2008 SBC Annual Meeting News

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–The Black Southern Baptist Denominational Servants Network showcased its steady growth during its 12th annual meeting and gave awards to several leaders June 8 at Gabriel Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Sid Smith, the network’s executive director, underscored the multiple ways the organization has been growing. About 250 African Americans are employed in the Southern […]

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Following the model of the early church, Baptist associations should encourage doctrinal integrity, foster biblical fellowship, promote genuine worship and advance the cause of the Great Commission, said Russell Cook, president of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions. Cook, in his president’s address at the SBCADOM June 8-9 meeting in Indianapolis, […]

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–A church or a denomination may assume it is experiencing God’s blessing because of external factors such as large membership rolls or financial success, but in reality it may be far from God, Eric Redmond said at the annual Founders Fellowship Breakfast June 10 during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in […]

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Joy Cullen, a pastor’s wife, Sunday School teacher, adjunct professor and former International Mission Board missionary in Asia, was honored with the 2008 Willie Turner Dawson Award during the Ministers’ Wives’ Luncheon June 10 at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis. She is the wife of Bob Cullen, pastor of […]

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention messengers meeting in Indianapolis June 10-11 elected a new president, launched a bold initiative to share the Gospel with every person in North America by 2020, accepted a detailed report from the Executive Committee on the subject of child sexual abuse prevention and adopted a much-discussed resolution on regenerate church membership.       Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., was elected president on the first ballot at the annual meeting by receiving 52.94 percent of the vote in a crowded field of six candidates. Many of the approximately 7,200 registered messengers no doubt expected to witness the convention's first presidential runoff since 1982, but Hunt avoided that to become what is believed to be the denomination's first Native American president. Hunt is a Lumbee Indian, a North Carolina-based tribe.       Hunt long has been known among Southern Baptists for his passion for evangelism, discipleship and missions, and those themes dominated his post-election press conference and a brief address to messengers. His election came on the heels of LifeWay's Annual Church Profile report showing that Southern Baptists in 2007 baptized the fewest number of people in two decades.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Heavy rains and flooding helped cause a dip in registration at this year's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, according to registration secretary Jim Wells. This year's unofficial messenger count was 7,277, down from 8,630 at the 2007 meeting ...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Jesus died so believers could have abundant life regardless of their circumstances, Donna Gaines of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., said during the Pastors’ Wives Session of the SBC Pastors’ Conference June 9 in Indianapolis. Before an audience of about 600 women, Gaines pointed to Genesis 2 for a picture of “life as […]

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Prayer keeps us on God’s agenda, Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver, the U.S. Army’s chief of chaplains, told fellow chaplains during a luncheon at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Indianapolis. “Let’s make sure we’re on God’s agenda, because it’s much better than what you and I can come up with in our feeble […]

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Fellowship and campus updates highlighted the alumni luncheons hosted by the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries June 11 during the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis. Following are reports from the luncheons: GOLDEN GATE — Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary alumnus Milton F. Steck was presented with GGBTS’ distinguished alumni award at the seminary’s alumni […]

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)–Eugene Florence may be 104, but he is anything but set in his ways. His June 9-11 visit to Indianapolis marked his first trip to the Southern Baptist Convention and his longest flight on an airplane. Florence continues to model hard work and endurance as he experiences new things. Rarely has there […]