More than 1,200 people gathered at the SBC of Virginia’s Annual Homecoming to celebrate 25 years of ministry Nov. 7-9, 2021 at Libertylive.Church in Hampton, Va. With the theme, “Keep Pressing on Together,” messengers also heard plans to create a sexual abuse task force and a variety of missions and ministry reports.
“This year, we celebrated 25 years, remembering all that God has done, those who came before us, and our unwavering commitment to the authority of Scripture. We recommitted our lives believing our greatest days of Gospel opportunities are ahead,” shared Grant Ethridge, senior pastor of Libertylive.Church in Hampton, Va.
25 years of ministry
Attendees enjoyed highlights and interviews about the 1996 founding of the SBC of Virginia, which included looking back at God’s faithfulness among the last 25 years of church planting. Those in attendance also heard from Brian Autry, SBCV executive director, and Kevin Ezell, North American Mission Board president, regarding a new partnership between NAMB and SBCV called Send Network Virginia, which will increase support and resources for existing and new church plants.
“And Ephesians 3:20-21 became a Scripture quoted over and over, so as the Lord tarries in His return, may we keep pressing on together with the Gospel because God is able!” Autry said.
Sexual abuse task force and Caring Well team
During Autry’s sermon and report, he called for a heightened focus on prayer for revival and spiritual awakening. Chuck Lawless, vice president for Spiritual Formation and Ministry Centers at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, also helped lead a “concert of prayer.”
“Jesus shows us that in the midst of our busyness it is not only right, it is necessary for us to push away from the crowds to be with the Father,” Lawless shared,
Autry announced that in conjunction with the focus on prayer during this next year, he will work with the SBCV Executive Board chairman and president to create a special task force and Caring Well team for the survivors of sexual abuse.
Keynote messages were shared by Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Bryan Carter, senior pastor of Concord Church in Dallas; Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board; Steven Rummage, senior pastor of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City; and Allen McFarland, president of the SBCV and senior pastor of Calvary Evangelical Baptist Churchin Portsmouth, Va.
Christian Music Artists Charles Billingsley and Jason Crabb joined LU Praise from Liberty University to lead worship and a special concert on that Monday evening. Worship throughout the other sessions was led by the Libertylive.Church Worship Team.
‘Care for Hispanic congregations’
More than 20 breakouts were offered for messengers on Monday morning. Topics included church planting, missions, children, students, men, women, worship, communication, Hispanic ministry, and more.
During a special Monday lunch called, “The Next 25: On Mission Together,” SBCV and International Mission Board mission leaders shared how churches can continue to mobilize church members of all ages over the next 25 years.
Donnie Owen, pastor of Broadway Baptist in Broadway, Va., shared that his church was inspired last year when the SBCV gave $175,000 to the IMB for their 175th anniversary. This year, Pastor Owen presented the SBCV with a $25,000 check in honor of the 25th anniversary. Broadway Baptist received approval by messengers during this meeting for partnership with the SBCV. They were one of 19 churches unanimously approved for partnership, which brought the total affiliations of the SBCV to 808 churches.
Giving records broken
Gifts given in 2020 by SBCV churches through the Cooperative Program broke the all-time record at $9,621,846. The record was also broken for the most given through the 2020 Vision Virginia missions offering to equal $387,955.
Messengers approved the proposed state convention’s Ministry Investment Plan of $10.1 million for the 2022 fiscal year. Of the total adopted Ministry Investment Plan amount, $9.8 million comes from SBC of Virginia churches giving related to Cooperative Program contributions. The adopted plan will be distributed with 51 percent going to national Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program ministries and 49 percent distributed to state level SBC of Virginia Cooperative Program ministries. This is the same percentage of allocation as last year.
New officers
Newly elected SBCV officers received unanimous approval by messengers. Stan Parris, pastor of Franklin Heights BC in Rocky Mount, Va., was named president. Joey Anthony, pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Colonial Heights, Va., was named first vice-president. Felix Sermon, pastor of Grace International Christian Church in Springfield, Va., was named second vice-president. Jason Taylor, pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Kents Store, Va., was named secretary.
“My prayer for the SBC of Virginia for the coming year,” Parris shared, “is for God’s Spirit and power to fall on our churches so that the state, nation, and world would experience renewal and revival…I know that the churches of the SBC of Virginia will rise to the challenge and trust the God of hope, share the God of hope, and care for the hurting and broken with the love of Jesus.”
‘Humbling and an honor’
As part of an annual mission outreach project, SBCV churches collected more than 1,600 Christmas backpacks. These backpacks were filled with school supplies and the gospel message. They will be distributed to 25 churches and ethnic church plants throughout the state.
The weekend before the meeting started, the SBCV Women’s Ministry and the Ministerio de Mujeres (Hispanic Women’s Ministry) partnered with London Bridge Baptist Church in Virginia Beach to host the first bilingual women’s conference. Professor and Author Kristi McLelland taught a three-part lesson on Jesus and His unique way of teaching and reaching women in the first century. All worship was bilingual, and the Hispanic women were supplied with headphones to listen to the speaker in their own language.
SBCV messengers will meet at First Baptist Church in Roanoke on Nov. 13-15 for the 2022 Annual Homecoming. Guest speakers invited include H.B. Charles, Johnny Hunt, Clint Pressley, and Bruce Frank.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This article was originally published by the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia.
