Editor Bob Terry wrote about the recent state convention annual meeting in his editorial in the Nov. 20 issue — “Reflecting on the Annual Meeting.” In this editorial he gave a personal review of the highlights of the convention but it left me with some serious questions.
One concern I wish to address is the “impression of a drive-in campaign” Dr. Terry mentions in his column. While he states there were 147 messengers registered on Wednesday morning, the last day of the convention and the day that elections take place, could we not see this as something that took place because of the official convention sermon and not due to elections alone?
The convention sermon was given by a pastor loved by his congregation. Many of his members were present to show support and appreciation for his good work in an area church. We also need to take into account the potential that some messengers were only able to attend the convention on Wednesday due to schedule conflicts. With these two stated situations alone, I could come up with at least two-thirds of these registered messengers on Wednesday, leaving almost the number referenced from the 2010 convention.
With my concerns aside, I am thankful for a productive, peaceful, passionate convention meeting of Alabama Baptists. I am thankful we are Southern Baptist and are leading in Cooperative Program giving within the national convention. I am grateful God is blessing us as we reach the world and that our churches are attempting to serve in troubled times. I’m also grateful we are united in great work through the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries, our colleges and universities, and the retirement homes — to name a few of the missions and ministries impacting the state and the world for Christ. Lastly I am thankful for the leadership of Dr. John Killian for the last two years as our state convention president.
Therefore let us give thanks for Alabama Baptists and ask God to give us an attitude of “no surrender” as we stand “recognizing our Bible is true, our gospel is eternal and our cause will prevail.”
Jeff Fuller
Rockford, Ala.
Editor’s Note — The church of the pastor who delivered the convention sermon was entitled to a maximum of 25 messengers. If all 25 registered, this still would not account for the three-fold increase in messenger registration during the last session compared to the last time the convention met in Birmingham.
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