David Lee
By David Lee, BCM/D Executive Director
Three words need our immediate attention.
The first word is opportunity. Due to the excellent work of the leaders of the Delaware Association doors have been opened to Embrace Wilmington. Wilmington is the largest population center in Delaware and, though unique, experiences many of the same challenges to be found in Baltimore and the other urban centers in our multi-state region.
City leaders have welcomed Baptist involvement and have provided us with opportunities to show that we care.
The second word is cooperation. Planting new churches, strengthening existing congregations, providing the needed mission teams, and financially underwriting such an effort is too big a hurdle for one association or for the small number of churches in the Wilmington area. But together we can do this.
The Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware has given priority to Embrace Wilmington in our 2009 State Missions Offering. I plead with every church to participate in this year’s offering.
The third word is possibility. Baptists are notorious for “under-dreaming.” As we have learned in our Embrace Baltimore experience, urban ministry is hard. Yet, just because it is hard does not mean that we can give up and stop dreaming. Despite our challenges and our failures, it is important that we continue to seek ways to get the love of Christ to the areas where the needs are so great.
You know the basic principle that Scripture teaches us. “What may be impossible with man, is possible with God.”
If every church seizes this opportunity and we work together, we can see these possibilities in Wilmington and across our multi-state convention become realities.