The Virginia Baptist Mission Board has authorized funding for a resort and leisure ministries coordinator who will serve in a variety of locations in the state.
The action came during the regular spring meeting of the board held in Richmond April 17-18.
Board members also approved a number of grants for churches, financial supplements for ministerial salaries and funding for a variety of ministry projects in the United States and abroad.
Approval of $10,004 for resort ministry will provide funding for William B. Hutchinson Sr. to serve as Virginia Baptist Men/resort and leisure ministries coordinator.
Hutchinson had sought appointment by the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board for the same position. However, the NAMB declined to appoint him. Apparently two factors precluded the NAMB's approval: Hutchinson's disagreement with the prohbition on women serving as pastors included in the SBC's statement of faith, the Baptist Faith and Message; and his expressed sympathy with the ministry of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, which he told the NAMB was necessary since he would be working with a number of churches in Virginia who are affiliated with the CBF.
The Mission Board has a policy that permits it to fund some candidates turned down by the NAMB. Funding for those candidates is taken from the NAMB's allocation in the World Mission 2 track of the Baptist General Association of Virginia budget.
Hutchinson is the fourth person funded under the policy.
Total funding for church grants approved by the board was $220,450, which was allocated to eight congregations. A total of $19,800 was provided to three pastor in financial supplements.
Ministry projects funded included:
• $8,000 for the Seeds for Renewed Hope project in Liberia.
• $10,000 for equipment pool and communication system capabilities for Virginia Baptists' disaster relief program.
• $16,665 for relief project in cooperation with the Sudan Interior Church.
• $10,000 for a Baptist evangelistic center in Ruzomberok, Slovakia.
• $15,000 for a Baptist church and ministry center in Brazil.
• $10,000 for the Gypsy Smith School of Evangelism in Romania.
• $8,000 to assist theological students in Austria.
• $5,330 to help a church plant project in Moldova.
• $2,000 for a pastors and spouses annual retreat in South Africa.
• $ 10,000 to assist construction of a chapel in Brazil.
• $8,370 for an international soccer evangelistic ministry.