Every year, Alabama Baptists gather in November to celebrate the ways that God is working through Baptist ministries around the state. This year is no different.
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said those gathered at the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting Nov. 12–13 in Daphne “will celebrate the many ways that many Alabama Baptists are making a difference together for the gospel.”
This year’s theme
The meeting will focus on the theme of DifferenceMakers based on Acts 4:13: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
Lance invited all state Baptists to be a part of the meeting, a sort of “family reunion” that will be held at Eastern Shore Baptist Church.
On Tuesday evening, Nov. 12:
- Alabama Baptists will hear a message from Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, during the Tuesday night celebration.
- Ram:Corps, a Christ-centered, high-impact visual brass and percussion ensemble from the University of Mobile, will also perform Tuesday night.
During the daytime sessions Nov. 12–13:
- Craig Carlisle, director of missions for Etowah Baptist Association, will deliver his address as convention president. (For more on his presidency and upcoming re-nomination, see story.)
Convention sermon
- Ben Bowden, pastor of First Baptist Church Enterprise, will preach the convention sermon.
- Rob Jackson, SBOM director of evangelism and church revitalization, and Albert Williams, pastor of St. James Baptist Church in Dothan, will each share a message on the DifferenceMakers theme.
- Ministries from around the state will share about ways they’ve seen God at work over the past year.
Messengers to consider 2025 Cooperative Program budget proposal
Messengers to the Nov. 12–13 state convention annual meeting will have opportunity to vote on several business items, including the proposed 2025 Cooperative Program allocation budget.
The proposed budget of $37.5 million is coming to messengers as approved by the State Board of Missions board of trustees in August and is an increase of $500,000 over the 2024 budget.
Missions and ministry
The budget recommendation maintains the 50–50 percentage allocation between the missions and ministry work done through the Alabama Baptist State Convention and the national Southern Baptist efforts.
“It’s a true 50–50 percent allocation, and we are among a few states that do that,” said Rick Lance, SBOM executive director, adding that Alabama Baptists also remain “the No. 1 contributor to SBC causes.”
The 50% of CP dollars remaining in Alabama is divided among SBOM and the various convention entities and auxiliaries, Lance explained. Any additional receipts coming in beyond the budgeted amount will be distributed by the same percentages.
Special offerings
Messengers also will be asked to approve the following 2025 special offering goals:
- Lottie Moon Christmas Offering: $12 million
- Annie Armstrong Easter Offering: $6 million
- Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries: $3 million
- Myers-Mallory State Missions Offering: $1.2 million
- World Hunger Offering: $800,000
(The Alabama Baptist)
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