Integrating Young Leaders to the Southern Baptist Convention: The Third Encounter
The younger leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) were encouraged to “take” the denomination and “make it” into something befitting the future generation.
"I'd take it. Then I'd make the changes I think ought to be made," said James T. Draper Jr., president of LifeWay Christian Resources, as he addressed a crowd of younger Southern Baptist leaders in Nashville, Tenn. "That's what some of us tried to do in 1979 [by starting the conservative resurgence]. We saw some problems.... There were some changes that had to be made, and it cost a lot to make those changes. And it's going to cost you."
The March 3rd gathering marked the third “face to face” encounter between Draper and the denomination’s younger leaders. The encounters began last year following Draper’s provocative “frog in a kettle” statement regarding the future of the 16-million member denomination. During last year’s annual SBC gathering, Draper took note that while the denomination is strong now, it won’t be for long unless the younger generation takes the initiative to lead the church. Since then, LifeWay sponsored a series of 8 “encounters” across the nation, set to culminate at the denomination’s annual gathering this year.
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According to Baptist Press, Draper acknowledged that change “won’t come easy.”
"I know I'm in the last section of my life and the best of my energy and time is behind me," he said. "But you all have that in front of you. So ask God how to use the incredible energy you have to stand for the changes. They won't come easy. Southern Baptist life is like any organism -- you try to change it and it's going to resist. That's just the way it is.”
"There has always been a need to include younger leaders and to transfer passion and vision to those who come behind us, and that's not always an easy thing to do. It's harder today," he said.
However, he encouraged the leaders, aged between 20-40, to take the initiative and “hang in there”.
"What I want to say to you is it won't be easy because there will be enough of my generation who will hang around long enough to give you fits. But there will be enough of us, hopefully, who will be around to encourage you and say, 'Hang in there. It's worth the struggle,'" Draper said. "You have to understand we are not handing you a self-contained cylinder that can't be changed."
Ultimately, Draper pointed to the need for dedication to the Great Commission as a reason why building the denomination would be worth the struggle.
"It's a lot easier to say, 'I don't need that.' It's a lot easier to say, 'I'm just going to win my community to Christ….' That's great, but the Great Commission is still the Great Commission. The world is still lost," Draper said, as he reminded the leaders of the great mission bodies established within the denomination. "I say take it and make it what you want it to be."
According to BP, younger leaders at the dialogue “suggested churches consider allowing more young people to participate in SBC annual meetings by blocking off a certain portion of the church's messengers for leaders ages 25 to 35,” since “older church leaders take all of the allotted messenger spots before younger members have a chance to sign up.”
Another suggestion was to give young leaders “more opportunities to be mentored by older pastors or convention leaders,” according to BP.
To that, Draper answered that all the trustee meetings are open to any Southern Baptist who wishes to observe, and encouraged the young leaders to attend an Executive Committee meeting or a LifeWay trustee meeting to see how they operate.
For more information on LifeWay’s effort to gather young leaders, visit: www.lifeway.com/youngerleaders.
