Entity heads to address DOM meeting
The presidents of three Southern Baptist Convention entities will speak at the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions’ June 8-9 annual meeting in Indianapolis, featuring the theme “Growing the Kingdom, Church by Church.” The meeting, the organization’s 46th, will begin with a worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 8, at the Sheraton City Centre. The first session will focus on the theme of “Growing Simple Churches.” Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, will speak at 1:20 p.m. The second session will start at 3:45 p.m. with the theme “Growing Confessional Churches.” GuideStone Financial Resources president O.S. Hawkins will preach at 4:15 p.m. The third session will begin June 9, at 10:30 a.m. with the theme of “Growing Great Commission Churches.” North American Mission Board president Geoff Hammond will preach at 11 a.m.
Wives’ conference: ‘Knowing God’
“Knowing God” will be the theme for the annual Pastors’ Wives Conference of the SBC’s Pastors’ Conference, with several noted pastors’ wives to share ways God has strengthened them in their life experiences. The 8:30 a.m.-noon session on Monday, June 9, in the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballrooms 1-3 is free of charge. Donna Gaines, wife of Steve Gaines, pastor of the Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church, will be the main speaker.
Wives’ lunch: ‘How to Love a Leader’
“How to Love a Leader” will be the theme of the 53rd annual Ministers’ Wives Luncheon Tuesday, June 10, in Indianapolis. Gary Chapman, author of “The Five Love Languages,” will be the speaker at the noon luncheon open to all women who are married to Southern Baptist ministers. To purchase tickets at $10 each, visit www.olivebaptist.org or send a check to SBC Ministers’ Wives’ Luncheon, Olive Baptist Church, 1836 Olive Road, Pensacola, Fla. 32514.
Nominees to SBC boards announced
Nominees to serve on the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, the four denominational boards (International and North American Mission boards, LifeWay Christian Resources, GuideStone Financial Resources), the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the six seminaries and the Committee on Order of Business have been selected by the Committee on Nominations. Nominees include: Jack Shaw, Taylors, Executive Committee, second term; Ronald Bryan, Columbia, International Mission Board, second term; Daniel Godfrey, pastor, Arrowwood Baptist Church, Chesnee, Southeastern Seminary, term to expire in 2013; Richard Mathis, Spartanburg, Midwestern Seminary, second term.
Committee appointees announced
Appointments to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Committee on Committees have been announced by SBC president Frank Page. The Committee on Committees has 70 members, two from each of the 35 state or regional conventions. Serving from South Carolina are Chad Rickenbaker, First Baptist Church, Gowensville, Landrum, and Eddie Coakley, Buncombe Road Baptist Church, Greenville. Page also named members of the Credentials and Tellers committees. Serving on the Credentials Committee is Phil Fischbach, pastor, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Nichols. Serving on the Tellers Committee are Doug Mize, minister of discipleship and evangelism, First Baptist Church, Taylors; Don Cox, pastor, Concord Baptist Church, Anderson; and Wayne Dickard, pastor, Northbrook Baptist Church, Boiling Springs.
CP: .3 percent behind 2007 pace
Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program are 0.30 percent behind the same time frame in April 2007. The year-to-date total of $120,278,510 for CP missions is $360,255 behind the $120,638,766 received at the same point in 2007. For the month, receipts of $15,765,017 were 15.07 percent, or $2,797,103, behind the $18,562,120 received in April 2007. Designated giving of $142,376,836 for the same year-to-date period is 0.52 percent, or $737,788, behind gifts of $143,114,624 received at this point last year. The $13,732,850 in designated gifts received last month is $11,991,219 behind the $25,724,069 received in April 2007, a decrease of 46.61 percent.