Avery Willis’ question and answer [Click Here]

This post is not about Barrack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain but about our own SBC election coming up at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, IN, June 10-11, 2008.

Currently there are six men who will have their names placed in nomination for this office; Johnny Hunt, Bill, Wagner, Avery WIllis, Les Puryear, Wiley Drake, and Frank Cox. To be honest I think this is pretty exciting. Very unbaptist in that I have “never seen this before!” The question, for each of the messengers present, will be, “Who should I vote for?” I would like to share with you who I would vote for and why.

All of these men are qualified to serve. They have an unbelievable amount of service to our convention and to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, we still have to choose one. I would vote for Avery Willis. In a recent Baptist Press interview, he, along with all the other candidates were asked the queston, “If you are elected, what would be your priority message for Southern Baptists?” His answer, in my opinion, hit the nail on the head.

“Southern Baptists need a spiritual resurgence to become a people after God’s own heart who return to Him in repentance, follow Jesus in discipleship and bring the Bible to life through authentic lifestyles and actions, resulting in our telling God’s story to people everywhere and making disciples of all nations.”

When only 40% of most SBC church members attend church on any given Sunday, when only 2.3% of Christ followers, according to Dave Ramsey in Financial Peace University, tithe, when we admit that our churches are not affecting our communities I think the problem is, “we have met the enemy and it is us!”

I once had a friend who had the courage to look me in the eye, when I was complaining about what others were doing/not doing, and said, “Paul, I think it is time you look in the mirror.” He was right and I wept. In fact he joined me on the floor as I wept and repented. That single act changed my life direction. It is time we, as a convention, look in the mirror and admit in order for God to effectively use us we must repent, refresh and reclaim Him as Lord of our lives. One man’s opinion!