CEDARMORE—Scott Kilgore believes the heart of Kentucky Baptists’ Mission Study Committee report can be summed up in one word: “connecting.”

The 10-page report and recommendations, the product of a 15-member study committee’s yearlong work, were unanimously approved May 5 by the Kentucky Baptist Convention Mission Board.

The document includes a mission statement, objectives and goals addressing such areas as evangelism, missions, leader training, networking and strengthening churches. It is designed to help guide Kentucky Baptist ministry philosophy and priorities from 2004 through 2009.

The mission statement emphasizes that the mission of the state convention “is to assist Kentucky Baptist Convention churches and ministries and associations in connecting all people to Jesus Christ.”

“The mission statement is the heart of it. The key word is ‘connecting,’” explained Kilgore, study committee chairman and executive pastor of Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green.

“Connections are conduits for something else,” he added. “We’re conduits for the work of God as we seek to be about Kingdom work.”

Describing the plan as “a rallying point” for Kentucky Baptist ministry, Kilgore noted, “I hope it can get us to think outside the box and open our eyes to new possibilities to be salt and light in an ever-changing environment.”

As they explored needs for future ministry, committee members cited concerns in such areas as an inadequate record in reaching people with the gospel, failing to retain new church members at a satisfactory rate, increasing cultural tensions, an aging population and limited state convention resources.

“The report is directional in its intent,” Kilgore told Mission Board members. “It is not programmatic.”

Among major goals approved by the Mission Board are:

“I think the fact that this comes from grassroots Kentucky Baptists is tremendously significant,” said KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey. “For Kentucky Baptists to say this is the direction we want to go can be a means of rallying resources to accomplish these goals.

“The biggest resource is the people resource. That’s more significant than anything else,” he added. “God working through all Kentucky Baptists is the only way this is going to become a reality.”

Describing the recommendations as “God-sized goals,” Mackey noted, “People in all size churches are a huge resource. That’s where I believe God wants us to focus our resources.”

Several committee members discussed key points of the report as they presented it to the Mission Board for consideration.

Steve Ayers, pastor of Hillvue Heights Baptist Church in Bowling Green, said the ambitious evangelism goals are an effort “to move this convention from an inward-focused convention to an outward-focused convention.”

“More than 450 of our Kentucky Baptist Convention churches last year did not reach a single convert,” he added. “Folks, that’s going out of business. To address this, we need to be encouragers, we need to be encouraging the attitude that this is important.”

Asa Greear, director of missions for Greenup Baptist Association, emphasized that evangelism and missions go hand-in-hand.

Citing the committee’s finding that 41 percent of Kentuckians are not ­affiliated with any major religious group, Greear said, “We need to be about focusing on these different groups in order to reach them for our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“This is not a plan designed from the top down; it is from the bottom up,” said Chris White, pastor of First Baptist Church of Carrollton. “It is impossible for the staff of the Kentucky Baptist Convention to deliver this kind of plan. It is going to come through all of us as God leads us.”

During discussion of the proposals, Wayne Spivey, pastor of Cynthiana Church, voiced concern about “running ahead of God” by adopting church baptism goals that only the Holy Spirit can accomplish.

Board members approved an amendment to encourage churches “as led by the Holy Spirit” to increase baptisms by at least one per year through 2009.

The report also includes several “major impact factors” in the areas of financial resources, technology, communications, associational partnerships, staff organization and spiritual foundations.

Committee members projected that “Cooperative Program giving will not likely increase much greater than the rate of inflation … unless a major effort is made to better educate Kentucky Baptists about the ministries of the convention and better promote the need for Cooperative Program support.”

Recommendations call on KBC leaders to “significantly increase the level of education and promotion” in the areas of stewardship and cooperation and to establish a program to increase financial support through direct gifts and bequests.

Other proposals approved by the board include establishing a properties study committee to report on facility needs by December 2004. Board members also approved creating a transition fund of up to $300,000 from excess post-retirement funds to help implement the report’s goals and objectives.

A nine-member missions advisory committee will be appointed by KBC President Paul Badgett to work with Mackey in implementing the proposals.

“I think the heart of the whole issue is reaching people for Christ and discipling them—it’s the Great Commission,” Mackey said. “It’s going to take some bold steps by Kentucky Baptists to say we’re going to go for it; we’re going to see what God can do through us.”