by Dan Lamb
My time as BBFI third vice president and my official work with the NCPO is coming to a close, but I don’t leave with a heavy heart. I’m excited for the change that is to come.
Recently, I had the privilege to meet in Springfield, MO, with John Gross and several other past and future members of the NCPO, and I left encouraged and excited. You see, when the Fellowship works together, it’s an awesome thing to behold. When God works through individuals, and then forms teams that move forward together with unity, it’s truly beautiful. And I can see God working in that way, right now, forming a team within the BBFI passionate about church planting, about seeing God save people through those churches, and about God building independent Baptist churches all across America.
The BBFI has about 4,000 churches affiliated with us, many of which were planted over the last 60 years. It is imperative that we not let that passion die — and not just for the sake of the Fellowship, but for the sake of the many people who need to hear about Christ, who need to hear that God has not left them without a means of reconciliation, that God has not left them to die in their sin. No! God has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ and we need a strong church planting movement to reach people with the good news we say we cherish!
And please don’t forget that the NCPO needs our support, and, as pastors, we need the NCPO. Let me explain why.
Networking — Bringing strength to strength. Some of our United States have no state fellowship. Others have a small fellowship, incapable of substantially supporting church planters. With your support, the NCPO can help those states plant churches until they can do so independently. We are no longer in the loan business, however, the BBFI Builders will continue their great work.
Evaluating, Equipping, Encouraging — Raising the bar for our Candidate School. The NCPO will provide an excellent Candidate School that will evaluate, equip, and encourage new church planters for all the states. As you may have experienced, sometimes there is a perceived obligation to support a new pastor from one of our own churches. The NCPO will bring objectivity to the table with a thorough evaluation of the church planter, a positive or negative recommendation for state support, and long-term encouragement through coaching.
Though this task might be daunting, we are confident that the mountain is worth climbing for the glory of God. In the coming months we will be introducing you formally to John Gross, the new director of the NCPO. He has a fresh vision and excitement to unite us to work together for the sake of the gospel to plant churches in the U.S.A. I hope you’ll move along with the winds of change with the NCPO and jump on board with excitement over what will be taking place.