More than 1,200 messengers complete early registration for Georgia Baptist Convention annual meeting

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – More than 1,200 messengers have pre-registered for the Georgia Baptist Convention’s annual meeting slated to begin Sunday at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta.

The milestone gathering commemorating 200 years of cooperative ministry among Georgia Baptist churches will begin with a send-off for the latest crop of International Mission Board missionaries being deployed overseas, some to places so dangerous they’ll be silhouetted behind screens to hide their identities.

During the three-day meeting, messengers will also elect a new president to replace Kevin Williams who is finishing up his second term, which is the maximum allowed in Georgia.

Fayetteville pastor Josh Saefkow, a champion of the Cooperative Program and current chairman of the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee, will be nominated to replace Williams.

Buford First Baptist Church Lead Pastor Stephen Fountain said he intends to nominate Saefkow, who has been pastor of Flat Creek Baptist Church since 2016.

Five others have been announced as potential nominees for vice president. That includes Thomson First Baptist Church Pastor David Lambert, McConnell Memorial Church of Hiawasee Lead Pastor Steve Taylor, Church 180 of Hampton Pastor Anthony Wilson, Macon Korean Baptist Church Pastor Daniel Chon, and Iglesia Bautista Victoria en Cristo of Jonesboro Pastor Rubén Torres.

Williams said people from congregations from across the state will also be celebrating two centuries of working together to get the gospel into every community.

“Every church in the state should be represented for such a momentous milestone as this,” Williams said.

Churches still have two weeks to sign up messengers for the meeting by going to the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s registration page.

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.

The theme of this year’s three-day meeting is: “Forward. We’re not done yet.”

Some of Georgia’s best preachers will be in the pulpit at this year’s annual meeting, including two legendary Georgia pastors, Wayne Robertson of Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, and Josh Smith of Prince Avenue Baptist Church in Bogart.

Tony Evans, the familiar voice on the Urban Alternative  radio program that’s carried on more than 1,400 stations, will also speak at this year’s annual meeting.

For some 40 years, Georgians have been listening to Evans on radio. Williams said he's excited that they’ll be able to hear him in person at this year’s annual meeting.

Congregations can register for the annual meeting here.