Stronger Together

There is much one follower of Jesus can accomplish when united with other like-minded believers, moreover when one church congregation joins with others.

Stronger Together

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!"

(Psalm 133:1)

Last week, Ashley and I traveled to Alpharetta, Georgia to attend the annual Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) board retreat. There were close to 100 people including spouses. Before the meetings, Ashley and I traveled to Stone Mountain just north of Atlanta. It reminded me of another granite outcropping in Texas called Enchanted Rock. We took the sky lift up to the top of the mountain and were able to see for miles. The mountain features a massive carving of three leaders from the Civil War era (Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson). Here are a couple of pictures Ashley and I took:

We began the evening with dinner at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) located in Alpharetta. It is both a beautiful and practical building. The president of NAMB, Kevin Ezell, and his wife Lynnette attended the banquet, and Kevin shared with our group some of what is happening in missions in the USA. Then we toured the facilities before dessert, and wow, I was impressed. Everywhere you look, there is a reminder of what the NAMB is all about, and that is reaching North America with the good news of Jesus Christ. On one wall, there was a graphic that said, "11,000 churches planted since 2010." That is amazing. It truly is remarkable all the good we can do if we join together with other Christ followers and become part of a movement that is so much bigger than ourselves. See photo below:

I currently serve as the president of the SBTC, and I am honored to do so. My term concludes at the end of October this year. The SBTC is a state convention that is part of the larger SBC, the largest Protestant denomination in America. I know the SBC has a negative vibe for many in our country, and rightfully so. There have been mistakes made and sins committed by those in leadership that are reprehensible. I am thinking particularly of the number of sexual abuse cases committed by clergy and those in leadership positions.

I was inviting one of my neighbors to visit our church the other day and she pointed out that she once was a Southern Baptist and had a horrible experience. She called it the worst five years of her life. I told her that I am so sorry, and then I shared with her that 98% of pastors in the SBC are like me and simply trying to serve the Lord and people and are innocent of those horrible crimes committed against our fellow man.

While most large and "mainline" denominations do not have a great reputation, there is still much one church congregation can accomplish when united with other like-minded followers of Jesus. To know that our church had a little part to play in planting the 11,000 new Bible-believing churches in our country since 2010 gave me so much joy.

I encourage you to link arms with other Christians who have a heart for Jesus and for reaching the nations. You can do so much more united with others than you can separated and trying to do everything on your own. We are stronger together!