Baptists and Boyscouts

My $.02 is that you abstain from the vote and let others decide.

As a former cub scout, it was great fun.

 

I am an Eagle Scout and an assistant scout master.

The Boy Scouts of America is a great program for teaching boys responsibility, teamwork, leadership, and patriatism. With proper leadership, you can reach youth who would not otherwise visit your church.

However, the program is not without fault. The National Council supports nearly any religious belief. There are awards for the Methodest and the Mormans. For the Baptist, the Bhddhists, and the Baha'i. They range all the way from the AME Zion to the Zoroastrian.

I work with a local troop. My experience has been with the 11 to 18 year olds. We open each meeting with a short devotional (2-3 minuts). When we go camping I get to preach. On those occasions, I know that they hear the Gospel. Some of these young men do not attend church at any other time. One of the former scouts sought me out to let me know the he had gotten saved. Planting seeds still works.

What to look out for: Some groups at the district and council level will want to participate in indian religious ritulals. You will need to insure that you have enough leaders that agree with your church's doctrinal statment.

The chartered organization for my troop is not my home chruch (it's not even Baptist). None of the active leaders are from that church. I see it as a mission outreach opportunity.

The question to consider is "Is this the best ministry for your church to spend its resorces on (money, space, and manpower)?" Warning, you can not do it by yourself, and it is a longterm commitment.