2017 SBC Annual Meeting

Church planting is the responsibility of every Southern Baptist church, and that responsibility begins with prayer. That was the message delivered by Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) at the SBC on Wednesday (June 15).

PHOENIX (BP) -- Protection of human life and preparation of parents have been among the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's priorities during the last year, Russell Moore told messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Wednesday (June 14). In his annual report to the convention, Moore, the ERLC's president, said the entity's efforts during the past year have included:

Greg Laurie of Harvest America delivered a message on proclamation evangelism during the celebration service Tuesday night (June 13) at the SBC annual meeting in Phoenix.

PHOENIX (BP) -- Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention proposed 11 motions during two 15-minute scheduled segments of the 2017 annual meeting in Phoenix. Messengers voted affirmatively on one of the motions, submitted by Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board and member of First Baptist Church in Alpharetta, Ga., to authorize the convention's president to appoint a task force to study how Southern Baptists "could be more effective in personal soul-winning and evangelistic preaching."

PHOENIX (BP) -- Looking at the apostle Paul's passion for lost souls, former SBC President Johnny Hunt preached from Romans 9:1-3 at the Southern Baptist Convention June 13 in Phoenix. "The apostle Paul writes with a burdened heart," Hunt said, "because his own brethren, those near and dear to him had refused to accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior and Messiah."

The Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting drew 5,018 messengers to Phoenix June 13-14, according to a not-yet-official count. When registered guests, exhibitors and others are added, the number of those at the SBC annual meeting rose to 9,318.

PHOENIX (BP) -- Through Southern Baptists' "faithful, generous and consistent giving" of more than $98 million to the Cooperative Program and approximately $153 million to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, the International Mission Board has reached financially stability, IMB President David Platt told the entity's trustees June 12. "That's breathtaking: over $250 million given from Southern Baptist churches for the spread of the Gospel among the nations," Platt said. "And as a result of that giving, I am glad to report to trustees and the broader SBC that IMB is standing on firm financial ground."

PHOENIX (BP) -- The National Hispanic Baptist Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention, in a four-hour meeting June 12, discussed business, honored a Hispanic leader, worshiped and heard God's Word. The group of approximately 50 elected new officers, made an amendment to their constitution and voted on three motions brought forth from their last meeting.

PHOENIX (BP) -- Every Christian is a minister, Steve Gaines, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said in his message to the SBC annual meeting in Phoenix. Gaines told messengers at the 160th session of the SBC June 13 that he was not just giving a convention address. "I'm going to preach the Gospel," said the pastor of the Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church.

Southern Baptists to heighten help for people struggling financially and others who are doing well.