The Open Door

Southern Baptists are so blessed to have the capable, devoted, and enthusiastic leadership of our President, Bobby Welch. As many of you know, Bobby is riding a motor coach across America to promote his "Everyone Can Kingdom Challenge for Evangelism." This remarkable bus tour will take Bobby on a grand spiritual adventure across 20,000 miles to all 50 states and Canada in just 25 days. He will make 70 stops along the way where he will speak to groups of Southern Baptists, kneel in prayer with pastors and other church leaders, and visit door-to-door sharing the Gospel of Christ. He is well past the halfway point, and, as you can imagine, he has had many remarkable experiences. Bobby is rallying Southern Baptists to an accomplishment in evangelism far beyond anything we have ever done - to baptize one million in one year. This exciting vision is seizing the hearts of Southern Baptists who are just beginning to realize that we have been on a plateau in baptisms since the mid 1950's. For evangelistic hearted Southern Baptists, this is unacceptable. My prayer is that God will use our very gifted president to lead us to new heights in evangelism.

In a recent message, Dr. Welch referred to Forrest Gump's mother, who declared that, "Life is like a box of chocolates." He then added that, "Southern Baptists are like a box of chocolates. Chocolates are best when you get them out of the box." The time is now for Georgia Baptists, for all Southern Baptists, to get out of the box, spread the Gospel and see one million baptized in our churches in one year!

In the 2005/2006 church year, Southern Baptists are desiring to see a total of one million baptisms reported on our annual church profiles. In Georgia, under the theme "What Now, Georgia?" we have established some very specific goals for church growth and evangelism. It is our prayer that in 2005 Georgia Baptist churches will baptize 50,000 believers in Christ. We are praying for the establishing of new churches where we will see over 100 new church plants in 2005. Further, we desire to see the growth of our local congregations through 3,500 new units in Sunday School. These goals present a great challenge to Georgia Baptists to join with Dr. Bobby Welch and all Southern Baptists in reaching the vision to baptize one million believers in Christ, plant 2,500 new churches, and see the initiation of 100,000 new units in Sunday School in one year.

I am praying that all Georgia Baptists will take seriously this outstanding vision. I am praying that we will get together in our heart, in our commitment, and in the direction of our energies to accomplish these godly goals to the glory of His Kingdom. We have resources available through Evangelism Ministries, New Church Development Ministries, and Sunday School and Open Groups Ministries to assist your church in doing your part to accomplish this vision in Georgia. May God bless your every effort to strengthen His Kingdom in Georgia.