A Convention of Contradictions

I was one of over 11,000 messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Florida. I have been asked how the convention was, what was it like? My response has been it was a "Convention of Contradictions". Allow me to explain. While statistics indicate that the vast majority of the churches in the Southern Baptist Convention run 200 or less in Sunday School, most, if not all, of the speakers and platform guests came from churches that run 1,000 or more in Sunday School. Another contradiction was in the preaching style of some of the Pastor's Conference speakers. Some preached textual sermons and never let go of their Bible. Other preachers gave topical messages and didn't even appear to bring their bible to the platform. I found it ironic that the messengers passed a resolution taking a strong stand against divorce and affirming marriage, yet the previous night the Pastor's Conference gave special recognition to a well-known pastor who has been divorced. An African-American pastor offered a motion that our Convention disassociate itself from churches that practice racial discrimination. The convention hall was probably made up of 98% white messengers revealing we still have work to do in the name of diversity. Yet during the convention I sat next to a Black pastor originally from the Bahamas who pastors a church in Bossier City, La.

The hot topic this year was the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force recommendations. The discussion lasted for a good couple of hours. Yet there were people who said there was no division, no tension in the Convention hall. Some requested special prayer for a spirit of unity and to stop the divisiveness. Isn't disagreement about whether or not there is division in fact division? It was a Convention of Contradictions. Our Convention gave special recognition to a church that gives over 30% to the Cooperative Program and yet we elected a president whose church gives 4% to the Cooperative Program. All of these contradictions baffled me initially and made me ponder whether or not we as Southern Baptists are losing our identity. I am still slightly undecided on that. However, all of this diversity and contradictions reminded me of another group of individuals who came together 2,000 years ago. The disciples of Jesus Christ. One was a wealthy, powerful tax collector and others were Galilean fisherman. Some were outspoken, others were more reserved. Sometimes they argued among themselves. The disciples even contradicted themselves. However out of that diverse group of contradictions rose up the early leaders of the church. Those same men who earlier in the gospels ran like cowards became martyrs for the faith they so strongly believed in. So perhaps our diversity and our contradictions are a good thing. After all the heart of the Southern Baptist Convention is not our Annual Meeting, it is still and will always be the local body of believers gathered together on the Lord's Day. I am proud to be a Southern Baptist!