Evangelism-centered annual meeting to include IMB appointment service

Evangelism-centered annual meeting to include IMB appointment service

Serving ice cream to middle schoolers. Throwing neighborhood pizza parties. Rebuilding tsunami-hit houses in Thailand. Offering food, clothes and lodging to hurricane evacuees.

The list varies but the bottom line is simple — in 2005, Alabama Baptists accepted the challenge to be intentionally evangelistic both at home and overseas.

As a result, this year’s Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting will be both a celebration of that unity of purpose and an encouragement to reach even more people in 2006, said Henry Cox, convention president.

“As Alabama Baptists, we have come together to respond to a tremendous need, especially recently with hurricane relief, and our churches have done a fantastic job,” said Cox, pastor of First Baptist Church, Bay Minette.

The 2005 annual meeting, set for Nov. 15–16 at Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville, will honor work such as that which has taken place in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as offer more opportunities to lend a helping hand and share the gospel message.

Focus on outreach

“I am thankful our people have a heart for missions,” Cox said.

The theme for the meeting — Intentional Evangelism — is also the state’s outreach push for 2005–2007. Intentional Evangelism encourages Alabama Baptists to use their normal activities and ministries as a vehicle through which to share their faith right where they are.

“The program for the meeting will be overshadowed with the concern for helping others and the need to reach people for the Lord,” Cox said.

Tuesday’s 6:45 p.m. service — the highlight of the meeting — will underscore the urgency and reality of that need, he added. During this time, the state convention will host the International Mission Board’s (IMB) missionary appointment service at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center, the first time the state has hosted such a service since 2002.

Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM),  hopes for a good representation of Alabama Baptists.

“I am also praying that the Lord will use this occasion to call people into missions,” he said. “This appointment service will highlight our partnership with IMB in Great Commission ministries here in Alabama and around the world.”

The annual meeting will also feature the consideration of two new international missions partnerships with Guatemala and Ukraine, Lance said.

“We can truly rejoice over the people who have been saved in Venezuela (as we close that partnership) and those who are being discipled by the local churches in that country,” he said. “We can also look forward with enthusiastic anticipation to our new missions ventures with our brothers and sisters in Guatemala and Ukraine.”

During the meeting, messages on Intentional Evangelism will be preached by Doug O’Brien, pastor of North Highlands Baptist Church, Hueytown; Dusty McLemore, pastor of Lindsay Lane Baptist Church, Athens; and Clint Pressley, pastor of Dauphin Way Baptist Church, Mobile.

John Thweatt, pastor of First Baptist Church, Pell City, will preach the convention sermon Wednesday.

“We believe it will be a very good, smooth convention,” Cox said. “I do not know of any controversial issues we will be facing, and we have an excellent program for the messengers present.”

Messenger cards may be requested by visiting the SBOM Web site at www.alsbom.org and clicking on “Resource Center.”

Churches are encouraged to not only send messengers but also share with other Alabama Baptists in the form of written resolutions, said Joe Bob Mizzell, SBOM director of Christian ethics and chaplaincy ministries.

“Resolutions can be turned in until the start of the first day (Nov. 15 at 9 a.m.), but we are encouraging messengers to turn them in early,” Mizzell said, explaining that the resolutions committee will meet Nov. 7 to get a head start on dealing with resolutions that have already come in. This allows the committee to get the resolutions ready in a more relaxed setting without time constraints.

To submit a resolution, e-mail it to Joanne Farmer at jfarmer@alsbom.org.

For more information about the upcoming annual meeting of Alabama Baptists and related meetings, watch future issues of The Alabama Baptist and visit www.alsbom.org.