BradHoffmann.com

Here’s a startling fact. According to R “Ray” Wang of Constellation Research, “52% of Fortune 500 companies have disappeared since 2000.” These are the companies we thought would always be here. “Too big to fail,” they said.

The BGAV is declining and it is not too big to disappear. Baptists must understand this reality.

According to the BGAV website, the General Association exits to “furnish the Baptist churches of Virginia a medium of cooperation for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the advancement of the Redeemer’s Kingdom by all methods in accord with the Word of God.” This has been its purpose since 1823. Our purpose is to be a missional gospel centered cooperative community.

We’re not there. We’ve gotten off course; we’ve lost our way. If there is not a significant proactive rather than reactionary shift, the BGAV as we’ve known it will cease to exist.

We need to ask the hard questions. We must answer honestly. We must act quickly.

How long will we continue the same course? One more day down the pathway of decline is one day too many. Change course now!

How long will we dismiss decline? Don’t cover up decline with one or two happy stories. Decline (and its causes) is the elephant in the room. Be honest with the facts. You can’t chart a course for change until you own your condition.

How long will we resist change? Yes, we’ve changed our governance and that was a big deal. Now, we need to act and live differently. Don’t go back to the old ways with a new structure. Baptists have a history of resorting to prior practice.

How long will we foster an outdated model? The BGAV must re-invent itself. The day of a state convention resourcing model is gone. Information and technology changed the way we resource. We must be an intentional planting, sending and developing missional movement.

I hope every Virginia Baptist senses urgency. I pray every partnering BGAV church chooses to participate in the upcoming annual meeting by sending messengers. While change can be dreamed by a few, it’ll only happen with many working together. I believe the upcoming General Association’s Annual Meeting can be a significant moment in Baptist life in Virginia. Either we choose change or we choose to remain. I choose change.