Updated Monday, Feb. 25, 2008

Nominate: make a difference

By Norman Jameson

BR Editor

With as much smoke as North Carolina Baptist politics raises, I'd think there would be more interest in helping decide who will be stoking the coals. But Ron Hester, chairman of the Committee on Nominations, says his committee doesn't have enough names to fill the slate for the board of directors. So he is extending the deadline until March 15 to accept nominations.

Nomination forms were printed earlier in the Biblical Recorder and they are available online by clicking on the bottom center button at www.ncbaptist.org front page.

Hester, who is pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Fayetteville, says the committee cannot generate names from within itself. It is only to consider names submitted to it by North Carolina Baptists. That's you. That's not the next person. Every excuse you have the next person has, too.

Board representation is based regionally and the committee tries to work a balance in gender, church size, pastoral and laity. Being on the board is not an onerous task, unless you're an officer and they burn up the highway more than a state trooper.

So think of that person in your church or even in a church you formerly attended who is faithful in service, who demonstrates leadership qualities and who is interested in Baptist life beyond your church. These nominees who the committee selects will be presented for election this November, to begin service in January 2009.

They will be expected to attend three board meetings during the year and to serve on a board committee. Most often, the board committee does its primary work on the same day as the board meeting. Most board meetings are at Caraway Conference Center and your room and board are free. Usually during a term, at least one meeting will be at Fort Caswell.

At the new board member orientation in December, I offered a prize for the oldest person in attendance. The poor guy who thought his 82 years made him a shoo-in did not win!

This is a chance to nominate younger persons, out-of-the-box thinkers, creative, committed types. No board ever has too many of those. So take a minute, survey your mental list of persons who would make good board members, and nominate them!