201st Annual Meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention
November 12-13, 2024
Eastern Shore Baptist Church, Daphne
Mark your calendars now for a grand celebration coming in November! The annual meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention is really a family reunion for all Alabama Baptists. Woven throughout our time together will be a commemoration of our convention’s 200th anniversary, with a focus on the theme “Unfinished” based on Philippians 3:13–14. You won’t want to miss this glorious time of celebrating God’s wonderful faithfulness while also stepping into a bright future of missions and ministry for the Lord!
Join us in praying for this year’s convention by downloading our 2023 Convention Prayer Guide.
Schedule
Tuesday, Nov. 12
Session 1 — 8:30-11:50 a.m.
Session 2 — 1:30-4:10 p.m.
Session 3 — 6:30-8:00 p.m.
featuring Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Mo. and Ram:Corps, University of Mobile
Wednesday, Nov. 13
Session 4 — 8:30-11:20 a.m.
A complete and detailed schedule will be posted in September.
Program-Order of Business
Pianist | Frank Jones | |
Worship Leader | Lance Maddox | |
8:15 | Pre-session Music | Alabama Singing Men and Women |
8:35 | Prayer | Charles Taylor |
8:40 | Call to Order | Craig Carlisle |
Greetings | ||
Baldwin Baptist Association | Rick Ellison | |
Eastern Shore Baptist Church | Stuart Davidson | |
Congregational Music | Lance Maddox | |
8:50 | Enrollment of Messengers | Debbie Oliver |
8:55 | Committee on Order of Business | Rusty Sowell |
9:00 | Committee Appointments | Craig Carlisle |
9:05 | Memorial Service | Hugh Richardson |
9:15 | Introduction of Resolutions | Teman Knight |
9:20 | Special Music | Alabama Singing Men and Women |
9:30 | DifferenceMakers Through Evangelism | Rob Jackson |
9:55 | DifferenceMakers Discussion | |
The Alabama Baptist, Jennifer Davis Rash; Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, Wendy Westerhouse | ||
Committee Reports | ||
10:10 | Committee on Committees | Jim Cooley |
10:20 | Committee on Boards and Commissions | Mat Alexander |
Recognitions | ||
10:30 | Recognition of Former Convention Presidents | Rick Lance |
10:40 | Recognition of New Pastors and New Church Staff Members | Mike Jackson |
10:45 | Celebrating the Cooperative Program | Jay Stewart |
10:55 | DifferenceMakers Discussion | |
The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, John Ashworth; Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center, Russell Klinner | ||
11:10 | Miscellaneous Business | |
11:15 | Presentation of Convention President | Rick Lance |
11:20 | Special Music | Nathan Edwards and FBC Gadsden Choir |
11:25 | President’s Address | Craig Carlisle |
11:55 | Benediction | Tyler Armstrong |
Pianist | Frank Jones | |
Worship Leaders | Chris Turner and Scott Lee | |
Worship | ||
1:30 | Congregational Music | Chris Turner |
1:40 | Prayer | Josh Noojin |
1:45 | Report of Executive Director | Rick Lance |
2:00 | State Board of Missions Recommendations and Convention Recognitions | |
2:35 | Update on Sexual Abuse Prevention and ARITF | Melissa Bowen and Craig Carlisle |
2:45 | DifferenceMakers Discussion | |
Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries, Rod Marshall; Alabama Baptist Retirement Centers, Ken Schroeder | ||
3:00 | Congregational Singing | Scott Lee |
3:05 | DifferenceMakers Through Calling Out the Called | Kevin Blackwell |
3:25 | DifferenceMakers Discussion | |
Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union, Candace McIntosh; Alabama Citizens Action Program, Greg Davis | ||
3:40 | Miscellaneous Business | |
Committee Reports | ||
3:45 | Resolutions Committee | Teman Knight |
4:00 | Committee on Time, Place, and Preacher | John Nicholson |
4:05 | Audit and Insurance Committees | Mike Jackson |
4:10 | Benediction | Will Standridge |
6:15 | Presession Music | Frank Jones |
6:30 | Welcome and Prayer | Rick Lance |
6:35 | Congregational Singing | Karen Gosselin |
6:40 | Missions Recognitions | Rick Lance |
6:50 | Instrumental Praise | RamCorps |
7:15 | Congregational Singing | Karen Gosselin |
7:20 | Message | Jason Allen |
8:00 | Benediction | Rick Lance |
Pianist | Frank Jones | |
Worship Leaders | Corey Stringer and Joe Howell | |
Worship | ||
8:30 | Congregational Music | Corey Stringer |
8:35 | Prayer | Jared Cornutt |
8:40 | DifferenceMakers Through Disciple Making | Albert Williams |
9:05 | Election of Officers | |
9:15 | Previously Scheduled Business | |
9:45 | Resolutions Committee Report | Teman Knight |
10:00 | DifferenceMakers Discussion | |
University of Mobile, Charles Smith; Samford University, Beck Taylor | ||
10:20 | Election of Officers | |
10:30 | Congregational Music | Joe Howell |
10:35 | Introduction of Convention Preacher and Alternate Preacher | Craig Carlisle |
Special Music | Chris Duke | |
Scripture | Andy John King | |
10:45 | Convention Sermon | Ben Bowden |
11:15 | Introduction of Convention Officers | Rick Lance |
11:20 | Benediction and Adjournment | Eric Sexton |
Interpretation for the Deaf will be provided for each session of the Annual Meeting and the Pastors Conference.
Messengers
Pre-registration for the 2024 Alabama State Convention Annual Meeting will once again be done on the SBC Workspace website. Instructional letters have been mailed out to every church eligible for messengers. If you have not received your letter or do not know your SBC username and password, you can obtain it from your local Association Office or by calling the State Board of Missions Office of Communications & Technology Services at (334) 613-2266.
What does it mean to be a messenger?
The Alabama Baptist Convention consists of members known also as messengers. Messengers are members of Southern Baptist churches cooperating with the Convention. Messengers are elected annually by the church where they are members and sent to the annual convention as their churches representative.
How many can a church send?
There are actually two formulas to determine this:
Numerical Basis: Every church is allowed one messenger. One additional messenger is allowed for every two hundred, or fraction thereof, members in excess of two hundred.
Financial Basis: One messenger is allowed from each church for any part of the first one thousand dollars contributed to the Alabama Baptist State Convention during the Convention’s preceding fiscal year. One additional messenger is allowed for the next one thousand dollars above the first one thousand dollars contributed to the work of the Convention, and one additional messenger for each two thousand dollars contributed to the work of the Convention above the first two thousand dollars.
No church will have more than twenty‑five messengers though.
How do you become one?
Contact your Southern Baptist church and ask to be sent as a messenger to the Alabama Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Every church is autonomous and decides how their messenger allotment will be filled. Many will hold a business meeting before the convention for the church to vote on those wishing to be considered as messengers4
Registration Information
Convention pre-registration will be open on October 1. Information regarding the registration process will be mailed out to churches in late September.
Hotels
The following hotels have offered special rates to those attending the State Convention Annual Meeting. Rates listed do not include taxes. This information is provided as a service and not intended to be a recommendation of any kind. If you have problems making a reservation or securing the posted rate at any of these hotels, please contact Amy Nelson at 1-800-264-1225, ext. 2231, or anelson@alsbom.org. Please note the deadlines on each hotel. No rates are guaranteed after the deadline date for booking and those rates are based on limited availability. Make your reservations early to get the best rate.
Convention Hotel
Hilton Garden Inn Mobile – East Bay/Daphne
29546 North Main Street
Daphne, AL 36526
251-625-0020
Distance from Convention: 0.6 miles
Distance from Pastors Conference: 9.7 miles
Rate: $129
Code: Alabama Baptist Convention
Deadline: October 11, 2024
Comfort Inn & Suites Mobile East Bay
29743 Woodrow Lane
Daphne, AL 36526
(251) 544-1800
Rate: $109.00/$111.00/$119.00
Group Code: Alabama Baptist State Convention
Deadline: November 1, 2024
Comfort Suites Mobile East Bay
29450 N. Main Street
Daphne, AL 36526
(251) 626-1113
Rate: $109.00/$114.00
Group Code: Alabama Baptist State Convention
Deadline: November 1, 2024
Hampton Inn Mobile – East Bay/Daphne
29541 US Hwy 98
Daphne, AL 36526
251-626-2220
Rate: $129.00
Group Code: 902 – Alabama Baptist Convention
Deadline: October 11, 2024
Holiday Inn Downtown Historic District Mobile
301 Government Street
Mobile, AL 36602
251-694-0100
Rate: $139.00
Group Code: ABC
Deadline: October 11, 2024
Home 2 Suites by Hilton
8943 Sawwood Street
Daphne, AL 36526
251-607-1234
Rate: Double Queens $129.00/Single King $119.00
Group Code: ASC
Deadline: October 13, 2024
Homewood Suites by Hilton Mobile – East Bay/Daphne
29474 N. Main Street
Daphne, AL 36526
251-621-0100
Rate: $149.00 King Studio Suite
Group Code: 90W – Alabama Baptist Convention
Deadline: October 11, 2024
2023 Annual Meeting Video Archive
Session One
Session Two
Session Three
Session Four
About
The Alabama Baptist State Convention was founded on October 28, 1823, as the third permanent state convention organized in the South. … The Baptists, though the largest religious group in the state, were weak and widely scattered. They numbered about 5,000 and had about 125 churches and 75 ministers.” (Baptists in Alabama: Their Organization and Witness, by A. Hamilton Reid. Montgomery, Ala.: Paragon Press, 1967).
Today, the State Convention has grown to more than 3,200 churches with approximately one million members. Each November, the Alabama Baptist State Convention convenes as a two-day meeting of messengers elected by affiliated churches. Messengers and invited guests hear reports about Great Commission ministries.
Between annual meetings, Convention bylaws provide that the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions will be the “executive, administrative, fiduciary, and promotional agency of the Convention.”
Both the State Convention and State Board of Missions support the missional efforts of a family of Alabama Baptist entities and auxiliary, including:
- Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries
- Alabama Baptist Historical Commission
- Alabama Baptist Retirement Centers
- Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (auxiliary)
- Board of Aid to Students in Church Related Vocations
- Christian Life Commission
- Education Commission
- Shocco Springs Conference Center
- The Alabama Baptist newspaper
- The Baptist Foundation of Alabama
- University of Mobile
The Convention also provides primary support for ALCAP (Alabama Citizens Actions Program), “Alabama’s moral compass” regarding biblical and moral concerns.
In addition the Convention continues to honor the historic relationship with Samford University dating back to 1841.
Future Sessions
November 11-12, 2025 | Whitesburg Baptist, Huntsville
November 17-18, 2026 | First Baptist Church, Trussville
November 16-17, 2027 | Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery