The Baptist State Convention
Executive Committee conducted a brief business meeting March 5 following a
two-day retreat at Hollifield Leadership Center.
The annual retreat
introduces Executive Committee members to each other as they prepare for a year
of conducting BSC business.
It was the first Executive
Committee meeting for Bobby Blanton since he was elected Board president in
January. Blanton is pastor of Lake Norman Baptist Church.
BR photo by Norman Jameson Bobby Blanton, left, pastor of Lake Norman Baptist Church, led his first Executive Committee retreat and meeting at Hollifield Leadership Center March 4-5. |
The only significant news
was the financial report that shows Cooperative Program gifts through February
down 15.4 percent over the same period in 2009.
John Butler, executive
leader for business services, said some churches have missed services up to
five Sundays already this year due to bad weather. Few churches in the state
have not been affected at least one Sunday, he said.
The challenge with the
significant dip in receipts is managing cash flow, he said, until churches can
resume normal operations.
He said churches do not
usually make up 100 percent of receipts from missed Sundays, but he expressed
confidence that North Carolina Baptists will support their churches and that
the churches will forward mission gifts to make up most of the current
shortfall.
“We need to get past Easter
to get a good picture of where the year is going,” Butler said.
Milton A. Hollifield Jr.,
BSC executive director-treasurer, urged Executive Committee members to take
advantage of the deadline extended
to March 15 for making nominations to the Board and to the boards of agencies
and institutions.
“Please help the nominating
committee,” he said. “Sometimes people get the misperception the nominating
committee has more names than they can use.
That’s not the case.
“They are looking for names,
for people.
“Take the time to nominate
good people or ask someone to nominate them.”