Is Associationalism Dead?

By Dr. Paul Chitwood | Published: May 17, 2012
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The following is a guest post from Stan Albright, the national director for associations for the North American Mission Board.

Is Associationalism Dead?

Stan Albright

Recently, I read an eye-opening and challenging article written by Matthew Spandler-Davison.  Matthew is a young Southern Baptist pastor from central Kentucky. The article was entitled, “Don’t Pull the Plug on Your Association Yet.”

Here is an out-take from his article.

“Many say the local Baptist association is dead. It may have once been the bedrock of Baptist cooperation, but why submit yourself to another mind-numbing meeting about irrelevant committees? Let’s pull the plug. It is time to end the misery.

Not so fast! I just left a meeting in which I was developing a plan for a church plant in an area of our county that has no gospel witness. We strategized together about training pastors in the Philippines. We discussed church revitalization in Scotland.

Was this a strategy session with my elders? No, it was a meeting of the Nelson Baptist Association.

You will be forgiven for having a hard time believing me. I have sat through many association meetings over the years. I have been as frustrated as you have been. I have been tempted to throw my hands up in the air and disengage. But I am glad I did not. Here’s why.

HOW WE TURNED AROUND OUR LOCAL ASSOCIATION

The Nelson Baptist Association has forty-three churches from three counties in central Kentucky. I came to this area ten years ago and was struck by the lack of health in many churches. It was messy stuff. There was suspicion, distrust, and theological apathy. Yet the association today is a long way from that. How did this turnaround happen for us so quickly?

1. A group of pastors has committed to each other.

In and through this local Baptist association, a group of pastors have established strong relationships with each other. Pastors are praying, encouraging, exhorting, and, on occasion, rebuking one another. Pastors are fighting alongside each other, not against each other.

2. We recognized the need for change.

Increasingly, there was dissatisfaction with the way things were. Funding was dwindling, attendance at meetings was pitiful, and the association was struggling to come to terms with what its purpose was.

3. We’ve been blessed with renewed leaderships.

Our association has a new Director of Missions who is an energetic, kind-hearted, well-respected man. He is a bridge-builder, but is not afraid to contend for the faith. And he is willing to come alongside pastors and invite them to be a part of the process of change.”

You can read Matthew’s complete article by clicking on this link: Don’t Pull the Plug on Your Association Yet

This is an awesome testimony for the association and their visionary Director of Missions!

Did you catch Matthew’s closing remark?  He said the [Director of Missions was] “willing to come alongside pastors and invite them to be a part of the process of change.”  I have a couple of remarks concerning this quote.

First, the willingness of the Director of Missions to be inclusive by allowing his pastors to become a significant part of the change process is huge.  Too many times we attempt change from a “silo” mentality.

Our intentions may be good, but a silo perspective is usually tainted by personal bias, incomplete information, or fear of the change itself.  By inviting associational leaders to the table, it reveals trust, vulnerability, relevance, authenticity, and a far better perspective in the decision making process.

Second, many times leaders fail to seek the input of others because they do not know where to begin in evaluating their current ministry and strategizing for the future.  Associational IMPACT can help.

Associational IMPACT has a two-pronged approach in helping associations to evaluate their current direction, while providing a platform for the association to include their church leaders in the process.

 Associational Assessment

Associational Assessments is a strategic diagnostic process for associations to help them prepare to successfully design and implement a sustainable strategy that expands and extends the Kingdom. IMPACT, in coordination with the local Director of Missions and association, will conduct an assessment and diagnostic of the association through a process that includes strategic interviews with local church leaders.

The interviews will gather information of the current missional readiness of the churches in the association, giving the association a snapshot of needs to be addressed and priorities to pursue.  The information becomes a vital part of the development of a relevant strategy for the association.

Strategy Review / Development

Most associations have developed some form of strategy plan.  Unfortunately, many of their plans are either out of date or non-functioning.  Strategy Review is a “phase one” process where IMPACT will work with the local association’s leadership to evaluate the effectiveness and relevancy of their current strategy.

Often, plans are “tweaked” allowing the current associational strategy to stay the course of effective ministry.  However, many times after the review is completed, the association may determine that they need to develop a new strategy instead of just “fine tuning” their current strategy.

Strategy Development is “phase two” of the process.  IMPACT will lead the association’s leadership to seek God’s direction in designing a new strategy for the association.  Although there are times when elements from an association’s current strategy are retained or upgraded into the new strategy plan, strategy development is a time of looking “deep” into the organization with the purpose of making significant change in purpose and direction.

If your association is interested in learning more about the Associational Assessments, as well as the potentiality of conducting a Strategy Review or Strategy Development process, contact the Associational IMPACT office at the North American Mission Board.  We can be reached by calling (770) 410-6247, or email Cathy Cumming at ccumming@namb.net or Stan Albright, salbright@namb.net. We look forward to serving you and your association.

Posted in All Posts, Baptist Associations | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Renewing the KBC’s Historic Vision

By Dr. Paul Chitwood | Published: May 16, 2012
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According to North American Mission Board research, approximately 2.8 million Kentuckians have yet to place their faith in Christ and experience salvation. That reality alone justifies the existence of the Kentucky Baptist Convention as a missions agency created by churches, for churches, to help churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.

Great Commission obedience requires our investment of resources in reaching the panta ta enthne dispersed around the planet. It also requires our investment of resources in reaching the people groups found in our Judea, i.e., Kentucky. Those peoples have come to us from Asia, Africa, India, China, Europe, and Central and South America. For now, the majority of them are from North America. Regardless of national or ethnic heritage, every resident of Kentucky holds one thing in common: without Christ they are destined to spend eternity in hell.

In 1837, Baptists in Kentucky determined they could do more to reach the lost in Kentucky and around the world by cooperating together and so formed the KBC. That decision has been bearing eternal fruit for 175 years and I am convinced our cooperative mission efforts can continue to bear fruit until Christ’s coming.

On May 8, our Mission Board embraced a new vision for the future. A careful look at the components of that vision reveals, however, that the vision is more old than new. It is, in fact, an intentional recovery of the vision that pulled together Kentucky Baptist churches 175 years ago: working together to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.

As a missions agency facilitating that vision, what, specifically will the KBC do? The following bullet points set the parameters for the ministry of the KBC moving forward.

  • Provide comprehensive ministry consulting for KBC churches.
  • Facilitate training and networking opportunities for leaders and churches.
  • Facilitate missions partnerships and church planting opportunities in Kentucky, North America, and to the ends of the earth.
  • Facilitate relationships between Kentucky Baptist churches and their agencies and institutions.
  • Promote and process Cooperative Program giving in order to assist churches in their Great Commission obedience.
  • Mobilize Kentucky Baptist churches to influence society with the Christian principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love.

These parameters provide focus for our Mission Board staff by helping us limit our ministry to the essential roles of a state convention. In so doing, they allow us to set priorities for utilizing the Cooperative Program funds that will be invested in reaching Kentucky and enable us to invest a growing percentage of those funds in getting the gospel to places in the world where it is yet to be proclaimed. That equals Great Commission obedience at home and abroad.

Posted in All Posts, KBC Reorganization, Vision | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remodeling the Watchtower

By Dr. Paul Chitwood | Published: May 9, 2012
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In Luke 14, Jesus teaches us about the cost of discipleship, emphasizing our need to understand the cost even before we take the first step in his direction. Jesus first illustrates his point using the example of a builder:  “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it” (v28)? He then appeals to the example of a king: “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?  If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace” (vv31-32).

Jesus’ appeal to the wise virtue of counting the cost can be applied to many areas of life and ministry. Over the course of the past several months, I have been applying it to the work of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. While we will never ask our already defeated enemy (Satan) for terms of peace, the time has come to remodel the watchtower we have constructed. It was a magnificent and effective structure for many years but the needs of our churches and the financial realities of our day demand a new vision.

That vision can best be captured by asking three questions. First, we should ask “Why?” Why does the KBC exist? I believe that question can be answered like this—“The Kentucky Baptist Convention: Created by churches, for churches, to help churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.”

Next, we should ask “How?” How will the KBC carry out the vision of helping churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ? I believe that question can be answered like this—“By fostering missions cooperation among churches and providing vital resources and services to assist churches in fulfilling the Great Commission.”

Then, we should ask “What?” What will the KBC be doing in order to fulfill the vision of helping churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ?” The KBC will:

  • Provide comprehensive ministry consulting for KBC churches;
  • Facilitate training and networking opportunities for leaders and churches;
  • Facilitate missions partnerships and church planting opportunities in Kentucky, North America, and to the ends of the earth;
  • Facilitate relationships between Kentucky Baptist churches and their agencies and institutions;
  • Promote and process Cooperative Program giving in order to assist churches in their Great Commission obedience; and
  • Mobilize Kentucky Baptist churches to influence society with the Christian principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love.
Posted in All Posts, KBC Reorganization | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Latest News: Preparing for Restructure, KBC Announces Staff Departures

By admin | Published: May 7, 2012
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We released the following news this morning:

LOUISVILLE– In preparation for a strategic reorganization, the Kentucky Baptist Convention announced today that 23 full-time and four part-time employees of the KBC Mission Board have accepted retirement or resignation incentive packages and will leave their jobs by June 30.

Additionally, contracts for nine part-time ministry consultants will expire without renewal Aug. 31.

The departures are necessary because of economic realities and a shift in priorities for the 175-year-old ministry, said Paul Chitwood, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

“The global economic downturn, and Kentucky Baptists’ desire to send more resources to the international mission field have prompted these decisions,” said Chitwood, who began serving as executive director last July.

In addition to the sluggish economy, Chitwood cited dwindling support among the 2,400 Kentucky Baptist congregations for the Cooperative Program, a unified fund that Kentucky Baptists have used since 1925 to support missions and ministries in the commonwealth, North America and the world.

Between 2000 and 2011, the percentage of Kentucky Baptist churches’ undesignated receipts set aside to support missions through the Cooperative Program has dropped from 9.2 percent to 6.75 percent.

Messengers to the 2011 KBC Annual Meeting reprioritized the way Cooperative Program dollars are distributed, sending a higher percentage to the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and other national Southern Baptist Convention causes.

With fewer CP dollars to fund missions and ministries in Kentucky, KBC staff have made spending cuts and left positions unfilled, but the cutbacks were not enough, Chitwood said.

“It was time to re-evaluate our services to Kentucky Baptists, and to adjust our priorities to match current resources,” he said.

Monday and Tuesday, Chitwood will present to the KBC Mission Board his plan to restructure the staff.

Reorganization is not new for a ministry more than a century old, however, KBC leaders anticipate the plan Chitwood presents will outline the most comprehensive changes that the mission board has undertaken in decades.

“Our goal, in this rapidly changing 21st century, is to provide more targeted assistance to our churches in order for them to reach people in their communities with the gospel,” Chitwood said.

“I’m very excited about where we are going and I believe our pastors and churches, when they learn the details of our plans, will be as well,” he added.

The staff reduction announcement comes after retirement and severance packages were presented for employees’ consideration in early March. Staff were given until late April to decide whether to accept or reject the offers.

Full retirement benefits, regardless of years of service, will be received by 17 staff members who are age 60 as of Dec. 31 or older. They will also receive additional cash incentives based on years of service.

Severance packages for employees younger than 60 include 90 days of wages and benefits.

“The KBC Administrative Committee wanted to be as generous as possible with these staff members who have given so much to Kentucky Baptists,” Chitwood said.

There are 43 full-time staff remaining at the Kentucky Baptist Building in Louisville and eight full-time Baptist campus ministers serving on Kentucky’s university and college campuses.

“This is the first step in a bold journey of change, but it is not without sadness,” said Chitwood. “Some of these staff members have served with the KBC for decades, and Kentucky Baptists, myself included, owe them a debt of gratitude for the work they have done in service to Christ.”

Among the KBC staff retiring or resigning:

Richard Adams, Leadership Development Department director and regional church strategist, joined KBC in 1999 and is a member of Crestwood Baptist Church in Oldham County.

Larry Baker, Missions Growth Team leader, joined KBC in 2004 after serving as director of missions for Christian County Baptist Association for more than 12 years. He also is a former International Mission Board missionary to Ecuador and Peru, and is a member of Highland Baptist Church in Shelbyville.

Joe Ball, director of the Youth Ministry Department, joined KBC in 2004. Previously he served as Baptist campus minister for Hopkinsville Community College and was minister of youth and education at Edgewood Baptist Church in Hopkinsville. He is a member of Cedar Creek Baptist Church in Louisville.

Jonathan Barron is Baptist campus minister for Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. He joined the KBC staff in2002. He and his wife, Elaina, have been called to serve as directors of the Prince of Peace orphanage for girls in Guatemala City.

Ross Bauscher, Evangelism Growth Team leader, joined KBC in 2001 having served as pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Owensboro and Farmdale Baptist Church in Frankfort. He is a member of Crestwood Baptist Church in Oldham County.

Billy Compton, executive associate for Cooperative Program and resources, took on that role in 2008 and previously served in the KBC evangelism department. He is pastor of First Baptist Church of Mt. Washington.

Glenn Cummins, regional church strategist, joined KBC in 2004 after more than 20 years as associate pastor and minister of education at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

Mike James, regional church strategist and discipleship/assimilation coordinator, joined KBC in 2007 and currently serves as interim pastor of First Baptist Church of Junction City.

Bill Noe, Baptist campus minister at University of Louisville, joined KBC in 2004. He is a member of Springdale Community Church in Louisville and has accepted a job with LifeWay Christian Resources as events coordinator for “Threads,” a LifeWay division focused on young adults and college students.

Cindy Pelphrey, campus minister for Owensboro-area schools joined the staff in 1998 and is a member of Curdsville Baptist Church in Daviess County.

Ron Sivells, regional church strategist, joined KBC in 2004 and is a member of Southside Baptist Church in Princeton. Currently he serves as interim pastor of Nortonville Baptist Church.

Robert Reeves, director of communications, joined KBC in 1998, having previously served with Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children (now Sunrise Children’s Services) and Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, a ministry of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. He is a member of Lakewood Baptist Church in Louisville.

Steve Thompson, assistant executive director, joined KBC in 1999 after 28 years as a pastor and director of missions for Green Valley Baptist Association. He is a member of Westport Road Baptist Church in Louisville.

Greg Whitetree, director of the Freeda Harris Baptist Center in Elkhorn City, joined the KBC staff in 1983 and is pastor of Hellier Missionary Baptist Church in Pike County. Whitetree and his wife, Alice, will continue to serve at the Freeda Harris Baptist Center as Mission Service Corps missionaries.

Charles Wilson, director of the Wheelwright Baptist Center in Floyd County, joined the staff in 1986 and is pastor of First Baptist Church of Wheelwright. He and his wife, Margie, have served as North American Mission Board missionaries for more than 32 years.

Other staff members retiring or resigning include:

Pat Beverly, Executive Office Team ministry assistant, joined KBC in 1990 and is a member of West Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville.

Jenny Byrd, Church Development Team ministry assistant, joined KBC in 2001 and is a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville.

Cheryl Frerman, Sunday school and discipleship/assimilation ministry assistant, joined KBC in 2006 and is a member of Phos Community Church in Crestwood.

Robin Gordon, Business Services Team data entry clerk, joined KBC in 2000. She is a Mission Service Corps missionary and a member of Zion Grove Baptist Church in Ekron where her husband, Glen, serves as pastor.

Cindy Henderson, Baptist Men on Mission ministry assistant, joined the KBC in 2009 and worships at Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington.

Wanda Karolyi, Executive Office Team ministry assistant, joined KBC in 1999 and is a member of Hunsinger Lane Baptist Church in Louisville.

Janet Lawler, Worship/Music ministry assistant, joined the KBC in 2009 and is a member of Lakewood Baptist Church in Louisville.

Carla Purvis, Evangelism Growth Team ministry assistant, joined KBC in 1996 and is a member of DeHaven Baptist Church in LaGrange where her husband, Tommy, serves as pastor.

Alice Seymour, Preschool/Children’s Department ministry assistant, joined KBC in 1993 and is a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville.

JoAnn Young, KBC’s main receptionist, joined the staff in 1987. She is a member of Centerfield Baptist Church in Oldham County.

The ministry consultants whose contracts will not be renewed as of Aug. 31 include:

Rebecca Carnell, Literacy Missions consultant, joined KBC in 1998 and is a member of Eubank Baptist Church. She also is a Mission Service Corps missionary, a former Kentucky Baptist missionary of the year, and recipient of the Dellanna West O’Brien Award from national Woman’s Missionary Union.

Rod Ellis, Worship & Music Department consultant, joined KBC in 2004 and currently serves as worship pastor for Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.

Randy Foster, Baptist Men on Mission consultant, retired last year from KBC as director of the Baptist Men on Mission Department, having served since 1997. He is a member of Crestwood Baptist Church in Oldham County.

Larry Martin, Missions Growth Team consultant, retired in 2004 as the team leader after nine years of service. He is a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville.

Roxanne Nanney, Worship and Music Department consultant, joined KBC in 1999 and is minister of music and senior adults at First Baptist Church of Brandenburg.

Tom Smoot, Creative Ministries Department consultant, joined KBC in 1974. He retired in 2004 as director of the creative ministries department.

Jason Stewart, Worship and Music Department consultant, joined KBC in 2008 and is minister of music at Parkland Baptist Church in Louisville.

The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of nearly 2.400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative offices in Louisville, including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more. For more, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

The men and women who will be leaving their jobs have given so much of themselves in service to Kentucky Baptists over the years. We will miss them, and we thank them.

We thank God for each of these servants and pray God’s richest blessings upon their lives and ministry.

Posted in Cooperative Program, KBC Reorganization, Mission Board, More for Christ | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Calvinism: Concerned? Curious? Confused?

By Dr. Paul Chitwood | Published: May 2, 2012
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Calvinism Conference artI was fielding questions on Calvinism long before I became a state missionary. The topic was frequently discussed in classrooms where I taught, the churches where I served as pastor, and even around the dinner table in my own home. Some may think it strange that so many conversations are generated by the teachings of a theologian who has been dead for a few centuries but that is an inadequate understanding of the issue.

These frequent discussions have little to do with a dead theologian but much to do with a living faith. They center on the most pressing issues for every human being in every place and every age. These are discussions about the nature of God and His work in the world, about sin and salvation, heaven and hell. To say these discussions are irrelevant may suggest, at least in my view, that God is irrelevant.

Thus, I am not surprised that the conversations and debates continue. Nor am I surprised that, in a day when Southern Baptists are openly expressing their commitment to a high view of Scripture, the conversations and debates have intensified. Instead of debating the gray areas of our postmodern world, we debate the tensions found in the eternal Word.

God’s absolute sovereignty and humanity’s responsibility and freedom are among those points of tension. For hundreds upon hundreds of years, the Church’s finest thinkers, most zealous evangelists and missionaries, and most gifted pastors have addressed this tension and sought to make clear statements about how to understand and reconcile these deep truths so essential to the gospel. In Baptist circles today, this ongoing struggle is typically reduced to a simple but loaded question, “So, what do you believe about Calvinism?”

Just yesterday, I received yet another call from a pastor search committee chairman who was trying to understand how the issues of Calvinism are relevant to his assignment. The constant chatter, prevailing misunderstandings, and inaccurate caricatures surrounding these discussions convince me that we need to make intentional and ongoing efforts to educate people on the history, biblical issues, and practical implications of the debate.

To that end, you are invited to join me for “Calvinism: Concerned? Curious? Confused?” a conference hosted by the Kentucky Baptist Convention. I hope we will have significant participation from Kentucky Baptists in particular and Southern Baptists in general.

My goal is for conference attendees to walk away with:

  • a better understanding of our historical and current beliefs
  • a greater appreciation for those who may hold differing positions on this issue
  • a commitment to work together, speaking and acting with charity.

We want to present a balanced perspective and illustrate how four Bible-believing scholars can arrive at rational but sometimes differing positions on these finer points of theology and remain committed to working together as Southern Baptists.

David Dockery will launch the conference with a two-part lecture on the history of Baptist theology, noting the progression from Reformed theology to a modified Calvinism, and explaining the current resurgence of interest in Reformed theology.

Next, we will listen in on a dialogue between two leaders of differing positions: Hershael York and Steve Lemke. Both men are astute theologians who have engaged this debate in many different settings.

The conference will also include a question and answer time with our panel of presenters that should help us grow in our appreciation for how these issues should be addressed in the local church.

Finally, Frank Page will offer his vision for how Southern Baptists can walk together in unity while holding differing positions on Calvinism. A time of prayer, in the spirit of John 17:22-23, will bring the conference to a close.

I do hope you will join us on Saturday, August 4 at Crestwood Baptist Church in Oldham County. You can find more details register online at http://www.kybaptist.org/calvinism.

Posted in Denominational Life, Partnership | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
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@pastorgregh praying w/u2 days ago