Scroll down to find all of the videos shown during Annual Homecoming.
SOUTH CHESTERFIELD, Va. (BP) – One of the many highlights from the SBC of Virginia (SBCV) Annual Homecoming included the presentation of a financial gift for Guidestone Financial Resource’s Mission:Dignity, in memory of the convention’s first executive director-treasurer Doyle Chauncey.
The gift, which comes from the SBCV Foundation, was presented to Guidestone President Hance Dilbeck on Sunday night (Nov. 12). The Foundation’s contribution comes in addition to a “13th Monthly Check” given by the SBCV towards Mission:Dignity to help provide an honorarium in support of retired pastors and their widows in Virginia.
Chauncey, who died on March 21, 2023, at the age of 81, served as the SBCV’s first ever full-time executive director from the convention’s constituting in 1996 until 2008. He then transitioned to focus on the development of the SBCV Foundation and served as treasurer of the convention until 2014.
The presentation of the check came at the conclusion of Sunday night’s session, after several SBCV pastors and staff offered words of remembrance for Chauncey.
“He was a man who finished well, and loved each and every one of you,” said Brian Autry, SBCV executive director.
“Maybe you never even met Doyle personally, but I know there are others in this room, who like me, know the rest of us wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for folks like Doyle Chauncey. If brother Doyle had a vote in doing this tonight, he would have vetoed it. But we ought to give thanks when we’re blessed to see someone serve so faithfully and finish so well.”
Doyle’s wife Sharon and one of their two sons David, lead pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Gainesville, Fla., attended the session.
“We miss him terribly, but I think his greatest commendation will come from the Lord. I thank you all for remembering him tonight,” David Chauncey said.
“If he were here … he would have said keep planting churches, keep preaching the Word of God, give your tithe, support the Cooperative Program and we’ll see you in Heaven.”
The donation made in Doyle’s honor was one of the many new developments heard by approximately 1,000 SBCV messengers during the meeting, which took place November 12-14.
The Lord is With You – Relying on His Strength
The theme for the Homecoming, held at The Heights Baptist Church in South Chesterfield, Va., was “The Lord is With You – Relying on His Strength.”
During the meeting, messengers conducted business, heard from a variety of keynote speakers, received financial updates, and learned more about various SBCV ministries.
The convention celebrated a record year of giving and other significant financial milestones.
SBCV churches gave record totals to the Cooperative Program ($9,868,224), the Lottie Moon Christmas offering ($4,130,990), and the Annie Armstrong Easter offering ($1,298,935).
Additionally, all-time SBCV giving to the Cooperative Program, since the convention’s inception in 1996, surpassed 200 million with a total of $207,350,112.
Upon recommendation from the executive board, messengers approved the proposed Ministry Investment Plan (MIP) of $10,400,00 million for the upcoming 2024 fiscal year, which is a slight increase from the 2023 Ministry Investment Plan.
Of the total adopted Ministry Investment Plan amount, $10 million comes from SBC of Virginia churches giving related to Cooperative Program contributions. The adopted plan will be distributed with 51 percent going to national Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program ministries and 49 percent distributed to state level SBC of Virginia Cooperative Program ministries. This is the same percentage of allocation as previous years.
Upon recommendation, 13 churches requesting partnership with the SBCV were approved by messengers at Annual Homecoming, and 16 new church plants were announced.
This marks a combined total of 29 new SBCV churches, bringing the total number of affiliated churches to 831.
Newly elected SBCV officers received unanimous approval by messengers. Rob Pochek, senior pastor First Baptist Church of Charlottesville, Va., was named president. Josh Carter, senior pastor of Hyland Heights Baptist Church in Rustburg, Va., was named first vice-president. Chris Kesler, senior pastor of Midway Baptist Church in Phenix, Va., was named second vice-president. Sean Couch, who serves as minister in residence at Northstar Church in Blacksburg, Va., was named secretary.
Messengers heard ministry updates and highlights from a variety of different initiatives including church planting, church revitalization, missions, kid’s ministry, youth ministry, college ministry, men’s and women’s ministry, foster care and adoption, as well as work with crisis pregnancy centers throughout the state.
Hannah Daniel, policy manager for the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), presented the SBCV with its “Parter for Life” award for the convention’s partnering work with the Psalm 139 Project, which helps provide ultrasound machines and medical staff training to pregnancy resource centers.
Additionally, the SBCV launched a new James 1:27 fund for Foster Care and Adoption ministries as a part of the Vision Virginia State Missions Offering.
Autry spoke to the great need throughout the state. He explained that there more than 5000 children in the Virginia foster care system, and 45 percent of them are teenagers. Aging out foster teens are highly likely to immediately become homeless.
One foster care ministry highlighted was Fostering Champions, a ministry based out of Rocky Mount, Va. Fostering Champions was founded by Bobby Canipe, a former youth pastor at Franklin Heights Baptist Church and a foster child himself. After more than 20 years in youth ministry, and after fostering 12 kids of his own, Canipe felt called to start the ministry to help aging-out foster teens.
The next step for Canipe and Fostering Champions is finishing a housing center where four aging-out foster teens can live. This is being built on donated land with many of the materials and much of the work being donated by churches and local businesses. The home is nearing completion, and the desire of Fostering Champions is to see more home built throughout Virginia.
In partnership with Send Relief, the SBCV donated a check for $28,000 to finalize the building project for Fostering Champions and announced plans to offer similar support to foster care and adoption ministries through the James 1:27 fund and Vision Virginia.
Other keynote speakers during SBCV’s Annual Homecoming included Chuck Lawless, professor of Evangelism and Missions and vice-president for Spiritual Formation and Ministry Centers at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Hance Dilbeck, president of Guidestone Financial Resources; Noe Garcia, senior pastor at North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona; Vance Pitman, president of NAMB’s Send Network; and Stan Parris, senior pastor of Franklin Heights Church in Rocky Mount, Va. and 2023 SBCV president.
Parris closed out the meeting by reminding messengers of the power of the local church.
“I’m glad today to be able to know, because of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ … we don’t live with doom and gloom about the future,” Parris said.
“We know how it’s all going to end. We know the conclusion of this story. One day Jesus Christ is going to come for His church, the household of God. You don’t lose heart. Jesus is building his Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. Keep preaching the truth. Because of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ, we all know here today that the best is yet to come.”
The 2024 SBCV Annual Homecoming will take place on Nov. 10-12 at River Oak Church in Chesapeake, Va. Keynote speakers include Dondi Costin, president of Liberty University; Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS); and H.B. Charles, pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla.
Watch the highlight video!
Find all Annual Homecoming photos on our Flickr album!
