DENVER (BP)–Messengers to the 53rd annual meeting of the Colorado Baptist General Convention welcomed six new congregations into their fellowship and adopted a $4 million budget for 2009.
Hosted by Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lone Tree, 165 messengers met Oct. 21 at the Four Points Sheraton Conference Center in Denver for a program centering on the theme of “Send Your Rain, Oh Lord.” The plea for God to send spiritual awakening was drawn from Isaiah 61:1 — “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence …” (NASB).
Guest speakers during the convention were evangelist Kelly Green, Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research and Roy Fish of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jim Shaddix, senior pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Denver, delivered the annual sermon, which focused on how intentional prayer can help a pastor deal with discouragement in ministry.
The six new churches voted into affiliation with the convention included three Colorado Springs congregations — Joyful Baptist Church, New Life Baptist Church/Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida and Southeast Baptist Church — along with RiverChurches in Glenwood Springs, Solid Rock Baptist Church in Fowler and Celebration Church in Montrose.
The 2009 budget of $4.03 million represents a 1.5 percent increase over this year’s $3.97 million. Colorado Baptists will continue sending 29.5 percent of Cooperative Program receipts from the state churches to national and international Southern Baptist causes.
The convention’s anticipated income for 2009 includes Cooperative Program receipts of $2.22 million from the churches, $1.72 million from the North American Mission Board, $60,000 from LifeWay Christian Resources and $26,255 from other sources.
Bob Bender, pastor of First Baptist Church Black Forest in Colorado Springs, was elected to his second term as convention president. Doug Allen, pastor of First Baptist Church in Westcliffe, was elected first vice president and Ginger LeBlanc of Arapahoe Road Baptist Church in Centennial was elected recording secretary.
The convention also recognized 10 years of service for CBGC communications specialist Kathy Rosales and Deborah Murray, financial administrator for the state convention’s Ponderosa Retreat and Conference Center.
The 2009 CGBC annual meeting will be Oct. 20-21 in Estes Park.
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Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Mark Kelly.
