Dr. Ken Hemphill, Empowering Kingdom Growth strategic director for the Southern Baptist Convention, was in Columbia recently and updated South Carolina Baptist Convention staff about his work.

Hemphill, who most recently served as the former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, described Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) as a “movement of God.”

Hemphill has said that for EKG to be effective, it must work at all levels - personal, local church, association, state and national.  “Empowering Kingdom Growth is about Kingdom goals and having a Kingdom mindset.  We must see Kingdom activity related to obedience.”

Calling EKG the “greatest opportunity we have” as Southern Baptists, Hemphill also said EKG is not about making a name for the denomination or the local church, but rather about glorifying God. 

He reported having encountered many who are uncomfortable that EKG is not a program but a process that takes on a different shape in each local church.  “All laity should realize their role in Kingdom work.  The only way to win the world for Christ is through individual laity.”

“It was so helpful to have Dr. Hemphill come to visit with us at the convention building. Southern Baptists are so very fortunate to have a man of his proven abilities and experience to assist in developing the spiritual vision of Empowering Kingdom Growth for the entire nation.  South Carolina Baptists need to pledge to work with him everyway we can,” said Dr. Carlisle Driggers, executive director-treasurer, SCBC.

For his part, Hemphill expressed gratitude to South Carolina Baptists who he said “birthed” EKG more than ten years ago.  “I am grateful to South Carolina for pioneering Empowering Kingdom Growth.  It has sparked the interest of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a passion among leadership for a cooperative spirit,” he said.