The Top Story
May 25, 2010
We are in the process of graduating students at our five campuses this spring. It’s exciting for students who have accomplished a significant goal. It’s a relief for faculty who look forward to a lighter load in the next few months. This year, we have a special graduate – Jesse Reed – who is the first person to graduate from our CLD center in San Quentin State Prison. He was released in time to participate in commencement ceremonies at the Northern California Campus last week.
The most inspiring story related to theological education in the past decade hasn’t happened at Golden Gate. Let me brag on our sister school, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and the program they started at Angola Prison. For the past several years, they have been training ministry leaders in that prison. Some of those prisoners are now requested transfers to other prisons so they can go as missionaries to start ministries. Other prisons in other states are now asking for New Orleans Seminary to expand their program to their sites. This story inspires us to do the same in California.
A few years ago, we launched our CLD center in San Quentin. This program is perfectly suited for prisoners since it only requires a high school or GED prior to enrollment, but is also open to those who have some college or even college graduates. The response has been amazing as men take the next step in Christian growth, and some prepare for life after prison as ministry leaders.
A few months ago, I was asked to be a guest lecturer in a course. The subject was my book, Is God Calling Me? I was told to speak for a few minutes and then let the men ask questions about it. To my surprise, when it came time for questions, every man in the class pulled out his copy of the book – complete with post it notes dangling from multiple pages – and started asking me questions. They weren’t general questions! They asked things like, “On page 68, you said…. How do you apply this…” It was one of the most invigorating teaching experiences of my ministry.
On June 10, we will have our first commencement ceremonies inside the prison. We will graduate men who have completed their entire program while incarcerated. Some won’t be released for years – perhaps decades. Thank God for these men who are learning to be ministry leaders – and missionaries – in the difficult setting of a state penitentiary!
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Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report
May 4, 2010
The final report of the Great Commission Task Force was released on May 3, 2010. It is a thorough and challenging attempt to call Southern Baptists to personally commit themselves, their churches, and their denominational structures toward greater fulfillment of the Great Commission. The report calls for many changes, some quite significant, to better shape and focus our cooperative work. It is easy to take issue with specific aspects of the report, but taken as a whole, it is a serious attempt to chart a fresh way forward. Be careful you don’t pick it apart, seeing only the negative. It’s time to find a new way forward.
The one thing almost all of us can agree on is we will either experience revival in individuals and churches or we will be the generation that turns out the lights on the Southern Baptist Convention. We really aren’t “crying wolf” when we decry our current spiritual condition. Almost every external indicator of spiritual devotion – things like individual giving, church giving, baptismal rates - are in decline. We will either stem the tide or be carried into oblivion by it.
One of my greatest burdens is the rampant selfishness and greed among American believers. How can it be possible American evangelicals give only about 2.5% of their personal income to the Christian work? That is a disgrace. Part of the GCRTF report calls for renewed personal stewardship as a foundation for improved church and denominational funding. Ministry isn’t “all about the Benjamins,” but it is true, “sometimes only money will do.” Jesus taught that a person’s use of money reveals the condition of their heart. My hope is, as personal devotion increases, it will show up in new values minimizing materialism and maximizing generosity.
Whether its stewardship, prayer, witnessing, mission-giving, or mission-going – individual change is essential for church and denominational reform. Adopting a report won’t change anything. Personally investing in implementing it is the only way real change will happen. What are you going to do?
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