2015 State Annual Meetings

OCEAN CITY, Md. (BP) -- Nearly 500 messengers and guests representing 165 churches gathered for the Mid-Atlantic Baptist Network's 180th celebration Nov. 8-10 in Ocean City, Md.

JACKSON, Miss. (BP) -- Messengers to the Mississippi Baptist Convention's 2015 annual meeting heard the first reading of a proposed constitutional amendment relating to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message to be voted on at the convention's 2016 annual meeting. Messengers also elected a new president and approved a 2016 Cooperative Program budget of over $31.5 million.

YUMA, Ariz. (BP) -- At an annual meeting bookended by missions activities, Arizona Southern Baptists heard Cooperative Program testimonies, adopted the first Cooperative Program budget increase in five years and were reminded of their personal responsibility to share the Gospel. "All Peoples" was the theme of the annual meeting, attended by 175 messengers and 40 registered visitors at Stone Ridge Church in Yuma. It was the first time since 1979 that the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting had been held ...

MARION, Ill. (BP) -- The theme song for the evangelistic focus of the Illinois Baptist State Association's 109th annual meeting left messengers with fresh words for prayer: Heal our streets and land, Show your mighty hand; Win this nation back… Build Your kingdom here! ("Build Your Kingdom Here" by Rend Collective, ©2011, Thankyou Music)

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (BP) -- Michigan Baptists adopted a new constitution and bylaws designed to allow the convention to function in harmony and unity, Executive Director Tim Patterson told Baptist Press. "How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity," Patterson said, paraphrasing Psalm 133:1. "It is a new day in Michigan."

BOZEMAN, Mont. (BP) -- Montana Baptists are downsizing from their Billings headquarters for a building to better accommodate their smaller, less centralized staff, messengers voted at their 2015 annual meeting. Fred Hewett, Montana Southern Baptist Convention (MTSBC) executive director, said the current site is too large, as the office staff has decreased from about 12 to three since 2008.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (BP) -- When David Waltz began leading Pennsylvania/South Jersey Baptists in 1993, he committed to the position temporarily, only until a replacement could be found. "I did agree to be acting director until they could find someone who could really do the job," he said at the Baptist Resource Network (BRN) of Pennsylvania/South Jersey 2015 annual meeting. "During those months, I began to feel a very strong sense of God's call -- that he wanted me to take the position -- and I discovered I ...

HARRISBURG, Pa. (BP) -- Pennsylvania/South Jersey Baptists marked at their annual meeting 45 years of service and the retirement of several long-term employees, including Executive Director-Treasurer David Waltz. The 330 messengers and guests were the largest number of delegates at a Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey (BRN) annual meeting in eight years. Just over 100 of the BRN’s 321 churches were represented.

DAPHNE, Ala. (BP) -- Messengers to the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting approved a 2016 Cooperative Program budget that brought state and national ministry allocations closer to parity. They also adopted a new offering aimed at helping fund Baptist missions work in state and expanded the role of the State Board of Missions executive committee.

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (BP) -- Messengers to the Tennessee Baptist Convention increased their Cooperative Program giving to Southern Baptist Convention causes and amended their constitution and bylaws to require members of boards and committees to act in accordance with the Baptist Faith and Message.