On the recordOctober 25, 2017
I rise this evening to recognize the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. The story of this great Baptist convention is a testament to its founders, Reverends William Warrick, Edward Eagles, C. Johnson, L.W. Boone, B.B. Spicer, H. Grimes, John Washington, Charles Bryant, Sutton Davis, and R.H. Harper, the visionary men who founded the convention on October 18, 1867. Since its founding, Mr. Speaker, great men and great women have maintained the convention's strength and viability. The General Baptist State Convention is the oldest convention of African-American Baptists in the United States of America. The General Baptist State Convention consists of more that 500,000 Baptist believers belonging to more than 1,400 churches, including my home church, the Jackson Chapel First Missionary Baptist Church of Wilson. The convention is subdivided into 58 associations, each presided over by a moderator. Over the last 150 years, the convention has been led by well-trained and spirit-led theologians. The current president and executive board chair is my friend Dr. Nilous M. Avery, II, of Salisbury, North Carolina. He is the 32nd president of the convention. Mr. Speaker, the current officers of the convention are: First Vice President At Large, Dr. Leonzo Lynch; First Vice President, Dr. Ricky Banks; Second Vice President, Dr. J. Vincent Terry, Sr.; Third Vice President, Reverend O.D.…
