April 26, 2024
AUGUSTA, Ga. – People are still watching sermons and presentations delivered at the Georgia Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Augusta earlier this week by tuning into the ACTS2 television streaming service.
“It was just that good,” said Scott Smith, communications director for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. “The preaching and the music were world class. Every presentation was riveting, and there was such a spirit of unity over the entire three days that we were together. Plus, we celebrated our bicentennial. That’s a big draw, too.”
The Georgia Baptist Convention, made up of 3,600 churches with 1.4 million members, holds a business meeting each November. People attend from across the state, drawn as much by the fellowship, preaching, and singing as by any business matters on the agenda.
This year they had legendary Georgia pastors like Wayne Robertson of Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta and Josh Smith of Prince Avenue Baptist Church in Bogart, plus Tony Evans, founder of the Urban Alternative broadcast ministry based in Dallas, Texas.
People who tune into ACTS2 to watch the annual meeting will also see Josh Saefkow, pastor of Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, be elected president of the Georgia Baptist Convention. They will see Kevin Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church of Villa Rica, preach his final sermon as president, a position he held for the maximum two terms. And they’ll see a 200-member choir lead in songs of praise.
Georgia Baptist Mission Board Executive Director W. Thomas Hammond Jr. showcased the work of his organization on Tuesday in a presentation that showed the extent to which the Mission Board has strengthened churches across the state.
“That presentation is definitely worth seeing again, or for the first time for people who weren’t there in person,” Smith said. “I can think of no better way to see for yourself all that Georgia Baptists are accomplishing together, plus what the Mission Board staff is doing for churches in every corner of this state.”
Also on ACTS2 are the Georgia Baptist Preaching Conference and the International Mission Board commissioning service for new missionaries being deployed overseas.
“Both were incredible,” Smith said. “The commissioning was talked about every day in the hallways. The entire three days were inspiring in unique ways compared to prior annual meetings. That’s why people are still tuning in to watch it.”
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The entire three-day gathering is available for veiwing at https://acts2.vhx.tv/georgia-baptist-convention-200th-annual-meeting
