Kentucky Baptists celebrate Gospel work in annual meeting
By Kentucky Today staff
SOMERSET, Ky. (BP) – A total of 830 messengers gathered at First Baptist Church of Somerset on Nov. 14 to celebrate God’s faithfulness and Gospel work of more than 2,300 churches at the 186th Kentucky Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.
There were also more than 300 guests in attendance.
Messengers approved a 2024-25 Cooperative Program budget of $22 million, a slight decrease from last year. The KBC allocates half of the funds to the Southern Baptist Convention for international missions, disaster relief, seminaries and other vital ministries.
The other half stays in Kentucky to assist efforts such as church consulting, missions mobilization, church planting, campus ministry and other vital ministries.
Kentucky Baptists celebrated more than 80 decisions for Christ from the Anchored: Hope for Lake Cumberland crusade on Nov. 12 at Pulaski County High School and the 2023 Crossover event in Somerset. Both were evangelism-focused partnerships between the KBC and local churches.
Messengers affirmed a recommendation of the KBC Committee on Credentials to disaffiliate Fern Creek Baptist Church.
Fern Creek Baptist was deemed to be not in “friendly cooperation” with the Convention in accordance with Article VI of its constitution and bylaws. The vote to disaffiliate was approved by a show of ballots by a large margin. The vote by the messengers was that Fern Creek Baptist Church is not in agreement with the scriptural mandate for the office of pastor as articulated in the Baptist Faith and Message, which was revised in 2000 and updated in 2023.
The messengers also voted to affirm the Credentials Committee’s recommendation to affiliate with 11 Kentucky churches and put another church on Watchcare.
Messengers passed six resolutions, including gambling and equal protection of laws for preborn children.
KBC officers for the upcoming year were elected by acclamation. All were unopposed.
- Randy McPheron, Rockcastle Baptist Association associational mission strategist who also serves as an itinerant evangelist and has pastored for 25 years, was elected president.
- Jeff Noffsinger, pastor of Dripping Spring Baptist Church in Olmstead, was elected first vice president.
- Chance McConnell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylorsville for the past five years, was elected second vice president.
Robin Warren was elected by acclamation as secretary. She replaces longtime secretary Wilma Simmons, who resigned after more than three decades of serving. She was first elected convention secretary in 1991.
The 2024 annual meeting is scheduled for Nov. 12 at First Baptist Church in Paducah.
Additional stories about the KBC annual meeting are available at kentuckytoday.com.
Union, focus demonstrated at Oklahoma Baptists’ annual meeting
By Chris Doyle/Baptist Messenger
DEL CITY, Okla. (BP) – More than 800 registered messengers attended the Oklahoma Baptists Annual Meeting, Nov. 13-14, at First Southern Baptist Church in Del City.
The actual count of 826 messengers, representing 369 Oklahoma Baptist churches, exceeded the attendance of the 2022 Annual Meeting, which had 700 messengers, representing 308 churches.
The two-day event started with the Pastors’ Conference on Monday morning, Nov. 13. Speakers included John Avant, president of Life Action Ministries; Adam Mask, pastor of Community Baptist in Coweta, Okla.; Philip Nation, vice president of Thomas Nelson Bible Publishers; Jordan Easley, pastor of First Baptist Cleveland, Tenn.; and Alton Fannin, pastor of First Baptist Ardmore, Okla.
Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists, delivered his address in the opening session. Speaking from 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, Fisher’s address was titled “Strength in Weakness,” and he encouraged pastors and church leaders to not lose focus and to keep their perspectives selfless and on the eternal.
Chris Wall, Oklahoma Baptists president, oversaw the election of officers, including president and first vice-president. By acclamation, Michael Butler, pastor of First Baptist Chickasha will be the next president of Oklahoma Baptists in 2024, as he was the sole nomination for the office. Manny Parker, pastor of New Hope Baptist in Mannford was elected first vice president.
Luke Holmes, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist in Duncan, served as chairman of the Constitution and Bylaws Task Force, and reported on its work, which reviewed the Constitution and Bylaws of Oklahoma Baptists for relevant and current language.
During the business session, Fisher presented the Board of Directors report. The Cooperative Program 2024 Budget Objective is set at $24.5 million, with 43 percent allocated to national Southern Baptist Convention causes, 42 percent to Oklahoma Baptists and 15 percent to Oklahoma Baptist affiliates.
Wall concluded the Tuesday morning session with the president’s address. Speaking from Acts 15:39-41, Wall encouraged Oklahoma Baptists to stop dividing and start multiplying, emphasizing the importance of being ministers of the Gospel.
The final officer election happened in the afternoon session, as Duncan Blackwell, pastor of Elk City, First, was the sole nominee for second vice-president and was elected by acclamation.
Michael Staton, pastor of First Baptist Mustang, delivered the annual sermon. Speaking from Philippians 4:8, he encouraged Oklahoma Baptists to stand firm, be focused on sound doctrine and to practice godly biblical thinking.
The next Annual Meeting for Oklahoma Baptists will meet Nov. 11-12, 2024, at First Baptist Moore.
