The 2012 South Carolina Baptist Convention’s annual meeting will be held Nov. 13-14 at the TD Convention Center in Greenville. Under the theme “Great Commission Living,” SCBC president Brad Atkins said he hopes those who attend will be challenged to live out their purpose as Christians daily.
“I really want this to be an encouraging time for everyone,” said Atkins, pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church. “The theme represents what we should be doing as Christians: to live out the gospel that changed our lives so that other lives can be changed.”
He encouraged church staff members, messengers, and South Carolina Baptist church members to “come to the meeting to hear what God has to say to them.”
Atkins said attendees should expect powerful worship and preaching experiences in addition to some important business. Michael Lord is the scheduled worship leader, with special musical guests Rodrigo Rodriguez, Suresh Jonnalagadda, King’s Cause, Providence Quartet, and a concert by Sisters.
Guest speakers include Mark Dever of 9Marks and Michael Katt. Theme interpretations include sermons from Atkins; Brad Kelley, SCBC first vice president and pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, West Union; David Bagwell, church planter and pastor of Neighborhood Church, Easley; and Frankie Melton, 2012 second vice president and pastor of First Baptist Church, Heath Springs.
“I desperately want to see the Holy Spirit move in the lives of our pastors and ministers for the glory of God,” Atkins said. “This year’s theme interpretations address the idea that we can’t pick and choose which parts of the Great Commission we want to do.”
Messengers to the annual meeting will also vote on proposed changes to SCBC bylaws, which were discussed at the 2011 annual meeting as part of the the adoption of the Great Commission Resurgence report. The changes in wording would allow for trustees who live out of state to serve on SCBC institutions’ boards of trustees, a change Atkins says would “give institutions the opportunity to make their ministries more fruitful by going where God may lead them to seek out a trustee.” The proposed bylaw changes can be viewed online at http://bit.ly/JhiLDD. – SCBC