COLUMBIA, S.C. (ABP) — The 1,230 registered messengers attending the 183rd annual meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention adopted a $32.15 million budget for 2004, approved a three-year missions partnership with South Asia, and elected a Boiling Springs pastor as president.
The convention also passed resolutions that endorsed the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment and Christian displays in public places and suggested that churches that don't require immersion as the only acceptable form of baptism are not eligible to belong to the convention.
The convention's 2004 budget goal of $32.15 million is the same as this year's budget. The Executive Board did not recommend an increase because Cooperative Program receipts from churches for the year are lagging behind budget needs.
Forty percent of the $32.15 million budget, or $12,755,000, will go to support the work of the Southern Baptist Convention, while 60 percent, or $19,395,000, will undergird missions and ministries of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Messengers approved entering a three-year missions partnership with the International Mission Board's South Asia region, beginning in 2005. The partnership reportedly is the first between a state convention and an entire region, rather than a country. The state convention's current partnership with Taiwan ends this year.
Executive Board chairman Marshall Blalock of Charleston noted 25 percent of the world's lost population lives in South Asia. “Within this region, you can find a country with the largest percentage of Muslim conversions in the world,” he added.
Wayne Dickard, pastor of Northbrook Church in Boiling Springs, was elected president by acclamation. A former director of missions for North Spartan Association and pastor of churches in Greer and Anderson, Dickard has served as first and second vice president and as parliamentarian for the convention.
Other convention officers for 2004 include Danny Burnley, pastor of West Gantt First Church in Greenville, first vice president; and James Merritt, member of Rock Springs Church in Easley, second vice president.
All officers were elected without opposition except Merritt, who ran against Chuck Everett, pastor of Trinity Church, Lugoff. Merritt received 288 votes to Everett's 197.
Through resolutions, the messengers voiced:
— Opposition to laws and judicial decrees that ban the display of Christian symbols and biblical words in public places, and support of all private citizens and government officials who have taken a stand for the right to display them;
— Vigorous opposition to gambling in all forms and encouragement to contact federal and state officials, asking them to refuse to pursue federal legislation that would pave the way for a high-stakes electronic bingo operation by the Catawba Indians near Santee;
— Support for the Federal Marriage Amendment and any legislative efforts to define marriage as the God-ordained relationship between one man and one woman;
— Encouragement to pray for elected government officials; and
— Affirmation of baptism by immersion as the only biblical, historical and proper mode of Christian baptism.
The baptism statement noted churches that no longer require baptism by immersion for membership have chosen not to be in good standing with the convention. Because it is a resolution, however, the statement apparently lacks any enforcement power.
A motion to study increasing the percentage of Cooperative Program receipts forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention failed. Messengers approved the second reading of a bylaw revision granting one additional messenger to churches for each $1,000 contributed annually to state convention work.
A highlight of this year's annual meeting, which had as its theme “Experiencing Kingdom Growth,” was a Tuesday evening performance of “Experiencing God, the Musical” by several church choirs from across the state. The 70-minute musical, based on Henry Blackaby's popular study course, “Experiencing God,” was directed by Gary Rhodes, composer of the musical.
Before his address, convention president Hal Lane, an electric guitarist, and the other members of Soul Revival performed remakes of popular beach music tunes with Christian lyrics. The performance served as an illustration for Lane's message in which he stressed the importance of upholding the essential doctrines of the gospel, but maintained that there was not an essential style of evangelism.
“Pursue any method so we can get a hearing for the word of God,” Lane urged. “Evangelism is not about you and how you like to be communicated with,” he added. “It's about how you are going to get out there and reach those people for Jesus.”
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