NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana pastor David Crosby intends to present a proposal at the upcoming Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting that will ask messengers to change the location of a future annual meeting site.
By Kelly Boggs
Editor
NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana pastor David Crosby
intends to present a proposal at the upcoming Southern Baptist
Convention annual meeting that will ask messengers to change the
location of a future annual meeting site.
“I plan on making a motion from the floor at
Greensboro that in 2008 we change the location of the annual meeting
from Indianapolis to New Orleans,” the pastor of First Baptist of New
Orleans told the Message in a telephone interview on May 24.
According to Crosby, the motivation for the motion
is spiritual. “I think this would be a strategic
move by the Southern Baptist Convention to make a significant impact on
not only the city of New Orleans, but the entire region,” Crosby said.
“Many of us have ministered here faithfully for
years and it has been a difficult city to reach. However, since the
hurricane things have been different.”
New Orleans is “a city on its knees,” the pastor said.
“People have been significantly impacted by the
disaster relief efforts of Southern Baptists,” Crosby noted. “I believe
New Orleans is ripe and open to a people who will step up and reach
out. We have an opportunity to be that people.”
Concerning the 2008 date, Crosby said, “We are too
far along in the planning for the 2007 convention to propose a change,
and in 2009 the convention is scheduled for Louisville in order to
coincide with the 150th anniversary of Southern Seminary.”
He continued, “It is the earliest possible date we
could have the annual meeting in New Orleans and still capitalize on
the spiritual climate of the city.
“Most people cannot comprehend the magnitude of the
destruction. This is the greatest natural disaster our nation has ever
experienced,” Crosby said. “This is not a thousand homes destroyed; it
[the destruction] covers 20 miles. Two years from now the devastation
will still be very evident. Our leaders, our people, need to come and
experience it firsthand.”
When asked about possible contracts with facilities
in Indianapolis, Crosby replied, “It is my understanding that we do not
yet have a contract with the Indiana Convention Center, though we do
have some contracts with hotels.”
“There is no doubt it will cost us something [to
change locations],” Crosby admitted, “but I believe it will be well
worth it because of the impact we can have on the region.
“New Orleans has had a special place in the mission
work of Southern Baptists throughout our history,” Crosby said. “We
must act now while the Spirit is working.”
He added, “We have this moment in which to change the spiritual foundations of a major American city.”
The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist
Convention will be held in the Greensboro Coliseum at Greensboro, N.C.,
June 13-14.