The Southern Baptist Convention 2010: Part I by Peter Lumpkins

I followed much of the Southern Baptist Convention via video-streaming on Tuesday. From my perspective, the two big business items—The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report and Presidential election—hardly posed any surprises.  While admittedly I anticipated more discussion from the floor...

on the TF report, few, if any, with whom I have conversed thought the report would be hacked or defeated.

One grand surprise was Parliamentarian McCarty’s technical faux pas concerning the one major amendment to the report. Everyone, I suppose, is allowed a bad day now and then, even those who are decidedly at the top of their field like C. Barry McCarty is.

Nor was the presidential outcome surprising with Bryant Wright pulling off the win. Interestingly, just over 7,600 of the nearly 11,000 messengers stuck around for round two voting which landed Wright the win over Florida pastor and GCRTF member, Ted Traylor, by a 12 point advantage. 

Though I never officially said, had I attended the SBC, I would have voted for Jimmy Jackson.  However, Bryant Wright is my president, and I shall respect him, pray for him, and support him.

Perhaps one disappointing aspect concerning the convention—especially from the sector hailing a growing GCR movement —is surely the low number of messengers in Orlando.  The TF, led by Johnny Hunt and Ronnie Floyd, anticipated close to 20,000 messengers to attend this supposed defining moment meeting for Southern Baptists.  

Up only a paper-thin 2,000 (-+) messengers from Louisville’s convention in 2009, however, the numbers are hardly indicative of a sweeping GCR movement.  In fact, those who’ve likened Orlando 2010 to Houston 1979 may now officially put that cow to pasture.

No comparison.

None.

With that, I am…

Peter

Comments

[Bill Pfister]

Peter,

I arrived uncertain about how to vote on GCR but after hearing Johnny Hunt quote Joshua calling those against GCR "infidels" whose "carcasses" would lie in the desert, I decided to vote against it based on the spirit with which it was rammed down our throats. I agree with the brave woman who correctly challenged the parlimentarian by saying she felt "bullied".

Bill Pfister
Taylors, SC

[Chris Roberts]

Two comments on the number of messengers.

First, just to clarify, though 2,000 is certainly not 12,000, it's not a paper thin difference over 2009. In 2008 there were 7200 messengers. In 2009, 8790, a 22% increase. In 2010, some 11,000, a 25% increase over 2009. Again, certainly not 20,000, but a 25% increase is hardly paper thin.

Second, add in the reason many may not have attended. Our church has done budget cutting. I live in Panama City, FL, about an 8 hour drive from Orlando, and I still decided not to attend because of cost. I couldn't afford the trip personally, and I didn't want to add an expense to the church. Given today's economy, I'm sure I'm not the only pastor and we're not the only church that decided against attending because of financial limits. What might be surprising is that there was still a 25% increase in attendance despite the hit so many church budgets have taken.

[Chris Roberts]

Should have asked this in my previous comment, and you might be saving a word on it for a later post, but what was your response to the vote on Pastor's Conference president? I was rather pleased with what seems to have been an overwhelming vote for Pitman, against Gramling.

[peter]

Chris,

Thanks. Perhaps you're correct; 'paper-thin' is a bit overplayed. Consider, though: so far as I can tell, the SBC has only met in Orlando 3 times in its history--1994, 2000, and 2010.

In '94, the messenger count was 20.3K, a very high number due to a pivotal year for the CR, not to mention we put Mickey on trial and sentenced him to die by lethal injection ;^). Hence, to compare 1994 with 2010 is hardly fair.

On the other hand, the '00 meeting in Orlando is reasonably comparable. Then, we logged 11.9k for Orlando, up from 10.7k in 2010. Interestingly, the CR had its apex in 1994-95.

With that in mind, I concede my 'paper-thin' to you, Chris, and instead say, 'thin.'

More significantly, those who proclaim a swelling GCR "movement," anticipating 20k can hardly point to a mediocre Orlando '10 and say, it was a defining moment for the SBC. Even a boycott on Mickey drew a larger crowd ;^)

With that, I am...
Peter