If they are cooperating to plant churches.

If this cooperation includes their own finances.

If they are helping one another become more effective churches as they reach the unreached in their communities and among all nations.

If they are led by Directors of Missions who direct missions rather than serving as some sort of Baptist Bishop to the pastors. The pastors may expect that and a few may want it, but it is neither helpful nor biblical to serve in a way contrary to God’s design. (This statement is notwithstanding a pastor’s personal desire for counsel from a trusted advisor such as a DOM.)

I hope my comment is helpful coming at the tail end of such a long list of good comments.

Shane

Thank you so much for your visit and your comment. As a missionary on the North American “frontier,” you understand the missional decision for our name.

The DOM in our situation was, in a word, blindsided. He is a fine man, and we are friends. When the vocal resistance began in the meeting, both he and the credentials committee stated (over and over) the fact of our doctrinal stance. Our cooperation was beyond question. But closed minds had already been made up.

As far as making another effort to affiliate, I just don’t see that happening. The slap of rejection stung deeply. I don’t think I could ever expect our congregation to submit itself to that again. I quite think that the “ball” in in “their court.”

The important areas to consider are doctrine and cooperation. The reasons you gave for not including “Baptist” in your name are the reasons why a number of the churches in our Baptist Association do not use “Baptist” in theirs. I believe that the strategic decision to be focused on reaching people is the right one. There are too many “Baptist” Churches who have camped out on sideline issues and have forgotten that they need to be about the Lord’s work of seeking and saving the lost.

By the way, I believe that the Associational Missionary (DOM) needs to take the lead in matters like this one. Did your DOM speak up on this matter to guide in a Biblical way? I believe that I would make another effort to be a part of the local association. Talk to the DOM and talk to the pastors of the churches to discuss the issue. Being a part of a local network or association of churches could prove to be helpful in your church carrying out the Great Commission in the future.

I agree. There is so much waste and aggrandizement in our Convention in associations, state conventions and churches, I hardly know where to start. I cannot solve this problem, but I can pray. And I do.

I just don’t want to lionize the godly, faithful Associational Missionaries who are planting churches, encouraging pastors, mentoring young leaders and provoking churches to good works in Christ. There are many doing this, not as many as you or I would like, but many. Let us not discourage them by looping them in with the rest who merely see a DOM job as a chance to get paid in retirement.

Perhaps we should take away funding for some associations who are not fruitful and give it to places like Atlantic Canada, where they need associations and cannot afford them. But who would make that happen?

Unfortunately, even when we organize informally, over time there is a need or desire for more structure, thus employees, committees or teams, goals, plans, events, etc.

We have to constantly be vigilant to keep things simple.

I quite agree that we need more association and cooperation … but without all of the trappings of legalism, committees, exclusion, etc…

And thanks for taking this comment thread over the 50 threshold. A first for sbc IMPACT!

Besides, are you advocating not gathering together or cooperating together with like-minded churches? Or just a more informal “association” without a lot of rules or employees?

I, for one, think we need more “association” together. Maybe not the judgemental attitudes, the Robert’s rules of order, and the committees. No way. But we do need each other, have much to learn from each other, and can do more together than we can separately. I just think it is sad that Geoff’s association did not see that. It is their loss, but it is also the kingdom’s loss, I think.