What an enjoyable day it has been today at the SBC – primarily a day to celebrate the Lord’s goodness in the 150th anniversary of The Southern Baptist Convention.
Our day began with the consideration of resolutions. This is generally a very lively event as it is an opportunity for people with strong convictions to attempt to have the convention publicly agree with those convictions.
The most notable resolutions of the day were:
1. The resolution addressing Barak Hussein Obama. It was a good balanced resolution affirming Scripture’s call for us to pray for those in leadership over us. It also acknowledged his obvious love and commitment to his wife and children. The resolution was also clear in its call for the President to abandon his commitment to those policies that he promotes and Scripture directly opposes.
2. The resolution on adoption was a joy for me to affirm. It was also a joy to see Russell Moore with his three adopted sons with him as the Convention unanimously affirmed it. I enjoyed having him sign his recent book on adoption.
Very little business seems to be conducted this year from the floor. Which made for a fairly positive Convention overall.
The key preacher of this year’s convention was David Platt. His message this morning was a passionate call to keep our focus on the key issues of meeting the needs of others through the gospel and proclaiming the greatness of God.
The afternoon for us was spent at Southern Seminary for the annual luncheon afterwhich we toured the campus. We watched the chapel service from Heritage Hall and rejoiced to think through the seminary’s history, especially its resurrection from near spiritual demise. The new Pavillion is beautiful and a benefit to the already stunningly beautiful campus.
To be honest, I rarely get excited hearing the NAMB report. I often find it the more discouraging report. Not this year. I was highly encouraged, convicted and motivated hearing the report about Ray Grubb, Ken Dean, and First Church Sylmar (these are friends I worked with while in the San Fernando Valley). We also had a great report on the chaplains ministry and then on church planting. I was blessed.
We capped off the evening by hosting a “Live from Louisville” Skype call with my Wednesday Baptist History and theology class. The video did not come through for us until the very end (bummer), but the audio did and we had a good conversation.
All in all it was an encouraging Convention. I look forward to seeing how the new Great Commission Task Force begins to function and I look forward to hearing of its report next year.
Tomorrow we plan a pilgrimige to the Cave Hill cemetary, where many of the funders of Souther Seminary are buried. That will close out our significant time here.
