The Virginia Baptist Mission Board elected new officers Nov. 28 and examined challenges facing Virginia Baptists in the 21st century.
At their organizational meeting, held each year following the annual session of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, the board elected as Boyce Brannock, a Staunton attorney, as chair; Joe Lewis, a Petersburg pastor, as first vice chair; and Stephen Pollard, a Richmond pastor, as second vice chair.
Each of the officers were recently elected as the BGAV's, respectively, president, first vice president and second vice president. The Mission Board's bylaws require that it elect as officers the serving BGAV officers.
Also elected to serve the Mission Board were Fred Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society, as recording secretary, and Janice Mahone as assistant recording secretary.
Mission Board members heard a panel of leaders discuss “the 21st century challenge” to Virginia Baptists.
“The challenge for our churches is how to engage the world,” said John Upton, the board's executive director. “Our churches look so ‘put together' that we're almost a hindrance to those in the world who have issues.
“When they come to our churches, they're not asking if it's true or not, they're asking if there's a place for them in a place like this.”
Other panel members agreed.
The church is so immersed in its own culture that those outside it might perceive it as “ungrace,” said Michael Cheuk, pastor of Farmville Baptist Church. “How can we as leaders help the church change that culture to open the doors and windows to the wind of the Spirit?”
“The purpose of the church is to be the body of Christ and we forget about the power of the church to change not only people inside the church but also those outside it,” said Wayne Faison, the board's African American and ethnic evangelism/church planting strategist.
In his report to the board, treasurer Eddie Stratton predicted that contributions to the 2006 budget will total about $14 million, which would be about $100,000 below the budget goal. The 2006 fiscal year will end Dec. 31.
In other business, the board:
• Learned that John Chandler will leave his position as team leader of the board's courageous churches team to become head of the Ray and Ann Spence Network for Congregational Leadership on Jan. 1.
• Allocated $33,600 in grants to churches for ministries and buildings, and $19,200 in pastor salary assistance.
• Funded several international ministries, including a children's picture Bible project in Lebanon ($4,000), salary assistance for the general secretary of the Liberian Baptist Convention ($4,000), support for a pastors conference in Kottayam, India ($4,000) and assistance for the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship's outreach ministry during the 2007 Cricket World Cup ($3,000).
• Learned that Boyce Brannock has appointed a committee to examine ministerial scholarships, as directed by messengers at last month's BGAV meeting. The committee, chaired by Todd Combee of Mechanicsville, includes Ed Harrow of Deltaville, James Heath of Winchester, Carl Johnson of Richmond and Joe Lewis of Petersburg.
Staff report