Sherri Brown/GBC Communications
Eastman native Buck Burch, an IMB missionary in Russia, makes a plea to Georgia Baptists to pray for the work in that nation. Current proposed legislation could require children to have written permission to enter a church. Burch led messengers, who approved a partnership with St. Petersburg and Moscow, to pray that the legislation would not pass.
WOODSTOCK — The only thing that messed with Hurricane Ida were Hurricane Georgia Baptists, GBC President Bucky Kennedy told messengers during the final session of the 188th annual convention meeting held at First Baptist Church.
The former hurricane, downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved through Georgia the morning of the event, dropped four inches of rain throughout the day, limiting the massive scope of ministry planned for the afternoon. November 10, the day of the LoveLoud event, made history as the single wettest November day on record, according to local meteorologists.
But even against that soggy background many of the 1,125 volunteers fanned out to several of the 87 ministry sites – some decked out in rain ponchos to rake leaves – to spread the Good News. By the time the event came to a close, an unofficial 22 professions of faith were recorded.
“God’s hand was on the whole project,” said GBC staff member Doug Couch, who directed the outreach. Couch, who oversees the state convention’s youth ministries, said he was “very pleased with the cheerful servant attitudes of the volunteers. You would never have known it was raining. We are extremely appreciative to everyone who participated.”
Preliminary reports indicate that during the afternoon nearly a thousand volunteers made 1,144 contacts including 190 gospel presentations. They ministered to 830 senior citizens and helped distribute 2,400 boxes of food to 785 homes from three semi-trucks.
GBC Evangelism Vice President Steve Parr served on a team that saw six individuals accept Christ. He said it was “refreshing, in the midst of the business and the annual reporting session, that everyone experienced worship and service in the name of Jesus.
“The experience this year, however, was highlighted by the fact that lives were changed as several people trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. It is fitting that a gathering focused on missions and partnership in the proclamation of the Gospel had immediate results.”
During the business sessions the 1,289 registered messengers overwhelmingly approved a new five-year partnership with Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, two of the world’s largest cities where the evangelical population is less than 1 percent. The partnership pairs Georgia Baptist volunteers with four International Mission Board missionaries who call Georgia home.
After signing the partnership agreement, Eastman native Buck Burch, now a missionary in Russia, asked messengers to pray immediately that proposed Russian legislation would be defeated. Currently, legislation is considering requiring children to have written permission to enter a church. See related story.
Kelly Hopkins/GBC Communications
By the time the afternoon ended, 989 volunteers had made 1,144 ministry contacts, 190 gospel presentations, and distributed food to 785 homes. In addition to the 22 professions of faith, 11 other decisions were also recorded.
Messengers also approved a significant reduction in the 2010 budget, which included reducing staff positions by 13.37 percent, cutting 27 positions since January. The budget was set at $45,500,000, down 8.2 percent or $4.1 million from 2009. See related story.
Messengers elected a new slate of officers for the next year, including Thomasville First Baptist Pastor Dan Spencer as president. Spencer was unopposed for the top level position.
Other newly elected officers included Tim Burnham, pastor of First Baptist Lindale, first vice president; Wilburn Hill, pastor of Centennial Baptist, Rutledge, second vice president; Stuart Sims, pastor of Beech Haven Baptist in Athens, third vice president; and John Pennington, pastor of First Baptist Douglasville, fourth vice president.
The two-day meeting was cut short to allow for an afternoon of ministry. With a little advance planning it wasn’t difficult to make the adjustment, Kennedy, the outgoing president and pastor of First Baptist in Vidalia, said.
“We moved the state missions report to Tuesday evening and condensed a lot of the reports into video reports, which gave us the afternoon,” Kennedy said. “It was worth it. We had more than a thousand people doing ministry in a downpour with nearly two dozen people saved. It was a great day.”
Next year’s sessions will be held Nov. 15-16 at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany.
Sherri Brown/GBC Communications
New Georgia Baptist Convention President Dan Spencer, pastor of First Baptist Thomasville, was elected unopposed as were the newly-elected vice presidents.
Messengers greet each other during the closing session of the annual meeting.