President Young’s Message to the 135th Annual Session Delegates

To the officers, board members, pastors, preachers, messengers, and friends of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.

Greetings and welcome to the 135th Annual Session of our Convention and my first as President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. It is with a tremendous sense of humility and an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to our God and to you for entrusting me with the awesome privilege of serving as the eighteenth president of this august body of believers that I greet you in the merciful, the marvelous, and the magnificent name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior.

Since the election last year, much prayer, planning, and preparation governed our days and nights as we restructured our boards and committees and reviewed, evaluated, and aligned the work of the Convention with the purpose of propelling us toward the realization of the all-encompassing vision that inevitably will enable us to transition from a convention model to a denominational model. I approach this week full of expectation and hope for our future as we envision our future exceptionally.

I pray for travelling grace and mercies for each person, and for a rich and rewarding experience while here in Memphis—one that will leave each of us with a renewed commitment, a revived hope, and a rekindled faith in the awesome possibilities and electrifying promises that can be ours as National Baptists. Let us, together, give impetus to the work ahead undergirded by much prayer and participation!

My personal thanks and gratitude are extended to the Host Committee for their diligence and dedication in preparing for and hosting our visit to Memphis.

Yours in the Ministry of Christ and His Church,

Jerry Young, President National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.