A Letter to the Baptist Courier

Ken Reid wrote a letter to the Baptist Courier asking the question why there was such an urgency for a slow advance in CP giving to the SBC. He posed questions that must be addressed. Hans Wunch has written a response as have other SCBC bloggers here and here. This is the rough draft of a letter I have submitted to the Baptist Courier which follows below.

RE: Someone, explain the urgency
Ken Reid posed this question in the November 29 issue of the Baptist Courier concerning the slow advance of CP giving to the SBC. Brother Reid is a fine gentleman of the highest caliber, a wonderful pastor, excellent preacher, and a soul winner. He deserves a response.
Therefore, I will humbly try to answer his questions. First, no state institution is having its funding reduced. I spoke of this concern to some members of the Executive Committee before the Convention and they assured me that this program would not strip our state institutions of their funds. Dennis Wilkins is quoted by the November 29 issue of the Baptist Courier that “Whatever changes we make in the percentage given to the Southern Baptist Convention must not damage the excellent work being done in our state.” Don Kirkland made the same point in his editorial in the November 1 issue of the Baptist Courier. This plan fulfills that requirement. As giving from the local churches increases, so does the funds that go to the SBC as well to our SCBC institutions.
As for the second observation, I am thankful that we are Baptists and if anyone at the Convention had a problem with the plan then they could have gone to the microphone and spoke. Mike Moody did a wonderful job of insuring that everyone could have a voice in this important decision. Anyone who was present at the convention in Florence can attest, it was a vocal majority of messengers who spoke in their approval of this plan.
As for the third observation, I can assure you that in having had three semesters of geography at The Citadel, South Carolina is still part of the world. There are lost people in South Carolina. Maybe it would be a better use of our time to get up from the dinner tables and huddled around water coolers to take the Gospel to the streets where 70% of people in our state are unchurched. There are over 4 million people in South Carolina with over 500,000 SC Baptists who should be sharing the Gospel with them.
The IMB has established a goal of sending 3000 additional missionaries into the world. This would give us over 8000 missionaries. According to the IMB website, there are 638 people groups of 100000 plus people who are unengaged and unreached. The only way they will be reached is if we send these 3000 additional missionaries plus many more.
The urgency is that we must reach all people now with the Good News because we are one day closer to Jesus coming back. It will require cooperation among the local churches in giving to the Cooperative Program and a willingness to share the Gospel with the world.