Celebrating 75 years of Free Will Baptist International Missions in Oklahoma City!

Join the Celebration

The 2010 National Association of Free Will Baptists will be an experience none of us will want to miss! This year, Free Will Baptists will join to celebrate 75 years of taking the gospel around the world. One courageous young woman left for India in 1935, and hundreds followed her example.

From that humble beginning, God has faithfully blessed the efforts of His people. Now, thousands of believers around the world raise their voices in worship in more than 1,100 churches and mission works. This milestone is certainly worth celebrating!

Many current and former international missionaries will attend this year's convention. In addition, representatives from most countries will represent what God is doing among their people. A beautifully illustrated, 196-page coffee table-style book, Into the Darkness, will be available for purchase, commemorating God’s graciousness in global work through our denomination.

Many events are planned for our time in Oklahoma City. Although some events are reserved for the missions family, most will be for everyone. The Executive Committee and Music Commission graciously chose to include greetings from our international guests and provide a decidedly international flare to our evening services, especially the Wednesday evening missions service.

International Missions is also particularly grateful to Home Missions partners and friends for their enthusiastic support and encouragement in planning this internationally focused convention. Read through the descriptions of the planned events, and make plans to be present.

Carrying the Light

75th Anniversary Museum and Gift Shop
Exhibit Hall B—Cox Convention Center

All convention attendees are invited to view 75 years worth of artifacts, personal items, documents, and media in the commemorative museum. Attendees may choose to walk through using a written guidebook, or join a guided tour of the exhibit. Designed with the help of a museum curator, the exhibits will help viewers experience the miraculous way God has worked through ordinary people these last three-quarters of a century.

Every Free Will Baptist will want to see Dr. Miley’s medical bag, Laura Belle Barnard’s Tamil Bible, and other unique items from our history. The space also provides an ideal place to visit with missionaries and international guests. The gift shop will feature items from around the world, allowing visitors to take home a souvenir of their experience. Geneva Poole will debut her book, Sharing God’s Grace, and will sign copies for buyers.

75 Years of Faithfulness

Missions Rally Honoring our Missionaries
Cox Convention Center Arena
Monday, July 19, 3:00 – 4:30

“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

On Monday afternoon, a grateful denomination will say thank you to those intrepid workers who have taken the good news into the darkness. For this session, both current and former missionaries will be honored guests for a program intended to pay tribute to our ambassadors to the nations. Every convention attendee will want to support our missionaries by attending.

World Celebration 2010

With International Guests
Cox Convention Center
Tuesday, July 20, 10:00 – 11:45

One of the highlights of this year’s convention will be the presence of more than 50 international guests from Free Will Baptist works around the world. As we celebrate the fruit of 75 years of ministry, we look to the development of partnerships with leaders from other lands. Tuesday’s event will introduce those leaders, highlight what God is doing through them and others, and give a glimpse of the next 25 years as we complete a century of Free Will Baptist world missions.

Partnering with capable leaders and their churches will undoubtedly result in exponential growth as God provides ongoing harvest where once only fallow ground appeared. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet scores of international Free Will Baptist leaders gathered in one place is not to be missed.

Into the Darkness Reception

Special Event with the International Missions Family (by invitation only)
Sheraton Hotel

Everyone who purchases the commemorative edition of the coffee table book, Into the Darkness, is invited to come and bring one guest to an exclusive reception on Tuesday afternoon. The entire Free Will Baptist International Missions family (including staff, missionaries, and international guests) will be present. Attendees will enjoy a light dinner buffet and will have an opportunity to meet and talk with guests and to have them sign their copy of this special edition of the book.

For details on purchasing a commemorative edition book, visit www.fwbgo.com.