I love a good comeback story. We find one such story in the midst of The Great Depression. As an entire nation struggled to overcome a devastating economic nosedive, an unlikely hero stepped into the role of a lifetime. James J. Braddock-the "Cinderella Man"-would become one of the most inspirational figures in the history of sports. A one-time contender for the light heavyweight title, Braddock hit a losing streak in 1929. Braddock's claim to fame was that he'd never been knocked out, but when the stock market crashed, Braddock seemed down for the count. He struggled to win fights and put food on the table for his family. He eventually lost his house and his entire savings. No longer fighting opponents in the ring, Braddock was fighting poverty and the circumstances that threatened to pull apart his family.
Then one day his former manager offered him the chance of a lifetime-to stand in for the opener to the 1934 heavyweight match at Madison Square Garden. It meant fast cash and a chance to say goodbye to boxing forever. But things didn't go quite as planned. In what can only be described as a miraculous show of energy and strength, Braddock won the fight. Almost overnight, he became a symbol of hope for an entire nation fighting to pull itself out of ruin and back on its feet. And on June 13th, 1935, Braddock, as a 10 to 1 underdog, won the heavyweight championship of the world. Braddock made one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports.
Today, Southern Baptist churches have the opportunity to make the kind of comeback necessary to accomplish Christ's challenge to take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea and the ends of the earth. According to recent studies, 70 percent of Southern Baptist churches are either plateaued or declining in attendance. Many are on the verge of closing their doors-desperately in need of revitalization. While the number of Southern Baptist churches in 2006 increased by 524, total baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention fell for the second consecutive year, according to the 2006 Annual Church Profile gathered by LifeWay.
"While it is certainly encouraging to see new Southern Baptist churches being birthed, our baptism totals once again show that we are not doing an effective job stepping up to the task of sharing the gospel with a lost and dying world," LifeWay President Thom Rainer says.
It's easy to get discouraged by the statistics, but there is hope. Many churches once down for the count have experienced revival and a renewed sense of purpose and mission. They are now growing and vibrant churches reaching their communities with the gospel. In our cover story "Comeback Churches" on page 26, Ed Stetzer reveals three faith factors exhibited by comeback churches. "We can celebrate churches that make turnarounds because they inspire us to believe that seemingly impossible things really are possible," says Stetzer.
The local church can be a symbol of hope for people who are trying to pull their lives out of spiritual ruin. Missions, evangelism and church planting are the perfect combination for knocking out lostness in North America. Our focus must remain on Christ's mandate to share the gospel with the world. We must renew our passion for reaching people in our cities and neighborhoods and ultimately the entire world.
Carol Pipes, editorcpipes@namb.net