Hunt personalizes GCR commitment as model to denomination

SBC president asks, where is Chapman now on GCR?

Jul 27, 2009
JAMES A. SMITH, SR.
Executive Editor

PANAMA CITY BEACH (FBW) – A “Great Commission Resurgence” – the much-talked about movement in the months leading up to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting last month in Louisville – is no mere theory for Johnny Hunt. The SBC president is attempting to embody GCR in his personal life, putting his own finances and his church’s money behind a renaissance of commitment to Jesus’ missionary mandate.

Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

JOHNNY HUNT

In a July 20 interview with Florida Baptist Witness, the pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Ga., in metropolitan Atlanta, said he has increased his tithe to his church and the leadership of the church is envisioning between a 50 and 100 percent increase in its support of the SBC Cooperative Program, after increasing its CP giving 13 percent last year, in spite of the difficult economic environment.

The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ unified funding effort for state, national and international missionary enterprises.

“God forbid that it come across as braggadocious,” Hunt carefully noted in talking about his personal giving.

“I don’t think I’ve earned the right with integrity to challenge state conventions, associations, and the national convention to do a better job until I’ve done a better job and my church is doing a better job,” Hunt said.

Hunt spoke with the Witness for more than an hour, taking a break from his month-long vacation in Panama City Beach where he has spent most of the month with his family, reading and having “unhurried quiet times,” he said, citing author Henry Blackaby.

GCR task force creation

Authorized by an estimated 95 percent vote of messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention last month, Hunt has appointed a 23-member task force to study how Southern Baptists can work “more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.”

The motion was the culmination of months of discussion across Southern Baptist life prompted by a 10-point “Toward a Great Commission Resurgence” declaration issued April 27 by Hunt and Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Although the GCR-related motion was offered by R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Hunt announced weeks before the annual meeting that he would request the SBC to empower him to appoint such a task force.

Some state convention executives and others expressed concern about Article IX, “A Commitment to a More Effective Structure.” The article, which was twice revised in response to criticism, called for a streamlining of the denomination.

While generally supporting the principles of declaration, John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, also had some concerns. Sullivan endorsed the statement after a June 8 meeting with Hunt and Akin he attended with seven other state convention executive directors.

Special Lottie August offering

During the wide-ranging Witness interview, Hunt spoke frankly about the need for change across Southern Baptist life in order to get more resources to the international mission field, pointing as an example to the $29 million shortfall in this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which funds the International Mission Board’s more than 5,500 missionaries.

Hunt is encouraging churches to collect a special Lottie Moon offering in August to help make-up the deficit, while not dipping into regular tithes, other offerings and the annual December Lottie Moon offering.

He rejected the idea that such a special offering could hurt other offerings, including state mission offerings that are collected in the fall.

“We forget people have more than one pocket to give from,” Hunt said, adding, “We’re afraid if we do something significant for the world it’s going to hurt [other giving]. Let’s prove that not to be true.”

SBC structural change

Although Hunt repeatedly noted the GCR task force, on which he will serve as a member, is not empowered to recommend structural changes to the SBC, “If we hear enough people rising up and saying, ‘Please look at that; please look at that.’ I think that we owe it to our denomination. They see us as a means of at least giving them better information and greater clarity on this.”

Hunt said it’s more likely that structural change in SBC life will “come through the celebration of how God used the task force to energize us and bring us together in that it will lead to such deeper commitment” that SBC entities, state conventions and associations “will be challenged to look within.”

Hunt was unwilling to offer his own views on possible structural change in SBC entities, declining to comment on the suggestion of some calling for a merger of the IMB and North American Mission Board, whether there should be six seminaries, and whether the Executive Committee staff has grown too large.

Still, Hunt said the task force will ask each SBC entity to examine its budget to determine if each is being as effective as possible, and expects to hear from the entities’ executives and board leadership during its deliberations.

The task force will “look at every area,” he said, noting as an example that there was discussion in the past about the viability of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as a stand-alone school.

Although he doesn’t have an opinion on a prospective merger of IMB and NAMB, Hunt said such a topic would be a good discussion for the task force he “would love to hear.”

State conventions

Hunt emphasized at several points state conventions need to find ways to keep less CP funds so that more money can go to international missions.

He cited a study done by an unnamed seminary student finding that state conventions annually spend about $355 million in CP funds, while sending $207 million to SBC causes, although the U.S. has only five percent of the world’s population.

“What does this say about – and let me use the word quickly – our, what does it say about our commitment? … It’s really making me look to say, does Johnny and Janet Hunt, are we really devoted to the Great Commission?” he asked.

State conventions need to ask the same question – and Hunt had a warning for states that ignore the desire for greater international missions funding.

“If states are not willing to release greater percentages and greater dollars to the nations, they are going to find people like Johnny Hunt designating their dollars where they want it themselves instead of sending it to them when they’re not listening to us,” Hunt said.

“I think the great challenge with all of us is going to be comparing good to great,” noting that state conventions are doing many good things.

“What’s the greatest thing we could be doing? Is it the ‘Good Commission’ or the ‘Great Commission’? And is it really the Great Commission or is it being treated like the ‘Least Commission’? That’s what I had to ask in my own heart,” Hunt continued.

“I’m asking hard questions to my church, to my staff and to my own heart. And I’m just going to try to lead by example, emulation and say, ‘Let’s take a hard look. What kind of sacrifices would it take to really see significant change almost immediately in our denomination?’” Hunt asked.

GCR task force outcomes

What does Hunt desire for the outcome of the GCR task force?

Hunt believes the task force can help Southern Baptists to be more “intentionally evangelistic,” as well as foster greater support for the Cooperative Program.

Hunt said because the SBC heard their concerns by creating the GCR task force, young pastors are now contacting him indicating their desire to increase their missions giving.

“We have a chance to speak into their lives because they’re excited about the new direction,” Hunt said.

Additionally, he hopes for more personalization of missions, rejecting claims that personalization undercuts support for the Cooperative Program.

Hunt said he also desires to see greater unity and trust in SBC life.

“One of the most discouraging things that I’ve observed in SBC life is I’ve never seen such mistrust. Why do we mistrust each other so much? … What can we do to bring healing where we believe each other?” Hunt asked.

Additionally, Hunt said he would like for pastors to begin to see themselves and their churches as “missions sending units” in which churches of all sizes are committed to planting new churches.

Hunt urged prayer for the GCR task force, noting the body will soon launch a Web site to energize prayer support for its work, as well as to post updates and seek input from Southern Baptists.

GCR task force logistics

Hunt told the Witness he expects the task force will issue interim reports as the group comes to conclusions on various issues, and hopes a final report will be issued by April 2010, well before the Orlando annual meeting in June.

Southern Baptists “have given us incredible support and I feel we owe it to our denomination” to keep them informed about the task force’s work, Hunt said.

Having set its first two meetings – in Atlanta, Aug. 11-12, and Northwest Arkansas, Aug. 26-27 – the group will likely meet once per month, Hunt predicted, noting the committee may use online conferencing.

Task force members have a “whatever it takes” attitude about their work, willing to adapt their schedules to participate, he said, noting he had to re-arrange his calendar to accommodate both of the first meetings.

Hunt said task force member Jim Richards, executive director of Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, will serve as secretary of the committee, and all the meetings will be recorded for historical purposes, comparing the record-keeping to that done for the SBC Peace Committee, a body that functioned during the height of the SBC theological controversy during the 1980s.

Hunt expects the SBC Executive Committee will fund the body’s work as an authorized SBC committee. Expenses for the first two meetings are being covered by Hunt’s and task force Chairman Ronnie Floyd’s churches, with the expectation they will be reimbursed once the EC approves funding.

‘Where does Morris Chapman stand now’

Hunt said he has not spoken to EC President Morris Chapman about funding for the task force, noting neither leader has attempted to contact the other since the SBC.

“I was kind of waiting to see if [Chapman] was going to respond” to the SBC’s approval of the task force.

“Since he publicly was against this task force, now it will be interesting to see his response since his constituents, the Southern Baptist Convention, has spoken that this is the direction they want to go. We feel now that we need to hear a response from the Executive Committee. How do they respond to our denomination and its wishes?” Hunt wondered.

Hunt later noted Chapman briefly spoke with him at the SBC, promising the cooperation of the Executive Committee with the task force’s work.

Still, Hunt said he believes Chapman needs to publicly clarify his views on GCR.

“Where does Morris Chapman stand now?” Hunt said many Southern Baptists are asking in light of his opposition to GCR.

“He must now share if he is with the constituents, the Southern Baptist Convention. They have spoken – 95 percent said, ‘Go GCR.’”

Orlando SBC

Hunt told the Witness he looks forward to working with John Sullivan and David Burton, Florida Baptist Convention evangelism division director, to have a “really significant” Crossover Orlando evangelistic effort before the SBC annual meeting next June.

Although 3,000 participated in this year’s Crossover effort in Louisville, Hunt is “believing God for 10,000” in Orlando, noting that he expects 200 adult and youth “missionaries” from his church to participate.

Hunt said a concerted effort will be made to make Crossover “connected more to each of the local churches,” adding that he will be asking pastors within 1-2 hour radius of Orlando to meet with him to discuss their desired projects for the Crossover.

As for the SBC annual meeting itself, Hunt said, “I’m believing God for 18,000 messengers next year. I want to see it double.”

While “someone may say that is far-fetched,” Hunt said, “As far as I’m concerned, that would not be a bigger miracle than having almost 9,000 in Louisville because there were so many naysayers” about attendance there.

Hunt said he will “challenge” pastors to “go a step further and bring their messengers” to Orlando.

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