2009 Annual Meeting "That All May Hear"

That All May Hear

President Travis Smalley convened the 56th annual meeting of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center in Mansfield, Ohio November 4-5, 2009.  Messengers from Ohio Southern Baptist churches approved the program presented by the Program Committee Chair, Phil Hopper. These duly seated messengers are elected by their cooperating autonomous, independent, Southern Baptist churches. They celebrated the blessings of God upon Mission Ohio, conducted the business of Mission Ohio, and challenged each other and the members of the churches of Mission Ohio to obey the Great Commission of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ That All May Hear.  Mission Ohio is the cooperative effort of Southern Baptists to reach at least 1,000,000 believers in 2,020 congregations in Ohio by the end of 2020.

Ohio Southern Baptists cooperate in a worldwide mission endeavor through the Cooperative Mission Program so That All May Hear in Ohio and the ends of the earth.  Messengers elected by their own local church gather annually to celebrate their cooperative mission work and conduct business to facilitate a worldwide Gospel witness That All May Hear.  Each speaker delivered messages guided by the That All May Hear theme.  Jack Kwok, Executive Director for the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio spoke from Romans 10:9-17 on proclaiming the Gospel That All May Hear.  He also preached from 1 Peter 3:1-7 encouraging pastors to love their wives intensely and assist them in becoming a true Daughter of Sarah.

Prior to Kwok’s message, his son and daughter-in-law, J. P. and Wendy Kwok, sang one of Kay Kwok’s favorite songs He Leadeth Me.  Following their special music, messengers listened to a recording of Kay singing It Is Well.  Both songs were accompanied by a PowerPoint tribute to Kay Kwok.  Kay Kwok, wife of Executive Director Jack Kwok, died June 27, 2009.  Her life and ministry exemplified a true Daughter of Sarah.  She gave her life to Southern Bapitst missions That All May Hear.

Paige PattersonPaige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary spoke from 2 Corinthians 5:14-20 exhorting Ohio Southern Baptists to be effective ambassadors for Christ That All May Hear.  Travis Smalley, pastor of Lakota Hills Baptist Church, brought the President’s address from John 17:1 in which he challenged Ohio Southern Baptists to love each other like Jesus loved That All May Hear.  Kent Spann, pastor of Highland Baptist Church, preached the annual sermon from Exodus 32:31-33:16 calling on Ohio Southern Baptists to seek the presence of God in all ministries That All May Hear.  Willie Jacobs, North America Mission Board missionary from Memphis, Tennessee preached from Jude 20-25 that “The Business of the Church after the Benediction” is to be about the Great Commission That All May Hear.

That All May Hear guided the speakers and worship throughout the 56th annual meeting.  J. P. Kwok and his praise team from Bellevue Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY led the worship for the first session.  Dwayne Lee assembled worship leaders from various churches across Ohio to lead worship for the remainder of the annual meeting.  A Buckeye Central-Erie Associational choir provided special music before Paige Patterson spoke.  The Shepherd Staff Quartet featured Southern Gospel music prior to the President’s address by Travis Smalley.  Caleb Spann sang before his dad Kent Spann preached the annual sermon.  John Sommer sang before Willie Jacobs gave the closing message. The music for each session helped everyone to focus on the theme That All May Hear.

All the Southern Baptist entities gave reports on how Southern Baptists are cooperating to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth so That All May Hear.  Mission Ohio Resource Groups celebrated God’s blessings and challenged God’s people That All May Hear.  God’s Plan for Sharing highlighted the presentations.  Several associations have already implemented this very effective strategy for engaging their communities with the Gospel.  GPS is an excellent tool to use That All May Hear.

Celebrations included 29 new church starts during the 2008-2009 church year.  Gary Odom reported that Mission Ohio has witnessed 195 new congregations since 1996 that are functioning and reaching people for Christ.  Scott Seder celebrated an attendance of 3,800 at Seneca Lake with 521 decisions this past year.

Additional celebrations included the 2009 IMPACT Association: Buckeye Central-Erie.  Each year Mission Ohio focuses on one association to impact it with additional mission endeavors.  IMPACT is an acronym for Intensive Mission Projects to Affect Community Transformation.  This year Buckeye Central-Erie Association has been the IMPACT Association.  Many Mission Ohio churches and Southern Baptist churches across the nation came to Buckeye Central-Erie That All May Hear.  Missionary Jim Mayes reported that the Buckeye Central-Erie churches conducted “Friendship Day” the Sunday prior to the annual meeting.  More than 1,800 people attended worship with 6 professions of faith.  This number of attendees was double the normal attendance on Sundays previously this year.  In the last 6 years, the Association has almost doubled the number of churches.  With the four planned new starts this next year, they will accomplish that goal.  IMPACT helped Buckeye Central-Erie Association obey the Great Commission That All May Hear.

Muskingum Valley Baptist Association is the IMPACT Association for 2010.  All Southern Bapitst churches are encouraged to help make an IMPACT in the Muskingum Valley Bapitst Association.  Mission projects are posted on their website.  Missionary Bob Beike can provide additional information.

Darty Stowe served as a missionary in the area of Ohio now served by the Muskingum Valley Baptist Association.  Each year, Georgetown College presents the Darty and Dot Stowe award to someone who mirrors the passion of the Stowes to share the Gospel That All May Hear.  Steve Hopkins presented the 2009 Darty and Dot Stowe Award to Darrell Gabbard.  Gabbard has served as the pastor of the Dublin Baptist Church for 20 years.  Born and saved in Ohio, he has pastored several Ohio Southern Baptist Churches including Whitehall Baptist Church and Perrysburg First Baptist Church.  Darrell and Brenda Gabbard provide a model for ministry couples.

In addition to celebration, the messengers conducted business for Mission Ohio.  Messengers approved the 2009-2010 mission budget that uses 59.75% for Ohio mission causes and 40.25% for worldwide mission causes.  The Cooperative Mission Program enables every Southern Baptist church and church member to participate in worldwide missions and obey the Great Commission.  It provides the financial foundation for the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Other business included a proposed amendment to the constitution of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio.  Per the requirements of the constitution, a proposed amendment must be presented in writing one year and then discussed and decided the next year.  In compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, the Mission Council presented a proposed amendment to the 56th annual meeting in 2009 so it could be deliberated in the 57th annual meeting in 2010.  This amendment stated, “Any alterations may be made in these articles, except Article IV, Section 1, by a two-thirds majority of ballots cast by registered messengers present when the vote is taken, without regard to total enrollment at any annual meeting of the Convention provided no amendment may be considered after the second day of the Convention and that the amendment shall have been presented at the previous annual meeting in writing.

One item from the Mission Council report elicited a challenge during the business session.  The Mission Council voted to create a special committee to engage any adopted recommendations from the Southern Baptist Convention Great Commission Resurgence Task Force by the messengers to the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention.  This special committee will present a report to the July 2010 Mission Council Meeting.  The outgoing president Travis Smalley will chair this special committee, and the incoming president in consultation with the Executive Director will appoint members of the committee to include at least one person from each Association.  In response to actions taken by the messengers of the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention with regard to the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, this special committee will make appropriate recommendations to the Mission Council for the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio.  Tom Pendergrass moved to make null and void the action of the Mission Council in regard to the SBC Great Commission Resurgence Task Force and offered a motion to authorize the incoming president to appoint a committee to respond to the SBC Great Commission Resurgence Task Force recommendations made up of at least one senior pastor from each association.  His motion failed.  Thus, the action of the Mission Council stands.

Ron HopkinsOther business conducted by the messengers encompassed the election of Mission Council members, the approval of time, place, and preacher for 2010, and the adoption of the proposed resolutions.  The website of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, www.scbo.org, contains the full text of each resolution.  Members of the Resolutions Committee and the other committees appointed by the president are listed on the website as well.  Also listed are the date and location of the 2010 annual meeting:  November 3-4, 2010 at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center in Cambridge, OH.  The messengers elected Steve Spurgin to preach the annual sermon and John Burris as the alternate.  Spurgin is the pastor of the Miamisburg First Baptist Church, and Burris is the pastor of the Chillicothe Baptist Church.

Additional business included the election of officers for 2010.  Messengers elected Ron Hopkins, pastor of Briggs Road Baptist Church, as President; Randy Chestnut, pastor of Church of the Hills, as 1st Vice President, Mike Wilson, pastor of Lincoln Heights Baptist Church, as 2nd Vice President, Faye Rodgers, member of Northside Baptist Church, Springfield, as Recording Secretary, Annette Dessecker, member of Lincoln Heights Baptist Church, as Assistant Recording Secretary, and Jack Kwok as Historian.