Wagner formerly was a professor of missions at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and before that an International Mission Board missionary for 31 years in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. He served as SBC first vice president from 2003-04. He also is the pastor of a small San Francisco-area church, Snyder Lane Baptist, and the author of the 2004 book, “How Islam Plans to Change the World,” published by Kregel.
Wagner formerly was a professor of missions at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and before that an International Mission Board missionary for 31 years in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. He served as SBC first vice president from 2003-04. He also is the pastor of a small San Francisco-area church, Snyder Lane Baptist, and the author of the 2004 book, “How Islam Plans to Change the World,” published by Kregel.
Wagner has written a “Contract with Southern Baptists,” which consists of 10 points he hopes to implement if elected. The contract can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.williamwagner.org/.
Wagner received his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and his master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. He also holds a doctor of missiology degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in California and a doctor of theology degree from the University of South Africa.
The 2006 Annual Church Profile lists four baptisms for the previous year for Snyder Lane Baptist, located in Rohnert Park, Calif., and primary worship service attendance of 30. The church gave $670 through the Cooperative Program. It did not list its total undesignated receipts or total mission expenditures. The church gave $23 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and $73 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
The congregation’s record on giving is “deceptive,” Wagner explained to Baptist Press. “We have voted that we will give 10 percent to the Cooperative Program and have done so this year. We also have met our goals this year for Lottie Moon ($500.00) and Annie Armstrong ($300.00).” Wagner has been the church’s pastor for two years and does not receive a salary.
Questions and Answers
Wagner’s answers to
the questions posed by Baptist Press follow:
1) What has God done
in your life and ministry to prepare you to be president of the Southern
Baptist Convention?
First, it should be
said that I have been serving in the SBC for over 50 years. In the beginning, I
was the New Mexico State Baptist Student Union president and a summer staffer
at Ridgecrest.
After that, I was both a pastor and a church planter, followed by 31 years on
the mission field with my area of responsibility being Eastern and Western
Europe, as well as the Middle East and North Africa.
From 1995 to 2005, I was the professor of evangelism and missions at Golden
Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. At the present time, I am the president of
Olivet University International in San Francisco
and the pastor of two small churches in California.
This means that I have been prepared for the office by serving the SBC as
student leader, church planter, pastor, foreign missionary, consultant for
evangelism and church growth, seminary professor, university president and
second vice president of the SBC.
2) If you are
elected what would be your priority message for Southern Baptists?
We are all aware
that for the first time in 150 years, we have declined in membership. There are
three main reasons for this. They are: (1) a lack of spiritual fervor, (2) many
leaving because they are dissatisfied with the SBC (more leaving out the back
door), (3) a lack of new and creative methods of evangelism in the USA (fewer
coming in the front door).
If elected, I would
hold a solemn assembly in the fall and ask all Southern Baptists to come to
their churches and pray, confess their sins and fast. This would be voluntary.
There would be no conferences, no programs, no special speakers, no big
budgets, but just our people coming together to seek God.
Second, I would
reach out to those on the fringe of Southern Baptist life and encourage them to
stay and work with us. This would include those in our minority churches as
well as those in the mission areas in the USA.
Third, I would
promote a new program where we would use university and college-age students to
do two years of missionary service both in the USA and in foreign countries. Their
only task would be evangelism and discipleship. This would be paid for by the
student’s families, friends and churches.
Being a trained
missionary strategist, I would use my abilities to find new and better ways to
bring people to Christ. I would not just say we should be more active in doing
what we are already doing, but I will be proactive in seeing that we find
better methods.
3) What do you
believe is needed to see churches more effectively bringing people to Christ
and making disciples?
I think that Avery
Willis is right on target in emphasizing the need to make disciples. I have
been close to both Avery Willis and Billie Hanks in making disciples. While a
missionary in my area overseas, I led over 25,000 persons to take the
MasterLife course. I have the names of that many people that were trained.
Others have also followed later, so this number is far larger. I have also
helped Billie Hanks in getting Europeans to use his course. We as Southern Baptists
are great in the creation of new programs but are poor in the development of
delivery systems. I would go back to some of the basic courses that we have and
help people to become disciples. If we do this, the evangelism part will take
care of itself. We already have all the materials necessary to do the job, we
just need leadership to help us get the job done. I might add that we have the
officer corps in place (missionaries, DOMs, etc.) but we need the foot
soldiers.
4) Decline/plateau
in membership, baptisms: What do you think the future holds for the SBC?
Missionary strategy
is my strong point. I have written four books on this subject, including one
that made an extensive study of the rise and decline of the German Baptists. We
in the SBC are at the crossroads. We can continue the decline and become like
the German Baptists or we can see the present decline as just a little dip.
This is why this election is so very important. If we continue in the way we
have been going, we will continue the decline. We must be innovative and be
ready to make some changes not in theology but in methodology. I am positive
that with the right leadership we can make giant moves forward for our Lord as
Southern Baptists.
5) Regenerate church
membership: To what extent do you see regenerate church membership as a
significant concern in the Southern Baptist Convention?
If by this question
you mean that every member of a Southern Baptist church should be saved, then I
do not see why this question even comes up. Of course, one of our basic
concepts is that our churches are made up of regenerate believers. We are not
pedo-Baptists that allow children to become members with their families. Our
membership is for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.
6) Calvinism: Do you
see any reason for non-Calvinist Southern Baptists to be concerned about a
renewed emphasis on Calvinism in some Southern Baptist churches and seminaries?
The time is ripe for
us to select a “World Christian” as the president. I do not hold that
I am the only candidate who is one, but we need to see who our enemy really is.
It is not the other Christians who have accept Jesus, but rather secularism,
Islam, cults, the New Age movement, etc. Let us quit fighting among ourselves
and join in together to bring more people in the world to a saving knowledge to
our Lord. In my book “How Islam Plans to Change the World,” I see
Islam as very large threat to all Christians in the world. This is our enemy,
not other Christians.
Once again, another
answer to your question. I see no reason to be concerned about the rise of
Calvinists in our midst. I am not a Calvinist, but I can have a wonderful
fellowship with my fellow Southern Baptists who are.
7) The IMB trustee
guidelines governing baptism and private prayer language in appointing
missionaries: Do you think their action was needed and appropriate?
A simple answer: No,
I do not think that their action was needed or appropriate. We have lost some
wonderful missionaries because of this decision. We already have the Baptist
Faith and Message document. It has served us well. We do not need to add to it.
I know much about this action at the IMB, and I feel that there was too much
political reasoning involved in the decision. We as Baptists need to put politics
aside and get back to our main task of winning people and making them
disciples.
8) The role of the
Baptist Faith and Message: What do you see as the proper role of the Baptist
Faith and Message when it comes to governing SBC entities and employees?
I personally feel
that we are blessed by having the BF&M and we do not need to add more to it
in working with employees of or agencies. I do, however, believe that each
administration and board of trustees should have the right, in looking at their
situation, to add other requirements as they see fit. I would be very careful
in adding much to the document that all of us as Southern Baptists have
approved.
9) We hear reports
that God’s spirit is moving in astounding ways in many parts of the world, with
people being saved and churches being started so fast no one can keep track of
the numbers. Based on your missionary experience, what do you think keeps God
from moving in such remarkable ways in America?
Once again I refer
back to my missionary experience. I have always felt that our mission work in
Western Europe was very important because I predicted that we in America were going to followEurope’s
experience and eventually become secular. What is done for Christ in Europe could be useful in other parts of the world in the
future. People refer to Europe as being
“post-Christian.” This term is coming very soon to America. In
reading Matthew 24, I was always baffled by the statements that say that in the
last days there would be a falling away from the faith and at the same time the
Gospel would be preached to the whole world. That very thing is happening
today. Many are giving up on Christianity but at the same time the Gospel is
being received all over the world. Now I understand what Jesus was predicting. We
are living in the end times.
But to answer the
question, I feel that we as Southern Baptists have made a very big mistake by
breaking our ties with conservative Baptists around the world. I visit many
countries and almost all leaders ask why we do not have more fellowship with
them. These are conservative Baptists who hold to the same doctrines that we
hold to. If elected, I will do everything possible to rebuild these
relationships so that we can help them and they can be a blessing to us. We
must have a global approach to our faith. I might add that we need to give Dr.
Jerry Rankin credit in leading out in world evangelism and church planting. We
are the world’s leaders in this area. l am very proud of our IMB, as well as
the NAMB and the WMU. These are the agencies leading us in missions.
But what keeps God
from moving in America?
It is the fact that spiritually we have removed ourselves from Him. Our first
priority is to come back to God, thus I recommend a solemn assembly. If we as
Southern Baptists return to Him, we will see His blessings and we shall
experience a revival and a new outpouring of His Spirit. We might do well to
restudy 2 Chronicles 7:14)