Dennis Wilkins, chairman of the Budget, Audit and Finance Committee, recommended a $34,250,000 budget for 2009, which reflects an increase of $300,000, or .9 percent, over the 2008 budget.
The Executive Board also recognized Evelyn Blount, executive director-treasurer of SC Woman’s Missionary Union since 1985, who is retiring at the end of the year. Board chairman Tom Swilley thanked Blount for the “unparalleled relationship between SC WMU and the state convention.”
The new mission partnership focus “South Carolina Baptists: A Witness to the World” was announced. Set to begin in January 2010 and run through December 2015, the partnership will build on existing missions networks among South Carolina Baptists and the North American and International Mission Boards to determine strategic priority locations.
SCBC Executive Director-Treasurer Jim Austin discussed the new statewide initiative, “Experiencing Kingdom Life.” Under the vision “to urgently take the whole gospel to the whole world that all may be whole,” the SC Baptist Convention staff mission is to serve as kingdom partners with churches, associations and institutions of the state and national convention in fulfilling their role to “- go into the world and preach the good news to all creation.”