Georgia Baptists hear evangelism challenge at annual session

COLLEGE PARK - Messengers attending the 183rd annual session of the Georgia Baptist Convention annual meeting were challenged to pray for a "tsunami" of revivals in 2005 that will lead to a record 50,000 baptisms in the state.

The theme of the Nov. 15-16 session was "Revival: The Time Is Now," with an emphasis on the wave revivals to be held across the state in the spring of 2005.

"We know that statistically a church with a well planned, prayed-over revival will baptize twice as many people as a church with no revival,"said Mike Minnix, GBC vice president for evangelism.

"A church that does not have a revival averages 39 people to bring one person to Christ. A church with a revival needs 24 people to bring someone to Christ. But a church with a well planned, prayed-over revival takes only 19 people to win someone," Minnix told messengers.

There were 1,981 registered messengers at the meeting held in the Georgia International Convention Center in south Atlanta. It was one of the lowest attended meetings in at least 30 years. Attendance for the past two years showed 2,430 in Columbus in 2003 and 2,737 in Atlanta in 2002.

Sherri Brown

Columbus Pastor Tony Dickerson was elected to a second-year term as president of the convention.

High enthusiasm

"In spite of the fact that a lot of people didn't attend, it was a great meeting," said GBC President Tony Dickerson, pastor of Pinehurst Church, Columbus. "We had exceptional preaching and incredible music. The enthusiasm was at an all-time high. It was a great convention."

Dickerson was re-elected as GBC president with no opposition. Others elected were Jody Hice, pastor of First Baptist Church of Bethlehem, first vice-president; David Harper, pastor of Hollywood Baptist Church, Rome, second vice-president; Doug New, pastor of Mt. Pleasant Church of Carrollton, third vice-president; and Jimmy Blanton, associational missionary for Columbus Baptist Association, fourth vice-president.

Reports from the convention included testimonies from a group of French pastors about the impact of Georgia Baptist volunteers in their country. The open-ended partnership with France will continue for the next several years. The GBC also announced that 72 new churches had joined the convention in the past year. See listing on page 17.

BWA motion rejected

Michael Ruffin, pastor of The Hill Baptist Church in Augusta, made a motion that the Cooperative Program Budget Committee add a line item in the amount of $30,000 for the Baptist World Alliance in the 2006 Cooperative Program budget.

Ruffin's motion was subsequently scheduled for consideration by the convention messengers and defeated by an overwhelming majority.

At its annual meeting in Indianapolis earlier this year, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to withdraw from the Baptist World Alliance and no longer fund the international group.

The Georgia Baptist Health System reported on the newly formed foundation that will be in place in 2005.

"The Foundation will begin to make grants to Georgia Baptists where missions is being done. We also anticipate the development of innovative health care for Georgia Baptist ministers and their families," said GBC Executive Director J. Robert White.

Four resolutions were presented and approved by messengers. A resolution commending those involved with presenting and promoting the marriage amendment was presented by Marc Laseter from Rehoboth Baptist Church of Tucker. Laseter also presented the resolution supporting "released-time Christian education" whereby public school students, with parental permission, may attend off-campus Bible classes during the school day.

Resolutions of appreciation

The GBC administration committee presented a resolution of support and appreciation for U.S. President George W. Bush and also a resolution of appreciation for leaders of the convention and annual meeting.

In other business, messengers tentatively elected a slate of trustees to Shorter College, based on recommendations by the Committee on Nominations. The legal case involving Shorter College in Rome is currently on appeal in the Georgia Supreme Court.

Should the court uphold the decision of the Court of Appeals to set aside the dissolution of Shorter College, trustees whose terms expired during the litigation need to be replaced and trustee vacancies need to be filled. Convention officers said the step was taken in order to prevent the calling of a special session to elect the trustees, should they be needed.

Shorter College trustees with terms to expire in 2008 are: Charles Kelly Barrow, Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, Griffin; Jennifer Reynolds, Spring Creek Baptist Church, Rome; David Howard, First Baptist Church, Bremen; Bill Delk, Peachtree Corners Baptist Church, Norcross; David Baxter, Mt. Harmony Baptist Church, Mableton; and Steve Efird, First Baptist Church, Blairsville.

Shorter College trustees with terms to expire in 2009 are: Dayle Fowler, First Baptist Church, Lilburn; Paul Mason, First Baptist Church, Summerville; Kevin Snodgrass, West Rome Baptist Church, Rome; Roger Willis, Hebron Baptist Church, Dacula; Tom Summers, Annistown Road Baptist Church, Snellville; and John Bowman, Ingleside Baptist Church, Macon.

Serving out terms through 2006 are Vanessa Biggers, Pinehurst Baptist Church, Columbus, and Bob English, Roswell Street Baptist Church, Marietta.