Librarians Braver than Southern Baptists?
18,000 librarians were able to do this week what Southern Baptists determined we could not do with 2 years advance notice. (Morial Convention Center in New Orleans on the right)
For me, the most frustrating moments of the SBC Annual Meeting that I attended a couple of weeks ago occured when David Crosby, the pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans made an appeal to the convention to reschedule the annual meeting for 2008 from Indianapolis to New Orleans. This resolution was rejected by the Executive Committee and voted down by the convention. Dr. Crosby's argument was that moving the convention to New Orleans would provide a huge lift to the economy, would aid the rebuilding of the city, and would allow for a great deal of ministry to coincide with the convention. He was appealing to us to go to a broken place and help rebuild it. Well, the motion was shot down for the following reasons: we had already spent several hundred thousand dollars preparing for the Indianapolis convention, it would be unethical to back out on our reservations and change them, and that the SBC could not guarantee that space, hotel rooms, or amenities would be up to par. They also played to people's fears and said that they could not guarantee the safety of convention participants. I know that there has been a good deal of crime in New Orleans of late, but it seems that we missed a golden opportunity to be part of helping restore a city instead of being behind the curve of influence. Regarding the charges of changing the venue being unethical, I disagree. Things like this happen all the time, and if there is a very good, missional reason, I am sure something could be worked out with Indianapolis 2 YEARS IN ADVANCE.
Somehow, the 18,000 librarians that descended upon New Orleans this week have not had the problems that our leaders anticipated that we would have 2 years from now. I saw a report on CNN this morning where the librarian spokeswoman spoke about how it was important to them to come and be a part of a new New Orleans. If only we had that kind of courage. Nola.com has an article on the librarian convention that says the only problems they had invloved having enough flights into the city. Surely, that will be worked out 2 years from now.
I know that Baptists have done a great deal to help rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the wake of Katrina. Our church has been a part of that effort since Sept. 2, 2005 (see Pathfinder Mission). And, there was a great focus on New Orleans at the convention, which I appreciated. If it was not for the tireless work of so many Christians, Baptists included, many people would have suffered far more than they did. But, with the focus of the convention there in 2 years, it would have been a great chance to keep the needs of the city and region before people and see the difficult work of spiritual renewal accelerated beyond the short attention spans of most Americans. It could have been a bookend type of event that would have been a service to the city, a lighthouse of ministry, and a clarion call of hope for a transformed city.
But instead, the idea to have the convention in New Orleans in 2008 seemed to be dismissed out of hand, and for less than spiritual reasons. Regarding the several hundred thousand dollars we had already spent, if we are talking about really impacting a city like New Orleans in it's rebuilding efforts through a marquee event like an SBC Annual Meeting (and the PR buzz that would go with an announcement right now), it seems like we have our priorities in the wrong place. But, then, to appeal to people's fears with half-truths and misrepresentations about the city's ability to host us 2 YEARS FROM NOW, when they are hosting 18,000 librarians 2 weeks later, is ridiculous. Kevin Bussey has a word for this . . . hypocrisy. That is probably too harsh, and I don't mean to be unkind, but I wish that we could get a straight answer from our leaders on issues like this. If you don't want to meet in New Orleans, fine. But, don't appeal to people's fears with half-truths. Let's really pray about things like this and see if it is an opportunity that God has for us. It seems like opportunities like this are exactly what we are to be about. Hopefully, we will not miss out on what God has for us in the future.
Yeah,
I think we could have approached Indy and told them the situation and moved back their time one year.
Posted by: Kevin Bussey | June 26, 2006 at 02:27 PM
Why not just come back to New Orleans a year after Indianapolis? I mean, I'm not sure we need the SBC in New Orleans again- bad tippers, door to door evangelism, and such... not exactly going to help our cause any. But I think MAYBE they would help the economy. But in 2 years... we need the economy boost now, not in two years. So I mean, if we wait two, why not just wait three? I doubt there will be much difference between 2008 and 2009. And hopefully we'll still be here when that time comes.
Posted by: Joe Kennedy | June 26, 2006 at 04:09 PM
Good point, Joe. Perhaps the thinking is that a lot of the initial interest would be gone by then and it would be a good way to continue to make an impact. I just wish that we would think about things from more of a "missional" perspective than from a common sense, bottom line perspective. Plus, I really love New Orleans and I desperately want to see it transformed. But, maybe we would make things worse. I just don't like the reasoning.
Posted by: Alan Cross | June 26, 2006 at 04:41 PM
I can sort of understand the finance argument. If we backed out of INdy and had to forfeit the $$$ already paid, that wouldn't be good stewardship either. That of course assumes we would have to forfeit the money. INdy might give us the leeway to reschedule for another year. WHo knows? BUt the other reasons given for not going to NOLA seem more like excuses rather than reasons.
But let's admit that most of us do not know all the facts about this and it may be virtually impossible to make the move at this point. We should give the X-com the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Posted by: Jamie Wootten | June 27, 2006 at 06:23 AM
I agree with you Jamie. There could be a lot of reasons. Even though I was pretty frustrated with some of the reasons given at the convention (lack of space, facilities, inability to secure our safety), I didn't post about it because I didn't know the whole story. I DID know that those were false excuses because I have been following the rebuilding of New Orleans everyday. But, I let it drop. Then, when I saw the 18,000 librarians having a convention only 2 weeks after those excuses were given, I was motivated to write the post.
I'm fine with NOT having the convention in New Orleans. It might be the best thing. What frustrated me were the reasons given that were obviously not correct. It just seemed like there was a playing to fears that did not actually exist. I guess that what bothered me the most was the language used to defeat the resolution. It seemed like it put a stop to an honest assessment of the situation.
Thanks for the balance, though. New Orleans is my ancestral home and I get pretty emotional about what's happened there. I just don't want to see the focus from the Christian community stop (so many have done such a great job so far). We have a pretty incredible opportunity to bring transformation to a region and I pray we don't forget.
Posted by: Alan Cross | June 27, 2006 at 09:21 AM