SBC Life Articles by Margaret Colson

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Following the April 4 retirement announcement of Tommy Green, who has served as Florida Baptists’ executive director-treasurer since June 2015, Aaron Burgner, president of the Florida Baptist State Board of Missions, has appointed a nine-member team to begin the search process to name a new executive director-treasurer for the Florida Baptist Convention.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tommy Green has announced his retirement after serving Florida Baptists as executive director-treasurer since June 2015.

ORLANDO, Fla. (BP) -- The Florida Baptist Convention (FBC) "is a model in forwarding as much as possible through the Cooperative Program (CP) to encourage the forwarding of the Gospel to places the Gospel has never been before," said Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The FBC sends 51 percent of annual financial receipts from its member churches through the SBC Cooperative Program (CP) as it retains 49 percent in the state. The decision to move to the 51/49 percent model was made by messengers at the 2015 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Panama City.

NASHVILLE (BP)-- Longtime trusted sources for information and inspiration, Southern Baptist media are now being celebrated and recognized with a day to call their own: Southern Baptist Media Day. Recently added to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) calendar, Southern Baptist Media Day, on July 28, is set aside to celebrate how God has used and continues to use Southern Baptist media in His mission.

BIRMINGHAM (BP)-- North Carolina pastor J.D. Greear was reelected by acclamation to a second term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the June 11-12 SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. He will lead a diverse slate of officers, including: Marshal Ausberry, senior pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax, Va., first vice president; Noe Garcia, senior pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church, second vice president; John Yeats executive director of Missouri Baptist Convention, recording secretary; and Kathy Litton, director of planter spouse development for North American Mission Board, registration secretary.

At the Association of State Baptist Publications annual meeting, participants were encouraged to persevere in their callings as Christian journalists, in spite of today’s daunting challenges.

DALLAS (BP) -- Vice President Mike Pence affirmed Southern Baptists for their gospel witness and then encouraged Southern Baptists to continue in that commitment, speaking at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting on Wednesday (June 13). "What began more than 170 years ago at First Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga., has now become one of the greatest forces for good anywhere in America.... The Southern Baptist Convention has always strived to reach the world for Christ, and so you have throughout the decades. I believe with all my heart: Your faith has moved mountains, and your witness changes lives every day," he said in his opening remarks.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- The Christian witness that Sarah Harmening shared in her short 17 years of life on this earth will continue to reverberate for eternity through a generous memorial gift presented by her family to the International Mission Board. The Alabama teen's parents, Karen and Scott Harmening -- along with their three other daughters, Katelyn, Kristen and Sophie -- presented a check for $91,120 to the IMB on Wednesday (Oct. 25). "This is what was donated and raised in honor of Sarah, her life and legacy. So we're excited to bring the check for $91,120, all for [the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions (LMCO)]," Scott said as he presented the check to David Platt, IMB president.

MARIETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Amid today's tumult of political rhetoric and social discourse about Syrian refugees entering the U.S., a pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention president spoke out in an Oct. 16 "60 Minutes" report, as well as a Sept. 11 sermon, calling on Christians to lean on God's Word to determine how to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis. Bryant Wright, senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, said Christians are not to make decisions about Syrian refugees "by our feelings, by our fears, by talk radio, by political candidates, by political ideology, by news stations, by news outlets and publications.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (BP) -- Florida Baptists are already onsite providing aid in Haiti, where nearly 1,000 people have died from Hurricane Matthew and scores more are sickened by cholera in the storm's aftermath. Craig Culbreth, the Florida Baptist Convention's lead catalyst for missions and ministries, said the state's Disaster Relief volunteers are already on the ground assessing need and strategizing response. "We are hoping we can have a response and help those people in the south end" ...