About Missouri Baptists
Missouri Baptists recognize eight regional areas in the state and work cooperatively with 63 Baptist associations. Each association represents a number of Baptist churches in a particular region.
What is a Missouri Baptist church?
A Missouri Baptist church is a local body of baptized Christians who believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Missouri Baptist churches are affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention. The MBC is affiliated with the national Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). By covenanting together in their faith, church members seek to extend the gospel message to the ends of the earth.
Annual Meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention
The 2010 Missouri Baptist Convention Annual Meeting will be held:
October 25-27, Springfield
Meeting at Expo Center
Headquarters Hotel: University Plaza Hotel
Membership (Excerpt from Article IV of the the MBC Constitution)
Section 1. Any Southern Baptist church singly aligned with the Convention and desiring to cooperate with the Convention in her program of single alignment with the Southern Baptist Convention and any Baptist church meeting the qualifications stated in Section 2 shall be entitled to one messenger for every one hundred members or fraction thereof, or for every $2,500.00 given to the Convention through the Cooperative Program in the previous reporting year, provided that no church shall be entitled to have more than fifteen messengers.
Section 2. In accordance with the agreement in the year 1919, Missouri Baptists shall continue in fellowship with the multiple aligned churches who were affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention as of 1961.
Each messenger is elected by his/her local church and attends the annual meeting to vote on convention business. Messengers are not instructed how to vote by the churches, but vote their own conscience on matters ranging from the election of convention officers to adopting a budget for the coming fiscal year.
Attendance at the annual meeting is not limited to messengers.
Although not eligible to vote on convention business, many visitors may attend the convention sessions for the benefit of worshiping with other Baptists from across the state.
Who are the Convention Officers?
Each year, convention messengers elect officers to fill these positions: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President and Recording Secretary. The officers preside over the Missouri Baptist Convention Annual Meetings and also serve as ex-officio members of the Missouri Baptist Convention's Executive Board.
The 2009-2010 officers (who will preside over the 2010 annual meeting) are:
President: Dr. Bruce McCoy
email: Bmccoy@CanaanStL.org
First Vice President: Dr. John Marshall
email: John316@secondbaptist.org
Second Vice President: Mitch Jackson
email: mjackson@minerbaptist.org
Recording Secretary: Jamie Hitt
email: gregoryaj@centurytel.net
Baptist Associations
Missouri Baptists recognize eight regional divisions or "areas" within the state and 64 associations in which local churches are grouped for cooperation with one another. Missouri Baptist Association Map
The Cooperative Program
The Missouri Baptist Convention supports the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program is the SBC's financial channel. Through the Cooperative Program, churches voluntarily support missions and benevolent work. The Cooperative Program finances the work of Southern Baptists throughtout the United States and in 140 foreign mission fields. More Cooperative Program Information
