7 Things Baptist Associations MUST Do to Revitalize

I recently attended the Fall annual meeting for our local Baptist Association, which had a healthy crowd (although the average age was well over 60). In that meeting designed to revitalize our Baptist Association, the speakers were transparent enough to admit that Baptist Associations have been decimated in recent years. The economic crash of 2008 forced most churches to slash budgets, and the funding of the Baptist Association was usually one of the first items on the chopping block. That combined with the advent of technology, allowing churches to communicate directly with larger state and national agencies and the penchant for Associations to hire pastors needing a holding position until retirement, and you’ve got a situation where Baptist Associations are sliding deeper and deeper into irrelevance. If Baptist Associations hope to revitalize, here are 7 things I believe they must do:

1). Offer contextualized advice to churches, don’t just be a mouthpiece for the State Convention. Many times, this has been what the Association has been reduced to, a cheap salesman for whatever the State Convention is selling that month. With the advent of technology, churches can communicate directly with the State Convention if needed, eliminating the need for the middle man. What the Association can do is offer contextualized advice. The Association should know the personalities of each church, what will work and what won’t. The illusion of a one-size-fits-all church strategy approach has never worked, and a good Association will contextualize State programs for the local churches.

2). Plant new churches. Every single association needs new churches, new life, new blood. The Association is the perfect vehicle to partner with larger organization like the North American Mission Board to assist, coach and encourage new church plants. This in and of itself can become its greatest catalyst for revitalization, if the Association can fully get behind the vision that every Association should be helping to plant new churches every year within the Association.

3). Instigate change (push from behind). An ideal Associational Missions Director would be an instigator, leveraging his relationship with pastors and churches to initiate change to see churches within the Association revitalize. It’s no secret that the overwhelming majority of Baptist churches are plateaued and declining. While many churches attempt to cling to the status quo, the Association should be the one to instigate needed changes and reforms rather than enable the continued decline of local churches.