PHOENIX (BP) – North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell told the entity’s trustees that in order to see the kind of turnaround in baptisms that Southern Baptists desire, it will take millions of Southern Baptists having tens of millions of gospel conversations.
Without decreasing NAMB’s emphasis on church planting through its Send Network or compassion ministry through Send Relief, Ezell said NAMB will “put every ounce of energy we possibly can to help our convention see the importance of having gospel conversations.”
- In other actions at their meeting, NAMB trustees:
Heard a financial report indicating NAMB’s revenue for the year is running .33 percent above projected budget while expenses are 10.9 percent under budget. - Passed a resolution approving the Fiscal Year 2018 operating budget of $125.4 million.
- Approved a resolution authorizing a trustee subcommittee to study and make recommendations to the full Board regarding the qualification and makeup of the board, especially as it relates to smaller state Baptist conventions and Canada.
- Elected Board of Trustee officers who will serve throughout the upcoming year. Stephen E. (Spike) Hogan, lead pastor of Chets Creek Church in Jacksonville, Fla., will serve as chairman; Charles M. (Danny) Wood, Jr., lead pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., will serve as first vice chairman; and Daniel W. (Danny) de Armas, senior associate pastor of First Baptist Church Orlando, will serve as second vice chairman.
- Recognized several trustees whose terms of service had reached completion. They included Cleatus Blackmon of South Carolina, Billy Van Camp of Arizona, Brent Campbell of Missouri, Mark Dyer of Texas, David Green of Tennessee, Blake Gideon of Oklahoma, Heath Peloquin of Texas, Dan Walker of Utah, Natalie White of New York and Rick Wyatt of Florida.