Here I am reading Jim White's editorial regarding the SBC meeting in Greensboro and reflecting on my own experience at the convention.
I am one of those people Jim mentioned in his opening paragraph who thinks the 2006 convention is a sign of “a changing of the guard; a broadening of the tent.” I came away from Greensboro feeling optimistic about having a future as both a Virginia Baptist and a Southern Baptist-I have not left an SBC feeling optimistic since 1994.
Why am I optimistic? Glad you asked: I was reminded again that Southern Baptists really do have a mind of their own! At most conventions I have attended if one of the “prime-time players” made a motion or a nomination for office we hardly needed to vote-it was a done deal. That trend was bucked in Greensboro at least twice, once on the Woman's Missionary Union issue and again when Frank Page was elected president, instead of the pick of Hunt, Patterson & Friends.
The “younger leaders” that people keep talking about seem to have found their voice. At 34-years-old, I count myself as one of these young leaders. The message I heard from my generation in Greensboro is: we are respectful of the ministries and work of those who have steered the SBC ship over the last 25 years, but we are tired of the ship being steered into such narrowing waters. Perhaps we are guilty of not speaking up as soon as we should have-but I am thankful that younger leaders are speaking now.
The work of our International Mission Board is where I take the greatest pride in calling myself a Southern Baptist. Let me state that my greatest disappointment in Greensboro was that Wade Burleson's motion regarding an investigation of IMB trustees was referred back to the IMB trustees. However, we were reminded again on Wednesday night that in spite of all the petty bickering of trustees our missionaries are reaching people with the gospel at an amazing rate and in some amazing ways!
I join Jim White in hoping that Frank Page will appoint “faithful BGAV Southern Baptists” to committees in Southern Baptist life. I wish Jim the best of luck in his interview and conversation with Dr. Page. At the end of Jim White's editorial I sensed some cynicism about the future being any different from the past. Let me say that I am encouraged by what happened in Greensboro and I cannot predict the future, but if the choices are cynicism or optimism-let's choose optimism!
Michael A. Jordan, Buckingham