Pictured above: Stephen Rummage, executive director-treasurer for the Florida Baptist Convention, shares his EDT report before the State Board during the Friday, August 21, meeting. (Photo by James Powell)

JACKSONVILLE, Florida – The Florida Baptist Convention State Board of Missions reiterates “Right Beside You” missional call during their August meeting in Jacksonville.   

Taking the podium for his Executive Director-Treasurer report before the full board, Stephen Rummage said “’Right Beside You’ is more than a slogan. It is our promise and our posture.”  

This statement alone appropriately summarizes the full two-day meeting of the board.  

The posture reverberated through each committee meeting: Denominational, Loan, Finance, and Administrative.  Each committee met throughout the day to discuss business matters that pertain to their area of ministry.  

At the end of the Denominational Committee meeting, Louis Egipciaco, senior pastor at Elevate Church, led a pray praising the movement of all things, together, working for the glory of God in our state.  

Churches and cooperating ministries are working together in unison to expand Kingdom efforts for all ages and communities.  

“Serving all of Florida requires coming right beside pastors and churches across cultures, languages, and communities,” added Rummage in his EDT report. “The Florida Baptist Convention is right beside you in Multicultural Ministries.”  

Headlining the Administrative Committee agenda included new staffing changes to bolster the multicultural ministries team.  

Given the recent departures and transitions within the convention’s Hispanic multicultural team, the board supported a permanent five-person part-time team of leaders that will offer a flexible, and sustainable path forward.  Instead of a previous model with only a couple of full-time staff, this allows the convention to be more localized, right beside churches, across multiple regions.   

The new leaders include: Alberto Ocaña, Hispanic multicultural consultant (Southwest and Southeast); David Perez, Hispanic multicultural consultant (Central, East, North); Hector Torres, Hispanic multicultural team coordinator; Reynier Coro, Hispanic missions consultant; and Juan Puente, Hispanic missions consultant.  

Integral in the framework of the convention’s mission, the finance committee approved freeing up more investment funds for ministry use.  The board approved a framework to mobilize the convention’s investment returns in broader ways.  Specifically, targeting these returns to absorb operational overhead and thus allow more cooperative program dollars to go directly to ministries and missions. 

Board members bring valuable representation from their area of the state to make sure ministry dollars are aligned for “right beside you” ministry impact.  

Speaking of those in the room, President Jim Locke said, “My experience has been that each man and woman that’s represented on the board represents a tremendous diversity of gifts and abilities, and all of them represent their churches, their associations, very well.” 

“The Florida Baptist Convention has blessed me in my 21 years at Hillcrest,” Locke continued. “This is an opportunity for me to give something back to the people who make up Florida Baptists.”  

“Throughout this report we see Florida Baptists are right beside our churches,” concluded Rummage. “We’re right beside you as we share the gospel and baptize new believers, call out and disciple God-called leaders, plant and revitalize churches, and give cooperatively and steward resources for the Kingdom.” 

The next meeting for the State Board will take place Monday, Nov. 9, at First Orlando.  

Additional business items: 

-Discussed the loan fund balance report and temporary moratoriums, celebrated 262 active loans aiding churches and approved four additional loans 

-Reflected on financial assistance to churches and pastors. During the second quarter, April 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026, the convention provided a total of $17,650, assisting 13 pastors and families. Also, during the same time period 18 churches received grants for revitalization efforts through Cooperative Program funds. 

-Approved amendments to Florida Baptist State Convention Bylaw 17 Section D – Creating Debt (This item will move forward for messenger consideration at the upcoming state convention annual meeting in November) 

-Adopted a report on the item referred from the November 2025 state convention annual meeting for a disability ministry study. Full report will be shared with messengers at the November annual meeting. 

-Received Reports from the Cooperating Ministries 

-Adopted resolutions of Appreciation for Lonnie Wright, Misael Castillo, and Al Fernandez 

-Approved Staffing Adjustments:  

• Named Patrick Coats as Director of Regional and Multicultural Ministries, in addition to his role as East Region Catalysts 

• Endorsed a new part-time staff model for Hispanic Multicultural Ministries and Missions 

• Elected Kurt Shiver as Director of the Tallahassee Area Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Florida State University 

-Adopted the 2027 Florida Baptist Cooperative Program budget recommendation 

-Reviewed Convention and Cooperating Ministries Audit Reports  

-Approved Small Church Investment Fund distribution to the Maguire State Mission Offering