2016 State Annual Meeting Roundup

VANDALIA, Ohio (BP) -- A 50/50 division of churches' Cooperative Program gifts to the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio was approved during the SCBO annual meeting Nov. 2. Messengers approved a 2016-17 Mission Ohio budget which moved the Cooperative Mission Program, as CP is named in Ohio, from last year's 59.25/40.25 distribution to 50/50 for SCBO outreach and Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries.

MISSOULA, Mont. (BP) -- Montana Southern Baptist Convention (MTSBC) President Darren Hales described the group's 2016 annual meeting as having the "feel of a missions conference and the impact of a revival service." Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines spoke during the meeting and "stoked the fire for spiritual renewal through prayer," Hales said. And Don Pierson, pastor of Stewart's Chapel Baptist Church in Flintville, Tenn., led the group in focused prayer at the meeting's prayer summit.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (BP) -- Messengers to the annual meeting of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists (KNCSB) approved a 3 percent increase in the amount forwarded through the Cooperative Program for national and international missions and ministries. The meeting, Oct. 10-11 at the Omaha-area LifeSpring Church in Bellevue, Neb., drew 214 messengers and 22 registered guests with a theme of "Better Together" based on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

LITTLE ROCK (BP) -- Focusing on the theme "Engage," messengers gathered for the 163rd annual meeting of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) held Oct. 25-26 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock. During the two-day meeting, Arkansas Baptists worshipped and prayed together, conducted business, approved eight resolutions and agreed to increase the percentage of Cooperative Programs dollars they send to Southern Baptist Convention national and international causes.

RENO, Nev. (BP) -- With "Advance" as its theme and Mark 16:15 -- Go into all the world and preach the gospel -- as its guiding Scripture passage, the Nevada Baptist Convention's annual meeting reflected the energy of a state convention focused on "reaching the lost; making disciples who make disciples," Executive Director Kevin White reported. The 2017 budget of $2,139,354 is an increase of $159,108 over the current budget of $1,980,170 last year. The 2017 budget includes $1,067,154 in Cooperative Program giving from churches, $1,006,000 from the North American Mission ...

WEST SACRAMENTO (BP) -- Messengers to the 2016 California Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting celebrated the 22-year tenure of the CSBC executive director, elected a new slate of officers and approved a 2017 budget during their 76th session that celebrated "Generations Reaching Generations." Held at Russian Baptist Church in West Sacramento Oct. 25-26, the gathering featured a number of CSBC and Southern Baptist Convention entities recognizing Fermín A. Whittaker for his service. This was his last annual meeting as the state convention's leader; in May he set his retirement effective Feb. 28.

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (BP) -- The Utah/Idaho Southern Baptist Convention conducted business, worshipped and heard messages over a day's time in what would have taken two days in previous years.

BISMARCK, S.D. (BP) -- Dakota Baptist messengers have affirmed partnering in disaster relief with Southern Baptists of neighboring states in 2017 in an effort to extend the Dakotas' relief efforts nationwide.

SCHROON LAKE, N.Y. (BP) -- Messengers to the Baptist Convention of New York increased giving to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries for the second year in a row and discussed proposals to affirm the biblical definitions of marriage and gender in the convention's constitution. Messengers also heard addresses from SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page and Todd Starnes of Fox News during their Sept. 25-27 sessions at Word of Life Conference Center in Schroon Lake, N.Y. In addition to 90 registered messengers, 21 guests were present for a total of 35 churches represented.

PLAINFIELD, Ind. (BP) -- Indiana Baptists amended their bylaw regarding cooperating churches at the group's annual meeting Oct. 10–11 at the Palms Conference Center in Plainfield, Ind. The new State Convention of Baptists in Indiana (SCBI) rule provides "a personal and proactive approach to dealing with churches that have not met the basic requirements of being a 'cooperating church with the SCBI,'" the group reported. Messengers to the annual meeting received the resignation of SCBI executive ...