Virginia Baptists expressed themselves on several topics during their annual meeting in Virginia Beach.
No. 1: Appreciation
With praise and thanksgiving to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we have gathered, and to whose glory we consecrate our work together.
We, the messengers of the 183rd Meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, meeting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, November 9 and 10, 2006, do hereby make it known that:
We express our gratitude to the City of Virginia Beach, to Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, to the staff of the Virginia Beach Convention Center and to local businesses for their gracious hospitality. We commend the Portsmouth, Peninsula, and Norfolk Area Baptist Associations and all the volunteers for all they have done to facilitate this annual meeting. We give thanks to the Program Committee for planning and conducting this meeting. We commend all the program participants for their positive contributions. We are grateful to the staff of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board for their faithful and thoughtful preparation for this annual meeting. We cherish their continuous, committed service to Virginia Baptists, our churches, ministers and lay people. We especially appreciate the capable leadership of John V. Upton Jr., our Executive Director.
We convey our appreciation for the heritage of a free and unfettered Baptist press and to James White and staff for their ministry with the Religious Herald. We value the Herald's continued support of the BGAV and its goals. We respect their faithfulness in reporting Baptist news to our churches.
We commend the service and contributions of our First Vice President, Boyce Brannock; Second Vice President, Barbara Filling; Assistant Clerk, Wayne Hannah; Parliamentarians, Richard L. Bidwell, Beth Fogg, and John Mann; we further express our appreciation to our clerk, Frederick J. Anderson, for his faithful service.
We esteem Herbert O. Browning, Jr. for his able leadership as our President.
Finally, we resolve to continue working together in our Baptist General Association of Virginia to advance the Redeemer's Kingdom.
No. 2: Genocide in the Sudan
Inasmuch as over 200,000 innocent Sudanese have been slaughtered in the Darfur, Sudan region;
And inasmuch, as African Union Mission troops are currently protecting well over one million displaced Sudanese men, women and children,
And, inasmuch as these troops will soon be withdrawn from that area;
And, inasmuch as potential United Nations replacement troops have been labeled an invasionary force by the government of The Sudan;
Be it therefore resolved that we the messengers of the 183rd meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia call upon our churches and all Christendom to intercede mightily before the Lord for our African brothers and sisters;
And we do hereby plead with our national leaders and the international community to intervene by all means possible to save human life and achieve peace in this war-torn area.
No. 3: Our Stewardship of the Earth
Whereas the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1);
And, whereas the Biblical witness of this Scripture is that God has ordained us to be faithful caretakers of the earth upon which the Lord has placed us,
And whereas we have serious concerns about how the sea, the air, and the land have been cared for;
Be it resolved that we the messengers of the 183rd Baptist General Association of Virginia do hereby encourage the congregations of the BGAV to engage in a positive ministry to the earth;
And be it further resolved that we encourage our governmental bodies to be good stewards of the environment as well.
No. 4: Gratitude for Cedar Crest Hotel
Inasmuch as the Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center has been our state gathering place for more than fifty years;
And, inasmuch as the Baptist General Association of Virginia has affirmed its commitment to Eagle Eyrie's ability to serve Virginia Baptists;
And, inasmuch as that commitment was demonstrated by the extraordinary renovation to Cedar Crest Hotel;
Therefore, be it resolved that, we, the messengers of the 183rd annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, meeting in Virginia Beach, November 9-10, 2006, do hereby express our excitement with the quality of the renovation to Cedar Crest Hotel.
Be it further resolved that we support the developments at Eagle Eyrie and will show that support as we utilize our state conference facility.