As Florida Baptists enter the year 2005, we cannot help but reflect on God’s blessings—and immense opportunities—of the past year.

The year 2004 was an unprecedented year that began with Florida Baptists starting to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Florida Baptist State Convention. As we reviewed the history of the state convention and its founding members, I for one was moved at how God laid His hands on a people called Florida Baptists; and how He orchestrated their role in being salt and light in a little developed territory.

Now, as Florida has become the fourth largest state in the nation, I see God’s hand once again challenging Florida Baptists to be moral compasses in their communities through evangelism, starting new churches and strengthening existing churches. This realization was brought home to me through regional 150th Anniversary Rallies held through the state in February and March, and again at the Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Jacksonville in November. Thousands of you gathered at these meetings to honor the past and to be inspired for the future.

In April, when faced with the starvation of men, women and children in war-torn Haiti, one of Florida Baptists’ partnership nations, we asked you to give to “Operation Beans, Rice and Water” to feed our hungry Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ. You responded by giving $190,636 which allowed us to provide 174,000 pounds of rice, beans and water to feed 28,000 families and 110,000 individuals. After the nation was pounded by two hurricanes in the fall, we provided additional food, rebuilt churches and homes.

Then beginning in August and continuing for two months, it seemed as if our state was under siege as four deadly hurricanes struck almost every corner of the state—damaging churches, homes and businesses and tearing apart life as we knew it. Again, Florida and Southern Baptists gave generously of their time and money to the cause allowing us to feed 2.4 million meals, repair 8,000 homes and provide $677,000 in relief assistance. Another $500,000 was earmarked for an interest-free loan program to help our churches and $100,000 was allocated in church staff salary assistance. In all, $1,385,753.36 was received in disaster relief funds.

Yet through this year of unprecedented needs, Florida Baptists and their congregations have faithfully given generously through the Cooperative Program. At the end of the year, Florida Baptists had given $36,691,754 through the Cooperative Program, the highest amount in our history and representing $1,371,388 over 2004 budget requirements. Also, giving to the Maguire State Mission Offering, which was received in the midst of the hurricanes, reached $1,002,196, only the third time in its history that it reached the million-dollar mark.

God has been so good to Florida Baptists.

And so it was when Southeast Asia was overcome by a tsunami that killed over 150,000 persons on the day after Christmas, I knew Florida Baptists must again rise to the occasion. From the 2004 Cooperative Program income overage, the Florida Baptist Convention has sent $150,000 to the International Mission Board to assist in tsunami disaster relief efforts.

We are doing this because others have helped us in our hour of need and it is the right thing to do. Also, I believe this type of response is in keeping with the faith that Florida Baptists have demonstrated in us.

Not surprisingly, in the midst of this unfathomable tragedy on the other side of the world, the Baptist Building staff has received dozens of calls and e-mails, asking how individuals can give in response. To assist in that effort, we have set up an account to receive contributions which will be sent weekly to the International Mission Board for Southeast Asia disaster relief. Also, we encourage you to send contributions directly to the IMB. More information on this can be found at www.flbaptist.org.

I have often said, Florida Baptists are the most generous people I know. In the year of numerous tragedies and countless blessings, you once again have proven me true. May God continue to richly bless you in 2005. You are God’s finest!