INDIANAPOLIS  (BP)—The  Southern Baptist Conventions (SBC) 2024 Annual Meeting is set to take place June 11-12 in Indianapolis. The full schedule of the meeting is now available at sbcannualmeeting.net.

Oklahoma Baptists church messengers and other guests will be taking part in the Annual Meeting. The event will feature times of preaching, worship through music, prayer, various ministry reports, election of officers, as well as various task force reports including the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force and the Great Commission Task Force.

The International Mission Board (IMB) sending celebration is scheduled for the Tuesday morning session. According to the IMB, there will be 83 missionary appointees, which includes four Oklahoma Baptists.

There will be nearly 200 ancillary meetings, events and gatherings throughout the SBC Annual Meeting week. Oklahoma Baptists and Oklahoma Baptist University will be hosting a special fellowship event on June 11, for messengers and guests attending the meeting. For more information, visit this link.

 

OKLAHOMA PASTOR STEPHEN RUMMAGE SERVES AT SBC PASTORS’ CONFERENCE PRESIDENT

Prior to the Annual Meeting, the 2024 SBC Pastors’ Conference will take place June 9-10, at the same location. Oklahoma Pastor Stephen Rum- mage is serving as SBC Pastors’ Conference President.

In a story recently published by Baptist Press, Rummage shared that he re- members the benefits he received as a young pastor from the pastors’ conference. He wants those same blessings experienced by attendees during this year’s conference.

“As a beginning pastor … I knew I would hear some exciting preachers, pick up a few illustrations I might use in my messages and have a good time hanging out with my preacher buddies,” said Rummage, senior pastor, Oklahoma City, Quail Springs.

And while hearing legends in the pulpit was certainly a draw, so were the intangibles.

“I’ve learned that the SBC Pastors’ Conference is much, much more than dynamic preaching on a big platform,” Rummage said.

“For so many pastors over the years, it’s become a lifeline of encouragement and inspiration to keep preaching God’s Word, sharing the Gospel and serving the Lord.”

The theme for the event is “Faithful: Pursuing Your Mission,” based on Revelation 17:14.

Rummage pointed to that passage as designating Jesus “Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called, and chosen and faithful.”

“Every preacher will be preaching on some aspect of God’s faithfulness and our call to be faithful to Him as pastors,” he said. “Without exception, as I’ve talked to our preachers for this year, they are deeply passionate about bringing messages that encourage other pastors to be faithful.

“We’ll have living examples of faithfulness in the conference pulpit, including preachers who have walked through serious illness, family trauma, church struggle and so many of the other issues every pastor faces, all with enduring faithfulness to our faithful God.”

Erik Cummings, lead pastor of New Life Church in Carol City, Fla., is serving as vice president while Michael Stephens, church business administrator at Oklahoma City, Quail Springs, is serving as treasurer.

Session 1 will begin in Halls H/I/J/K in the Indiana Convention Center on Sunday, June 9, after the Sunday prayer gathering and last from 6-9 p.m. Session 2 is scheduled for the following morning from 8:30-noon, with Session 3 in the afternoon (2-5 p.m.) and Session 4 that evening (6:30-9 p.m.).

Pastors speaking at the event include Steve Gaines, pastor of Memphis, Tenn., Bellevue; Jack Graham, pastor of Plano, Tex., Prestonwood; Shane Pruitt, National Next Gen Director, North American Mission Board; Robert Smith, Jr., retired Professor of Preaching at Beeson Divinity School; among others.

Worship will be led by Charles Billingsley, producer of seven No. 1 Inspirational radio hits during a music career stretching nearly 30 years that includes a time as lead singer for Newsong. Billingsley currently serves as teaching pastor at Lynchburg, Va., Thomas Road.

For more information about the SBC Pastors’ Conference, go to www.sbcpc.net.