BY DR. JOHN SULLIVAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-TREASURER
FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION

Reflections on the Year 2007

You are the finest people in the world! That is not a supposition but a reality. The recent e-mail I sent to pastors about the devastation in Haiti has been received by grace and responded to with generosity. As of this past Monday, we had received $50,790.08 from our churches to assist with the Haiti project. It is rather overwhelming to know that you love people you have never seen; whose language you do not speak and whose culture you may never encounter. You have done it in the name of Jesus. Know of my grateful heart.

Dennis Wilbanks, associate director of the Partnership Missions Department, is just returning from a follow-up assessment of needs among our churches in Haiti. We will do a follow-up story in the Witness and on our website, www.flbaptist.org, as soon as we have adequate time to process the information.

If you missed the Florida Baptist State Convention in Daytona Beach, you missed a good time. The preachers were excellent. Dr. Willy Rice presided with dignity and grace. The music was upbeat and well done.

One of the motions referred to the State Board of Missions was to study Cooperative Program distribution in Florida with a design to raise the percentage going to the Southern Baptist Convention. Of course, the State Board of Missions will include others in the study and facilitate the meetings.

This motion comes at an excellent time. The SBC’s Cooperative Program Hoc Committee finished its work in September. It was my joy to be part of that group’s work for nearly three years. In fact, I intend to write some articles about the Cooperative Program after the new year. We have great difficulty educating our folks about this God-given and God-blessed ministry of Southern Baptists.

The Christmas season is near. What a wonderful time to be with family. Nancy and I will be with all of our children and grandchildren this year. We always have a good time being together but Christmas is our favorite time. We will sing and eat; give and receive gifts and eat; talk and share all the news and eat. Being with my family around the dinner table is my favorite place.

Nancy and I send our very best love and appreciation during this season. May the good things of grace continue in your life and may this year’s celebration of the birth of our Lord be your finest.

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You may contact Dr. John Sullivan at 1-800-226-8584, ext. 3015, or by e-mail.