American Baptist Churches Of The South
A Region of America Baptist Churches, USA
"Strengthening and Caring for Church Environments for Strong Ministry & Missions"
P.O. Box 47277 Windsor Mill, MD 21244-0277
Website: www.abcots.org | (443) 551-3045 - Main Line | (800) 466-9571 |
gloria@abcots.org. jmharrison@abcots.org. abcotsadmin@abcots.org. pwhite@abcots.org
In and Around ABCOTS & ABC-USA Community
American Baptist Churches Of the South
2024-2025 Calendar of Dates
Every Tuesday “Connecting ABCOTS…” A Virtual Conversation 11:00 a.m. (EST)
Meeting ID 929 6541 9729 Passcode 6Qi4WF
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​September-October World Mission Offering (WMO) (Funds Received to Support International Ministries)
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October 5 - Area 1 Annual Gathering
October 11 - 12 - Area 2 Annual Gathering
October 18-19 - Area 3 Annual Gathering
October 25-26 - Area 4 Annual Gathering
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November 6-8 ABCOTS Board of Directors Meeting
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November 27-29 ABCOTS Office Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
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November-December Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) - (Funds Thank You Gifts to MMBB Retirees)
December 23 ABCOTS Office Closed for Christmas Holiday
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2025
January 6, 2025 ABCOTS Office Re-Opens
March 22 Region Event America For Christ (all virtual)
April 21-25 55th Annual Session of ABCOTS
July 13 ABCOTS Day in our Churches
National Ministers Council family
Grounding and Prophetic Gathering October 28-31, 2024 Mt. Bethel PA.
Below are the most recent newsletter links with leader info and registration links. You can sign up by contacting Rev. Dr. Valerie Andrews at ministerscouncil@abc-usa.org.
Reminder
Register for the Ministers Council 2024 Retreat and Biennial Meeting
The American Baptist Ministers Council's Retreat and Biennial Meeting will take place at the Tuscarora Inn & Conference Center, 3300 River Road, Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania.
The retreat will begin with dinner on Monday, October 28th and will conclude with breakfast on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
The theme for the retreat is “I am doing a new thing" (Isaiah 43:19). The Rev. Kym McNair, preacher and social activist, will lead the retreat.
A NEW THING: OUR STORIES, GOD’S POWER
Rev. Kym McNair to Keynote at Ministers Council Retreat Oct. 28-31
We will host our 2024 retreat and biennial meeting at the Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center in Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania October 28-31, 2024. The Rev. Kym McNair, ordained ABCUSA pastor, distinguished preacher, and social activist serving in Westchester County, New York, will be keynote leader. Learn more and listen to recent interview with Rev. McNair HERE. Registration closes October 7. To register, or for more information on the event, including our recent interview with Rev. McNair, visit the Ministers Council retreat page at www.ministerscouncil.com.
Our theme verse for the retreat is Isaiah 43:19: “I’m about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”Attendees will explore themes of voice and power in ministry in various settings, with special attention to preaching in our socially divided and vulnerable time. The biennial meeting portion of the retreat will include the election of new officers and the approval of the 2025-2026 budget.
Interview with Rev. Kym McNair Read More
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*REGISTRATION FEE
The 2024 registration fee is $380 (single room), and $330 (double room) per person. This includes all meals and lodging for the retreat. With the double room option, please indicate your preferred roommate below. If you don't identify a preference, we will assign you a roommate. If you are unable to attend in person, a zoom link will be available for the business meeting.
Pay your registration fee at:
https://ministerscouncil.com/biennial-registration.php
Click the maroon Pay Your Registration Fee button near the bottom of the page. Please indicate in the Notes line that this is your meeting registration fee.
*Reminders for Chapter Representatives Only: If you intend to vote during the election process, you must be a 2024 dues-paying member. In addition, Chapter Representatives are requested to attend the biennial meeting, which includes a business meeting. The National Ministers Council will pay half of the cost, and the Local Chapter is expected to pay the other half for this event. All flights (coach/economy) should be booked at least 21 days in advance.
A “NEW” THING?
A Way in the Wilderness, Rivers in the Desert
Our Leadership Team has been taking turns reflecting on the beloved Isaiah 43:19 passage. When I committed to writing this devotional a few months ago, my heart went straight to another passage – the amazing Acts 2 testimonies about the new life in the Holy Spirit. The new hearing and speaking power, the new communities being formed, the new ways barriers began to be disassembled…
Domestic Violence Awareness
Knowing the role church has played in perpetuating the violence, if they have that understanding that foundation of that understanding then they know of things that need to be undone. By perpetuating I don’t mean that people in prominent positions in communities encouraged violence. However, If they did not discourage it, then they were promoting it. - Rev. Kym McNair (Ministers Council Retreat Leader)
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on an often hidden and painful issue that affects millions of lives. Kym McNair’s quote on the church’s role in addressing domestic violence highlights the complex relationship between faith communities and abuse.
While churches may not explicitly encourage violence, failing to actively discourage it allows harm to persist. The misinterpretation of religious teachings—such as focusing on submission without balancing it with the call for love and mutual respect—has often contributed to unhealthy power dynamics within families.
Domestic violence resources for faith communities.
Events and Webinars
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Self-Care, Spirituality, and God’s Loving Presence
Thursday, October 17, 2024
5pm Pacific / 6pm Mountain / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern
The Rev. Dr. Petra van de Water-van Driel holds a Doctor of Ministry and a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary. She completed four units of CPE at Stanford Healthcare and is pursuing a two-year training program with Stillpoint to become a certified spiritual director. Petra is ordained and endorsed as a healthcare chaplain by the American Baptist Churches USA. Currently, she works as a relief chaplain at Stanford Medicine Children's Health. Petra is married to Cor, with whom she has two adult children.
ZOOM INFO:
Join Zoom Meeting by clicking
here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88612223788? pwd=d2VYTHlrMDVEV1ppVDhmR21jZ2t3dz09
Or call in by phone and use
Meeting ID: 886 1222 3788 Passcode: 740763
Find your local Zoom number here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcFbMxYgPc
Did you miss our September session on ministry in a time of election anxiety? We had rich conversation about how we engage and encounter people across our differences in these challenging times. Visit our YouTube channel to listen to this recording or others you've missed
BOOK STUDIES TO LAUNCH IN OCTOBER
Interested in reading and discussing either of these books? We've got a growing list of interested parties and will be beginning in January. Rev. Jacki Belile will lead discussion on Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic beginnng the second week of January. We're in search of a leader for Freedom Faith: The Womanist Vision of Prathia Hall. Write Jacki at livingwelljacki@gmail.com to register your interest in participation or leading. Each study will likely be approximately four sessions.