AMHERST, N.Y. (BP)–The Baptist Convention of New York’s $160,000 deficit has been eliminated and all indebtedness on the Center for Missions and Ministry in East Syracuse has been paid, Terry Robertson, chairman of the convention’s executive board, reported during New York Baptists’ annual meeting.
The Nov. 6-7 meeting, attended by 131 messengers, was held at Amherst (N.Y.) Baptist Church, where Robertson is pastor.
Appreciation was expressed during the executive board report for the contributions of Dan Stringer and Walter Bennett who have served as convention interim executive directors since the retirement of R. Quinn Pugh in July 1996 and for June Highlan, an employee of the North American Mission Board, who has served as interim business manager/comptroller for the last year. The convention’s current interim executive director is J.B. Graham.
Messengers adopted a resolution of appreciation for the Florida Baptist Convention in supplying funding for the interim executive director’s position for nine months; travel assistance from Florida Woman’s Missionary Union for trips to New York for Anita Baldwin, retired executive director of Florida WMU; and the services of Steve Baumgardner, Florida convention business manager, to conduct the New York convention’s annual financial audit. John Sullivan, Florida’s executive director, led five Bible studies during the New York meeting.
James M. Guenther, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Niskayuna, was elected to a second one-year term as convention president. In a two-nominee ballot, David Pope, pastor of One Heart Baptist Church, Rome, was elected first vice president, while Hervin Rattray, a layman from Bronx (N.Y.) Baptist Church, was elected second vice president by acclamation.
Messengers adopted a 1998 budget of $2,620,398, a 2.28 percent increase over the current budget. Of $585,000 in anticipated Cooperative Program receipts from the convention’s congregations, 24 percent will be allocated for Southern Baptist Convention national and international ministries, the same percent-of-budget as the current year.
Next year’s annual meeting will be Nov. 5-6 with the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association.
