Messengers celebrate missions

From staff reports

WINSTON-SALEM - Messengers focused on the broad scope of missions involving N.C. Baptists during a "Missions Mobilization" presentation Nov. 16. Ruby Fulbright, executive director of the N.C. Woman's Missionary Union, and Richard Brunson, executive director of Baptist Men and Partnership Missions, talked about their work and introduced a sequence of both video and live presentations on themes ranging from disaster relief to summer camps.

While a video highlighted partnership mission efforts in Armenia, Cuba and Malaysia, Veryl Henderson talked about partnership opportunities with the Hawaii Pacific Convention, where he is executive director. The Hawaii Pacific Convention includes the Hawaiian Islands, the Marianas Islands, American Samoa, Micronesia, Guam, Okinawa and a variety of other island populations, many of which have no churches.

Henderson said the Hawaii Pacific Convention currently includes 122 congregations speaking 12 different languages. He said the Convention is committed to reaching every person on every island with the gospel at least once each year. He encouraged N.C. Baptist churches to "adopt an island" or assist with other projects such as campus ministries and helping to establish churches in high-rise apartment buildings.

Suzanne Reece, who directs G.A., Acteen and mission camping experiences at Camp Mundo Vista, highlighted the camp's ministries by introducing Suzanna Tipton, an 11-year-old Hendersonville girl who has cerebral palsy. Some thought she would not be able to attend camp, but Reece told her mother, "We can make it work." Assisted by her sister, Beth, Suzanna had a profitable week at camp and talked to messengers about the lessons she had learned.

A group of Acteens performed interpretive movements to a hymn as several RAs carried in and raised a large cross, emblematic of an Acteen-sponsored "CrossWalk" outreach program that hopes to reach every association in N.C. this year. As the service concluded, children distributed small handmade crosses, and worship leaders encouraged messengers to share the gospel every day.