Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, delivered his first presidential address to the SBC Executive Committee Sept. 22 in Nashville. Morris Abernathy
Christianity is alive and well in Washington, D.C., in spite of what you may read on your smartphones or watch on television.
This past week, I spent two days in our nation’s capital, where I joined thousands of our fellow countrymen at the National Prayer Breakfast. I also saw firsthand the work of Southern Baptist lawmakers in Congress.
There are 31 Southern Baptists serving in the House of Representatives and eight serving in the Senate. I was able to meet with many of them, and they asked me to share this message: Christianity is alive in our nation’s capital.
Many of these elected officials attend weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings with their colleagues and local churches. And for the first time in more than 100 years, senators and representatives are gathering for a weekly worship service held in the U.S. Capitol. It is also open to the public.
Their assignment is tough. At times, it can be exhausting and discouraging. But they have a deep belief that God has them in this place at this time for a specific purpose. Each Southern Baptist lawmaker that I met loves the Lord passionately and serves our nation humbly and sacrificially. It was a true joy to be with them.
I am so grateful for the doors the Lord opened for me to share our deep concern for what is happening nationally and globally with some of our nation’s leaders. I appealed to them passionately to stand firm against the evil of ISIS and other groups that are brutalizing and killing innocent people around the world. I pleaded with them to do all they can to bring about an end to religious persecution.
I was able to share our concern for our own mission force, the largest in the world, serving our Lord in some of the toughest places on this planet. I was able to humbly communicate our deep desire for leaders to champion religious liberty nationally and globally.
I was also compelled to share our deep belief that the greatest need in America is a Great Awakening. As I shared the need for a mighty spiritual awakening in our nation, there was a common agreement among us.
They were very encouraged when I shared that on Tuesday night of this year’s Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, we are dedicating the entire session to a prayer gathering of Southern Baptists to pray for our nation and her needs spiritually as well as the great need to reach the world for Christ.
Be prayerful, my friends. God has His people representing Him everywhere, including in our nation’s capital, for such a time as this.
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SOURCE: Baptist Press
Ronnie Floyd
