A Report on Convention Assembly, August 23-26, 2006

Assembly opened on Wednesday evening in a joint session with Atlantic Baptist Women.  Dr. Harry Gardner spoke on “Stronger Together – Helping Churches Grow Passionate Disciples.”  He highlighted the six current emphases of our Convention: 1) Healthy Churches, 2) Effective Pastors, 3) Creative Mission, 4) Passionate Next Generations, 5) Focused Compassion, and 6) Celebrated Community. The worship times were led by the Praise Team from the Main Street Baptist Church, Saint John.
Following Dr. Gardner’s address, Dr. Gary Nelson, CBM’s General Secretary, and Rev. Gordon King, Director of The Sharing Way, led a Canadian Baptist Ministries presentation.  In addition to a very informative DVD, they honoured Rev. Alden Crain, who is leaving CBM to take up to take a pastorate in Midland, NB.  They introduced Bruno and Kathleen Soucy, who are going to Rwanda soon, Aaron and Erica Kenny, who will be going to Kenya in December, Dennis and Laura Lee Bustin, who are on home assignment from Indonesia, and Titus Kiilu, who serves with the African Brotherhood Church in Kenya.  Each one shared briefly on their experiences and hopes for the future.  Rev. Gordon Sutherland, pastor of the West End Baptist Church in St. John’s, Newfoundland, was introduced as the new President of Canadian Baptist Ministries. He will serve for the next three years.  
In the business session on Thursday morning, Dr. Margaret Munro was elected Vice-President.  She is a retired Nurse Educator and the Founding Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of PEI, and a member of First Baptist Church, Charlottetown.  She is the second woman to be elected Vice-President of our Convention, and will become President next year.  The first woman President was Mrs. Jessie Fitch in 1989.
A number of amendments were made to the Constitution of Convention.  Three Subsidiary Boards – the Board of Trustees of Acadia Divinity College, the Board of Governors of Atlantic University, and the Board of Directors of the Baptist Foundation – will nominate 25% of their Board members.  All members will continue to be elected by the Assembly with the possibility of nominations from the floor.  The Board of Directors of Atlantic Baptist Men was officially disbanded and removed from the Constitution.  
Thursday and Friday afternoons were taken up with musical concerts, seminars, and the Festival of Ministries. The Thursday Concert was by Stephanie Mainville and the Friday concert was by the Revival Choir from East Preston.  The 20 Seminars (10 on Thursday and 10 on Friday) were much appreciated.  Most of the Convention agencies, boards and committees had booths at the Festival of Ministries with representatives present to answer questions.  
Dr. David Coffey, President of the Baptist World Alliance, spoke three times. In his Thursday evening message, “Discipleship Principles for God’s Church,” based on 1 Corinthians 3:1-16, he reminded us that 1) there is only one foundation, Jesus Christ, 2) the church needs mature disciples in order to grow, 3) we need to choose carefully the materials we use, 4) God makes the pieces fit together, and 5) God’s church has a presence and a personality.  In his Friday evening message based on Acts 11:1-34, he stressed our need to 1) listen to the pioneers among us, 2) recognize God’s hand in social upheaval and cultural changes, 3) identify the gifts of spiritual discernment, 4) develop culturally relevant Bible teaching, and 5) be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  In his Saturday morning message, “Don’t Quit Until the Race Is Over,” based on Hebrews 12:1-3, he urged us to 1) observe the rules for running the race, 2) run with perseverance, 3) run the race designed for us, and 4) fix our eyes on Jesus, the model runner.  
Following Dr. Coffey’s Thursday evening message, Rev. Greg Jones, CABC Director of Development, introduced a three-year follow-up of the InVision Campaign.  It will be initiated early this fall with meetings throughout Atlantic Canada.  The goal of this “Growing Healthy Churches” Campaign will be to raise the United in Mission Budget to fully support the work we do together as Atlantic Baptists.  On Friday evening, Dr. Malcolm Beckett, Director of Atlantic Baptist Mission, gave a moving presentation on Mission in Atlantic Canada featuring three reports highlighting three different aspects of the Board’s work.  Rev. Ross Morrison reported on the growth of the Baptist Church in Alberton, PEI.  Pastor John Knight described a special mission project in the North End of Saint John.  Michael Kearney, the first person baptized in the Northern Cross Community Church in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, spoke of the impact of this church plant.  
Last year the Assembly passed a motion, “that the solemnization of same-sex marriage is inconsistent with our interpretation of the Scriptures and contrary to the faith and practice of the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches, and therefore we believe that pastoral leaders serving in the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches should not officiate or co-officiate at any same-sex marriage ceremony.”
This year in a follow-up motion, after a long debate, that started on Thursday and carried over to Friday, the following motion was passed in a secret ballot (87% for, 13% against), “that the Regulations Concerning the Ministry be amended by adding the following at the appropriate place: 
Pastoral leaders accredited by the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches shall not officiate or co-officiate at a same-sex marriage ceremony.
A complaint that a pastoral leader accredited by the CABC has officiated or co-officiated at a same-sex marriage ceremony will be investigated by the Board of Ministerial Standards and Education according to the Board’s protocol (Sections 5 - 7).  If the complaint is proven to be true, the Board of Ministerial Standards and Education will revoke his/her authorization by the Convention to perform marriages. The Board will also take appropriate disciplinary measures according to its protocol (Section 5.6), which could ultimately lead to the loss of the individual's standing as an accredited minister within our Convention. 
In the Friday business sessions the following senior staff appointments were made. Rev. Dr. Malcolm Beckett and Mr. Daryl MacKenzie were reappointed for another five-year term as Director of Atlantic Baptist Mission and Director of Operations respectively.  Rev. Dr. Bruce Fawcett was appointed as Associate Executive Minister and will continue as Director of Communications.  Rev. Rob Nylen was appointed as Director of Youth and Family Ministries, the position previously held by Bruce Fawcett.
Also on Friday, the Convention Financial Statements for 2005 were presented and adopted. The total revenue for 2005 for Convention operations was $3,507,476, of which $2,470,243 was raised through Church offerings and United in Mission. $636,283 was designated giving that is passed on to the appropriate agencies.  The total expenditures for 2005 for Convention operations were $3,527,300, of which $1,824,003 was distributed to other agencies as follows:
	Acadia Divinity College	$ 	137,873
	Atlantic Baptist University	   	150,406
	Canadian Baptist Ministries		738,618
	The Sharing Way			243,183
	Board of Publication			  16,000
	Board of Ministers Annuity Fund	  76,968
	Home Mission Board 			 381,915 
	Union of French Baptist Churches	   99,240
		
A rationalized United in Mission Budget for 2007 of $2,656,000, prepared by staff and presented by the Convention Council, was adopted by the Assembly.  This is $244,000 less than the budget for 2006, but $185,957 more than the actual receipts for 2005.  The Council believes that this budget is more doable, even though it represents a 7.5% increase in giving from the churches over 2005.  
It was agreed that the 2007 Convention Assembly be held at Acadia University, August 18-20.  It will be a combined Assembly with the African United Baptist Association, the Atlantic Baptist Women’s Convention, and the Youth.  
The closing worship service on Saturday morning, included a message by Rev. David Coffey, a memorial time for pastors who had passed away since last Assembly (Rev. Edward Bezanson, Rev. Dr. Wrenfred Bryant, Rev. Dr. Richard Coffin, Rev. Alan Harwood, Rev. Hazen Parent, Rev. Dr. Eugene Thompson, and Rev. Harry Ward), the installation of the new President, Rev. Peter Reid, and a Communion Service led by Rev. John McNally and the deacons of the Kentville Baptist Church.  

Grateful appreciation is extended to the Rev. Hugh and Mrs. Shirley McNally who initially prepared this report for the Kentville Church and gave me permission to use it as the basis of my report to Association.

Respectfully submitted,
Marilyn Herber
Association Delegate to Convention