NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Forty-one state conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention met in annual meetings between August and November. Thirty-one state conventions increased their budgets, seven made cuts and three kept the amount the same; 16 state conventions increased the portion of Cooperative Program funds forwarded to worldwide Southern Baptist ministries.
Provided here is a summary of the individuals elected to serve as president and first vice president as well as the dollar amount of new budgets and the change from the current year.
ALABAMA — Roger Willmore, pastor of Deerfoot Baptist Church in Trussville, and Jimmy Jackson, pastor of Whitesburg Baptist Church in Huntsville, were re-elected to their respective offices as president and first vice president. A $44.59 million Cooperative Program base budget was adopted, an increase of 1.5 percent over the 2007 budget, while continuing to send 42.3 percent of undesignated receipts to SBC causes.
ALASKA -– Both Gary Cox, pastor of University Baptist Church in Fairbanks, and Charles Worthy, pastor of First Baptist Church in Willow, were re-elected as president and first vice president, respectively. A $2 million budget represents a slight increase over the current budget to allow for a 3 percent raise for missionaries and continues to allocate 33 percent of Cooperative Program receipts for SBC causes.
ARIZONA — Jim Loui, a member of First Chinese Baptist Church in Phoenix, was re-elected president as was Ryan Goebel, student ministry pastor at Mountain Ridge Baptist Church in Glendale, as first vice president. A $5.3 million operating budget represents a 3.3 percent increase over the current year’s budget. The budget calls for 25.5 percent of Cooperative Program gifts to be forwarded to SBC causes, up from 25 percent in 2007.
ARKANSAS –- Wes George, pastor of First Baptist Church in Rogers, was elected president and Clay Hallmark, pastor of First Baptist Church in Marion, was elected first vice president. A CP budget of more than $20.5 million was approved, an increase of 2 percent over the 2007 budget and featuring a .2 percent increase to 41.97 percent for SBC causes as part of a five-year plan for a 1 percent budget increase for SBC causes.
CALIFORNIA — Paul Wilkerson, retired director of missions and interim pastor of Desert Springs Baptist Church in Hesperia, was re-elected president and Don Conley, pastor of Encanto Baptist Church in San Diego, was elected first vice president. A budget of $11.6 million for 2007 represents a decrease of $358,823 from the current year’s budget primarily due to a reduction in anticipated state mission offering, however the portion allocated for SBC ministries increases from 28 to 29 percent.
COLORADO –- Bob Bender, pastor of First Baptist Church in Black Forest, was elected president and Darrin Crow, pastor of Heart of Junction in Grand Junction was elected first vice president. A $3.97 million budget represents a .008 percent increase over the current year’s budget and includes a CP budget increase of .25 percent to 29.5 percent for SBC causes.
DAKOTAS -– Vince Smith, pastor of Cross Pointe in Sioux Falls, S.D., was elected president and Steven Lindsey, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Rapid City, S.D., as first vice president. A $1.25 million budget represents a slight increase from the current budget, with a half-percent-of-budget increase in CP gifts to SBC global missions, rising to 14.5 percent. Plans call for increasing CP giving a half-percent each year.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — Helen Mays-Jackson, a member of Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, was elected president and Ella Redfield, pastor of New Creation Baptist Church, was elected vice president. A $1,195,022 budget represents a 1 percent decrease over the current year’s budget, with 35 percent of undesignated cooperative budget receipts sent to Southern Baptist and American Baptist causes.
FLORIDA — Willy Rice, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, was re-elected president and Elbert Nasworthy, pastor of Myrtle Lake Baptist Church in Land O’Lakes, was elected first vice president. A $41.02 million budget was approved representing a .03 percent decrease over the 2007 budget, continuing to allocate 40 percent of CP gifts to SBC causes. A motion to study CP giving and move toward increasing national funding to 50 percent over the next five years was referred to the State Board of Missions.
GEORGIA -– Bucky Kennedy, pastor of First Baptist Church in Vidalia, was elected president, and Wayne Bray, pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Douglasville, as first vice president. A $52.3 million budget was adopted, an increase of .3 million over the current year’s budget, continuing to send 41.36 percent of CP receipts to SBC causes.
HAWAII -– Robert Miller, pastor of Waialae Baptist Church in Honolulu, was elected president and Richard Smith, pastor of Valley Isle Baptist Church on Maui, as first vice president. The $3.2 million budget represents a 3 percent increase over the current year’s budget, continuing to allocate 31.5 percent of CP receipts to SBC causes.
ILLINOIS — Kevin Kerr, pastor of First Baptist in Machesney Park, was elected president, and Doug Munton, pastor of First Baptist Church in O’Fallon, as vice president. A $6.35 million budget represents an increase of 2 percent over the current year’s $5.9 million budget, with an increase of three-quarters of a percent in the portion forwarded to SBC causes, rising to 43 percent.
INDIANA -– William Bailey, pastor of Parkwood Baptist Church in Columbus, was elected president after completing a term left vacant by Butch Tanner who moved out of state, and Jim Bohrer, pastor of Hope Community Church in Brownsburg, was elected first vice president. A $4.6 million budget represents an increase of 2.4 percent over the current year’s budget, including an increase in the allocation of CP gifts to SBC causes, up 1.5 percent to 34.5 percent.
IOWA -– Both Robert Stout, pastor of Quimby Baptist Church in Quimby, and Dan Wiersema, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, were re-elected as president and first vice president, respectively. A $1.7 million budget was approved, up 5 percent over the current year’s budget. Although Iowa Baptists will continue to give 20 percent of CP gifts to SBC causes next year, Baptists Convention of Iowa Executive Director Jimmy Barrentine reported a desire to reach a 50/50 Iowa/SBC allocation in the coming years.
KANSAS-NEBRASKA -– Steve Holdaway, pastor of LifeSpring Church in Bellevue, Neb., was elected president and Ron Pracht, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Wichita, Kan., as vice president. A $5.47 million budget was approved, up 1 percent from the current year’s budget, with 32 percent of CP receipts continuing to be forwarded to SBC causes.
KENTUCKY -– Bill Henard, pastor of Porter Memorial Church in Lexington, was elected president and Jim Castlen, director of missions for Three Forks Baptist Association, as first vice president. A $24 million budget was adopted, unchanged from the current year’s budget, while raising the portion for SBC causes to 37.04 percent, a one-third percent increase.
LOUISIANA -– Mike Holloway, pastor of Cook Baptist Church in Ruston, was elected president and Mitch Harris, a member of Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, as first vice president. A $21.2 million budget for 2007 was passed, a .2 million increase over the 2007 budget. Louisiana Baptists give 35.5 percent of undesignated receipts to SBC causes, with half of any budget overage going to the SBC.
MARYLAND/DELAWARE — Rick Hancock, pastor of Dunkirk Baptist Church in Dunkirk, Md., and Chris Gudmundsson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dundalk, Md., were re-elected as president and vice president, respectively. A $7.1 million budget was approved, an increase of 2.6 percent over the current year’s budget, continuing to send 41 percent to SBC causes.
MICHIGAN — Herb Harbaugh, pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in Sterling Heights, was re-elected president and Ken Render, pastor of Lakeside Community Church in St. Clair Shores, as first vice president. A $3.49 million budget reflects a slight decrease over the current year’s budget, with no change to the 30.5 percent portion of CP gifts forwarded to SBC causes.
MINNESOTA-WISCONSIN -– Les Stevens, pastor of Viola Bible Church in Viola, Wis., was elected president and Arne Gulerandsen, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Racine, Wis., as first vice president. A $2.16 million budget was approved, slightly lower than the current year’s budget, with the same portion of 13 percent of CP gifts forwarded to SBC causes.
MISSISSIPPI -– Mickey Dalrymple, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus, was chosen by acclamation as president and David Hamilton, pastor of West Heights Baptist Church in Pontotoc, as first vice president. A $34.26 million budget represents a 3.24 percent increase over the 2007 budget, continuing to allocate 35 percent to SBC causes.
MISSOURI -– Gerald Davidson, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church in Arnold, was elected president and Bruce McCoy, pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis, was re-elected first vice president. A $16.5 million budget for 2007 remains the same as the current year, except for a .25 percent-of-budget increase for SBC causes, to 36.25 percent.
MONTANA — Greg Peterson, pastor of Little Rockies Community Baptist Church in Zortman, was elected president and William Johnson of Gallatin Valley Fellowship in Manhattan was elected vice president. A flat $1.5 million was approved, continuing to allocate 22 percent of CP gifts to SBC causes.
NEVADA -– Both Theodore Kern, pastor of Crescent Valley Baptist Church in Battle Mountain, and Frank Bushey, pastor of Fellowship Community Church in Reno, were re-elected as president and first vice president, respectively. A $2.75 million budget represents an increase of 6 percent over the current year’s budget, increasing the portion of CP gifts sent to SBC causes by .25 percent to 29.25 percent.
NEW ENGLAND -– Adam Houston, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Epping, N.H., was elected president and Michael John, pastor of Market Street Baptist Church in Amesbury, Mass., was re-elected vice president. A $3.01 million budget was approved, representing a 3 percent increase over the current year’s budget, while also approving a quarter-percent-of-budget increase in the portion of CP gifts sent to SBC causes to 21.5 percent.
NEW MEXICO -– Both Rick Sullivan, pastor of First Baptist Church in Artesia, and David King, a member of Monterey Baptist Church in Albuquerque, were re-elected as president and first vice president, respectively. A nearly $4.4 million budget represents an increase of 6.67 percent over the current budget, maintaining a 30.5 percent contribution to SBC causes.
NEW YORK -– Both Ted Harvey, pastor of Somerset Hills Baptist Church in Basking Ridge, N.J., and Rick Wilburn, pastor of Tupper Lake Baptist Church in Tupper Lake, N.Y., were re-elected as president and first vice president, respectively. A $3.5 million budget was approved, an increase of $60,000 over the current budget. Baptist Convention of New York Executive Director Terry Roberts called the quarter-percent increased allocation of CP gifts to SBC causes to 27.25 percent “one step closer to the goal of giving 50 percent” beyond New York.
NORTH CAROLINA -– Rick Speas, pastor of Old Town Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, was elected president, and Leland Kerr, director of missions for the Wilmington Baptist Association, as first vice president. A nearly $39 million budget for 2008 and $39.28 million in 2009 were approved, representing a 3.13 percent increase the first year and .79 percent the next over the 2007 budget. Two of the four giving plans increase the amount forwarded to the SBC by half a percent each year. These two plans account for more than 80 percent of the state convention’s income. By 2009 the SBC portion for those plans will be at 34 percent. A third plan decreases by one-half percent each year funds going to SBC.
NORTHWEST –- Keith Evans, senior pastor of Greater Gresham (Ore.) Baptist Church, was elected president, and Tim Foster, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in The Dalles, Ore., as first vice president. A $5.7 million budget represents a 7 percent increase over the current year’s budget. CP gifts forwarded to the SBC for worldwide causes were raised a quarter of a percent to 25.25 percent.
OHIO — Travis Smalley, pastor of Lakota Hills Baptist Church in West Chester, was elected president and Ron Hopkins, pastor of Briggs Road Baptist Church in Columbus, as first vice president. An $8,259,187 budget for 2008 is down 5 percent from the current year’s budget, while the portion of CP gifts to SBC causes remains at 40.25 percent.
OKLAHOMA — Alton Fannin, pastor of First Baptist Church in Ardmore, was re-elected as president and Doug Passmore, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lawton, was elected first vice president. A $24.6 million budget was approved, a $1.1 million increase from the current year’s budget, continuing to send 40 percent to SBC causes.
PENN-JERSEY — Keith Marshall Williams, pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia, was re-elected president and John Cope, pastor of Keystone Community Fellowship in North Wales, Pa., was elected first vice president. A $3.48 million budget was approved, representing a 2.5 percent increase over the current budget, while increasing by one-tenth of a percent of CP gifts to SBC causes to 25 percent.
SOUTH CAROLINA -– Eddie Leopard, pastor of Millbrook Baptist Church in Aiken, was elected president and David Little, director of missions for Lakelands Baptist Association, was elected first vice president. A $33.95 million budget represents an increase of $1.2 million over the current year’s budget. Through a CP Advance Plan for budget years 2008-12, half of all new CP money will go to the SBC, increasing the percentage to 40.35 percent for 2008 in moving toward a 50/50 CP division between state and national causes.
TENNESSEE -– Tom McCoy, pastor of Thompson Station Baptist Church in Thompson Station, was elected president and Tim McGehee, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Tullahoma, was elected vice president. A $38.5 million budget was adopted for 2007, a 4.1 percent increase from the current year’s budget while continuing to send 40 percent of undesignated receipts to SBC causes.
TEXAS (BGCT) — Joy Fenner, executive director emeritus of Texas Woman’s Missionary Union, was elected president and Mike Masser, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Tyler, as first vice president. A $50.1 million budget is a $473,644 reduction from the current budget. It calls for the percentage allotment of the adopted budget to continue at 79 percent retained in-state for BGCT and 21 percent worldwide, “with each church selecting the recipient(s) of the worldwide portion.”
TEXAS (SBTC) -– Bob Pearle, pastor of Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, was elected president and Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Baptist Church in Houston, was re-elected as first vice president. The $21.5 million budget is an increase of 7.27 percent over the current budget, continuing to send 54 percent of undesignated receipts to SBC causes.
UTAH-IDAHO -– Paul Thompson, pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, was elected president and John Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church in Monticello, Utah, as first vice president. A $2.45 million budget is a 5.38 percent increase over the current year’s budget, while continuing to send 21.5 percent of CP gifts to SBC causes.
VIRGINIA (BGAV) — Joe Lewis, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Petersburg, was elected president, and Jeff Bloomer, education administrator at Culpeper Baptist Church in Culpeper, as first vice president. A $14.36 million budget represents an increase of $160,000 over the current year’s budget. No change was made to the four funding tracks, one of which is pre-set to contribute 34 percent to SBC causes.
VIRGINIA (SBCV) -– Tim Height, pastor of Main Street Baptist Church in Christiansburg, was elected president and Mike Palmer, pastor of Green Ridge Baptist Church in Roanoke, as first vice president. The $10 million budget represents a 6.9 percent increase over the current year’s budget, continuing to forward half of all undesignated receipts to SBC causes.
WEST VIRGINIA -– Tim Kearney, a member of Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Scott Depot, was elected as president and Cledith Campbell, pastor of Altizer Baptist Church in Huntington, as first vice president. A nearly $2.8 million budget was approved, up $80,899 over the current budget and continuing to send 38 percent of CP gifts to SBC causes.
WYOMING -– Dave Stillie, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Rawlins, was elected president, and Buddy Hanson, pastor of Mountain View Baptist Church in Casper, as vice president. A budget of nearly $1.5 million was approved, an increase of more than $150,000 from the current year’s budget, with a quarter percent increase approved for the portion of CP gifts forwarded to SBC causes, rising to 32.5 percent.
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Compiled by Tammi Reed Ledbetter, a writer based in Grand Prairie, Texas.
