Some people are Baptist because their parents were Baptist, they were raised Baptist, and regardless of how they became Baptist, they have never given it much thought. Some are “Baptist” because we thought about what it means to be “Baptist” – we may have even examined other options – yet have become, and want to be, faithful “Baptists” in the way we do church and live our lives.
Our Minister to Young Adults, Josh Hall, participated in this year’s Convention in New Orleans. The following review of current Baptist statistics will help you put FBC Tallahassee in perspective. Josh’s summary of other actions taken will help all of us be informed from a “Baptist” perspective:
This year’s SBC Annual Meeting saw nearly 8,000 messengers gathered from across the U.S. The most historic moment was the election by acclamation of Fred Luter as the first African-American president of the SBC. The presentations and discussions were marked by a continual focus on how we can better share the gospel and make disciples. To that end, the label “Great Commission Baptists” was adopted as an optional descriptor for SBC churches and missionaries working in areas where the title “Southern Baptists” may lead to needless confusion or resistance to the gospel. Other changes included the movement of Royal Ambassadors (RAs) under the WMU, which will enable better coordination of Bible stories/passages between RAs and Girls in Action (GAs) while still allowing the boys and girls to have tailored approaches to the lessons.
Our fellow Florida Baptist and recent FBC guest, David Uth, will serve as the new chair of the International Mission Board (IMB). The IMB is continuing its call for churches to adopt unreached and unengaged people groups, which lack self-sustaining evangelism, discipleship, and church planting and currently number more than 3,300 groups. The North American Mission Board (NAMB) plans to dedicate even more resources to church planting and church revitalization with a goal of planting 13,500 churches in the next 10 years. NAMB is looking for churches to help by praying, sending members, and/or directly supporting church plants. Of all current SBC churches, two-thirds have fewer than 100 members, and four-fifths have fewer than 125.
The mission of the First Baptist Church of Tallahassee is to be a God-centered, Bible-directed, people-focused, caring body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ; led by the Holy Spirit in worshiping, serving, and sharing Christ, and in equipping believers to carry out the Great Commission in the community and throughout the world.
Even in an interim, we as a church do not lack mission. In our Sunday Morning Bible Study ministry, in all of our small groups, we try to be Great Commandment and Great Commission Baptists.
Fran Buhler
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