By Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent
Dr. Will McRaney, BCM/D Executive Missional Strategist
Photo by Shannon Baker
COLUMBIA, Md—Will McRaney, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware executive missional strategist, giving his first report to the General Mission Board, welcomed members. “I’m glad to be serving with you, and actually serving you because you’re the ones serving the local church, and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
McRaney said he has been meeting with pastors and directors of missions across the state, making new connections and assessing needs. The new strategist said he’s also spending time getting to know the BCM/D staff. “There are already great things going on here. I get to celebrate and hopefully make some contributions.”
McRaney said he’s primarily been doing analysis to determine “what’s too much, what’s not enough, and make sure we’re in alignment with our purposes and visions.”
He said one his early emphases has been on communicating and laying out a holistic evangelism model to assist churches in developing their evangelism strategy for their ministry context. The strategy is not geographic or stylistic. It has been used successfully in Florida, Brazil, Asia, India, Cuba and other locations throughout the world.
“It’s about advancing the Kingdom through sharing the Gospel…,” he said.
“We exist to be a missional resource for our churches as our churches reach people and our mission field throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, across North America and around the world and train leaders for all those missional contexts.
“We really can do better together than separately. We believe that or we’d be independent as opposed to cooperating Baptists. The local church is where it’s at.”
Moving forward, McRaney said the BCM/D team will use “active words,” such as “engaging, equipping, strengthening,” to convey the BCM/D network’s commitment to advancing Christ’s kingdom rather than create “holy huddles.”
Mike Trammell, pastor of Mount Airy Baptist Church prayed, thanking God for bringing McRaney to Maryland. “We pray for him…for wisdom…help us to be faithful to the task we’re called. We look forward to many years of serving with him,” Trammel prayed.