Louisiana Baptists enjoy fellowship, conduct business, pray
By Brian Blackwell/Baptist Message
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Louisiana Baptists enjoyed fellowship and worship during the 2023 LBC Annual meeting Nov. 14 at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, but also conducted important business.
SBC EC report
Philip Robertson thanked messengers for their prayers as he serves as chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. He was elected to the position June 12.
Robertson and the other EC members have dealt with, among other issues, how the SBC should respond to sexual abuse survivors.
“The past few years, as you well know, have not been the easiest for … your Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee,” said Robertson, also pastor of Philadelphia Baptist Church, with campuses in Alexandria and Deville. “In fact, it may have been the most tumultuous stretch that has faced the EC in its 106-year history. It seems almost at times that every slope is slippery. But we know as Hebrews Chapter 6 tells us, that we have this hope as an anchor of our souls, and that anchor is connected to the Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus. So, God continues to certainly be very, very faithful. And I’m committed to do my part to help restore to our Executive Committee stability, reliability and credibility in the midst of these changing times.”
Budget
Messengers approved the 2024 financial plan based on Cooperative Program contributions of $18,080,569, an increase of $502,560, or 2.86 percent. Cooperative Program projections are based on actual receipts from August 2022 through July 2023.
The allocation formula for distributing Cooperative Program gifts between Southern Baptist Convention and Louisiana Baptist causes changed for 2024, 62.87 percent forwarded to support ministries in the state (a decrease from 63.26 percent in 2023) and 37.13 percent forwarded to fund national entities (an increase from 36.74 percent in 2023).
Officers
David Goza, pastor of Jefferson Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, was elected president. Matt Endris, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church, Alpha, was elected first vice-president, and Geovany Gómez, pastor of the Iglesia Bautista La Viña in Kenner, was elected second-vice president.
Tracy Graham, Norris Ferry Community Church, Shreveport, Executive Board president, and Tim Williams, Williams Boulevard Baptist Church, Kenner, vice president.
All three men were given individual votes of acclamation by the Convention – a single ballot cast by the LBC executive director in view of no opposition to any of the candidates.
Prayer for Israel
The annual meeting featured multiple times of dedicated prayer for the 388 messengers gathered under the theme of “Pursuit.”
During the morning session, LBC First Vice President Chad Gilbert led a prayer for those in Israel and also for the International Mission Board missionaries serving around the world.
“We bow before your mighty hand and we seek your face together,” said Gilbert, also pastor of First Baptist Church, New Orleans. “We pray today for the protection of innocent lives. We pray for the freedom of hostages. We pray for an end to the reign of terror and evil. We ultimately pray for peace that ultimately comes through Christ.”
During the afternoon session, Paul Watts, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ruston, prayed for victims of a stabbing incident at Louisiana Tech University. On Nov. 13, four individuals were knifed at the Lambright Sports and Wellness Center after leaving their early morning class. The suspect was apprehended immediately after the attacks and placed in custody.
The 2024 LBC Annual Meeting will take place Nov. 12 at Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport. The convention sermon will be preached by Matthew James, vice president of enrollment, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The alternate preacher will be Michael Wood, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, West Monroe. The worship leader will be Tyler Hennessee, worship pastor, Broadmoor Baptist Church.
Read the full story here and a story about resolutions passed by Louisiana Baptists here.
Messengers handle details for New Mexico Baptists
By Kevin Parker/Baptist New Mexican
ALBUQUERQUE (BP) – Messengers to the 2023 Baptist Convention of New Mexico Annual Meeting worshipped, prayed, heard reports and conducted the business of the convention during their three sessions, Oct. 24-25, 2025. Among the details of the convention’s business, messengers elected 35 people to serve New Mexico Baptists upon recommendation from the convention’s Committee on Committees and Committee on Nomination.
Noe Garcia served as the meeting’s keynote guest speaker. Garcia pastors North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix.
Messengers approved a 2024 operating budget of $4,236,448 2024. The 2024 BCNM budget contains only $3,417 of increased expenses, despite expanding ministries across the state. The that amount increased the budget by less than one tenth of 1 percent.
The adopted budget also calls for a change in the amount of traditional Cooperative Program gifts forwarded to SBC for use in its CP Allocation Budget. The convention will forward 25 percent of CP funds and retain 75 percent for use in New Mexico. That is an increase in retention from 71 percent to 75 percent. Accordingly, the amount forwarded to the SBC decreased by 4 percentage points.
Sixty-two percent of the 2024 operating budget will be funded by traditional Cooperative Program gifts. Other sources of income are the BCNM’s State Missions Offering, camp registrations, designated funds, $170,000 from the North American Mission Board and other sources.
With personnel costs included, the top three targeted areas of ministry allocated in the budget are Collegiate Ministries ($542,975), Evangelism/Discipleship ($534,109) and Missions Mobilization ($479,717). Two other large allocations in the budget are “General” expenses ($531,803) and Leadership and Accounting ($499,588). The two camps, combined, are budgeted for an allocation of $637,535.
Messengers passed a resolution of appreciation to the host church, Sandia Baptist Church, Albuquerque, the host city of Albuquerque for hosting messengers of the 2023 Annual Meeting.
Messengers set the date of the nexta meeting as Oct. 22-23, 2024, at Restoration Church, Clovis. They elected Stephen Soto, pastor, Generation Church, Farmington, as the 2024 annual sermon preacher. Larry Evans, pastor, First Baptist Church, Cloudcroft, will serve as alternate preacher if Soto cannot fulfill his assignment.
In final business, messengers selected new officers to serve in the upcoming year. Their terms begin at the close of the 2023 annual meeting. Messengers elected Stephen Baum, president; Chris Promersberger, first vice president; and Al Carroll, second vice president. Promersberger was also elected to serve an additional term as president of the BCNM Pastors’ and Laymen’s Conference by its attendees. He serves as pastor of Mountain Valley Church, Edgewood. Carrol will be serving his second term in his office. He pastors First Baptist Church, Bernalillo.
