Southern Baptists, there is something we need to recognize, even if we don’t want to and we don’t like it. Right now, we don’t have the greatest reputation outside of our own circle.

I’m not a critical outsider. I am a Southern Baptist. I’ve attended a Southern Baptist Church for all my 66 years. I was baptized in a SBC church as a boy and married, licensed, and ordained in a Southern Baptist Church. I’ve served in nearly every possible capacity in a church—youth council as a teen, nursery worker as a young father, Sunday School teacher, Discipleship teacher, usher, building and grounds team member and then chairman, mission pastor, choir leader (I wasn’t very good at it), youth pastor, pastor, and senior pastor. I’ve also served in multiple positions in my association and state convention. There are thousands of others like me.

I am a Southern Baptist.

That’s why it pains me to admit that our reputation—outside of SBC circles and especially among the unchurched—is far from stellar.

What do I mean?

• Among many, we have a reputation of being racist. It may or may not be true of you or your church, but that’s still our reputation.
• Among many, we have a reputation of being hopelessly old-fashioned and out of touch. It may or may not be true of you or your church, but that’s still our reputation.
• Among many, we have a reputation of being excessively political—almost functioning as an arm of the Republican Party. It may or may not be true of you or your church, but that’s still our reputation.
• Among many, we have a reputation of being hypocritical, preaching love while hating gays, transgenders, members of the “other” party, followers of other faiths, and people “across the border.”  It may or may not be true of you or your church, but that’s still our reputation.
• Among many, we have a reputation of being money hungry. It may or may not be true of you or your church, but that’s still our reputation.
• Among many, we have a reputation of being moralists—spending more time preaching on the evils of abortion, transgenderism, socialism, critical race theory, and a host of other issues than we do preaching the grace of God and the gospel of Jesus. It may or may not be true of you or your church, but that’s still our reputation.
• Among many, we have a reputation of being anti-women. It may or may not be true of you or your church, but that’s still our reputation.

These reputations distress me, for these are not the things I want us to be known for. I want to be known for loving God, loving people, following Jesus, and preaching Jesus. So how do we change our reputation while still maintaining our faithfulness to Jesus and the Bible?

It’s simple and it’s Biblical and it’s modeled after Jesus.

Love.

I don’t just mean proclaiming love. I mean showing it in very practical and physical ways. Feed the hungry. House the homeless. Offe free or very low-cost sports ministries to children and teens. Offer medical care and medicines. Offer cold-water and maybe a cooling center in hot climates, or hot coffee and a warming center in cold climates. Support those undergoing the grief of death, loss, or divorce. Help ex-cons transition back into healthy lifestyles. Teach children and teens (especially those from single-parent or underprivileged families) basic life and job skills.  Help addicts overcome their addictions. Offer free financial counseling to those in poverty. Teach language skills. Engage with your state disaster relief organization and be trained. Support (with more than money) your state’s family or senior ministries.

I know. Our main task is to make disciples of Jesus, but that’s hard to do when our reputation scares people away. Loving people in very real ways is the key to replacing a negative reputation. And it opens doors to share the gospel and make disciples.

We have two things going for us that make these love ministries easier than we think. We (at least most of us) have buildings that sit unused for much of the week and could be used for love ministries. And we have Jesus-loving and people-loving church members who are much more willing to serve in these kinds of ministries than we think. They may need to be challenged and trained—but I have learned that real believers want to do more than just attend a church. They want to be the church.  

Yes—it costs money. Yes—it requires hard work by church staff and church members. Yes—it means we need to do more than plan worship and classes. We need to evaluate our communities to find areas of need. Yes—it requires much prayer and planning. Yes—it requires research and training and talking to other churches and non-profit organizations to figure out the best practices. Yes—it requires a new way of thinking about church life.

But it’s what Jesus did. He fed the hungry. Healed the sick. Cared for the grieving. Ministered to the hurting. And He still majored on preaching the gospel and making disciples.

If you are blessed enough to live in a community where there are no physical or emotional needs (does such a place even exist?) than partner with another church in a community surrounded by hurting, homeless, hungry, and hopeless people. They’re everywhere.

Our reputation is not what it should be. But we can change it.

With love.

Jack Marslender

Senior Pastor, Avondale Baptist Church