When South Carolina Baptists gather for their annual meeting Nov. 10-11 at Spartanburg First Baptist Church, they will choose a president and — for the first time — a president-elect.
Meeting under this year’s banner, “Tell the Story,” messengers will consider a $28.6 million budget and hear reports from the state convention’s committees and ministry partners.
Representatives from the SCBC’s Disaster Relief teams are expected to report on South Carolina Baptists’ efforts at helping South Carolinians recover from the recent devastating floods.
Tom Tucker, pastor of Sisk Memorial Baptist Church in Fort Mill, is expected to be nominated for convention president by Dwight Easler, pastor of Corinth Baptist Church in Spartanburg and chairman of the SCBC Executive Board.
Keith Shorter, pastor of Mt. Airy Baptist Church in Easley, will be nominated for the newly created office of president-elect. Shorter will be nominated by former state convention president Fred Stone, pastor of Pickens First Baptist Church.
In keeping with last year’s changes to the SCBC bylaws, the president-elect will automatically assume the role of president the year following his election.
Lisa Willard, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Darlington and wife of Calvary’s pastor, Joe Willard, will be nominated for second vice president by Ryan Goodroe, pastor of Utica Baptist Church in Seneca. She is a biblical counselor for Welsh Neck Baptist Association.
As The Courier went to press, we were not aware of other nominees for SCBC office.
For more information about this year’s annual meeting, or to register for credentials online, visit scbaptist.org/about-scbc/scbc-annual-meeting.
On the day before the annual meeting, pastors from across the state will convene at Southside Baptist Church in Spartanburg for the 2015 South Carolina Baptist Pastors’ Conference. Featured speakers will include Michael Cloer, Jeff Crook, Ernest L. Easley, David Gallamore, Tom Tucker, Paul Turner and Don Wilton.
The theme for the gathering is “Preach the Word,” and two Logos Bible software packages will be given away during the Pastors’ Conference. Also, Danny Burnley, pastor of Laurel Baptist Church in Greenville, will provide free copies of his new release from Courier Publishing, “Spiritual Strokes: Heeding the Warning Signs from the Great Physician,” to the first 200 participants.