Royston waving to the crowd at the Baptist State Convention meeting in November just after he was elected.

Royston was elected by acclamation at the BSC annual meeting Nov. 11. He was unanimously recommended by the BSC General Board and a diverse search committee chaired by Marion Lark, pastor of Henderson¼s First Church.

Royston, a Tennessee native, was pastor of Colonial Heights Church in Kingsport, Tenn., before taking the N.C. post. He had previously served in North Carolina for about 16 years. Other top stories chosen by the Recorder staff were:

• The relationship change between the BSC and Meredith College.
  Messengers to the BSC annual gathering in November adopted changes in the BSC constitution giving the school and the Convention a fraternal relationship similar to the relationship between the BSC and Wake Forest University.
• Efforts at reconciliation between conservatives and moderates.
  Greg Mathis, immediate past president of the BSC, and Mike Queen, president of the General Board, brought 10 conservative pastors and 10 moderates pastors together for three meetings of what became known as the Committee of 20. The group later expanded to about 80 for a gathering at Caraway Conference Center in July. Messengers to the convention approved the formation of a more formal committee to continue the process.
• The election of two conservatives and a moderate to BSC offices.
  

  Brunson

  Mac Brunson, conservative pastor of Green Street Church in High Point, won the presidency of the Convention by defeating Jack Causey, moderate pastor of Statesville¼s First Church. Mike Cummings, conservative director of missions in Burnt Swamp Association, won the first vice presidency. David Crocker, moderate pastor of Snyder Memorial Church in Fayetteville, won the office of second vice president.

  The election gave conservatives control of the BSC for the third straight year.

• A record year of giving to the Cooperative Program by N.C. Baptists.
  Tar Heel Baptists gave more money in 1997 than ever to the Cooperative Program. As officials at the BSC were about to the close the books for the year, N.C. Baptists had given more than the 29.9 million in the 1997 budget.
• The change in the relationship between Baptist Hospital and the BSC.
  The BSC. Messengers to the BSC annual meeting overwhelming passed a constitutional change that decreased the number of hospital trustees elected by the BSC. Previously, the BSC elected all trustees. Under the new arrangement, the BSC elects half the trustees, with the hospital board electing the other half. A board made up of trustees elected by the BSC will oversee the School of Pastoral Care.
• The death of Randy Kilby, the president of Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute.
  Kilby died of an apparent heart attack Feb. 11, shortly after speaking at a Bible conference in Lenoir. He was succeeded by Kenneth Ridings, professor of preaching at the school for 29 years.
• A $10 million pledge to Mars Hill College by anonymous donors.
  The largest single gift in the history of the school was pledged for the endowment of a school of business and community science at Mars Hill. The donors said they made the pledge primarily because of the quality of leadership at the college.
• The inauguration of Stanley G. Lott as the 21st president of Chowan College.
  Lott was inaugurated on April 17 in a ceremony that featured a speech by Walter B. Shurden, chair of the department of Christianity at Mercer University.
• The announcement of the retirement of John E. Weems as president of Meredith College.
  Weems announced Nov. 24 that he will retire in July 1999 after a year-long sabbatical.
• The launching of the Biblical Recorder's on-line edition.
  The Biblical Recorder Web site took off faster than expected with thousands of people viewing the on-line version of the paper. The site was especially popular during the BSC meeting when the site was updated daily.