ALPHARETTA, Georgia (BP) — During a time when change seems to be constant for Southern Baptists, associational mission strategists (AMS) from across the United States met to learn more about how to lead through it.  

Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee (EC), spoke via livestream video on the first day of the AMS Excellence Summit at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) offices in Alpharetta on how to lead organizational change, focusing particularly on pastoral care through these periods.

“Leading people through transition is really about discipling them, helping them grow spiritually and learn new dimensions of what it means to follow God, even into risky circumstances where implementing significant change is required,” Iorg said. “It’s about guiding them through spiritual growth and new challenges.”

Iorg’s message came during a two-day summit focused on “Heart and Mind Leadership,” helping associational leaders with both the strategic thinking and pastoral care aspects of their ministry. The summit included keynote sessions, practical workshops and opportunities for networking, all focused on the unique ministries of associational leaders. NAMB sponsored the summit which ran Sept. 12-13. In total, 161 associational leaders and wives attended the summit.

“We are honored to host this event for our AMS each year. I firmly believe the AMS holds a unique and vital position within the SBC, serving as a key factor in the health of our pastors,” said Rick Curtis, the assistant to the president for convention and associational relations at NAMB. “The significance of this role in SBC life cannot be overstated.”

NAMB President Kevin Ezell told associational leaders that the mission board wanted to be their best partner and help them help pastors.

“The pastor is our No. 1 customer, and you’re the closest one to that customer,” Ezell said. “We want to provide any resource we possibly can to help you do what you do.”

During the first morning of the two-day summit, Ezell interviewed SBC President Clint Pressley. The North Carolina pastor told attendees that his local AMS (then called a director of missions) played a critical role in his first pastorate.

“I knew nothing about how to be a Baptist pastor,” Pressley told attendees via livestream video. “He took me under his wing and became a real pastor to me.”

Pressley told the mission strategists in attendance that they had a crucial role in encouraging and supporting pastors. He expressed optimism in the future of the SBC, as Southern Baptists unify around the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and the Cooperative Program. Associational leaders also had the opportunity to ask Pressley questions.

Dan Hyde, the AMS for the Northwest Georgia Baptist Association and the Lookout Valley Baptist Association, said Iorg’s message came at a key point in his ministry. One of his associations recently sold a camp. While he said there was little doubt it was the right decision, it was a tough transition for many in the association. 

“[Iorg] talked a lot about the transition, and I realized that there were a lot of people who didn’t have a problem with the change, so to speak, but they were having a hard time with the transition,” Hyde said. “He defined transition as the adjustment people go through to accommodate change. He talked about managing grief, loss of position, loss of expertise and all those kinds of things. It was very applicable to where we are right now and very helpful.”

Other keynote messages focused on the priority of collaboration, the importance of SBC associations and the value of rest and renewal for leaders. The summit included breakout sessions based upon associational size and geographic context (rural, suburban, urban, etc.).

Ray Gentry, who serves as the president/CEO of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders, said the summit is a helpful time of fellowship and training for SBC associational leaders.

“Over the last several years, I’ve attended and enjoyed it. It’s a great way to connect and reconnect with AMS leaders around the nation,” Gentry said. “I’m also honored that Rick Curtis and his team invited me and my team to a pre-conference time on Wednesday before the Excellence Summit on Thursday for new and prospective association leaders. We did that again this year and enjoyed it as well. It’s always good to get together, fellowship and connect with our peers and SBC leaders.”

Daryl Lackey has served as the AMS for the Inland Empire Baptist Association in Southern California for nearly 20 years. The association is the largest in the state. Lackey appreciated the opportunity to talk specifically about the challenges of communicating in a large association with other leaders in a similar situation.

“One size doesn’t fit all for communication,” Lackey said. “We have churches that are inner-city, churches in new growth areas, church plants and revitalizations. The breakout session on how to communicate effectively in associations of more than 100 churches was really helpful. Each church has unique needs.”

NAMB also hosts an AMS replant lab in February to help associational leaders learn more about replanting in their ministry contexts. NAMB will hold the next Replant Lab in Alpharetta on Feb. 24-26, 2025.