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KBC Messengers Approve Great Commission Task Force
11/10/2009
KBC President John Mark Toby opens the 172nd annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention on Nov. 10, at Severns Valley Baptist Church. Later in the session, messengers approved a recommendation brought by Toby for the formation of a Great Commission Resurgence Task Force to "study how Kentucky Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission."Click here to download this photo.
Presented by KBC President John Mark Toby during a report on the KBC Mission Board, the approved recommendation calls for the formation of a Great Commission Task Force that will study “how Kentucky Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.”
The task force will work throughout the coming year to study the work of the KBC’s Mission Board, agencies and institutions, and will report any recommendations it might have to messengers attending the 2010 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.
Toby is expected to announce his appointments to the task force during the evening session of the annual meeting.
Messengers also approved a $23.5 million Cooperative Program budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, as well as an increased percentage of dollars to be sent on to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministry causes.
For the 2010-11 fiscal year, 38 percent of CP funds will be designated for SBC causes, increased from the current 37.32 percent. Funds designated for KBC causes will decrease from the current 62.68 percent to 62 percent in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Evangelism Growth Team Leader Ross Bauscher provided an update on Find it Here, Kentucky Baptists’ major evangelistic campaign slated for the spring of 2010. According to Bauscher, Kentucky Baptists have already ordered more than 1.4 million bags that will include a gospel message and be shared with households across Kentucky.
“I’m excited to see what happens not only in the lives of individuals, but also in the life of the church,” he said. “Find it Here” is the theme of this year’s annual meeting.
During a report from the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, messengers approved a constitutional amendment to define a “cooperating” Kentucky Baptist church. Article III of the constitution will be expanded to include a definition of a cooperating Kentucky Baptist church as a congregation of baptized believers, and that the church would be in general agreement with any of the historic Baptist confessions of faith.
The revised Article III also includes language that communicates an expectation that a cooperating church will “voluntarily report its activities to the offices of the Kentucky Baptist Convention on a regular (usually annual) basis.”
Messengers also heard a proposed future bylaw change to Article VII to reduce the membership of the state Mission Board. Coming from the ad hoc Mission Board Size Study Committee, the recommendation outlined a new method for determining the number of Mission Board representatives elected from each association. Messengers will vote on the proposed change at the 2010 annual meeting.
Currently, the Mission Board is comprised of 171 members, representing 70 Baptist associations and including eight at-large members and eight ex-officio members. If approved at next year’s annual meeting, the bylaw change will reduce associational membership on the board from 155 to 102 over the next three to five years.
Messengers approved resolutions presented by the Committee on Resolutions, including a resolution calling for prayer and participation in the KBC’s 2010 “Find it Here” evangelistic campaign, a resolution calling for prayer for the Great Commission Resurgence across the Southern Baptist Convention, and a resolution on the sanctity of human life in healthcare.
During a report by the Kentucky Baptist Foundation, messengers approved recommendations for changes to the Covenant Agreement between the KBF and the KBC, as well as an amendment to Article VIII of the KBF’s Articles of Incorporation.
The approved Amended and Restated Covenant Agreement included a reclassification of the KBF from an “agency” to a “trust agency," as well as a revised schedule for reporting KBF financial information to the KBC Executive Director in keeping with schedules of reporting to members of the KBF board of directors.
A third enhancement outlined a revised provision requiring the KBC Mission Board’s Business and Finance Committee to approve any indebtedness incurred by the KBF to an amount in excess of 50 percent of the KBF annual operating budget, rather than indebtedness in excess of $30,000 as stated prior to the approved recommendation.
An amendment to Article VIII of the KBF's Articles of Incorporation was also approved, which removes the stipulation for the KBC's executive director and Business Services Team leader to serve as non-voting ex-officio members of the KBF board.
According to KBF President and CEO Barry Allen, the provision was "a carry-over provision from the time the Kentucky Baptist Foundation was a department of the Mission Board, and was not revised when the KBF...achieved full agency status." The KBC executive director will continue to be invited to attend the regular meetings of the KBF board.
Also during the Tuesday morning session, outgoing KBC President John Mark Toby presented the president’s address. Preaching from Hebrews 12:2, Toby encouraged Kentucky Baptists to “keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is Jesus!”
Toby reminded attendees that Jesus Christ must be central in their lives, in salvation and in the forgiveness they experience. He then provided statistics about lostness and unchurched people in Kentucky and challenged Kentucky Baptists to renew their commitment to pray.
“As we prepare to study for Great Commission Resurgence in both the Southern Baptist Convention and Kentucky Baptist Convention, we will miss the mark if all we talk about is a reallocation of resources,” said Toby. “We need to pray for a renewed heart of Kentucky and Southern Baptists to the cause of Christ to…do the work of the Great Commission.”
In addition to the Great Commission Resurgence, Toby encouraged attendees to pray as they prepare for “Find it Here,” the KBC’s upcoming evangelistic campaign designed to share the gospel with up to 1.5 households across Kentucky.
Earlier that morning, Kentucky Baptists voted to welcome 14 new churches into fellowship and four churches into watchcare status.
Churches accepted into the convention include: Bible Community Fellowship Baptist Church in Louisville; The Church at Cedar Creek in Stanford; Grace Church Louisville in Louisville; Harmony Fellowship Baptist Church in Somerset; Harrison Street Missionary Baptist Church in Paducah; Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer in Georgetown; Kimper Community Baptist Church in Kimper; Living Water Church in Mt. Sterling; Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville; New Heights Church in Pineville; Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana; St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville; Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Midway; and Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville.
The Credentials Committee also recommended the four churches to be placed under watchcare for the coming year: Crossroads Community Baptist Church in Olive Hill, Grace Baptist Church, Garrison; Grace Family Fellowship, Jamestown; and River Point Church in Munfordville.
In addition, the Credentials Committee recommended the Purchase Area Baptist Association to be continued under watchcare status, and for Cornerstone Baptist in Russellville to be dropped from watchcare status.
At the open of the Tuesday morning session, 434 messengers were registered, along with 130 church members and two visitors.
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of nearly 2.400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative offices in Louisville, including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more. For more, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
