COLUMBUS - Tony Dickerson was elected president of the Georgia Baptist Convention on November 11 during the Convention's annual meeting at the Columbus Civic Center. Dickerson, who has served as pastor of Pinehurst Church in the city for more than 30 years, was elected without opposition. The number of messengers at the time of the election was 2,431.

In nominating Dickerson, Frank Cox of North Metro First Church in Lawrenceville, spoke of the Columbus pastor as being committed to a strong character and that he is a man of keen insight and biblically wise. Cox also lauded Dickerson as being deeply committed to his church and his denomination.

Terry Braswell, associational missionary in Douglasville, was elected first vice president. Jerry Speer, pastor of Northside Church in Columbus, was elected second vice president. Don Hattaway, pastor of Tabernacle Church in Cartersville, and Gary Morton, minister of music at Second Church in Warner Robbins, received the same number of votes and will serve as third and fourth vice presidents respectively.

Billy Britt of Hebron Church in Dacula was re-elected recording secretary while Harris Malcolm of Americus and Danny Henson of Ringgold were elected as his assistants.

The Convention approved the list of nominees as recommended by the Committee on Nominations. (See a complete listing of those elected on pages 6 and 7). The Committee on Resolutions also received an affirmative vote from the Convention on their presentation. (See the resolutions in their entirety on page 8).

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, a Baptist from Warner Robins who is a member and Sunday School class teacher at First Church Woodstock, addressed the Convention via video. Georgia First Lady Mary Perdue was the guest speaker for a special gathering of pastors' wives on Monday. She urged Baptist women's groups to join forces to help children in the state's care. She indicated that she and the Governor had taken in eight foster children over a period of time. The Perdues have four children of their own.

 

Budget approved

During the Executive Committee report on Tuesday morning, the Convention voted to approve the 2004 budget of $46,500,000. Clark Hutchinson, pastor of Cartersville's First Church, served as the chairman of the Cooperative Program Budget Committee and made the presentation.

Hutchinson explained that the committee had studied the Cooperative Program income for the current year as compared with previous years. The committee also estimated the income for the new fiscal year on the basis of past experience, prevailing economic conditions, and anticipated income for 2004.

The Executive Committee had also assigned the budget planning committee the responsibility of studying both the ministry and missions needs in Georgia and throughout the Southern Baptist Convention. On the basis of their conclusions, they recommended a budget that provides an equitable distribution of available funds between all causes supported by Georgia Baptists.

The 2004 budget represents a seven percent reduction under the 2003 budget, but allows Georgia Baptists to continue with an aggressive emphasis on evangelism, missions, church planting, Christian higher education, and developing healthy kingdom churches.

Hutchinson affirmed, "Georgia Baptists will lead Southern Baptists in dollar amount giving with 53 percent of all offerings going to the SBC Executive Committee for distribution to all Southern Baptist Convention causes." The recommendation was overwhelmingly approved.999

 

New churches welcomed

Wayne Hamrick, pastor of Atco Church in Cartersville, reporting for the Executive Committee, acknowledged that a record high 75 new churches and missions had become a part of the Georgia Baptist Convention in 2003.

During the missions emphasis, J.B. Graham, executive director of the New York Baptist Convention, expressed thanks to the Georgia Baptist Convention for its partnership which cities in western New York have enjoyed with Georgia Baptists in recent years.

He indicated that the relationship with Georgia Baptists has been a blessing and expressed his gratitude for the vote of the Convention to extend and expand that partnership. Earlier in the day the decision was made by messengers to extend the partnership to 2008 and include the entire state, specifically targeting the cities along the I-90 corridor. Another primary focus is to be New York City.

Of the 26.8 million people in New York, as many as 20 million could be lost and without Christ. Graham stated that 180 different people groups live in New York City and that, if God were to bring revival to this major metropolis, a sweep-ing revival could spread to the rest of the world.

In the first week of November at the New York Baptist Convention meeting in Corning, Georgia Baptist Convention Executive Director J. Robert White addressed the Convention and signed an agreement for New York and Georgia's work together in the expanded mission's partnership. In Columbus Graham and White signed the partnership agreement for Georgia Baptists to witness.

Motion to restructure Executive Committee defeated

Mark Johnson of Cherokee Heights Church in Macon presented a motion to amend the Convention's constitution so that the composition of the Executive Committee would be divided equally between clergy and laity. The Executive Committee had previously voted unanimously to oppose the amendment in order to protect the autonomy of the local association and preserve a system that has proved to be effective.

Johnson had offered the same amendment during last year's meeting in Marietta, and it was soundly defeated. The second defeat of the amendment has presumably put it to rest.

Emmett Henderson, Georgia Baptist Convention specialist in Ethics and Public Affairs, gave a stirring report and celebrated President George W. Bush's recent signing of the partial birth abortion bill. White acknowledged Henderson's plans to retire at the end of the year and expressed gratitude for his faithful service to Georgia Baptists.

White recognized Tom Duvall, convention attorney, who introduced Walter Bush, the attorney retained to represent Georgia Baptists when the Convention was sued by Shorter College. Reflecting on Shorter's decision to separate itself from the Convention and become an independent school, Bush remarked, "I believe a terrible wrong has been done here. The hard earned offering plate money of good people has been taken and misappropriated."

The Convention and Shorter College will have to wait until the spring of 2004 to hear the verdict of the Appellate Court regarding the lawsuit that is pending.

The annual session of the Georgia Baptist Convention was chock full of heartwarming testimonies, encouraging reports, powerful sermons, and soul stirring music. The Reggie Saddler Family sang gospel favorites that thrilled the messengers throughout the course of the Convention proceedings.

The Convention will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park next year on November 15 and 16. The Preachers Committee recommended that Mark E. Harris, pastor of Curtis Church in Augusta, preach the doctrinal sermon at next year's Convention and that Lester L. Cooper, associational missionary of the Atlanta Association of Southern Baptists, preach the missionary sermon.