INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–The Southern Baptist Convention faces two significant challenges, said James T. Draper Jr., president of LifeWay Christian Resources, and both need to be seriously considered if the SBC is to have relevant ministry opportunities in today’s culture.
Draper expressed concerns about a fourth consecutive year of decline in baptisms as reported in the SBC’s Annual Church Profile totals and the need to involve younger ministers in leadership across the convention. Draper’s comments came during LifeWay’s report to the convention and were presented as challenges.
“[The decline in baptisms] reflects a denomination that’s lost its focus,” he said. “It is hard for someone to argue to the contrary when more than 10,000 Southern Baptist churches did not baptize a single person last year. Although we’ve seen tremendous strides in overseas baptisms, we are not keeping up with the population growth at home or around the world.”
Draper believes there is “a lack of urgency” within Southern Baptist churches to baptize. “I’ve heard from a number of people across our denomination who say professions of faith are good enough,” he said. “They are not teaching the importance of publicly identifying with Jesus through baptism, and they’re ignoring His command to baptize His followers. Or look at it this way: Perhaps the main reason for the decline in baptisms is that our denomination is simply failing to reach people for Christ.”
The need for a focus on evangelism and influencing contemporary culture is evident in the growing confusion and hostility toward Christianity, Draper said, noting that “two-thirds of Americans believe that Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists” are praying to the same God under a different name.
“Southern Baptists, we can’t bury our heads any longer and hope it all goes away. We must engage the culture.”
Addressing the “lack of denominational involvement and loyalty among younger ministers” toward the SBC, Draper said, “Some of us older folks need to fess up that the fault for this lies with us. We have failed the younger generation by not creating a dynamic atmosphere and showing them the relevancy of being Southern Baptist.
“We battle today over trivial issues like forms of worship, styles of leadership and approaches to ministry. Younger leaders are asking, ‘Is there a place for me at the table in the SBC?’ How do we answer them? We’d better address the question. If we don’t, some of you younger ones sitting in this auditorium will be turning off the denominational lights when your ministries draw to a close.”
LifeWay is trying to “connect” ministers with the culture through various resources, Draper said. The purpose of the Holman Christian Standard Bible, released in April, is to provide a “readable and accurate” translation that is understood by contemporary culture, he said. He also noted the need to reach succeeding generations, which he said Vacation Bible School helps accomplish, accounting for more than 100,000 baptisms last year.
But Draper said both LifeWay and the SBC need to rise to the challenge of being salt and light in the face of mounting cultural hostility.
“Look at the culture around you,” he said. “There is a spiritual darkness falling over North America. The lost in this country don’t have the luxury of us dabbling in the irrelevant. The next generation is looking to see if we are different. Are we? Now is the time to seize the opportunity before us.”
Draper closed his report by asking ministers older than 45 to “seek out” a younger minister and “pledge to pray for that person.” He called on older ministers to “make a place at the table for that younger minister.” He said younger ministers are “asking for a voice” to help determine the future direction of the SBC.
“They love our heritage,” he said, “and want the responsibility of being its caretaker. This world has got to hear biblical truth. Christianity in America is becoming increasingly diluted to the point that if Southern Baptists don’t preach the truth, those who need it most may never hear it.”
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