State Board recognizes retiring staff members, welcomes new churches

LAKELAND (FBC)—The State Board of Missions approved resolutions of appreciation for three retiring staff members with 73 combined years of Convention service and endorsed 11 newly constituted churches in its Nov.10 pre-convention meeting at First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland.

Resolutions of appreciation were approved for William M. Carmichael, director of the Discipleship and Family Department who has served the convention since 1970.

Appreciation was also expressed to Charles E. “Blimp” Davis, who served as an associate director of the Church Music Department since 1998, and Robert L. Mounts, director of the Pastor/Church Staff Relations Department, on his 15 years of service.

During the convention’s annual meeting which followed, all three men were honored by messengers of the state convention who approved the written resolutions.

The new churches, constituted between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008, have been endorsed and are affiliated with cooperating local Baptist associations.

They are: Orchard Community Church, Lake City; The Vineyard of Lake City; Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Clermont; First Baptist Church of Rainbow Lakes Estates in Dunnellon; Lighthouse Baptist Church, Citrus Springs; Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva, Miami; Mosaic Church, Crestview; Refuge Baptist Church, Sebring; Living Covenant Church, Alachua; Flagler West Community Church, Bunnell; Lifebridge, Largo.

Approval was given for extending a contract with Bill Bunkley, a Tampa layman, as the Convention’s lobbyist/ representative in Tallahassee and his participation in the Pro-Family Legislative Strategy Caucus. The group includes representatives from religious and fraternal organizations whose goal is the development and passage of pro-family legislation.

Additional legislative monitoring and information services will be provided by Fred. A. Martin and Associates of Tallahassee.

The Board learned that the remodeling of the South Florida Urban impact Center in Hialeah was near completion and a move into the former First Baptist Church in Hialeah building is expected in December. The cost of renovating the property was $347,038; another $95,507 was paid toward the 40-year recertification with Miami-Dade County.

The Board will travel to Hialeah to inspect the UIC during its May meeting.

During a post-convention meeting, the Board welcomed new members approved by convention messengers and elected officers. Don McLaughlin, pastor of Parkway Baptist Church in Tallahassee was re-elected to a second one-year term as president of the board; Tim Maynard, pastor of Fruit Cove Baptist Church in Jacksonville was re-elected vice president; and Chris Coram, administrator at North Jacksonville Baptist Church, was tapped as recording secretary.

The next Board meeting will be held Feb. 13, 2009.