ELKO, N.V. (BP)–Messengers to Nevada Baptist Convention affirmed the 2000 edition of the Baptist Faith & Message and were urged to echo the prophet Nehemiah’s charge to arise and build during their 24th annual meeting, Oct. 22-23 at Calvary Baptist Church in Elko.
The theme for the 2002 convention was taken from Nehemiah 2:20, “The God of Heaven will give success, therefore we His servants will arise and build.”
Noting that the Southern Baptist confessional statement reflects the truth that the Bible is fully inspired by God and totally true and trustworthy, messengers not only affirmed the BF&M, but encouraged churches and associations in the NBC also to consider affirmation of the 2000 edition of the BF&M.
The convention’s 105 messengers elected new officers, approved four resolutions, and adopted a $2,510,678 budget, reflecting a 4.8 percent increase from the current budget. Twenty-eight percent of the Cooperative Program income budget, $964,000, will be given to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program, a .25 percent-of-budget increase over last year’s amount.
Eddie Hancock, pastor of Grass Valley Baptist Church in Winnemucca, was elected president of the convention over Sam Stanton, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Fallon. Hancock replaces outgoing president John Mark Simmons, who completed a two-year term.
Stanton then was elected first vice president and Mike Farris, pastor of First Baptist Church in Tonopah, was elected second vice president. Both were elected by acclamation.
Hancock, in a convention theme interpretation Oct. 22, said he had come under conviction during a time of spiritual searching that God had work for all Nevada churches to do.
Ron Barney, pastor of Austin Baptist Church, built on the theme and cautioned pastors to remove the rubble in their own lives before taking on the task of building.
NBC Executive Director/Treasurer Thane E. Barnes presented to messengers a vision of “Accelerating the Growth” among Nevada Baptist churches. Barnes said he envisions starting and growing healthy churches and pastors.
“There is no one, set pattern for starting new churches,” Barnes said. “But our growth must be intentional.” He said he envisions growth resulting from conversions of the lost as churches penetrate the communities around them.
Barnes’ concept of healthy churches includes emphases on churches praying, reaching, maturing, loving and growing. “Our churches are the front lines of where the Holy Spirit is at work,” he said. “We need to be about the business of life change, from salvation to growth in the spiritual disciplines.”
New staff members also were presented to messengers, including James Vaughn, who was named to succeed Tom Bacon as director of Cooperative Missions for the NBC. Other new staff members include Terry Arnold, director of church development resources; Paula Colquitt, director of women’s resources; and Glenn Rogers, director of evangelism and prayer resources.
Resolutions were affirmed honoring Bacon and his wife, Thelma, for 10 years of service to the NBC as director of missions and 29 years of total service to the state convention; LaVern and Elva Inzer for serving the convention for 43 years; and Calvary Baptist Church as the host site of the meeting.
Special guest speakers at the annual meeting included:
— Will Hall, vice president for news services of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and executive editor of Baptist Press. Hall, representing the Executive Committee, pointed out that Southern Baptists are starting five new churches every day in the United States and recording a baptism every 40 seconds around the world.
— Randy Singer, executive vice president of the North American Mission Board, who delivered two keynote messages. He encouraged Nevada Baptists to be the Christ-centered aggressive churches they are intended to be in reaching the vast numbers of unchurched Nevadans.
The 2003 annual meeting will be held at Green Valley Baptist Church in Henderson, Nev., Oct. 21 and 22.
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