Implicit in their assignment was the recognition that we as Southern Baptists are presently struggling, certainly compared to years past, but especially compared to the challenges and threats of tomorrow’s world.  Most churches are not growing. Many are not giving cooperatively at the rate they once did.  And, we are seeing fewer baptisms, fewer disciples, and a diminishing impact on our increasingly secular culture.  

On February 22 the Task Force released a 32-page preliminary report that includes six key components, available at Pray4GCR.com. For a while there was whispering, then huddling, and now we hear the differing perspectives on how well the proposed solutions truly address the challenges we face.

There’s no question the recommendations proposed in the initial GCRTF report, if approved by the SBC and implemented by its national entities, would result in major adjustments here in Illinois.  The report’s Component #2 calls for the discontinuance, over four years, of the North American Mission Board’s cooperative budgets with state conventions. This would eliminate the $1.6 million Illinois currently receives through NAMB (from Southern Baptists everywhere) for missionaries and their ministries in church planting, evangelism, and associational missions.  That would be 18 percent of IBSA’s current annual budget, and provides almost two-thirds of the funding for approximately 30 Illinois missionary and contract positions.  

Let me quickly add that at least some of those missionaries would presumably become NAMB direct missionaries (though they may or may not still be assigned to Illinois).  That’s one of the primary intents of the recommendation – to give NAMB more direct strategic control of its missionaries, though certainly they would seek to work in cooperation with the churches, associations and states in which they serve.  

These NAMB missionaries would not be the only ones appointed by the SBC to work in Illinois. Under Component #3, the International Mission Board would also be free to send missionaries to Illinois, and certainly Chicago and other urban centers would seem to be priorities for that new initiative.

While the Task Force’s proposed direction would impact IBSA and Illinois significantly, we are a “medium-sized” state convention. If Southern Baptists elect to direct their funds more through national entities, it would be uncomfortable for IBSA, but we can and would make the necessary adjustments to live within the means of Cooperative Program giving from Illinois Baptists alone. Smaller state conventions, however, would be impacted much more dramatically. Larger state conventions would have more options for weathering the change.

Yet while many state conventions and local associations would undergo much change and sacrifice from this new direction, there are many who feel the Task Force’s report does not go nearly far enough.  Component #5 recommends the affirmation of all designated missions giving (in addition to Cooperative Program giving) as “Great Commission Giving.”

And Component #6 recommends increasing the CP allocation received by the IMB from 50 percent to 51 percent.  Yet champions for international missions convincingly argue that these changes only begin to scratch the surface of the need to move resources quickly and sacrificially to the ends of the earth.  

How will churches respond to the Task Force’s current proposal and the ensuing, dissonant voices?  Right now I can’t help but picture someone entering a room and hearing four different voices, each urgently calling out from their respective corners. In some cases the person might choose a voice and run to it because it was the first, or the loudest, or the most persuasive. But faced with that scenario, many people I know would just stand in the middle of the room – confused, cautious, frustrated – until the voices became clearer or more unified.

It seems the Task Force’s report in its current form is resulting in the church’s four primary missions partners – the association, the state convention, NAMB, and the IMB – pulling apart into four corners and appealing passionately for the needs of their mission field, rather than pulling together in support of a new vision for cooperative missions.  But the Task Force’s work is not yet complete. They plan to issue a final report May 3, and then whatever recommendations or motions come from the report will be presented at the June 15-16 SBC meeting in Orlando.  

As I now pray for the Task Force, and invite you to do the same, I am praying the Lord gives them supernatural wisdom to further shape their report. And, I pray the directions they finally propose will lead our dissonant voices from the four corners of that room toward the one, unifying doorway that leads to a more effective future. For the sake of our Great Commission task, I’m eager to follow them through that doorway.

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Executive Director Nate Adams shared with the board “what I know about the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force report, and what we are processing about its possible impact.”  He said IBSA needs to “remain open and flexible as we develop alternate scenarios to what might happen.”

Adams previewed his column about the denominational re-structuring that is published on page 3 of this issue of The Illinois Baptist, characterizing it as a summary of his knowledge and thoughts to date.  He then solicited questions and feedback from board members.

Dana LaBerge, pastor of Grace Fellowship, Ashton, asked if the GCR report would shift church planting responsibilities from state conventions and associations to the SBC.

“In Illinois, my heart is that IBSA is a mission board, and we should continue to help start new churches, even if on a reduced level,” Adams said.  “But Illinois churches will determine if that remains part of our focus in the future.”

State convention vice president Jonathon Peters, First Baptist, Columbia, said, “We need to remember the lostness of our state is our responsibility.  We can’t give up our mission to another agency.  Illinois is our mission field.”

State convention president Doug Munton, pastor of First Baptist, O’Fallon, acknowledged that a reduction in funding for state conventions from the SBC would be difficult.  “But, we need to affirm the intent of the GCR report of focusing on the needs of the world,” Munton said.  “Yes, we reserve the right to say we’re not sure this (report) is the best way to do it, but the idea behind it is great.”

During his report, Adams also reviewed results for the 2009 Annual Church Profile reports and the fourth annual survey of IBSA pastors, directors of missions and church leaders.

In other business, the board received a report from an ad hoc committee studying the needs of and future direction for IBSA’s two retreat centers, Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camp.  The four-person committee is developing a survey about the camps that will be mailed to Illinois Baptists later this month.

The board also approved twelve goals for the mission board for 2011 and recommended the staff develop a 2011 budget to accomplish those goals that is the same as the current year’s budget.  Final budget recommendations will be presented at the September meeting before
being submitted to the IBSA annual meeting in November.

Board members also:
-  Reviewed and approved the financial audit for 2009 which outside auditor Alan Lovejoy characterized as “a very clean audit;”
-  Approved a recommendation from the IBSA Nominating Committee that Steve Hogg serve as secretary of the board of trustees of the Baptist Foundation of Illinois (BFI); and,
-  Approved a revised cooperative agreement with the BFI which is a two-page document outlining both long-term objectives and short-term commitments by each agency.

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During the March 7, 2010 service, Maryville’s interim pastor, Tom Huffty, expressed appreciation to community emergency responders, and then introduced Cindy Winters to a standing ovation.  Winters shared her testimony of the events of that morning, saying, “Many people ask where God was on March 8.  I don’t have any great words of wisdom, but I know where God was.  He was with me.”

Winters relayed her confusion when she arrived at church that morning, not knowing about the shooting, and found traffic congested because of emergency vehicles at the church.  A friend told her in the parking lot of the church that her husband had been shot.

She rushed to the nearby hospital where Winters was being treated and was told his injuries were serious, but that she could see him.  However, when she entered the treatment room, a nurse expressed condolences for her loss.  “You mean he’s dead,” she asked. “Yes, we just pronounced it,” was the reply.

That night, Winters said, she helped her two young daughters “dig through the dirty clothes to find something that smelled like their dad.  I felt so helpless.  It was the saddest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

In such circumstances, Winters encouraged the congregation to focus on how real heaven is. “It doesn’t take away our pain, but it does help keep things in perspective.  God was in my bedroom that night, reminding me that Fred was in a perfect place.”

“I went to the pit, and God was in the pit ... There is hope in chaos, and there is joy in the darkest circumstances.  I always believed that, but now I know it.”

Winters explained the strength she draws comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.  “Not from religion, or a set of facts about God or from doing good things, but from a trusting relationship with God’s Son … A relationship with Jesus is the one thing that makes sense when nothing else makes sense.”

The shooting raised questions about security issues for churches across the country including Illinois Baptist congregations.

Whitelaw Avenue Baptist Church in Wood River, just 16 miles from Maryville, was deeply affected by the shooting according to pastor Richard Newcom.  Besides being in close proximity to First Maryville, many members of Whitelaw Avenue have family members attending the Maryville church.

After Winters’ shooting, Newcom attended security training conferences held by local law enforcement agencies.  He then worked with church members to develop a detailed security plan for Whitelaw Avenue. 

David Van Bebber, pastor of Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Auburn, south of Springfield, attended Southwest Baptist University with Winters.  The tragedy also prompted Meadowbrook to develop a security strategy.  Their plan includes keeping doors locked during the week and installing buzzers and cameras to allow people inside.  During worship services, security volunteers watch for erratic behavior.

Nile Hill, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Princeton, and members of his church working in law enforcement, developed a security plan for the church located 130 miles north of Springfield. Their plan for the church includes changing the order of service to take the offering at the end of the service and to have the offering counted in a locked room. Deacons also act as greeters and watch for any unusual behavior.

“People make the mistake of thinking it can’t happen to them, but it can and we have to be observant of what is going on around us,” said Hill.

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A six-member team from the South Carolina Baptist Convention landed in Santiago March 9 and a second team plans to arrive March 15. Two teams from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention are scheduled to arrive March 12.

The teams, which specialize in mass feeding operations, will set up kitchens capable of producing as many as 1,000 meals daily.

The South Carolina team began by purchasing equipment for two kitchens, using money provided by Southern Baptist hunger and relief funds, said Charles Clark, an International Mission Board missionary who serves as strategy leader for the part of South America that includes Chile.

The South Carolina and Texas feeding teams will train Chilean Baptist partners to run the kitchens and distribute meals themselves. The approach reflects an overall strategy of assisting Chilean Baptists as they develop and fine-tune their own disaster response mechanisms.

South Carolina Baptists also are preparing to send a planeload of medical equipment, said Cliff Satterwhite, director of disaster relief for the state convention. Five of the 13 hospitals in the quake region were destroyed and are in dire need of medical equipment and medication. The equipment, which is being donated by Southeastern Medical Supply, will be transported into Chile with the country's military providing logistical support.

The relief effort in Chile is shaping up as an excellent example of Baptist cooperation, said Jeff Palmer, executive director of Baptist Global Response, an international relief and development organization.

"It has been wonderful to see Southern Baptists cooperating on all levels. The state disaster relief teams from Texas and South Carolina have provided solid expertise in disaster relief. The in-country partners with the International Mission Board provided great leadership," Palmer said. "But one of the best things was to see the partnership with Chilean Baptists, who will be there responding and ministering long after the outsiders are gone."

The initial civil disturbances, like looting and violence, that broke out in the aftermath of the earthquake have been brought under control by the Chilean military and police, according to news services. An estimated 2 million people have been affected by the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that struck coastal villages. Between 500,000 and 1.5 million houses were destroyed and access to food, water and electricity remain critical needs.

The death toll from the disaster, however, has been reduced to 528, according to the reliefweb.int website. Apparently, the number of displaced people mistakenly was included in the death toll figure at one point.

In addition to the kitchen units, an initial disbursement of $150,000 from Southern Baptist relief funds has been used to purchase water, first-aid supplies and other relief materials for distribution in the quake zone, Clark said.

Another immediate need is emergency shelter, Clark said. "While some tents and tarps will be used for shelter, another option is a temporary pine-sided, tin-roofed, slatted-floor house that can be put together in a couple of hours," he said. "The materials, labor and know-how are readily available locally. The cost is about $500 to $600 each to construct."

The possibility of providing 500 to 600 of the shelters, using $300,000 in disaster relief funds, is being evaluated, Clark said.

Partnership with Chilean Baptist representatives has been crucial to assessing the need and launching the joint relief effort, Clark noted.

"We have been traveling with three representatives of the Chile Baptist Convention who have been instrumental in our contacts with local Baptist churches," Clark said. "They are working on a number of different relief fronts, including food and basic needs distribution. El Sembrador Baptist Church of Talca has been generous to let us use their sanctuary as a dormitory, dining room and headquarters."
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The locations and dates are:

• Northern Illinois | Streator Baptist Camp, from now until March 22, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Central Illinois | The IBSA Building in Springfield, March 23-24, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Metro East Area | Bethel Baptist Church, Troy, March 25, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Southern Illinois | Williamson County Baptist Association, March 26, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Some local associations are arranging collection sites where buckets can be dropped off and then taken to one of the four regional drop-off locations. For more information, contact your local director of missions.

IBSA’s Disaster Relief semi truck will collect the buckets and transport them to Florida for shipment to Haiti.

The next IBSA Disaster Relief training sessions will be held May 7-8 at Carlinville Southern Baptist Church, and May 14-15 at Streator Baptist Camp. To register for training or for more information, contact Linda Darden at (217) 391-3137 or lindadarden@IBSA.org.

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