The operative word at the Jan. 27-28 session at Caraway Conference Center in Asheboro was "change."

Ronn McCracken, pastor of Providence Church, Roxboro, set the tone in the opening devotional period with a clever comparison of things as they used to be and as they are now.

Change was illustrated when five new BSC officers took their places at tables on the front row of the auditorium.

Katie Ethridge, the new vice president of the Baptist State Convention General Board, presides at the meeting. Larry Harper, president, is in the background.

Last November, messengers to the convention in Winston-Salem elected Mac Brunson as president; Michael Cummings as first vice president; David W. Crocker as second vice president; Ray Benfield as recording secretary; and Mavis Bissette as assistant recording secretary. All were elected to their respective positions for the first time.

Change continued when Katie Ethridge was elected vice president of the GB, replacing Roger Gilbert who rotated off in 1997.

But the greatest change came when GB President Michael Queen announced he would not stand for re-election. Lawrence O. Harper, pastor of Forest Hills Church, Raleigh, was elected by acclamation to succeed Queen.

In an emotional farewell, Queen explained that responsibilities in his extended family make it impossible for him to give the time and energy to the task of board president.

"I will not give up my church (First, Wilmington), and I will not give up my immediate family, so I'm giving you up," Queen quipped with a choked voice and tears in his eyes.

Queen's only sister died in 1992, and since that time he has been giving special attention to his two nieces and their families. With all the time and energy required for meeting the needs of his church, family and extended family, the two-term president did not feel he could continue for a third term as board president.

"But I am not resigning from the board, and I promise you I'll be back for the May meeting," Queen said as he regained some composure. Queen returned to Wilmington immediately after the Jan. 27 morning session in which Harper was elected.

Harper presided at the Jan. 27 evening session, and Ethridge presided at the Jan. 28 morning session.

In his closing moments as president of the GB, Queen called the new officers of the BSC and the GB to the platform and charged them to continue what had been started in the past two years -- a quest for peace, unity and working together as N.C. Baptists.

"Much has been made of the Mike (Queen) and Greg (Mathis) show," Queen quipped in a reference to the much-lauded efforts of the president of the BSC (a conservative) and the president of the GB (a moderate) to maintain working relationships, trust and harmony among N.C. Baptists.

"But that show is ended. It was over last November," Queen said, "and it is up to these newly elected officers to continue that quest."

Queen received a sustained, standing ovation by the board and visitors.

Brunson came to the microphone and expressed "his debt of gratitude for Mike Queen's integrity, honesty, openness and spirit.

"I want to thank you, Mike, for being my friend," Brunson said.

Finance Report

James H. Royston gave his first finance report as executive director-treasurer of the BSC. He quickly acknowledged that the excellent report was a great achievement which he inherited from 1997.

Gifts to world missions through the Cooperative Program totaled $30.22 million last year, exceeding the budget requirements by $323,748. The overage became a part of the Challenge Goal and was distributed equally to the Baptist Children's Homes, the Baptist Retirement Homes and the library proposed for Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute.

Each of the institutions received an amount of $107,500 in a presentation of huge checks to the respective entity, dramatically illustrating the achievement.

Gifts for international missions totaled $9.84 million through the Lottie Moon and other missions offerings. The gifts for home missions reached $4.7 million through the Annie Armstrong and other home missions offerings.

The N.C. Missions Offering (NCMO) fell just $1,172 short of $2 million against a goal of $2.23 million, an increase of 13.82 percent over the 1996 amount.

The NCMO funds all the ministries of Woman's Missionary Union and N.C. Baptist Men, along with special mission projects.

Presidential nominations

In keeping with Convention policy, Mac Brunson presented nominations for the Committee on Committees and Committee on Enrollment on behalf of himself and the two vice presidents.

Policy requires that the three presidents submit the nominations for the GB's approval which it gave without discussion or opposition.

Unique to this year's nominations -- as an expression of inclusiveness -- the three losing candidates for the presidencies last November were included in the Committee on Committees. They are Jack Causey, Statesville; Charlotte Cook, Lexington; and Allan Blume, Boone.

During the Jan. 27 morning session, Talmage Williams of the General Board staff in the Baptist Building, Cary, recognized service tenures, beginning at five years of service and continuing at five-year intervals.

Those with the longest tenures were Bob Watson -- 25 years -- in the church extension department, and Joe Clontz -- 30 years -- in youth and campus ministries division.

Richard Brunson, director of N.C. Baptist Men, led in a report on partnership missions. Pictures were shown of a recent mission trip to Southern Africa where the volunteers flew in a small plane to a remote section, then rode horses for more than a day to the villages.

The committees of the board made their regular reports consisting of activities and plans for work in the respective areas.

Larry Harper brought the report of the Executive Committee which contained information about actions and decisions assigned to the committee. There were no recommendations, but Harper shared some of the details in the transference of leadership from Queen to himself.

A time of prayer was requested, and Harper closed the meeting with prayer for all of the concerns that had been expressed by various board members.