OCALA (FBC)—Convening twice in conjunction with the Florida Baptist State Convention Nov. 14-15 in Ocala, the State Board of Missions employed two new staff persons and transferred a current employee to a newly created position.

In their post-Convention meeting, the board re-elected its 2005 officers for another year of service in 2006. Elected were retired pastor Ben Bryant of Starke, president; Randy Huckabee, pastor of First Baptist Church of Okeechobee, vice president; and realtor Gail Adams of Palmetto and member of First Baptist Church of Terra Ceia, recording secretary.

In their pre-Convention meeting, the board elected Dwight J. Williams of Madrid, Spain, as a church planting field consultant for southeast Florida, effective Jan. 1, and Andrea Hall of Merritt Island as associate director of the Women’s Missions and Ministries Department, effective Dec. 1.

Also approved was the newly created position of associate director of Urban Impact Ministries and the transfer of Al Fernandez, who previously served as the church planting consultant, to that position, effective Jan. 1.

The new position was developed to assist in implementing an Urban Impact Ministries Strategy in South Florida that includes establishing a satellite Convention office to assist churches in three of the state’s most densely populated counties—Miami, Broward and Palm Beach.

Prior to assuming the Convention church planting position in 2004, Fernandez, 47, successfully planted and pastored a second-generation English speaking church in a Hispanic community—Jubilee Community Church in Miami. Prior to that, the Miami native served as minister of outreach and education with the Central Baptist Church in Miami, from 1993 to 1997.

The bilingual Fernandez holds the bachelor of arts degree from Florida International University in Miami and in 1994 received the master in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Williams, 47, a career missionary with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention since 1993, will assume the position left vacant with Fernandez’s transfer. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, he had served as a strategist, mission administrator and church planter in Spain and Portugal. Prior to his appointment, Williams served several Hispanic and Anglo churches in Texas.

The Iowa native received the bachelor of arts degree from University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1980 and the master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1987. He will maintain an office in southeast Florida.

A native of Ypsilanti, Mich., Hall, will assume the position left vacant with the retirement of Linda Miniard with the primary responsibility of women’s ministries and adult mission coordination.

Hall, 47, has served as a counselor with Florida Counseling Centers in Melbourne, counselor intern in metropolitan Atlanta and minister of women at Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville., Ga. She was a frequent conference leader with the State Woman’s Missionary Union and women’s enrichment ministries conference, Georgia Baptist Convention,

She was awarded the bachelor of arts degree from Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., in 1979 and the master of art from Psychological Studies Institute, Atlanta, Ga., in 2004. She will maintain an office in Merritt Island.

John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, announced that with the employment of the new staff, 50 percent of all the Convention staff now reside in a place other than Jacksonville, where the Baptist Building is located.

In other business, the board learned 10 years ago, the Convention began a concerted effort to influence legislation being considered by the Florida Legislature. In this meeting, a contract was extended with William Bunkley of Tampa, who has served as the Convention’s lobbyist/representative for the 10 years. Another contract was authorized with Fred A. Martin and Associates of Tallahassee to provide legislative monitoring and information services

The board also approved several resolutions of appreciation, including those expressing thanks to:

• Pembrook Foundation upon its completion of 15 years of service providing financial assistance to start new churches;

• Sid Smith, who retired Oct. 31 as director, African-American Ministries Division;

• Linda Miniard, who retired in August as an associate, Women’s Missions and Ministries Department;

• North American Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources for their financial contributions in the wake of Hurricane Wilma;

• Fourteen state Baptist conventions for their disaster relief efforts in South Florida; and

• President George W. Bush and members of the United States military for their on-going war on global terrorism.

In other business, the board endorsed nine new congregations as cooperating churches, and approved revisions in the Convention’s Church Planting Assistance Guidelines and in its Bylaws.

The board will next meet Jan. 26-27 at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in Leesburg.

Copyright © 2009 Florida Baptist Witness



Site Design by: FiveFish Studios

Florida Baptist Witness
PO Box 10289
Jacksonville, FL 32247-0289
Tel: (904) 596-3165
info@goFBW.com