Northwest Baptists remember ‘mission of the gospel’

By Cameron Crabtree

CENTRALIA, Wash. (BP) — Messengers attending the Northwest Baptist Convention (NWBC) annual meeting welcomed more than a dozen churches into the multi-state network, adopted an almost $4,050,000 budget for 2025 and reelected three Oregon pastors to serve as convention officers over the next year.

Convened Nov. 11–13 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Centralia, Wash., 297 registered messengers and 175 guests represented 161 of the NWBC’s 500-plus partnering churches across Washington, Oregon and north Idaho.

Speaking to the convention meeting’s theme — “As the Father sent Me, so I send you” — Randy Adams, NWBC executive director who earlier this year announced his intention to retire by summer of next year, noted the importance of involving people in missions and ministry service.

“One of the ways we make and multiply disciples is by creating opportunities to serve,” he said. “Find ways to invite people to serve the Lord. That’s the way to change their lives.”

Adams recalled significant turning points in his life as he said “yes” to opportunities pastors and ministry leaders invited him to consider as a young adult.

“It’s important that we remember not only the message of the gospel, but the mission of the gospel that Jesus began,” Adams said, citing Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20. “Jesus saw standing behind (the apostle) Peter the thousands who would be saved and sent in the Pentecost. And the sending continues.”

God is still sending — down to this very day and this very hour, asserted Adams.

“We were already marching through the mind of Jesus as He prayed that prayer,” he said. “Jesus is sending you with the same purpose, with the same provision and the same power.”

Adams also urged participants to remember the importance of relationships in gospel ministry.

“You’re not just sent to places, but to individuals,” said Adams, noting the many encounters Jesus had with individuals that are recorded in the four New Testament gospels.

“Ministry offers a lot of great experiences, but the best memories and the most meaningful things will be personal relationships,” he said. “We will be together (in eternity) with those we were sent to reach.”

Officers reelected

Messengers reelected Bryan Bernard of Redemption Church in Corvallis as president, along with Michael Crisp of Chehalem Valley Baptist Church in Newberg as first vice president and Chad Harms of Pathway Church in Gresham as second vice president.

Budget

The $4,049,935 spending plan for next year is down slightly from the $4,088,000 budget for 2024. It anticipates $2.6 million in Cooperative Program gifts — a reduction of $100,000 from the 2024 anticipated Cooperative Program gifts — and $300,000 in Missions NW gifts from churches. Missions NW funds are designated specifically for evangelism and church planting work in the Northwest.

Of the $2.6 milion in expected Cooperative Program gifts from Northwest Baptist churches, 20% of that amount — $520,000 — will be forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee for disbursement to SBC entities for missions and education causes in North America and around the world. This percentage is unchanged from last year. That “shared Cooperative Program Ministries” amount includes a $100,000 allotment for Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention to support work of the school’s Pacific Northwest Campus.

Funding support from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) next year is $100,000. That amount is for grants the NWBC requests for evangelism projects at local Northwest Baptist churches. The grants are subject to NAMB approval based on criteria established by the two entities.

The 2025 budget includes almost $270,000 from reserves to balance the budget, up from the $80,000 in reserves allocated in the 2024 budget.

Besides the NAMB evangelism grants, Missions Northwest funds and reserves, revenue sources for next year include $150,000 from the Northwest Impact Missions Offering, more than $143,000 in restricted funds and almost $489,000 from sources such as endowment earnings, investments and fees.

Next year’s annual meeting is Nov. 10–12, also at the Great Wolf Lodge in southwest Washington.

BGAV members ‘free indeed’

Compiled from Baptist Paper reports

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Messengers to the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s (BGAV) annual meeting at First Baptist Church (FBC) Alexandria approved its budget for 2025, elected officers and approved several other items for the upcoming year during the Nov. 13 morning business session.

Messengers met under the theme “Free Indeed” (John 8:36) and heard from Robert Stephens, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Alexandria; Miriam Swanson, executive director of Fusion USA; Elijah Brown, general secretary and CEO of Baptist World Alliance; and Wayne Faison, executive director of BGAV and senior pastor of East End Baptist Church in Suffolk.

With BGAV President Becky McKinney presiding, messengers adopted the 2025 Cooperative Missions/BGAV budget of nearly $7.2 million. BGAV Treasurer David Washburn said the $7,193,750 budget is an increase of 1.86% from the 2024 budget of $7,061,860.

The BGAV offers four different giving plans for churches to dictate how their gifts are allocated.

New officers

Shelton Miles, who served as first vice president during the current year, was elected president for the upcoming year (nominated by James Bunce). Shelton is a member and former pastor of Kedron Baptist Church in Gladys, Virginia.

Chief Stephen R. Adkins Sr., of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, was elected first vice president (nominated by Herbert Ponder). Stephen is a member of Samaria Baptist Church in Providence Forge, Virginia.

Eli Withers, associate pastor of Harrisonburg Baptist Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia, was elected second vice president (nominated by Shirley Cobb).

Tim Madison, pastor of Emmaus Baptist Church in Providence Forge, Virginia, was elected clerk (nominated by Darrell Foster).

Other business

Messengers also elected members to serve on the BGAV executive board and chose Allen Jessee, pastor of regional and global networks at Highlands Fellowship in Abingdon, Virginia, to serve as executive board chair for 2025.

In addition, members of the Missions Council were elected, and messengers adopted a resolution of appreciation to FBC Alexandria for hosting the meeting and to the BGAV staff and officers for their ongoing leadership and their work in preparing for the annual meeting.

BGAV Executive Director Wayne Faison recognized the outgoing officers and led a prayer for the incoming and outgoing officers. During the session, standing committee chairs, retiring Mission Council members and retiring executive board members were recognized.