Join us this October 22-23 for our UISBC Pastors’ Conference, Women’s Conference, and Annual Meeting. Registration information is available on our website. This is a great time to connect with other churches and develop networking relationships from across the two state convention. There will be great messages, food, fellowship, worship, and connection with friends you may only get to see at these events. Hear from your International Missionaries serving around the world, as well as entity leaders from around the SBC.
Meridian, ID – Our 61st Annual Meeting, Pastors’ Conference, and Women’s Conference is coming up October 23-24, 2025 at Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho. The theme of the Annual Meeting is “Back to the Basics” based on 1 Peter 2:9.
We encourage you to login to our website and pre-register for the events you plan to attend. All the information you need; schedules, registering messengers, finding hotels, and getting directions to the church can be found on our Annual Meeting website. We look forward to seeing you there.
Schedule
9:15am – Check-in Coffee/Tea Fellowship 10:00am – Opening Session 11:45am – Lunch provided with registration –Women’s Network updates 1:15-5:00pm – Afternoon Sessions including general session, small group, Hispanic, and Pastors’ Wives Conferences
Rob Lee shares 60 years of UISBC history at our annual gathering of messengers
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Idaho Southern Baptists celebrated their 60th Anniversary with the theme “A Firm Foundation”, on October 25th at their Annual Meeting at Risen Life Church in Holladay, Utah. The celebration focused on Psalm 119:105 and the amazing things that God has done over the past 60 years in the two-state convention. Executive Director Rob Lee provided the rich history of the convention as he shared about the sacrifices and dedication of those who followed God’s call to reach the lost in the West.
Southern Baptist work started in Idaho on Christmas Day 1887 at Independence Flat – now Clearwater – Idaho, with J.B. York as pastor, and at Roosevelt, Utah, in 1944, with Harold Dillman as pastor. The state convention’s mission offering was named the “York Dillman State Missions Offering” in their honor. To date the convention has 185 churches across the two states whose mission is to share the Gospel and make Jesus known.
Roger Naylor, President of the convention, told messengers and guests that “This year we’re excited to be having our 60th anniversary. What’s been consistent over the last 60 years? The Word of God. We’ve grown because from the beginning we’ve focused on the inspired, inherent, infallible, everlasting Word of God.”
The 185 churches, missions, and plants in Utah and Idaho to date have given $26 million of their undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program, and $6.1 million of that has left the states to fuel Southern Baptist missions globally.
“Last year, through CP and missions’ offerings, we passed on 50.4 percent of the gifts – $520,328 – in Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and hunger funds,” Lee reported. “We’ve baptized 44,579 people in our ACP (Annual Church Profile) history.”
Adam Groza, president of Gateway Seminary, was present to speak about theological education. Gateway’s precursor, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, which started in 1944, to date has graduated 12,000 students, Groza said.
“We want to put educational opportunities where the churches are in the West,” the newly inaugurated president told his listeners. That’s why the Rocky Mountain campus of Gateway Seminary was started in 1996. Today the Rocky Mountain campus also includes the Salt Lake School of Theology.
Jonathan Howe, the SBC’s vice president for convention administration, described the “force for good” that is the Southern Baptist Convention.
“Our cooperative efforts have excelled and expanded for more than 175 years,” Howe said. “Southern Baptists operate the largest free program of religious instruction in the United States.
Send Utah Idaho Network was present to encourage church planting in our two states
“Because of the Cooperative Program and other gifts, we have the largest missions sending agency, largest domestic church planting movement, largest religious disaster relief force, largest seminary and largest seminary system in the United States, and likely the world,” Howe continued.
Jackie Allen, NAMB’s western region Send director, told messengers Southern Baptists have planted more than 11,000 churches since 2010. The Send Network Utah-Idaho provided a lunch and presentation on Church Planting following the morning session.
Business, heard by 104 messengers from 38 Utah and Idaho churches, plus 32 guests, consisted of electing officers, approving the budget, and passing a gesture of appreciation to the host church.
Roger Naylor of First Baptist Church, Bonners Ferry, Idaho was re-elected president. Dave Carver, pastor of Water’s Edge Fellowship in Burley, Idaho, was re-elected first vice president. Timothy O’Day, pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in American Fork, Utah, was re-elected second vice president. Allen Featherstone, pastor of Mosaic Church in Provo, Utah, was re-elected recording secretary.
Messengers from across our two states gathered for preaching, worship, and business sessions
Despite lower than anticipated income for the third year in a row, messengers approved a $1,539,960 budget for 2025, up from $1,518,344 last year. Next year’s budget includes up to $635,000 from NAMB, an anticipated $806,960 in CP giving from churches, and $98,000 in giving to the York Dillman State Missions Offering.
The budget includes $242,088 – 30 percent – of CP giving from churches being forwarded to the SBC Executive Committee for dispersal to SBC entities as approved at the 2024 SBC annual meeting.
In other business, the UISBC Abuse Prevention Policy and Procedures, approved earlier this year by the Executive Board, received unanimous approval confirmation from the messengers.
Two recognitions were announced by the executive director: Jason McNair for 15 years on staff as church strengthening director, whose expertise is helping churches technologically enter the 21st century; and Debbie Chidester, who for 25 years has managed the convention office. Chidester received a standing ovation for the effectiveness of her ministry.
Officers for the coming year elected were the same as this year. Roger Naylor, Dave Carver, Timothy O’Day and Allen Featherstone
“The annual meeting was filled with opportunities for all to network,” Lee said. “The business sessions focused on our mission of sharing Christ, starting churches and strengthening churches, and standing on the firm foundation of the Word of God for the next 60 years.”
A time of celebration with ice cream floats was made available “to celebrate God’s faithfulness throughout our history,” Lee told Baptist Press. “Everyone enjoyed a time of fellowship together reflecting on God’s goodness to Utah-Idaho.”
The next annual meeting of the Utah Idaho Southern Baptist Convention is set for Oct. 24, 2025, at Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho.
Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press. JeQuita is a school teacher and wife of Executive Director, Rob Lee. Portions of this article were published by Baptist Press and were used with their permission.
To watch the UISBC Annual Meeting Session, visit our YouTube playlist. Click the menu button in the upper right to navigate each session.
October 26, 2023 | Calvary Baptist Church, Idaho Falls
UTAH-IDAHO SBC Pastors’ Conference
“Be Men of Courage” from 1st Corinthians 16:13-14
Featuring Dr Ben Skaug
Ben Skaug (MDiv, DMin, and PhD) is the Pastor of Missions and Care at Bell Shoals Church in Florida. He has served as a pastor in Colorado, South Carolina, and California.
He is an avid outdoorsman, fan of the Dallas Cowboys, past member of Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, and enjoys writing.
He has written: How Could a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell, Tensions in Biblical Spirituality with Christopher Morgan, and The Authorityand Sufficiency of Scripture in Systematic Theology with Micah Carter.
Ben has taught theology and Old Testament at Southwestern Seminary and California Baptist University.
He has been married to Jodie for 27 years. They have one daughter, Jessica.
SCHEDULE:
Registration begins at 8:45 am
Session 1: Be Spiritually Alert – 9:30 am to 10:40 am
Break: 10:40 am to 11:00 am
Session 2: Stand Firm in the Faith – 11:00 am to 12:10 pm
Lunch Break: 12:15 pm to 2:00 pm
Session 3: Act Like Courageous Men – 2:30 pm to 3:40 pm
Break: 3:40 pm to 4:00 pm
Session 4: Be Strong in the Lord – 4:00 pm to 5:10 pm
What’s a messenger and what should the messenger expect? A “messenger” is a delegate appointed by an affiliated SBC church to attend the SBC Annual Meeting on the church’s behalf. Much goes on at the annual meetings, messengers will meet people, hear speakers, visit vendors, and hopefully have a fun and informative time. Being a messenger has definite legal aspects and responsibilities. The collective messengers are similar to a legislative body, like Congress, they make decisions through asking questions, speaking, and voting.
When messengers arrive at the meeting, they first need to check in at the Credentials Desk and upon registration will be given a packet of materials including an itinerary, copies of reports, and documents, resolutions, anticipated actions, and more. The messengers need to become familiar with those. Each day, a newsletter will be distributed that gives updates and information about the day’s activities. There will be several sessions at which Baptist entities (for example, the International Mission Board) will make reports, elections will be held, motions or resolutions will be proposed, discussed and voted on, etc. Look, learn, and listen….and vote as God leads.
In choosing messengers, ensure that you are picking people who exemplify the qualities of 1 Timothy 3:8. We also recommend confirming travel plans, reimbursements, and insurance for messengers.
The SBC Annual Meeting is a great opportunity to learn what others are doing, experiencing, thinking…and especially to enjoy “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4: 3). Afterwards, it would be great if your messengers let us know their thoughts and experience. Thanks for going!
