2004 SBC Annual Meeting

2004 SBC Annual Meeting Coverage

Daytona Beach pastor elected SBC president
SBC elects officers from both coasts and Midwest

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Officers who hail from Florida, California and Missouri were elected as the 2004-05 officers of Southern Baptist Convention during the SBC’s June 15-16 annual meeting in Indianapolis. A total of 8,600 messengers, 545 from Florida, were registered to the meeting, which took place at the Indiana Convention Center RCA Dome.

Ties with Baptist World Alliance severed over theological concerns

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting voted overwhelmingly July 15 to withdraw from the Baptist World Alliance.

Messengers debate, defeat proposed study of new name for the SBC

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—A proposed study committee to consider changing the name of the Southern Baptist Convention proved controversial when the idea came to the floor of the SBC annual meeting June 15 in Indianapolis.

SBC declines resolution urging public school withdrawal

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Messengers to the 2004 Southern Baptist Convention called for increased Christian influence on American culture, but stopped short of issuing a declaration against public school education in resolutions adopted June 16.

Floridians offer opinions about Welch, convention

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW)—Florida Baptists attending the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting June 15-16 in Indianapolis overwhelmingly expressed approval of the new SBC president, Floridian Bobby Welch, who is also pastor, First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach—and for the meeting in Florida’s partnership state.

Welch stresses urgency for evangelism, opposition to education resolution

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—A sense of urgency for evangelism is topmost in the mind of the Southern Baptist Convention’s newly elected president, Bobby Welch.

Reception honors Welch

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW)—Invited to offer a prayer of blessing for newly elected SBC President Bobby Welch at a June 15 reception, J.D. Grant asked for the assistance of his wife, Judy, and their 12-year-old grandson, Dylan Haynes. Grant was the first to urge Welch to consider running for president in 2002 during the St. Louis annual meeting, having worked with Welch when they both served as trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources. Grant, pastor of Calvary Road Baptist Church in Waynesville, N.C., read the following prayer, written by Judy and Dylan, to the amusement of the audience, before offering a more serious, extemporaneous appeal on Welch’s behalf.

‘Stand up ... speak up,’ says Graham in president’s sermon

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Southern Baptists know their priority is to fulfill the Great Commission, stated Texas pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church of Plano in his final address as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Graham, elected president of the 16-million member denomination in 2002, spoke during the first session, June 15, of the two-day SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis.

California pastor Rob Zinn elected Executive Committee chairman

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—California pastor Rob Zinn was elected chairman of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee during its meeting June 14 prior to the SBC annual meeting.

Jay Strack: Churches not baptizing teens

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW)—Southern Baptists must commit to raising up a new generation of leaders if they are to remain relevant in a time of unprecedented change, Jay Strack told messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention June 15.

Floridians elected to SBC posts

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—Florida Baptists nominated by the 2004 SBC Committee on Nominations and elected by messengers to the annual meeting June 15-16 in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention center were:

Bush reiterates stance on sanctity of life, marriage

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—President Bush spoke directly to Southern Baptists June 15, upholding a “culture of life” and the sanctity of marriage.

Record number of motions proposed at SBC in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Messengers proposed a record 29 motions on the opening day of the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention encompassing issues as heated as changing the name of the SBC and as innocuous as officially commending a family friendly movie soon to be released by the Walt Disney Company.

Join God, don’t be ashamed of the Gospel, Rankin urges

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—When God is moving in great power all around the world and others are giving their lives to advance God’s Kingdom, Southern Baptists must be found faithful to pray, give and go in obedience to Christ’s command, messengers were told during the evening session of the Southern Baptist Convention June 16.

NAMB introduces missionaries, work in Canada & North America

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—The aisles of the Indiana Convention Center were filled with colorful flags of North America as Southern Baptist Convention messengers were introduced to their newest missionaries Tuesday evening, June 15.

‘Spiritual walls in America have crumbled,’ Gaines says

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Like Nehemiah of the Old Testament, Southern Baptists should be wall builders, Steve Gaines, pastor of First Baptist Church in Gardendale, Ala., declared to the Southern Baptist Convention June 16.

Draper: Baptisms, young ministers’ involvement needed

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—The Southern Baptist Convention faces two significant challenges, said James T. Draper Jr., president of LifeWay Christian Resources, and both need to be seriously considered if the SBC is to have relevant ministry opportunities in today’s culture.

SBC approves Annuity Board name change

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Messengers to the 2004 Southern Baptist Convention approved recommendations to change the Annuity Board’s name to GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention and to expand its products and services to evangelical ministry organizations outside the SBC.

Motorcyclists extend grace to homosexual protestors

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Buddy Newsome and Dave McClamma are having the ride of their lives.

Floridians at the SBC
Photo Gallery

Daytona Beach pastor, FAITH founder, elected SBC president

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW) -- Bobby Welch, pastor of First Baptist Church of Daytona Beach, Fla., was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention Tuesday afternoon by messengers to the convention’s annual meeting.

Volunteers take Gospel to USA’s ‘Crossroads’
Daytona Beach pastor joins in Crossover effort

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Blaring rap music, yellow crime scene tape, open-hooded vehicles on ramps and young children playfully running through the streets is an all-too-common scene throughout much of inner-city America.

Faith Riders hit the road to share the Gospel in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW)—Buddy Newsome had no idea how much mileage a newspaper story in Florida Baptist Witness would get. That was until Newsom, director of Faith Riders, a motorcycle ministry based at First Baptist Church, Lakeland, got a call from a director of missions in Indiana, asking the bikers to help start a similar ministry in Indiana.

Tampa youth participate in Crossover Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW)—Seventeen-year-old Nick Cakouros had never been on a mission trip until this week.

2004 SBC Pators' Conference Coverage

Traylor leads SBC Pastors’ Conference in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW)—Stepping up to fill in for the absence of two key speakers, Ted Traylor, pastor, Olive Baptist Church, Pensacola, and president of the 2004 Pastors’ Conference, delivered a sermon of his own June 14 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

‘Jesus Came Preaching’ Pastors’ Conference showcases speakers, testimonies

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Addressing America’s media in a sermon, “What the Media Get Wrong About My People Every Time,” Ergun Caner, a former Muslim who is now a Baptist theologian, launched into a defense of biblical doctrine during the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference.

Pensacola layman shares testimony

INDIANAPOLIS (FBW)—Once mired in drug addiction and incarcerated several times, Eddie Echarri, from Olive Baptist Church, Pensacola, encountered the grace of God in 1994. Now he ministers regularly to those who at one time were his fellow inmates.

2004 SBC Annual Meeting Preview

Floridian named to SBC Tellers Committee

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Jacksonville resident Wayne Reed has been named as a members of the Tellers Committee for the June 15-16 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis. Reed and others were named to the committee by SBC President Jack Graham.

Daytona Beach pastor Bobby Welch in line for SBC presidency
BWA, sole membership topics for SBC annual meeting

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Southern Baptists will gather in Indianapolis June 15-16, continuing their Empowering Kingdom Growth initiative by focusing on the theme “Kingdom Forever.”

LifeWay FAITH luncheons set for Indy SBC

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Sunday School as an extension of a church’s outreach ministry continues to grow. In many churches it’s because of FAITH/Sunday School evangelism strategy, a ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources. More than 7,827 churches currently utilize the FAITH/Sunday School evangelism strategy and more than 23,280 professions of faith in Christ have been attributed to the ministry.

Floridians appointed to, nominated for SBC posts

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—Two Florida pastors have been appointed by Southern Baptist Convention President Jack Graham to the SBC’s Committee on Committees to serve during the June 15-16 annual meeting in Indianapolis.

‘Conservative Resurgence’ reunion slated June 14

INDIANAPOLIS—The new president of The Criswell College (TCC) recognizes the tendency of Southern Baptists to forget spiritual lessons of the past, often prompting a recurring pattern of dealing with theological liberalism at 40-year intervals. With that in mind TCC and the W. A. Criswell Legacy Project are jointly sponsoring “Remembering the Past, Reaching the Future” June 14 from 9 to 11 p.m. at the Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballrooms 5, 6, 7, prior to the opening of this year’s annual SBC in Indianapolis.

National Hispanic fellowship features Miami musicians

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Hispanic Southern Baptists will proclaim “Hay Vida en Jesus” (“There is Life in Jesus”) during evangelistic campaigns in different locations throughout Indiana June 7-11, culminating with a special concert Saturday night, June 12, at Northside Baptist Church in Indianapolis.

Hispanic network will honor church planting leaders

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—The Southern Baptist Hispanic Multiplying Church Network will gather for its seventh-annual meeting June 14 in Indianapolis to celebrate the launch of 241 new Hispanic Baptist churches last year and to cast a vision for reaching more Hispanic communities.

Florida leader to present work on African Americans in SBC life

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—The name of the first African American church to affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention will be announced with the June publication of the Journal of African American Southern Baptist History.

African American Fellowship Indy mtg.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Gabriel Missionary Baptist Church, it its new building northeast of downtown Indianapolis, will host the worship celebration of the SBC’s National African American Fellowship on Sunday, June 13.

Evangelists’ theme is ‘Jesus ... Not Ashamed!’

The worship service is 9 a.m.-noon June 13 at the Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballrooms 1, 2, 3. Three Southern Baptist evangelists will speak: Johnny Tucker of International Missions Association in Citronelle, Ala.; Sammy Tippit of Sammy Tippit Ministries in San Antonio; and Jerry Burgess of Divine Design Ministries in Whitley City, Ky.

Theology school dean-elect to address Messianic fellowship

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--With the theme "For Zion's Sake I Will Not Be Silent," members of the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship will explore the idea in Romans 1:16 that the Gospel is intended "primarily for the Jew and then for the Greek" at their June 11-12.

Directors of Missions to spotlight healthy associations

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Building healthy associations in the 21st Century will be the focus of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions' 43rd annual meeting June 13-14, at the Radisson City Centre, Indianapolis. "Together ... To Pray ... To Care ... To Share!" will be the theme of the conference, which opens with a 10:30 a.m. worship service Sunday, June 13.

Seminaries to host annual luncheons in Indianapolis June 16

2004 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting schedule

2004 Pastors' Conference schedule

WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting schedule