Baptist Briefs: American Baptists propose changes

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American Baptists propose changes. Leaders of the American Baptist Churches USA are proposing changes to the denomination’s governing structure that aim to encourage greater missional empowerment and broader involvement of affiliated churches. The ABC General Board considered the proposal during its summer session, although details are in process and will be worked out this fall. The proposal must be approved at the denomination’s biennial meeting in 2009 before the changes are adopted. The proposal reduces the size of the General Board from its current 109 members to 31. It also allows the entity’s national and international mission boards to choose their members from outside the General Board.

Kentucky Baptists sent most to SBC. Official registration figures for the 2008 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis released by SBC Registration Secretary Jim Wells show Kentucky Baptists sent the largest number of messengers to the annual meeting. The Kentucky Baptists comprised 10 percent of the 7,277 messengers who registered for the June 10-11 meeting at the Indiana Convention Center. Texas churches sent 416 messengers. In all, 3,142 churches sent messengers to the meeting.

Student missionary to Peru killed. Southern Baptist student missionary Gregory Gomez IV died in a bus crash in Peru. Gomez, 22, was serving as a short-term field worker with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. According to Baptist Press, the SBC’s information outlet, Shivar, from Crawford, Ga., and the translator received minor injuries. Gomez graduated in May from the University of Mississippi with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Troy, Ill., near St. Louis.

Correction. Due to a reporting error, an article in the July 21 Baptist Standard incorrectly stated the percentage of pastors who will be fired. “Rejected ministers find acceptance and help” said the Ministering to Ministers Foundation reports that 2 percent of all pastors “will be fired or pushed out of their churches during their careers.” Actually, that fate will befall 20 percent of pastors.

 


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