Encouraged by the theme “We Can Win the West,” Southern Baptist associational mission strategists (also called directors of missions) from across several western states recently gathered in Las Vegas for training and networking with the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders.
Inspiring, encouraging, moving
One of the conference speakers, Leo Endel, said he grew up partly in the Midwest and partly in the West. He is now the executive director of Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention.
“I lived in Nevada, Montana, Alaska and California and grew up attending small, new Southern Baptist church plants where there was little to no (Southern Baptist Convention) presence,” Endel said during the March 4–5 event.
“Being with these associational mission strategists who were seeking to expand the Kingdom in my childhood stomping grounds was inspiring,” he noted. “Hearing them share best practices and strategizing together around planting and strengthening churches was encouraging and moving.”
After the conference ended, Endel noted, he drove to Tonopah, Nevada, to visit the church he attended as a child. He asked if any in the small church could identify a Southern Baptist denominational leader. The one that they knew by name was their recently retired associational missionary. He said a church like FBC Tonopah would be alone without their connection to the local association.
Ray Gentry, SBCAL director, reported that 40 associational mission strategists (AMS) leaders gathered to attend breakouts with speakers such as Jeff Clark, a rural researcher with the International Mission Board; Tim Pruit an AMS in Arizona; Jason Lowe of the Kentucky Baptist Convention; Bill Langley with IMB; Leo Endel, executive director of Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention; and Gentry.
One AMS is new to his role, having served less than a month in the San Francisco Bay Area. Howard Burkett serves the Costa-Meda Baptist Association of 33 churches located in the northeastern suburbs of the Bay Area.
Needing revitalization
Burkett said many of his churches are small and struggling, in need of revitalization.
“I’m trying to get churches to play ball together,” he said. “We are rebuilding this association from the ground up. They’ve not been meeting together in recent years. I am glad the SBCAL organization exists.”
Gentry said they have regional meetings like the Las Vegas event about three times a year.
They also always meet in the city where the SBC is being held, holding a conference just prior to the start of the convention.
For more information about SBCAL, visit www.sbcal.org.
