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| Children enjoy inner-city Urban Camp at the Tampa Bay Conference Center. The camp is a ministry of the Tampa Bay Baptist Association and some funding for the program is also received from Florida’s Maguire State Mission Offering. FBC photos by Ken Touchton |
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TAMPA (FBW)—Tampa Bay Director of Missions Tom Biles was recently elected by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention to serve a four-year term on the denomination’s Executive Committee. A former president of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions when it celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2007, Biles is no stranger to the cooperative work of a denomination.
The entity “does the work of the Convention between sessions,” according to Biles.
He is one of 83 trustees now serving on the committee.
“The Convention only meets two days a year,” he said. “Business has to be done between annual meetings.”
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At his first Executive Committee meeting Sept. 22-24, Biles said he was impressed with the commitment of the leaders of Convention agencies. After hearing reports from Convention mission agencies and seminaries and discussions on Convention budget, calendar and programs, Biles said he was convinced “we are trying to do what God told us to do.”
“I came away feeling very proud of the Southern Baptist Convention,” he said. “Our leaders have a real commitment to the Great Commission.”
Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt spoke to committee members in the Sept. 22 evening session. Biles described the time as “like a revival.”
“I did not expect to have an opportunity to be part of this,” Biles said. “I am pleased and humbled.”
Biles is working on the Cooperative Program sub-committee of the organization. He, along with other members of the sub-committee, was surprised to learn that analysts expect the CP to exceed the budget by $2-3 million, even in today’s struggling economy.
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| Tom Biles wrote this letter for his association’s newsletter about the his view of the SBC and cooperation. |