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May 4, 2009
A tribute to state convention stewardship leaders
Denny Wright (@dennythestewguy - for those of you who use Twitter), Stewardship Director for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, invited me to come last week and tour Arkansas. I led six two-hour seminars in five different cities.
By Friday, I had touched every corner of the state. It was an exciting week! I gained a new appreciation for every state convention staff member who carries the banner of stewardship. It is tireless work.
My days consisted of getting up early to meet the associational missionary and a few key pastors for breakfast (if not breakfast then we had lunch after a morning session), a trip to the presentation location to set up, the seminar, tear down, pack up, drive to the next location, eat with another group, and do it all over again that evening. We were in constant motion as we drove more than 500 miles last week (and that didn't include the trip from Nashville to Little Rock).
In the audience were pastors of small churches (25 members) and large churches (1,000+) members. Some pastored traditional churches and some multi-ethnic congregations. We even had church staff members from a non-Baptist church. (They had heard about the conference from some peers.) These pastors live in completely different worlds, yet they share the struggle to consistently fund their ministry budgets and accomplish the ministry God had placed on their hearts.
I can't begin to describe all the responsibilities these state stewardship directors carry on their shoulders. After all, if churches don't have money, the denomination - at least as we know it - ceases to exist. My hat is off to each and every state denominational leader (and their support staffs) who help churches answer the tough questions and navigate the uncertain waters of funding and ministry.
I know our churches are in good hands.
Posted by bstroup at May 4, 2009 4:16 PM
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