By Leslie Peacock Caldwell IMB news office ANAHEIM, Calif. — International Mission Board president Paul Chitwood began IMB’s report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting with recent good news from the mission field. He recounted a message he received the previous night from a pastor whose daughter serves overseas. Chitwood shared that three Muslim women had accepted Christ as Savior. These salvations were the first the IMB missionary team

The Baptist Paper ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church Farmersville, Texas, and active denominational leader, was elected 64th president of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14 during the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. Barber received 3,401 votes on a second runoff ballot, garnering 60.87 percent of the 5,587 total votes cast in the runoff. In a four-way presidential bid that included Florida Baptist

By Diane Chandler Baptist Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton calls it a “gut punch” – Jesus’ reference to his disciples as an “unbelieving and perverse generation.” Jesus had two questions for disciples in the Matthew 17 passage, which Litton posed in his June 14 address as if Jesus were speaking directly to Southern Baptists. “Southern Baptists how long shall I stay with you? Southern Baptists,

By Jennifer Davis Rash The Baptist Paper Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim came to do business and even lined up at microphones before the opening session began at 8 a.m. The first opportunity to present motions came at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time and 23 were presented before time ran out. Among motions presented several dealt with transparency concerns related to the Executive Committee, North American

By Timothy Cockes Baptist Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Seven new SBC Executive Committee officers were elected during the group’s June 13 meeting, including new EC Chairman Jared Wellman, lead pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. Other newly elected officers include Vice Chairman David Sons, Secretary Pam Reed and four EC subcommittee (also known as standing committee) chairs. Wellman is in his second term on the Executive Committee,

By Scott Barkley Baptist Press ANAHEIM — With $4 million now pledged from Send Relief toward funding sexual abuse reforms over the next year, Executive Committee members voted June 13 to rescind their recently approved recommendations for that same objective. EC Chair Rolland Slade, overseeing his final trustee meeting, extended thanks for the gift to Send Relief and its president, Bryant Wright, as well as North American Mission Board President

By Robin Cornetet Baptist Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Daniel Dickard, senior pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., was elected president of the 2023 SBC Pastors’ Conference on June 13. Dickard won the election by a ballot vote, defeating African Christian University’s dean of theology Voddie Baucham by a vote of 690 (50.85 percent) to 608 (44.8 percent). Fifty-nine ballots (4.35 percent), were disallowed. Next year’s pastors’ conference

By Robin Cornetet Kentucky Today ANAHEIM, Calif. — With the weight of so many important decisions facing Southern Baptists in the coming days, hundreds gathered to pray at the Anaheim Convention Center June 12. Arkansas pastor Bill Elliff and Robby Gallaty, pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, led audience members on what the men hoped would be a journey where God would meet each person in a real

By Grace Thornton The Alabama Baptist ANAHEIM, Calif. — Connie Dixon covered some miles this past year as she served as national Woman’s Missionary Union president. She visited 20 states, had 29 speaking opportunities, attended 94 Zoom calls, recorded five videos and two podcasts, wrote 27 articles and walked through 61 airports. “I have loved every minute of it, but more than anything I am so honored to serve as

By Brandon Elrod Baptist Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Following a week of Southern Baptist seminary students engaging neighborhoods around Anaheim, 34 churches engaged their communities through various outreach events Saturday, June 11, through Crossover, which partnered with Send Relief to host a Serve Tour experience that took place ahead of the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. “Southern California is a rich environment of ethnically and racially diverse peoples,” said