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News
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New York, Miami announced as
next 'Strategic Focus Cities'
By James Dotson
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Two of the world's largest cities -- New
York and Miami -- will be the focus of concentrated, five-year
efforts by Southern Baptists to introduce people to faith in Jesus
Christ and help them grow in their faith.
Robert E. Reccord, chairman of the North American Mission Board,
announced the two cities as the next to receive special attention in
evangelism and church planting through NAMB's Strategic Focus Cities
initiative beginning next year and continuing through 2006.
"Strategies will be specifically and uniquely put together
for those cities," Reccord said during the Sept. 27 regular
meeting of NAMB trustees. "The groundwork is already being
laid."
Previously announced Strategic Focus Cities efforts have focused
on implementation during a particular year, with two years each
devoted to planning and follow-up efforts. Chicago and Phoenix were
the first two cities to be implemented this year. Boston and Las
Vegas are scheduled for next year, while implementation efforts will
be focused on Seattle and Philadelphia in 2002.
The strategies for New York and Miami will include extensive
preparation time and pilot projects, but major events and other
implementation will be spread over a longer period than just one
year, said Doug Metzger, director of NAMB's Strategic Focus Cities
team.
"I would refer to them as unique strategies from how we've
done the past cities, in view of the complexity and diversity of the
two cities," he said.
During his report to trustees, Reccord also offered a pastoral
word about the importance of not allowing peripheral issues to
distract from the primary task at hand -- in the board's case, the
evangelization of North America.
"We've got to be careful that we never take vision and be
sidetracked on the side streets of division," he said.
"We'd better never replace comforting with criticizing. And
we'd better make sure that going isn't replaced by meeting, because
that's where ministry and mission happen."
Earlier in the same meeting, J. Robert White, executive director
of the Georgia Baptist Convention, echoed a similar theme in a
devotional message for trustees. He noted a message by former SBC
President Ed Young on the "side streets" that tend to get
believers off course.
"Looking among us today, I see us getting on side streets
and we lose our focus on the cross. And we forget who we are, and
whose we are," White said.
Reccord also reported on several "praises" about what
God is doing through NAMB, including:
-- a record-breaking year for World Changers summer mission
projects for youth. More than 17,000 participated in rehabilitating
homes for low-income residents and 1,539 people made professions of
faith -- both substantially higher than the previous year.
-- Exciting progress in implementation of the Nehemiah Project, a
seminary-based plan for training and mentoring church planters. In
year two of the plan, Reccord said, goals initially set for year
five of the project have already been achieved. The number of church
planters being appointed as missionaries has tripled with the help
of the Nehemiah Project, he said.
-- Encouraging progress with the International Mission Board in
helping churches unify missions promotion efforts. NAMB is talking
with IMB and four state conventions about developing new integrated
approaches to missions promotion and communication.
Copyright 2004 North American Mission Board, SBC
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