Southern Baptist leaders hope that bringing the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to the Midwest will result in more participation than experienced in 2003 when the annual meeting was held in Phoenix, Ariz.
Last year’s registration of 7,077 was the lowest since 1951. This year it is hoped that at least 10,000 people will register as messengers when the convention meets in Indianapolis, June 15–16. Last time the convention met in the Hoosier capital —1992 — registration totaled 17,956.
However, attendance at annual meetings has dropped significantly since that time. In each of the last three years, registration has been under the 10,000 mark.
Those who do attend will consider at least three significant business items. A disagreement between the trustees of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and the SBC Executive Committee has resulted in two conflicting motions coming to the floor of the annual meeting.
The Executive Committee requested that New Orleans Seminary change its charter to make the SBC its sole member, a legal term to specify ownership. This, convention attorneys argue, would prevent the seminary from ever trying to break away from the SBC.
New Orleans Seminary President Chuck Kelley has charged the request will result in undue power and control residing in the Executive Committee. He urges continuing the traditional relationship between the two organizations.
However, Kelley and the New Orleans trustees said they would abide by the vote of SBC messengers. Thus, one of the motions to be considered would implement the Executive Committee’s request for sole membership in the seminary’s charter. The second recommendation would specify ownership of the school by the SBC but continue the traditional relationship.
No one is predicting how the vote will turn out. However, in recent years, recommendations of the SBC Executive Committee have been adopted by near unanimous votes.
A second issue is the Executive Committee’s recommendation for the SBC to withdraw from Baptist World Alliance (BWA). The action comes one year before BWA, an organization that Southern Baptists helped organize, celebrates its centennial anniversary with a worldwide gathering of Baptists in Birmingham, England.
The recommendation produced nearly unanimous negative reaction from Baptist leaders in other countries. So strong was the reaction that a delegation of BWA leaders met in April with the committee that formulated the withdrawal proposal. The result was a cordial statement indicating that if SBC concerns were resolved quickly, the SBC would consider rejoining the worldwide body of Baptists.
Those hoping for continued participation in BWA by Southern Baptists were encouraged by the possibility of future participation. Some have asked that the withdrawal motion be postponed to allow BWA to address SBC concerns. Those favoring this approach contend it would be better to delay a decision to withdraw from the worldwide body when a possibility still exists that problems can be resolved than to prematurely fracture the fellowship of Baptists around the world.
However, most observers seem resigned to the motion being adopted during the Tuesday afternoon business session in Indianapolis. SBC leaders have shown no indication of being willing to postpone a decision. If presented, passage of the recommendation to withdraw is widely expected.
Messengers will also consider a name change for an SBC agency. The Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has proposed, and the SBC Executive Committee has endorsed, changing the name of the organization to GuideStone Financial Resources. Also, the mission of the board would be expanded to allow it to serve evangelical ministry organizations outside the SBC.
Annuity Board President O.S. Hawkins explained that the name comes from the stones used to mark the Roman roads. Guide stones pointed the direction to various destinations and told how far it was to those places. Hawkins said the Annuity Board points Baptist workers toward the destination of retirement and helps them judge what they must do to reach their destination with adequate resources.
He also pointed out that the current name no longer describes the work of the board, since it is no longer limited to providing annuities but now offers a full range of financial services.
Again, little opposition is anticipated.
In addition to following the business sessions, Alabama Baptists can support some of their own.
Steve Gaines, pastor of Gardendale’s First Baptist Church, will deliver the annual convention sermon. This is a high honor for the pastor of one of Alabama’s leading churches.
Also, Alabama native Ted Traylor will preside over the SBC Pastors Conference as its current pastor. Traylor, a native of Pisgah, now serves as pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.
Alabama native up for president
Another highlight for Alabama Baptists could be the election of a new SBC president. Alabama native Bobby Welch, originally from Fort Payne, is the only announced candidate for president at this point. He currently serves as pastor of First Baptist Church of Daytona Beach, Fla.
Overall, the annual meeting will be a time of important decisions, information about the work of the various SBC entities, high moments of inspiration and a prominent role for Alabama Baptists. All of these promise to make the Indianapolis convention a special occasion.
About 500 Alabama Baptists are expected to attend. If you are not among these, please pray for those who are. Pray for the business decisions before the messengers.
Pray for the presence of God in the midst of the assembly. Pray for God to be honored and glorified in all that takes place during and around the 2004 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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