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BSC Board report focuses on impacting lostness, discipleship
Michael McEwen, BR Content Editor
November 14, 2013
4 MIN READ TIME

BSC Board report focuses on impacting lostness, discipleship

BSC Board report focuses on impacting lostness, discipleship
Michael McEwen, BR Content Editor
November 14, 2013

The Board of Directors (BOD) report at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC) Annual Meeting was presented Nov. 12 to discuss the strategy of impacting lostness.

Before introducing Milton Hollifield Jr., BSC executive director-treasurer, to the podium, Michael Barrett, BOD president and pastor of Pleasant Garden Baptist Church in Pleasant Garden, said, “Milton and the committee spent much time in prayer as they developed this strategy, and I truly believe that we have an opportunity to reach more people than ever before.”

An 18-member Strategy Development Committee (SDC) – comprised of BSC staff and the SDC – worked for nearly a year to prepare the initiative called, “Impacting Lostness.” Because the board approved the strategy, it did not require messenger action at the BSC.

Hollifield asked, “North Carolina Baptists, are we being effective in fulfilling the mission of our Lord by the proclamation of His gospel?”

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BSC photo by K Brown

Michael Barrett, pastor of Pleasant Garden Baptist Church of Pleasant Garden, presents the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s Board of Directors report during the annual meeting Nov. 12 in Greensboro.

North Carolina is home to more than 5.8 million people who need the Good News of Jesus. Additionally, the population in the state increased 18 percent from 2000 to 2010. Impacting Lostness will equip N.C. churches to engage and impact spiritual darkness in whatever context they are.

“In order to be obedient to Acts 1:8 – and reach all people groups with the gospel,” Hollifield said, “we must create a culture in our churches, and in our personal lives, that is focused on disciple-making.”

The strategy calls for a commitment to both strengthening churches and planting churches through the facilitation of a disciple-making culture that utilizes a relationship-driven model of consultation. “In order for this to happen we must cooperate,” Hollifield said. “In fact, everything in this new strategy is contingent upon cooperation.”

The strategy plans to begin in the most concentrated areas of lostness across North Carolina.

“Impacting lostness will only be accomplished through spiritual awakening and revival,” Hollifield said. “Utter dependence will be on the power of God. I pray that North Carolina Baptists will work together to impact lostness through disciple-making.”

The board moved that messengers approve Articles I and III of the Constitution of Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute. This approval would change the name and purpose of Fruitland to Fruitland Baptist Bible College. The messengers approved the motion.

David Horton, president of Fruitland, said, “Second Timothy 2:15 is our foundation for ministry preparation at Fruitland. Even with this name change, the school will continue to retain an atmosphere that encourages development of the whole person for Christian ministry.”

The board has responsibilities to give general oversight of programs and ministries of the convention in addition to the responsibility of the recommendation of the annual budget to the convention.

The messengers approved the $30 million Cooperative Program Mission Budget, a decrease from the 2013 budget of $33.5 million. Messengers also approved a one-half percent increase of Cooperative Program (CP) receipts that are sent to the Southern Baptist Convention. This consistent increase of one-half percent for each of the past 10 years by N.C. Baptists results in a five percent increase in total CP giving to international missions, North American missions and the seminaries.

On behalf of the board’s recommendation, Bartley Wooten, articles and bylaws committee chairman and pastor of Beulaville Baptist Church in Beulaville, made a motion that the messengers approve the proposed amendments to the convention’s bylaws. These motions addressed the necessary support to the new convention structure, the change of purpose at Fruitland Baptist Bible College and clarification to matters related to voting by messengers at the BSC annual meeting.

Bylaws help the BSC maintain local autonomy, work cooperatively and conduct effective statewide ministry and missions. The motion was approved without any discussion from the floor.