PORTLAND, OR (7/2/17)—The Saturday evening Worship Experience featured a message by Dr. Jeffrey Haggray, executive director of American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS).
Haggray spoke on the theme “Connected to Each Other.” In his sermon, he reflected on the body of Christ and our own bodies together in community. He said, “We face three opportunities as Christ’s church: First, remain connected to Jesus, who was and always will be the way to God…second, remain in community with one another as American Baptists, for Jesus taught that others will know we are His disciples by our love for one another….and third, maintain concern for our world, making it known that the body of Christ is not an exclusive members-only social club, but an ever-expanding family of diverse persons from all walks of life seeking to belong, needing acceptance, and discovering that God wills for them to belong to Christ’s body.”
He said “We have a story to tell through our bodily connections,” and called for American Baptists to get connected, increase their connections, and to stay connected.
In closing, Haggray said, “We have many talents. We come from different walks of life, and we cooperate across lines of geography, skin color, worship styles and identity differences, and in the eyes of Jesus, all of that is a beautiful thing. Our diversity makes us rich not poor, strong not weak, not a problem to be solved….American Baptists have the potential to model the kingdom of God in real time when we come together in worship, witness and service. Let us affirm our connections with our American Baptist Brothers and Sisters with whom we share a common Lord, a common baptism, a common faith, a common calling, a common heritage, a New Commandment, a Great Commission and a Golden Rule!”
View a Facebook Live video of the Worship Experience at: www.facebook.com/2017biennial. Or, visit this link to view upcoming services live at 7:00 pm PDT on Saturday, or at 9:00 am PDT and 7:00 pm PDT on Sunday.
Haggray has twenty years of experience pastoring American Baptist congregations, along with close to a decade’s experience leading a region of American Baptist Churches USA, which provides Haggray with a broad perspective about ministry at the national level. At the heart of his ministry lies his passion for developing and implementing creative strategies that express God’s love and God’s concern for all people. That passion drives his leadership at ABHMS, as he works with national and regional American Baptist-related organizations – along with other diverse partners – to provide a clear vision of mission, cultivate relationships and develop resources for transformational ministry with congregations, communities and regions across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Photos will be shared throughout the Biennial Mission Summit at https://goo.gl/photos/MDcDELbTUvNwn37Y6. Attendees are also invited to use the hashtag #ABConnect when posting on social media.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.