Baptists in Maryland and Delaware were challenged to “Embrace the Call” to worship, disciple, serve and witness during their 171st annual meeting in Solomons, Md., Nov. 13-14.
Robert Smith Jr., an associate professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., gave a theme interpretation based on Jeremiah 18:5-6.
David Gordon, national mission adviser for the Baptist Union of Scotland, and David Lee, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, signed an agreement extending the convention's partnership with Scotland for another three years. In 2006, mission teams visited seven churches in the European nation.
During the business sessions, messengers elected Rick Hancock, pastor of Dunkirk Baptist Church in Dunkirk, Md., as president; Byron Day, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Laurel, Md., as first vice president; and Chris Gudmundsson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dundalk, Md., second vice president. Gayle Clifton, pastor of Olney Baptist Church, in Olney, Md., was re-elected recording secretary.
Messengers approved an overall budget of $6.9 million for the coming year, up 3.8 percent from 2006. Anticipated Cooperative Program giving from churches in the two-state convention is $5.1 million, up 4 percent from the current year. Maryland/Delaware Baptists will forward 41 percent of CP receipts to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries. With any receipts above the $5.1 million budget, they will send 75 percent to SBC causes.
Earl Gray, chairman of the convention's Public Education Impact Study Group, shared a report recommending two possible approaches to impact public schools in response to a motion at last year's meeting that the BCM/D executive director formulate a committee to research what churches can do to influence the public school curriculum to be more biblically and family friendly. The group recommended using volunteer opportunities.
“The easiest way to impact schools is to be part of the system—to embrace teachers, parents and administrators through a voluntary activity,” Gray said.
He suggested asking schools what they need, providing supplies, labor for special projects and encouragement through acts of kindness. Another suggestion the group made was to impact schools through a political approach, such as serving as a school board member or on a committee, or lobbying for change.