2018 Annual Meeting Report: Iowa Baptists Cast Vision for “Reaching Iowa” with the Gospel

By BCI Staff,

The 2018 Baptist Convention of Iowa (BCI) Annual Meeting was held Saturday, November 10th at the Hilton Garden Inn in West Des Moines. One hundred twenty-one messengers represented 52 churches at the meeting.

Keynote speaker Wes Searcy, President of Next Worldwide, exhorted the messengers to pursue authenticity and accountability in their leadership roles and to become “World Christians.” What does it mean to be a “world Christian”? Wes challenged messengers to focus on their ministries and what God is doing in Iowa, but also to keep their eyes toward all “ethne” at the same time. Wes asked messengers, “Are you ready to surrender to God whatever he asks of you?”

BCI Executive Director Tim Lubinus announced that BCI churches increased weekly attendance 50% over the last five years and that BCI churches baptized over 1,000 people over the last year. Lubinus stated that Cooperative program giving has been strong, with a 400% increase over the last five years, from $99,000 in 2013 to $401,000 in the year ending September 30, 2018.

Jack Owens shared memories and lessons learned from his many years as a pastor and church planter in Iowa.

Lubinus also talked about staff changes this year to increase BCI impact in supporting pastors, developing pastor peer learning groups, communication systems, communication support for churches, and BCI organizational support. Kari Minter joined the BCI staff this year as Planter Spouse Care Advocate to encourage and support church planter’s wives.

Tim Lubinus informed messengers about a new initiative in overseas ministry through the Daniel Project. The goal of the Daniel Project is to recruit, train, and send near-culture Christians to engage in evangelism and church planting in difficult, predominantly Muslim countries in Central Asia. The new initiative invites Iowa pastors and church leaders on a one-week vision trip and to support the ministry as a church partner with monthly giving.

Chase Abner, Lead Church Planting Catalyst told the messengers, “I always say that church planting in Iowa is necessary, exciting, and possible, but we need local churches to see that the next generation of planting leaders are sitting in their pews today.” Chase also noted that BCI churches have started 18 new churches together over the past five years but that there is still much work to be done. Chase challenged local churches to “raise up the next generation of church planting leaders,” telling messengers that “Tomorrow morning they will be sitting in your pews.”

The Executive Board approved a grant at the September board meeting to use a significant portion of BCI reserves for new projects in developing new leaders as church planters in our state, to support and encourage pastors, and to better mobilize and support cross-cultural missionaries sent from BCI affiliated churches.

BCI Pastor & Church Support Staff members Ed Gregory and Chris McRae who shared about the many programs and initiatives for supporting existing churches. Ed and Chris stated that along with Church Planting Team Leader, Chase Abner, they try to make sure that every church affiliated with the BCI has regular, meaningful connection with the state office. Additional facilitators with specialized skills and gifting have volunteered to assist with supporting existing churches and church leaders.

Another initiative to support pastors was the addition of a bi-vocational pastors retreat. Shannon Smith, with the Bi-Vocational and Small Church Leadership Network, led a group of pastors and their wives to examine some of the issues unique to pastoring in rural Iowa while holding down a full-time job outside of the church. Ed and Chris mentioned that they are planning to host a similar retreat for this group uniquely challenged group again next fall.

Breakout sessions offered by during the Annual Meeting included:

• IMB representatives Jeremy P. and Scott P. who gave an overview of the work of the International Mission Board and the Baptist Global Response. (Names redacted due to their sensitive mission work in non-permissive environments around the world.)
• NAMB Representative Bob Burton who shared information about the new North American Board Church Planting Pipeline a development resource for the local church to discover and develop church planting teams.
• Lifeway representative Greg Jackson who introduced the new Daily Discipleship Guides as a tool for the local church.
• BCI Planter Spouse Care Advocate Kari Minter shared with pastors’ wives about staying focused on their own spiritual health as they walk through ministry with their husbands.
• John Mark Yeats from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary called on attendees to stretch their minds in personal study and exercising their minds to love God. Dr. Yeats offered practical strategies for broadening and deepening a believer’s reading, ministry, and personal discipleship.
• Hispanic Church Planting Catalyst Israel Becerra hosted a meeting of Hispanic pastors, church planters and lay leaders.

Officers elected at the annual meeting were Second Vice President Michael Felkins, First Vice President Todd Stiles, President Jim Parker, and Secretary Jerome Risting. (L to R)

Officers elected at the annual meeting were President Jim Parker, pastor of Sojourn Church, Council Bluffs; First Vice President Todd Stiles, pastor of First Family Church, Ankeny; Second Vice President Michael Felkins, pastor of Grand Avenue Baptist Church, Ames; and Secretary Jerome Risting, Temple Baptist Church, Mason City. All officers ran unopposed this year and were elected by unanimous vote.

Regional representative Executive Board members elected at the annual meeting were Tom Nesbitt, Central Region; Ken Livingston, Northeast Region; Ricky Rohrig, Southwest Region; John Tank, Southeast Region; and Robert Allen, Northwest Region.

Messengers approved a budget of $1,625,962 for 2019 marking an increase of 3.79 percent from 2018 and includes $700,000, an increase of 8.57 percent from 2018, in anticipated Cooperative Program receipts from BCI churches, $730,000 from the North American Mission Board (plus providing one full-time lead church planting catalyst position) and $75,400 from LifeWay Christian Resources.

The Baptist Convention of Iowa will continue to forward 50 percent of CP receipts to SBC missions and ministries, no change this year. The budget does not include any shared ministry expenses with the SBC.

The budget allocates $100,000 to the Iowa Ministry Fund consisting of 10 percent of BCI Cooperative Program receipts and 50 percent of the Iowa Missions Offering with the balance from reserves and foundation investments. The Iowa Ministry Fund normally distributes $10,000 to a selected ministry organization in each of 10 ministry categories to support organizations and ministries that offer God’s mercy, love, and truth to those who are among the most vulnerable across the state.

The Baptist Convention of Iowa is 113 like-minded churches with over 13,000 members who have organized together for greater ministry impact, focusing in the areas of church planting, church development, and community transformation. The BCI pools resources for extending ministry into new areas and population segments within Iowa and around the world, provides mutual support, and develops the next generation of Baptist leaders.

The 2019 annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of Iowa will be held on Nov. 2nd at a location yet to be determined.