2015 State Annual Meetings

HONOLULU (BP) -- Hawaii Pacific Baptists held steady their percentage of Cooperative Program gifts forwarded to Southern Baptist Convention causes and recognized a partner association with all of its cooperating churches in Asia. Centered on the theme "Great Awakening!" based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, some 247 registered messengers and 73 guests gathered Nov. 5-6 at Olivet Baptist Church on Oahu.

CEREDO, W.Va. (BP) -- Messengers to the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists called for an end to public funding of Planned Parenthood and increased the percentage of Cooperative Program receipts they will forward to Southern Baptist Convention causes.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (BP) -- South Carolina Baptists focused heavily on personal evangelism at its 195th annual meeting themed "Tell the Story," held Nov. 10-11 at Spartanburg First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C. Speakers reiterated the compelling need for all believers to share the Gospel, with Tommy Kelly, pastor of First Baptist Church of Varnville, urging messengers to ensure that every person in the state hears the Gospel by the group's 200th annual meeting in 2020. Messengers adopted a new convention vision statement, "Helping Churches Fulfill the Great Commission," as recommended by the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) Executive Board Future Vision Committee.

BOSSIER CITY, La. (BP) -- Is this the best Louisiana Baptists can do? Louisiana Baptist Convention President Steve Horn believes not and is asking every church in the state to take "The Pledge" -- a pastor-driven initiative to increase Cooperative Program giving. The Pledge, which Horn underscored at the convention's Nov. 9-...

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (BP) -- Messengers to the Florida Baptist State Convention approved a 2016 Cooperative Program budget of $29 million that will send 51 percent to the Southern Baptist Convention and retain 49 percent for missions and ministries in the state.  "This epic, pacesetting decision will set a precedent in the Southern Baptist Convention," said Michael Tatem, president of ...

BAR NUNN, Wyo. (BP) -- The Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention has marked its first year under a restructured format of three regions led by state strategists, after the group voted in 2014 to dissolve its eight associations. Executive Director Lynn Nikkel praised the WSBC Executive Board for its "wisdom and good counsel" in the restructuring ...

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (BP) -- Messengers to the 178th annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention elected an African American as convention president, called for an end to federal funding of Planned Parenthood and launched a strategy to boost their voice at the state capitol. Messengers also approved a $21.5 million Cooperative Program budget goal for the coming year, raising the bar by a quarter million dollars. The 2016-2017 budget equally divides Cooperative Program receipts between KBC missions and ministries and Southern Baptist Convention causes, allocating $10,750,000 to each after deducting 7 percent for shared CP resourcing.

HOUSTON (BP) -- Two of the core values of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention -- being Kingdom-focused and missionally driven -- took center stage at the SBTC annual meeting, Nov. 10-11 at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston. Messengers were challenged to join the Reach Houston church planting and church revitalization initiative; they approved a motion to forward 2016 budget surplus directly to Southern Baptists' Cooperative Program and joined with the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas for a historic worship gathering.

GREENSBORO, N.C.(BP) -- North Carolina Baptists approved an increase to their Cooperative Program budget and affirmed a resolution addressing ministry among immigrants during their annual meeting Nov. 2-3 in Greensboro. A total of 1,518 messengers, plus 234 guests, rallied around this year's theme, "Echo: Reproducing Gospel Life in Others." The theme was taken from 2 Timothy 2:2 that describes how making disciples is a recurring process that is passed from one person to another and continues for generations: "what you have heard from me ... entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

LAS VEGAS (BP) -- The Nevada Baptist Convention is receiving income 13 percent above budget, reported Executive Director Kevin White at the NBC annual meeting. The income increase comes after last year's annual meeting vote to increase the portion of Cooperative Program gifts from Nevada churches from a 35 percent to a 50/50 split between the NBC and Southern Baptist Convention national and international causes.