New missions partnerships to headline convention business

Celebrating a successful six-year partnership with Baptists in Venezuela and welcoming new relationships with churches in Ukraine and Guatemala will be the main orders of business at the 2005 Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting.
   
At the meeting, set for Nov. 15–16 at Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville, messengers will also consider a proposed $42.6 million Cooperative Program (CP) budget for 2006, elect new convention officers and hear the presentation of the 2004 audit report of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
   
According to Rick Lance, SBOM executive director, the State Board will move for messengers to initiate  partnerships with the two nations it has prayerfully selected.
   
State Baptists have already proved receptive to the new ventures, said Reggie Quimby, SBOM director of the office of global partnerships and volunteers in missions. 
   
“We had six missions summits across the state and the response was wonderful,” Quimby said. “More than 10 percent of the projects planned for 2006 have already been accepted, and many other churches and associations are considering some of the others.”
   
But amid the excitement and anticipation of the partnerships beginning next year, messengers will still have ample time to celebrate the wonderful things the Lord has done through Alabama Baptists in Venezuela since 2000, he added.
   
“Though we are closing our partnership with Venezuela, the work there is still going on. We will have an opportunity to celebrate that through testimonies, video presentations and plaque exchanges at the annual meeting,” Quimby said.
   
Another area of Alabama Baptist service to be highlighted during the meeting is the disaster relief efforts that took place in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
   
Joe Bob Mizzell, SBOM director of the office of Christian ethics and chaplaincy ministries, said a resolution honoring the giving hearts of state Baptists in the wake of such disasters has already been turned in for consideration.
   
Several other resolutions have also been submitted but none of a fiery nature, Mizzell said. “So far, there has been nothing controversial, only significant and meaningful. We hope it will stay that way.”
   
One resolution that will be presented for messengers to consider expresses appreciation to the Legislature for the Alabama Family Protection Act, which will be voted on in June.
   
“Basically this act says we will not accept same-sex ‘marriage’ in Alabama,” Mizzell said. “This one is a combination of appreciation and asking the people to vote for it.”
   
A resolution against gambling has been submitted, as well as one of appreciation for Thomas E. Corts, president of Samford University, whose retirement is set for the end of this academic year.
   
Another resolution is expected to encourage Baptists to be organ donors.
   
“There is no theological reason not to donate organs, and this would encourage church people to put it on their driver’s license and save some lives,” Mizzell noted.
   
Jay Wolf, chairman of the resolutions committee, agreed that none of the resolutions submitted this year were “hot button” issues.
   
“Another issue we hope to get support with is the 50th anniversary of the Rosa Parks bus boycott (which took place Dec. 1, 1955),” said Wolf, pastor of First Baptist Church, Montgomery. “We want to show the love of Christ to the people who come to Montgomery for this event.”
   
Resolutions can be turned in until Nov. 15 at 9 a.m., but Mizzell said the resolutions committee is encouraging messengers to turn them in early. To submit a resolution, e-mail it to Joanne Farmer at jfarmer@alsbom.org.
   
The resolutions committee will meet Nov. 7 to get a head start on dealing with resolutions. This will allow the committee to get the resolutions ready in a more relaxed setting without time constraints.
   
Henry Cox, state convention president, said the quiet nature of the matters being prepared for discussion will allow messengers to have more time to focus on the theme of Intentional Evangelism. 
   
It will also turn attention to the Nov. 15 International Mission Board appointment service slated to be the central event of the annual meeting.
   
Cox, pastor of First Baptist Church, Bay Minette, will be nominated for re-election during the meeting. 
   
Roger Willmore, pastor of Deerfoot Baptist Church, Trussville, will also be nominated for a second term as first vice president.
   
At press time, no nominations had been made for the second vice president slot, as incumbent Gary Hollingsworth, former pastor of First Baptist Church, Trussville, recently stepped down to accept a position with the North American Mission Board in Alpharetta, Ga.
   
In addition to electing officers, messengers will consider the CP budget recommended by the SBOM. 
   
According to Lance, the 2006 base budget is set at $42.6 million — 2.75 percent above the 2005 budget — with a challenge budget of $43.65 million.  
   
For more information about the upcoming meeting of Alabama Baptists and related meetings, watch future issues of The Alabama Baptist and visit www.alsbom.org.