MISSOULA, Mont. (BP)–Meeting for the first time as a full-fledged convention, messengers to the Montana Southern Baptist Convention Oct. 8-9 approved an increased budget of $1,458,182 and kept steady their percentage passed on to the national Cooperative Program.
More than 110 messengers met at Trinity Baptist Church in Missoula, Mont., for the Oct. 8-9 inaugural meeting of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention. Last year messengers at the then-Montana Southern Baptist Fellowship voted to move from fellowship status to full convention status with the Southern Baptist Convention.
The budget, adopted unanimously without discussion, represents a $27,256 increase over the previous budget. The budget includes anticipated Cooperative Program giving of $472,434 from the state’s churches, 22 percent of which will be forwarded to SBC international and national missions and ministries.
B.G. Stumberg III, pastor of Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church in East Helena, was re-elected president while Paul Jones, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Billings, was re-elected vice president, both without opposition.
Bert Murphy of First Southern Baptist Church in Great Falls, Mont., retired after eight years as recording secretary. Following a suggestion from Murphy, messengers unanimously elected Charliene Price of Big Timber as the new recording secretary.
The Montana Southern Baptist Convention encompasses some 130 churches with approximately 7,500 resident members.
Next year’s annual meeting will be Oct. 6-7 in Montana City.
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