Floyd: SBC entity search committees should be ‘watchful’ of GCR Task Force

‘More than ever before’ group needs prayer

Sep 24, 2009
JAMES A. SMITH SR.
Executive Editor

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ROGERS, Ark. (FBW) – Since the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly endorsed the need for a Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, Ronnie Floyd is urging presidential search committees for three SBC entities to be “very prayerful and watchful” of his group’s work.

In an interview with Florida Baptist Witness, Floyd, GCR Task Force chairman, reflected on his group’s work in light of the developments of the last month, which has seen the beginnings of leadership changes at the North American Mission Board, International Mission Board and Executive Committee.

The retirement announcements of Jerry Rankin (IMB) and Morris Chapman (EC), and the forced resignation of Geoff Hammond (NAMB), has fueled speculation the GCR Task Force may recommend significant restructuring of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The Southern Baptist Convention authorized the GCR Task Force in June during its annual meeting in Louisville to study how Southern Baptists can work “more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” SBC President Johnny Hunt appointed 23 persons, including himself, to the Task Force, which has met twice.

Three times in an e-mail interview with the Witness, Floyd emphasized the search committees of the respective entities should be “very prayerful and watchful of the work of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force” when asked if the GCR Task Force may be considering recommendations that could alter the structure of those entities.

In contrast to the IMB and EC trustees who quickly named search committees to seek presidential successors, NAMB trustees have not yet named a presidential search committee. Hammond resigned Aug. 11, while Rankin announced his retirement plans Sept. 16 and Chapman announced his retirement plans Sept. 21.

Floyd said the leadership changes at SBC entities are “obvious” evidence that God is “working in a special way in the Southern Baptist Convention.”

Noting that more than 5,400 Southern Baptists have signed up on the GCR Web site (www.Pray4GCR.com) to pray for the panel’s work, Floyd said, “Since this began, God is making His will known to those leaders about their future. Therefore, I trust God and trust them.”

The changes at the three key SBC entities “takes personalities out of our evaluations, which brings great objectivity,” Floyd told the Witness, adding that he appreciates Hammond, Rankin and Chapman. He noted that he previously was Hammond’s pastor, has “highest admiration and appreciation” for Rankin, and served on the search committee that called Chapman to the EC.

Asked if leadership transitions at NAMB, IMB and EC indicate the GCR Task Force should consider significant restructuring of the SBC, Floyd said, “These developments have clarified that God is doing something among us and we need to be intentional on finding out what He is doing and joining Him in it.”

Floyd said the Task Force’s priority is simple: “We want one thing – that we will do what God wants us to do in order to move greater resources and people towards the Gospel going to all the unreached people of the world. I think we must ask ourselves also, ‘Do we owe the nations a greater burden or not?’ I believe the answer is a resounding, ‘Yes!’”

Floyd said that he has not attempted to contact the search committees yet “and would not presume to do so. However, again, I would encourage them to be very prayerful and watchful of our work. I might add that we are very open to assisting them in any way they request.”

Asked if there is a timetable for prospective recommendations from his Task Force, Floyd said “there may be recommendations shared” at the February meeting of the SBC Executive Committee, adding, “At this point, it’s too early to know.”

Concerning what of the Task Force’s work the search committees should be “watchful” of, Floyd said, “I just hope each search committee would keep in mind what this Convention has asked us to do. This Convention asked us to perform our assignment by an overwhelming margin of a 95 percent-plus vote.”

If the search committees seek the assistance of the Task Force, Floyd said, “We would respond as much as we could at that time to their requests. Our work is a work in progress at this moment, not a finished work.”

The day after he announced his retirement plans, Rankin spoke against a possible merger of IMB and NAMB, for which some have called, because the entities are too different to simply combine. In contrast, Rankin said an entirely new entity, a prospective “global mission board” that would replace IMB and NAMB, may be worthy of consideration, while making clear he could not endorse such an idea without knowing the specifics.

Rankin said, “Geography and the dichotomy between the United States and Canada and the rest of the world is really rather artificial. All of the unreached people groups that we’re trying to engage all over the world are found in North America and Canada.”

Floyd declined to offer an opinion of Rankin’s comments about a possible new mission board.

“We are contemplating many things right now, mostly how we can accomplish the Great Commission in the most faithful and effective way,” he said.

Floyd said the next meetings of the GCR Task Force will be Oct. 27 at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel and Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in Atlanta.

Floyd said the Task Force is “trying to listen to Southern Baptists from across the Convention” and covets the prayers of Southern Baptists as the group fulfills its “weighty assignment.”

“Now, more than ever before, we appeal to our brothers and sisters to enlist on our Web site (www.Pray4GCR.com) additional prayer warriors who will interceded on our behalf and the future of our Convention,” Floyd said.

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