Strong Baptist associations exhibit praiseworthy clarity about their mission and vision. They strive for congregations to see the association as a family of congregations. Their robust programs, ministries and activities focus on adding value to congregations.
They pursue increased church growth among their congregations as they engage missionally from the base of their ever-changing context, yet it is clear that greater intensity and effectiveness are possible. Unrealized potential exists regarding their gospel impact.
Associational leadership is competent and committed to the association’s mission and vision. They seek new ideas, methods and innovative approaches to help congregations grow.
How many associations are strong?
Strong associations are between 10 and 15% of all associations in the U.S. These 110–150 associations join with soaring associations to represent at least 20% of all associations, or 175–225 of the more than 1100 in the U.S.
This number is fluid since associations are organisms that may move regularly from one type to another. They may lose their strong nature and become stumbling associations. Or they may increase their vitality and vibrancy and become soaring associations.
Strong associations are successful statistically, programmatically and missionally. They do things that are significant in a praiseworthy manner. However, they focus more on church growth than Kingdom growth, which shows they have not yet fully surrendered to God’s leadership. They may still value organizational goals more than spiritual goals.
What characterizes strong associations?
First, strong associations express a praiseworthy understanding of their spiritual and strategic journey. Yet the full commitment to collaboration that characterizes soaring associations eludes them.
Too many member congregations are more concerned about their growth than the Kingdom potential and vitality of every member congregation. A greater amount of competition among churches exists than in soaring associations.
Second, they do have a driving passion to fulfill the Great Commission. This leads to their focus on church growth and revitalization. They address the need to plant new congregations or campuses among unreached demographic groups within their fellowship area.
Third, they engage in strategic planning, looking three to five years into the future. This planning is different from the “pulling” approach of soaring associations, which imagines what their ministry will be like seven years into the future if they live into God’s call on their family of congregations.
Strong associations use a “push” approach focused on what must be done better. This produces growth by addition rather than the multiplication growth potential of soaring associations.
Fourth, strong associations experience a greater relational distance among their congregations by size, location, contextual factors, people groups and doctrinal differences. Rather than a close-knit nuclear family of congregations, they are more like cousins who see each other a few times each year.
Particularly, larger churches may distance themselves from the full family by saying the family has nothing to offer them. Congregations with doctrinal differences fellowship only with similar congregations. Pastors of churches needing revitalization are not always sure they are welcome at the family table.
Strong associations connect with soaring associations
As the leading-edge 20% of associations, it is the soaring and strong associations that will show the way forward to the other 80% of associations. They need to affirm what is right, good and effective and build on it for greater church and Kingdom progress.
Only as these first two types move forward will the other three types be able to move forward.
Strategies for serving
Strong associational leaders need coaching to help them see how their strengths can increase their church and Kingdom service to where they are soaring associations. They benefit from convening sessions facilitated by outside leadership.
They should discover and champion innovation in their association and other strong associations, shift from pushing forward to allowing God to pull them forward, enhance collaboration and move away from competition.
Let’s talk
I am hosting several free videoconferences throughout the summer. We will dialogue about the associational typology of soaring, strong, stumbling, struggling and spiritless Baptist associations.
I only ask you to complete brief feedback forms I send you so I can improve the typology, making it helpful to all associations. I invite associational leaders to collaborate with me.
To get the link to these videoconferences, send your request to BullardJournal@gmail.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE — George Bullard spent 45 years in denominational ministry. He served on the staff of three associations, was a key staff person working with associations in two state conventions and served on the association missions division staff of the former Home Mission Board of the SBC. He retired in June 2022 as director of Columbia Metro Baptist Association in South Carolina. He has led strategic planning processes in more than 100 associations and has written extensively in this area. Bullard now serves as a strategic thinking mentor for Christian leaders through his ForthTelling Innovation ministry and a correspondent for The Baptist Paper.
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