SCBC messengers set to convene in Greenville

Messengers representing the churches of the South Carolina Baptist Convention will gather in Greenville Nov. 13-14 to adopt a budget, elect a president and consider significant changes to the way trustees are chosen to serve at the SCBC’s three universities and other affiliated institutions.

Messengers to the SCBC annual meeting may find time to visit downtown Greenville’s Falls Park, a five-minute drive from the TD Convention Center.

“Great Commission Living” will be the theme for the 192nd annual meeting, which will take place at the TD Convention Center at 1 Exposition Drive in Greenville, just off I-385 north and only five minutes from the downtown area. (For information on registration, directions, parking and “Lunch & Learn” breakout sessions, plus a detailed meeting schedule, visit http://www.scbaptist.org/annualmeeting2012.)

SCBC president Brad Atkins, who will preside over the annual meeting, said he and three others will present a series of messages focusing on this year’s theme. Atkins will preach on the mandate to “Go.” SCBC first vice president Brad Kelley will speak on “Make.” Church planter David Bagwell will preach on “Baptize,” and second vice president Frankie Melton will address the imperative to “Teach.” (For more comments from Atkins, including information about music for this year’s meeting, see his column here.)

 

Bylaw changes

Messengers will be asked to approve changes that will give the CEOs of the convention’s seven institutions (Anderson, Charleston Southern and North Greenville universities; The Baptist Courier; the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina; Connie Maxwell Children’s Home; and South Carolina Baptist Ministries for the Aging) greater input in the selection of trustees by way of a mutual-agreement process between the institutions and the convention.

Another proposed change would allow for one-fifth of trustees to live outside South Carolina.

The changes were endorsed by the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force as part of a report that was adopted overwhelmingly by messengers in Columbia in November 2011 and calls for significantly reduced funding to the institutions in order to help pay for new global missions and church-planting initiatives.

Messengers next week will also consider other bylaw alterations or additions, including the adoption of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as the convention’s statement of faith; changes to membership guidelines for the Committee on Committees to allow for representation of churches across the spectrum of large and small congregations and to reflect the “ethnic diversity” of the SCBC; and adoption of a statement that similarly calls for ethnic diversity among those elected to serve on standing committees of the SCBC.

 

2013 budget

Messengers will be asked to approve a $28.6 million state convention operating budget for 2013, which, if adopted, will be unchanged from 2012, halting a three-year run of shrinking budgets. Since 2009’s high-water mark of $34.25 million, the state convention’s operating budget has contracted by 16.5 percent ($5.65 million).

The 2013 budget would move the director of the office of public policy from part-time to full-time at an increase of $25,000 in salary and benefits.

 

New SCBC task force

SCBC president Atkins will announce at this year’s annual meeting the formation of a special committee – the Seeking the Kingdom Task Force – charged with crafting a ministry concept and plan that will guide the future work of the state convention and its churches.

Experience Kingdom Life is the SCBC’s current ministry focus and is slated to end in December 2013. (See related story here.)

 

Ministry to pastors’ wives

A Pastors’ Wives Appreciation Dinner to be held in conjunction with the annual meeting will mark the launch of a new SCBC ministry.

Susan Hogan, newly appointed pastors’ wives consultant for the SCBC, said ministry to pastors’ and ministers’ wives “is needed and necessary for those who are in roles of leadership and are caregivers themselves.”

The Nov. 13 dinner event will be begin at 5 p.m. in Room 202-B of the TD Convention Center in Greenville. Guest speaker will be Kathy Litton, a pastors’ wives consultant for the North American Mission Board. Special music will be provided by Beth Greer of Lexington. To register, call 803-227-6116 or email laurahawley@scbaptist.org.

 

Pastors Conference

The South Carolina Baptist Pastors Conference will be held on the eve of the annual meeting, Nov. 12, at Brushy Creek Baptist Church in Taylors.

Tom Tucker, senior pastor of Sisk Memorial Baptist Church in Fort Mill, will speak at 10 a.m. Closing out the morning session will be vocational evangelist Rick Coram, who heads up Rick Coram Ministries.

The afternoon session starts at 1:30 p.m. with preachers Josh Smith, senior pastor of MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving, Texas. He will be followed by his father, Bailey Smith, who has been president of the Southern Baptist Convention and the SBC Pastors Conference.

Jeff LaBorg will be the first speaker in the evening session, which starts at 6 p.m. Junior Hill, who has conducted more than 1,800 revivals and several foreign crusades, will bring the conference’s closing message.