Baptist Briefs_111504

Posted: 11/12/04

Baptist Briefs

Baptist benefactor McAfee dies. James McAfee, benefactor of Baptist educational causes, died in Atlanta, one week after heart surgery. In 1997, Mercer University named its new seminary the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology following the couple's $10 million gift. McAfee, 65, built a successful career in health-care management and most recently served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hallmark Systems. McAfee served the past six years as chairman of the board of the autonomous, national newsjournal Baptists Today, headquartered in Macon, Ga. He was a member of Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta.

D.C. Baptists pass $1.2 million budget. Messengers to the District of Columbia Baptist Convention overwhelmingly adopted a $1,225,842 budget, even though the convention's executive board earlier had set a $1,050,000 cap on the 2005 budget. When executive board members became aware the budget would mean the elimination of three staff positions, they reversed themselves and asked the convention's finance committee to come up with a new budget. The convention used to receive about $475,000 a year in supplemental funding from the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board. But that agency's officials decided in 2002 to discontinue the funding after a dispute over whether the regional body was too open to liberalism through its congregations and affiliations. The last year the convention received Southern Baptist funding was 2003.

GuideStone trustees approve budget. Trustees of GuideStone Financial Resources–formerly the Southern Baptist Annuity Board–approved a $55.7 million budget for the coming year, a 4.8 percent increase over 2004. President O.S. Hawkins told trustees many participants in GuideStone's medical insurance plan will see no rate increase in 2005, and about 40 percent will have reduced rates. He also announced a 10 percent reduction in rates for personal plans' long-term disability coverage. Doug Day, executive officer for benefits services, told trustees GuideStone medical plans will transition to Blue Cross Blue Shield as its single network provider Jan. 1.