“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3-4).
The gospel avails above a message we simply believe. The gospel is a treasure we guard, the mission we live and the truth we proclaim until the whole world hears.
In the BMA, our people take the gospel seriously. Beyond theory, sentiment and practice, our shared vision to equip believers, establish churches and extend the gospel grows out of a deep conviction that the gospel is worth our lives, our resources and our unity.
While the times we live in have found it convenient to reduce the word “gospel” as a marketing slogan, we are committed to keeping it central, clear and compelling.
We Equip Believers: Balanced Maturity in a Lopsided World
When churches take the gospel seriously, their disciples demonstrate balanced maturity. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that we are to “…no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:14-15 ESV).
I’ve noticed a dangerous imbalance in the wider Christian world in terms of preserving the gospel through teaching. On one side, believers with almost no doctrinal convictions. Disciples who are passionate, but shallow are severely limited in their ability to make disciples themselves. On the other side, believers are so weighed down with personal convictions that they can hardly work alongside others in kingdom ministry. Both extremes stunt spiritual maturity.
In the BMA, while the struggle remains, I see something refreshing. Our aim to measure theology by its practical implications keeps us kingdom focused. We teach doctrine for the sake of winning people (not arguments). Our people understand that truth transforms, and as a result, we teach the truth in ways that equip believers to live it out.
This balance produces something that glorifies God: believers who are both convictional and cooperative. When we’re built up by people like that, the gospel stays at the center, and the mission stays on course.
We Establish Churches: Doctrinal Clarity that Reaches the World
If you want to know how seriously a group takes the gospel, look at how they plant and strengthen churches.
In Acts 16:4-5, Paul and his companions traveled from town to town delivering the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, “so the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in numbers daily” (verse 5). That’s the pattern in the BMA, too. Our clarity in doctrine leads to strength in mission.
Our doctrinal fidelity is narrow enough to communicate who we are and what we believe clearly. We don’t hide or water down our convictions. At the same time, our Doctrinal Statement remains broad enough to enable us to reach the whole world with the gospel. We don’t require uniformity in every preference, but we’ve nailed down the essentials well.
This balance allows us to plant churches that are unmistakably anchored in biblical truth while being culturally agile enough to reach people in rural towns, bustling cities and faraway nations. The result? Churches with the same heartbeat, making disciples no matter where they are planted.
We Extend the Gospel: A Mission You Can See and Touch
If there is one place where our seriousness about the gospel is most visible, it is our commitment to missions.
The Great Commission isn’t abstract in the BMA. We know our missionaries. We know their families. We pray for them by name. We follow their updates. We cry when they face trials and rejoice when they see fruit. We do missions relationally.
Over the past couple of years, pastors from outside our association have reached out to me asking how they can cultivate a missions culture in their churches. Almost every conversation comes back to one thing — involvement. They want their churches to be invested and connected to the people they’re supporting.
This is where the BMA’s approach shines. Our missionaries are not anonymous faces in a slideshow. They are brothers and sisters we have sent, supported and stood beside. Because of our collective work, our fingerprints are on the ministry of God all over the world. Oh, the times I have found myself before God imagining the day that I would meet a saint from Zambia, Romania or the Philippines in Heaven that came to know the Lord because of a missionary we supported.
Paul told the church in Philippi, “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit” (Phil. 4:17). That’s the kind of partnership we have in the BMA. Our churches, regardless of size, are a part of a global work. Our missionaries, regardless of circumstance, know they are not alone.
Why This Matters
Taking the gospel seriously means it shapes our priorities, relationships and cooperative efforts.
When we equip believers, we aim for balanced maturity. When we establish churches, we guard doctrinal clarity. When we extend the gospel, we do it in a way that keeps the mission personal. The gospel is too precious to dilute, too urgent to delay and too powerful to keep to ourselves.
The BMA takes the gospel seriously because it is our treasure. Let’s keep equipping, establishing and extending the gospel until the whole world hears.
