EDMOND—Each November, as the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Annual Meeting approaches, messengers to the meeting anticipate an interactive exhibit hall. The 112th Annual Meeting is no exception, with 58 booths from Oklahoma and national Southern Baptist ministries.
Annual Meeting will convene at Edmond, First, in a change of pace from previous years when the meeting was hosted by Oklahoma City, Quail Springs. The meeting will be Nov. 12-13, and the theme will be “To Him be the glory in the Church.” The theme will be emphasized throughout the meeting in sermons, reports and in business sessions.
The newly renovated space at Edmond, First will host the exhibit hall, which messengers to the Annual Meeting enjoy year after year. Fifty ministries and organizations will host booth space this year, covering a wide range of educational experiences and Baptist ministries.
Favorite booths from years past include the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma (BFO), which provides non-profit financial services to support ministries in Oklahoma, throughout America and around the world through church lending, investment services and sound management of charitable contributions. A constant flow of foot traffic can be found surrounding BFO’s booth due to the crowd favorite, free Dippin’ Dots.
New to the Annual Meeting exhibit hall are multi-vocational pastors, formerly known as bi-vocational pastors. Also new to host a booth are Healthcare Ministries, Oklahoma Jail and Prison Ministry and Baptist Global Repsonse.
The Baptist Messenger will have a wheel that guests can spin for a chance to win a prize like a coffee mug, t-shirt or even a book by Messenger columnist Walker Moore.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee will have a booth featuring resources for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, Rose Day and other important events, as well as resources for engaging the culture with the Gospel.
The Gospel, the Church and Foster Care is a rally that will immediately follow Annual Meeting on Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. The event will host a booth with information about foster care and other event information such as speakers and how to become involved in foster care in Oklahoma.
Seminaries from across the country will also line the exhibit hall including: Gateway Seminary, Southwestern Seminary, New Orleans Seminary, Southern Seminary and Midwestern Seminary. Oklahoma Baptist University will also host a booth.
Other noteworthy booths to visit while at Annual Meeting include Disaster Relief, Guidestone financial resources, Falls Creek, CrossTimbers, Native American Ministries, African American Ministries, Hispanic Ministries, the Edna McMillan State Missions Offering, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, Baptist Village Communities, Children Ministry, SKOPOS student ministry and student evangelism.
For more information about Annual Meeting, a downloadable schedule, information on featured speakers and more, visit www.annualmeeting.okbaptist.com.
