Jackson

Jimmy Jackson

Index Editor J. Gerald Harris: What prompted you to make yourself available to serve as president of the SBC or to allow your name to be considered for this strategic office?

Jackson: Because of my many years of experience at every level of service in the SBC – beginning with working with RAs in my home church, later becoming pastor of a church running 30 in Sunday School in my home state of Mississippi, pastor of Union Baptist In Grand Bay, Ala., a rural church of about 120 average in Sunday School, pastor of First Baptist in Key West, Fla., and First Baptist in Merritt Island, Fla., and now for 32 years at Whitesburg Baptist in Huntsville, Ala., averaging around 2,000; serving on associational committees and moderator of Florida Keys Association, State Convention Pastors Conference president, Second Vice President, First Vice President, and president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention; SBC Executive Committee – one of the first appointments by Adrian Rogers in 1979; First Vice President, Parliamentarian for 23-24 years, and Board of Trustees, Southwestern Seminary for past six years.

People began to call me and church members urged me on the basis of my leadership as president of Alabama Baptists to pray about the SBC presidency. Others called me because of concerns about the future of our convention.

They wanted someone with years of experience in the inner workings of the SBC and felt that I would be a peacemaker and would move carefully yet courageously to lead our convention and its entities to seek the Lord for genuine Holy Spirit revival and honest evaluation of how we can renew the passion for personal soul-winning, global evangelism, and loving cooperation among our people.

Index: Since there are presently three announced candidates, what segment of the SBC do you think your candidacy will appeal to most?

Jackson: I have no real feel for who may support me, but I would hope that all of those who love our convention, who see that we need to deal with our spiritual issues before we start changing the system of cooperation that has been blessed by God for so long, and who are willing to face the fact that we need to be open to new ways of ministering the Word without disregard for the past or fear of the future – these I hope will support me.

Index: What would be your vision for the SBC as president of our convention?

Jackson: My vision for the SBC is for a healing of the body through a transformation of each of us as individuals. I am praying for a spirit of love, forgiveness, and openness. If we can agree on the importance of our God-given mandate to evangelize the lost and disciple the saved, and if we can agree that none of us is big enough to do it all alone – that for Jesus’ sake, we need each other – from small churches to large and all in between, from every ethnic group, and if we can agree that the CP is still a great method to provide financial support for all of our work, both here and abroad – we can forge ahead and be instrumental in calling down a great spiritual awakening on our nation and our world.

Index: What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Southern Baptists today?

Jackson: Our divisiveness and suspicion of one another, our pride and turfism, our lack of personal obedience to the Scripture – “do not let the sun go down on your anger” and love God and one another.

Index: What are our greatest strengths and weaknesses as Southern Baptists?

Jackson:

Strengths:

1. Our strong belief in the Word of God.

2. Numbers of people

3. Giftedness of people and pastors

4. Concern for others – lost and needy

5. A growing awareness of the need to work together

Weaknesses:

1. Unforgiveness toward each other

2. Lack of understanding of the intricate workings and multiple ministries of our State and Southern Baptist Convention.

3. Unwillingness to accept change.

4. Desire to change too fast and only as we desire. “General gets too far out in front of his troops – they mistake him for the enemy and start shooting at him.”

Index: What is the most strategic role a Convention president has in Southern Baptist life?

Jackson: He gets to use his influence in just about every arena of Convention life. He can inspire, calm, challenge, love, and pray. My experience as president of Alabama Baptists has given me a greater passion for pastors, people, leaders, and the mission of our Lord.

The president also leads in the appointment process for various convention entities and agencies. His convictions and vision are reflected in these choices.

Index: How long have you been one of the Convention parliamentarians?

Jackson: 23 or 24 years

Index: What have you learned about Southern Baptists in this vital role at that many Convention gatherings?

1. Value of the autonomy of church and agencies.

2. We are different – we come in a lot of varieties.

3. We like to be respected and heard.

4. We are doing a lot of good things right, but we need to constantly evaluate and improve. Our Lord deserves our best.

Index: What has been the most challenging moment in the Convention from the perspective of a parliamentarian?

Jackson: Continuing to carry out business in an open forum with thousands of people. We are unique.

Index: You have served as a First Vice President of our Convention. How has that prepared you to serve as president?

Jackson: This helped me to see things from a different perspective. Although the vice president does not get involved in the appointment process very much, he does get to represent the Convention when the president is unavailable, and he presides for part of the Convention. He also sits in on the officers, parliamentarians, and attorney meetings prior to and during the Convention annual meeting.

I was already doing this and working with the Committee on Order of Business as a parliamentarian but I listened even more attentively since I was going to be at the podium handling business. The view is different from up there.

Index: How do you feel about the work of the GCR Task force to date? What would you like to see accomplished in the Task Force’s final report?

Jackson: The GCR Task Force had a great deal of unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric early on. Since that time there has been an effort by Chairman Ronnie Floyd to moderate that. I think the Task Force was assigned an almost impossible task, but they have worked hard in recent months to hear the concerns of all who are affected by their recommendations.

I would like to see the Task Force make its report and make it clear that any implementation that involves an entity or agency of the SBC must be acted upon according to the trustee system and the Constitution and Bylaws of the SBC. They also need to assure Southern Baptists that the CP will be the main artery of financial supply for our ministries.

The original agenda of the Task Force seems to have been moderated to gain more support but it has not changed in philosophy. It is here most concerns are raised by those who do not favor the report.

Index: What role do you think the Convention president will have in helping to implement the Task Force recommendations?

Jackson: Whether the Task Force recommendations are accepted or rejected by the SBC, I believe they will have raised some serious questions and will have offered some heartfelt suggestions as to how we can move ahead as a convention with a greater world evangelism passion. Their suggestions are not the only ideas that could be considered, but at least we are open to evaluating where we are and how we move ahead.

The president must be open to all of the concerns and must prayerfully and wisely seek to lead our Convention to greater unity and effectiveness.

Index: Whitesburg’s CP percentage would be considered by some as below average. How would you respond to that criticism?

Jackson: Our CP giving is below average. We adopted a plan years ago based on our understanding that the IMB and the NAMB would not be able to function at their present level without both the CP and the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings. We have begun to raise our CP giving each year in small increments. We have raised our special offering goals each year too.

We now give around 4.6 percent to the CP and 6 percent to the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings. In addition we do direct missions with our state convention, NAMB, and IMB. These offerings are not counted in our percentage to the CP and major convention gifts.

As I have served the Alabama Baptist Convention, I have come to understand better than ever before that the CP is our day job. We need to give sacrificially and systematically to support all of the work of our convention, but we must also continue to increase our gifts to the special offerings.

Our church leads our state nearly every year in the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings.

Index: What do you think can be done to reverse the decline in the Southern Baptist Convention?

Jackson: We must come together in prayer and fasting, in seeking revival in our established churches. We must also continue in the planting of churches in strategic places to reach the lost and needy. We need a spiritual transformation.

Index: Who have been your heroes in life?

Jackson: My grandfather (Papaw), Daddy, and Mother, and my wife, Bobbi. Jess Hendley, Roy Fish, Billy Graham.

Traylor

Ted Traylor

Index Editor J. Gerald Harris: With two strong candidates already having been announced as nominees for SBC president, why did you decide to have your name also submitted as a nominee?

Traylor: Three reasons:

Working through the GCR experience this year has changed me. I have seen the critical need we have as Southern Baptists to be a better missional people. My understanding of our potential has been deepened. Before serving on the task force, I was more inclined to let someone else serve and lead. The past year’s experience gives me a unique perspective.

The Lord prompted my heart during the GCR process. I began praying to know His specific will.

I sought and received wise counsel from trusted friends.

The Olive Baptist deacons affirmed my nomination. Friends from various sectors of SBC life encouraged me.

Index: What would be your vision for the SBC as the president of our convention?

Traylor: My vision is to see our convention of churches embrace the missional vision of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations.

Index: What would be your criteria for selecting the Committee on Committees?

Traylor: We are in a day like no other in the SBC. New leaders will soon be in place at IMB, NAMB, and the Executive Committee. The Committee on Committees must seek strong, effective leaders to serve on our trustee boards.

I would look for Baptists from our state conventions who would nominate deeply committed servants of Christ. These people will be key in helping our new leaders be successful in Kingdom work. The Committee on Committees appointees need to be great givers, missionally involved people of godly character, and be resolute in their commitment to the Baptist Faith and Message (2000).

Index: What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Southern Baptists today?

Traylor: Without doubt it is the need for spiritual awakening. We need revival and passion for what brought Southern Baptists together in 1845 – sending the Gospel to all nations.

Index: What are our greatest strengths and weaknesses today as Southern Baptists?

Traylor: Strengths:

1. We are a people of Biblical orthodoxy.

2. We are the largest Protestant denominational missions force in the history of Christianity.

3. The Cooperative Program is our central and profound conduit of Great Commission financing.

4. We have a strong provision of theological education. One out of every four seminary students in the United States attends a Southern Baptist school.

Weaknesses:

1. We are in a state of spiritual stagnation.

2. There is a disconnect with next-generation leaders.

3. Our goal of ethnic diversity still remains more theory than reality.

Index: What role do you think the SBC president will have in helping to implement the GCR Task Force report?

Traylor: Implementation of the report, if adopted, will rest with the trustees and leaders of our entities and the Executive Committee. The SBC president should be a major voice in this, as he will have interactive opportunities with those doing the implementation.

This is one reason I am allowing my nomination. Since I experienced the task force process, I will have a working knowledge of it. I am deeply committed to the Cooperative Program and getting that funding to our missionaries to push back lostness in the nations.

Index: I understand the GCR Task Force has really reinforced the CP. What would you do to undergird that particular emphasis?

Traylor: The GCR Task Force is committed to and excited about the Cooperative Program. I have the joy of a pastoring a church with a long history of enthusiastic support for the CP, and I will continue to be a vocal proponent. This genius plan deserves our support. We can and must give more.

I will call on churches to increase their percentage of CP giving. I will encourage state conventions to increase the percentage of CP funds directed to the SBC. The GCRTF is ready to reinforce the CP, and I would use my voice to champion that effort.

Index: Baptist Press indicated that Olive’s CP percentages have been reduced since you became pastor. What is your response to that statistic?

Traylor: I found the printing of Olive’s 1989 Cooperative Program percentage to be an odd addition to the Baptist Press release. I do not recall ever seeing that statistic in a previous nominee announcement.

In my first ten years at Olive, we averaged approximately 15 percent annual giving to the Cooperative Program. Olive has always been mission-minded. However, we found ourselves high in giving and low in local involvement.

Olive has sought to raise our local mission work in Pensacola with the establishment of the Ministry Village at Olive. This is a deep commitment to ministry evangelism in our own Jerusalem. In addition, we have planted churches in Cleveland, Ohio and San Diego, Calif. This is in response to the challenge of the North American Mission Board.

We have also extended our international reach with ongoing work in five nations. During these past ten years, Olive has remained at what we consider a strong commitment to the Cooperative Program at the 10 percent level of undesignated receipts.

Index: Do you see any conflict of interest in being president of the SBC, a member of the GCR Task Force, and chairman of the NAMB presidential search committee? Can you remain objective as you serve in each of these three high-profile roles? Some Southern Baptists may perceive this as a concentration of too much power in the hand of one individual, similar to what we have seen in Washington. How would you respond to this perception?

Traylor: The short answer is I see no conflict. If one perceives serving in denominational life as a place of power, they are in the wrong place. I did not seek the roles at NAMB or GCR. They sought me.

Leadership includes having influence. If elected, I hope to use my influence for the good of the SBC and not for personal position or power.

Index: What do you think can be done to reverse the decline in the Southern Baptist Convention?

Traylor: We must have revival. That begins with local churches and local pastors. The local church is headquarters in Southern Baptist life. That is where revival must begin.

Our churches collectively can and should come together in solemn assembly and cry out to God in repentance, asking for fresh anointing. Only then will we reverse the decline. Elected or not, I plan to be a part of this endeavor.