GlocalNet

Pete Wilson, pastor of Cross Point Community Church of Nashville, TN, gives his thoughts on Global Faith Forum 

I’ve been blessed over the past few years to get to meet a lot of the Christian leaders that I’ve looked up to.  Howhis thoughts on Global Faith Forumever, somehow I’ve never crossed paths with Bob Roberts Jr. and yet I’ve looked up to his ministry for years.  Hopefully that will change soon.  The global impact he and his church are having is mind blowing.  He’s getting ready to host again this year one of the most unique conferences I’ve ever seen called the Gloval Faith Forum.  I encourage you to check it out.  Here’s a little bit of what he wrote about it on his blog. 

Not since the civil rights era has there been as much tension between two groups as we see today between Muslims and Christians – particularly evangelicals. Just watch the news. On the one hand there are those that would want them to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, show them love, serve them in the name of Jesus, and then there are others – who also in the name of Jesus burn Korans, want to stop any Muslim from immigrating to the U.S., have nothing to do with them, insult and demean them, and would view the US military as the entity to deal with them. How can this be? We are at a point in the world and in our country where there has been hate before, but never with such global implications and never with such “gospel” implications and that stemming primarily from Christians. We have a phenomenal opportunity with the Gospel – and sadly – we are becoming the biggest obstacle to fulfilling the Great Commission.

I’ve written about this, spoken about it – teach especially young pastors about it – we live in a different world. It’s a connected world where everyone is present and there is one conversation. It is impossible for a church not to be global – whether it wants to or not – every church is global because the world is global. There is no more national and international, global or local – it’s all global. What happens in Kansas or Florida or Dallas with a little church of 50 people or 5,000 impacts billions worldwide.

No one believes in the Great Commission more than I – it is what I have given my life to. Do we realize how our rhetoric, attitude, and actions are in direct conflict with the Great Commission? I

The Global Faith Forum first started as a couple of my friends who were non-Christians were going to come to visit me and my church because they had “never met an evangelical” like me. I told them there were many, they just didn’t hear from them as much. They wanted to visit the church where all these people were that were doing all these amazing things in Vietnam and even other places. A couple of non-Christian friends had come and they were telling the others, and several were wanting to come. I also asked them if they could come in our missions month in November for our church and they agreed.

The rest is history. The speakers are Vietnamese, European, American, Arab, Jewish, Muslim, Men and Women almost everything! Over half of the speakers are not Christian – but they are my friends. The Christian speakers and panelist are young church planters, young influential leading pastors, Christian statesmen like Os Guinness and Ray Bakke. Global business leaders like Al Weiss, Diplomats like Prince Turqi – Al – Faisal of Saudi Arabia and Ambassador Le Cong Phuong of Vietnam, pastors Vance Pittman, Mark Demoss, Kevin Cox and others will be speaking.

What are we trying to do? Expose evangelicals to the world and instead of listening to emotional rhetoric, let them listen for themselves to global leaders how they think, what the world is like, and how evangelicals can have a voice. How do hold on to our faith, not compromise – yet treat others with respect and build long term relationships.

There was a day, when the church was at the front of the global conversation – this is not the time to shrink back, fear, or throw stones but to move forward in the love of Jesus. I encourage you to come – We don’t have a big budget for advertising, but people and media are hearing and are coming – I believe God is putting something together that will be profound – DON’T MISS IT! It’s the kind of thing, we will have a few hundred – or maybe a few thousand – it just depends on how serious we really are about making a positive difference in the world – but whoever comes – I guarantee you – it will be life changing!

If you want to join the conversation, come to the Global Faith Forum.