Lee tells GMB members to stay focused in the midst of troubled times
By Sharon Mager. BCM/D Correspondent
COLUMBIA, Md.—Ron Stanley, Jr., Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) General Mission Board (GMB) president, brought the May 6 GMB meeting to order at the Baptist Mission Resource Center (BMRC). Mitch Camp led worship. Camp spoke about his orchard and the beauty of God’s creation. He said he’s “impressed with what God is doing in my little patch of Maryland,” and that makes him want to sing. He launched into a strong deep version of “How Great Thou Art” followed by “Shout to the Lord.” Afterwards, he and his wife, Pawnee, sang an old spiritual, “Here’s One.”
Ron Stanley shared from I Timothy, where Paul urges Timothy to be prayerful - to have a preoccupation with prayer. That, Stanley said, leads to a tranquil life. It is good and acceptable and will be in accordance with God’s plan for all men to be saved.
Report from Executive Director
BCM/D Executive Director David Lee reiterated the convention’s mission to start and strengthen churches in an effort to accomplish the commands of Jesus in the Great Commission and Acts 1:8.
“I can report to you that we are on mission,” Lee told GMB members, adding that staying on mission and keeping first things first, is a challenge that Jesus warned about.
Lee referenced Mark 13:10, “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations” (NIV).
“You read the paper just like I do. You listen to the news reports. People are distracted,” Lee said. The news is gloom and doom.
Even Baptist news is not so good. “Southern Baptists, at least for the past year, have joined the ranks for denominations that are declining,” Lee said.
Membership is falling and baptisms are declining. At the same time, world population is growing dramatically.
“Never have there been so many lost people than ever before that so desperately need Jesus Christ.”
Lee said we have become distracted just like Jesus feared we would.
There is a brighter side, Lee said. Lee said he was encouraged when he recently visited Viers Mill Church for a baptism. Four congregations share the facility and they get together for the Lord’s Supper and for baptisms. Lee said as they worshiped together it was like a microcosm of heaven.
Lee said the difference between those reaching people and those who are not is passion, and the passion is lost when people become distracted.
“…We as leaders of this convention have a responsibility to avoid distractions and keep our focus on the mission – The Great Commission.”
Looking ahead, Lee said this might be our best year ever with church planting. The convention is seeing a Hispanic church movement beginning to take shape.
Lee cited successes with the Youth Evangelism Conference, registering over 1,000 people with over 100 decisions for Christ. One hundred fifty ministers’ wives attended the annual retreat in Annapolis. The language music festival continues to grow. There have been at least 1,490 log-ins for training on E-quip.net. Partnerships continue to grow, especially Scotland. Lee said the BCM/D is seeing results from Embrace Baltimore and is laying the groundwork for Embrace Wilmington.
“I can candidly report to you that we are seeking to avoid the distractions and we are staying on mission as a convention,” he said.
“…When conditions in our world around us seem to darken, we have the opportunity to shine like stars in the universe reflecting the light of the Son.”
Financial Report
Tom Stolle told GMB members that the economy’s decline, with the high gas prices, foreclosures and other financial downturns, didn’t catch God by surprise.
Stolle said for the three months ended Mar. 31, 2008, Cooperative Program receipts trailed budget with receipts totaling 21.65 percent of the 2008 annual budget. Additionally, Cooperative Program giving for the first quarter 2008 trailed the first quarter 2007 by 7.7 percent due to the contribution of fewer dollars in January 2008 than for the same period last year. February and March were good months, with giving in both months exceeding 2007 levels. Stolle predicts April will probably be down from last year as April 2007 was a strong giving month. Last April was strong, followed by a soft month. Some of it has to do with the timing of contribution receipts from our churches, Stolle said.
Administrative Committee Report
Fred Dyer, chairman of the Administrative Committee and pastor of White Marsh Church, brought the committee’s report and recommendations to the board.
Members unanimously approved some minor changes to the Employee Policies & Guidelines; to accept Rockbridge Seminary as an additional source of online academic education for convention constituents; to borrow necessary funds from the Baptist Foundation to repair or replace items for the BMRC facility; to approve a request from Baptist Family & Children’s Services to conduct a 1.5 million dollar capital campaign; and to reduce the BCM/D annual meeting from four sessions to three.
Bob Simpson, associate executive director, explained that the changes to the Employee Policies and Guidelines are minimal and primarily bring terminology up to date to reflect the new management structure. The only substantive change, he said, had to do with compensatory time.
Randy Millwood, BCM/D missionary for missional leadership, shared information about Rockbridge Seminary. Millwood said 90 percent of the students are Baptist. The founding administrators include Jimmy Draper, Roy Fish, Nelson Searcy and Rick Warren. The seminary is online and is more affordable and convenient than traditional schools.
Simpson shared how borrowed funds would be used to update the BMRC. Sixty percent of the cost will be in replacing ten HVAC units that cool and heat the building. In addition to correcting flaws, a new system will be more energy efficient.
Other improvements include: the parking lot surface, re-carpeting, painting and other minor cosmetic improvements. Simpson said that while the improvements are needed now they will be required should the building need to be sold in the future. The maximum loan will be for $225,000.
Bob Gerstmyer, Baptist Family & Children's Servies executive director, said the capital program they want to begin this summer would help with opening more transitional housing, provide long-term facility maintenance and improvements and help with start-up staffing costs for Delaware and Cumberland and for a development and volunteer coordinator.
Board members also voted to shorten the annual meeting. David Lee said the annual sermon would be preached at the end of the third session, ending the meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Lee said there would still be verbal reports from International Mission Board and North American Mission Board representatives, but not all of the other agencies. Representatives will still have a presence at the meetings at booths where individuals can get information and ask questions.
Reports from the Field
Rick Hancock, BCM/D president and pastor of Dunkirk Church, praised God for the Youth Evangelism Conference, where seven youth from his church were saved and are now being discipled.
Ed Reece, pastor of Hazelwood Church, introduced Brian Starch, an intern from Hannibal, Miss., who will be helping the church this month.
Robert Anderson, pastor of Colonial Church, praised God for a successful missions conference. Anderson said last year four people went on a mission trip. As a result of this year’s conference, they had 43 members participate. Anderson said the church had a Hip Hop Conference that will help them address the needs of some of the youth in the church.
Larry Malizzi, a member of Faith Church, Elkton, said the church is sending two mission teams out in July, one to Mexico, July 5 to 14 and one to Kentucky, July 19 to 26. Malizzi said this is the first time the church has sent two teams to two different places in the same month.
Ron Stanley, Jr., pastor of First Church, Suitland, and GMB president, said his church is doing outreach to local businesses and building relationships. As a result of that, a local school is having recitals in their church. The church is also sending missionaries to Malta and to South Carolina.
Agency Reports
Robert Gerstmyer, Baptist Family & Children’s Services, said BFCS’s goal is to have 47 certified CHOSEN treatment families by June.
“We have reached that goal,” Gerstmyer said with a smile.
Eastern Association’s BFCS branch is now recruiting families and hopes to begin placing children soon. Delaware’s BFCS is going through a licensing process.
The agency is continuing to work towards establishing more transitional housing. The most recent is in the community of Penn-Lucy. They are now seeking a transitional home in Cambridge.
Bill Peacock, president of the Baptist Foundation, reported that 21 churches received loans from the church loan found.
As of March 31, Peacock said the market value of the investment portfolio was approximately 6 million dollars, a 4 percent downturn due to current market conditions. Peacock said the good news is the five-year return rate is 7.4 percent.
“When the market comes back up we anticipate growth,” he said.
The foundation continues to focus on planned giving, but will turn their focus more to education. Instead of doing wills directly, Peacock said they’ve established a list of attorneys they can provide to potential givers.
Ken Jordan gave the report for the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee. Jordan shared information about marriage bills that have been proposed to the house and senate. Some of the bills were to protect marriage; others were to allow for same sex marriage. All of the bills failed, but Jordan said they would surely be reintroduced again.
Jordan said the committee gives regular updates to interested pastors and lay leaders to be part of the prayer and/or action and to give information for expressing opinions. For updates on these and other like matters contact Jordan at (800) 466-5290, ext. 213 or at kjordan@bcmd.org.
Jordan cited Hebrews 13:4 in his comments. “Marriage is honorable,” he said. “Let’s keep it so.”
Reports from Strategy Teams
Ellen Udovich, BCM/D missionary for direct ministries, lay mobilization, ministry evangelism and senior adults, representing the Acts 1:8: Missions Involvement Team, introduced Freddy Parker, BCM/D missionary for partnership missions.
“The task God has given us to reach our world requires us to partner,” he said. Out of the six billion people on the earth, 4.5 billion of them are lost, he said.
Parker said Scotland is a blossoming partnership. There are also opportunities in Asia, West Africa, the Middle East and Kentucky. Parker said he would help put together a trip for anywhere that someone feels God is leading.
Written reports were submitted by the other four strategy teams.
David Jackson, BCM/D missionary, for the Church Multiplication Team wrote, “It could be a banner year in church planting for the BCM/D.”
Thirteen new works were started during the first quarter of this year – five in Baltimore city directly or indirectly connected to EMBRACE. These new churches include French Speaking African, Anglo-American, Hispanic and Korean. So for now, BCM/D is on a pace to plant one church per week in 2008.
Eddie Scott, BCM/D missionary for Bible teaching, discipleship, and general church consulting, reported for the Church Services Team, formerly the Congregational Development Team. “In this quarter we have experienced life-changing events that exceeded all expectations…” Scott wrote in his report. He cited VBS clinics, evangelism, Sunday school, witness, children and youth ministry trainings and the youth evangelism conference. The team is now preparing for the summer Horizons conference.
Randy Millwood, BCM/D missionary for missional church leadership, e-quip.net, small groups and seminary extension, reported for the Leadership Development and Support Team. The team’s goal is to provide all BCM/D pastoral team members and families the assurance that they are valued, that their convention cares for them, and that they have the very best resources available to them.
Tom Stolle, BCM/D chief financial officer, missionary for minister's compensation, church treasurers and stewardship, reported for the Resource Development Team. Stolle, in a written report, said education continues to be a focal point of the team. Financial stewardship seminars will continue to be made available. His team has also partnered with children and youth ministry providing train-
ing concerning safe-guarding in conjunction with student ministries.
Ad Hoc Committees
Bruce Revel, reporting for the Affiliation Committee, recommended GMB members vote to accept First Church, Upper Marlboro, into the convention. Revel said the church is looking forward to getting involved in partnership ministry.
Revel said he always encourages newly affiliated churches to contact the association closest to them.
“Affiliation is about mission partnership,” Revel said. “They are the ties that binds us together.”
President’s Remarks
Rick Hancock, BCM/D president, said his son, Joshua, is one of his very favorite people. “We’re very similar in our characteristics. We both look alike and we like purple lollipops,” Hancock said. “We also have great times together. We love to fish…to work in the garden, drive the garden tractor and cut the grass. And we’re crazy about his three sisters and madly in love with his momma.”
Joshua, many say, is a “chip off the old block.” The same can be said of Jesus, Hancock said, referencing Heb. 1:3 and Col. 1:15. “Jesus is a chip off the old block.”
“God has invited us to be just like him. How do I imitate God?”
Hancock cited Eph. 4: 22-23, about putting off the old self, and putting on the new self.
“Character is not a choice. It’s a million choices. It’s in every choice we make,” Hancock said.
“Our family deserves for us to be more like God. Our churches and the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware desire and deserve for us to be more like God.”
