[1]HONOLULU (BP)–Messengers at the 61st annual meeting of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention approved a 2004 budget that is $279,000 more than the current year and calls for a 10 percent increase in Cooperative Program gifts from churches.
“Reaching Your Community” was the theme of the meeting at First Southern Baptist Church of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu Nov. 13-14. A total of 270 messengers were registered, including some from Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and Okinawa, Japan.
Dan Van Alstine, pastor of Mililani Baptist Church, was re-elected as the convention’s president. Ken Sakai, a member of Valley Isle Fellowship in Wailuku, was elected first vice president, and James Shiroma, pastor of Cornerstone Fellowship in Mililani Mauka, second vice president. Vicky Kawamae, ministry assistant at Cornerstone Fellowship, was elected recording secretary. All officers were elected by acclamation.
Emmanuel McCall, pastor of Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in College Park, Ga., was the keynote speaker during the Nov. 13 evening session. The Nov. 14 evening session featured the convention’s Japan mission partnership with Tom Whaley and Ron Capp, International Mission Board missionaries from Japan, informing messengers of the opportunities available to Hawaii volunteers. Rick Lazor, pastor of Nuuanu Baptist Church in Honolulu, brought the closing message, challenging messengers to get out of the pews and into the community.
The total amount approved for the new budget is $2,733,823, with $1,147,907 in anticipated CP giving from the churches. The amount forwarded to SBC Cooperative Program ministries remains at 31.5 percent.
Resolutions were adopted expressing appreciation to the members of First Southern Baptist in Pearl Harbor for hosting the annual meeting, for officers, executive board and committee members completing their terms, to Southern Baptist entities that assist the convention and to the California Southern Baptist Convention for their partnership with the Hawaii convention. A resolution recognizing retired executive director O.W. Efurd for his years of service to the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention also was adopted.
[2]The Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention now has 121 affiliated churches, missions and language congregations.
Next year’s annual meeting will be Nov. 11-12 at Waialae Baptist Church in Honolulu.
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(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: ENCOURAGING HAWAII BAPTISTS.