Day 3 - Report C

1:30 PM:

The afternoon session began with prayer, music, and a devotional. The Youth Campgrounds Report was read and approved. The camp managers for Bogg Springs and Pine Springs spoke to the report. The camp trustees were re-elected.

The Chaplaincy Report was read, spoken to by various chaplains and military officials, and addressed by former chaplains. The report was then approved. "America The Beautiful" was sang and then a special time of silence was observed followed by a prayer of blessing for our military.

The History & Archives report was read, spoken to, and then approved. Bro. Terry Parish was honored for speaking at a 2007 celebration honoring Baptists in America ("300 Years of Baptist Associations in America"). He spoke concerning the legacy of Landmarkism in America at this event.

The Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Report was read and approved. The MBSF report was read and approved. The National Youth Meeting Report was read and approved. The ABA Credit Union Report was read and approved.

The Enrollment & Finance Committee reported 640 churches pre-registered with 150 registering at the meeting for a total of 790 churches sending in letters of association (very low number this year). $80,113 was given towards the meeting expense and $11,923 towards the Missions Committee expense. There were 356 Messengers pre-registered with 275 registering at the meeting for a total of 621 (very low numbers as well). [Total attendance will be determined after the Wednesday night service.] $10, 376,574.95 was given to mission work this year throughout various mission programs.

The Exhibit Hall has over 100 booths (low numbers again) containing ministry, mission work, publishing house, music, etc. information.

Day 3 - Report B

9:15 AM (cont.):

The meeting was very calm with no missionary brought up for a separate vote. (The questions concerning Bro. Jeremiah were answered yesterday and not brought up again.) Bro. Randy Cloud was re-elected as Secretary-Treasurer of Missions. The amendment proposed by Heritage MBC was taken off the table and will be referred to the churches of the ABA for the next year. At the meeting in Springfield, Missouri, this item of business will then be debated and voted on. (I have a copy and will discuss it later.) The second amendment to the Missions Policy of the ABA proposed by Pine Crest in Georgia was voted down and not taken off the table. (I have a copy and will discuss it later.) Later, a motion was made and seconded to report in the mission booklet the number of professions, baptisms, and amount of sponsoring church's support sent through Texarkana for each missionary. This motion failed. The session adjourned after a few other items were handled. After the session, we walked to Chili's for a quick lunch and then headed back for the afternoon session.

Day 3 - Report A

9:15 AM:
After enjoying a great breakfast (the bacon is incredible at the hotel restaurant - even though Jen did eat some of mine!) with the Grigsby's (former Pastor of Pleasant Hill MBC outside of Overton), we started the morning meeting with prayer, a devotional, and a special in song (a lady performed "How Great Thou Art" in sign language - it was beautiful!). Dr. Randy Cloud, Secretary-Treasurer of Missions of the ABA, gave his annual report concerning the missionary work supported through Texarkana. He reported "18,452 professions of faith, 1,613 baptisms, 601 received by letters, 74,341 sermons preached, and 16,611 lessons taught. Missionaries reported self-supporting churches being established in Africa, Philippines, India, Belize, and Thailand. For the fiscal year 2007-2008, $2,614,584.64 was given through the office in Texarkana. At the messenger meeting of the churches this year in Spokane, Washington, 194 missionaries will be recommended for financial support through the office of Secretary-Treasurer of Missions. These missionaries are serving the Lord in 28 states and 28 foreign countries. If all of the Interstate, Foreign, and National Missionaries are approved without any raises, the monthly pay out will increase approximately $23,000 or 11%. Approximately $2,767,000 will be needed to pay the missionaries for the coming year. The balance in the mission treasury at the end of May 2008 was $783,083.46." (abbreviated information taken from the Secretary-Treasurer's 2007-2008 fiscal year annual report) This information pertains only to the missionaries supported through the office in Texarkana - much more missionary work is done outside this program as well.

The final process of approving missionaries is now under way. Due to the nature of this meeting and my responsibility as a teller, I will be forced to write about the rest of the morning meeting later.