I have just returned from the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, AZ. I was reminded this week how much I love being a Southern Baptist. They are my family. Just like my biological family we don’t always get everything right, but warts and all I love the SBC.
Several things encouraged me this week, not least of which was the racial diversity that I observed. We have not arrived as a convention of churches, but the composition of our messengers, churches, and leaders is increasingly diverse. I am encouraged by this.
I was also encouraged to see an emphasis on evangelism. Southern Baptists always talk about evangelism, but this year there was a real emphasis on it. President Steve Gaines has appointed an evangelism task force and there was even a sermon on the importance of public invitations that included practical tips on extending invitations.
Nevertheless, talk as much as we will, the truth is that at its core evangelism is not denominational; it is personal. Effective evangelism has to be more than public invitations. Effective evangelism must include personal invitations—not just invitations to church, but invitations to Christ. Read More
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