Joe Westbury/Index

Pastors James Baird, left, and John Prater, right, discuss agenda items at the Baptist Center during the Georgia Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee meeting on March 14. During the meeting the pastors heard GBC President Wayne Hamrick detail next fall’s state convention meeting. The program, which was unveiled at the meeting, is the first time Georgia Baptists have received a thorough look at the two-day event so early in the year. Hamrick is hoping that Georgia Baptists will commit now to attending the annual meeting. Baird is pastor of First Baptist Church in Lyerly while Prater serves at Marshall Baptist Church in Thompson.

Attendance at the annual sessions of the Georgia Baptist Convention has declined in recent years, but GBC President Wayne Hamrick hopes to reverse that trend at the next meeting scheduled for November 13-14 at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth.

Since Hamrick’s election just more than four months ago he has worked diligently to craft an excellent program designed to attract Baptists from all over the state. His diligence has paid off, because he has assembled a cadre of preachers and musical guests that are eminently qualified to challenge and inspire Convention attendees.

Pre-Convention Inspirational Rally

O.S. Hawkins

The Pre-Convention Inspirational Rally will take place on Sunday evening at 6:30 in the Gwinnett Arena and will feature O. S. Hawkins, president and CEO of Guidestone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. J. Robert White, GBC executive director, will present a missions challenge. Special Music will be provided by the choir and orchestra of North Metro First Baptist Church led by Keith McBroom and the 250-voice Jubal Chorus and Orchestra led by Jon Duncan.

The Gwinnett Arena’s seating capacity is 12,990 and Hamrick wants to fill every seat for the rally and each Convention session. The GBC president appeals, “May I urge every church in the Atlanta Metropolitan area to move their Sunday night service to the Gwinnett Arena.”

Convention Preachers

The Convention theme will be “Back to Basics.” Hamrick wants to see Georgia Baptists get back to an emphasis on the fundamentals of Sunday School and Open Groups as well as evangelism and missions. The Scriptural banner for the Convention is found in II Timothy 2:15: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Jerry Vines

Four Georgia Baptist preachers have been designated to help carry out the theme of the Convention. Hamrick, a full time evangelist, will bring the president’s message on Monday evening. Don Hattaway, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cartersville, is also on the program Monday evening to present the missionary sermon.

Larry Wynn, pastor of Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, will bring the doctrinal sermon at the conclusion of the Tuesday morning session and Jerry Vines, recently retired pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla. and member of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, will bring the final convention message on Tuesday night. Another former SBC president, Charles Stanley, will introduce Vines, who is also a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Convention Music

Large choirs and talented and gifted musicians will mark the music for the November Convention. The Lemings, the Reggie Saddler Family, Jason and Andrea Millsaps, Nan Searles, Sonia Hattaway and Terry Braswell and The Light Brothers will be featured in various sessions of the Convention. A 200-voice combined choir from the Bartow Baptist Association will sing on Monday evening. The Tuesday session will feature choirs from Shorter College, Hebron Baptist Church and a 500-voice combined choir and orchestra from the Gwinnett Baptist Association.

President Hamrick stated, “As president, I would like to encourage our Georgia Baptist churches to send their full slate of messengers to the convention. We are looking forward to a great convention. There will be tours of the new Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center on Sunday afternoon, Monday morning, Monday afternoon and after the Monday evening session.”

Hamrick also plans to have a special time of recognizing young ministers 35 years of age and younger as well as older ministers and retired leaders over 65.

The president has worked hard to insure a meaningful and productive Convention and has provided something meaningful for everyone. He commented, “Pray for a God-honoring and Spirit-directed Convention that will help us get back to the basics of Bible study, evangelism and missions.”

Click here to view the entire state convention program for Nov. 13-14.