National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. to choose its next president in New Orleans

2nd September 2014   ·   0 Comments

The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. will convene in New Orleans for the 134th Annual Session, September 1-5. The four day event, with more than 18,000 attendees, will feature sessions and seminars pertaining to various aspects of church life as well as the election of a new president.

On Thursday, September 4, NBC members will vote to elect one of five presidential candidates to represent more than seven million Baptist constituents around the globe. The newly elected president will be announced the following day at 10:00 a.m.

Dr. Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University, will present the keynote address at the annual President’s Education Banquet, Tuesday, September 2, at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Kimbrough, who is among the youngest college presidents in the country, is known for his active use of social media to engage and stay connected with students.

The National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. continually serves its mission to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ through preaching, teaching and healing. The Convention promotes home and foreign mission efforts, Christian education, publishes works of art and religious expression and works to engage other endeavors in order to advance the cause of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

The five NBC presidential hopefuls are as follows:

• Reverend Dr. Boise Kimber —At the tender age of 15, the Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber was called to the Gospel ministry, and has remained steadfast to that call.

Dr. Kimber currently serves as president of the Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention, an alliance of approximately eighty churches. As a visionary president, he launched the Christian Leadership School, an accredited four-year Christian Education degree program. He currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the Board of Directors.

• Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Sr.—The Rev. Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Sr. was born in Philadelphia and reared in New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Maryland State College; the Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He received the degree of Doctor of Ministry from Boston School of Theology in Boston, MA and has studied at Regents Park College in Oxford, England and Baptist Theological Seminary, in Ruschlikon, Switzerland. He has served as the Senior Minister of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte since October, 1982.

He led a delegation to form a solid partnership with the Winterveldt School in Mabopane, South Africa for Friendship to partner in the purchase and building of a fully equipped Christian educational center for grades kindergarten through high school.

He has organized and led numerous medical and religious mission teams of preachers, doctors, nurses, technicians and teachers to provide needed healthcare, medical supplies and educational training in Jamaica, Africa, and Guyana, South America for children and families struggling in poverty.

He has been a strong supporter of senior citizen programs and under his leadership, Friendship provided the first satellite center for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers, offering exercise and other classes for older citizens living in the area.

• The Rev. Jerry Young — Pastor Jerry Young was born in Scott, Mississippi. One of 10 children born to Reverend E.L. and Elizabeth Young, Jerry was raised alongside a diverse group of siblings, eight boys and two girls. He fondly recalls his life as a “preacher’s son.” Add growing up in the Mississippi Delta in the heart of the Civil Rights era. God called Pastor Young to the ministry at the tender age of 17. His service began at Mt. Tennia Baptist Church in Lamont, Mississippi and extended to him serving as pastor of St. John and Pilgrim Rest Baptist Churches, both in Greenville, Mississippi. Dr. Young has faithfully led the vibrant congregation of New Hope Baptist Church since 1980. He is the founder and headmaster of New Hope Christian Pre-School and New Hope Christian Elementary School, together serving 300+ students, from infants to 6th grade.

Active in the community, Dr. Young has served on several local, state, and national boards and has been awarded numerous prestigious honors and awards. In addition, he is a regularly invited guest to speak/lecture at the various schools, colleges, and school districts throughout Mississippi and across the nation.

Presently, Dr. Young serves on the Board of Trustees at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, as well as his alma mater, Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss. He is the immediate past President of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi, Incorporated. He currently serves as the Vice President At-Large of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Incorporated.

• The Rev. Randy G. Vaughn Jr. — Randy G. Vaughn is the current Sr. Pastor of Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, located at 501 W. Thomas Blvd.; Port Arthur, Texas. He has been pastoring the Mount Sinai church for over 28 years and has been in ministry for over 35 years.

In he wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Pastor Vaughn presented to the National Baptist Convention USA Inc., the need for an office of disaster management. After working with consultants and developing plans for disaster response, the Office of Disaster Management was formed and Pastor Vaughn accepted the task of being the director. This gave him the responsibility. This disaster service are provided to 62 state conventions, over 30,000 churches and church affiliates and encompasses over 7.5 million individual members.

In September of 2009, Pastor Vaughn orchestrated the signing of the Memorandum of Under­standing (MOU) with the American Red Cross at the National Convention. In 2010, Pastor Vaughn was instrumental in the NBC USA Inc. becoming the first African American organization to become members of the NVOAD (National Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster). In addition, he serves as the Convention’s representative to the White House office of Faith Based Organization, consulting with the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.

Pastor Vaughn has been heavily involved in missions in the country of Haiti since 1989. He was instrumental in the development of the African American Missionary Baptist Collaboration which brought together the five (5) African American Baptist Conventions and Foreign Mission bodies, namely NBC USA Inc.; NBC of America; Progressive National Baptist Conventions, National Missionary Baptist Convention and the Lott Carey Foreign Mission body. This group today has given more than $1 million, partnering with Habitat for Humanity in the building and rebuilding of homes for many Haitian families.

• The Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes— The Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes is pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist church in Tallahassee, Fl.

Holmes has 35+ years of progressive and successful pastoral leadership and involvement that he says “have prophetically and profoundly prepared me with the gifts, skills, and insight to develop and execute a vision that will clearly move the National Baptist Convention forward. Also, my substantial involvement in both national and community organizations have uniquely prepared me to lead the National Baptist Convention.”

The Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, FL, where he has served as pastor for over 27 years, was recently selected by the Casey Family Programs as one of their Communities of Hope.

Bethel is a downtown church that now owns more than 25 acres of prime land in the downtown area. The church has some 35 active family-based ministries and has been able to build a multi-purpose family life center that takes up an entire city block. Bethel Christian Academy is housed in the Bethel Family Life Center. It includes pre-K to 5th grades. The school is in its 23rd year. Also housed in the Bethel Family Life Center is Florida’s first charter school that was organized by Bethel. The name of the school is the C. K. Steele- Leroy Collins Charter School which has been open for sixteen years. This school year, Steele-Collins Charter Middle School was transitioned into an all male academy.

The National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. last gathered in New Orleans in 2004. This year’s convention is projected to have an economic impact of more than $21 million.

The confab will kick off Monday and end Friday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Halls D-G.

This article originally published in the September 1, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.