Medley Addresses General Board
American Baptist General Secretary, A. Roy Medley, addressed the denomination's General Board as they met in plenary session on Wednesday afternoon, June 24, in Pasadena, CA. He set the theme for his report with his opening words; "I stand before you today filled with hope that is rooted in our faith."
Despite the difficult economic climate and ongoing cultural change, Medley sees promising hope.
Medley reported on his visits to ABC churches across the country, saying that he has been discovering "an emerging consensus around the joy of witnessing from the edge of our culture." He highlighted churches that "are not counting their faithfulness by the brick and mortar they possess but by the lives they help reshape and redeem."
He shared the example of First Baptist Church in Bennington, VT, which reopened a closed off Sunday School wing to become the site of a free medical clinic and counseling for families that have experienced abuse.
"Witness from the edge can be exciting to the church and confusing to those who just expect us to focus on whether Sister Jones brought potato salad rather than her usual macaroni salad to the church supper," he noted.
Another sign of hope is the growing involvement of American Baptists in concerns for peace. Among the hopeful signs are the Baptist Global Peace Conference, held in Rome, Italy, in February, which was initiated by American Baptist International Ministries; the work being done by Dan Buttry, an ABC missionary, to help bring reconciliation in North East India; and the Baptist-Muslim dialogue, also being spearheaded by ABC, which will be the focus of a documentary to be aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company) in January.
As a third sign of hope, Medley also noted the growing role of American Baptists in responding to the plight of refugees from Burma. In addition to helping with resettlement within the US, ABCUSA is pushing for greater visibility of their concerns.
"Through our advocacy," he reported, "the Baptist World Alliance Commission on Freedom and Justice will make the situation in Burma a major theme in its meeting this summer."
Dr. Leo Thorne, associate general secretary for Mission Resource Development, reported on the work of that office, responsible for stewardship and communication for the Office of the General Secretary. He told representatives of the creation of new stewardship materials and resources, the imminent launch of the new www.abc-usa.org website, and an emphasis on development to raise funds for the Office of the General Secretary. He also noted that they are seeking to fill two new staff positions: communications specialist/web manager and stewardship education/United Mission promotion.
Jim Ratliff, of the Budget Review Committee, reported that the audit received an unqualified opinion. He also noted that a grant has been made from the Mission Initiative Fund to International Ministries and Judson University, Elgin, IL, to underwrite a cooperative project between the two organizations and William Carey University, Hattiesburg, MS, to lead teacher education workshops in northeastern India. The project has the potential to reach 1,000 teachers.
Reports were also made by the American Baptist Home Mission Society and Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society (National Ministries) and the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (International Ministries).
The General Board Executive Committee voted to send the General Board offering to the Wichita Community Church, a historic 19th century church in Anadarko, OK, whose building was destroyed by a tornado on May 13, 2009.