That “equipping” of the local church is one of the chief functions of our Mission Board staff and I think our role is clearly borne out by our staff vision statement: “As a servant team, empowered by Jesus Christ, we work with Kentucky Baptists in fulfilling their God-given mission.”

Likewise, the mission statement for the entire Kentucky Baptist Convention (the collective group of churches) reflects this as well: “The mission of the Kentucky Baptist Convention is to assist Kentucky Baptist Convention churches and ministries and associations in connecting all people to Jesus Christ.”

As clean as it can be, it is still not the individual believer on God’s mission in the context of a local body of believers.

To whatever degree the denomination (whatever level or function) facilitates this, it is good. To whatever degree it attempts to duplicate, replace or control/direct this, it will and should fail.

Thanks for the comment. I don’t know if you realize that I served in KY for the better part of 12 years (with a brief mission trip to North Carolina in the middle), and some of your co-workers at the KBC are my close personal friends.

That is how I know that the job they are doing is important and that they do it well.

My complaint is not with the people serving in state conventions, but with NAMB commissioning them as “Missionaries” and intimating that they are doing similar work as those who go by the same name serving overseas.

It’s not the same job, and if NAMB is going to fund it (I’m not arguing for or against that at this point) they should call it something else.

It is not that they aren’t Missionaries, either. They are, but in the same sense of the word that every believer is to be.

I am especially pleased to see the conversation beginning to move toward practical and helpful ideas for making things better. Art’s suggestion about great use of technology to empower more people to be involved is one that needs much more attention. Technology is already playing a huge role in this discussion but I agree that there so much more that we can do.

I won’t try to respond to everything but I do want to address some of the concerns that have been expressed about state conventions. I obviously can’t speak for everyone but as the communications director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention I am familiar with the KBC and can attest that you won’t meet anywhere a more hardworking or committed staff of Christians who have a strong passion for the Great Commission. These are folks who are working many hours each week in either direct ministries or in ministries that help to strengthen churches so that they can be effective in their own local ministries as well as strong supporters of SBC causes. I am aware of those who took pay cuts in leaving churches to come to work for the state convention but did so because they felt God calling them to serve here.

Discussing the division of CP resources is a completely legitimate and important process but as we do so, please keep in mind that many state conventions are actually working with fewer dollars than in the past – not more. In the 11 years that I have been with the KBC, Cooperative Program giving has never matched the inflation rate and we have seen the average percentage of undesignated giving from the churches to the Cooperative Program decline from 9.3 percent in 1998 to just under 7 percent last year. At the same time, the Convention has moved to increase the percentage it sends to the SBC.

This year, due to the downturn in the economy, the Kentucky Baptist Mission Board is working on a spendable budget that is less than the budget approved by messengers. The number of staff has also been reduced during the past 10 years and, again due to the recession, we have some positions that are going unfilled right now.

Every state convention, seminary, national SBC entity, church and individual Christian should always be looking for better ways to serve and to adapt to the missions and ministry needs of the times. I’m grateful to be a part of a state convention and national convention that is willing and even eager to examine itself and do just that.

I will be off line for a couple of weeks. No internet in the jungles of Central American. Keep Writing!

We have three piles of money and a team overseeing each pile made up of the pastors and laymen/women of the Network: Church Planting, Church Strengthening (partnering to help fund church initiatives) and Staff Support/Leadership Development. All focused toward the churches. Nothing outside the churches.

This can be done. The question is and will be… Do “we” really want to do it?

“I think I can safely speak for Art…”

Unless you have been authorized by the local church, no you can not [wink].