This week the North American Mission Board (NAMB) requested that they be given the assignment to lead college ministry for Southern Baptists. This comes as a result of Lifeway Christian Resources announcing in the spring of 2020 that they would no longer provide a college ministry office and personnel due to the necessity of making a $25 million budget reduction. This assignment had been given to Lifeway by a vote of the Southern Baptist Convention several decades ago and reaffirmed in more recent votes.
During their recent spring meeting, the NAMB trustees voted unanimously requesting the assignment for collegiate ministry be given to the organization. The proposal as approved by the trustees reads as follows:
Assisting churches in reaching and mobilizing college and university students in the United States and Canada. Promote the advancement of college and university ministry efforts in evangelism, discipleship, churchmanship, leadership development and missions mobilization through collaborative partnerships.
Many see this as having both positive and negative possibilities. On the positive side, it seemed to be the most likely option simply because it is the North American Mission Board. And, their recent step in establishing a "National Director of Collegiate Evangelism" position and appointing Paul Worcester to that role has been seen as a very positive step. Paul is widely liked, and is being used in a variety of BCM/BSU/BSM evangelism training events.
The negative concerns expressed privately by many are a result of NAMB's efforts in recent years in promoting campus church plants as what seemed to be expressed as their view as the only or best way to do college ministry. BCM leaders felt that these campus church plants often functioned as competition rather than a partner. And, some NAMB leadership seemed to express the view that BCM was an outdated and no longer effective ministry. So, the primary concern is, will NAMB promote, develop, and be a voice for BCM ministry or simply advocate for campus church plants as the best way to do college ministry in all settings?
The strength of BCM ministry is the wide variety of needs it meets such as leadership training, international student ministry, missions opportunities/promotion, helping local churches with their college ministries, etc. Will NAMB provide encouragement and development in all of these areas or simply be about promoting evangelism and campus church plants? The view is, if NAMB's role will be to simply continue doing what it is doing, then it will be an ineffective overall leader for college ministry.
Some college ministry leaders have advanced the idea of a college ministry leader being attached to the SBC Executive committee under Dr. Ronnie Floyd's direction. Their thinking was that BCM ministries deal with every aspect of Baptist life and this would best continue that effort.
Southern Baptist college ministry needs a national home and we need it to be the best and most respected possible. It would seem to be helpful for NAMB leadership to express publicly what their thoughts and plans would be for the future of college ministry and who or what type person the overall leader would be, if they are given that task.
It is not my intent here to speak for or against the NAMB proposal, but simply to lay out the issue and encourage all of us to be part of the best possible decision being made.
Arliss Dickerson's brand new book, A COLLEGE MINISTRY SUCCESS FORMULA, is available at amazon.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment