I sat in the modest home of an elder member of my church. There was a tear in his eye as he spoke.
“Pastor, I don't want our church to die. Nobody in our congregation wants to see that church die. I know I speak for everyone down there when I say that we will do whatever it takes.”
I am not the first pastor to hear those types of words. The vast majority of BGAV congregations long to see their church not only survive, but also thrive.
Everywhere you turn in Virginia Baptist life, you will meet pastors and laypersons who hunger to see their congregations lively, their ministries vibrant and their baptismal pools in full operation. The Holy Spirit programs this hunger into our spiritual DNA. We are a people who hunger to see the lost come to know Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior and Life.
The fields are “ripe unto harvest” as Jesus said to his own disciples. The opportunity is great. There are 4.4 million people in Virginia who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. That said, there seems to be a divide between our heart-felt passions and the plentiful harvest. Total baptisms among BGAV congregations number around 8,000 per year. That averages to one baptism every other month per BGAV church. At our current pace, it will take 559 years for Virginia Baptists to reach Virginia with the gospel.
So, why this disconnect? If the opportunity is great (and it is), and if the passion for sharing the gospel still exists (and it does), then why are so many of our BGAV churches unable to effectively engage the world for the sake of our Redeemer?
Most of our BGAV churches have been around for a century or more. They had their real heyday in the late '50s and '60s, when our culture was steeped in a Christian mindset, and the church was largely the only game in town. Decline started in the '70s and in most cases has continued until this day. The decline affects all types of churches—rural and urban, conservative, and moderate, SBC and CBF, WM1, WM2, WM3 and WM4. The simple and undeniable reality is that many of our churches are not effectively connecting the gospel to our larger culture.
There is a bigger picture. In terms of unreached people groups, the United States has become the third largest mission field on the globe. Our big cities and rural hamlets are populated with people from language and cultural groups who do not even possess a rudimentary understanding of the Christian faith.
Unfortunately, many present a solution that is really no solution at all. It is merely pointing fingers of blame. It is the liberals' fault, or the fundamentalists' or the Calvinists' or the homosexuals' or the media's or the immigrants' or the government's. We waste a great deal of time and energy trying to blame somebody. We spend far less time and energy trying to seize the day and find new ways to share the story Jesus to new generations and people groups.
Whatever the reason, the reality is that the cat is out of the bag. Cultural change has and will continue to occur at a rapid rate. In this new world, those strategies that used to work in terms of missions, ministry and evangelism are largely no longer effective. It is imperative that BGAV congregations find new ways to connect with our world for the sake of the gospel, or the BGAV will cease at doing its part in “advancing the Redeemers Kingdom.”
Every congregation in our BGAV family is left with an undeniable choice. Will they allow God to transition them to reach new people with the gospel, or will they hold fast to the now outdated forms and traditions of yesteryear? This is a much bigger discussion than what style of music to employ it worship. This challenge affects every aspect of our congregational life. In reality, we have to give up doing church and see ourselves as missionaries. This is a big challenge, but the rewards are immeasurable.
Take for example the rural church I serve as pastor. The elder deacon mentioned earlier did not live to see how God has blessed us over the past few months, but his prophesy about the membership was correct. This church has taken great strides to see the gospel proclaimed. Collaborating with the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, the Accomack Baptist Association and the Cape Charles Hispanic Mission (pastor Saul Hernandez), our fellowship has sponsored the start of Ministerio Latino Red Bank. Since July 2006, we have reached more than 100 Hispanics and celebrated more than 50 professions of faith. The step forward came when some in the church began seeing themselves as missionaries, not just church members.
That is the challenge the entire BGAV will be hearing in coming days from the VBMB. At its most recent gathering at the beautiful Eagle Eyrie Conference Center, the VBMB celebrated God's love and sought the Holy Spirit's guidance as we explored creative ways of taking Kingdom Advance to the next level. John Upton, our executive director, called this “Kingdom Advance 2.0.”
In addition to the VBMB, other groups in Virginia Baptist life are also exploring ways to reach our culture with the message of the gospel. The BGAV's Christian life committee, for example, has recognized the massive cultural shifts taking place in our society. It believes that developing the ability to connect with the emerging cultural groups is an issue of the highest ethical concern. As its report to the BGAV, the CLC is developing an ongoing web site at www.thetransitionzone.com. The site will contain a growing collection of articles, PowerPoint presentations, useful links, downloads, and an interactive online community—all aimed at helping congregations in transition find effective ways to “advance the Redeemer's Kingdom.” The site should be fully functional by the annual BGAV meeting Nov. 9-10, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. You will certainly want to visit that site and participate in this interactive community.
Bill Nieporte is pastor ofRed Bank Baptist Church in Nassawadox. He is chair of the VBMB's courageous churches committee and a member of the BGAV's Christian life committee.