Last week, I had the honor of speaking to those attending the annual missions symposium of the Baptist Missionary Association of America in Conway, Arkansas. And yes, I was just down the road from Toadsuck. . . . go figure.
These brothers and sisters have been at work across the globe for several decades. If you are not aware of what they are doing, check out their site and their missions magazine, The Gleaner.
One of the matters that I admire most about this association is their heart’s desire for church multiplication. In fact, the theme of the event was this topic.
I was delighted to spend some time with Larry Barker, Director of Operations for North America, and Executive Director, John David Smith. These men–as well as others in the association–recognize the importance of healthy theology and missiology to support their strategies and methods. Here is an association that is taking the lead, setting wise goals, and desiring to keep church planting highly reproducible–even in North America.
Sound, Simple, and Reproducible. Such is a rarity today–but desperately needed. May others learn from the saints of BMAA.
During my first presentation, I was able to share with many of their missionaries. I addressed the topic of three necessary shifts in church planting circles in preparation for any possible church multiplication, particularly in North America: 1) Shift in Definition of Church Planting; 2) Shift to an Apostolic Paradigm; and 3) Shift to Multiplication Strategies.
For the evening plenary session, I was also asked to address church multiplication, but with a general audience in mind. During this gathering, I discussed that while the Church has no control over God’s sovereignty or the local contexts in which she finds herself, she does have control over her institutional factors that help or hinder possible multiplication. It was a time for prayerful introspection and change where necessary. While we read through many passages, we used Acts 16:1-15 as our primary text.
I promised those who attended that I would post both of my presentations on the blog. Here they are for the taking:
A big word of appreciation goes to the BMAA folks for their hospitality and friendship. It was great being with you. Keep pressing on!