|
Virginia Baptists Committed, a diverse group of clergy and laity devoted to preserving, protecting, and promoting the witness of mainstream Baptists in Virginia, is pleased to endorse candidates for the four annually elected offices of the BGAV for the November 2024 annual meeting.  Shelton Miles, III VBC is pleased to endorse the Reverend Wyatt Shelton Miles, III, for the office of BGAV President. Shelton is a retired bi-vocational pastor, having served BGAV churches in Halifax, Pittsylvania, Campbell, and Wise Counties. His longest and last pastorate was with the First Baptist Church of Republican Grove, where he served over 27 years. In retirement, he is a member and deacon of Kedron Baptist Church, Gladys, where he was baptized, licensed, and ordained as a teenager. Shelton is a graduate of Carson-Newman University and attended Southern and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminaries. Within the BGAV, Shelton served as a longtime trustee of the Religious Herald, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society, and as chair of the Religious Liberty Committee and the Resolutions Committee. He has represented the BGAV at the State Capitol, advocating on religious liberty issues. For many years, he hosted, outfitted, and guided the Virginia Baptist Ministers’ Canoe Retreats and always enjoyed immersing fellow pastors in an experience in nature (and often in the river as well). He and his wife Jody reside on their family farm along the Staunton River in Campbell County where they raise beef cattle. They are the parents of three children and the grandparents of six. Shelton will be nominated by the Reverend James D. Bounce, pastor at Marlow Heights Church, Front Royal.  Stephen Adkins VBC endorses Chief Stephen R. Adkins for First Vice-President of the BGAV. Chief Adkins is a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at Samaria Baptist Church, a former moderator of Dover Baptist Association, and he represented DBA on VBMB for two terms. He is a graduate of Bacone Jr. College (Associate Arts), Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Virginia Commonwealth University (B.S. in Business Administration). After working at DuPont for forty years, he retired in 2006. He is also retired from the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Chief Deputy Director of the Department of Human Resource Management after serving the administrations of Governors Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell. Chief Adkins has served as Principal Chief of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe since 2001. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Argent Federal Credit Union, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission. He is the husband of Eunice J. Adkins. They have five children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Chief Adkins will be nominated by the Reverend Dr. Herbert L. Ponder, Pastor of Mount Tabor Baptist Church in Richmond, VA.  Eli Withers VBC also endorses the Reverend M. Elizabeth Withers for Second Vice-President of the BGAV. Eli is the Associate Pastor of Harrisonburg Baptist Church in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Having served the church for just over eight years, she works to provide support for the Senior Pastor and the Ministry Team by sharing worship planning and leadership, preaching regularly, and assisting where needed. She helps the church to offer various discipleship opportunities through small group Bible studies and Sunday School classes, occasional retreats, group art projects, book studies, etc. for all ages of the church. She loves serving HBC and the local community has come to feel very much like home for her. She is grateful to see the love of God being lived out regularly in their congregation. In her personal time, Eli enjoys being with family back in West Virginia and friends whenever she is able, as well as reading, writing for fun, watching movies, learning various art techniques and practices, and being outside when the temperature is just right! Shirley Cobb, a member of Harrisonburg Baptist Church, will nominate her.  Tim Madison Finally, VBC is pleased to endorse the Reverend Dr. Timothy N. Madison to serve as Clerk of the BGAV. Tim is the Pastor of Emmaus Baptist Church of Provident Forge, VA. In the last 35 years, he has served four BGAV churches, and in numerous positions in the BGAV, including President and First Vice President, Chair of the Budget Committee, the Memorial Committee, and the Committee on Boards and Committees. He served two terms on the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, and he chaired the Support Services Team. Tim has also served as Moderator of both Lynchburg and Dover Associations, and as Moderator and Recording Secretary for the CBF of Virginia. He also served as a volunteer chaplain for the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Tim has a long history with the BGAV and will bring to the position of Clerk a long institutional history, which will be beneficial in maintaining the record of the BGAV meetings. Darrell Foster, member of King’s Grant Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, will nominate him. These candidates are well qualified to serve and are committed to the work of the BGAV now and in the future.
VBC is happy to endorse these persons for these leadership positions. VBC welcomes and encourages the nominations of other qualified candidates.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
RSS Feed