by The Tribune
For BBFI President Linzy Slayden, the Fall Fellowship Meeting held in Canton, OH, September 17-20 was “a time of celebration and a time of challenge.” Host Pastor Mike Frazier and Canton Baptist Temple repeated their first-class handling of the needs of the Fellowship pastors, missionaries, and members who attended the meeting, just as they did three years ago. Attendance swelled Wednesday evening to nearly fill the church’s 1,800-seat auditorium
Highlights of the meeting included:
- Fellowship Faithfulness Awards were presented to veteran missionary Elmer Deal, to BBFI church planter and pastor Parker Dailey, and to long-time Baptist Bible College professor James Sewell. This was a first for the BBFI.
- BBFI missionaries were approved for ten fields (see inside front cover of this issue).
- Friends of the BBFI David Gibbs and Elmer Towns were evening speakers.
- President Slayden hosted his first BBFI State Chairmen luncheon and discussion.
- Music groups Soul’d Out and Selah sang for the meetings, with Selah giving a full concert Wednesday night.
- Boston Baptist College students presented an original live musical drama about pioneer missionary Adoniram Judson.
- Noel Smith was inducted into the Christian Hall of Fame, and the portrait was unveiled in the Wednesday evening service.
- Seminario Biblico Bautista (Baptist Bible Seminary) of San Jose, Costa Rica, joined Baptist Bible College Asia as an approved international school of the BBFI upon the recommendation of the Education Committee of the National Directors.
- Series of testimonial videos were presented throughout the week with the theme “I am BBFI.”
Preachers for the week were Larry Upchurch, Archie Emerson, Russell Johnson, Nathan Smith, Mel Brown, John Reilly, Col. Steven Keith, Jason Kratochvil, Jesse Parnell, Jon Konnerup, David Gibbs, Elmer Towns, and Linzy Slayden. Angela and Sheena Walton addressed a meeting of fellowship women.
John Arnold of Pennsylvania said, “The Canton meeting was a breath of fresh air for me. I was greatly encouraged in pastoral ministry and also for the future of the Fellowship. Many thanks to Pastor Mike Frazier and Canton Baptist Temple for their red carpet treatment.”
Recently approved missionary Esteban Alvarez says, “My family has not been the same since my parents became believers thanks to a BBFI missionary, and now we have the opportunity to be second-generation BBFI missionaries to Uruguay. One thing I know — I am BBFI and have no issues saying it. Let’s move forward together!”
Although the results of the bi-annual election of officers was announced earlier, in September the new officers take their place for business. Newly elected secretary Bill Carter joined reelected officers Linzy Slayden, Mike Frazier, Keith Gillming, Dan Lamb, and Howard Braymer as the Executive Committee met. Business items included review and approval of audits for the BBFI Mission Office and the Baptist Bible Tribune, ratification of Baptist Bible College Trustees Rohn Boone, Eddie Lyons, Don Elmore, Doug Cox, and Mark Carter. Mission Director Jon Konnerup, with the assistance of Pastor Lewis McClendon, announced the phasing out of the Annual Missionary Projects Offering in favor of a new program for Missionary Care, and Konnerup reported updates to the Christian Conduct Statement for missionaries.
Pastors attending the business meetings also heard reports from the presidents of Fellowship colleges, the Tribune, and the National Church Planting Office. President Slayden asked for updates for several projects, including the Bible Distribution Project (churches far exceeded the goal of 100,000), the Holy Land Tour, BBFI Cruise, Prayer and Fasting Day, and an explanation of the Fellowship Faithfulness Awards.
Linzy Slayden summed up the attitude of most when he said, “A great big ‘Thank You’ to Mike Frazier and his staff and the good people of Canton Baptist Temple for the great work in organizing this national meeting. There are some great things happening in the BBFI. I am glad and happy to be a part of it.
Future meetings of the BBFI scheduled are:
- February 18-20, 2013 Shiloh Hills Baptist Church, Kennesaw, GA
- May 13-16, 2013 Baptist Bible College, Springfield, MO
- September 16-18, 2013 Tri-City Baptist Temple, Gladstone, OR
- February 17-19, 2014 Temple Baptist Church, Albuquerque, NM