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CFTROU 0066: Multicultural Leadership

Today on the Church for the Rest of Us Podcast we are talking to our friend, Dr. Kevin Smith, who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. Previously, Kevin was senior pastor at Watson Memorial Baptist Church and was a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Kevin is only the second African American to serve as an Executive Director of a state convention in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). He talks candidly about the challenges of being a multicultural leader and the progress that has been made toward inclusion. He also gives churches of any size strategies to engage the diversity of their communities and surrounding neighborhoods.

Key Points:

  • Get to know Dr. Kevin Smith.
  • Why Kevin is involved personally in the Southern Baptist life.
  • The biggest challenges Kevin faces as a multicultural leader in the SBC.
  • Challenges the SBC faces with inclusion and diversity.
  • Signs of hope and progress in the SBC.
  • How pastors can embrace the diversity in their neighborhoods.
  • What pastors can do today to move the needle towards inclusion and diversity.

The New Testament challenges of not having divisions among brothers and sisters can be hard – we struggle to distinguish between unity and uniformity. It’s not just a black/white issue – it’s generational and cultural as well. Click To TweetOne of the hardest things is to rejoice with one another and weep with one another. Indifference and insensitivity have certainly been obstacles to deal with being a part of the Southern Baptist Convention formed in 1845. Click To TweetLife looks different from different perspectives…there are always brothers and sisters who are pressing on toward Ephesians 4:3 unity…people who acknowledge issues of the past and are willing to take steps to go forward in more Godly… Click To TweetA pastor in a changing neighborhood has to really be a man on the street – a man who is meeting people and engaging people. Click To Tweet

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Kevin Smith

Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware

Removing the Stain of Racism from the Southern Baptist Convention

Jimmy on Twitter

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