NASHVILLE (BP and local reports) – Kevin Ezell, president of Southern Baptists’ North American Mission Board (NAMB) in Alpharetta, Ga., said he should not have participated in an October online forum sponsored by the He Gets Us movement because “the effort is too broad for us to directly connect with the campaign.”
“In my desire to help our churches, I did less diligence than I should have. That’s on me and I apologize,” Ezell said. “Although NAMB will not be involved, we will pray that the conversations begun by this campaign will lead to Gospel-centered conservations and cause many to seek to learn more about Jesus,” Ezell said.
The He Gets Us movement is a “campaign designed to create cultural change in the way people think about Jesus and his relevance in our lives,” according to the group’s website.” The group says they are non-denominational and apolitical.
“The He Gets Us campaign invited NAMB to involve Southern Baptist churches (along with several other denominations) interested in engaging people who have more questions and would like to connect with a local church,” Ezell said.
Topics on the group’s website deal with issues such as “#Activist,” “#Judgment,” and “#Justice.” Signatry, a Christian foundation in Overland Park, Kan., connected to the Green family of Hobby Lobby, is coordinating the campaign.
Christianity Today magazine reported that at least $100 million was to have been spent on edgy advertisements related to the campaign. The ads have appeared on national television networks during high-profile football games, top-rated news shows, and other programs.
“Knowing that these ads will be seen by millions of people, we hoped to help Southern Baptists engage the opportunity from the conversations these ads will create,” Ezell said. “However, upon further consideration, the effort is too broad for us to directly connect with the campaign.”
