SAN DIEGO (BP)–San Diego is known by locals as “America’s Finest City,” and in some ways, that’s not an exaggeration. Beautiful beaches dot the city’s coastline, desert flowers bloom in inland areas, and, of course, there’s the nearly perfect weather. It’s a center of industry and research, a home base for thousands of residents who serve in the United States military, a temporary home to 250,000 college students, and a thriving tourist destination.
But most importantly, as California’s second-largest city and the nation’s eighth, Greater San Diego is filled with more than 3 million people, more than half of whom claim no religious affiliation. Only 6 percent of the population claims to be evangelical Christians. Local and national Southern Baptists hope to bring the light of Christ to the city through “Vision San Diego,” a part of the North American Mission Board’s Strategic Focus Cities initiative.
Vision San Diego is a partnership between local Southern Baptist churches, the San Diego Southern Baptist Association, the California Southern Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board, as well as other Southern Baptist entities. The initiative places its emphasis on starting new churches, strengthening existing congregations, and mobilizing thousands of volunteers from around the country to further the ministries of those churches.
“We’re here to help our pastors. They’re the ones God has called to reach San Diego with the Gospel,” said Mike Carlisle, Vision San Diego’s executive director. “We want to respect their uniqueness and their differences, but at the same time bring individuals and groups together based on our common ground. We’re better together than we are by ourselves.”
When Carlisle describes his role with Vision San Diego, it’s evident that he’s made a quick transition to his new home. After all, it’s not really that new. After nine years at the North American Mission Board, where he served in a variety of leadership positions, Carlisle is returning to Southern California, the place where he began his ministry more than 30 years ago.
“I believe that when God calls us to ministry, He puts in our hearts a passion for certain locations, cultures and people,” he said. “This is it for me. These are my people.”
John Welch, Associate Executive Director for Vision San Diego, shares Carlisle’s dedication to ministry in the region. A life-long Californian, Welch has served on several church staffs in different parts of the state and, most recently, with NAMB’s church finance ministry.
“As someone who’s been involved in ministry in California for so long, it’s exciting and challenging for me to be able to assist our pastors in furthering the ministries of their churches,” Welch said.
Earlier this year, the Vision San Diego team hosted an open house for pastors, lay leaders, and staff from the association and state convention. The event gave pastors an opportunity to learn more about Strategic Focus Cities San Diego and, more importantly, provided a forum for people who want to join arms in reaching the city for Christ. Dwight Simpson, who serves as director of missions for the San Diego Southern Baptist Association, hopes the legacy of Vision San Diego will be just that: Churches increasingly able to effectively reach out to their communities with the Gospel. Because many San Diego churches are small and led by bi-vocational pastors, Simpson said they often face challenges that can seem overwhelming. His hope for Strategic Focus Cities in San Diego is one of partnership and cooperation, all toward increasing God’s Kingdom.
“God has a big family, and He’s going to bring some of that family to help us here in San Diego,” Simpson said. “Our prayer is that it will result in the salvation of many souls, and that those people will be brought into the life of the church.”
For more information on Vision San Diego and how to become involved, call 877-817-4777 or visit www.visionsandiego.com.
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Meredith Day is a US-C2 missionary who coordinates communications for Vision San Diego.
