Q&A with Steve Browning: 'Now is the time to increase our evangelistic focus'

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SUWANEE, Ga. – Steve Browning, lead pastor of First Baptist Church Alpharetta, the only announced nominee for president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, said he would use the position to champion evangelism, church planting, and cooperation.

The greatest issue facing Georgia Baptists, Browning said in a Q&A with The Christian Index., is reaching the 6.2 million lost people in Georgia.

The Christian Index asked Browning a series of questions in a Q&A this week. What follows are those questions and his unedited responses.

Please tell us about your salvation experience and your call to preach.

“Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe…” Everything in my life is the result of beginning a relationship with Jesus Christ as a middle school student. It was a Wednesday night student ministry gathering in the basement of First United Methodist Church, Mt. Dora, FL. The Gospel was clearly communicated and I remember it all making sense for the first time. I gave my life to Jesus Christ that evening. Every moment since has been out of the overflow of God’s grace and mercy.

Shortly after, I got connected to First Baptist Church Eustis, FL where I was baptized, discipled, and began to discern a call to ministry.  It was there that I preached my first message at age 16.  In response, a young girl was saved.  I knew in that moment, I wanted to spend the rest of my life leading people to Jesus.

What do you consider to be the biggest issue facing Georgia Baptists today?

 6.2 million people in Georgia are lost.  Let that sink in for a moment. Less than 50% of our state has a relationship with the Lord. They live every day without the hope that only Jesus can bring. They are headed for an eternity forever separated from the Lord.  This is the greatest issue facing Georgia Baptists.  It will not be solved in a year or two, but will take a generation of intentional Gospel ministry to gain ground for the Kingdom. We must be like our Savior who “came to seek and to save the lost.”

The office of president provides a platform to champion causes or focus attention on issues. If elected, what causes do you hope to champion or what issues do you want to draw attention to?

There are three major areas that I hope to champion:

1 - Evangelism

Now is the time to increase our evangelistic focus and efforts to see more people across Georgia come to Christ. Our Executive Director, Thomas Hammond, has a burden to build a plan for an evangelistic movement across our state.  I whole-hearted support this direction and look forward to working with pastors and leaders around Georgia to forge this crucial initiative together.

2 - Church Planting

There are exciting new developments happening with church planting in our state. It is the time to mobilize churches across Georgia to begin new churches. This is the greatest way to make a lasting difference for the Kingdom in a community. With the resources that are being made available, church planting is something that every Georgia Baptist church can participate in.

3 - Strengthening Our Cooperation 

I am so grateful for the steady and wise leadership of Josh Saefkow, Thomas Hammond, and so many other leaders in Georgia Baptist life. They have forged a greater cooperation and unity across our convention.  Cooperative Program giving has increased. Georgia Baptists are coming together to do significant ministry, most recently demonstrated in Disaster Relief.  Our Georgia Baptist family is accomplishing so much together. I hope to encourage our continued cooperation to make a greater Gospel difference in our state.

We know that your congregation is a supporter of the Cooperative Program. Tell us what it is about the Cooperative Program that has made you such a supporter.

When I felt the call to ministry, I was mentored by my Student Pastor, Mark Sibley. Early on, I asked him, “Why would anyone want to be Southern Baptist?” He immediately answered, "Southern Baptists are the best at missions and funneling resources to support the work of missions." It was my first introduction to the Cooperative Program and I have never forgotten it.

Right now, there are missionaries across the globe who are counting on our cooperation.  There are church planters around America counting on our cooperation. There are BCM directors, Georgia Baptist schools, disaster relief workers, and many more throughout Georgia who are counting on our cooperation. We must keep our commitment to our collective mission!  

Are you optimistic that the convention’s best days are ahead or pessimistic that our best days are behind us? Why?

We have come a long way in the last few years. We are on an upward trajectory in baptisms, cooperative giving, and convention participation. We can build upon this to see even greater Kingdom growth in the days to come. As long as we are faithful to share the Gospel, stand upon the Bible, and continue our cooperation in missions, I see a bright and shining horizon up ahead. I truly believe the best is yet to come.