Ohio Baptists Open Initiatives in Fasting & Prayer at Annual Meeting

Initiatives in visioning, prayer and fasting were set forth to Ohio Baptists during their Nov. 4-5 sessions under the theme “Equip. Engage. Encourage. Enhance.”

The Cincinnati-area Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fairfield hosted the 66th annual celebration of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, with 220 messengers representing 104 churches.

Ryan Strother, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Marion, preached from Philippians 1:3-6 in his address as SCBO president, marking the many ministries and advances of the convention’s cooperative work.

Strother presented an overview of the three-year SCBO strategy and structure visioning process for reaching Ohio, initiated by the convention’s Mission Council in July. Strother introduced the 12-member team of Ohio leaders who will guide the process in conjunction with the Houston-based Denominee consulting ministry.

He also introduced a First Friday Fasting initiative for 2020 of prayer and fasting in five areas: the convention’s visioning process; church revitalization; church planting; pastors and leaders; and an awakening of “supernatural Gospel impact in Ohio & beyond.”

Stephen Owens, pastor of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Bedford and president of the Ohio African American Fellowship, preached the convention’s annual sermon from Acts 11:20-22. He challenged messengers and guests to trust God in taking risks in preaching Jesus, reaching people for Jesus, and encouraging future leaders.

Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, preached on “Mobilizing Your Church to Fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.” He spoke of how to be clear in leading a church to personalize and obey the Great Commission; to pray and call for people to be called out for ministry; and to prioritize, elevate and accelerate giving through Southern Baptists’ Cooperative Program channel for missions and ministry.

Adam W. Greenway, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, preached from Acts 1:1-11, exhorting Ohio Baptists to embrace the urgency of obeying the Great Commission. “We have not regarded our disobedience in evangelism as sin,” Greenway said, “and the church has done more gazing than going.”

Roy Cotton Sr., director of African American ministries for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, led the worship, congregational singing and mass choir, assisted by the Kettering First Baptist Church worship team.

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Source: Baptist Press