By William Perkins
Editor
Messengers to the 186th Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Baptist Convention (MBC) on Oct. 26 approved without opposition a 2023 Cooperative Program (CP) budget of $30,676,380.
Greg Warnock, chairman of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) Budget Committee and pastor of First Church, Brookhaven, proposed the budget during the final session of the 2022 MBC Annual Meeting at First Church, Jackson. It represents a 1.47% increase over the 2022 CP budget and forwards 39% of total giving to Southern Baptist causes.
Messengers also approved without opposition the slate of nominees for trustees to serve on MBC boards and commissions.
In other business, the chairman of the Time, Place, and Preacher Committee for the 2023 MBC Annual Meeting, Scott Hanberry, senior pastor of Hardy Street Church, Hattiesburg, announced that Andrew Chesteen, senior pastor of First Church, New Albany, will deliver the convention sermon with Don Gann, senior pastor of First Church, Oxford, as the alternate.
Time and place for the 2023 Annual Meeting will be Oct. 24-25 at First Church, Jackson.
Scripture reading, 1 Peter 2:9-12, was given by Jessica Webb, member of Goodwater Church, Magee. Testimony was presented by Lee Davis, church planting resident at Gateway Church, Columbia Falls, Mt.
The memorial service commemorating the lives and ministries of servants of Christ who have passed since the 2021 MBC Annual Meeting was conducted by Greg Barker, bivocational ministries consultant in the MBCB leadership department.
Congregational praise was presented by Exult from Baptist-affiliated Blue Mountain College in Blue Mountain. The message for the session was delivered by Willie McLaurin, interim president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee in Nashville.
Benediction was given by David Westmoreland, pastor of Vaiden Church, Vaiden.
