Leaders.
That’s what will be on state Baptists’ minds come November when the convention theme takes a detour from the Intentional Evangelism emphasis that’s been its focus for the last three years.
LEADERconnect, which emphasizes developing leaders to connect with God in a personal way, will take center stage at this year’s Alabama Baptist State Convention (ABSC) annual meeting. The meeting is set for Nov. 13–14 at Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, in Mobile Baptist Association.
“LEADERconnect is a focus on life’s purpose for the Christian and an emphasis upon connecting with others in ministry and service,” said Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
This emphasis “can be considered as the care and maintenance of the Christian life as we face the challenges of living for Christ in the 21st century,” he said. The priority of developing leaders thus steps to the forefront during this meeting, he explained.
The meeting’s leaders are themselves noteworthy as well, including “two of the finest leaders in evangelical life,” Lance said.
Well-known author and preacher Richard Blackaby and Christian music artist Steve Green will headline the Tuesday evening service, which will serve as the launching ceremony for the LEADERconnect theme.
Scattered throughout the rest of the two-day meeting will be messages on the theme preached by Timothy George, dean of Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham; Mike McLemore, executive director for Birmingham Baptist Association; and Billy Joy, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church, Enterprise, in Coffee Baptist Association.
State Baptists will also honor various leaders through their traditional awards and one new one — recognition of the associational missionary of the year.
“I believe our upcoming convention will be characterized by celebration,” said Roger Willmore, ABSC president and pastor of Deerfoot Baptist Church, Trussville, in Birmingham Association. “We will tend to business, we (will) hear from our messengers, we (will) vote on recommendations and we will discuss matters of great importance. But the golden thread that will be woven through … will be our common bond in the cause of Christ around the world.”
During the meeting, messengers will vote on a variety of recommendations including:
- long-range plans for property sales and purchase for the SBOM building in Montgomery,
- the transfer of ownership of the property used by Bigbee Baptist Association to the association,
- a record Cooperative Program budget and
- extending the state’s international partnerships with Guatemala and Ukraine.
State Baptist churches are encouraged to send messengers to vote on business items and submit or consider resolutions. Churches may request messenger cards by visiting www.alsbom.org/convention.
As part of the gathering, Alabama Baptists “will anticipate the reaching and exceeding of the $1 billion mark in contributions through the Cooperative Program by the end of 2008,” Lance said. “[T]his is a cause for celebration.”
State Baptists will also celebrate the 300th anniversary of associational missions in the United States.
Joe Bob Mizzell, director of the SBOM office of Christian ethics and chaplaincy ministries, said that associational milestone is the topic of one of the resolutions already turned in by one Alabama Baptist.
Another resolution topic turned in is on the prevention of child abuse, he noted, and “we are also working on one dealing with the hate crime amendment.”
Mizzell encouraged Alabama Baptists who wish to submit resolutions to e-mail them to Joanne Farmer at jfarmer@alsbom.org before Nov. 5, when the resolutions committee will meet.
“They can still submit them up until the annual meeting in November, but this way, we have plenty of time for revisions and to get it just like they want it,” Mizzell said.
For more information about the upcoming annual meeting of Alabama Baptists and related meetings, watch future issues of The Alabama Baptist and visit www.thealabamabaptist.org
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