Missional Marty officially breaks out of semi-retirement to offer some initial thoughts on what is hoped to be a constructive conversation about the latest (G)CR turn in the SBC. In one of the many vintage Duren lines from the post is this point that gets at the heart of the need for the Great Commandment to set the agenda.
Fifth, we would do our best to ensure that these discussions are guided by mission, not by dollars and cents (although sense would be just fine). After all, this is about the Great Commission, is it not? But, because so much talk has been generated about â??efficiencyâ? there is a danger that many decisions will fall under the domain of â??cost cuttingâ? turning the SBC into the denominational equivalent of Big Lots or Goodwill. What should guide us is the missio dei and all decisions should be subservient to that. The mission of the SBC, whether you call it a â??Great Commission Resurgenceâ? or something else, should be seen as within the mission of God, not separate and distinct from it. We would be hesitant to make any recommendations that we could not reconcile with the missio dei.