Churchnet's Annual Meeting

After a busy week that involved officiating two funerals in three days, I enjoyed the wonderful opportunity on Friday evening and Saturday morning of attending Churchnet's annual meeting.  The great folks at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City did an outstanding job of hosting the gathering.  We kicked things off with our missions banquet on Friday evening.  The folks at Metropolitan prepared a delicious meal and then we heard testimonies from folks who had participated in missions trips to Guatemala this past January.  Bill Miller, pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmington and David Holman, a deacon from his congregation, accompanied me in January for the latest round of leadership training conferences.  They shared about their experiences at the conference and challenged others to participate as conference leaders on future trips.  Verlyn Bergen, a colleague with Churchnet who has also accompanied me as a conference leader on multiple occasions, spoke of a trip he made in January with members of the Parkade Baptist Church in Columbia, MO to work at the Tabitha Ministry in the city dump of Guatemala City.  He shared a powerful testimony of lives being changed by this amazing ministry.

Following the banquet that was held downstairs in the beautifully decorated fellowship hall, we moved upstairs to the sanctuary where the church's choir thrilled us with some outstanding music.  The 23-voice choir sounded like there were some 50 or 60 singing.  Our African American brothers and sisters really know how to praise the Lord in song and lead in worship.  Their pastor, Wallace Hartsfield II, who serves as a professor at Central Baptist Seminary brought a wonderful Bible study from 2 Kings 24 and 25 about the plight of the poor who remained in the land of Israel when the talented and gifted were exiled to Babylon.  Later, Molly Marshall, president of Central Baptist Seminary, brought a great message in keeping with the theme of the gathering: "Share Hope with Those who Need it Most."

Saturday morning began with a breakfast provided by the church followed by a short business session to approve budgets and elect officers.  Afterwards, a series of breakout sessions focusing on Sharing Hope were offered.  We concluded with a final worship service, featuring a vocal ensemble from William Jewell College as well as a trio from Metropolitan Missionary Baptist.  Our outgoing president, Doyle Sager (pastor of First Baptist Church Jefferson City) preached a message from Mark 5, emphasizing how Jesus brought hope to some folks in desperate situations (the woman with the hemorrhage and Jairus in the raising of his daughter to life).  

The annual meeting proved to be a great time of fellowship, inspiration, and encouragement to share hope with those who need it most.