Posted on Jul 12, 2011 | by Staff

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--What God began during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Phoenix could become "a great movement of the Lord" across North America and around the world, SBC President Bryant Wright said in a video at www.pray4sbc.com.

Wright used his post-convention video message to summarize, for the churches not at the meeting, "how God was moving in the convention."

"If there is one thing that would be true about our convention in Phoenix, it was an overwhelming unity of focus ... on the Great Commission," both in terms of planting churches in North America and taking the Gospel to people groups around the world that have yet to hear, Wright said in the video.

The convention's focus on North America's lostness and the fact that 3,800 people groups overseas are "unreached and unengaged" stirred a dramatic response among messengers at the meeting, Wright said.

"God is moving powerfully in this area. If you weren't able to be at the convention ... I really encourage you to look into this. I really encourage you to pray about this," Wright said. "Don't hesitate to contact the International Mission Board about embracing an unreached, unengaged people group, or the North American Mission Board about being part of a new church plant."

Wright praised the two mission boards for working to give leadership to these initiatives to the churches.

"What is so exciting about both these areas is it will be church led; it's not going to be led by the IMB or by NAMB," Wright said. "These will be church-led focuses with NAMB and IMB being the facilitators, being the trainers, being the support group to enable expansion of our Great Commission calling to be fulfilled in a greater way in the years ahead."

The commitment of more Southern Baptist churches to get involved in church planting and overseas mission seems to indicate God is working among them in a dramatic way, Wright added.

"To see the excitement about what God began in the convention in Phoenix and what can happen in churches all throughout our convention, really is something that seems to be a great movement of the Lord," Wright said. "If you haven't been part of this, I hope you'll take the initiative, find out more about it.... It could be God is eager to do a great work in your local church, a greater work than you've ever experienced in your congregation. I hope you won't miss out on this opportunity."
--30--
Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor and senior writer Mark Kelly. Information about helping plant churches is available at www.namb.net. Information about taking the Gospel to unreached unengaged people groups is available at www.imb.org.