churches working together through the local baptist association for maximum kingdom m

174 Pages·2013·1.3 MB·English

LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

COOPERATION:
CHURCHES WORKING TOGETHER
THROUGH THE LOCAL BAPTIST ASSOCIATION
FOR MAXIMUM KINGDOM MINISTRY

A Thesis Project Submitted to
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

By
John Timothy Frank

Lynchburg, Virginia
December 10, 2012
Copyright © 2012 by John Timothy Frank
All rights reserved.
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LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

THESIS PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET

_____________________________
GRADE

_____________________________
MENTOR

_____________________________
READER
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ABSTRACT

COOPERATION: CHURCHES WORKING TOGETHER THROUGH THE LOCAL BAPTIST
ASSOCIATION FOR MAXIMUM KINGDOM MINISTRY
John Timothy Frank
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012
Mentor: Dr. Charlie Davidson

Cooperation is a concept which many churches hold to as a basic belief, yet few
incorporate it into their ministry plan. With the exception of giving money toward a
denominational budget, many churches operate totally independently of other churches.
Believers in Jesus Christ can do more in a community as a unified body rather than as splintered
groups with individual, and often self-serving, agendas.
This thesis project draws together several years of observations and experiences of
churches as they have joined together in unity and cooperation. A survey and interview process
is used to gain insight and vision from churches and leaders from a variety of denominations.
This project also focuses on the scriptural basis for cooperation among churches and unity
among believers. The desired outcome is to develop a biblical model of church cooperation
through which the churches within a local Baptist association may work together in cooperation
and unity for the glory of God.

Abstract length: 156
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DEDICATION
To Fran, my wonderful wife,
for her loving encouragement through the Doctor of Ministry process,
and to our children, Jill and Sara.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank you to the members of the First Baptist Church of Carthage, Tennessee
for their encouragement, support, and prayers.

Thank you to Dr. Charlie Davidson, my Thesis mentor and to
Dr. Rod Dempsey, my Thesis reader.

Thank you to Kandy Smith for her tireless proof-reading of the text and
expertise in addressing formatting issues.
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CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................ ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO COOPERATION ...................................................... 1
The Problem ............................................................................................................. 5
Statement of Limitations ........................................................................................... 6
Theoretical Basis ...................................................................................................... 6
Methodology ............................................................................................................ 9
Literature Review ................................................................................................... 11
Books.......................................................................................................... 11
Internet Sites ............................................................................................... 14
Articles ....................................................................................................... 16
Biblical Passages ......................................................................................... 17
Questionnaire ......................................................................................................... 21
CHAPTER 2: THE PRESENT STATE OF COOPERATION WITHIN THE
NEW SALEM BAPTIST ASSOCIATION ................................................. 23

History of the New Salem Baptist Association ........................................................ 27
Churches of the New Salem Baptist Association ..................................................... 28
Organization of the New Salem Baptist Association ............................................... 31
Work of the New Salem Baptist Association........................................................... 32
Statistical Analysis of Smith County, Tennessee ..................................................... 33
Analysis of Opportunities and Threats .................................................................... 37
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 40
CHAPTER 3: CHURCH LEADERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF COOPERATION
AND ASSOCIATION ................................................................................ 42
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Cooperation Defined............................................................................................... 42
A Scriptural Basis for Cooperation ......................................................................... 43
The Benefits of Cooperation ................................................................................... 48
The Drawbacks of Cooperation............................................................................... 49
Examples of Cooperation ........................................................................................ 50
Steps a Church Can Take to Strengthen Cooperation .............................................. 52
Examples of Cooperation through the Local Association ........................................ 53
Stone Association of Southern Baptists Putnam County, Tennessee ............ 53
Cumberland Baptist Association Clarksville, Tennessee .............................. 54
Green Mountain Baptist Association Barre, Vermont .................................. 55
Fannin Baptist Association Bonham, Texas ................................................. 56
Central New York Baptist Association Candor, New York .......................... 58
Nashville Baptist Association Nashville, Tennessee .................................... 59
CHAPTER 4: A MODEL FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND COOPERATION
AMONG THE CHURCHES IN A LOCAL BAPTIST ASSOCIATION ..... 62

The Strategic Planning Process in the Local Church ............................................... 67
The Preparation Phase ................................................................................. 71
The Participation Phase ............................................................................... 76
Session 1: A people on Mission ...................................................... 77
Session 2: A Vision for the Future .................................................. 79
Session 3: A Strategy for Victory ................................................... 82
Session 4: Go Forward In Cooperation ........................................... 85
The Implementation Phase .......................................................................... 88
The Revitalization Phase ............................................................................. 89
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The Association Planning Strategy ......................................................................... 90
Association Planning Strategy: The Preparation Phase ............................... 91
Association Planning Strategy: The Participation Phase ............................. 93
Association Planning Strategy: The Implementation Phase ......................... 95
Association Planning Strategy: The Revitalization Phase ........................... 96
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 97
CHAPTER 5: A NEW DAY OF COOPERATION: RECOGNIZING AND ADDRESSING
THE SIX LEVELS OF COOPERATION ........................................................................... 98

APPENDIXES
A. QUESTIONAIRE AND RESPONSES ON COOPERATION ......................... 106
B. LETTER TO PASTORS IN FANNIN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION .................. 125
C. CHURCH MEMBER VISION SURVEY ....................................................... 131
D. A CHECKLIST OF CORE VALUES ............................................................. 132
E. A SAMPLE OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS STUDY ........................... 134
F. A SAMPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS STUDY ...................... 156

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 160

VITA ............................................................................................................................... 165
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ABBREVIATIONS

ACP Annual Church Profile
APS Association Planning Strategy
DOM Director of Mission
KJV King James Version
NAMB North American Mission Board
NKJV New King James Version
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO COOPERATION

The sign reads “Unity Revival” with several names of pastors and churches listed,
followed by the dates, times and locations of a series of meetings. Five churches, in a
community of over one hundred churches, join together for these meetings which rotate each
night to the various church locations. The pastors of the churches along with a respectable
number of members of each night’s host church attend the services. At the end of the week the
pastors have a good feeling that they have joined together and strengthened the cause of
cooperation and unity. This level of cooperation is played out among churches across the cities
and towns of the United States. There is an inner longing in the hearts of many pastors and
church members to see the church join together to make a real impact in the community. All the
while, the church is splintered and its influence is gradually losing ground. What can be done to
awaken the church to the realization that it is more than an individual congregation which meets
in an individual building?
For churches within the Southern Baptist Convention, cooperation has been promoted
and viewed as contributing to convention causes, mainly mission offerings, and being a member
of the local association. The churches, local associations, state conventions, and Southern
Baptist Convention are separate entities all their own. In the Baptist world, they are referred to
as autonomous which means they are independent of control, and yet, interdependent in
cooperation.

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