Johnny Hunt Challenges Pastors To
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NEWS JOURNAL OF NORTH CAROLINA BAPTISTS VOL. 177, NO. 13 JUNE 25, 2011 WWW.BIBLICALRECORDER.ORG N.C. Baptists take part Fishers in So. Bapt. Convention From staff and wire reports of men PHOENIX — From nominating candidates for national office to partici- pating as the fifth largest group at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), North Carolina Baptists met with fellow messengers in Phoenix June 14-15 to emphasize ethnic diversity, stand for unity and embrace an unengaged people group. BR photo by K. Allan Blume N.C. church tackles It was the lowest-attended annual CONVERSATION — North Carolina meeting in 67 years, with just over Baptists, from left, Chris Griggs, senior 4,800 in attendance, but the substance pastor of Denver Baptist Church in unreached people group of the meeting led plenty who attended Denver, Milton A Hollifield Jr., Baptist to argue it shouldn’t be judged on num- State Convention of North Carolina in South Asia bers (see related story, page 5). executive director-treasurer, and Jim LEADING — “God told us to be fishers of men,” said Michael Cloer, pastor of “I do believe it could prove to be the Henry, former Southern Baptist Con- Englewood Baptist Church in Rocky Mount. He stands beside a fishing net given most spiritually significant convention vention president and a retired pastor to the church by a Koli fisherman in South Asia. The fisherman is now a follower over the last 50 years,” Southern Baptist from First Baptist Church in Orlando, of Jesus. See related story, page 8, and video at http://vimeo.com/24848768. It was Convention President Bryant Wright, Fla., who lives in North Carolina, catch shown during the Southern Baptist Convention June 14-15 in Phoenix. who was re-elected to another one-year up at the Southern Baptist Convention term, told Baptist Press (BP) after the in Phoeniz, Ariz. By Alan James South Asia when Englewood Baptist Phoenix gathering. Wright pointed to Baptist Press Church in Rocky Mount took its first the sluggish economy and to the travel More than 1,000 pastors and their overseas missions trip to reach the Koli time from most SBC churches as pos- wives packed a North American Mis- t hangs from the ceil- people for Christ. sible reasons for the low attendance. sion Board (NAMB) luncheon to learn ing near the auditorium That Koli fisherman is now a fol- Danny Akin, president of Southeast- about the entity’s new Send North of Englewood Baptist lower of Jesus. ern Baptist Theological Seminary in America church planting strategy. On Church like an over- A couple of months after the initial Wake Forest, nominated the winning the final night of the convention, hun- grown spider web. It’s mission trip in February 2011, a second first vice president Fred Luter, pastor dreds of messengers flooded the front of I frayed and tattered in Englewood team returned to the same of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in the convention hall at the end of the In- spots, with blue netting where it has spot where Cloer had met the fisher- New Orleans, La. Clint Pressley, pastor ternational Mission Board (IMB) report, been repaired multiple times through man. By the end of 2011, the church of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in having signed cards pledging to lead the years. will have sent four teams to engage the Charlotte, nominated the sole candidate their church to embrace an unengaged Pastor Michael Cloer runs his fingers Koli people with the Good News. for second vice president, Eric Thomas, people group. An IMB representative along the fishing net, admiring the At last year’s annual meeting of the pastor of First Baptist Church in Nor- will contact them later. craftsmanship. As he inspects the net, Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in folk, Va. (See election story, page 3.) Each mission board report also he voices an impromptu object lesson. Orlando, Cloer said he became convict- From beginning to end, messengers featured a commissioning service, with “You look at the individual pieces ed that the congregation had not done heard biblical pleas for Southern Bap- Southern Baptists meeting their newest and they don’t look like much, but enough to help reach people groups like tists to join the church planting move- missionaries. (See NAMB story, page 6, together they are strong. … It’s a great the Koli — those unreached with less ment in North America and to adopt and IMB story, page 7.) picture of the church,” said Cloer, who an unengaged people group around the received the net from a fisherman in (See Fishers Page 9) world. And messengers responded. (See N.C. Baptists Page 10) Johnny Hunt challenges pastors to ‘Kingdom life’ PHOENIX (BP) — Pastors must take the lead in God desires to be with us in a mentors to younger pastors and to personal holiness, evangelism and service to others if more mighty way in the present glorify Jesus Christ in all they do. Southern Baptist churches are to be effective in reach- and in the future if we are to Other speakers included: Peter ing the world for Christ, speakers said at the 2011 touch this nation, which we’re Ndhlovu, bishop of the Bible Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference June 12-13. not touching as we ought, and Gospel Church in Zambia; Bob The annual conference preceding the Southern the nations of the world.” Pitman, longtime preacher and Baptist Convention annual meeting was held this year To achieve this “Kingdom evangelist from Muscle Shoals, at the Phoenix Convention Center and focused on life,” Hunt pointed to the Apos- Ala.; Bob Roberts, senior pastor the theme, “Aspire: Yearning to Join God’s Kingdom tle Paul’s example in 1 Corin- of NorthWood Church in Keller, Activity.” thians 16. First and foremost, Texas; Paul Gotthardt, lead and One of the key speakers was Johnny Hunt, North Hunt said Paul emulated the Photo by Bill Bangham founding pastor of Life Baptist Carolina native and senior pastor of First Baptist Kingdom life by being gener- CHALLENGING — Johnny Hunt speaks Church in Las Vegas, Nev.; Dar- Church in Woodstock, Ga. Hunt is also the immediate ous with his possessions. during the 2011 SBC Pastors’ Conference rin Patrick, lead pastor of The past president of the Southern Baptist Convention. “We need as much, if not June 12 in Phoenix, Ariz. Journey church in St. Louis, Mo., Pastors must first get their own lives in order and more, emulation as we have and vice president of the Acts 29 live “the Kingdom life” before they can hope to influ- exhortation,” Hunt said. “We’ve learned how to say church planting network; Bartholomew Orr, senior ence the lives of their church members, said Hunt it; we’ve just got to learn how to do it. And we’ve got pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church in South- June 12. Only when pastors have their lives properly to do it by example and giving the people a way to aven, Miss.; and Greg Matte, senior pastor of First ordered will the Southern Baptist Convention be suc- follow.” Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. cessful in reaching people for Christ. Hunt challenged pastors to give liberally and to be (EDITOR’S NOTE — Complete coverage of the “We as the Southern Baptist Convention have had a willing to go to the places where God directed them. pastor’s conference and the SBC is available at www. blessed past,” Hunt said. “But I personally sense that He also encouraged pastors to be willing to serve as biblicalrecorder.org/resources/SBC2011.aspx.) 2 Biblical Recorder: News Journal of North Carolina Baptists June 25, 2011 Charlot te teens take stage in Phoenix From staff and wire reports in youth group. Her passion and love for missions is evident in her church wo North Carolina teen- Acteens involvement, but she also helps age ladies took part in this with associational and community mis- year’s Southern Baptist sions projects.” Convention and Woman’s Taylor and Curry began serving as Missionary Union (WMU) national panelists Feb. 1 and will con- annual meetings in Phoenix, Ariz. tinue through the end of the year. The TKianni Curry and Cassie Taylor, WMU Foundation has also awarded both of University Hills Baptist Church each of the young women a $1,000 in Charlotte, are two of six teenagers scholarship from the Jessica Powell on the 2011 National Acteens Panel. Loftis Endowment for Acteens. Acteens is the WMU missions organiza- At Blume the panelists will have pro- tion for girls in grades 7-12. gram responsibilities during all general Curry and Taylor are also preparing sessions, and will be featured in other to take part in Blume 2011 July 13- ways as well. 16 in Orlando, Fla. Blume, formerly In addition, the panelists will have known as the National Acteens Con- the opportunity to write for The Mag, vention, is sponsored every four or five the missions magazine for Acteens, and years by WMU. for www.wmu.com/students. Throughout National panelists, Debby Akerman the year, Curry and Taylor will work to- said to Southern Baptist Convention BR photo by Dianna L. Cagle gether with the other panelists to shape (SBC) messengers June 14, are “an BREAKING ICE — Kianni Curry, left, and Cassie Taylor play rock, paper, scissors the future of Acteens. elite group of young women who have as part of an icebreaker called “The Progression Game.” Curry and Taylor taught WMU also recognizes Hayley demonstrated a strong commitment the session and participated as part of the North Carolina Baptist Men’s Missions Baxley of Galeed Baptist Church in to Jesus and to missions through their Conference for youth April 2.