Messengers to the 2021 annual meeting of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention approved a resolution of appreciation for Arkansas Baptist News’ 100-plus years of “service and ministry promoting missions and the mission of the state convention.”
The ABN dissolved its autonomous board of directors and became a convention-run publication, on Feb. 4, 2020, as reported by The Alabama Baptist.
The ABN board of directors voted 8 to 5, with two abstentions, on Jan. 16, 2020, to dissolve ABN as an autonomous agency, said Ron West, then-ABN board member.
Greg Addison, then-ABSC associate executive director, noted the ABSC executive board unanimously affirmed the action Jan. 28, 2021.
The decision to dissolve the independent board and return operations of the publication to the state convention was made in response to a financial study conducted by outside accountants in 2019, according to the ABSC.
As the parent corporation of ABN, ABSC became responsible for ABN assets, liabilities and personnel, Addison said.
The statewide Baptist newspaper, which is now a digital-only content resource, began as part of the ABSC executive board in 1901. In 1983, Arkansas Baptists created the ABN as a corporate agency to operate the news service, with the ABSC as the parent corporation.
The recent resolution comes a year later than it might have because of the modified annual meeting in 2020. It reads:
Resolution No. 6
ON ARKANSAS BAPTIST NEWSMAGAZINE
Whereas, the Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine provided Arkansas Baptists with accurate and dependable news coverage on events related to our convention for over 100 years; and
Whereas, through the years many editors and staff members have served faithfully and loyally to provide this ministry to the Arkansas Baptist State Convention; and
Whereas, the ABN ceased to operate as an agency in 2019, the ministry of the Arkansas Baptist News was assumed by the Executive Board of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC), where it had its origins; and
Whereas, the transition of Arkansas Baptist News from an agency function to one conducted by the Executive Board of the ABSC was made to better serve news consumers’ with digitally-delivered information; and providing that as an in-house ministry by the ABSC was deemed better utilization of time and resources; therefore, be it
Resolved, that we, the messengers to the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, meeting at First Baptist Church, Cabot, Arkansas, October 26–27, 2021, express our appreciations for over 100 years of service and ministry promoting missions and the mission of our state convention by the ABN and its editors, writers and staff.
