By Shawn Parker
Anyone who has ever played on a team, worked on a group project, or been part of a healthy family understands that we are better together. While God has created each one of us uniquely and gifted us for a specific purpose, we ought never to lose sight of the power of good company.
The principle of partnership is key throughout Scripture. In the beginning, God made Adam and Eve for partnership, thus ingraining the dynamic in the very DNA of humanity. He later raised up the twelve tribes of Israel for partnership in the outplay of His covenant promises. In the New Testament, He encouraged partnership among the early disciples to be light and salt, and he later led the apostles to foster partnership among the early churches. The priority of followers working together is unquestionable in the unfolding of God’s purpose.
The reason working together is prioritized in God’s plan is simple. First, partnership empowers us to do more than we could do alone. When resources are pooled, the possibilities are expanded. A single church body may be able to reach a community, but it will take a family of churches to reach the pockets of lostness that exist throughout a culture and the world.
A second reason to work together is that it dims the spotlight from any one individual. I fear this is one of the biggest deterrents for some leaders and churches when it comes to cooperation. Some are afraid of blending into the crowd and remaining rather anonymous. While cooperation should never blunt the desire to use our abilities to the fullest, we’d all be much better off to sing as a choir rather than a collection of soloists.
A third reason is because of the accountability partnership creates. A single church can easily be vulnerable to unchecked leadership abuse, mismanagement, and even sinful immorality. When we are part of a larger collection, we automatically feel the tug of responsibility because we know others are watching. This may not always be pleasant, but such accountability is healthy to insure the purity of Christ’s bride amid our brokenness.
As we meet in a couple of weeks for the 190th Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, we’ll celebrate our partnership in the Gospel. We’ll hear reports of God’s work through cooperation, stirring messages from the Word, and enjoy rich expressions of worship and fellowship as a family. In the end, we’ll be reminded that we are smarter, stronger, surer, and steadier together than any one of us is alone. I hope to see you there!
Parker is executive director-treasurer of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. He may be contacted at simpletruth@mbcb.org.
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