HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BP)–Terrorist attacks, a bear stock market and skyrocketing healthcare costs — these are some of the reasons why Americans are feeling disappointed. “The main emotion of the American adult today is disappointment,” Glenn Davis said while delivering the president’s address during the 57th annual meeting of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists.
The Oct. 14-15 meeting, with the theme of “Now … A Time for Hope” based on Romans 15:13, was attended by 375 registered messengers at First Southern Baptist Church in Hutchinson, Kan.
“We are to proclaim this God of hope,” Davis told Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists.
“Do you realize what a gift you have?” asked Davis, whose missions efforts have included sharing the gospel with unreached people groups in East Asia. “You have the message of eternal life.”
Along with troubles on the national level, Americans also suffer disappointment stemming from unrealized expectations, such as a marriage ending in divorce and problems with children, Davis said.
“In the midst of disappointed people, we must live as people of hope.”
Davis urged his listeners to persevere in serving God. “When it comes to serving God, it’s always too soon to quit.”
During business sessions, messengers re-elected Davis and the other officers by acclamation: vice president, Ray Kempel, pastor of the host church; recording secretary, Bryan Jones, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Junction City, Kan.; and historian, Tony Mattia, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Wamego, Kan.
Messengers also passed a resolution thanking R. Rex “Peck” Lindsay for his 25 years of service as KNCSB executive director. Lindsay is the longest-tenured state convention executive director in the Southern Baptist Convention.
In two other resolutions, messengers affirmed the Covenant Marriage Movement and expressed appreciation to the host church.
Messengers approved the 2003 KNCSB Resources for Ministry budget of $5,474,064, an increase of 3.9 percent above the 2002 budget. Cooperative Program receipts in 2003 from Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist churches are projected to be $3.1 million, with the percentage of budget receipts sent to the national Cooperative Program remaining at 31.75 percent.
“We think that’s a conservative estimate,” Lindsay said of the anticipated CP giving from Kansas-Nebraska churches, which he said have been faithful in giving despite tough economic times.
In other activity, Lindsay presented tenure awards to six KNCSB staff members who have served for a combined total of 156 years. They are:
— 30 years, Bob Anderson, director of Christian Challenge, the Southern Baptist ministry at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan.
— 30 years, Brett Yohn, director of Christian Challenge, the Southern Baptist ministry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
— 30 years, Yvonne Keefer, executive director of Kansas-Nebraska Woman’s Missionary Union. She previously served as campus minister at the University of Kansas at Lawrence.
— 25 years, Harold Conley, KNCSB business administrator.
— 25 years, Terry McIlvain, KNCSB director of youth ministries and administrator of Webster Conference Center.
— 16 years, Roy Moody, retiring director of missions for Western Kansas Baptist Association and KNCSB evangelism co-leader.
Five people were honored for their special contributions to missions in Nebraska and Kansas.
Stacey Moore, a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Scottsbluff, Neb., was honored for her leadership role at Jeremiah House in that city. Jeremiah House ministers in a low-income neighborhood populated mostly by Native American Indians.
Moore received the John and Shirley Hopkins Church and Community Ministries Award. Since she could not attend the meeting, her pastor, Jim Turnbo, accepted the award on her behalf.
Herman and Mary Jo Robertson, members of First Southern Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kan., were honored for their 12 years of service in Mission Service Corps. MSC is the long-term volunteer program of the North American Mission Board.
The Robertsons received the Kelly Shelton Memorial Mission Service Corps Volunteers of the Year Award, named for the late Kelley Shelton, who was a leader in Kansas-Nebraska Woman’s Missionary Union. She and her husband, Jeff, went to Gatlinburg, Tenn., in 1999 to serve as MSC volunteers. Kelley died a few weeks later of injuries suffered in a canoe accident. Jeff Shelton has carried on their work in Gatlinburg.
The Key Church of the Year Award went to First Southern Baptist Church in Pratt, Kan. Pastor Bill Martin and his wife, Marilyn, accepted the award.
The Pratt congregation has targeted 27 “elevator towns” in its agricultural area. Church members distributed Jesus videos with response cards in 22 of those grain elevator locations. Seventy people returned the cards, saying they had watched the video and accepted Christ as their Savior.
Dennis Hampton, KNCSB town-and-country church planter strategist, presented the award. “Bill is the motivator, but Marilyn did most of the work,” Hampton said.
Messengers also welcomed nine churches as cooperating members of KNCSB. They are:
— Grace Korean Baptist Church, Junction City, Kan.
— Northwest Community Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan.
— Berryton Baptist Church, Berryton, Kan.
— New Day Southern Baptist Church, Parsons, Kan.
— Southern Baptist Believers Church, So. Coffeyville, Okla.
— 3 Rivers Church, Omaha, Neb.
— Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
— Louisburg Southern Baptist Church, Louisburg, Kan.
— New Hope Korean Baptist Church, Papillion, Neb.
Next year’s annual meeting will be Oct. 13-14 at Western Hills Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. Churches in Kaw Valley Southern Baptist Association will be the hosts.
–30–
