Soon my own blogging will return to normal. One week from today, we will be in Orlando nearing the opening of the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention. It has been a long and arduous assignment granted to our GCR Task Force. While God has moved in our own lives doing a new thing in all of us, we are ready to make our presentation and have the messengers to the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention act upon them once and for all.

It would bring our GCR Task Force great joy for people to have feelings about our report and act upon them based on the report and recommendations themselves, versus what others say you should believe about it. The other day, one of our Task Force members shared with me a conversation he had with a person about GCR. He asked him to pull the report up online while they were on the phone together. They looked at it together and this individual was totally shocked that the report said what it said. Why? Everything he had been told and had read about the report and recommendations was 180 degrees from the truth. What a tragedy.

I appeal to you – read the report and recommendations on www.pray4gcr.com. Do not let others interpret it for you, just read it. Take it for what it says. All you are voting on are the seven recommendations. You are intelligent and can read for yourself. It is clear, concise, and compelling.

Therefore, be challenged yourself and challenge others – read the GCR Report and Recommendations. Pray about them. We must move forward to advance the Gospel into the utter darkness of this world’s lostness.

The GCR Task Force believes the North American Mission Board exists to assist churches in penetrating the lostness of North America. The 258 million lost people that live on this continent need to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and become a part of a spiritual family. This is why the recommendations of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force suggest increasing resources to areas where two-thirds of the population of North America resides.

Praise

We need to praise the Lord for the number of people who have met Christ and the number of churches that exist in the southern part of the United States. It is incredible that we have millions of Christ-followers engaged in our churches. We do not need to bemoan this, but praise the Lord for it.

It does not matter if they have small attendances or large attendances, whether they sing hymns or choruses, or dress casually or formally. Any emphasis on those things takes away from the God-sized work God has done in the southern part of the United States. It is humbling to know that many of us have been a part of this movement.

Above all, this work is a glory to our Savior. It is also a commendation to the thousands of our churches in the south. As well, it is a tribute to our state conventions that assist churches located in the southern part of the United States.

Reality

We are faced with a grim reality that not only is there lostness in the southern part of North America, but there is a high proportion of lostness outside the southern states. Unreached and underserved regions abound in North America.

Terry Robertson, Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of New York, informed me that in his assigned territory alone where 28 million people dwell, 27 million of them are in need of experiencing new life in Christ. This staggering number is more than the total population in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Missouri. In 2008, this convention had only 343 churches with a resident membership of 11,931 people.

This story could be repeated over and over again by each leader of our state conventions outside the south. We could talk about San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Chicago, Montreal, Ontario, Boston, and the list could continue. We could talk about underserved regions like Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, and that list could go on and on.

However, the story is the same. North America is lost spiritually and something must be done about it.

Access

Due to the great work of our Lord and His people, much of the south has access to the Gospel. Obviously, there are many places in the south that are filled with vast lostness like Miami, New Orleans, Austin, and yes, that list could continue. Lostness does exist in the south; however, access to the Gospel is more probable due to the number of churches present already.

Does this mean that people in the south are less lost than people outside the south? Does this mean we do not need to plant more churches in the south? Absolutely not! Lostness is lostness regardless of where it is, and church planting movements need to occur regardless of geographical location.

The GCR Task Force believes we must create greater access to the Gospel where two-thirds of the population exists in North America. The churches and conventions in the south can work to reach the south with great intensity and intentionality. While they are doing that, we pray they will mobilize and help finance a missional movement to the two-thirds of the North American population. We believe the churches in the south will desire greatly to not only reach their region or state, but the regions of North America where lostness abounds.

Strategic Partnerships

In our final report, we call upon the North American Mission Board to penetrate lostness in partnership with state conventions located in the most unreached and underserved populations of North America. The North American Mission Board can do little to nothing on its own. It needs partners in the Gospel with churches and state conventions. We must work together.

We see these strategic partnerships being integrated. This means that the strategy would be determined through collaboration of all the partners whether they be local churches, local associations, or state conventions. Surely the people who are “the boots on the ground” will have a much better understanding of contextualization than even a missiologist who works in Alpharetta, Georgia. Together they can strategize to penetrate lostness through all kinds of evangelistic strategies and church planting.

We see these strategic partnerships committed to pushing back on lostness. We believe Southern Baptists finance the work of our mission boards because they want to see our churches present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and make disciples of all the nations.

We see these strategic partnerships mobilizing and funding both jointly funded and directly funded missionaries. How they are financed is the role of the North American Mission Board, but the GCR Task Force wants our missionaries assigned and committed to one goal – penetrating the lostness of North America.

Who Wins?

When the Gospel goes where the Gospel has never been before, it is a win. Anyone connected to that kind of movement wins.

The churches in the south win because they join on mission to not only reach their own region, but North America and the world. The conventions in the south win because they have the privilege to ask the churches to step up like never before to penetrate not only the lostness of their state, but lostness across North America and the world. Will there be sacrifice? Yes, but that sacrifice is minimized when you are able to be a part of something that is much bigger than you. The reward will be huge here and in eternity.

The churches and state conventions outside of the south win. If the GCR recommendations are adopted, more resources are on the way to help reach those regions and states for Christ. If your church or association or state convention is about reaching lost people and planting Gospel churches, help is on the way!

The biggest winners will be the people who are transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. The biggest winners will be the regions in North America where Gospel churches are planted and then those new Gospel churches plant even more Gospel churches…

Help is on the way!

Dr. Ronnie W. Floyd
Chairman, Great Commission Resurgence Task Force of the Southern Baptist Convention

Orlando is coming into view. With just days until Southern Baptists gather in Orlando, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force is eager to present our report to the Southern Baptist Convention.

We have been encouraged along the way by the prayers, interest, and support invested by thousands of faithful and visionary Southern Baptists. We were given an incredible charge by the Convention as it met last year in Louisville. The overwhelming vote to establish the Task Force sent a clear signal that Southern Baptists desire greater faithfulness to the Great Commission.

Every word of our report is written with that singular goal in mind. The Task Force was not assigned the task of reviewing the entire work of the Convention and all of its entities. Instead, we concentrated on the areas of work where we felt the most significant and direct Great Commission gains could be found.

Along the way, we were greatly assisted by countless Southern Baptist leaders, pastors, and laypersons. We have been enriched by the opportunity to meet with Southern Baptists on the front lines of ministry and missions, especially those involved in church planting and international missions.

We are thankful for the thousands of Southern Baptists who have been involved in discussing our work and our report. We have learned from all.

Now, as we head toward Orlando, we ask Southern Baptists to enter into a serious time of prayer. Let us pray that messengers to our Convention will be guided by the Holy Spirit, united with a common commitment to Christ, and energized by excitement for the Great Commission. May the nations of the world be on our hearts, and may the commitment of future generations be on our minds as we meet in Orlando.

The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force believes that our seven recommendations form a unified vision that will chart our future together. Therefore, it is our desire to see the recommendations discussed and acted upon together, not separately. However, this will ultimately be determined by the messengers of the convention. We will wholeheartedly support their decision.

We expect an energetic discussion of our report on the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention, but we also hope for a bold embrace of our report. Our greatest hope is to see Southern Baptists leave Orlando with a bolder commitment, a greater excitement, and a clearer vision for Great Commission faithfulness. May God guide us all as we head for Orlando and the important work of the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention.

On Tuesday, June 15, from 2:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST), the Southern Baptist Convention will make its decision on the report and recommendations of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force.  In order to prepare for this spiritually, we are inviting you to agree with us in prayer over the following “Seven Points of Prayer.”  Please begin praying with us daily all the way through June 16.  Thanks for your faithfulness.

Prayer Point #1: Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon us during our time of hearing, discussing, and determining our actions towards this report and recommendations.

Prayer Point #2: Pray that the messengers of the convention will lay aside all personal and preferential agendas and embrace the will and purpose of God as they hear the formal report and recommendations of the GCR Task Force.

Prayer Point #3: Pray for the GCR Task Force to make their presentation in the power of the Holy Spirit and to be able to answer any questions and concerns of the messengers, resulting in honor being brought to Jesus Christ.

Prayer Point #4: Pray for Dr. Johnny Hunt and his presidential message to the Southern Baptist Convention on June 15 at 11:10 a.m. (EST) and for God to use him among us powerfully.

Prayer Point #5: Pray for Dr. Ronnie Floyd and his presentation to the Southern Baptist Convention at 2:45 p.m. (EST) as the Chairman of the GCR Task Force and for God to use him among us powerfully.

Prayer Point #6: Pray for a genuine spiritual revival and awakening to be experienced by the people of God, resulting in a mighty move of God and the resurgence of the Great Commission through each of our lives and churches.

Prayer Point #7: Pray for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Glory of God to extend to all the nations and people groups of the world.

Pray daily:  “May they all be one as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.  May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.” (John 17:21)

In Component #3 of our GCR report, Penetrating the Lostness, we have introduced a term called Great Commission Giving. The term is engaging and does represent the heart of all we do to support the work of the Great Commission through our Convention. Surprisingly, it has received so much attention that the intent is questioned, the facts are ignored, and the great things in the report about the Great Commission are being overlooked.

Let’s Get the Facts On The Table

Fact #1: The Cooperative Program is affirmed and highlighted nine times in this section and communicated overall as being our central and preferred conduit of Great Commission funding.

Fact #2: Bold challenges are provided in this component related to the Cooperative Program such as, “call upon Southern Baptists to give as never before and support the Cooperative Program as never before.” More challenges to our churches and state conventions about the Cooperative Program are given in the final section of our report called “Challenges.”

Fact #3: Eight of the twenty-three members of our Task Force are employed by Southern Baptist related entities, from local associations to state conventions to national convention entities. There is absolutely no way any one of these people would ever entertain being a part of demeaning or attacking or dismantling the Cooperative Program. By the way, neither would the rest of us.

Fact #4: Great Commission Giving does NOT add another type of giving.

Fact #5: Great Commission Giving is a simple change to the Annual Church Profile Report that on last year’s report was called “Total Mission Expenditures.”

Fact #6: Great Commission Giving tightens the reporting that exists presently. The current method is to report whatever designated mission gifts are given, even if those gifts do not go to Southern Baptist mission causes. Southern Baptist mission gifts should be those that apply to Southern Baptist causes only. This proposal will provide an avenue for reporting designated mission gifts that are given to Southern Baptist causes only and would include gifts given to the causes of the Southern Baptist Convention, state conventions and associations.

Fact #7: We are asking you to adopt the following recommendation:

That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 15-16, 2010, request the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention to consider recommending to the Southern Baptist Convention the adoption of the language and structure of Great Commission Giving as described in this report in order to enhance and celebrate the Cooperative Program and the generous support of Southern Baptists channeled through their churches. We further request that the boards of trustees of the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board, in consultation with the Woman’s Missionary Union, consider the adoption of the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offering goals as outlined in this report.

Can You Not Support This Recommendation?

This recommendation, which is the third recommendation in our report, is all you will be voting on related to Great Commission Giving. It provides an additional year for this to be studied by the Executive Committee of our Convention. This recommendation reflects upon the report when we call upon Southern Baptists to adopt goals of giving no less than $200 million annually through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and $100 million annually through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions by 2015.

Do you have any idea what we could do around the world and here in North America in pushing back on lostness if this recommendation is adopted and Southern Baptist churches step up to the call? We believe our churches will step up to follow and finance a compelling vision that calls us to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations.

What Could This Look Like On The Annual Church Profile?

LifeWay Christian Resources has the responsibility of determining the Annual Church Profile. Our churches are requested to complete the Annual Church Profile. In this profile, there is a section where financial data is requested from our churches.

Dr. Thom Rainer, President of LifeWay, has informed us that they are studying the format for the Annual Church Profile. He and I have been in several conversations about this. He is ready to lead LifeWay in whatever needs to be done concerning the Annual Church Profile.

If the Southern Baptist Convention affirms recommendation three in our report, we are suggesting the Annual Church Profile could reflect what we are calling Great Commission Giving. How? I want to show you how we suggest it could look to reflect our priority of the Cooperative Program and Great Commission Giving in comparison to what was on last year’s Annual Church Profile. We are suggesting that we should place the Cooperative Program as our financial priority. Please see what we are suggesting for the future if this recommendation is adopted in comparison to what exists presently.

Suggested Annual Church Profile

1. Cooperative Program
2. Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions
3. Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions
4. SBC Designated Mission Gifts (Local Associations, State Conventions, and National Entities)
5. Total Great Commission Giving (Please add #1 through #4.)
6. Undesignated Receipts
7. Designated Receipts
8. Total Receipts (Please add #6 and #7.)

Present Annual Church Profile

• Total Receipts
• Undesignated
• Designated
• Total Mission Expenditures
• Cooperative Program
• Annie Armstrong
• Lottie Moon
• Congregational Debt
• Value of Congregational Debt

As you see, our proposal emphasizes the Cooperative Program and puts the Southern Baptist Convention in a stronger position to penetrate lostness. It is critical that all communication accurately portrays our proposal to insure each messenger is well informed and educated about it. The future of the Southern Baptist Convention is unlimited if we continue to work together to fulfill the Great Commission.

What is really at stake? What is really at stake is the eternal destiny of billions of people who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, most of whom have limited or absolutely no access to God’s message of forgiveness and hope about Him.

This week has been a full week. We returned from Liberty University on Sunday afternoon. I began to be engaged in ministry matters immediately. Monday was loaded with the normality of study and meetings with our team. After more study on Tuesday morning, I drove to Kansas City to speak to the Board of Trustees of the North American Mission Board. Dr. Johnny Hunt and I addressed them Tuesday evening about our Great Commission Resurgence Report and Recommendations. Yesterday morning, I shared God’s Word with them about, “5 Principles to Make Your Vision Walk.” These principles are found in the book of Habakkuk. I drove back from Kansas City after I spoke and spent the afternoon in the office immersed in details and decision-making.

I am grateful for my right hand man, Andy Wilson, accompanying me to Kansas City. He helped drive and the fellowship with him is always rich. Additionally, we pretty well worked all the way up to K.C. and back. It is rare we have uninterrupted time, so when it comes, it blesses both of our lives.

Oh yes, I made a few minutes of Shiloh spring football practice on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. What a unique place we find ourselves in during this spring football practice season. Recruiting is going on heavily, and we have already had coaches here this week from UCLA, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, Tulsa and others I do not know about.

Finally, our Shiloh Baseball Team is playing for the state championship this Saturday at Baum Stadium at 3:00 p.m. Last year, we played for it and lost. Our team is strong and we wish our Saints well.

On Sunday, I am beginning a new series of messages entitled, “Extreme Spiritual Makeover.” Join me with a friend.

This past weekend I was at Liberty University for graduation exercises for the University and also Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. On Saturday morning, an estimated 22,000 people attended the main ceremonies in the football stadium of Liberty University. It was a grand event, full of engaging music, motivating communication, and God-sized vision.

Following this two-hour service and a lunch break, we then had a two-hour service to attend for Nick to receive his Doctor of Ministry degree from the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. This was a pretty basic service, following remarks from Pastor Jonathan Falwell, Dr. Elmer Towns, and Dr. Ergun Caner, President of the Seminary. Then the students were presented their degrees and at the conclusion, Nick was presented his doctorate degree. He graduated with High Distinction academically, the highest possible.

We are so appreciative of the great schools that have prepared Nick for his ministry life. He graduated from our own special Shiloh Christian School. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Liberty University. He received his Master of Divinity Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and then his Doctor of Ministry from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. These four wonderful academic experiences have prepared him for life and ministry. It was wonderful to have Dr. Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Seminary, speak for a few minutes at graduation.

God bless Nick and Meredith in this incredible achievement. They have paid a heavy price to pull this off academically at his young age, but I refused to let him ease up at all from J-terms to summer school to whatever. I knew if he fast-tracked it, it would provide a multitude of blessings for years to come. Now, he has completed his formal education, owns his Doctorate degree, has two children, and a wonderful wife who has been by his side all the way.

We love you, Nick and Meredith, and rejoice with all God is going to do with you.

Thirty years ago in Corsicana, Texas, Josh was born to Jeana and me. It was on a Monday morning early when he was born. Jeana went into Labor on Sunday night. They had to get me from preaching in order to take her to the hospital about 30 miles away from where we pastored in Milford, Texas. We lived in the church parsonage right beside the church. We averaged a little over 100 people a week in the church. On that Sunday night, the entire church gathered outside the church, watch me get Jeana into the car, and we honked the horn and they all waved as we made our way to the hospital. After many hours in labor, Jeana had to have a c-section leading to the birth of Josh early morning, May 12, 1980.

Josh has been a real blessing to our lives for these thirty years. God has raised him up as an incredible High School Football Coach, already having won three state championships. He is influencing young men for the glory of God using the game of football.

The Lord has blessed him with Kate, an incredible wife for him. They have have two boys, Peyton (4) and Parker (2). Within the next month, they will add boy #3, Jack. So we will have Peyton, Parker, and Jack, sons of Josh and Kate. What a blessing!

Happy 30th Birthday, Josh! We love you!

Adversity is when you face many difficulties in your life. Obstacles and difficulties can wear you down. It seems at times, when they begin to rain upon your life, they just pour. Just as the extreme rainfalls recently have caused major devastation in the great state of Tennessee, extreme difficulties can wear you down.

Adversity can wear you down because it seems to be relentless. I know in the past year of my life, it seems there has been little to no rest from adversity. Yet, I know so many people have faced so much more than I have in life. The challenge I have faced is that the adversity has just worn me down at times. Why? Adversity can be relentless. Just when you think you are getting above it, it comes at you from another direction. I told my wife Jeana almost a year ago, “When we get involved in this Great Commission Resurgence movement and step into a major role of leadership, we will face much adversity.” That statement was more prophetic than I thought it might be at the time.

Adversity is not only relentless, but rigorous. Rigorous means to be extremely thorough! You see, many times it is not that the adversity is relentless, but very rigorous. During moments of life, adversity can be very thorough, working you over from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Whether your adversity is relentless or rigorous, it can wear you down. It can work you over. It can wear you out.

In these days, I have cried out to the Lord to pick me up, lift me up, and help me through life. In my helpless state, I am completely dependent on the Lord alone for my strength. In my study for the message I proclaimed yesterday in my fellowship, the Lord revealed to me a powerful Word from the Bible. I leave this word with you today as you live life, whether the adversity you are facing is relentless or rigorous, this can be a great word for you. Stand on it and stake its claim in your life today.

Lord, when You showed Your favor, You made me stand like a strong mountain. (Psalm 30:7)

For years I have prayed daily for revival in America. Revival is the manifested presence of God in your life. Revival rocks your life. Revival changes your perspective of life. When revival comes, many of the things that have been important no longer really are. God changes everything.

On this National Day of Prayer in America, may the church rise up to pray. May we rise to the occasion. Engage somewhere today in a prayer meeting. We do not need to be weary in the battle. We must pray.

The hope for America is not going to be found politically or socially or environmentally, but spiritually! It is time to wake up spiritually. May this be the day when revival comes to America.

Let it begin in me.