For the past eight months, I have been privileged to be a part of the South Carolina Great Commission Task Force whose report was finally released today. As a member of that group, I can attest to the work that God has performed to bring about this report in its current and final state. I was personally encouraged by the decisions that came from the Task Force and by the collegial spirit that accompanied the final recommendations and report as they have been set forth to South Carolina Baptists.
No doubt, many will be frustrated and believe that the recommendations do not go far enough and others will believe that in some areas the recommendations go to too far. Hopefully, however, the report does meet the goal set forth by the convention which was to make sure that more money goes forward to impact the darkness inside and outside of South Carolina.
In addition to meeting that goal, I believe this report represents the beginning for a new kind of relationship between the SCBC and it’s ministry partners (Universities, Ministries for the Aging, Connie Maxwell, etc…). This report does not come as a statement against our ministry partners or even a directive to them from a committee, but instead as a list of recommendations in conjunction with our ministry partners. This report stands as a reminder that with diligence, we can continue much of the historic ministry of South Carolina Baptists while seeking to place a heavier emphasis on missions and evangelism.
But, in the end, this report is simply that, a report. All of the hours and prayers that have gone into this report will be for naught if the recommendations listed in the report are not implemented. My prayer is that South Carolina Baptists will see the value in this report and will see the urgent need for the gospel to go forward, and that as a result they will heartily support the GCR Task Force report and will seek an evangelistic renewal in their own lives and churches. No one will be saved because a bunch of people met together for eight months to draft a report, but if this report and its recommendations spur us toward greater missions and evangelism efforts and investments, then the net result of this report will be a greater impact into dark places with the light of the gospel.
