Introducing The Pillar Network (By Thomas Hill)

I am excited to announce that we are considering a new mission partnership with The Pillar Network. During the elders’ report at the Aug 17 members meeting, we will present this partnership for the church’s information. In this article, I introduce you to Pillar, explain the value of partnership, describe practically what partnership would look like for us, and outline the next steps. 

What is The Pillar Network?

The Pillar Network is a community of Southern Baptist and international Baptist churches that are doctrinally aligned, missionally driven, and committed to equipping, planting, and revitalizing churches together. Through relationships formed with agreement around theology and healthy church doctrine and practice, Pillar churches can confidently support Great Commission efforts they trust will uphold the same priorities. I encourage you to learn more about Pillar through their website: The Pillar Network 

Pillar Church DNA:

1. Gospel Proclamation: We proclaim the gospel of our Sovereign Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2. Biblical Authority: We submit to the Bible as our final authority in life, faith, and doctrine.

3. Live Exposition: We promote live, expository preaching to equip the church.

4. Elder Led: We believe in congregationalism, led by a plurality of qualified, male elders.

5. Confessionally Baptist: We unite around historic, Baptist theology.

6. Kingdom Minded: We cooperate to start and strengthen churches all over the world. 

Statement of Faith:

All Pillar churches affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Further, the Network gladly stands in the reformed tradition clarified in the Pillar Statement of Faith: Beliefs. The Network also affirms the Abstract of Principles, the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, the Danvers Statement, and the Nashville Statement.

I believe that when you consider the Pillar DNA, Statement of Faith, and affirmations, you will find that they reflect the priorities largely shared by Crestview.

What Does the Pillar Network Do?

1. The Network catalyzes SBC churches to plant and revitalize churches in the US and worldwide.

2. Each Pillar church partners directly with at least one other plant/revitalization effort within the Network, providing financial, relational, practical, and prayer support.

3. Each Pillar church financially supports the work of the Network.

4. Each Pillar church invests in relationships within the Network by attending conferences, regional events, and Zoom calls.

Why would this partnership be valuable for Crestview?

1. Partnership will stir our awareness, involvement, and confidence in church planting and revitalization worldwide. It will boost our Great Commission efforts through the SBC. This is about GREATER missions and evangelism.

2. Partnership will connect us with a network of like-minded SBC churches. Crestview already has longstanding partnerships with the SBC, GBC, and FRBA. We intend to keep these traditional partnerships and support the Cooperative Program, the IMB, and NAMB. Partnering with Pillar enables us to achieve DEEPER, CONFIDENT cooperation WITHIN these partnerships. It helps us to continue in the SBC gladly.

3. Virtually all new Pillar churches receive NAMB support. Yet, NAMB also supports a broader circle of churches that do not share our convictions about what constitutes a healthy local church. We want Crestview to support planting churches that possess sound doctrine and healthy, biblical practices. Partnering with Pillar helps us to find NAMB churches that we can confidently support.

4. Pillar is a growing network that is gaining influence in the SBC. We want Crestview to raise our flag and support Pillar’s impact. We do not want to watch from the sidelines while Pillar churches labor together to strengthen our convention. This Network is our tribe of churches and a movement that Crestview should happily join.

Practically, what would this partnership look like for Crestview?

1. Crestview would add The Pillar Network alongside our longstanding partnerships with the SBC, GBC, and FRBA. We will continue to support the Cooperative Program, IMB, NAMB, and our regular missions offerings.

2. We will begin building relationships with other Pillar churches by attending network conferences and other events.

3. We will develop a partnership with at least one Pillar church plant in the US or internationally. Such would include mission trips, financial support, encouragement, and prayer.

4. We would add Pillar to our church ministry budget, aiming to increase our support to 1% or more as we are able.

What are the next steps for the church's consideration?

Our elders have been watching Pillar for several years, attending a few Pillar events, and slowly evaluating whether this is a wise partnership for Crestview. We believe that it is, but we want the church to affirm this partnership. At the Aug 17 members meeting, we will give a presentation about Pillar and ask the church to begin prayerfully considering this opportunity. Our recommendation will be for the church to affirm partnership at our Nov 16 members meeting. This schedule allows three months for you to learn about Pillar, ask questions, and help us make a wise, unified partnership decision.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

2025 SBC Recap (By Thomas Hill)

Last week, Great Commission Baptists met in Dallas, Texas, for the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. This gathering included two days of business preceded by a one-day pastors conference. Just over ten thousand messengers from churches across America met for encouragement, updates on our cooperative mission efforts, and decision-making related to the convention.

Encouragement from sister churches was a highlight of the gathering. The opportunity to reconnect with friends and ministry associates serving around the country and to hear updates on each other’s lives was positive. A host of meals and ancillary gatherings promoted these conversations (NAMB lunch, Baptist 21 lunch, IMB dinner, 9Marks at 9, the Pillar fellowship, and Georgia Baptist dessert fellowship—to name a few).

Our mission boards and seminaries updated the convention on their accomplishments for the year. Tuesday morning, the convention commissioned the latest class of fifty-eight international workers to serve around the world through the International Mission Board. The IMB reported over 3,500 workers worldwide and 1,600 in the sending pipeline, considering future deployment. The North American Mission Board reported that at the current rate of planting, by 2030, one-third of SBC churches will have started since 2010. The six seminaries report strong student enrollment and a host of educational initiatives. Seminaries are collaborating with churches to train more pastors through a variety of online and traditional on-campus avenues, aiming to combat the growing shortage of pastors serving churches. 

The convention made several noteworthy decisions. First, the Sanchez amendment (formerly the Law amendment) was defeated by a margin of 60% to 40%, falling short of the required 66% approval to pass. This amendment was the second effort in as many years to change the SBC constitution to define cooperating churches as those that only allow qualified men as pastors. The convention’s doctrinal statement, the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, already lists this requirement so that a constitutional change would have been a supplemental effort. I voted for it and was surprised that the Sanchez amendment did not pass; yet, I am encouraged that the doctrinal statement is clear.

Second, in a 60-40 vote, the convention again voted to affirm and not end the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. This motion has been brought to the floor for several consecutive conventions. The motive to end the commission is gaining traction, in my estimation. I voted in favor of ending the commission this year, knowing a second vote would come next year and allow the trustees time to convince the SBC of the commission's merit. No doubt, there are many good things that the ERLC does. Yet, I am not convinced that it can speak to the public sector on political issues as "the voice" of the SBC.

Third, in accepting the SBC annual cooperative program budget, the convention approved a special, one-time allocation of three million dollars for legal expenses to defend against three lawsuits against the Executive Committee related to sexual abuse cases by a large majority. (Former SBC President Johnny Hunt brought one of these suits after the 2022 sexual abuse report named him.) Leading up to the convention, some voiced concern about the convention using Cooperative Program funds for legal costs. Legal costs, however, are an inherent part of doing business for all convention entities that operate as large corporations in a modern, litigious society. While all should desire to see legal costs minimized, the convention must defend itself against these suits. One can appreciate the Executive Committee’s transparency about such costs.

I doubt history will look back on the 2025 convention as one of the most momentous, but it was another year of sister churches assembling to encourage Great Commission faithfulness. It was a joy and privilege to represent Crestview. By the way, next year's convention will be held in Orlando, Florida, from June 7 to 10, 2026. If any members are interested in attending as messengers, please let me know.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Controversy at the EC

Church Family,

I pray you are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord today!

I do not often write about the more extensive workings of Great Commission Baptists (SBC), but there have been issues in the news over the last few weeks that may have caught your attention and raised concern. You may be wondering, “What’s going on?”

Controversy at the EC

The first issue relates to the sexual abuse investigation of the Executive Committee (EC) ordered by the Convention this past summer in Nashville. The EC represents the interests of the Convention between annual meetings. Concerning accusations have surfaced this past year about the EC’s handling of sexual abuse cases. Messengers in Nashville approved a motion directing the EC to cooperate with an open investigation into its processing of such cases, which included a requirement to wave attorney-client privilege.

In its first meeting since the Nashville Convention, the EC voted in a split decision against following the Convention's motion in an unprecedented action. A majority of EC members wanted to pursue a model for the investigation that would avoid waiving attorney-client privilege. This decision set of a firestorm. A key issue at stake was whether a convention entity could thwart the expressed directive of the Convention. It is my understanding that no entity has explicitly defied a messenger-approved motion in this way. This vote was concerning to many, especially coming on the heels of the Nashville Convention, where several apparent efforts by the EC to expand its authority were voted down by messengers.

In the wake of the storm, the EC reconvened in several called sessions. Eventually, enough votes were swayed to change the decision and approve moving forward with the messenger’s motion. The sexual abuse investigation has started, and its findings will be made public before the 2022 annual meeting.

Resignations

The second issue surrounds the fallout at the EC from this decision. A handful of committee members have resigned. The attorneys who have represented the EC for decades gave notice that they will not continue due to the waiver of attorney-client privilege. Lastly, Ronnie Floyd, the executive committee president, resigned. In the wake of Nashville and the EC's change of decisions to follow the messenger's motion, which Floyd did not support, the resignation was not surprising. Floyd had served in this role for just over two years. The EC is beginning the search process for a new president.

What does all this mean?

I heard someone say recently, “Things are not as good as the annual meeting makes them out to be, nor are they as bad as they appear on social media.” This seems right. First, all should agree that it is good that the investigation into the EC’s handling of sexual abuse cases is moving forward. If missteps have been made in this area, shine the light and bring correction. Second, every faithful Great Commission Baptist church can celebrate that our mission efforts are going forward. We are a convention of tens of thousands of churches supporting thousands of missionaries worldwide, thousands of church planters in North America, and six biblically faithful seminaries. This dust-up around the EC and future actions of the committee need to be monitored, but the reasons we cooperate with other churches remain unchanged.

If you want to read further, I recommend Baptist Press’s coverage.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas