The Open Door

How grateful we are to First Baptist Woodstock for opening their doors to the Georgia Baptist Convention for our annual meeting. I have had the privilege of being at First Woodstock on a number of occasions. There is not a finer facility anywhere. You will find comfortable surroundings as you attend this year’s convention meeting.

You need to know that the church has offered the use of their facilities at no cost to the Convention. This is extremely generous and helpful to us during these challenging economic times. Thank you, Johnny Hunt, and all of the staff at First Baptist for providing so beautifully for our needs.

Our annual meeting this year will be like none other. We will take care of the business of the Convention that is a necessary part of every annual meeting, but we will also set aside the Tuesday afternoon session in order to participate in a community outreach, which our president, Bucky Kennedy, has named “Love Loud, Light It Up.”

Jesus reminds us in the Scripture that we are light to a world filled with sin and darkness as we carry the Good News of the Gospel into our communities. In my lifetime, I have never witnessed a time when we needed the unfettered witness of believers more than we do just now. My prayer is that as we team up and go out into the community several things will happen:

• We will demonstrate the love that we preach and teach about on Sundays.

• We will be presented divine appointments to give witness to the remarkable love of Jesus.

• We will bless our host church by blessing their community.

• We will be inspired to return to our home churches all across Georgia and provide similar ministry.

• We will love each other more as we work shoulder to shoulder.

• We will be seen more for what we are for than what we are against.

• We will carry the spirit of the day into a glorious time of worship Tuesday night.

The annual meeting will be marked by powerful preaching, God-honoring praise and worship, testimonies, missions inspiration, and reports that give God the glory for the great things He is doing through Georgia Baptists. I anticipate that we will extend our mission partnership work to the Russian cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. We will discuss adjustments to our Constitution and deal with challenging issues. Not everyone will agree with all that takes place, but as some wise person said, “Whenever you get two Baptists together, you will have three opinions on any one subject.”

The remarkable thing is that God has willed to work through us, and get glory unto His name in spite of our weaknesses and challenges. That is why I have loved being a Southern Baptist all of my life. Over twenty-four of those years I have been a Georgia Baptist. I would rather be a Georgia Baptist than any kind of Baptist I know!

I encourage you to make your plans now to attend the annual meeting. Regardless of age, ethnicity, or language, I want you to plan to be with us, and bring a crowd from your church for our Convention meeting. We will not be all we could have been, if you are not with us!