NoBA Formation

(The following is an excerpt from a letter written by Sid Hopkins on June 19, 2006.
Comments in brackets [  ] have been added for clarity.)

Last January [2006] an Associational Summit was held at Southwestern [Baptist Theological] Seminary to bring together Directors of Missions [DOM's] who wanted to look at the current conditions of associations and see what the association of the future might look like. This summit was the dream of Eddie Miller whose heart was to also create a network of associations so that we could encourage and support one another and help find resources that would help us do our work. One hundred and twenty-five DOM's and about 13 denominational workers attended. A National Leadership Team was selected and given the task of coming up with a structure for a national organization and also the resourcing piece that would help us to earn a voice with our national and state entities.

The National Leadership team met in March [2006] in Texas to begin that process in order to make a report at the SBCADoM [Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions] meeting in Greensboro. We finalized our Vision Statement, Our Core Values and a proposed structure for the new organization, the Network of Baptist Associations (NOBA). At Greensboro, Bob Franklin shared the historical background and need for an organization such as NoBA. I shared a progress report on our work with specific emphasis on a second Associational Summit for January 6-8, 2007. Larry Fillingim then shared the proposed outline of education tracks that would be available to assist men from Urban, Suburban and Rural associations. We are going to offer training similar to what was offered by the old Home Mission Board at Ridgecrest and Glorietta [Conference Centers] as a key component of NoBA and each summit … 

A key question that was asked at the SBCADoM meeting was whether NoBA would replace the SBCADoM meeting or could the two be merged. At this time, we see ourselves as sister organizations that will work in unity to assist DOM's. The primary purpose of the SBCADoM meeting is for fellowship and inspiration for those attending the SBC. The primary purpose of NoBA is for educational development, resourcing and networking to meet the need of DOM's who are and will be serving in these difficult but exciting days.

Sincerely,

Sid Hopkins