2015 State Annual Meetings

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BP) -- Missouri Baptist Convention messengers moved forward during their 181st annual meeting in the restructuring of the convention's staff and in defending religious liberty. A total of 1,022 messengers and 236 guests from 440 churches met Oct. 26-28 at Springfield's University Plaza and Expo Center, where MBC Executive Director John Yeats set forth a vision of the convention's future by renewing its original mission to "make disciples, multiply churches, and develop leaders." Yeats urged Missouri Baptists to embrace a sense of urgency as they engage a culture desperately in need of the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (BP) -- Old way: State convention strategist oversees all church planting in the Utah/Idaho Southern Baptist Convention. New way: Regional church planting teams oversee church planting.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. (BP) -- Terry Dorsett, the new executive director/treasurer of the Baptist Convention of New England, set forth an "Embracing the Future" strategy in his inaugural address to the six-state convention.

MADISON, Wis. (BP) -- Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptists will increase the percentage of Cooperative Program receipts they forward to Southern Baptist Convention causes despite reducing their overall budget by more than a third due to a shift of North American Mission Board funds. "Refresh" was the theme of the 32nd annual meeting of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, Oct. 23-24, at Midvale ....

RUIDOSO, N.M. (BP) -- Messengers to the Baptist Convention of New Mexico increased the percentage of Cooperative Program receipts they will forward to Southern Baptist Convention causes and decried the U.S. Supreme Court's nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage. Gathering Oct. 20-21 at the Ruidoso Convention Center in Ruidoso, N.M., 293 messengers represented 104 of the ....

PLAINFIELD, Ind. (BP) -- Gathering around the theme "lift Him up," messengers to the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana voted to continue for a second straight year forwarding a record percentage of Cooperative Program receipts to Southern Baptist Convention causes. Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis acted as host to the Oct. 12-13 gathering, though the meeting was held at The Palms ...

HENRIETTA, N.Y. (BP) -- Messengers to the Baptist Convention of New York voted not to change the convention's name and asked the body's executive board to report next year on "the best plan to significantly increase" BCNY giving to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries. Gathered Sept. 27-29 at All Nations Church in Henrietta, N.Y., messengers also voted to increase the portion of Cooperative ...

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (BP) -- With the theme, "Until It's Finished," California Southern Baptists celebrated 75 years of ministry in the Golden State, adopted a budget with an increased percentage to the Southern Baptist Convention and re-elected their president during their annual meeting Oct. 27-28 at Valley Baptist Church. The California Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Bakersfield, Calif., highlighted historical references to the ...

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (BP) -- The 60th annual meeting of the Colorado Baptist General Convention focused on the theme "The Revitalized Church" from Revelation 2:4-5. Ralph Helm, Longs Peak Baptist Association's church catalyst, welcomed 155 registered messengers from 71 churches and 100-150 guests, who united in prayer and worship in Fort Collins at the Hilton Hotel & Conference Center.

ABERDEEN, S.D. (BP) -- The Dakota Baptist Convention increased its giving again to the SBC Cooperative Program missions and ministries -- by one-half percent for 2016 -- during its annual meeting. This brings to 23 percent the amount forwarded from CP giving by the two-state convention's 26 churches in North Dakota and 62 churches in South Dakota to Southern Baptist national and ...