Annual Gathering 2008

A collection of photos from the 2008 Annual Gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio. Click READ MORE to see the full gallery.

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Rev. Larry Lewis Called to Serve

On Sunday, September 14, 2008, the First Baptist Church of Martins Ferry (Zoar Association) called Rev. Larry Lewis to be their new Pastor.  He lives in Wheeling, WV and has been serving the Dallas Pike Baptist Church in Triadelphia, WV.  He will begin his ministry in Martins Ferry on the first Sunday of November.  John Oliver, a member of the congregation and a graduate of the Lay Pastor Training Program, has served as the interim Pastor since the beginning of 2007.

Pastor Gerald Bentley Installed

First Baptist Church of Jefferson installed Rev. Gerald ‘Jerry’ Bentley as their new pastor in a service held on Sunday, August 3, 2008.

Participants sharing in the service included Sherry Cornell – Special Music, Brad Woodworth – Bagpipes, and Bob Cassady, ABC/OHIO Minister of Congregational Development.

The 183rd Annual Gathering Comes to a Close

The 183rd Annual Gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio ended October 18.  The 2008 event was hosted by the churches of the Marion Baptist Association and held in Columbus, Ohio. All activities took place at the CROWNE PLAZA Columbus North, 6500 Doubletree Avenue, Columbus 43229.

Once again, this was a wonderful opportunity for our American Baptist family here in Ohio to come together for three days of renewed friendships, family fun, worship, learning and encouragement. It was also a wonderful way to invite friends and guests to learn more about who we are as American Baptists!

The ABC/Ohio Program and Local Arrangements Teams worked on this year’s Annual Gathering for many months with great anticipation of how God would work during our three days together. Our theme this year was “Overflowing With Hope” based on Romans 15:13 which says…‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’. Our keynote speaker this year was Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Johnson (see related story).

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