Participants at this year's Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's General Assembly had direct access to the ministries of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board — perhaps the first time a state Baptist convention has maintained a presence at the CBF's annual meeting.
Dee Whitten, leader of the empowering leaders team, and Jim Vaught, who leads the team's minister-church matching effort, staffed a booth in the exhibit hall at the Georgia World Congress Center as part of their assignment to connect Baptist General Association of Virginia churches and potential staff persons. Whitten said a steady stream of visitors kept him and Vaught engaged for much of the two-day meeting.
“Most of the people who came by were networking, getting to know us, and expressing appreciation for our being here,” said Whitten.
This is the first year the VBMB has staffed a booth at the General Assembly, but it won't be the last, said Whitten. “This is a great awareness-building opportunity and we hope to continue doing this in the future.”
Whitten said his team requested space at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting this month in Greensboro, N.C. but was told SBC guidelines don't permit non-SBC agencies to exhibit. However, Whitten said he plans to ask if the policy can be adapted to allow state convention booths.
“The BGAV partners with both the SBC and the CBF and we want to have a presence at both,” he said.