SPARKS, Nev. (BP)–Eleven churches were added to the Nevada Baptist Convention during its 21st annual meeting Oct. 19-20 at First Baptist Church, Sparks.
Among the new churches is The Country Western Church of Las Vegas, which, according to an article in The Nevada Baptist newsjournal, meets at 6 p.m. on Saturdays and is led by pastor Joel Stephens, a former bull rider who has attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in the San Francisco area. “The parking lot is dominated by pickup trucks” when the church’s services are held, the article notes.
The 11 new congregations bring the Nevada convention to 220 churches and missions. Last year, seven churches were approved for affiliation with the convention.
A total of 125 messengers registered for the meeting, with a theme of “Loving God.”
Steve Pearson, city coordinator for the Strategic Focus City evangelistic/church-planting initiative for Las Vegas in 2001, reported on preparations for the “Loving Las Vegas” efforts.
Messengers adopted a resolution launching a major prayer emphasis for the year 2000, scheduling a “Prayer Summit” April 24-25 in Tonopah, Nevada, and also designating four Wednesdays in 2000 for all churches to conduct special meetings for united prayer.
Russ Daines, pastor of El Camino Baptist Church, Las Vegas, was re-elected to a second one-year term as president. Sam Stanton, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Fallon, was elected first vice president in a two-nominee ballot, while Eddie Hancock, pastor of Grass Valley Baptist Church, Winnemucca, was elected second vice president as the lone nominee.
The convention adopted a budget of $2,355,804 for the coming year, an increase of $97,000 over the current year. The new budget anticipates $914,500 in Cooperative Program giving from the state’s churches and missions. It raises by .25 percent, to 27.25 percent, the percent of CP budget designated for Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries.
In a change to the convention’s constitution, the executive committee was expanded from 18 to 21 members.
