Editor’s Note: This story was updated after publication to correct the date of the last Annual Meeting held in Nashville.
NASHVILLE (BP) – SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd will host a Facebook Live event Tuesday (Sept. 15) to share more about the 2021 Annual Meeting and encourage as many churches as possible to send messengers. In 2005, the last time the Annual Meeting was held in Nashville, 11,641 messengers from 4,775 churches attended the event.
Floyd hopes to see those numbers increase after the 2020 meeting was canceled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. And like many Southern Baptists, Floyd is looking forward to the SBC reconvening next summer.
“I can’t wait for Southern Baptists to come to Nashville,” he said. “While it was disappointing to miss coming together due to COVID-19, now is the time to get engaged for the future. The 2021 Annual Meeting should be one of the biggest and most exciting conventions in recent years, as we see each other again and unite on mission to take the Gospel to every person in every town, every city, every state and every nation.”
SBC President J.D. Greear will preside over the meeting. His term in office was extended due to the cancellation of the 2020 meeting, which prevented the election of new officers.
“I’m looking forward to reconnecting at our annual meeting in Nashville in 2021,” Greear said in a statement. “Since the cancellation of this year’s annual meeting, it is more important than ever that thousands of Southern Baptists plan on coming together next year to reflect together on what God has done and anticipate what He will do.”
One unique aspect of the gathering will be a reformatting of Sunday and Monday from the typical SBC Pastors’ Conference to a Send Conference event hosted by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the International Mission Board (IMB). The 2021 Send Conference will help believers of all ages understand how to carry out the calling in their lives and equip pastors to help church members live out their calling wherever God has placed them.
“We (NAMB) are looking forward to working with (IMB President) Paul Chitwood and the IMB to celebrate all God is doing through Southern Baptist mission efforts,” NAMB President Kevin Ezell said. “It will also be a time of personal challenge to all of us to recommit our efforts to sharing Christ with our friends, family and neighbors in everyday life.”
Hotel registration for next year’s annual meeting opens Oct. 1. Information about the hotels available is already posted at SBCAnnualMeeting.net. With the gathering being held at one of the largest hotels in the country, most messengers will be able to stay on-site, with just a short walk across the hotel facility to the meeting spaces.
“Our entire team is excited about preparing for and hosting the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting here in Nashville,” said Bill Townes, the convention manager. “Opryland provides a great opportunity to fellowship with its nearly nine acres of indoor gardens, more than a dozen restaurants and an indoor water park. As an added bonus, the majority of hotel and meeting rooms will be under one roof, and there are also several hotels of varying price points located in close proximity to Opryland. Our entire team is working diligently with the convention center team to ensure that our planning promotes the health and safety of all of our attendees next year.”
Joining Floyd for the Facebook Live event will be Chitwood, Ezell, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board Executive Director Randy Davis and Nashville Baptist Association Director Rusty Sumrall.
The event will begin at 2 p.m. Central and is expected to last around 30 minutes. It will also be broadcast at SBCAnnualMeeting.net for those without Facebook access.
To be reminded about the live event, visit the SBC Executive Committee Facebook page.
This post was originally written by Jonathan Howe, Vice President for communications at the SBC Executive Committee, and posted on baptistpress.com