| We talked by phone of the design of the Southern | | | | from their local or state networks called associations |
| Baptist Church, and I note that it is comprised of more | | | | at the area level and conventions of churches at the |
| classroom and educational setting than worship space. | | | | state level. Most of these training events are led by |
| That isn’t to say worship space is small. We also | | | | women and men trained in education ministry and |
| talked about cell groups, a recent phenomenon of | | | | human development at one of the many Southern |
| Sunday school where people gather to study scripture | | | | Baptist colleges or six Southern Baptist seminaries for |
| and other related Church matters in a small group, | | | | graduate theological education and ministry training. |
| sometimes in a home setting. Will you tell me | | | | Most Southern Baptist pastors have a “heart for |
| something of the beginnings of this “movement” | | | | souls” meaning that they believe God’s Spirit |
| in the Southern Baptist Church, and how it has grasped | | | | works in the hearts of persons who receive a clear |
| the imagination of Church goers? Southern Baptists | | | | presentation of God’s love and so are drawn into |
| were formed in 1845 around values of winning souls, | | | | a personal and enduring walk with God. SBs |
| educating and training members for effective Christian | | | | believe that the mission of Jesus as God’s Son |
| living and service in the US and around the world. In | | | | was to remove any barrier to relationship with the holy |
| 1909, a man named Arthur Flake was recruited from | | | | and loving God through His sacrifice on the cross |
| Mississippi to work for the Baptist Sunday School | | | | outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago. It is the Spirit’s |
| Board in Nashville. At that time, there were about a | | | | work to make that event current as conviction and |
| million persons in Southern Baptist Sunday schools. In | | | | commitment in lives today. Southern Baptists are |
| forty years, that number would grow to six million and | | | | the most self-critical when it comes to whether or not |
| well beyond. Some of this growth was due to a | | | | people are being baptized and new churches are |
| book Flake wrote entitled How to Build a Standard | | | | being started. How can a baby go to |
| Sunday School, which was studied by over a million | | | | Sunday School, or a small child? What does this mean |
| Southern Baptist workers. This book taught | | | | for the baby or child? Infants and young children go |
| Flake’s famous five-fold formula for Sunday school | | | | to Sunday School as brought by their parents. They |
| growth: 1) Know the possibilities, 2) Enlarge the | | | | learn experientially that church is a safe, loving and |
| organization, 3) Enlist and train leaders, 4) Expand the | | | | interesting environment. They hear music and songs |
| space, and 5) Go after the people. Southern Baptist | | | | of Jesus and this lays down a rich positive affective |
| pastors often recited the Flake mantra that “the | | | | memory for their later development as they become |
| formula works only if you work the formula!” | | | | more abstract thinkers and are able to read and learn |
| Who came up with the Cell Sunday School, or | | | | in primary school. The Sunday school is a |
| small group, and how have Sunday School students of | | | | large part of Christian life in the Southern Baptist |
| various ages responded to this? Can you tell us | | | | Church. Please let us know why is there so much time |
| where in the Bay Area or even California or the U.S. | | | | spent on Biblical study, and how does a child get to be |
| where this is more popular, and something of the | | | | introduced to the Bible? Can you tell us what you tell |
| character of the Southern Baptist Church that takes | | | | the Sunday school Ministers what it is in Christian |
| this methodology of direction. (I know, methodology | | | | formation that is key to Sunday school for adult |
| is a big word, so if you want to provide an example to | | | | disciples and young people. Tell us, too, what is new in |
| help take it out of the professional level that only the | | | | the life of young people in their Christian education. I |
| Sunday School teacher really grasps, please do. Or do | | | | understand from what I’ve been told this can mean |
| most Southern Baptists grasp this Small Group or Cell | | | | going into the world in a missionary way to help others. |
| Group Sunday School method today?) Southern | | | | What is the lesson here, and what is the need for this |
| Baptist innovative pastor Ralph Neighbour Jr. first | | | | for a member in his religious life as a member of the |
| brought cell groups to the attention of SBC | | | | Church? One of the more interesting changes that |
| churches. He studied the tremendous growth of cell | | | | is occurring in Sunday School and small group ministry |
| group churches in Korean and published a book called | | | | among SBs is the movement, from students to adults, |
| “Where Do we Go from Here?” He later | | | | to practice “what we preach” by going on |
| backed away from the argumentative tone of the | | | | mission locally, regionally, nationally or internationally to |
| book, which really argued that cell groups and Sunday | | | | show and share the good news. Teenagers, |
| school were incompatible in the same church. His | | | | college students and committed adult adults in many |
| book lays out the principles and best practices for | | | | SBC churches regularly build homes and churches, aid |
| starting and multiplying cell churches. The attraction | | | | at disaster relief sites, conduct training conferences |
| for Southern Baptists for the cell or small group | | | | related to health, life and Scripture, and conduct soccer |
| method has been fourfold. First, Southern Baptists are | | | | and basketball camps. This has become so |
| pragmatists and love to look into if not imitate | | | | effective that 80% of all meals cooked at Red Cross |
| what’s successful. It’s hard to argue with the | | | | Disaster Sites are cooked by Southern Baptist |
| success of the Yoida Full Gospel Church in Seoul, | | | | volunteers. In preparation for these mission events, the |
| Korea with its near 800,000 well disciple members. | | | | volunteers are trained in personal spiritual formation. |
| That church is based on cell groups. Second, | | | | Often called “having a quiet time,” SBs are |
| Baptists love what’s biblical. They want to be | | | | taught and exhorted to spend time with and for God |
| “New Testament churches.” The cell group or | | | | each day. Many practice the spiritual rule of well |
| house church appears to be the norm for the spread | | | | known SB evangelist, Billy Graham, “fifteen minutes |
| of Christianity in the first century through the ministry of | | | | a day to listen to God (read the Bible), fifteen minutes |
| the apostles and other early missionaries. Cell | | | | to talk with God (prayer) and fifteen minutes a day to |
| groups look more like those New Testament house | | | | talk with people about God (gospel evangelism). |
| churches than do Sunday School classes on church | | | | Because SBs believe in regenerate church |
| property, so many SBC churches are moving in that | | | | membership (you must have been converted to be a |
| direction. Third, buildings cost so it is more cost | | | | member) and in priesthood of the believers (all |
| effective and less limiting to growth to simply have | | | | members are ministers together), pew sitting in not |
| cells meet in homes. Fourth, people wanting to | | | | enough. And the key instrument for mobilizing the |
| explore Christianity are thought to be more | | | | members into ministry has been the Sunday school. |
| comfortable in a home of a friend as opposed to a | | | | What is the role of the Sunday School teacher or |
| classroom on church property. So many SBC leaders | | | | staff member in the experience of practicing what is |
| believe that cell or small groups meeting in homes is | | | | preached? Church leaders, whether Sunday School |
| the better way of reaching new people with the | | | | teachers or staff members, are the early adapters |
| gospel. The education of a Southern Baptist | | | | and eager interpreters of the Sunday |
| starts in the baby years, and goes through childhood to | | | | sermons. Sometimes the subject of discussion during |
| adulthood, a Discipleship program of some magnitude in | | | | Sunday School is the sermon. In those instances the |
| conception, and thought out in a curriculum and almost | | | | teacher leads the members in thinking through the |
| systematic consideration for periods of human | | | | implications and applications from the morning |
| development. So I understand in my conversations with | | | | message. About Rick Durst, who answered the |
| various people in the Church who are knowledgeable | | | | questions in this interview: |
| in the training and education of members, including the | | | | Director of eCampus |
| education of ministers. You educate ministers at | | | | Professor of Historical Theology |
| Golden Gate Baptist Seminary located just north of | | | | Ph.D. Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary |
| San Francisco in Mill Valley. As one knowledgeable | | | | M.Div. Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary |
| in such, will you talk a little in this email correspondence | | | | B.A. California Baptist College Dr. Rodrick Durst has |
| about how this helps to make Southern Baptists the | | | | served as faculty and administration at Golden Gate |
| “Sunday School Church,” and talk a little of the | | | | Baptist Theological Seminary since 1991. He served |
| emphasis for each age range in what they study or | | | | eleven years as the Vice President of Academic |
| look to learn about. Please say something of the | | | | Affairs and, prior to that, three years as the Director of |
| Biblical imperative, and the evangelical imperative of the | | | | the Southern California Campus. |
| Southern Baptist, if you will. Southern Baptists (SBs) | | | | Dr. Durst loves the classroom. He teaches theology |
| made their Sunday Schools a center for both | | | | and history from a leadership formation perspective. |
| evangelism and discipleship and built their campuses | | | | His passion is for developing life-changing ways of |
| accordingly with educational space for all ages equal | | | | communicating and teaching Christian truth for |
| to or greater than worship space. To assist this | | | | transformation, retention and rapid reproduction. |
| focus of the churches, the Baptist Sunday School | | | | His current research includes study of emerging church |
| Board (now called LifeWay Resources) publishes | | | | movements, ecclesiology for rapid cell and simple |
| age-graded Bible teaching literature organized around a | | | | church multiplication, research into a biblical doctrine of |
| cyclical curriculum to cover the sixty-six books of the | | | | the Trinity, and faith and film. |
| Bible over a five year period. SBs were and are | | | | Dr. Durst tests what he teaches in his local church and |
| serious about sharing the gospel and its implications | | | | in interim pastorates. |
| through the Sunday school and small groups. Most | | | | He loves cooking, hiking, and art. He and his wife, Kristi, |
| Sunday school leaders are trained to be aware of | | | | belong and serve at BayMarin Community Church |
| developmental issues at the formative stages of | | | | (SBC), San Rafael. The Dursts have three children and |
| human development and how the gospel and | | | | one grandson, Donovan. (These notations are taken |
| knowledge of Scripture is best acquired and applied at | | | | from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary |
| that stage. Churches receive coaching and training | | | | website. |