GREENSBORO — More than 250
children and staff from Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina (BCH)
impressed messengers at the Baptist State Convention annual meeting with a
colorful presentation about “growing hope.”
Their presentation Nov. 8
started with a video thanking North Carolina Baptists “for keeping the love
story alive.”
Baptists rose to their feet and applauded as children and adults
streamed into the meeting room from the back and front. Dressed in varying
shades of green, children and staff entered the meeting room carrying flowers
and butterflies.
A young lady began singing and everyone joined in the chorus.
“I would like to thank Dr.
Blackwell and all North Carolina Baptists for plenty of food and my own
bedroom,” said a 15-year-old young man who lives at Broyhill. He came to BCH at
age 12 weighing 32 pounds. He had never been in school.
Paulina, who was featured
this year in a BCH article in the Biblical Recorder, talked of her abusive
father. “At BCH, I have a refuge where I am safe and loved,” she said.
Michelle, 10, shared that
she was failing school before she came to live at the BCH. Now, she’s on the
honor roll.
Jim Dyer, placed at Kennedy
Home at age 8, left at age 16 shared that “Kennedy Home will always be my
earthly home.”
He told messengers, “You
made an eternal difference in my life.”
Ed Yount, Baptist State
Convention president, introduced the BCH presentation, highlighting the “helping
hurting children, healing broken homes” theme.
Yount introduced Michael
Blackwell, BCH president since 1983.
Blackwell met Dyer, the Thanksgiving
offering poster child in 1955, the first week he was at BCH.
He held up the youngest
resident, Alex, who lives at Care House with his mother.
“We have been around for a
long time,” said Blackwell, referring to BCH’s 125-year anniversary which will
be celebrated Thursday in Thomasville.
He called the Thanksgiving
offering the “umbilical cord of support.”
Blackwell predicted another
tough financial year next year and encouraged churches to pray and receive an
offering to support BCH’s ministries in 18 North Carolina communities.
Cloth squares painted and
sewn with messages of hope from individuals and churches were sewn into three
tapestries and lined the walls of the meeting hall and exhibit hall. About 6,200
one-foot-square cloths decorated the halls.
Other BSC news
Music for the first night
was provided by North Carolina Baptist singers and orchestra.
Milton Hollifield, BSC
executive director-treasurer, declared his commitment to moving the convention
to a 50-50 Cooperative Program split if churches increase giving (story to
come).
Messengers voted to hold a
two-day annual meeting next year and to limit debate on all matters by
requiring that each speech be no more than three minutes.