SBC leadership can't live in a bubble and withdraw from you and all Southern Baptists. We need the contact and accountability that comes by associating with all of you. And I love the contact -- positive and negative! Our intent must be to serve the people in our churches so the contact for us is healthy.

So Marty, thanks for the challenging questions and for taking the interview idea beyond just me. (Good interview with Ed Stetzer)

"SBC Outpost" Interview With Jimmy Draper
by Marty Duren
http://www.sbcoutpost.blogspot.com

The purpose of these interviews is not to get a "scoop." I'm not a journalist, nor the son of a journalist; just a pastor and blogger looking to keep an important issue on the front burner. With that in mind, here is the SBC Outpost interview with Dr. Jimmy Draper, President of Lifeway and strategist of the Younger Leader Initiative in the Southern Baptist Convention.

SBC Outpost- What has been your biggest blessing as a result of the Younger Leaders Initiative?

Draper- Getting to meet younger ministers and catching their spirit and passion has been incredible for me. I have always been a people person, and to have the opportunities I had to personally dialogue with over 600 younger ministers was a wonderful blessing for me.

SBC Outpost- Have you received much encouragement from the established leadership across the convention in regards to what you are attempting?

Draper- I have been pleased with the encouragement I have received from the leadership of convention entities and other SBC leaders. It has been seen as my initiative and I have had encouragement from them. But because it has been my initiative they have allowed me to take the lead and have given the support I asked for. At the Summit meeting we had at the Global Cafe in Nashville back in June, every entity and level of leadership of the SBC was represented. They were there to express support and encouragement for this effort.

SBC Outpost- You've stated elsewhere that you have found Younger Leaders to be theologically conservative and sound. Was this a surprise to you or did you expect it knowing the changes in our seminaries in the past two decades?

Draper- I was not surprised to find that most of the younger ministers are conservative and committed to Scripture. I have been keeping up for some years on surveys and articles about younger ministers and knew that as a group they are more conservative than their parents. And, as you indicated our seminaries are working incredibly hard to connect strongly with the younger generations. I talked with every seminary in this process and each of them has taken initiative to provide opportunities for conferences and dialogues with younger ministers. Of course, their student bodies are predominantly of this age group. I think the surprise for me was the intensity and passion that younger ministers have. That is exhilarating and promises great things for the future.

SBC Outpost- Regarding our SBC seminaries and conversations that you have had over the last year: What is an overarching positive element that you have noticed?

Draper- I believe our seminaries are giving themselves wholeheartedly to helping equip and train younger ministers. The enrollments are at an all-time high. Without exception, the leadership of the seminaries love young ministers. In addition, every seminary has its own uniqueness. They are not all alike. They do have unique characteristics. There is certainly one to fit every young minister who desires seminary training. Don't try to lump them all in the same box. There is one for everyone! I am very excited about the overall direction of our seminaries.

SBC Outpost- Do you think that we have tended to confuse conservative theology with methodology, thereby creating a list of "rights and wrongs" as to how church is to be done biblically?

Draper- Yes. I fear that younger ministers will conclude that anything "traditional" is irrelevant, and I have just as great a fear that older ministers will conclude that anything contemporary is liberal. And, by the way, the real issue isn't age, but flexibility. Many young ministers I have heard from have a very traditional approach to doing church and some of the most innovative ministers are in my generation. We must not confuse methods and theology. We need to just be sure that whatever methods we use are biblically sound and true to God's revelation to us.

SBC Outpost- During your dialogue sessions across the country, did you find a sense of hopefulness or despair among the younger leaders with whom you spoke?

Draper- I found more a sense of frustration than despair. I was somewhat surprised at the positive spirit I found. I had expected to find despair. But, there was a desire to be a part of the SBC, yet a frustration about how to do that. I did not find hostility toward the convention, just frustration and a real concern about whether it was worth the effort to try to be involved. Many see the SBC as a huge bureaucracy that is too regimented to meet the demands of our changing culture here and abroad. My desire has been to show that the SBC is relevant and offers the best opportunity for carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord that we could find today. I feel that my generation has not effectively communicated the value and vision of the convention. The younger ministers I have met with are by and large ready to be part of something truly global and missional.

SBC Outpost- Have you given much thought to how the SBC needs to change structurally to be more fluid in the years ahead? If so, what are some things that you see might need to happen?

Draper- I do not know how much structural change has to come in the SBC. We have already in place a strong system of selection and involvement that can easily be used to reach out to all who share the vision of missions and evangelism that characterizes the SBC. We need to be more intentional about making sure all ages are included in dialogue, think tanks, research and strategies. If we will do that, the door will be wide open for all to be very deeply involved and to influence future directions for the convention.

SBC Outpost- Do you think that affinity based associations will continue to grow and begin to flourish in the next 25-50 years, much as the geographical based associations have grown?

Draper- They are already doing that, and I would expect that to continue. However, we need both. We need the great opportunities that affinity based associations offer, yet we need to be able to sit down at Starbucks with those in our own arenas and hammer out strategies and objectives for our local areas, and to address the challenge of a global culture. The internet will only increase in its ability to offer quick communication, but we will still need those nearest to us to be effective in reaching our communities for Christ. I am for both and use both now as president of LifeWay. We reach out electronically all the time, but still sit down together in specific regions to strategize for that area as well.

SBC Outpost- What one piece of counsel would you give to all the young pastors who have been influenced by your leadership, especially in the last year?

Draper- Please don't walk away! This is a great convention. It has a great heart for God, for the lost, for the Bible for genuine, real Christlikeness. All of us are needed. Every great movement of God in history has moved on the wings of youth. Future movements will be no different. It is easier to ignore structures and institutions in doing one's own thing in a particular spot. But to be a Great Commission minister and church requires an interdependence that is healthy and effective. We just can do more together than we can do by ourselves. Let's move on together.

I am excited about what I am learning and am blessed to have an opportunity to have a small part in communicating with the younger generations of ministers. Thanks for all you do and for letting me have this opportunity to respond to your questions.