This month, thousands of messengers and guests from around the SBC will converge in Orlando for our annual time of celebration, prayer, and family decision making. There will be lively debates, nomination speeches, and votes on multiple issues. However, the part I look forward to the most about our family meetings is the fellowship, worship, exhortation from God’s Word, and the sending celebration for our new international missionaries.
We should never forget that gathering as a Baptist family on every level (local, state, and national) is a privilege God has blessed us with in America. It brings glory to God when we lay aside minor differences to unite around the Baptist Faith and Message and our shared Great Commission work.
At the convention, my eight years as your Illinois trustee on the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission will conclude. I’m humbled and hopeful as I begin service as your 12th IBSA Executive Director. Here are a few thoughts in my mind and heart as I reflect on what God has shown me through these experiences in denominational leadership and as I look forward to serving you in the coming years:
We need Spirit-led collaboration
On the ERLC board, I was a part of a brotherhood and sisterhood of trustees that God strengthened as we faced daunting challenges. We navigated multiple, sometimes fast-
developing situations and crises that etched in our hearts a need to depend on God. The Lord led us to rewrite the ERLC’s governing documents to ensure our board served Southern Baptists well, as God navigated us out of crisis and positioned the ERLC for the future.
A hopeful new season at the ERLC begins with the unanimous election of Dr. Evan Lenow. None of this could have happened without focusing on healthy, honest assessment and collaboration. God also led us to cultivate deeper relationships with the pastors and churches we served. The ERLC is much stronger and trusted as a result.
Healthy relationships and collaboration are foundational if our Great Commission partnership is to thrive in a new generation. I encourage Illinois Baptists to invest in relationships at the local, state, and national levels to take advantage of shared Kingdom opportunities and to have a voice in shaping the future of our ministries.
Southern Baptists will decline in fruitfulness if we fail to invest in serving together for the sake of the gospel. Collaboration requires sacrificial time and effort, but the multiplied impact is well worth it!
Transparency fosters cooperation
I have also learned through experience that transparency fosters trust, and trust is the glue of our Great Commission partnership.
Entity trustees need proper transparency enshrined in their governing documents, so that the full board can be fully informed and engaged, particularly at milestone moments for the entity they hold in trust. Pastors and churches need to have access to trustees and entity leaders so that they feel connected, and so that entities receive feedback and can understand the needs of the churches they serve.
That’s a lesson we learned at the ERLC, and a direction I encouraged the trustees to adopt. These concepts may seem like common sense, but they are essential to preserve our effectiveness and to keep honest people honest.
The trust earned through transparency encourages deeper investment by mission partners. I am encouraged to see that so far in 2026, Illinois Baptists’ partnership through the Cooperative Program is growing. I pray that healthy relationships, deep collaboration, and growing trust are factors in this encouraging trend. Know that your Illinois Baptist team is committed to listening to God, connecting deeply with you, and serving you well.
As we make disciples in Illinois and reach the nations together, we are committed to continuously earning your trust.
Contact Scott Foshie at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.