Messengers moments ago approved three resolutions, including one on "gay marriage" in California. An effort from the floor to add a sentence to that resolution calling for an exit from public schools in the Golden State was defeated overwhelmingly.

The floor amendment would have added the following sentence: “Resolved that we encourage all Christians in California to remove their children from the public schools which are the main training ground for same-sex marriage.” It drew about 15 minutes of discussion, but in the end didn't come close to passing.

Minutes ago SBC Executive Committee President Morris H. Chapman recognized outgoing officers, including SBC President Frank Page. Messengers responded to Page coming to the podium by giving him a standing ovation.

Moments later, Page recognized incoming officers, including President-elect Johnny Hunt. Messengers also gave Hunt a standing ovation.

The Wednesday evening (and final) session of the annual meeting has started. Among this session's highlights, messengers will consider three resolutions at 7:15 p.m. Eastern and the International Mission Board will give its presentation at 8:30.

The three resolutions that will be considered are:

The SBC annual meeting is in the middle of its afternoon break and will resume at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. During breaks throughout the annual meeting, the Instant News blog will post stories about events taking place not only off the convention floor but throughout Indianapolis. The following story first appeared on NAMB's On Mission annual meeting blog, http://www.onmissionmagazine.blogspot.com/

I had dinner with one of my heroes last night. He's probably not on your list of who's who in the Southern Baptist Convention, but in my eyes he's a hero. 

The SBC annual meeting is in the middle of its afternoon break and will resume at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. During breaks throughout the annual meeting, the Instant News blog will post stories about events taking place not only off the convention floor but throughout Indianapolis. 

There was some serious racing going on this morning, but it wasn’t going on at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was happening inside the exhibit hall at the Indiana Convention Center.

You could hear the chants from across the hall. A chorus of “WMU,” “WMU,” and “NAMB,” “NAMB” coming from a rowdy crowd of people gathered around a wooden race track at the North American Mission Board’s booth.

The wooden racers were carefully checked and weighed to make sure they didn’t weigh over five ounces, and the wheels were checked to make sure they weren’t greased with anything that might give an unfair advantage. The cars sported fancy paint jobs, and phrases like “Change the World” a couple cars had pictures of the drivers pasted on the front. Sure the drivers were laughing and joking with each other, but they were all business when it came to the race. As Geoff Hammond, president of the North American Mission Board, parked his car at the top of the track, Wanda Lee, executive director and treasurer of WMU, spotted him and quickly said, “No trial runs.”

The SBC annual meeting is in the middle of its afternoon break and will resume at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. During breaks throughout the annual meeting, the Instant News blog will post stories about events taking place not only off the convention floor but throughout Indianapolis. 

Frankie Henry admits he thought the exhibit hall at the SBC was “pretty awesome.”

For Henry, an 18-year-old sophomore at Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg, Tenn., this was his first time to attend the SBC annual meeting. Henry was one of more than 60 college students involved with Baptist Collegiate Ministries (formerly Baptist Student Union) to help man the registration booth. If you’ve been to the SBC in the last four years you’ve probably seen them. They’re those young, smiling faces with plenty of computer savvy that you may have spotted as you passed by the registration booth.

Sure, it’s no glamour job. You probably know the drill – name, church, hometown, etc.  Oh yea, and don’t forget to smile … all day long. Henry admits that by the end of the day he doesn’t really feel like smiling, but he’s able to show his teeth just enough to get by.

Messengers this morning passed six resolutions, including one on church membership (as discussed in a previous post) and one expressing appreciation for the host city of Indianapolis. [The Committee on Resolutions will present the three remaining resolutions later today.]

The following four resolutions passed either unanimously or nearly unanimously:

John Newland, senior pastor of Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis, was elected second vice president moments ago in a run-off, receiving 58.24 percent of the vote. Doug Mulkey, pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Canton, Ga., received 41.14 percent. At the time of voting there were 7,249 registered messengers, of whom 807 voted.