ABNS - Biennial Celebration Closes With Praise, Worshi

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>]

Biennial Celebration Closes With Praise, Worship

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (ABNS 6/27/11)?The third
day of the Biennial came to a close after a final
worship service on Sunday evening, June 26, where
Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, senior pastor of Enon
Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa.,
preached about Celebrating God?s Way. Prior to
the sermon, attendees were greeted by newly
appointed US ambassador-at-large for
International Religious Freedom, Rev. Dr. Suzan
Johnson Cook, who identified herself as a ?proud American Baptist pastor. ?

Cook, sworn in two weeks prior to the Biennial,
noted that this is only her second domestic trip
in her new role. ?I am so excited and ignited
with the fire of God?s love within my heart," she
said. ?What an honor it is to be with you this evening.?

?Thank you, my American Baptist Churches family,
for your support and thoughts throughout the
years, for allowing me to try my preaching out on
you, for invitations to your pulpits, to your
conferences.  I feel so proud and honored that we
share this moment together,? said Cook.

Waller, who preached the main message for the
Sunday evening service, made an impact on
attendees through his powerful preaching and the
idea of holding your ?hands out,? being ?hands
on,? and keeping your ?hands up.?

?Don?t just stop at thinking about others as
hands out, make sure your hands are on,? said
Waller. ?That means getting involved. That means
that you?re helping in the redemptive nature of
God. That you are strengthening the weak hand and the feeble knees.?

?Part of ?hands out,? and ?hands on,? also leads
me to ?hands up.? When we put our hands up we?re
saying ?Lord, I love you, Lord I praise you,
Lord, I thank you, Lord, you are worthy!?? said Waller.

?We were honored to have Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook
in attendance to speak to us,? remarked Frank
Christine, president of ABCUSA. ?Cook?s greetings
were an additional highlight of the evening.?

?One of the most moving experiences for me at the
Biennial was Alyn Waller?s sermon, and the
powerful message of ?Hands up, hands out, hands
on.? We were blessed by Alyn?s singing as he
closed his sermon. Each of the main speakers in
the worship services at San Juan gave wonderful
messages and led us all in celebrating God?s
glory, God?s power, and God?s way,? said Christine.

The new ABCUSA officers were announced at the
close of the service. Ruth Clark will serve as
president, Rev. Don Ng will serve as vice
president, and James Ratliff will continue
serving as budget review officer for the
2012-2013 term. The officers were elected in the
discernment session on Sunday afternoon, June 26.

?We are grateful to God for the decisions so
prayerfully reached during these days together
and continue to pray that God will work through
us as the General Board convenes its sessions,?
said Ruth Clark, president-elect of American
Baptist Churches USA. ?The Biennial meetings have
inspired and challenged us to celebrate what God
has done for us and to move forward in obedience
as the hands and feet of Christ.?

Biennial attendees had the opportunity to worship
in churches around San Juan and other parts of
Puerto Rico on Sunday morning. Attendees were
transported to different churches affiliated with
the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico. Many
churches served lunch to attendees, and allowed
for them to experience the Puerto Rican culture through worship.

?We leave Puerto Rico blessed. Blessed by the
Spirit at work among us, as we celebrated God's
goodness and grace,? said Roy Medley, general
secretary of ABCUSA. ?We leave Puerto Rico
energized to engage in a two-year transformative
conversation about our journey toward more
effectively serving our neighbors and the world
as the hands and feet of Christ. We are excited
to follow where the Spirit of God is leading us.?

Links to pictures from the Biennial can be found
on the ABCUSA website, www.abc-usa.org, and at www.celebrate2011.com.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most
diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500
local congregations comprised of 1.3 million
members, across the United States and Puerto
Rico, all engaged in God?s mission around the world.