DAYTONA BEACH (FBC)—The Florida Baptist Convention has entered the information age. For the first time, Florida Baptist State Convention messenger cards were electronically coded, using innovation to speed up the registration process.

The messenger cards were printed with a bar code that, when scanned, pulled up the church's file in the Convention's master address system and allowed messengers to be checked in faster and more accurately.

"We were very pleased with the system and felt it really sped up the process," said Lonnie Wright, director of Information Support Services at the Florida Baptist Convention.

Wright's registration team was able to check in 600 people between 5-7 p.m. Monday, typically a time when the lines and the wait are long.

The response from messengers was positive said Wright. "While the lines were long, they were moving quickly."

Comprised of four stations utilizing wireless technology, the registration team was able to check in a total of 1,624 people quickly and efficiently, said Wright.

More innovative changes are planned for the registration process in the future. Wright hopes to go to a pre-registration system in the next year or two, allowing messengers to check in before the meeting and bring a confirmation number to verify their registration.