October 1, 2024
LIVERPOOL, N.Y. – A tinge of nostalgia permeated the 2024 annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of New York, a Northeast Network of churches.
It was Executive Director Terry Robertson’s last annual meeting. He plans to retire next April. He will be celebrating 54 years in ministry – 45 in New York State – and 20 years at the helm of the New York state convention, which spills over into five states.
The job description has been posted online at bcnysbc.org. Resumes will be accepted until Oct. 31.
“I love the diversity of our churches,” Robertson said. “I think it’s quite remarkable across our territory we have the interaction of various ethnicities. We are family. Not only family but friends.”
About 520 churches affiliate with the Baptist Convention of New York. Eighty percent of the pastors have second and sometimes third jobs. Sixty percent of the churches are in Metro New York.
“We have a good mix of Hispanic, Filipino, Haitian. We have so many Koreans they have two associations: one in New York and one in New Jersey,” Robertson said. “Our territory is about 500 miles north to south, and 500 miles east to west. It’s a massive area, and probably 34 million people in it.”
The 55th annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of New York took place Sept. 20-21 at Northside Church in Liverpool, N.Y., with “Press on: Because Jesus has made us His own” as its theme, with Philippians 3:12-14 as its scripture.
Worship was led by the Northside Church Praise Team. Hance and Julie Dilbeck led a four-hour “Intensive” Friday afternoon for pastors and their wives. He is president and CEO of GuideStone Financial Resources. Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, was a guest speaker.
“I believe President Gale Dingwell, pastor of Ridgecrest (N.Y.) Church, delivered the most significant president’s address in our history,” Robertson said. “I think both Dilbeck and Iorg just did phenomenal jobs. Iorg was here Friday after being installed Monday night. That said a lot to our people.
“It was all pretty amazing,” Robertson continued. “Timothy Widjaja, a young Indonesian pastor – Cornerstone Church in Queens – brought the annual sermon. He told us how he was a product of our ministry. His parents were very active in the church he now serves as pastor. He grew up going to Syracuse on ‘convention business.’ Timothy spoke of people in this territory who were heroes to him. He made it very clear the impact Southern Baptist work has had in our territory.”
When Terry and Elizabeth Robertson moved to do ministry in New York 45 years ago, there were 100 churches, 10 of which worshipped in a language other than English. Now there are 520, and 43 of them worship in an ethnic language.
“It’s good progress but over 800 languages are spoken in our territory,” Robertson said. “God has constantly shown His power in working through every situation and all circumstances, proving He’s in control.
“You have to take into account the significant impact of 9/11,” Robertson continued. “Since then, Southern Baptists have seen significant growth and advancement. The compassion of Southern Baptists shined through that tragedy and all the disasters we’ve had since.”
New York’s annual meeting drew 55 messengers from 25 churches, plus 10 visitors.
The messengers passed a $765,250 budget for 2025, up from last year’s $756,834. In addition, the North American Mission Board plans to allocate up to $1,100,000 for church planting and church planting development.
Of the total (less the NAMB portion) $226,500 was allocated for Cooperative Program giving. The 30/70 percentage split of CP giving remains unchanged since 2019, with 70 percent staying in the New York area.
Messengers elected officers for the next two-year term: President and Chairman of the executive director transition team Gale Dingwell, pastor of Ridgecrest (N.Y.) Church; Vice-President Chris Cali, pastor of Northside Church in Liverpool, N.Y.; Recording Secretary Kathy Ray, member of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Geneseo, N.Y.; and Assistant Recording Secretary, Grace Harris, member of One Community in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood in New York City;
The Baptist Convention of New York’s next annual conference is set for Sept. 26-27 at Northside (N.Y.) Church.
“People need the Lord,” Robertson said God has been telling him for 45 years. “Not only do people need the Lord but we as Southern Baptists belong here.”
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This story first appeared in Baptist Press.
