ST. CHARLES – During their 188th annual meeting at the St. Charles Convention Center here, Oct. 24-25, messengers of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) elected four new MBC officers.
Coming from 470 Missouri Baptist churches across the state, 1,035 messengers and 226 guests attended the two-day meeting – making it the largest Missouri Baptist gathering in the St. Louis area in more than a decade. The theme for the meeting was “Reflecting Christ to a Watching World.”
During their business session, messengers also received training to prevent abuse in their churches, approved MBC Executive Board recommendations and voted to remove two churches deemed to be “theologically incompatible” with the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (BFM 2000).
They also passed eight resolutions, including a resolution on the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year to overturn Roe v. Wade and a resolution honoring the late founding editor of The Pathway, Don Hinkle (1954-2022), who led the Missouri Baptist state newspaper for 20 years.
During his address to Missouri Baptists, MBC President Jon Nelson urged messengers to be men and women “after God’s own heart” – like the Israelite king David. They must be willing to expose and confess sin, while pursuing God wholeheartedly.
“The church is full of broken people,” he said, urging Missouri Baptists to minister faithfully and in God’s power. “We must be willing to step in and get dirty. Then, wipe it off and move on.” As Nelson told Missouri Baptists to wipe it off, he pulled out his hands and wiped both mud caked hands on his sparkling white shirt.
“If you don’t know what to do, trust God and let others come alongside,” he added. “Walk with your congregation. The world is watching.”
MBC Executive Director John Yeats called Missouri Baptists to a renewed spirit and culture of holiness.
“The Lord has done great things through Southern Baptist ministries and through our respective state conventions,” Yeats said. “But there is a huge danger of corrupting what God has wrought by turning to the ways of the world instead of doubling down on the mission of our cooperative work. …
“God’s ultimate desire for His people,” he added, “is that we be holy – conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus.”
Guest speakers also addressed Missouri Baptists, including:
- Preaching from 1 Peter 4:10-11, Willie McLaurin – interim president & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee – urged Missouri Baptist messengers and guests to live for the glory of God. “We need every member of every church of every race of every city of every state to use their gifts for the glory of God,” he said. “We need everyone … to tell the dying world that the Lord Jesus Christ is still saving men, woman, boys and girls.”
- Bill Elliff, founder and national engage pastor of The Summit Church in Little Rock, Ark., called Missouri Baptists to pray for revival. “God,” he said, “can do more in five minutes of His presence than 50 years of our best human efforts.”
Sexual abuse response
During their business session, messengers also heard from the MBC’s Sexual Abuse Response Team (SART) and were equipped to better protect the families and children in their congregations and communities. SART co-chair George Fulgham spoke to messengers and submitted a written summary of their report to The Pathway.
“Going forward,” he said, “we want Missouri Baptists to see the danger of ignoring this spiritual blight and protect our vulnerable ones by equipping all of us to take positive action to prevent them from being harmed, even if we feel uncomfortable learning how to take action or admitting that there is a need.”
Gregory Love, co-founder of MinistrySafe and Abuse Prevention Systems, spoke to messengers during the business session, Oct. 25. During this message and during another two-hour session following the annual meeting, Love helped church leaders identify and better prevent abuse in their congregations and communities.
“This problem is not solved at the convention level,” Love said. “This problem is not solved in Nashville. This problem is solved at the church level.”
Officers elected
A full slate of new officers were elected during the MBC annual meeting.
Lane Harrison, lead pastor of Lifepoint Church, Ozark, nominated Chris Williams as the Missouri Baptist Convention president. As the only nominee, he was named president by the registration secretary.
ST. CHARLES – New Missouri Baptist Convention officers include (from left): Recording Secretary Justin Perry, pastor, First Baptist, Viburnum; First Vice President Wesley Vance, executive pastor, Crossway Baptist, Springfield; President Chris Williams, pastor, Fellowship Church, Greenwood; and Second Vice President Richard Young, pastor, South Haven Baptist, Belton. (Pathway photo by Bob Greenlee)
Williams, who had been serving as the MBC first vice president, is the pastor of Fellowship Church, Greenwood. Williams earned a Bachelor of Theology from Trinity Bible College, a Master of Science in Christian Studies, a Master of Divinity from Calvary Theological Seminary. He is also a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching candidate at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Williams and his wife, Kate, have five sons – Max, Cooper, Jack, Judson, and Lincoln – and one daughter, Charlotte.
There were two nominees for first vice president: Ken Parker, pastor of First Baptist, Kearney, nominated Wesley Vance, executive pastor of Crossway Baptist Church, Springfield. Dan Steinbeck, pastor of Southern Baptist Fellowship, Wayland, nominated Ted Middleton, senior pastor of Calvary Heritage Baptist, Columbia.
Messengers cast 571 votes, and Vance won with 461.
Vance had previously been serving on the MBC executive board. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Amy, have two children, Addison and Owen.
Victor Boll, pastor of discipleship/evangelism and mobilization at South Haven Baptist, Belton, nominated Richard Young as second vice president. He was unopposed.
Young is senior pastor at South Haven. He has a Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Amy, have two sons: Richard Jr. and Jordan.
Scott Perry, pastor of Temple Baptist Church, Sullivan, nominated Justin Perry, his son, to serve as recording secretary. He was unopposed.
Justin is pastor of First Baptist Church, Viburnum. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Bible from Hannibal La-Grange University, a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctoral degree in leadership from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two children, Selah and Major.
Executive Board recommendations
In other business, Missouri Baptist Convention messengers approved the MBC’s 2023 Cooperative Program (CP) proposed allocation plan and spending plan, as recommended by the MBC Executive Board.
The MBC’s 2023 spending plan is based on a $15 million CP budget. This budget sets aside 5 percent of the total CP giving for “SBC/MBC shared administration” expenses, which are allocated for annuity protections and The Pathway. The proposed “shared” funds amounted to a total of $750,000.
From the remaining CP budget, 35 percent is allocated for Missouri Baptist missions and ministries. These proposed funds amounted to a total of $5,250,000.
Additionally, 22 percent of the total CP budget is allocated for Missouri Baptist entities, including the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, Baptist Homes & Healthcare Ministries, the Missouri Baptist Foundation, Hannibal-LaGrange University, Missouri Baptist University and Southwest Baptist University. These proposed funds amounted to a total of $3,300,000.
The remaining 38 percent is allocated for Southern Baptist Convention causes. These proposed funds amounted to a total of $5,700,000.
Any CP receipts above the budgetary goal will be split evenly between MBC and SBC ministries.
The Executive Board also recommended that messengers revise Bylaw 2 in the MBC governing documents in order to clarify its language. Messengers approved a revision to the bylaw after calling for an additional amendment allowing for greater local church autonomy in giving through the MBC.
Two churches disfellowshipped
At the recommendation of the MBC credentials committee, messengers disfellowshipped two churches – namely, Christ Deliverance Ministry in St. Louis and Meadow Heights Church in Fredericktown – because the committee deemed them “theologically incompatible” with the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (BFM 2000).
In particular, the committee reported these churches are theologically incompatible with Article 6 of the BFM 2000, where it states, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”
Resolutions
Missouri Baptists also passed eight resolutions on a variety of issues – declaring their opposition to recreational marijuana and gambling and re-affirming their support for the sanctity of life for pre-born children.
Most notably, these resolutions included a strong pro-life statement on the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Resolution 4 states that Missouri Baptists “will continue to contend for and defend the right to life of all pre-born persons,” will minister to pregnant mothers and pre-born children, and “commend the recent decision of the Supreme Court and the work of Missouri lawmakers regarding abortion.” Missouri Baptist churches, the resolution says, will continue to pray that Missouri lawmakers and the Supreme Court will “stand firm in this case of justice” and will “encourage other state and federal lawmakers to likewise outlaw elective abortion.”
Another resolution honored the MBC’s late public policy advisor and Pathway founding editor Don Hinkle, who died, Sept. 22, at the age of 68. Hinkle served as Pathway editor for 20 years. The resolution reads, “We, the messengers of the Missouri Baptist Convention … do respectfully remember and celebrate the life and ministry of Don Hinkle – a good and faithful servant – who now worships before the throne of God.”