Florida Baptist Convention Background

“FOR YOUR INFORMATION”

Miscellaneous Information on the Florida Baptist State Convention

SCOPE OF THE CONVENTION—The Florida Baptist State Convention is both an annual statewide meeting and a fellowship of one million-plus members in 2,744 multi-ethnic churches which cooperate with the denomination.

The churches which comprise the Florida convention cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America. The Florida convention is one of 42 “state Baptist conventions and fellowships” which serve all 50 states. Each state organization is independent of, but cooperates financially in the work of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The convention is both a denomination comprised of a fellowship of churches and an autonomous annual meeting of elected “messengers” whose actions are not binding on, but advisory to, the convention’s churches. Some actions may be binding on the work of the State Board of Missions and the statewide agencies of the convention.

As an annual meeting, the Florida Baptist State Convention meets in a different part of the state each November to conduct its business. Attendance at the convention usually runs between 1,800 and 2,000 people, although the actual number of registered “messengers” may be around 1,500.

CONVENTION TERMINOLOGY—Baptists, because of their historical belief in the free religious choice of each person and in the autonomy of each Baptist church, use terms that may differ from those used by other denominations.

Here are some examples:

• “The Baptist Church,” should only refer to an individual congregation of worshippers. Otherwise, it is “Baptist churches.”

• The exact and proper title of the convention is “The Florida Baptist State Convention.” It is never “the Southern Baptist Church.”

• The “State Board of Missions” was authorized and elected by the Florida Baptist State Convention in 1880 to serve as the Convention’s official agent between the annual meetings of the state convention. The board oversees the mission work within the state and directs the work of a program and administrative staff called the “Florida Baptist Convention.”

• Churches “cooperate with,” or are “affiliated with,” the state convention. These churches have not delegated authority to “messengers” they elect to attend the annual meeting. A certain church’s messengers may vote for a particular convention policy, but the local church is not bound to observe it.

• No one can “speak for” the Florida Baptist State Convention (a fellowship of autonomous churches), not even its president.

• The title “executive director” or “executive director-treasurer” means that individual is employed as the chief executive officer of the State Board of Missions.

• “Cooperative Program.” This describes the Convention’s financial channel somewhat similar to the unified budget of such community organizations as United Way. Through the Cooperative Program, Florida Baptist churches support missions and benevolent work of their state Baptist convention as well as the nationwide and worldwide ministries of Southern Baptists.

• “Messengers” are the elected representatives of their respective local church. Each church cooperating with the Convention is permitted a minimum of three messengers. Additional messengers are determined by a church’s membership. A maximum of 10 messengers from any one church is permitted.

• “Book of Reports” contains the annual reports of committees, the staff of the State Board of Missions and agencies of the Convention. It includes most recommendations which the messengers will vote upon.

BAPTIST BELIEFS— Florida Baptists do not have a creed, but look instead to the Bible as their guide to faith and practice. Baptists accept the Scriptures as the source of doctrine. Statements of faith occasionally are adopted by Baptist groups, but they are not binding on members and are not intended to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation of truth. There is a wide diversity of Baptist beliefs.