BradHoffmann.com

It may be time to vote the American Family Association (AFA) off the island. Sometimes an organization’s strategy and methodology can outlive its usefulness. While the intent of the AFA is well meaning, its policy of boycotts and alarmist tactics does more harm than good. Their approach is irrelevant and it’s time to implement a more meaningful and effective strategy or pull up the stakes. Come on AFA! Think outside of the box and remember boycotts don’t work. The last effective boycott I heard about was at a tea party a couple of hundred years ago. Even if you think you’ve orchestrated Ford Motor Company’s declining market share, their product line and the national economy have had more to do with it than your boycott.

I liken this same principle to the Texas Baptist Committed. A once vocal constituency is now moving to take a backseat in Texas Baptist politics. They’ll not officially endorse a Baptist General Convention of Texas candidate this year at the Annual Meeting in Fort Worth. It’s a good move in my opinion. Now I’m not looking for a fight with the TBC (or the AFA for that matter), but anymore political rhetoric will do more harm than good for the future of the BGCT. It’s time to get back to the main thing. We need to place our energies and talents into reaching people for Christ. Now I realize that’s a whole other discussion because we can’t do denominational practices and church like we’ve done it in the past. We’ll need to change and become intentional and relevant in our approach and strategy. We must change or we will die.

It’s a shame that the press portrays Christians as antagonistic, militant, and divisive. The AFA will not reach people for Christ; they’ll rally a few hardliners with their militant tactics to further drive a wedge between the church and the unbeliever. By the same token, Baptists are viewed negatively in many of our communities around the state and in my community. The newspapers headline our divisiveness and not are cooperativeness. We’re seen as hypocrites when we talk of the peace of Christ and yet struggle to co-exist in peace.

It’s time for a new strategy.