November 19, 2001

Virginia Baptists elect executive, approve relationships report
___WOODBRIDGE, Va. (ABP) --Virginia Baptists elected a new executive director and honored the man he will succeed during a two-day meeting marked more by celebration than business.
___Messengers to the Baptist General Association of Virginia's annual meeting Nov. 8-9 in Woodbridge, Va., elected John Upton Jr. to lead the organization of about 1,400 congregations. He will assume his new position March 1, when Reginald McDonough retires after 15 years as executive director.
___About 1,000 messengers registered for the meeting, which was held in the Washington suburbs for the first time since 1982.
___Messengers also approved the report of a committee studying the BGAV's relationship with national ministry partners and adopted a $15.2 million budget for 2002.
___The report on national ministry partners was adopted with little opposition, although Tom McCann of Martinsville, Va., who chaired the committee, moderated a vigorous discussion in a breakout session. The panel was formed at last year's meeting to "recommend the best possible uses in 2002 and beyond of the BGAV resources and cooperative endeavor we share with national ministry partners."
___The final report essentially leaves intact the BGAV's relationships with entities of the Southern Baptist Convention, with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and with other ministry partners. However, the report recommends several changes:
___ That the BGAV partner directly with Baptists in other countries, while continuing its ties to mission-sending organizations like the CBF and the SBC International Mission Board.
___ That if a missionary to be appointed jointly by the SBC's North American Mission Board and the BGAV meets the BGAV's doctrinal criteria but not NAMB's criteria, the BGAV will use funding from the BGAV budget to employ the missionary.
___ That the BGAV seek formal representation on the board of directors of the Baptist Center for Ethics, which already receives funding in the BGAV budget.
___ That the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in Falls Church, Va., be included in the BGAV budget. Messengers later adopted a budget for 2002 that allocates funds for the 3-year-old school started by Baptists in the Washington area.
___ That funds be increased for Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
___ That the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's referral service, which helps churches find staff ministers, require clients of the service to "pledge to do their best to keep their churches in the BGAV."
___ That a staff member be authorized to serve ministers requesting alternative annuity, insurance and protection plans for ministers, while retaining the current relationship with the SBC's Annuity Board.
___ That the BGAV ask the Baptist World Alliance to reconsider its membership requirements. Currently those requirements limit membership to national associations of churches, effectively omitting both the BGAV and the CBF from joining the BWA.
___Messengers elected Reginald Warren, pastor of Sycamore Baptist Church in Franklin, Va., as BGAV president. Also elected were Beth Fogg, a member of Second Baptist Church in Richmond, first vice president; Aubrey Rosser, an attorney and member of First Baptist Church in Altavista, Va., second vice president; and Fred Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society, clerk.

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