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| Directors of missions' program to
explore new-century leadership By Art Toalston ATLANTA (BP)--The theme of this year's annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions will be "Leading Your Association into a New Century." The 475-member organization's 38th session will be Sunday and Monday, June 13-14, at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel. Among the featured speakers will be leadership speaker John Maxwell of Injoy, a Christian leadership ministry based in Atlanta; Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church, Lake Forest, Calif., and author of "The Purpose Driven Church;" International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin; and Annuity Board President O.S. Hawkins. Other program features: a presentation on the North American Mission Board's "Church Planter Management System" software package for operating a new church; a report on church planting in Montana by Darwin G. Payton, director of missions of the Yellowstone Southern Baptist Association, Billings, Mont.; a report from Seminary Extension's executive director, Edward Thiele; and a testimony by Leon Boyd, retired director of missions of the Suncoast Baptist Association, Largo, Fla. The association's president is Ed Gilman, director of missions of the Suncoast association. His presidential address will be during the conference's closing session, which begins at 10:30 a.m. June 14. A continuing education session on "Using Computers in the Association," will be offered Saturday, June 12, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., also in the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel. The conference's orientation for new directors of missions will be June 11-12, while the Retired DOM and Wives Fellowship will be at noon June 14. |
