SBC: ATLANTA 

                                                                                                                                                  Vol. VIII, No. 4, April 1995

Messengers to the 138th session of the Southern Baptist Convention will celebrate the denomination's 150th anniversary, hear evangelist Billy Graham, and take a first vote on whether to reduce the size of the SBC structure. The annual meeting of the nation's largest evangelical body, June 20-22 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, also will elect a president, conduct other business and hear devotions on the theme from Matthew 28:19-20, "Empowered for The Unfinished Task."

Although the sesquicentennial celebration promises to be entertaining and inspiring with special presentations the evenings of June 20-21, interest also will center around a proposal to reduce the denomination's 19 agencies to 12. And to conclude the historic meeting, the most well known Southern Baptist, evangelist Billy Graham, will close the meeting June 22. Longtime coworker and friend, George Beverly Shea, will provide the special music prior to Graham's sermon, as he has done for decades in Graham crusades.

President Jim Henry, pastor of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla., has announced he will allow his nomination for a traditional second one-year term, apparently without opposition.

As has become the tradition at these large once-a-year meetings, an evangelistic campaign, "Crossover Atlanta," will precede the convention meeting as will a host of smaller meetings such as the Pastor's Conference and the Woman's Missionary Union annual meeting. Because of the anniversary celebration, the proposal to reduce the number of agencies, and Graham's appearance, organizers are expecting more than 25,000 messengers plus guests to attend.

The proposal to reduce the size of the SBC's structure comes from a study commissioned by the Executive Committee in response to a referred motion at the 1993 SBC annual meeting. The committee approved it in February and recommended it to the annual meeting. Because it would dramatically change the convention's structure, it will take approval by messengers at two SBC annual meetings – at Atlanta and next year in New Orleans. That proposal will be submitted during the Executive Committee's report at 10 a.m. June 20.

Some of Southern Baptists' most visible personalities will bring theme devotions: Robert E. Naylor, former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president; W.A. Criswell, senior pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Dallas; Herschel H. Hobbs, pastor emeritus, First Baptist Church, Oklahoma City; James L. Sullivan, retired president of the Sunday School Board; Roy J. Fish, professor of evangelism at Southwestern Seminary; Alma Hunt, former executive secretary of the Woman's Missionary Union; Paige Patterson, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; layman Greg Horton, Simpsonville, S.C.; and Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the Executive Committee.

The convention sermon Wednesday morning will be given by R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. The president's address will be Tuesday morning.

The first election of officers is slated for 2:40 p.m. Tuesday followed that evening by a "Sesquicentennial Presentation," Part 1, which will take a "look at the past through music and drama." Part II will be a joint presentation the next night by the Foreign and Home Mission Boards, titled "A Challenge for the Future."

The three-day meeting will be kicked off at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday by the adult choir and orchestra of First Baptist Church, Orlando, led by Ragan M. Vandegriff III, director. A variety of music will be heard by the messengers, coordinated by John V. Glover Jr., convention music director and minister of music at First Baptist Church, Atlanta. John Innes, director of keyboard ministry at First Baptist, Atlanta, and Gary Menzies, pianist at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church, Norcross, Ga., will be the convention's organist and pianist, respectively.

The end of the meeting will come following Graham's sermon Thursday about noon with the benediction by Alan Cox, pastor, First Baptist Church, Moore, Okla.

Atlanta's Georgia Dome, site of major athletic and entertainment events, will host the SBC meeting for the first time. The playing field will be split, with the front platform sitting about on the 50 yard line. With seating on the floor, organizers hope to accommodate about 30,000 in the Dome. Last year in Orlando, Fla., there were more than 20,000 messengers.

The SBC met last in Atlanta in 1991, but the Dome was under construction and the meetings were held in the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center. The exhibits, offices and some smaller meetings will again be held at the GWCC.

Organizers said hotel rooms are still available in the Atlanta area, but to guarantee reservations the SBC housing form needs to be returned. Because of some possible construction work due to Atlanta's 1996 Olympics, convention-goers also are encouraged to use Atlanta's Metropolitan Area Rapid Transit (MARTA) system which has a stop in front of the Dome.

Food service is planned in the Dome and Congress Center for lunches and dinners at reasonable prices, a spokesman said. [BP]