HARRISBURG (BRN) – More than 250 members of the BRN Family, including pastors, parishioners, collegiate ministers and ministry leaders, walked through the doors of the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel in Harrisburg, Pa., on Oct. 3 for the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania and South Jersey’s (BRN) third annual Accelerate Conference.
Prior to the conference kicking off at 9 a.m. with the annual business session, guests were invited to start their day at a special breakfast sponsored by the PA Family Council and PA Family Institute and the Church Ambassador Network.
During the breakfast, Kurt Weaver, director of strategic partnerships for the Pennsylvania Family Institute in Harrisburg, presented dangers facing the church in a post-Christian world and provided helpful resources for how churches should respond in an ever-increasing secular world.
Annual Business Session
Following breakfast, messengers gathered in the main room for the BRN’s 53rd annual business meeting. Dr. Brian King, Sr., president of the BRN Executive Board and senior pastor of Ezekiel Baptist Church in Philadelphia, opened the gathering with prayer and a brief welcome.
After King’s initial remarks, he presented his report and invited Eric McMahon, BRN Executive Board member and senior pastor of Watershed Church, and Larry Baker, senior pastor of Anastasis Fellowship Church, for the seating of the messengers. At this time, there were 98 messengers present for the 2023 business session.
Through a video message from Dr. Barry Whitworth, BRN Executive Director and Treasurer, messengers were updated on what BRN churches have accomplished thus far this year. These highlights include an addition of 29 churches since the end of 2022, 171 grants distributed, 999 baptisms recorded by the 2022 Annual Church Profile (ACP) data, and 314 next step conversations have been reported as of September 2023.
King returned to the stage with clapping hands, affirming these accomplishments by saying, “I’m not asking y’all to dance out of your clothes like David did, but what I am saying is God has been so good to us.”
He added, “What God is doing within our convention…that because of your giving, your Cooperative Program giving, your prayers and your faithfulness to God – God is honoring that.”
The business session continued with the BRN Executive Board nominating to re-elect King as the board’s president. Messengers voted positively towards this motion, granting King a second term as Executive Board president.
Messengers also voted to approve the board’s proposed 2024 budget. Projected income for 2024 anticipates Cooperative Program (CP) giving from churches to be just above $1.1 million and special offerings giving to land around $357,000. North American Mission Board and #LovePASJ Endowment giving is expected to be just below $500,000 and other incoming BRN funds to be around $300,000.
Anticipated expenses for the upcoming year reflect just over $1.4 million to be spent on missions and ministry. This includes national CP, special offerings, church servicing and church resourcing. Overall, these funds will account for 62.9% of the BRN’s outgoing expenses.
Additionally, just over $834,000 or 37.1% of the BRN’s expenses will go towards personnel and operations, such as BRN operational costs, salaries and benefits.
The grand total of anticipated income and expenses for the BRN in 2024 sits at just over $2.2 million. This reflects a 4% increase in CP receipts from churches and an increase in CP giving beyond PA/SJ of 1%.
Historically, the BRN’s giving to the Cooperative Program is the highest it has ever been. Since 2018, CP funds sent nationally have increased nearly 7%, increasing from 26.1% to 33%.
“It is the heart of our Executive Board and leadership to give more to help take the gospel to the ends of the earth,” said Whitworth.
He continued: “More CP giving helps send more people out to share and plant the gospel. On the home front, the other two-thirds of CP helps us to service and resource our churches as our churches seek to engage the 14 million lost people who live within PA/SJ.”
The business session concluded with board members being recognized and the announcement of one outgoing board member. Kim Carson, layperson at Garwood Baptist Church and former board member for the West Region was publicly thanked and acknowledged for her faithful years of service to the BRN Executive Board. The board is still searching for someone to fill her role for the full 2024-2026 term.
SBC Updates and Next Steps
After a short break, all guests gathered for the first main session and a time of worship led by Jermaine Dolly, worship leader at Ezekiel Baptist Church and recording gospel artist, and the worship team from Ezekiel Baptist Church.
BRN Executive Director Dr. Barry Whitworth led the first main session, where he informed guests about available resources, addressed necessary SBC issues and warned against idolatry.
At the last Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting in June 2023, the role of women in the church, specifically behind the pulpit, came into question. The issue was then tabled until next year’s Annual Meeting, at which time a decision will be made.
In an effort to help churches process through this ongoing discussion, Whitworth and Executive Board President Dr. King have committed to conducting regional roundtables with pastors over the winter to listen to what they have to say concerning this matter.
“The BRN believes in the local autonomy of the church, but we also believe in order to cooperate together, we need and must be in agreement with key and primary issues of our faith,” said Whitworth.
With a transparent tone, Whitworth went on to say, “I believe that the Bible communicates that only men are to be Elders, specifically ordained/appointed, within the New Testament Church…[but] ladies, please hear me, the church cannot be what it needs to be, or do what it needs to do, without you.”
Remaining transparent in his address, Whitworth laid before conference guests another issue burdening his heart: idolatry.
“I believe God is cutting off much of what the western church is doing today because it has placed its wants and desires before God’s design and heartbeat for the church.”
Whitworth continued: “Why aren’t we seeing what the Eastern Church is experiencing today? Maybe it’s because they have only One thing that they truly adore, more than anything else…Jesus Christ! They put nothing, no idols, before their relationship with Him.”
Attendees were challenged to examine their lives and their ministries for idols. For things they are placing before God, even within the walls of the church. Whitworth called those listening to take a “next step.”
“I am asking that all of us consider taking the next step of examining our hearts by asking the questions, ‘What do I idolize? What do I place before God?’ I’m asking that we all grow and take a next step from whatever might be in our lives that we place before God.”
An Ancient Future and the Kingdom of God
Jeff Christopherson, executive director for the Canadian National Baptist Convention and Church Planting Canada, missiologist and author, later echoed this call to growth during his first keynote session.
Guests were challenged to picture an “ancient future” and consider four common misunderstandings: The difference between old and ancient; the difference between our church and His Kingdom; the difference between understanding and obedience; and the difference between motion and movement.
“We, by how we think ‘old’ not ancient, we have taken a sixteenth century catholic experience and imported it to the West…we have made it even worse over the last 50 years,” said Christopherson.
He then dove into Ephesians 4:11-14 to give an “ancient” visual of what fruit churches should produce, what target and task they ought to focus on and who their team should include.
For the purpose of building up his second session, Christopherson concluded his initial session with a necessary reminder: “Your role is to equip the body for the works of ministry….our job is not complicated, men and women, it is simple. We’ve complicated it. That’s the problem.”
Guests were then dismissed to attend one of eight breakout sessions, seven of which were themed around Christopherson’s book “Once You See.” These breakout sessions addressed and debunked the seven temptations of the western church that Christopherson explores in his novel.
During this time, attendees also had the opportunity to explore a networking expo, which consisted of nearly a dozen ministry vendors and partners. Including The 6:4 Fellowship, Baptists on Mission, BRN Legacy Giving, Club Encourage, D-life, The Baptist Paper, PA/SJ Disaster Relief, WMU, International Mission Board (IMB), and more.
Following the breakout sessions, Christopherson brought the conference home by reminding guests of their true “home” and what is required for the Kingdom of God. In three points, Christopherson encouraged that Jesus’ Kingdom requires our weakness, our obedience and His power.
“Church, it’s not about your church…it’s about the Kingdom of God,” said Christopherson. “The Kingdom demands your weakness, it demands your obedience, and it requires His power and then we get to see what He wants to do.”
The conference concluded with a new tradition as guests were invited to stay for a special BRN Family Celebration Banquet. During which many BRN churches were recognized and awarded for their Kingdom efforts. The banquet and Accelerate Conference will return next year, tentatively, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
Watch 2023 Business Session and Accelerate Main Sessions
2023 Accelerate Conference Photo Gallery:
