Blog - Dr Ray Gentry.com

The State of Associations in a COVID-19 World

8/5/2020

As the President of SBCAL, I am concerned about, connecting with, and resourcing associational leaders across the country. I believe associationalism in the SBC is experiencing something of a renaissance. Dr. Ronnie Floyd, President/CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, gave a ringing endorsement of associations in our new book, The Baptist Association: Assisting Churches, Advancing the Gospel. Dr. Paul Chitwood and Dr. Kevin Ezell wrote chapters in the book on the value of associations from their perspectives, and Kevin authorized NAMB to pay for the first printing of our book and the mailing of a copy to all 1100+ associations. The 17 Proficiencies of an Effective Associational Leader in the book are resonating with state convention and SBC leaders and some seminaries. Please pray with us that each of our seminaries will have professors who will include our book as a required or supplemental textbook in Baptist history, or other courses.

Overall, I believe associations led by effective leaders are gaining influence and proving their effectiveness to their pastors and churches as well as to state convention and SBC leaders.

But many people are understandably frustrated with the present and profoundly worried about the future. This includes our pastors and even ourselves, at times. David Franklin, a fellow Georgia AMS says, “Our pastors are stressed.”

The Future of Associations (Part 3)

7/3/2020

AMSs Should Work with the Willing
In the 1990s, Mike Perry, a former leader at what is now LifeWay, gave me and other associational leaders some of the best advice I have ever heard for associational leaders: "Work with the willing.” He emphasized that there will always be some pastors and church leaders who will not like you or work with you. Don’t focus on them. Love them. Be there for them in their time of need, but keep your focus on the Lord and those who want to work with you. “Work with the willing” is helpful to remember when you get frustrated when a pastor or a church does not want to participate or contribute or cooperate with their sister churches in associational missions.

The Future of Associations (Part 2)

6/1/2020

Today I continue a series of excerpts from my chapter with this same title, “The Future of Associations,” in a new book SBCAL has coming out this summer published by Ranier Publishing, The Baptist Association: Assisting Churches. Advancing the Gospel.

Pastors and Churches Should be Committed
Moving associational ministry to the next level takes not only character, collaborative leadership, and commitment from the AMS, but commitment from the pastors. As Pastor Aaron Menikoff wrote on the Baptist 21 site,
“To put it bluntly, many church pastors have lost an interest in local, Baptist associational life. We are enamored of the state and national work while we ignore the unglamorous work of serving churches who minister in our own backyard.
Why does this matter? Because our denominational life is like a tree. The national entities are the branches spreading across the globe. The state conventions are the trunk, holding the branches in place. But the local associations are the roots. It’s at the associational level that every pastor can be involved. Like a church member who leaves it to the paid staff to do the ministry, I wonder if some pastors have left it to paid staff to do the work of the association.” [i]

The Future of Associations (Part 1)

5/1/2020

This month I want to begin sharing excerpts from my chapter with this same title, “The Future of Associations,” in a new book SBCAL has coming out in June published by Rainer Publishing, The Baptist Association: Assisting Churches. Advancing the Gospel.
In this book, we have learned about the history, heritage, and hallmarks of associations and associational leaders. Now we come to the hope, the future of associationalism in the Southern Baptist Convention. We must keep in mind that churches formed each association to be a help to them in advancing the Gospel. If an association is not helping, it will sooner or later be perceived as irrelevant (and rightly so).

The Importance and Role of the AMS (Part 4)

4/12/2020

This month’s blog is the fourth and final one in a series based on a chapter by the same title that I wrote in a new book SBCAL has coming out this spring: The Baptist Association: Assisting Churches. Advancing the Gospel. Be on the lookout for it!

What are the Attributes of an Effective AMS?
After being involved in associational ministry in various ways for over 35 years, including serving as the associational leader of five associations, I believe the following attributes—as well as the proficiencies in this book—should guide the effective AMS:

The Importance and Role of the AMS (Part 3)

3/2/2020

This month’s blog is the third in a series based on a chapter by the same title that I wrote in a new book SBCAL has coming out this spring: The Baptist Association: Assisting Churches. Advancing the Gospel. Be on the lookout for it!

Role Summary: Mission Strategist, Minister to Ministers, Model Leader
AMSs wear many hats, but I like to summarize the role into Mission Strategist, Minister to Ministers, and Model Leader of the association. As the descriptor indicates, an AMS should be an effective mission strategist. He should know and exegete his mission field, seeking to make the needs known so that pastors and churches do not overlook or ignore unreached people groups in the mission field in which they live. These could be multifamily housing units, various ethnicities, or neighborhoods or communities without a Gospel witness. Everybody’s job is nobody’s job. Encourage churches to adopt neighborhoods, schools, fire stations, and police stations to love and to live out being the hands and feet of Jesus.

The Importance and Role of the AMS (Part 2)

2/6/2020

This month’s blog is the second of a series based on a chapter by the same title that I wrote in a new book SBCAL has coming out this spring: The Baptist Association: Assisting Churches. Advancing the Gospel. Be on the lookout for it!

Why the Descriptor: Associational Mission Strategist
How did the blue-ribbon Study Team, after months of prayer, research, and study, come up with this new descriptor, Associational Mission Strategist (AMS)?[i] The title came out of the 17 Proficiencies that were agreed upon as most helpful for an associational leader to be successful, regardless of context.

The Importance and Role of the AMS, Part 1

1/6/2020

This month’s blog is the first of a series based on a chapter by the same title that I wrote in a new book SBCAL has coming out this spring: The Baptist Association: Assisting Churches. Advancing the Gospel. Be on the lookout for it!

Are Local Baptist Associations Dead?

12/10/2019

There are some in SBC life who would respond “yes” to that question. Why?

Because…

some may give the association the “dead” name without realizing failure to lead their church to be involved locally hinders their own church members from the joy of building meaningful ministry relationships with fellow believers in their immediate area.
some have experienced an associational leader who lacked the calling, training, leadership ability, or vision to enable effective collaborative mission involvement among the churches.
some have experienced an associational leader who coasted toward retirement.
some larger church pastors – and pastors who grew up in mega churches – have falsely concluded that associations are dead because they have not experienced the need for and the benefits of associational missions first hand. They have felt that their church could pretty much “do it all” themselves, whereas the vast majority of churches cannot.
some pastors and church leaders are not willing to follow the leadership of a DOM/AMS because they are so focused on growing their church that they do not see the importance of growing God’s kingdom – starting in their own Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).

How to Prepare and Become an Associational Leader

7/2/2018

The above title was the topic of an SBCAL Pre-Conference Workshop I led in Dallas last month. (To listen to the entire Workshop click here.) I could not cover everything on this blog, but I wanted to share highlights that might be of help to potential DOMs/AMSs who could not be there.

Why do you want to become an Associational Leader?
Prayerfully examine your heart, motives, calling.
Is it to serve the Lord and His pastors and churches in fulfilling the Great Commission?
Is it to get out of a difficult pastorate or other ministry position?
Is it to have a stable ministry position to finish your career between now and retirement?
Is it to be a denominational leader for the sake of being a denominational leader?
Or is it because you believe - and other trusted individuals believe - you have the calling, compassion, skills, giftedness, and leadership ability to lead an association of churches?

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Author

I’m Ray Gentry, the President/CEO of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (SBCAL). I’ve served Southern Baptist churches & associations in various roles for over 35 years. I have served as an associational leader for five associations, starting in 1993. The most recent one being the Southside Baptist Network, McDonough, GA.

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