PLYMOUTH, Mich. (BP) — The Baptist State Convention of Michigan heard Executive Director Tim Patterson’s vision for 500 churches by 2025, and toured the convention’s new office facilities at the BSCM leadership conference and annual meeting. Messengers also heard guest speakers from both inside and outside the state.
One hundred seventy messengers represented 55 of the convention’s more than 300 churches, and 33 guests brought the total attendance to 203 at Mile City Church in Plymouth, Mich., Nov. 8. The meeting’s theme was “Re-envision God’s Desire.”
The 2020 budget of $2,284,138 — a roughly 20 percent decrease from the current year — anticipates $1,200,000 in Cooperative Program giving from churches.
The Convention will forward 27.5 percent of CP receipts to Southern Baptist Convention national and international causes, the same percentage forwarded in 2019.
Speakers at the leadership conference were church planter Roland Caldwell Jr. from The House Church in Detroit; Barry McCarty, professor of preaching and rhetoric at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Ken Pierpont, lead pastor at Bethel Church in Jackson, Mich.; and Felix Cabrera, director of SEND Puerto Rico and executive director of Convención de Iglesias Bautistas del Sur de Puerto Rico.
During the annual meeting, Patterson challenged messengers to pursue true vision through the ability to see, the faith to see, the courage to do, and the willingness to change. Other presentations included panel discussions about state ministries and evangelism grants. Jerome Taylor, chairman of the Executive Board’s Strengthening Team, and Billy Walker, chairman of the Sending Team, called out several of the events from the last year and asked those who had benefited from the events to stand, giving a visual presentation of all the strengthening and inspiring training events offered to Michigan pastors and churches.
Scott Blanchard, lead pastor at Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township, Mich., was re-elected president. Also re-elected were first vice president Roy Henry, lead pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Battle Creek, Mich.; second vice president, Ed Emmerling, lead pastor at Westside Baptist Church in Flushing, Mich.; and assistant recording secretary, Roland Caldwell, lead pastor at Burnette Baptist Church in Detroit, Mich. Jerome Taylor, lead pastor at Eastgate Baptist Church in Burton, Mich., was newly elected as recording secretary.
Next year’s annual meeting will be Nov. 6 at a location to be determined.
