The following are 12 reasons why I oppose the recommendations of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force:
[img_assist|nid=6401|title=Larry Lewis Former President Home Mission Board (NAMB)|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=81|height=100]1. The recommendations would divide and unravel the SBC, separating the SBC from state conventions.
2. They would be divisive in a time when we need healing and unity.
3. The recommendations would threaten the Cooperative Program by creating a competitive funding approach.
4. They would set national missions back decades to the time it was done independently rather than cooperatively with state conventions.
5. The recommendations would set the IMB and NAMB at odds –each with the assignment of reaching ethnics in North America.
6. Maintaining regional offices would be expensive, ineffective and competitive.
7. Having cooperative missions and cooperative agreements with every state convention (not merely newer conventions) is essential to NAMB having a “national” strategy, not just a “regional” one.
8. NAMB having no input in selection of most mission personnel in older, stronger states would compromise our efforts to insure doctrinal integrity in our agencies.
9. Both the SBC and state conventions need to strongly promote the Cooperative Program, not just state conventions.
10. The recommendations would greatly hinder the work of the newer, weaker state conventions and could destroy some of them.
11. There have been no specific cost projections, impact studies, or results analysis, all essential to wise and prudent planning.
12. History has proven it is unwise for a hand-picked, “blue ribbon” committee to circumvent the SBC-elected boards of our agencies and the SBC Executive Committee in seeking to re-define and restructure our denomination.