Breakfast with Great Men

This morning I’m having breakfast with two great men; Mark Coleman and Craig Shuff. They’re on staff at my parent’s church in Davie, Florida. Mark is the pastor and Craig is the administrator.

At yesterday’s Baptist 21 panel discussion, we had a chance to catch up and talk for a few minutes before returning to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). I really enjoyed our abbreviated conversation about the younger generation pulling out of the SBC and disengaging from the conversation as a whole.

There is so much to talk about and so much wisdom to learn from Pastors who are not constantly involved in the bureaucratic discussions that surround the convention. Mark, after working for Florida Power and Light, got his seminary degree and planted New Life Baptist Church in 1993. He has 15 years of experience with his church that I can learn from. They’re connected to real people doing real ministry in South Florida, where life is much more hectic and the pace is much faster than what we’re doing in Kentucky.

I barely know Craig but I am looking forward to knowing him more. He handles all of the administration at New Life and is a SBTS grad.

And as if this couldn’t be a better breakfast, we’re meeting at Blue Dog Cafe, one of my favorite Louisville places to eat. I hope to post a few pictures after we get to meet.

I anticipate we’ll talk more about our churches getting involved in the Cooperative Program (CP), how to educate the younger generations in enacting change in the SBC, and how to thank our churches for the good work they have partnered in by giving to the CP.

More than anything, I anticipate this being a beautiful meeting of two different style churches that want to partner to see the gospel advanced and Jesus given the glory. I don’t imagine we’ll ever serve together at the same local church, but we get to partner in bringing the Gospel to the world. That’s pretty awesome.

A Great Commission Resurgence

I usually don’t blog about church life things. However, today I’ve been attending the Southern Baptist Convention held in Louisville, KY.

There are benefits and costs to being a Southern Baptist. The SBC is sometimes related to the awkward family member that shows up at family reunions. They’re family and you love them, but sometimes they act in ways that embarrass. Today, I am proud to be a Southern Baptist.

I’ve watched a business meeting that started at 8 AM and is scheduled to end at 9:15 PM tonight. Then it goes on tomorrow. But what I am most excited about is the passing of a resolution that will add greater accountability and effectiveness to the SBC for our future. It’s called the Great Commission Resurgence. You can read it here.

There were some that opposed the resolution, but it passed with amazing unity. That makes me happy.

I may not like to spend the rest of my life living with this awkward relative of the SBC, but they’re family and I love them for that. And yes, we can do more together than we could apart.