In my last post I mentioned the Georgia Baptist Convention is right around the corner. Next week,
Georgia Baptists are comprised of about 3,600 churches across our state. Many of those churches will be represented at our annual meeting but many more will not. Not every church is able to send messengers to the convention but a lot more could if they chose to and there are some really good reasons to make those last-minute plans to be in Fayetteville next week.
That’s When We Do Business
Well, let’s be honest. We do gather once a year to do the business of our state convention. You may or may not know this but our Constitution and By-Laws actually requires us to meet once a year. We also elect officers, trustees for our various entities, set our budget for the coming year, and more. Those are all important things that we have to do but this year we will also hear from our new Executive Director, Thomas Hammond, about the new structure of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
I am eager to learn more about the changes and the new ways Georgia Baptist churches will be strengthened by the ministries of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. There are many ways the Mission Board works to support our ministries and I always learn something new about that work at each convention. The annual meeting is a great time to learn about the ministries and resources available to the churches of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
That’s When We Meet Others
The annual meeting is the one time of year I know I will see certain people that I usually don’t get to see any other time during the year. Over the last four years serving in a busy, growing local church, I’ve learned that ministry is busy every day of the week. There is never a shortage of important work to be done and for that I am grateful. That also means I don’t get to see a lot of people as often as I would like. Social media helps with that somewhat but it is not the same as being in a room with friends spending time with one another.
The convention is also a time when I get to meet new people. In recent years that has meant meeting social media connections for the first time in person. It is kind of strange to meet someone for the first time yet feel as though you already know each other. Getting to meet in person and hear someone’s voice is so much better. I truly enjoy the relationships I have with people online and value them greatly but those relationships are even better when we have had the opportunity to get together in person too.
That’s When We Come Together
Georgia Baptist churches are small, or perhaps more rightly referred to as normative, medium, large, and a few are extra large (a.k.a. megachurches). Some Georgia Baptists understand the Scriptures a little differently in a few places than others under the banner of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. We have different ministries that reach into our communities, across our nation, and literally around the world.
As I write this 1 Corinthians 12 comes to mind. Many a sermon has been preached on this text and I have taught a number of lessons on it myself. What’s true in the local church can also be said of our convention of churches. Georgia Baptists have need of each and every local church to be part of our shared efforts to share the gospel of Jesus Christ across the state. God has raised up leaders in our local churches and He has raised up leaders for our convention too. We will come together next week and celebrate the work our Lord has done and continues to do through the Georgia Baptist Convention.
I am looking forward to making some new friends and meeting some folks for the first time in person next week. I’m looking forward to learning more about the exciting days ahead for Georgia Baptists. Mostly I am looking forward to being with brothers and sisters in Christ who share the Great Commission to go and make disciples and hearing about how God is working in and through their ministries. Are you going to be there? Let me know in the comments section below! Maybe we can grab coffee while we’re there.
Blessings,
Chris