Special Called Members’ Meeting

On Wednesday night, August 3rd, Lakewood will have a special meeting in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30pm.  All current members of Lakewood are encouraged to attend and participate.  The reason for the meeting will be to discuss the current state of the Southern Baptist Convention in light of recent events and news, as well as what Lakewood’s continued relationship with the SBC might look like.  Do not worry – there will be no votes taken during this meeting.  No long-term decisions will be made on this evening.  This will be a time of instruction, discussion, and prayer.

One of the first questions I was asked after becoming the pastor at Lakewood was “Why do we have to be affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention?  Can’t we just be on our own?”  The answer to that is not difficult, but it requires some teaching and explanation so that we may have an accurate context to make wise decisions.  

During our meeting, I plan to explain how the SBC is organized and how decisions are made and implemented.  This will include where our donations to the Cooperative Program go.  I will also explain several things that happened at both the SBC Annual Meetings of 2021 and 2022, as well as news and events from earlier this year.  We will examine our uniting document, the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 and consider how Lakewood supports this document, and how other SBC committees may support that document.  It will be a time of open discussion and questions will be welcomed.

We will then examine what God’s word says on these matters.  Regardless of what those outside of Lakewood may or may not do, I will always lead Lakewood to remain faithful to God’s word in the strictest of senses.  God’s word obligates the local church in several areas, and we cannot be ignorant of these things.

Finally, I will call us to a season of serious prayer and continued personal investigation.  No matter what the Lord leads us to do as a congregation, we must maintain the unity of the Spirit in all things.  We must seek the long-term health of our church and our faithfulness to the Lord.  We answer to God alone, not any man-made organization.

These are important matters, and it is important that all Lakewood members make every attempt to be in attendance.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com