New Book: Great Commission Resurgence 1

I want to share with you another book that you need to add to your library.  And, if you are one of my Southern Baptist readers, then you absolutely have to add this book to your library within the next 43 seconds!

Over the past year, Evangelicals have heard much coming from Southern Baptists regarding a Great Commission Resurgence.  Well, if you are interested in finding out what it means for my denomination, here is the best place to turn.

This work is edited by my friends and colleagues Drs. Chuck Lawless and Adam Greenway (both handsome fellows as you can see from their dapper photos below).  Chuck is the dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism and Adam is an assistant professor of evangelism and applied apologetics in the Graham School.  The Great Commission Resurgence: Fulfilling God’s Mandate in Our Time is an excellent book that contains chapters from several significant leaders within Southern Baptist circles today.

I recently asked Chuck and Adam to share with us about their book.

Brothers, can you give us a brief introduction to your book?

This book is a compilation of essays and challenges written by Southern Baptist leaders who long for our denomination to be driven by a passion for the Great Commission.

What is the Great Commission Resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention and why is it important for Evangelicals in general?

The GCR is a call to return to our Great Commission roots, with a much stronger, evident commitment to reach North America and the world.  The Southern Baptist Convention has long claimed to be a Great Commission people, but we have failed to do all that we can do to evangelize the world and disciple new believers.  The SBC is large enough that our churches can influence much of evangelicalism if we catch fire again for the Great Commission.

The Great Commission Resurgence: Fulfilling God’s Mandate in Our Time suggests that Southern Baptist churches have been largely ignoring the mandate to make disciples of all nations. Where did this problem come from?

I don’t think the neglect has been intentional, and much good has happened through Southern Baptists.  I do think, though, that many church leaders have lost their passion for Christ—and consequently, their passion to tell others about him has waned as well.  We have also failed to disciple many new believers, thus producing generations of believers who have not been adequately grounded in the Word.   The result too often is mediocrity in our churches.

We often hear so many negative things regarding Evangelicals.  What are some of the positive things happening in Southern Baptist churches and their institutions?

Southern Baptists still have a strong missionary force, and they are some of the finest believers anywhere.  We also have the best theological education system available.  Many of our churches are strong, led by pastors who are driven to reach the world.  In fact, the positives in the SBC show us how much more we could do if we focused even more on the Great Commission.

What makes this book different from other books about the Great Commission?

This book reflects the hearts of many leaders in the SBC.  While the book is limited to SBC writers, church leaders of all denominations will find in this book a genuine concern and passion for the Great Commission that is difficult to find elsewhere in a single volume.

Thank you, friends, for giving us a glimpse into your work.

The chapters in this book include:

• “Foreword” by Johnny M. Hunt

• “Introduction” by Chuck Lawless

• “SBC Decline and Demographic Change” by Ed Stetzer

• “A Resurgence Not Yet Fulfilled: Evangelistic Effectiveness in the Southern Baptist Convention Since 1979” by Thom S. Rainer

• “Southern Baptist History: A Great Commission Reading” by Nathan A. Finn

• “The Future of the Southern Baptist Convention” by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

• “Theology Bleeds: Why Theological Vision Matters for the Great Commission, and Vice Versa” by Russell D. Moore

• “Outside the Camp” by David Platt

• “The Big Picture of the Great Commission” by H. Al Gilbert

• “The Great Commission Tension: God’s Work and Ours” by Thomas K. Ascol

• “A Theologically Driven Missiology for a  Great Commission Resurgence” by Bruce Riley Ashford

• “To All Peoples: The Great Commission and the Nations” by Jerry Rankin

• “North America as a Mission Field: The Great Commission on our Continent” by Jeff Iorg

• “The American Dream or the Great Commission Resurgence?” by Al Jackson

• “The Great Commission Leader: The Pastor as Personal Evangelist” by William D. Henard

• “Preaching for a Great Commission Resurgence” by  David L. Allen

• “The Great Commission and the Urban Context” by Troy L. Bush

• “Great Commission Multiplication: Church Planting and Community Ministry” by J.D. Greear

• “Axioms for a Great Commission Resurgence” by Daniel L. Akin

• “Ready or Not a New SBC Is Coming: Partnering with our Sons and Daughters for a Great Commission Future” by Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation

• “Convictional Yet Cooperative: The Making of a Great Commission People” by David S. Dockery

• “Conclusion” by Adam W. Greenway

Check it out today!