JACKSONVILLE––In its August 2025 meeting, the Florida Baptist State Board of Missions addressed a full docket of business items, including the approval of a 2026 Cooperative Program budget; response to motions presented at the 2025 annual meeting of the Florida Baptist State Convention; election of new personnel and recognition of a long-tenured convention staff person who is retiring; authorization to study alternative risk financing for Florida Baptist churches; and numerous other matters.

‘Grace for the race’

On Thursday, Aug. 21, speaking to the State Board of Missions, Stephen Rummage, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, focused on Hebrews 12:1-3, highlighting God’s “grace for the race.” He said that God will empower believers to run the race that He has given to them.

Rummage stated that the cheering section surrounding God’s people for the race is more than spectators; the cheering section is composed of “witnesses … those who have run their race for Jesus, finished their race for Jesus and now they are cheering us on.”

Training for the race includes “laying aside every weight,” including spiritual weight of anything that takes priority over the “best thing” of running God’s race as well as the weight of “the sin” that easily ensnares. Believers have a tendency, he said, to be proud about staying away from sins that are not personally tempting. “God wants us to stop being prideful for the sin that doesn’t easily tempt us,” but to lay aside “the sin that so easily ensnares,” Rummage said.

Next, believers are called to run “with endurance” the race that is “set before us.” The Greek word for race is equivalent to the English word, “agony,” he explained.

Finally, believers are called to “win” the race by “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher” of our faith. “Jesus,” he said, “is with us every step of the way” during the race.

Day by day, God calls His people, “by the power of the Holy Spirit, do your best for Jesus and stay in the race,” he said.

2025 Florida Baptist annual meeting/Pastors’ Conference

Mike Orr, president of the Florida Baptist State Convention, shared that the theme for Florida Baptists’ Nov. 9-11, 2025, annual meeting to be held at First Orlando is Out of the Fire: A Call to Evangelism, based on Jude 23.

“God is up to something … in Florida … in parts of America,” Orr said. “It’s exciting to think about what God is stirring across our country.”

In discussing the annual meeting theme, Orr said, “Hell is real; eternal damnation is real,” and he urged Florida Baptists to continue to be diligent in their evangelistic commitment.

The theme of the 2025 Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference, under the direction of Eric Stitts, is Keep Running Spiritually, Physically with the Gospel.

Budget approval

In its August meeting, the State Board of Missions, on the recommendation of its Finance Committee chaired by Kevin Lautar, approved a proposed 2026 Cooperative Program Basic Budget of $29 million. While representing a decrease of $500,000 from the 2025 budget of $29.5 million, the proposed 2026 budget is based on past expenditures and continues to designate 51% of all receipts from Florida Baptist churches to the Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program, while retaining 49% for ministries in the state. The budget allotment aligns with the four Florida Baptist mission imperatives established by Rummage. Of the 49% of monies that remain in Florida, close to $2.4 million, unchanged from 2025, is earmarked for three of Florida Baptists’ cooperating ministries, The Baptist University of Florida, One More Child and Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center.

Response to motions

The State Board of Missions’ Denominational Committee, chaired by Scott Wilson, reported on their work related to two motions presented by Joel Breidenbaugh at the November 2024 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting. The motions addressed amending the Florida Baptist Convention Constitution & Bylaws in reference to affirming that only men serve as pastor/elder/overseer in Florida Baptist churches and also to stating that churches that baptize or admit into membership homosexuals and/or transgender individuals are not in friendly cooperation with the Florida Baptist Convention.

After careful and diligent consideration, the Denominational Committee recommended that the proposed amendments not be added to the convention’s official documents. However, the State Board of Missions affirmed a recommendation proposed by Rummage that Bylaw 2 of the Constitution & Bylaws be amended to state that “a Cooperating Local Church shall not practice its theology, faith, or polity in any way that is contrary to the doctrines and distinctives outlined within The Baptist Faith and Message in its latest revision.”

Resolution of appreciation

The State Board of Missions approved a recommendation of its Administrative Committee, chaired by Aaron Burgner, for a Resolution of Appreciation for state convention leader Steve Baumgardner, director of support services, who is retiring Aug. 31 after serving Florida Baptists for 42 years.

The Resolution of Appreciation for Baumgardner states that he “has provided invaluable leadership, financial and administrative guidance, and encouragement across the state as he has come alongside associations, churches and pastors and has always been a faithful servant of Christ, offering practical and real-life encouragement from his walk with the Lord and vast ministry experience.”

Messengers to the 2025 FBSC annual meeting in November will vote on the Resolution of Appreciation proposed by the State Board of Missions.

Organizational structure and personnel updates

On the occasion of Baumgardner’s retirement, the State Board of Missions approved a recommendation of its Administrative Committee to rename the current director of support services role to controller and further approved a recommendation to elect Austin Ward to the role of controller of the Florida Baptist Convention.

Ward, who holds a both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration, comes to the role from Ennis, Pellum & Associates, a certified public accounting firm in Jacksonville. He and his wife of 13 years, Jennifer, have three children, ages 12, 10 and 7.

Micah Ferguson, who currently serves the convention as director of strategic initiatives, will assume some of the operational and financial tasks that had been handled by Baumgardner. Because of this shift in responsibility for Ferguson, his title was renamed to director of operations and finances, and he will provide strategic leadership across financial and administrative functions of the convention.

The State Board of Missions also approved a recommendation of its Administrative Committee to elect Gabriel Revilla as director of Baptist Collegiate Ministry in the Tampa area. Revilla has ministry experience in guiding students and young adults in their spiritual journeys. He is currently studying online to earn a master’s degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife of five years, Callie, have an infant son.

Alternative risk financing

Recognizing the challenges facing Florida Baptist churches related to natural disasters, sky-rocketing insurance premiums and even reduced coverage, the State Board of Missions, on a recommendation of its Administrative Committee, authorized the Florida Baptist Convention staff to conduct a feasibility study related to alternative risk financing. The study will include collection and analysis of data from churches regarding insurance coverage, claims and premiums. A final report is expected to be issued to the State Board of Missions in 2026.

‘Best days are ahead’

As the State Board of Missions concluded its business on Friday, Aug. 22, Rummage, focused on Psalm 115:1, stating all glory goes to God. He reminded attendees of the four mission imperatives of the Florida Baptist Convention: (1) Evangelizing the lost and baptizing more new believers each year, (2) Calling out and discipling more God-called believers to fulfill the Great Commission, (3) Planting and revitalizing more churches and (4) Giving more generously to support our cooperative mission efforts each year.

He closed his report by stating, “I am grateful for each of you, for the churches you represent, and for the way you live out our mission imperatives every day. Thank you for letting me serve you, and thank you for serving the Lord faithfully. I believe our best days are ahead—together.”

The next State Board of Missions meeting will be held Monday, Nov. 10, at First Orlando in conjunction with the Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting.