Decreases in giving have contributed to the recent layoff of 20 staffer members from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, according to a report in the Christian Index.
“This decision was made only after months of intense prayer, study, and discussion among the leadership team regarding the Lord’s will for the future of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board,” Kevin Smith, the board’s vice president of operations, said in the Jan. 24 report.
“The GBMB finds itself in challenging times, and in our attempt to be the stewards we believe the Lord would have us to be, difficult decisions have to be made.”
A decline in giving is one of the factors driving those decisions.
The Index reported that Georgia Baptists gave about $1.2 million less to the Cooperative Program in 2018 than the previous year.
“We’re committed to making the Georgia Baptist Mission Board the best resource our pastors could ask for,” Executive Director W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., told the Index. “Part of that will include streamlining some ministries and evaluating all of the activities of the Mission Board.”
The names of those laid off have not been publicly released.
“Vital signs [such as baptisms, attendance, and giving] in most of our churches are going in the wrong direction,” Hammond said in the earlier story. “As a result, these circumstances are compelling us to do things much different than we’ve done in the past.”
****
Civil Rides will tour U.S.-Mexico border
Registration has opened for Civil Rides – Rio Grande Valley.
The faith-based cycling trek is a collaboration between Out Hunger and Together for Hope and takes riders on a pilgrimage to religious and human rights destinations along the way.
The three-day ride begins March 29 on South Padre Island and follows a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border before finishing back South Padre Island.
The ride coincides with the observation of Cesar Chavez Day, on March 31, which honors Chavez’ promotion of fair labor practices and a living wage for workers.
“We are humbled and excited for this opportunity to raise awareness about the persistent rural poverty in the Rio Grande Valley,” organizers said in announcing the ride.
The inaugural Civil Rides took riders to Civil Rights destinations in Tennessee and Mississippi in 2018.
Registration for the upcoming ride and details about routes and accommodations are available online.
****
Prosecutor-turned-actor to address Mercer University
Actor and producer William Mark McCullough, who had roles in films such as “American Made” with Tom Cruise and “Arsenal” with Nicolas Cage, will deliver Mercer University’s 2019 Founders’ Day address Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. in Willingham Auditorium on the Macon campus.
McCullough is a 1995 graduate of the university who went on to study law and became a prosecutor in Washington D.C.
But a serious car wreck led McCullough to reevaluate his career. He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
In addition to the Cruise and Cage films, McCullough also performed as the redneck co-worker to Channing Tatum’s character in the Steven Soderbergh comedy “Logan Lucky.”
McCullough also has had recurring roles on the PBS series “Mercy Street” and on the WGN America series “Underground,” among several other roles. The Savannah native is the founder of Fort Argyle Films and Savannah Actors Studio.
Mercer’s annual Founders’ Day hosts speakers who share how the university has influenced their lives.