SBCV welcomes 54 more churches!
by T. C. Pinckney Vol. XI, No. 10, Nov/Dec 1998
The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia met in its second annual meeting as a state convention 27 October at Spotswood Baptist Church in Fredericksburg for what proved to be a remarkable experience. Every vote was unanimous. Every election was by acclamation. A spirit of wonder and joy at the blessings God is bestowing on the young convention pervaded every session.
There were 587 registered messengers representing 136 churches and 197 registered guests for a total of 784 registered attendees . However, many guests did not register, for the auditorium seats 1,500 and Bob R. Melvin, senior pastor of Spotswood, estimated at one point that there were between 1,100 and 1,200 present.
The highlight among business items was unquestionably approval of SBCV affiliation for 54 more churches: 42 aligning uniquely with the SBCV, 12 dually with both Virginia conventions. These additions raise total SBCV affiliated churches to 212: 158 unique and 54 dual. There are approximately 1580 Southern Baptist churches in Virginia.
Dr. Kelly J. Burris, senior pastor of Kempsville Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, who has been serving as First Vice President, was elected president, succeeding Rev. Terry L. Harper, Colonial Heights Baptist Church, who had completed the maximum two one-year terms. The new first vice president is Rev. John Marks, pastor of Kingsland Baptist, Richmond. A poignant note was struck by the election as second vice president of Rev. Rodney D. Houston, pastor of Chatmoss Baptist, Martinsville, whose father, Thomas N. Houston, the beloved pastor of Laurel Hill Baptist, Earlysville, died of a heart attack in June, while Rodney and his wife, Betty Jean, were in Romania on an SBCV-IMB sponsored mission trip. David S. Eppling, pastor of East End Baptist, Roanoke, was re-elected secretary.
SBCV growth has been rapid and consistent. Though the SBCV declared itself a state convention in September 1996, it had existed as a fellowship for several years. The following data cover both the fellowship and convention periods:
Total # % Cooperative Prog. Total
Churches Growth Growth Gifts ($thousands) Contributions
1993 10 $ 32
1994 52 42 420% 84 $ 89
1995 85 33 63 286 362
1996 115 30 35 688 813
1997 158 43 37 1,815 2,728
1998 212 54 34 2,789 4,084
Looking at the number of churches joining each year, it is gratifying that the pace has been increasing. While in 1994,5, & 6 the number was in the low 30s, in 1997 it rose to 43 and in ‘98 to 54. Praise God for His blessings.
The SBCV budget provides that 50% of all CP receipts go to the Southern Baptist Convention. In fact, however, because some churches have voted to send the SBC more than half their donations, in the 1998 fiscal year 54.36% of CP funds went to the SBC. And of total contributions, both CP and designated, 66.86% went to SBC causes. These percentages are higher, more supportive of the SBC than any other state convention.
The adopted 1999 budget of $3,300,000 in CP gifts is twice the 1998 budget of $1,660,000. Again, there are no preferred or exception items, and 50% of undesignated donations will go to the SBC in accord with SBCV policy.
Executive Director-Treasurer Doyle Chauncey reported that fiscal 1997-98 has been a signal year for the SBCV as it transitioned from an organizing to a functioning mode. The main convention office was moved from Virginia Beach to Glen Allen, consultants and staff were employed, regional resource centers were opened, ten new churches were started, a church planter intern was hired, a Women’s Ministry/WMU associate (Sue Sawyer) was hired, more than 3,000 baptisms were recorded, and the SBCV helped start ten new churches.
The SBCV plans to start 20 new churches in 1999 and 70 in 2000. A challenge was laid before all SBCV churches to commit to starting a new church. Doyle Chauncey noted, “Pastors must not only see the vision of starting new churches, but lead their churches to make a commitment to start one. Every new church needs a sponsoring church, and it will not happen until the pastor takes the initiative.”
Another challenge Doyle presented was to reach the cities. As he said, “It is hard work in urban communities with high crime, poverty, and drugs. It is tempting to look the other way, but the Great Commission is for all people. Someone will have to accept the challenge to go back to the cities if America is to be reached with the gospel.”
He specified other challenges: “Essential doctrine must never be sacrificed in order to attract the world to the church. We are constantly bombarded with the lie that truth is relative and that there are no absolutes. We must continue to stand on the authority of God’s Word and His unchanging truth.” “...the church and every mission and ministry enterprise must find new and innovative ways of drawing people’s attention to the gospel. The message must remain the same, of course, but a ‘visually oriented-short attention span’ populace will simply ignore outdated methods of communicating the gospel in the next millennium.” “The effective church or denomination of the 21st Century will be one that trains and employs lay leadership.” “Women have an essential role to play in every aspect of society including the church. We must effectively articulate and communicate it to those who are open to accept it.” Chauncey also called for better understanding by members and staffs of both large and small churches of the nature and potential of the SBC Cooperative Program. Many members and even pastors do not understand the CP and look to what it can do for their church, rather than how their church in cooperation with the other 40,000 SBC churches can work through the CP to spread the gospel in America and around the world.
The convention passed a resolution affirming the new Article Eighteen on “The Family” of the Baptist Faith and Message passed by the SBC meeting this last June, and which met with such a firestorm of adverse criticism from the secular and several denominations’ presses. The resolution reads:
Whereas, God has established the home as His means of proper human relationships (Gen. 2), and
Whereas, we acknowledge that the home is a higher governing authority than the state or the church as an institution, and
Whereas, God has given us explicit instruction in His Word regarding the structure and sanctity of the home (Eph. 5,6; I Pet. 3), and
Whereas, we are bound to God’s Word regarding all matters, and hold it supreme against a godless cultural tide, and
Whereas, the southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia is consistent in spirit with the intent of the Southern Baptist Convention; now
Therefore, be it resolved that we, the messengers attending the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia annual meeting, affirm Article Eighteen, “The Family”, of the Baptist Faith and Message.
Note: The text of the new BFM article can be found on page 24 of the June/July Banner.
The Tuesday annual meeting was preceded on Monday by the SBCV Bible Conference where attendees were blessed by two messages from SBC President and Southeastern Seminary President Paige Patterson, two by Dr. Ronnie Floyd, pastor of First Baptist, Springdale, Arkansas, and one by evangelist Jeff Smith of Georgia. The theme of the Bible Conference was “Will you not revive us again, that your people may believe in you? (Psalm 85:6 NIV).
During the annual meeting Tuesday, messengers and guests were treated to messages by Dr. Bobby Boyles, pastor of Eagle Heights Baptist, Oklahoma City, by outgoing SBCV president Terry Harper, and in the evening worship time by Dr. Patterson.
Tapes of these messages are available for $5 each or $30 for the eight-tape package, including postage and handling. If you only want to hear one, I strongly recommend Paige Patterson’s Monday evening sermon.
All in all, it was a glorious meeting characterized by fidelity to God’s Word, unity of spirit, intensity in worship, evangelistic challenges for the year to come, and the obvious outpouring of God’s blessings.