Archive for October, 2007

Nominees for BGAV Offices

Published at October 1, 2007 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Lewis, Bloomer and Bloxom Nominated for BGAV Offices

By Robert O’Brien – rjo1965(at)gmail(dot)com

On September 27, attendees at the Virginia Baptists Committed’s Fall Meeting voted unanimously to nominate Joe Lewis, Jeff Bloomer and Pat Bloxom for BGAV offices when the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) meets on November 13-14 in Richmond.

lewis.jpgThe Rev. Dr. Joseph T. Lewis, current first vice president of Virginia Baptists, will be presented as a nominee for president. Lewis has been the pastor of Second Baptist Church, Petersburg since 1996. He has served widely on BGAV and associational boards and committees, and also was pastor of Fountain Creek Baptist Church, Emporia, associate minister at Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond, and coordinator of Appalachian Ministries, Williamsburg, KY.

bloomer.jpgDr. William “Jeff” Bloomer, of Culpeper Baptist Church, will be presented as a nominee for first vice president. Bloomer has been a professional educator and administrator for more than 40 years in Virginia’s public schools and colleges. He has served as a deacon in five churches, deacon chairman in three churches, and in many other local church leadership positions. He has served as moderator of the Shiloh Baptist Association and as its representative to the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. He has chaired three VBMB committees and served on its executive committee and budget committee.

bloxom.jpgMrs. Patricia K. Bloxom, of Mappsville Baptist Church, will be presented as a nominee for second vice president. Bloxom is a a retired home health care and public health nurse. She is currently a member of the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies. She has been a past chairman of the Eastern Shore Community Service Board, past president of Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia, past chairman of the BGAV’s Religious Liberty Committee, past WMU director for the Accomack Association, and a former BSU summer missionary. She has served in many other denominational leadership roles.

Virginia Baptists Committed is a statewide organization of Virginia Baptist clergy and lay members committed to supporting the BGAV. Its nomination process seeks candidates who support the BGAV and its Kingdom Advance vision, and such core Baptist values as priesthood of the believer, autonomy of the local church, soul freedom and religious liberty. Also, it seeks to follow the BGAV custom of alternating qualified clergy and laity as president, and the practice of electing a successfully serving first vice president as president the succeeding year.

Kent Parks Named International Director of Mission to Unreached Peoples

Published at October 1, 2007 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

By Robert O’Brien – rjo1965(at)gmail(dot)com

S. Kent Parks, formerly of Richmond and a veteran of 20 years of Baptist mission service in Southeast Asia, will become the international director of Mission to Unreached Peoples (MUP), effective November 1.

MUP, a broadly interdenominational agency, bases its U.S. office in Seattle, WA, and a Canadian office in Abbotsford, BC. Parks will establish the international office initially in Dallas, Texas, and will work in close relationship with the other two offices. His wife, Erika, will also join MUP as a missionary.

The 25-year-old MUP agency focuses on spiritual and physical ministries to unreached peoples around the world, and currently has 300 personnel who raise their own support and serve a number of people groups in 22 countries.

As MUP’s international director, Parks will focus on helping stimulate a global movement to raise up thousands of strategy teams to reach the almost two billion people who are from the least evangelized people groups. He will continue to emphasize MUP’s mission-”to obey the Great Commission of Jesus Christ by investing our lives, gifts, resources, and vocational skills in God’s work.” MUP seeks evangelists, church planters, disciplers, teachers, community development and healthcare workers, vocational tentmakers, and many more. The MUP network will continue to expand its role and vision and work to multiply its connections with other like-minded organizations and churches in North America and in other countries, Parks said. Continue reading ‘Kent Parks Named International Director of Mission to Unreached Peoples’