English
Korean
Spanish
HOUSTON—The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s 2021 EQUIP conference Saturday, Aug. 14, at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, drew 1,400 registered attendees plus 110 speakers and panelists, and staff. The day featured 275 breakout sessions on a variety of topics pertinent to all ages and types of church ministries. The event was geared for pastors, teachers and leaders.
Ronnie Floyd, president of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, delivered a powerful keynote message based upon the Great Commission in Matthew 28.
“When I come to churches like yours in Texas, we are a people who believe in the authority of the Holy Scripture. We get our marching orders from this book called the Word of God,” Floyd told the crowd.
Reminding listeners that we “live in a bad news climate,” Floyd observed, “If there’s ever been a relevant moment where we ought to be able to really give good news, it’s right now in America,” reminding all of the ultimate good news of salvation: that Jesus died for our sins and “the sins of the entire world.”
Drawing from a variety of biblical passages, including Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15 and John 21:21 in addition to Matthew 28, Floyd urged “You can’t really have a true Great Commission Sunday School class and a true Great Commission church if you’re not going, and you’re not baptizing, and you are not teaching people how to live like Jesus lives.”
He also described the six strategic actions of the SBC’s Great Commission initiative, Vision 2025, adopted in June at the SBC annual meeting in Nashville: sending 500 more missionaries abroad, adding 5,000 congregations across the U.S., “calling out the called,” reversing the decline in baptisms of children and teenagers, increasing Cooperative Program giving and prayerfully endeavoring to eliminate all incidents of sexual abuse and racial discrimination in SBC churches.
In closing, Floyd challenged attendees to refocus their vision, reset their mindset and renew their commitment to the Great Commission.
EQUIP’s breakouts and panel discussions engaged participants and energized presenters.
“People left inspired, motivated and equipped to go back to their local church to reach people for Jesus and make disciples,” Mark Yoakum, SBTC EQUIP consultant, told the TEXAN.
Scottie Stice, director of SBTC Disaster Relief, and his team of volunteers prepared and served breakfast tacos as guests arrived at EQUIP.
Jeff Lynn, SBTC senior strategist for Church Health and Leadership, expressed the attitude of presenters: “How encouraging and exciting it was to be part of ‘equipping’ saints for the work of the ministry,” adding that he was “praying for all of these churches to excel in Great Commission advance.”
Coleman Philley, a speaker in the men’s ministry sessions and pastor of First Baptist Katy, summed up the excitement of all who were glad to return to an in-person event: “Considering the past 18 months, it was extra encouraging to be in the same room with ministry leaders.”
Last year’s EQUIP was held online, via Zoom.
Joy Brutas, who has been involved in children’s ministry at River Life Church in Austin for the past three years, said she was excited to be part of this year’s EQUIP for the first time.
“It was a great refresher course. It was so good to hear people with their ideas and be able to share input,” Brutas said. Brutas, who worked in children’s ministry for 22 years in Pennsylvania before coming to Texas, said she plans to attend EQUIP next year and encourage others to join her.
EQUIP 2022 is scheduled for Aug. 13, 2022, in the DFW area.
