By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – The 2021 Send Conference, jointly sponsored by the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, attracted 10,000 participants from across the nation, June 13-14, for general sessions and breakout meetings headlined by Southern Baptist celebrities such as football coaching legends Bobby Bowden (Florida State University) and Mark Richt (Georgia University).
Meanwhile, according to Baptist Press, the North American Mission Board was able to enlist 92 volunteers, largely comprising seminary students, who conducted four days of door-to-door outreach, June 13-16.
SEND CONFERENCE
Billed as a “gathering of pastors, families and churches across North America learning and celebrating what it means to be on mission together, for the sake of the gospel’ the Send Conference offered “specialized tracks for every member of the family” providing “the tools and connections to become a movement of people — the Church — sharing the gospel with a world in need.”
Participants were blessed during the Sunday night opening session by worship music led by Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans, and a concert by (Steven Blake) Crowder.
Meanwhile, Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, Texas, offered a message that urged the crowd to be “fulltime saints pulling Heaven down to earth as true reflections of the imago Dei.”
“We have watched our nation decline because there aren’t enough accurate reflections of Christ invading the culture,” he said, along with encouragements about unity and racial reconciliation.
The next day participants could join various workshops led by such personalities as David Jeremiah (pastors), pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, El Cajon, California; NFL great Benjamin Watson (students), Scottish-born American contemporary Christian vocalist, writer and speaker Sheila Walsh (women); as well as 26 other presenters.
Bowden and Richt headlined the NAMB luncheon as part of the Monday activities, and IMB commissioned 64 missionaries to cap the day.
CROSSOVER
NAMB noted on its Crossover registration website that “Due to the ever-changing nature of pandemic guidelines, we are not able to accommodate outside groups this year.” Regardless, 40 area churches took part in “Who’s Your One Sunday” to supplement 92 volunteers from across the country with the combined evangelistic effort producing 6,300 Gospel conversations, which resulted in 176 salvation decisions.
Churches held neighborhood festivals that featured face painting, bounce houses, music and food. There were also ice cream socials and block parties. Importantly, each event served as an opporunity to engage people with the Gospel.
Moreover, there was door-to-door evangelism across the city.
Offering some encouragement for possibly greater Crossover participation in 2022, NAMB posted on its website, “We hope to resume normal procedures next year.”
10-YEAR SUMMARY OF CROSSOVER-RELATED SALVATIONS
2010 — 1,940 (Orlando)
2011 — 1,131 (Phoenix)
2012 — 1,140 (New Orleans)
2013 — 582 (Houston)
2014 — 214 (Baltimore)
2015 – 345 (Columbus)
2016 – 556 (St, Louis)
2017 – 151 (Phoenix), plus 3,398 during Harvest America by Greg Laurie
2018 – 1,015 (Dallas), plus 3,214 during Harvest America by Greg Laurie
2019 – 364 (Birmingham)
2020 – pandemic
2021 – 176 (Nashville)
