'Cherish the "unique missional fingerprint" of our churches'

The varied nature of our churches and their contexts creates ‘many touch points for people to see and encounter Jesus today’, said General Secretary Lynn Green

Lynn was keynote speaker for the Friday evening celebration (17 May), in which she took Acts 2:1-4 as her text.
 
We find those early disciples were praying and waiting on God, and when the Spirit came they were ‘fast-tracked into God’s mission’, Lynn noted.
 
She highlighted verse 4, which reads, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

‘What has really struck me about this verse is that their supernatural ability to speak in different languages enabled them to connect with so many different people,’ Lynn said.

‘I love that everyone was able to hear about the wonders of God in their own native languages. What we are seeing here is true incarnational Gospel communication!
‘Not just formal words, but Jesus communicated through heart language, and this enabled a profound encounter with the Living Lord to take place.’

Many different ‘touch points’ are created using heart language, Lynn continued, before extending the analogy into a Baptist context.

‘It struck me that our differences as churches create many, many wonderful touch points too as we bless and serve our communities by sharing the wonders of God,’ she said.

‘Not just here in the UK but also as we partner with other mission workers from around the world.

‘This is a precious part of our Baptist identity…. we are not all the same and if we were, our connections and touch points would be radically reduced.

‘But no, we are beautifully different and because of this we are able to speak in many “native languages.” In this way our churches are each unique expressions of the Body of Christ. Each one sharing our Declaration of Principle.

‘Each one with its own missional fingerprint, each one rooted in its context and speaking the heart language of its community.

‘This is biblical, and this is good!’



Like those first disciples, we find ourselves in times of huge transition and ‘it’s really hard for us to imagine what the future will look like’, Lynn said.

She highlighted that we have been in the midst of a difficult season, with Covid, global instability and the cost of living crisis. Answering the question around marriage and ministry has prompted both ‘huge relief at the same time as enormous pain’, while the consultation report ‘has helped us see and hear the depth and breadth of conviction across our movement, not simply about marriage but how we honour the Scriptures and reflect our precious Baptist identity.’

But rather than dwelling on ‘the tensions of our differences of conviction,’ Lynn continued, could we ‘respect each other’s convictions and trust that alongside each other we somehow witness to a fuller and more complete picture of Jesus for our communities?’

‘The kingdom needs more and more different touch points so that more and more people can hear and experience the love of God in Christ,’ Lynn said.

She noted the disciples in Acts were willing to be swept forward in mission in new ways.

Continuing to reflect on our challenges, Lynn said in recent weeks we have had to 'think and pray very deeply about our unity.' Even the best families have their challenging seasons, when tensions and differences can cause disagreements - and this can leads us to feeling powerless.
 
However, she told delegates, there are things we can do:
 
While we cannot control others, we can control ourselves. 'This is a holy calling for all of us to be Christlike and to nurture the Fruit of the Spirit,' Lynn said.
 
Secondly, we can follow the command of Jesus to love one another. 
 
'Slowly and over time, convictions may not change but new insights will emerge, relationships will be rekindled and grow, and new life will come that change the family dynamic and lead us into a new future.' 
 
She said we are far from unique in having challenges and red line issues - every generation has had them. But every generation has 'found a way through': it is up to us to 'maintain a Kingdom perspective... to face into those challenges in faith, trusting that God has got us and that where He calls, He equips.'
 
She continued, 'In all things, God’s call to us is to keep our eyes fixed on Him and keep in step with the Spirit because He cares for the whole world and so wants us to join with Him in His mission.  Devoting our energies to what unites us, rather than focusing on what divides us.'
 
As part of the session she spoke of how our movement had been waiting and praying, earnestly seeking an ongoing yielding to the Lord and a renewal of the Spirit. She noted how praying leads to mission, referencing the Beacons of Prayer and Beacons of Hope initiatives. She introduced two wooden prayer crosses, explaining how they symbolise our unity in Christ and our shared mission today, and encouraged delegates to add the names of their churches to them. Following the Assembly the crosses will journey around our Union.

‘As we sign the crosses during Assembly and as we receive and pass them on, let’s bless the other churches, cherishing their own calling and context and the unique missional fingerprint they have and pray for them,’ Lynn said.  

‘Let’s rejoice in the fact that while we worship one Lord, they are not like us.

‘Let’s trust that together we are increasing the touch points that enable people to see and encounter Jesus today.’