Arizona Southern Baptist Convention

Preceding a time of what Arizona Southern Baptist Convention President James Harms called "family business," 244 messengers conducted convention business, including re-electing Harms and adopting a 2012 Cooperative Program budget of $3,180,000, the same as 2011.

With the theme "Opportunities for the Harvest," the annual meeting featured a mission fair and a single two-hour session at North Phoenix Baptist Church, Phoenix, Nov. 11.

In addition to electing Harms, pastor of First Baptist Church, Sierra Vista, to a second one-year term as president, messengers re-elected Shaun Whitey, pastor of First Indian Baptist Church, Phoenix, as first vice president, and elected Randy Mullinax, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Tucson, as second vice president. All were elected by acclamation.

Messengers adopted a $3,180,000 Cooperative Program budget and a $4,600,062 state convention operating budget for 2012. The Cooperative Program budget remains unchanged from 2011.

The budget calls for 26.05 percent of Cooperative Program gifts to be forwarded to SBC causes, unchanged from 2011.

The Cooperative Program budget will be distributed as follows: SBC Cooperative Program, $828,390; Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, $1,913,911; Arizona Campus of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, $236,550; Arizona Baptist Children's Services, $125,456; and Baptist Senior Life Ministries, $75,693.

Income sources in the ASBC operating budget beyond Cooperative Program giving by Arizona churches include $1,173,216 from the North American Mission Board, $118,800 in church gifts designated for Arizona ministries only, $54,996 from LifeWay Christian Resources, $20,000 in trust income designated for the Cooperative Program, and $53,050 in other revenue.

During the session, numerous people were recognized for leading Crossover 2011 evangelistic efforts in the Phoenix-Tucson metro corridor prior to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting last summer. Crossover Co-Chairmen Mitch McDonald, ASBC church evangelism facilitator, and Jerry Martin, director of evangelism/missions for Valley Rim Association, presented limited edition prints and other awards to 14 people. More than 1,000 people made professions of faith during Crossover, McDonald said.

Steve Bass, who resigned as ASBC state missionary in June to become the West Region vice president of the North American Mission Board, was recognized for his 15 years of service to Arizona.

"I tell people with Steve in the position he is, NAMB is no longer just a faceless organization," Banta said. "NAMB has a face, and it is a face that loves Arizona and is committed to us and to what we do here."

Bass said he is still a part of Arizona Southern Baptists as he pastors a house church that helps plateaued or declining churches to revitalize or "to die with dignity and keep the asset value in Southern Baptist life so we can put it back into a new plant." Disciples Church gives 15 percent of its undesignated income through the Cooperative Program and 10 percent to Central Association of Southern Baptists, he said.

Reporting for the state missionary search team, Harms, team chairman, said the team has completed listening sessions with the state convention staff and directors of evangelism/missions and in each association. The final session was held during part of the mission fair time.

The team will begin looking at resumes in January, he said, and when they can make a unanimous recommendation, they will present the man to the state convention staff and directors of evangelism/missions. Then, if the candidate is approved by the Convention Council, he will be presented in meetings in different parts of the state before a vote is taken in a special-called convention session.

"My prayer is that we can unanimously call this man to be our leader in Arizona," Harms said. A two-thirds favorable vote by both the Convention Council and the messengers is constitutionally required.

Next year's annual meeting will be Nov. 9 at North Phoenix Baptist Church.

Back