ROACH, Mo. (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Missouri approved a strategic plan and elected Jim Hill as executive director during the moderate convention's annual meeting April 29-30.
Hill, named interim executive director at last year's meeting, will become permanent but continue to serve part-time. He formerly was executive director of the larger and older Missouri Baptist Convention, which has come under conservative control in recent years. Only one staff member of the upstart convention is full time.
The five-year strategic plan, called First Priority, includes six initiatives. Among them are leadership development, congregational health, church planting and missions mobilization.
Messengers also adopted a 2005-06 budget of $500,000, which earmarks 60 percent for its own ministries and 40 percent to Missouri ministries, such as Word &Way newspaper, Windermere Baptist Conference Center, Missouri Baptist University, William Jewell College, Missouri Baptist Foundation, and Missouri Baptist Children's Home.
World-missions funds will benefit the Baptist World Alliance, North American Baptist Fellowship and WorldconneX, an independent mission organization under the Baptist General Convention of Texas umbrella.
— Based on reporting by Vicki Brown