2019 SBC Annual Meeting in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Before "Overcomer" debuts in theaters on Aug. 23, Alex and Stephen Kendrick gave a sneak peek of their latest film in two screenings during the Southern Baptist Convention. The filmmaking brothers told hundreds of their heart and prayer for the movie. After 2015's "War Room," Alex Kendrick said they took a break, began to pray about their next project and felt God leading them to the issue of identity.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Adoption and foster care and what local churches can do to help families navigate related challenges were among the topics discussed by a panel of Southern Baptists in Birmingham, Ala. The panel was one of many that tackled a variety of topics on the Cooperative Program stage in the exhibit hall of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex June 10-12. The CP panels were held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Panelists discussed a range of topics on the Cooperative Program panel stage during Southern Baptist's annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. Among those topics were the future of the Southern Baptist Convention, resourcing churches to confront the sexual abuse crisis, and women in ministry. Moderating the "Vision SBC" discussion on June 10 in the exhibit hall were Jonathan Howe and Amy Whitfield, podcast co-hosts of "SBC This Week." Panelists were: Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee; Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board; and Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Via four videos focusing on the Cooperative Program, Executive Committee President/CEO Ronnie Floyd underscored its importance during the SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. The four video clips -- now posted at talkcp.com -- show how the Cooperative Program serves as the key channel of Southern Baptist support for a range of state, national and international mission and ministries.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Before recounting her experience in Turkey where she and her husband, pastor Andrew Brunson, were imprisoned, Norine Brunson expressed gratitude. "First of all, I just really need to thank you," she told the SBC Women's Session on June 10 preceding the SBC's annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Dan Santiago was elected as the first-ever executive director of the Filipino Southern Baptist Fellowship of North America as the organization moves forward with its church planting initiative. Santiago's election took place during a business session of the group's June 10 annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Featured guest speaker, cartoonist and preacher Joe McKeever encouraged bivocational pastors in the rewarding and challenging work to which God has called them during a luncheon in Birmingham, Ala. The Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network hosted the Bivocational Pastor's Luncheon, held June 12 in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Is Vacation Bible School worth it? This is the question church leaders around the country ask themselves every year. And it was the theme of the LifeWay Christian Resources breakfast at the 2019 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Songs of worship in Swahili, a new missionary testimony in American Sign Language and Gospel presentations by missionaries in Mandarin, Hausa, Russian and Fon representing a biblical view of the church worshipping God for eternity. These were among the highlights of an International Mission Board dinner prior to the SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- This year's 9Marks panel discussions tackled the current state of the Southern Baptist Convention and whether or not the health of a church is enough to sustain itself in this cultural moment during two evenings of discussion in conjunction with the SBC's annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. The Monday evening (June 10) discussion was led by Mark Dever, co-founder of 9Marks and senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C, and Jonathan Leeman, 9Marks editorial director. Conversation centered around the topic, "Are Healthy Churches Enough for Today's Problems?" Dever and Leeman's discussion was a live recording of their Pastors' Talk podcast, which they record weekly to discuss practical aspects of pastoral ministry and Christian life.