[Perspective] What matters?

This past week we celebrated the Foundation’s 75^th birthday, assuming incorporated agencies have birthdays. I could not help but think about the ministry of the Arkansas Baptist Foundation. In my mind, the first thing I go to is our purpose statement. 

The Arkansas Baptist Foundation (the Foundation) is an incorporated agency of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (the Convention) for the purpose of serving the churches, agencies, institutions, and ministries of the Convention as well as the greater body of Southern Baptist believers in Jesus Christ. This purpose is preeminent and defining and shall serve as a guide and framework through which the Foundation’s mission, vision, activities, efforts, and policies are construed, interpreted, and carried out. 

I know in my time at the Foundation, we have also tried to be mindful of the purpose of the Convention, after all we are an agency of the Convention. 

The purpose of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention is to assist the churches of the Convention in fulfilling their mission, and to encourage cooperative support of and involvement in our worldwide mission enterprise. 

This is what drove us to the following statement about the Foundation’s ministry. 

At the Arkansas Baptist Foundation, we… 

SERVE Arkansas Baptist churches & ministries, 

ADVISE in areas where our staff are gifted & equipped, 

ENCOURAGE stewardship both corporately & personally, 

…all for GOD’s glory! 

I was also asked this week by a peer out of state to offer my thoughts regarding the question “What Matters?” from the perspective of the Arkansas Baptist Foundation. After sharing the purpose statements above as well as how we describe our ministry, I ultimately shared the following three things that matter. 

1. Maintaining a servant’s posture both individually and as a ministry. 

2. Hiring staff who are called to serve our churches and ministry partners/supporters. 

3. Being sensitive to the will of our churches in all matters. 

Thank you, Arkansas Baptists, for allowing us to serve you these last 75 years. I am hopeful that for years to come, we will continue to serve you well by staying true to the things that matter.