyond these students, our churches right now have many young leaders who can assist us in many ways right now. They need to know who we are and what we are about. We must hand forth to them a vision they can believe in that will carry on the great work that was handed off to us by generations in the past. This is a new day. We must step up to it as well as serve and lead a future that is aggressive and ever-changing. I believe the need of the hour is for us to have orthodoxy packaged in innovation. Our churches as well as our denomination itself need to know and find a way a way to be culturally relevant, yet never sacrifice the Scripture nor any of its precious truths. When we do this together, the future is unlimited and God-sized.
9. I believe the greatest need in the American church and in SBC life is a fresh spiritual movement of God among us. If I am elected, I will passionately invite all Southern Baptists to join me in a desperate call to a spiritual movement that is Bible-based, Jesus-centered, and Holy Spirit-controlled. This must begin within each Christian personally, which would result in churches experiencing this kind of spiritual movement. This is the hope and answer for the present condition of the American church, the SBC in all relationships, ministry functions and existent needs, every Pastor and Spiritual Leader in our nation, every church within our convention. The degree to which it occurs will determine the expansion of the gospel of Jesus regionally, nationally, and globally. Every Pastor and Spiritual Leader within their context of leadership will be invited to join me in making this passionate and desperate call to the church and to our denomination. Since we have been entrusted as the denomination that is heralded as the largest in the evangelical and Protestant world, we have no other choice than to experience this kind of spiritual movement for the sake of billions of people in the world. My love for the church, our nation, and the expansion of the gospel worldwide, is the reason I am permitting my name to be placed in nomination to serve as the next President of the Southern Baptist Convention, if elected. I pray that whoever is called upon to serve as the next President will see the urgency and need to passionately lead and invite all Southern Baptists to experience a mighty movement of God as well as lead our convention through the challenges we face today. When this is done, we will finish the task to take the gospel to every people group across the globe in our generation.

I could go on longer, but my dear people, thanks for loving, supporting, and most of all praying for me in the challenges we face now and may face if I am asked to serve our Southern Baptist Convention. The will of the Lord will be done and we will rest in His will.

I love you church!

I received a tremendous letter of encouragement from Dr. Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I have asked him if I can share his letter of excitement and support with you on my blog today. He agreed with enthusiasm.

Dr. Mohler and I have been friends for many years. He and I served on the Program and Structure Committee for the Southern Baptist Convention for two years together with the task of restructuring this denomination. I learned of his brilliance as he began this initial task for our denomination. He is one of the most sought after theological communicators of our day and has appeared on Larry King Live and many other broadcasts. I truly believe that he could go to battle with any intellectual in our generation. Dr. Mohler has also preached in our church and spoken to our staff team. I hope he is able to do so again one day.

I am humbled that a man like Dr. Al Mohler would ever be enthusiastic about the possibility of me serving as President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Thank you, Lord, for the way you have blessed me! Read his letter below …

Dear Ronnie:

Congratulations upon the news of your nomination to serve as president of the Southern Baptist Convention.  I am greatly encouraged by this news, and I want you to know of my eager support for you as the elected leader of our convention.  I am thankful for your leadership, your deep personal investment in the life and work of the Southern Baptist Convention, and your friendship to me and to Southern Seminary through so many years.

I am very thankful that we had the opportunity of working together on the Program and Structure Study Committee when we spent so many months together considering the future shape of the Southern Baptist Convention.  At that time, I was simply amazed that a pastor serving such a large church would give so much of his time to the intricacies of developing this strategic plan and vision for the future of our denomination.  We spent so many hours together in that process and it was largely through that experience that I came to know of your deep love for Southern Baptists, your incredible organizational ability, and your leadership vision.

You have been a great friend to me and to Southern Seminary as we have brought this seminary back to full accountability to the Southern Baptist Convention.  Your stalwart friendship and enthusiastic support has meant so much to me and to the future of this institution. 

Thank you for your service as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention and for your committed leadership throughout every level of our denomination.  You have never said no to Southern Baptists when duty has called, and I deeply appreciate your willingness to serve as President of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

I pray that God will bless you, guide you, and encourage you at every stage along this path.  Please call me if I can be of assistance in any way.

Sincerely,
R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

Life is filled with twist and turns, and yesterday was no exception. You never know what will occur as you walk through life. The experiences are always filled with lessons. Yet, they are difficult to learn.

My niece, Kristy, and her husband, Rodney had their first baby last week at 4 pounds. This special gift of God is my sister’s little granddaughter. Before Macy was born, the doctors had a concern about her development, but were very hopeful. Macy was diagnosed yesterday with Down’s Syndrome. They had just brought her home over the weekend. Yesterday was a very difficult day for them. As I talked with Kristy, I reminded her how God has prepared her to care for this gift from heaven that will bless hundreds of lives. We are grateful to God for baby Macy and look forward to seeing her. Please pray for all of them today.

On Monday, I lost one of the greatest prayer warriors in my life and church as Teenie Moore went home to be with Jesus. On Friday morning I went over to be with them, andTeenie had just slipped into a coma. As she laid there, I just sat on the bed and talked to her. Before I prayed for her that final time, I thanked her for calling me every Saturday for years, praying for me daily, for taking care of our family in 1990 when Jeana went through cancer and the ensuing treatments, and I told her to tell my Dad hello and that I love him for me when she sees him in heaven. At 11:45 a.m. on Monday, Teenie went to be with Jesus. We grieve. Heaven celebrates. This week I will conduct her Memorial Service.

One of our great family and churchmen went to be with Jesus on Friday, Tom Buchanan. Tom was married to Neva for 67 years. When I went by to see the family on Friday upon Tom’s death, I was not able to see them due to illness. We have prayed for them and have praised the Lord for Tom’s life. He was quiet, but supportive. He was committed to our Lord. Today, Tom is with the Lord.

Friday was to be my day off, but life has a way of twisting and turning with us in the middle of it. Those two families who have lost these warriors have loved and supported us all these years and have modeled for all of us commitment to Christ, His church, and to the lifelong commitment to marriage.

Who will step up to pray? Who will step up to encourage? Who will step up to always be at church, regardless of personal preference or feelings? When I lose people like Teenie and Tom to heaven, I always wonder, who will take their place? Surely the Lord would not have them leave us until someone is ready to step up to take that place. Well, no one will take their place with their families, or our church, but surely someone can step up their walk with Christ to be all God wants them to be in life.

In life, I just have to trust the Lord. Yes, today is no exception, another day of trust. I have no idea what new twists and turns may happen today, but I have no other choice but to live as I am always …

Trusting God…

With everything happening in my life and family, I have been thinking of my roots. You know, where I came from and how I was raised. The possibility of serving my denomination as its President has caused great reflection in my life. Of course, since November, my roots have been revisited numerous times.

When my Dad died just before Thanksgiving of last year, I was called upon to revisit my roots in an extreme way. Not only Dad’s death, but trips to my Mom’s in the process and since his death demanded a revisiting of my roots. Through Dad’s death, memories were called upon as people came to experience his loss with us.  Some of those people were folks I had not seen in years.

Being raised in small town America, but more than anything, being raised in a very small church has served as one of my greatest memories. Small was the nature of our church, even though the heart was big.  The heart was big for God, huge for the Word of God, and hot for souls to come to Christ. Of course, church was never an option growing up and should not be today, but my Dad and Mom insured it was a part of my lifestyle.  We were Southern Baptists to the core, biblically and theologically. To this, we would have never even entertained any compromise.

This small church served as an opportunity for me to speak publicly at a very young age, even before I was called by God to do so. This small church afforded me the privilege to lead the singing on numerous occasions. This small church insisted on my commitment to prayer meeting, Sunday morning and evening church services, Sunday School, Training Union, weekly Visitation, and revivals or anything we had nightly. My life was the church.

If we touched 40-50 people a week in this church, we had experienced a pretty big day. This is where I was raised.  In fact, it was not until my mid-20′s that I served a church that touched over 120 weekly.  People forget this due to church culture today.  This was the day before larger membership churches. I had no idea churches could be bigger than 200 or so when I left for my Baptist college in Texas.  God does not look at the size of a church as much as He looks at the size of our vision!

When my Dad died, I revisited all of those memories of my small church. They were sweet and life-changing. I have never forgotten them. The simplicity of it is yearning in my heart to this day!

When I think of serving those churches by the thousands if I am elected President of our denomination, I am both humbled and encouraged. Why?  Because the vast majority of us 35 and older were raised in that kind of church environment. We cannot ever forget our roots. If the nation is going to turn, these are the kind of churches that will turn it.  One pastor at a time, one member at a time, and one soul at a time. The men of God that serve these membership-sized churches are great men of God and were my spiritual heroes growing up and many still are today. They are men who are not turned on to the wonders of the world as much as their passion for God. These kind of men are the ones that so riveted my life to this very day as I think of those men of God one by one from my home church.

I would like to go back today and thank those men; however, they are with Jesus today, at least most of them are. With one or two exceptions, I think the rest are with the Lord.

My point today: Revisit your roots…it will make you better. Isaiah advised us to never forget the rock from which we were cut! Great advice. Go ahead. Revisit. Count your blessings one by one…yes, I learned that in my home church and have never forgotten it!