Resolution of 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 to the 185th annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, meeting in Roanoke, Virginia, on November 12, 2008, do hereby make it known that:
We express or gratitude to the City of Roanoke, to the staff of the Roanoke Civic Center, the staff at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center and to the local businesses for their gracious hospitality. We commend the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association and all of 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 laypeople. We especially appreciate the visionary leadership of John V. Upton Jr., our executive director.
Photo by Alice Rusher
CrossPurpose, part of the worship ministry at North Roanoke Baptist Church in Roanoke, leads worship at the BGAV.
We convey our appreciation to Jim White and staff for maintaining our heritage of a free and unfettered media through 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 First Vice President Jeff Bloomer; Second Vice President Patricia Bloxom; Clerk Fredrick J. Anderson; Assistant Clerk Wayne Hannah; and Parliamentarians Richard L. Bidwell, Beth Fogg and Raymond Duke.
We esteem Joseph Lewis for his dedicated and effective leadership as our president.
Finally, we resolve to continue working together in our Baptist General Association of Virginia to advance the Redeemer's Kingdom.
Resolution for Virginia Baptist Mission Board and Agencies
Whereas, we are living in days of great economic uncertainty and;
Whereas, this uncertainty has impacted the daily operations of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, institutions and agencies;
Therefore, we, the messengers of the 185th annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, meeting in Roanoke, Virginia, on November 12, 2008, do hereby express our appreciation to these ministries for their excellent demonstration of stewardship and discernment in these challenging times.
Affirmation of Good Stewardship in the Present Economy
Throughout the history of our nation, the local church has been a source of hope, leadership, and a place of refuge to the surrounding communities and neighbors.
We, the messengers of the 185th annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, commend the churches of the BGAV for their faithful stewardship and ministry during these uncertain economic times.
“Who's my neighbor?” is a timeless question that has built congregations and communities no matter the economic circumstances.
We, therefore, encourage them to remain faithful in their giving of time, talents and resources.
Resolution on Prayer for National Leaders
Inasmuch as our nation has recently completed the electoral process, and in the spirit of 1 Timothy 2:1-2,
We the messengers to the 185th annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, meeting in Roanoke, Virginia, on November 12, 2008, hereby resolve:
To pray for those elected to lead our national, state and local governments, and
To pray for God's guidance as they lead the American people.