Messengers to the annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of New York adopted a pared-down 2012 budget, though it increases contributions to national and international mission causes, and approved a motion to establish a “Vision Task Force” charged with strengthening the BCNY and maximizing its support for church and associations.
The convention’s 42nd annual meeting was held Sept. 25-26 at New Hope Baptist Church in Watertown.
The 2012 budget represents a decrease of nearly $1.4 million — roughly 44 percent — over the 2011 budget of $3.19 million, but increases the percentage of outgoing Cooperative Program mission funds from 28 percent to 28.25 percent. The budget decrease was due to a projected decrease in receipts from churches and a decrease in funding of convention staff positions by the North American Mission Board, according to a statement from the BCNY executive director’s office.
The motion for a seven-member Vision Task Force, to be appointed by the convention president, was presented by Don Thoms of Grace Baptist Church in Ogdensburg.
Thoms’ motion said the task force would be created “to develop a vision and strategy reflecting our churches’ grassroots vision in order to strengthen the BCNY and maximize its support of churches and associations to evangelize lost people, strengthen churches, plant churches, and accomplish the Great Commission.”
After a 40-day season of prayer, task force members would be appointed and begin working with the convention’s Executive Board to conduct listening sessions with each association and ethnic fellowship group. The task force is charged with bringing a rough draft of “a vision, strategy and implementation changes” to an April 23, 2012, meeting of the Executive Board and final recommendations to the 2012 annual meeting.
Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, spoke to the assembly about the need for revival.
Speaking from Acts 20, Ezell challenged the group, saying, “God often calls us to do something greater than we are capable of doing.” One way to start the needed revival, Ezell said, is to draw a circle in chalk on the floor, step inside the circle and pray God will begin revival in that circle.
“We must penetrate the darkness in North America,” Ezell said, “but it starts in that chalk circle.”
Speaking to the annual meeting theme, “Called to Active Duty,” BCNY Executive Director Terry Robertson addressed the convention with a sermon from 1 Corinthians 2:14 – 3:11. Robertson urged New York Baptists “to continue to be co-laborers” in the cause of equipping, mobilizing, planting and harvesting for God’s Kingdom.
Robbie Lankford, pastor of New Hope Community Church in Queensbury, N.Y., delivered the annual sermon. Lankford’s sermon — titled “It Can Happen Here!” — was based on Psalm 2:8. During the time of the Second Great Awakening, regions of New York had been so heavily evangelized that some people called it the “Burned-Over District,” a place where no evangelistic opportunities seemed to be left, Lankford said. Today, however, the nations of the world have come to New York state, with Lankford asking, “Can God use the BCNY to reach the nations?
Convention President Jim Hundley, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Cortland, brought the president’s address with a sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:17.
Messengers at the BCNY annual meeting also:
— renewed a three-year partnership with Southern Baptist churches in Puerto Rico.
— established a three-year pattern for rotating the location of the annual meetings between metropolitan New York, greater Syracuse and another area in the state.
— elected officers: president, Jim Hundley, for a second one-year term; first vice president, Tom Fanning; second vice president, Edwin Attaway; recording secretary, Van McClain; 2012 annual sermon, Paul Flores; alternate Dale Suel.
Executive Board officers also were elected during a pre-convention meeting of that body: chairman, Mark Davis, and vice chairman, Jerry Lepasana.
The New York convention’s 2012 annual meeting is scheduled to be held at Word of Life Church in Schroon Lake.-BP