[1]BOZEMAN, Mont. (BP)–The Montana Southern Baptist Fellowship re-elected its officers, approved a year-2000 budget and heard the top Canadian Southern Baptist leader during the fellowship’s annual meeting Oct. 6-7 in Bozeman.
Daniel Lambert, pastor of Easthaven Baptist Church, Kalispell, was re-elected president. Also re-elected were Dick Willoughby, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, Billings, vice president, and Bert Murphy, associate pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Great Falls, as recording secretary.
Gerald Taillon, national ministry leader for the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists, Cochrane, Alberta, was the featured speaker for the annual meeting, which had a theme of “The Millennial Message: His Vision — Our Passion.” It was the second year in a row that a top Canadian Southern Baptist official was the featured speaker. Richard Blackaby, president of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, also located in the suburb of Calgary, Alberta, was last year’s speaker, highlighting the close relationship the conventions share, as well as a common boundary.
The 120 messengers to the meeting, held at Kirkwood Baptist Church, approved a $1,269,815 budget for the year 2000, a 5.7 percent increase of the current budget. Of that portion, Montana’s Southern Baptist 120-plus churches will contribute $370,458 through the Cooperative Program. The portion channeled to the SBC Cooperative Program will remain the same as the current level: 22 percent, or $73,988.
The 2000 annual meeting will be at Rimrock Baptist Church, Billings, Oct. 11-12. The date is a week later than usual so as not to conflict with the opening of big game hunting season, a major factor in Montana, a convention official said.