Disciple-making task force atop NAMB report at SBC

Disciple-making task force atop NAMB report at SBC

Kevin Ezell delivered the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) report to messengers June 13 focusing on disciple-making and relaying an update on the effectiveness of Southern Baptist church planting efforts and NAMB’s new initiative in Puerto Rico.

Ezell, NAMB’s president, began the report by inviting Robby Gallaty to share findings and recommendations from the disciple-making task force that NAMB and LifeWay Christian Resources convened two years ago. Gallaty, who chaired the committee, serves as pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Gallaty said the task force analyzed the last 20 years of Annual Church Profile (ACP) data. They discovered that despite the impressive number of baptisms over that span — 7.1 million — average church attendance remained virtually flat. Even after factoring in for mortality, Gallaty said 6.5 million people had dropped out of church attendance during those 20 years.

“Our convention could be twice as large as it is today if we would have simply engaged the people we just baptized,” Gallaty said.

Gallaty summarized the task force’s recommendations: increase Bible engagement for church members; examine the connection between salvation decisions and group involvement; and examine the number of groups that multiply on a regular basis.

Church planting

Ezell followed Gallaty with a recap of NAMB’s church planting efforts since he began leading the entity in 2010.

“Seven years ago, we began a new journey and started a laser focus on church planting,” Ezell said.

“That is the New Testament model and we believe (it’s) still the very best strategy for evangelism today.”

Church plants baptize at a 67 percent better attendee-to-baptism ratio when compared to established churches, Ezell said.

He also reported that NAMB has significantly increased its church planter assessment process.

Today, only a third of candidates pass NAMB’s assessments.

“When we raised our assessment, we knew church plant numbers would go down. But we will not compromise our quality in order to present bigger numbers the second week of June,” Ezell said in reference to the SBC annual meeting. “We must not focus on quantity, we must focus on quality.”

Ezell said that as the quality of assessments increased, the survival rate of our church plants has gone up. Overall, churches planted since 2011 have an 84 percent survival rate.

Demonstrating the impact of recent church plants, Ezell reported that in Canada, 71 percent of all baptisms came from churches started since 2010. In the Minnesota-Wisconsin convention, more baptisms came from church plants than all other Southern Baptist churches combined. In the New England states, 34 percent of all baptisms were from church plants.

In addition, as church plants demonstrate staying power, they are accounting for a growing percentage of total churches located outside the South.

In all but four non-South state conventions, 20 percent or more of Southern Baptist churches were started since 2010. In New England, it’s 35 percent, and in Canada more than 50 percent of all churches were started since 2010.

“Southern Baptists, we are gaining ground for the gospel outside the South,” Ezell said. “We are determined not to lower our standards. We are not going to waiver on our desire for excellence.”

Ezell shared that NAMB has added Puerto Rico as a new Send Emphasis Area in North America. For 25 years, there were no new Southern Baptist churches planted in San Juan — a city of 350,000 people.

Relief effort in Puerto Rico

“Today we have 12 church plants launched or nearing launch,” Ezell said. “The relief effort in Puerto Rico will take many years, so please consider sending groups from your church to Puerto Rico to assist.”

Ezell ended the NAMB report to messengers with notes of thanks.

“We are honored to partner with Southern Baptists and to care for and equip your missionaries who are serving throughout North America. Please keep them and the North American Mission Board in your prayers and thank you for all you are doing to reach your community, our nation and our world for Christ.” (BP)