Tuesday Sessions: Annual meeting celebrates cooperation and unity

DAYTONA BEACH (FBC )—Inspirational messages from Florida Baptists’ executive director-treasurer, two Florida Baptist pastors and a California seminary professor wrapped up the second and final day of the 146th Annual Meeting of the Florida Baptist State Convention focusing on the theme, “We Are Better Together.”

“God has called us to be culture changers,” said Tim Passmore, pastor of Woodland Baptist Church in Bradenton, who was selected to deliver the convention sermon—a time-honored tradition. One example of a biblical culture changer is Moses, continued Passmore, who has led his church to grow from 350 to 2,175 members.

Discussing the Tuesday morning focus, “Equipped Together,” Passmore noted five essential elements to being a culture changer. With Exodus 3 as his outline, he said, “First, we need a mountaintop experience—when God speaks to us and we say yes.” Second, he said, “We need to move past the past.” A person who sees value in the future can make that move from the past, he explained. Third, he went on, “We need to become rescuers,” being out in the world serving people. He continued that, fourth, “We need to see what’s on the other side of the sea,” trusting God to get us through the obstacles. Finally, “We need to stop putting it off. The longer the wait, the longer the bondage,” he explained.

“Moses was the right leader, in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things,” he said, challenging those in attendance to “know God can use us this day to make change in our world.”

Tuesday afternoon’s session focused on “Effective Together,” with John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, emphasizing cooperation in his address to 2007 annual meeting participants. “Cooperation is a mysterious miracle of God,” he said. “Cooperation is the key ingredient of going into the world. We are not given to grand individualism but rather a body of believers who not only need each other but belong to each other.”

Drawing attention to Ephesians 4, Sullivan noted three principles for attaining the unity of faith needed for Southern Baptists’ cooperative efforts. One, he emphasized the “willingness principle,” of choosing to cooperate rather than being coerced into cooperation. Two, Sullivan taught the “all things common principle,” in which stewardship is a driving force in the missionary enterprise. Three, “the equality principle,” he said, stresses that “the ultimate quality of grace is equality.”

Tuesday evening culminated with two biblical addresses focusing on “Evangelize Together.”

Leroy Gainey, professor of educational leadership at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., told those in attendance to “keep digging together,” in the tradition of those who became rich in the California Gold Rush. While it was hard work, the prize at the end made it all worthwhile, he said. Citing the story of Isaac in Genesis 26, he shared five principles on how to keep digging: Keep digging in the place where God put you, even if times are hard, difficult or challenging; keep digging together against the haters, those who are jealous and throw dirt on your work; keep digging together for the new possibilities await you, because God knows the possibilities; keep digging together for God’s evangelistic heart will reach the most unsuspecting persons; keep digging together because God is not through with you yet. Gainey reminded Florida Baptists, “Our business is the most important business in the whole, wide world. There is not story greater than Jesus. That story will change the hearts of even the coldest, hardest person.

Forrest Pollock, pastor of Brandon’s Bell Shoals Baptist Church since 2002, challenged attendees to consider their personal relationship with Jesus, stating, “You’re as close to Jesus as you want to be.” He noted four varying levels, or rings, of relationship with Jesus. The first ring, the outermost ring of the circle, is the “indifferent” ring. The individuals in that ring, according to Pollock, are “Christians of convenience” or “fair-weather followers,” showing little spiritual commitment. Pollock identified the next ring as the “involved” ring. The individuals in this ring may “know about Jesus, but not know an intimacy with Him,” said Pollock. The next ring is the “intense” ring, he said, in which individuals may be in a “whistling whirligig of activity,” even church activity. The final ring is the “intimate ring,” in which people have a true intimacy with God. Pollock issued an altar call, encouraging participants to recommit themselves to an intimate spiritual relationship with God. Many individuals spent time in both small-group and personal prayer at the conclusion of the annual meeting.