D. Scott Hildreth - Together on God’s Mission: How Southern Baptists Cooperate to Fulfill the Great Commission

When Southern Baptists voluntarily work in partnership through the Cooperative ministries of the SBC, we are following a pattern found in Scripture. It is a pattern that allows us truly to do more together than we could ever do apart. It is a pattern that is biblically justified, theologically sound and practically wise. It involves the sacrificial giving of our financial resources, to be sure, but it is so much more than this. This is the argument my colleague and friend Scott Hildreth makes in Together on Gods Mission: How Southern Baptists Cooperate to Fulfill the Great Commission . He is quite successful in his assignment.

Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

The cooperative partnership of Southern Baptists may not be perfect, but it is proven and profound. In Together on Gods Mission , Scott Hildreth provides a timely resource that not only advocates for the financial wisdom of the Southern Baptists Cooperative Program but also advances the theological foundation of this cooperative partnership for a new generation. As an experienced missionary and seminary professor, Hildreth provides a concise and helpful orientation of how churches unite to form a mighty Great Commission coalition as they join together on Gods mission.

Brian Autry, executive director, SBC of Virginia

From their earliest days, Baptist churches have cooperated together for the sake of kingdom priorities such as missions, education, and public engagement. As Southern Baptists, we cooperate through our structures and strategy, which are linked together in the Cooperative Program. Every generation brings new challenges and fresh opportunities, and as this happens, pastors and other leaders need to be reminded anew of the importance of gospel-centered cooperation among churches of like faith and order (as old-fashioned Baptists used to say). To that end, Scott Hildreth has written a book for such a time as this. Together on Gods Mission gives us the perfect combination of Baptist history, sound biblical exegesis, missional theology, and constructive application.

Nathan A. Finn, dean, School of Theology and Missions, and professor of Christian thought and tradition, Union University

Scott Hildreth has done Southern Baptists a great service by providing this book. Of particular help, in my mind, is his commitment to help the SBC ground their partnership in theology rather than pragmatics. If you are Southern Baptist and care about cooperative mission, you should read this book.

Micah Fries, senior pastor, Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN

The perfect primer for getting your mind around the Cooperative Programits unique opportunities, current challenges, and the way forward. Dr. Hildreth brings to this book an understanding that comes from years of working inside the system and the passion from having depended on the Cooperative Program while he served on the front lines of global missions.

J. D. Greear, pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, NC

In this informative book, Scott Hildreth shares from the rich knowledge he has gained as an IMB missionary and a professor of missions at a Southern Baptist seminary. With a succinct overview of how the Southern Baptist Convention came into being and grew to become the strongest Protestant missionary force in existence, Hildreth champions the benefit of a missions funding system that Southern Baptists know as the Cooperative Program. Together on Gods Mission explains why cooperation and personal involvement in missions is the heartbeat of who Southern Baptists have been and still remain. Hildreths work also reveals how those who hold to Baptist distinctives along with their personal convictions can work together in fulfilling the Great Commission. He reminds us that we can function most effectively in reaching the nations when we seek unity under our common statement of faith and around our common cooperative vision. Readers will benefit greatly from Hildreths book, whether or not they grew up in a Southern Baptist church.

Milton A. Hollifield Jr., executive director-treasurer, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina

In the backward horizon of the Southern Baptist Convention, we can see dark clouds of human sin, but we can also see the lightning of Gods grace. In Together on Gods Mission , Scott Hildreth shows us how to spot such grace, and how to respond with gratitude. The book will help a new generation of Baptist Christians learn from our past in order to forge a future of cooperation for mission.

Russell Moore, president, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

I am always excited when I read a resource that accurately portrays the better side of Southern Baptists as we try to cooperate together. Scott Hildreth does a great job of doing just that in this book. Strong scriptural foundations of Cooperative Program ministry are presented. An accurate, historical rendering of how the Cooperative Program came about is included in this new work. My prayer is that Southern Baptists will continue to see this as yet another great resource to help people know about the gift that God gave us many years agothe Cooperative Program. As we approach the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program, I pray that generations yet to come will see it as a truly great tool to assist us in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Frank Page, president and CEO, Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention

In Together on Gods Mission , Scott Hildreth demonstrates that our convention priorities and our Cooperative Program are not only practical; they are biblical. This book tells the story of the development of Southern Baptist cooperation and shows how our structure and vision fits within Gods global mission. It is well researched and accessible. I commend this book as a valuable tool for students, missionaries, pastors, as well as the masses of Southern Baptists across our convention who are called to share in Gods mission of making disciples of all nations.

Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham Professor of Church, Mission, and Evangelism, and executive director of the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism, Wheaton College

Together on Gods Mission:
How Southern Baptists Cooperate to Fulfill the Great Commission

Copyright 2018 by Darren Scott Hildreth

Published by B&H Academic

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4336-4395-8

Dewey Decimal Classification: 286

Subject Heading: SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION--HISTORY \ SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCHES \ CHURCH

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the books publication but may be subject to change.

Printed in the United States of America

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To Lesley
To Rachel and Jacob

S ome say writing is a lonely task. This may indeed be true, but this book is the product of group effort. I do not write this to lay any responsibility for mistakes or bad writing on anyone else. Any errors are mine alone. However, this book is the result of the encouragement, prayer, and dedication of a large group of people.