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We invite you to spend some time here at our Web Site and we trust that it will be time well spent to either encourage you or to help you find the information, people, or resources that you may need to help you in your personal walk with the Lord, or to help your church, group, or association with anything they may need.
In order to find your way, it is helpful to understand how the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board is set up to do their work. The responsibilities of the Convention Board fall into three natural divisions. One division is Business Services – the funds that are received and distributed to Kingdom causes are handled following Biblical guidelines of Christian stewardship and absolute fiscal responsibility. The second division, Church Growth, oversees those areas of church ministries that strengthen, equip, and enable the church and its functions. The third division, Mission Strategy, is entrusted with the responsibility of the work beyond just the walls and doors of the church. Our mission is to reach the world across Mississippi, the nation, and the uttermost parts of the earth.
Dr. Jim Futral
Normally the Book of Reports is sprinkled with positive, uplifting, forward thinking, and significant achievements that have happened throughout the year. I think it is safe to say that for everyone of us 2009 has been a different sort of year. It has been a different year socially, culturally, politically, medically, spiritually, and, of course, economically. Things have changed and in virtually every area of life in America, things have shrunk. While our great state of Mississippi has maintained being in first place as the fattest state in the nation which is not a good thing, for the most part everything else about us has been reduced significantly. It might be comparable to pruning season in horticulture for these are significant, meaningful, and needed times of cutting back in order to grow productively in the days ahead.
At times, I have felt as though we were living through Gideon’s experience as the Lord looked at his 32,000-man army and said, “You have got too many. You need to lessen your troops.” After telling the folks that wanted to go home they could go, Gideon thought well that took care of that and now we are down to 10,000. Then God said, “Gideon, you still have too many. You need to cut back so put them to the test.” Nine thousand, seven hundred of them failed the test and Gideon stands there with his handful of troops wondering what now. Well, the now was that God was ready to do a mighty work through this small but dedicated army.
So it has been with us as across our land and especially in our state, people have suffered from reduced income. Some have lost their jobs. Churches for the most part have been running below their budget needs. Associations have struggled and, of course, at our state convention the resources have been less than anticipated. For the few people who may remember the Great Depression, this may not seem all that significant but for those of us who do not remember those days to use as a comparison no doubt this must go down as the Great Recession.
So how did we deal with this downturn in giving and overall economic distress? Before the year began and we realized the shape of things to come, I asked all of our Mississippi Baptist Convention Board workers to help in cutting back. It was a cutback not on programs but on expenditures. We were committed to respond to every need, every church, and every association throughout the year but it was going to require all of us giving more time and covering more ground than ever. Our directors, consultants, and support staff have time after time stepped up to the plate to say, “What can I do?” Nothing goes undone and we have learned to do more with less in part, because of their exemplary dedication to the Lord and to Mississippi Baptists.
While we took steps to cutback in the program areas of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board by 10 percent, of course, there were many areas where we could do nothing or little. In addition to that step, across the year we had a number of people who either retired from their service at the Convention Board or left to go serve in a different capacity in a different place. We did not have a hiring freeze, but I told our staff we were on a hiring hold. We did not replace any of the people who left. Rather we took their responsibilities and gathered some of the people who were capable and willing to fill that place during this time.
It was remarkable how so many times when someone left very capable and willing people picked up a part, added to their responsibilities, and said, “Let’s go!” In reality, we missed everyone who left, but we also were blessed to have people who would give more of their time, energy, and God-giftedness to do what needed to be done. That too enabled us to do what needed to be accomplished without any shortfall of ineffectiveness. The great people at our Convention Board have been at their best in the worst of times.
What if anything can be found that is good in the midst of all of the difficulties that people find themselves in these days? My friends that could be a long list. For one thing, we have learned to do more with less. I certainly understand that whether it is missions or ministries local or national there comes a point at which additional support and additional personnel are needed to accomplish tasks. But everywhere I turn I see people who are simply ready to grab hold of Kingdom work, get busy, and do what the Lord has called us to do in spite of the shortfall.
Sometimes it seems as though we have gotten to the place as I was told my an old Marine that they use to operate in his company by saying, “We have done so much with so little for so long that now we can do anything with nothing.” We have learned that in the midst of whatever may be taking place that you can trust God. He cares and He can bring us through.
A second good thing related to that is that we have learned to do what we do with a good spirit. When you run out of resources and you continue to serve, you may be simply serving the Jesus who called you to do it in the first place. That will ignite your spirit.
A third good thing is that all of us in our churches, associations, state conventions, and the Southern Baptist Convention have done and need to continue is to seek to bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. We need to help each other through these trying times so that we may arrive at times of expansion, renewed vision, and victories.
Conferences, seminars, and training events have long been a vital part of Mississippi Baptist life. Since the destruction of Gulfshore Baptist Assembly in the monster storm of 2005, we have been working hard at providing for the needs of our churches and associations through various means and locations. Obviously, nothing we could do could provide the kind of setting and on-going opportunities that our largest conference center had long provided. So many people in our other conference locations and our colleges and churches have stepped up to help us through this transition period.
Following the Katrina storm, the recession storm came and created another obstacle preventing us from moving forward. The property at Henderson Point has not sold but there are repeated inquiries and some possibilities that may come together. In God’s timing that will take place. Due to the economic downturn, the work of the Site Selection Committee has been slowed down. While in time we will move forward, it is the desire and the intent of everyone involved that it be according to God’s timing and in His will.
As we face the future, it seems to be shaky and uncertain. Politically and socially, the promises that were made that change was coming have certainly been implemented. Maybe not as everyone envisioned and sadly maybe as some did envision but change is all around us. When it comes to the economy and the people of God having the resources and capability to respond and give, we trust that change will come and our churches will be stronger even financially. Even then there is the question of how strong will we respond in our on-going support of the mission that Jesus has given us. While we are in change, the fact is we are also in Christ in charge as individuals, churches, associations, and as a state convention. We will determine what we will do to make a difference for Christ in the days ahead. In Christ and by His grace we will be strong, we will recover, we will thrive, and we will reach out to a world that needs to hear of His saving power.
The Business Services Division is responsible for the areas of accounting, audits, communications, encampments, finance, insurance, annuity, legal issues, policy matters, and the management of all real and personal property. All work in this division is of a service nature as it undergirds the programs and ministries of the Convention.
The Mission Strategy Division of the Mississippi Baptist Convention encourages churches to participate in a worldwide strategy of missions collaboration. The work is coordinated through emphases in Missions Mobilization, Men’s Ministry, Woman’s Missionary Union, Collegiate Ministry, Church Planting, and Stewardship & Cooperative Program Promotion. The division nurtures relationships with sixty-eight Associational Missions Directors to facilitate and strengthen church mission response. The goal of the Mission Strategy Division is to mobilize an ever increasing number of Mississippi Baptists in missions projects which help fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
The Church Growth Division exists to provide resources, revitalization, and leadership development to the local church and association and consists of the following departments: Sunday School, Evangelism, Discipleship and Family Ministry, Church Music, Pastor/Leadership Development, and Church-Minister Relations. Our current organizational structure allows the Church Growth Division to focus on specific needs with the church. Directors and consultants offer expertise in their respected areas and are available to serve a single church or multiple churches in our associations.
Directions is a weekly article by Dr. Futral that appears in The Baptist Record.
Hear Dr. Futral’s Easter Week services messages in the message archive.
For more information, please contact our office at (601) 292-3201 or contact our staff by e-mail:
