Association marks 161st meeting

Lake Talquin (FBC)—John Sullivan returned to the Florida Baptist Association to say "thank-you" for the association’s role in the founding and nurturing of the Florida Baptist State Convention.

"We are one of your children," Sullivan told the 200 in attendance at the 161st annual meeting of the Florida Baptist Association. The Oct. 20 meeting was held at Lake Talquin Baptist Church, located just west of Tallahassee.

"You were here before us and we want to recognize your contributions to our heritage."

The Tallahassee-based association was one of three associations of churches—Florida, Alachua and West Florida–in existence prior to the state convention’s 1854 organization in Madison.

FBC photo by Jerry Favorite

During the Florida Baptist Association’s 161st annual meeting, moderator Keith Wallace, left, pastor of Lake Ellen Baptist Church in Crawfordville, and executive director David Southerland, right, received a Heritage stone from John Sullivan, center, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, in honor of the association’s role in the founding of the Florida Baptist State Convention. The association was instrumental in starting the state organization.

Under the theme "Living our Legacy," the meeting was a time to "kick off the celebration" of the 150th anniversary, explained David Southerland, executive director of the Florida Baptist Association.

"Did you hear the numbers? This is the 161st time we’ve met. And the Convention is celebrating 150th anniversary—it all began right here!"

Southerland noted that the association’s annual meeting was the area’s "kick-off" for the state’s year—long anniversary celebration.

Calling the churches "our mother" association, Sullivan presented a heritage stone in honor of the long-standing relationship. During the past two months, every Florida Baptist association has received a customized stone inscribed with its name and dates of origin.

The state exec also provided background on the association’s history and its relationship with the state convention during the meeting.

"We believe as our oldest association, you, as no other association deserve this recognition."

The Florida Baptist Association was organized in 1842 and originally covered the entire inhabited area of the Territory of Florida and a portion of the southern part of Georgia.

The earliest churches to be organized in the association were Bethlehem Baptist Church, which was later called Campbellton Baptist Church, and Sardis Baptist Church, which is no longer in existence. Both of the Jackson County churches were organized in 1825.

By the time the association was organized in 1842, five churches had been added: Ebenezer at Monticello in Jefferson County, 1828; Indian Springs in Leon County, 1829; Elizabeth,1834; Concord,1841; and Monticello, 1841.

By 1854, the year the Florida Baptist State Convention was organized, the Florida Association, which stretched across more than a dozen counties, had 41 cooperating churches. These churches had a combined membership of 2,390, which included 1,355 white and 1,035 black members.

Sullivan quickly called attention to the diversity of membership. "That is not another statistic," he added. "That is who we are. We have always been a diverse state denomination. We worship every Sunday in 17 languages. We are cooperating Southern Baptists. We are family."

Sullivan pledged continued cooperation with the association in reaching the spiritually lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and starting new churches locally and across the state.

The multi-ethnic Florida Association is comprised of 48 churches and missions in Leon and Wakulla counties with a combined total membership of 22,000 persons.