According to thebellereport.com
National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. Host Committee
Announced Details of Return to Memphis, TN
MEMPHIS, TN — Mayor A C Wharton, Jr., Mayor Mark Luttrell and other elected officials joined the Memphis Host Committee of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (NBCUSA) to announce details of the five-day 135th Annual Session of the NBCUSA that is set to return to Memphis September 7, 2015. The press conference was held at the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association, which was attended by approximately 50 NBCUSA pastors and other leaders in the community.
“The City of Memphis is excited to have the nation’s largest African-American religious organization back in our great city,” said Mayor Wharton. “With up to 50,000 attendees expected, this represents an economic, social and spiritual boon for our community and we hope that their time here is interesting, edifying, and fun.”
The 2015 Annual Session of the NBCUSA will be the first post-presidential election annual session as the delegates elected a new president, Dr. Jerry Young, during election in New Orleans September 4, 2014. The NBCUSA is the major business meeting of the boards, auxiliaries and member churches of the Convention, and it is held annually in September starting on Labor Day in various cities across the country. The mission of the
Convention is to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ through preaching, teaching, and healing.
The Convention is expected to attract up to 50,000 delegates from around the country for the 135th Annual Session to discuss and seize opportunities to work together for the greater good of Memphis and the country. While delegates will come from all over, many live nearby in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. NBCUSA returns to Memphis under new leadership as the NBCUSA expects large numbers in attendance in Memphis because the city is an easy drive for many delegates and because the new president is a resident of Mississippi.
Dr. Frank E. Ray, NBCUSA board member and co-director responded to the warm welcome by both mayors. “The National Baptist Convention is elated to have Memphis as its host city for the 135th Annual Session,” said Dr. Ray. “As a Memphis native, a local pastor and a host committee chairperson on behalf of the NBCUSA, we are very appreciative to Mayor Wharton, Mayor Luttrell, the City of Memphis and Shelby County.
We thank them for their support and look forward to a successful impact on the city of Memphis and Shelby County.”
The NBCUSA kicks off on Labor Day with a musical production featuring TriState Convention Choir and special guest Stellar Award-winning artist Tamela Mann. The concert is the first of the annual event as prior conventions have kicked off with a musical without a celebrity artist. The concert will be held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center at 7 p.m. and is expected to draw several thousand attendees. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.memphis2015.com or by calling 901-452-7265.
The late night worship services attendance has grown to become very popular and well attended over the years and will run Monday, Sept. 7 to Thursday, September 10. All services will be held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, Halls A & B, beginning at 10 pm. Late night speakers will include Terrance Taylor; Johnteris Tate James Adams (honoree); Johnathan Carter; L. K. Curry; F. Bernard Mitchell; Arthur Jackson, III; and H. B. Charles, Jr. Other opportunities for fellowship and services will include the President’s Education Banquet, where the keynote speaker will be NBCUSA president Young; First Lady’s Luncheon; and the President’s Reception.
The NBCUSA is also an opportunity to generate more exposure for the newly established Dream Makers program. In 2013 a partnership was established between the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education and Office Depot/Office Max to fund the Dream Makers Scholarship program. The Dream Makers program is designed to encourage young people to pursue higher education through a four-year scholarship and to
participate in mission work. Applications are now being accepted for the college scholarship and the mission trip to Haiti in 2016. The scholarship will be awarded during the 111th Annual Session of the Congress of Christian Education in Tampa, June 20-24, 2016.
For additional information about NBCUSA, please visit http://www.memphis2015.com or call 901-452-7265. If you would like an interview or request photos, please contact Sheri Neely at sherin@theneelyagency.com.
About National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
(NBCUSA) Founded in 1886, the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest African American religious convention with an estimated membership of 7.5 million including 33,000 pastors. The Annual Session of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the major business meeting of the boards, auxiliaries and member churches of the Convention, and it is held annually in September starting on Labor Day in various cities across the country. This meeting typically draws 20,000 or more delegates. Registering for this session results in the initiation or continuation of your membership with the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. The mission of NBCUSA is to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ through preaching, teaching, and healing.
About Local Host Committees
Local Host Committees support the National Baptist Convention by organizing and managing many events and services for the Annual Session in collaboration with local churches, civic organizations and the community at large. Local Host Committees make it possible for the national organization to conduct conventions and meetings in many cities throughout the country.
About City of Memphis Office of the Mayor
Under the leadership of Mayor A C Wharton Jr. since 2009, Memphis is becoming a City of Choice by focusing on creating safe and vibrant neighborhoods, investing in young people, creating economic opportunities for all, and delivering excellence in government. Memphis is famous around the world for the convergence of creativity and innovation that produced its most famous export – legendary music; the company that invented modern world commerce – FedEx, and the international leader in curing catastrophic childhood illnesses – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It has a celebrated entrepreneurial history, more Fortune 500 companies than any other Tennessee city, and it has been named one of the best cities in the U.S. for startups. It is famous as home for Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Sun Studios, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, and the most unspoiled riverfront on the Mississippi River. City of Memphis, which employs more than 6,000 people with
an annual budget of approximately $650 million, has developed and led programs that have dramatically reduced crime, increased jobs, improved Memphis’ quality of life, and attracted national attention and investments in the city.
For more information visit www.memphistn.gov .
