National convention brings together Baptist Conference to address pastors' salaries, AIDS and the acceptance of women in the clergy
www.detnews.com
Oralandar Brand-Williams
Jun 20, 2009
National convention brings together Baptists
Conference to address pastors' salaries, AIDS and the acceptance of women in the clergy
By: Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News
Detroit -- AIDS among church members, pastors' compensation and whether women should be preachers are among the topics to be discussed at the National Baptist Convention's 104th annual session starting Monday at Cobo Center.
"Those are some of our hot-button issues," said the Rev. Edward L. Branch, chair of the host committee and pastor of Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit. "The Baptist church has been thought of as liberal but we do have our share of conservative Baptists.
"We do have people of different mindsets about (the issues). We spend a lot of time to bring our people together on these issues, regardless of where they stand personally or theologically."
An estimated 40,000 members of the National Baptist Convention, the nation's oldest and largest African-American religious group, will meet through Friday, organizers said.
The convention is expected to pump about $50 million into the local economy through hotel stays, restaurants, cabs and other services, Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Renee Monforton said.
