Louisville—Kentucky Baptist pastors need to be willing to “risk it all” if they want to fulfill the vision of the Great Commission, Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd said.

“Since 85 percent of churches in Kentucky are plateaued or declining, don’t you think it’s time to risk it all?” Floyd asked pastors at a state evangelism conference Monday evening at Louisville’s Highview Baptist Church’s east campus.

“Something’s wrong with us when we do not want to own the vision of reaching the place where God has called us to serve,” he said at the annual conference known as RISK (Reaching Into the State of Kentucky).

“The reality is it’s up to you and your church what you do about the fulfillment of the Great Commission,” he said. “We must own the Great Commission personally. You must recapture the vision of reaching your town, your community (and) your city for Jesus Christ.”

More than 300 church leaders attended the two-day conference designed to create a hunger among church leaders for leading people to encounter Christ.

“Let me tell you one of the greatest problems in the Southern Baptist Convention,” Floyd said. “We’re not desperate.”

Floyd challenged pastors—especially those looking to abandon one church for another—to return to the reason why they first entered into ministry.

“Go back to the ’why’ of your calling rather than the ’what’ and the ’where’ of your calling,” Floyd urged. “You may not need a new place to serve; you may just need a new heart to serve.”

Floyd also encouraged pastors to endure through adversity by realizing their agenda for the church is God-given and to stop letting negative people be a driving force.

“You got one shot, man. One.” Floyd said. “Give it your all. Get on fire for the Lord and get the job done to His glory.” (KBC)