2017 SBC Annual Meeting

PHOENIX (BP) -- Presentation of an award to Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines and advocacy by Alabama pastor Eric Hankins of "loyal opposition to the rise of Calvinism in the SBC" were among emphases at the Connect316 banquet June 13 in conjunction with the SBC annual meeting in Phoenix. Connect316 -- a coalition of Southern Baptists who advocate what they call a "traditionalist" understanding of the doctrine of salvation and disagree with some points of what they call "New Calvinism" -- also hosted a panel discussion at the banquet exploring the relationship between evangelism and the doctrine of salvation.

PHOENIX (BP) -- Christian unity should transcend differences on Calvinism, politics and race for the advancement of the Gospel, panelists told more than 800 attendees June 13 at the ninth annual Baptist21 luncheon during the Southern Baptist Convention's meeting in Phoenix. "Our world is going straight to hell and we need to be one in telling people about Jesus and not letting these secondary things divide us," said SBC President Steve Gaines, senior pastor of Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn.

PHOENIX (BP) -- North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell told the entity's trustees that in order to see the kind of turnaround in baptisms that Southern Baptists desire, it will take millions of Southern Baptists having tens of millions of gospel conversations. Without decreasing NAMB's emphasis on church planting through its Send Network or compassion ministry through Send Relief, Ezell said NAMB will "put every ounce of energy we possibly can to help our convention see the importance of having gospel conversations."

PHOENIX (BP) -- A vote to postpone election of an executive director and continued emphasis on church planting were among highlights of the Filipino Southern Baptist Fellowship of North America's (FSBFNA) annual meeting June 13 in Phoenix. During a business session, the fellowship's officers nominated Dan Santiago, pastor of Covenant Christian Church in Jacksonville, Fla., as the first-ever FSBFNA executive director. ...

James Kang was elected on a second ballot to a potentially unlimited term as executive director of the 830-church fellowship known as the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America, and as the "Korean Council."

The Fellowship of Native American Christians celebrated significant growth at its ninth annual meeting, which took place June 12 in Phoenix.

PHOENIX (BP) -- The National Asian American (NAA) Fellowship spotlighted the need for more partnerships with Southern Baptist seminaries and a desire to reach second-generation Asian Americans. The group met for its second annual meeting in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Phoenix. The group, made up of eight Asian fellowships, was formed in October 2016 in Dallas as a fellowship specifically for second-generation Asian Americans. More than 60 were in attendance for the June 12 meeting.

PHOENIX (BP) -- Arabic praises could be heard alongside the more typical Hebrew worship at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship (SBMF) this year as the fellowship met June 11 at First Arabic Baptist Church in Phoenix. The gathering -- held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting -- included a joint worship service of Arab, Kurdish and Jewish followers of Jesus; a fellowship meal; and an SBMF business session. Also in attendance were Muslims who have not yet trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior but value the friendship First Arabic offers.

Members of the Chinese Baptist Fellowship heard updates from an IMB missionary and NAMB church planters on Chinese church planting efforts at their dinner meeting on June 13.

PHOENIX (BP) -- Transition was the topic of the 2017 Women's Leadership Breakfast, in which Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the North American Mission Board partnered together to host more than 92 women on June 14. The event was held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Phoenix.