In my last article, I discussed the power of bottom-up ministry. I believe that the work happening face-to-face, church to church and heart to heart mirrors how Jesus made disciples. It’s the way the early church expanded. And it is the way the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) began. Thinking from the bottom up is a foundational and fundamental approach.
But what happens when a bottom-up people grow into a broader, interconnected body? What happens when local churches link arms across regions and generations? What happens when structure matures, and departments thrive? We need a vision.
Why Vision Matters
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” That’s true in congregations and associations. The idea behind “perishing” is that people can become unrestrained. Vision is the biblical framework that gives meaning to our efforts. It aligns our hearts, unites our mission and helps us distinguish between what is urgent and what is eternally important.
In our associations, we have passionate churches, gifted leaders, effective departments and rich doctrine. Without a unifying vision, our strength can become scattered. Like a body with strong limbs and no coordination, we risk moving in multiple directions at once (inadvertently undermining our effectiveness).
A healthy vision does not erase local autonomy. It amplifies it by giving us a common direction.
What Kind of Vision?
If we are a bottom-up people, then our vision must reflect that. The word translated as “vision” in Proverbs 29:18 refers explicitly to “prophetic vision.” For us today, that is the Word of God itself. Our prophetic vision, which guides us away from uncoordinated perishing, should be simple, biblical and action-oriented. Something every local church can own and every department can embody.
We are a people who believe in equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12) as well as planting and strengthening gospel-centered churches (Acts 14:21-23). That’s what our missionaries do. That’s what our pastors and leaders pour their lives into every week. We equip believers and establish churches — we make disciples of all nations. That’s who we are. Having a clear vision simply gives us the language to say it together.
Why Now?
We live in an era where denominational loyalty is fading. Cooperative missions are often misunderstood. Local churches are busier than ever. Associational life sometimes feels like one more meeting on the calendar.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Our churches still want to make disciples. Our departments still desire to serve. Our people still want to see the gospel advance across the street and the globe. What we need is a clear identity and common cause that invites participation and involvement from the smallest congregations to the biggest institutions.
I believe that if we can rally around a shared, biblical vision — one that reflects our heart for relational discipleship and our historic commitment to local church autonomy — we’ll accomplish more than just preserving the BMA; we’ll strengthen it for generations to follow.
A Call to Participation
I realize that vision alone isn’t enough. We must own it. And ownership begins with participation. We should attend our local, state and national meetings. We should take advantage of opportunities to learn what departments are doing and find ways to be involved. We should support BMA missionaries with friendship as much as we do with our finances.
We need to be more than a network. I think of the BMA as my family on mission, tethered by truth and moving forward together. We’re good at celebrating where we’ve been. I’m ready to start committing to where we are going, from the ground up, as always.
Let me ask you a question (and I’d love for you to email, write or call me with your thoughts). When someone asks you, “What is the BMA?” What do you tell them?
