The Gospel Coalition: Reflections on the SBC 2013

Last week I spent 3 days in Houston, TX, at the pastors’ conference of the Southern Baptist Convention. Meeting at the SBC is always a great time, as I get to reconnect with old friends and hear about what God has for our future.

I’m often asked,“Why even bother with something like the SBC? Aren’t the days of denominations over? Can’t we be just as effective on our own? Why deal with all the red tape, bureaucracy, and downright crazy people who speak in the SBC’s name?” Cooperating with the SBC offers a fair number of challenges: we are not a perfect people by a lot shot. And for many people, the solution seems to be to simply sever ties and go our own way. But cooperating together for the mission of God, however challenging, is biblical, expedient, and personally beneficial.

Recently I read Tim Keller’s Center Church, in which he discusses the interplay between movements and institutions. He points out something that is easy to ignore, that both need each other. We are used to thinking that institutions without movements (a sense of excitement, charismatic leaders, and a compelling vision) quickly die. But what we are not as used to thinking about is that movements without institutions lack both staying power and the teeth to accomplish their agenda. Read more

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The Gospel Coalition: 9 Things You Should Know About Southern Baptists