Now, the hard part

The 2010 SBC was the convention's most anticipated event in recent memory. It certainly proved to be the most significant annual meeting since 1990, when proponents of the so-called "conservative resurgence" sealed their victory.

Back then, their conventional wisdom called for the turgid waters of theo-political conflict to part, providing a smooth path to the Promised Land. With their theological orthodoxy pure and secured, they expected God to reward their purge of "liberals" with unlimited growth and grandeur even exceeding their  superstar preachers' tailored suits.

But the Land of Promise has been hard, rocky, barren and drought-stricken. Many of the lions who led the Baptist Battles of yore have died. Others are in poor health or have become caricatures of their former selves. Their influence has waned. An iconoclastic generation that "knows not Joseph" has risen to prominence. On top of it all, years of stagnation and decline finally forced them to admit all is not well.

Plan for paradise

And so, last year, the SBC created the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. The convention commissioned it to provide a plan for recapturing paradise.

Paradoxically, the task force's recommendations were both too timid and too bold.

Convention observers who hoped for and expected creative, radical change thought several big moves might be in the offing. Like merging the International and North American mission boards. Maybe pairing down the number of seminaries. Thinking about new channels of cooperation and collaboration. Nada.

Long-term leaders just hoped they would please, please, please leave the Cooperative Program—the convention's unified budget—alone. After wrangling and compromisiong, the task force finally said the Cooperative Program is OK and should be affirmed. But they also tweaked wording to assuage the egos of megachurch pastors, whose congregations only give a tiny fraction of their budgets to the CP and whose feelings have been hurt when they have been called chinchy, by saying the money they spend on other missions programs is "Great Commission," too. 

Symbolic gesture—1%

The most substantive outcome of the 2010 SBC is a symbolic gesture. The task force recommendations call for increasing the funding allocation that goes to the International Mission Board from 50 percent to 51 percent of the Cooperative Program. And the proposal calls for taking that 1 percent from the Executive Committee. That amount would increase the mission board's budget by just 2 percent, but it would cut the Executive Committee's budget by about 30 percent. 

That's payback for Morris Chapman, the Executive Committee's president, who has fallen out of favor with most of the SBC's leading pastors and elected leadership, as well as many of his fellow SBC executives. Ironically, however, Chapman retires Sept. 30, and his successor, Frank Page, is the one who will pay for wrath directed at Chapman.

Tick-tock, tick-tock

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. The last two years, attendance at the SBC annual meetings has been marked by a noticeable increase in young pastors. Their presence gives the feel that the graying of  the denominaton—or at least its leadership—could be reversing. However, they have given notice that they want change—more hands-on missions, more passion for reaching the lost, more missions in the places where the gospel is not welcome, and a more vigorous, youthful tone from a convention long guided by wealthy older suburban pastors.

If satisfactory change doesn't come soon, they young bucks will move on. Many feel more comfortable in a nondenominational context, anyway. And there's another irony. Many historically oriented observers predict the erosion of the Cooperative Program means the SBC will become a much looser, smaller collection of quasi-independent churches. 

So, the next big move will be writing the 2011-12 Cooperative Program budget. Then we'll find out if churches will respond to the changes by giving more money and sending more missionaries. Or if they go off and do their own thing.

Is the SBC standing on Jordan's banks, ready to cross over? Or is its Promised Land a long, dusty walk away?