Sunday Night at the SBC Pastor's Conference 2006

Pastors’ Conference 2006 Schedule

June 11-12, 2006Greensboro ColiseumGreensboro, N.C.

Theme: Reaching Today's World for Jesus Christ

Scripture: Acts 4:10-12 and 1 Corinthians 9:22b

SUNDAY EVENING JUNE 11
5:45 Worship and Praise: Mark Cottingham and Impact Team, JohnsonFerry Baptist Church, Marietta, Ga.; Word Recording Artist David Phelps

6:10 Welcome and Prayer: Bryant Wright, president, 2006 Pastors’Conference, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, Ga.

6:20 Testimony in Song: Word Recording Artist David Phelps
6:25 Video Feature: Shandon Baptist Church, Columbia, S.C.
6:30 Message: Dick Lincoln, Shandon Baptist Church, Columbia, S.C.
7:00 Billy Graham Tribute: Christianity Today International
7:10 SBC President’s Welcome: Bobby Welch, First Baptist Church,Daytona Beach, Fla.
7:15 Worship and Praise: Mark Cottingham and Impact Team, JohnsonFerry Baptist Church

7:25 Offertory Prayer and Giving to the Lord: Doug Munton, VicePresident of 2006 Pastors’ Conference, First Baptist Church, O’Fallon,Ill.

7:35 Video Feature: First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga.
7:40 Message: Johnny Hunt, First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga.
8:10 Worship and Praise: Mark Cottingham and Impact Team, JohnsonFerry Baptist Church
8:20 Testimony: Chuck Kelley, President, New Orleans BaptistTheological Seminary, New Orleans, La.
8:30 Testimony in Song: Word Recording Artist David Phelps
8:35 Message: Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif.

9:05 Closing Prayer: Gary Urich, Secretary of 2006 Pastors’Conference, Southern Hills Baptist Church, Bolivar, Mo.

Just to get this straight...

At 7pm, they will unveil a "larger than life statue of Billy Graham" to be placed outside the Lifeway Building in Nashville later in the year. (No, it isn't made of gold melted from the booty taken from the foreign mission field).

At 7:10, we will hear from Bobby Welch, the man who has given us what many of us call "the Million Man Dunk." Now, consider for just moment that this is the man who wants us to baptize a million and calls Calvinists anti-evangelistic in his church newsletter, yet here is his annual church profile:

2001
3506 members
203 baptisms
253 other additions
2200 primary worship attendance

2002
3812 members
296 baptisms
190 other additions
2100 primary worship attendance

2003
4011 members
209 baptisms
137 other additions
2031 primary worship attendance

2004
4163 members
237 baptisms
204 other additions
1874 primary worship attendance

To borrow from Tom Ascol: Would this church meet anyone’s criteria for "declining?" It went from a counted Sunday morning worship attendance of 2200 in 2001 to 1874 in 2004. If my math is correct, that is a 15% decline.Granted, they have baptized 945 people during that 4 year period and they have added 784 people by other means.

But the church membership only grew by 657. It took 1729 new members for the church to grow by 657 members.In addition those 1729 new members resulted in 326 fewer worshipers! If the church continues to grow at this rate then by the time it adds around 10,000 new members the preacher will be preaching to an empty auditorium at his "primary worship" service.

40 minutes later, Johnny Hunt will preach (Anti-Calvinist rant or statement? Will he be able to resist?).

If there is another presidential candidate this year, shouldn't he be allowed to speak too? Word has it that Wade Burleson might be nominated. In view of this possibility, he has graciously decided not to speak at the Younger Leaders Summit II at the Convention, in order to avoid looking as if he is pandering for votes and to avoid charges of impropriety. The contrast could not be more stark.

Dr. Hunt will be followed by Rick Warren at about an hour later. (Which translation will he use? Will there be a Powerpoint presentation? How many Scriptures will be ripped from their context?)

Tablets of Stone will be broken afterward. Plagues, thunder, lightning, and floods will follow.