At this time there are more Southern Baptist churches outside the U.S. than inside. In fact, their number in America is dwindling. The decline is not limited to Southern Baptist, it has effected the Church at large in America. No longer will the primary flow move from the local church up the denominational ladder and out to mission elsewhere. Just the opposite must occur, at least initially.
Mission is on our doorstep.
The message of the gospel remains and will remain unchanged. Yet we must change our methods in taking the truth of God's Word to the culture. No longer can we expect the culture to look to us as a moral anchor. We must take our lamps out from under the baskets of tradition and shine the love of Jesus Christ upon a lost world. We pray that Hope For the Harvest will be a catalyst for strengthening and growing local churches.