Division reports declare strategies, statistics & goals

• African American Ministries

— "The African-American Ministries Division exists as a reflection of the Florida Baptist Convention’s commitment to healthy, intentional multiracial ministry in the implementation of the Great Commission," said Sid Smith director of the African-American Ministries Division.

Since Sept. 2002, the division baptized more than 2,000 persons, started 51 churches and trained more than 8,000 people in culturally specific church development seminars.

In a videotaped report, the division featured its staff who collectively participated in nearly 200 preaching engagements this year, resulting in 400 professions of faith.

"We work with pastors and other church leaders to evaluate each church individually so we can present a customized plan of church growth, church health and eventual reproduction," said Milton Boyd, director of the African-American Church Development Department.

• Church Development

— "Every journey needs a map, a strategy that steers energy and resources toward a desired result," said Jim Chavis, director of the Church Development Division. "Our strategy is to serve leaders, resource churches and network ideas for effective ministry."

The division reported conducting workshops in leadership training, family programs, church library ministries, Sunday School and more.

Staff members videotaped testimonies about spiritual experiences leading them to work in a specific area of church development.

"What I really have a passion about is for the church to be inspired and motivated to encounter the presence of God through inspiring praise and worship," said Terry Williams, director of the Church Music Department.

• Church Services

— "We should be pure in our motives and pure in our products and, therefore, that which we do for the church should give careful consideration and concern for stewardship, Cooperative Program, strategic endowed giving and annuity," said Glen Owens, director of the Church Services Division in a videotaped division report. Below are some highlights of hisreport:

The Church Annuity Promotion Department reported 73 percent of all Florida Baptist churches are active in the Church Annuity Plan. More than 1,700 persons have received retirement benefits since July.

The Office of Strategic Endowed Giving conducted 79 estate planning seminars in churches and associations across the state.

Cooperative Program receipts exceeded the 2002 Cooperative Program budget by more than $942,487 and recorded receipts of $34,373,133, the largest in the history of the Florida Baptist Convention.

This year, the Stewardship Department led over 70 stewardship meetings, conferences and workshops and coordinated 13 "Building for the Future" campaigns that help Florida Baptist churches raise funds and build better facilities. "We want to be spiritually successful both in personal stewardship and church or corporate stewardship," said Clarence Hackett, Director of the Stewardship Department.

• Language Missions

— "Statistics indicate that no other segment of the program of the population is growing as fast or responding to the Gospel as readily as the language population of Florida," said Raul Vazquez, director of the Language Division.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Language Division. Language churches reported an all time high in every significant category measured by the Annual Church Profile with membership at 60,501 and baptisms at 4,013. Over ten years, giving by Language churches to the Cooperative Program grew 116 percent and to the Maguire State Mission Offering by 214 percent.

In a videotaped report, the Language Division featured the growing work with Haitian churches and leaders in Florida.

"Last year, we started 38 new language Haitian churches and have 272 Haitian churches in the state. "Our Haitian churches are baptizing one person to every 16 members," said Vazquez.

• Missions Division

— "Kingdom Impact" was the theme of this year’s Mission Division videotaped report that featured activity from each department.

"Our part of Kingdom Impact is to financially assist new churches in property purchase and building construction," said Hugh Cater, director of the New Work Assistance Department.

"The Church Planting Department exists to assist churches and associations in the planting and early development of healthy, reproducing, new congregations," said Rick Lawrence, director of the Church Planting Department. This past year, 40 new Anglo English-speaking congregations were planted. More than 150 potential church planters completed an assessment process.

Strategy planning for "Kingdom Impact" begins in the Church Planning and Revitalization Department who reported presenting the Church Strategy Planning (CSP) process to 10 churches, training 13 CSP teams and conducting 12 CSP retreats over the year.

According to Craig Culbreth, director of Partnership Missions Department, this past year, 50,668 Florida Baptists volunteered to do mission work that impacted the Kingdom.

• Evangelism Division

— The Evangelism Division featured a new conference and emphasis: "Consumed With Hope."

Jeff Hessinger, director of the Personal Evangelism Department gave a PowerPoint presentation encouraging local churches to utilize next year’s "Consumed With Hope" conference.

"In order for the church to grow, organizational changes need to be learned through a commitment to an evangelistic strategy," said Hessinger. "The ‘Consumed With Hope’ conference will seek to lead your church to a fresh encounter with God through an evangelism experience by focusing the congregation on evangelism."

The conference will include a Sunday school rally, evangelism training, visitation and worship service.

Following the presentation the division shared a videotaped testimony of the evangelism tool, EvangeCube.