Posted: 9/01/06
Baptist Briefs
GuideStone offers help to plan staff compensation packages. GuideStone Financial Resources has launched an online presentation—along with a free workbook—to help church personnel and finance committees plan staff compensation packages. The presentation comes on the heels of the release of the 2006 SBC Compensation Study, which showed the average salary and housing allowance for full-time Southern Baptist pastors was $49,952, an increase of 7.4 percent since 2004. Income statistics for other positions, including bivocational pastors, support staff members and other positions also are reported in the bi-annual compensation study. The study and the planning financial support presentation and workbook can be accessed at the GuideStone website, www.GuideStone.org, or by calling GuideStone at (888) 984-8433.
NAMB honors BGCT for church planting. The Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board recognized the Baptist General Convention of Texas for posting 1,924 church starts from 1999 through 2005—the highest number of any Baptist state convention. NAMB’s church planting and evangelism personnel recognized 18 state conventions during a mission celebration at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina.
Virginia seminary offers online courses. The School of Christian Ministry at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Va., will offer two four-week online courses, Sept. 11 to Oct. 8. “Baptist Identity” provides an overview of Baptist heritage and how it influences current church ministry. Participants study Baptist origins, developments and theological emphases, and reflect on the Baptist identity in relation to church theology. “The Church: A System of Relationships” examines congregational life from the perspective of family systems theory. Registration cost for each course is $150, and partial scholarships are available. For more information, call (888) 339-2877 or e-mail lmcgehee@btsr.edu.
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