Brian Smart

Assistant Executive Director: Advance, Brian Smart HPBC 2021 Annual Meeting Report for November 2020 – November 2021

Thank you for the privilege of serving the churches of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention. My primary areas of focus include missions, evangelism, church planting, and partner development. The Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention sees every Hawaii Pacific Baptist Church working together to be leaders in impacting God’s Kingdom throughout the Pacific and Asia. these areas.

The “advance” side of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention includes Sean Lathrop (Church Planting), Arjay Gruspe (Next Generation Ministries), International Ministries, BCM Hilo and BCM Manoa), Disaster Relief.

Here are the ways in which we are fulfilling the vision of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention.

Together we will BUILD and SUSTAIN a stronger Kingdom network of like-minded churches and ministry partners to facilitate God’s Kingdom through Hawaii Pacific Baptists

Partner Development Craig Webb and I met with the Tennessee Baptist Convention during their quarterly meeting. Tennessee Baptist voted to form a partnership with the HPBC. We will provide details in upcoming months. I met with First Baptist Nashville. Their retiring pastor has indicated he is available for consultation. I met with First Baptist Hendersonville. Their pastor has indicated they would like to assist our churches in future ministry.

I attended the SBC Executive meeting in Nashville, Tenn., and met with the executive directors of Mississippi, Michigan, Arizona, Alabama, and the former executive director from North Carolina. I met with John Alison on strategies for international ministries. World Hunger Funds have been distributed to HPBC churches. Dalton Slavins has been hired by NAMB as a Journeyman to oversee SEND Relief Projects. We will provide information on this at a later meeting. His assignments will include ministries related to human trafficking, world hunger, foster care, and school supplies.

Church Planting For more on our church planting efforts please refer to Sean Lathrop’s report. Areas of work include mapping key areas that need a church start in Hawaii, working with Elise Tafao and the Samoan Church Plant, and recruiting a new Polynesian Pastor to assist working with indigenous peoples.

Together we will EMPOWER and MOBILIZE Hawaii Pacific Baptist churches to engage Hawaii, the Pacific, and Asia with intentional efforts for God’s Kingdom.

Evangelism Continue to reformat rules and procedures for evangelism funding from the North American Mission Board. New funding request rules will be updated soon. Evangelism funding from the North American Mission Board will be distributed in a different way this year. The HPBC will make request for the funding on a need basis. We have secured the funding, but we will request it differently.

Matt Queen, Evangelism Professor for Southwestern Seminary, will be in Hawaii in January. Ten churches can sign up for evangelism strategy consultation. Working on a one-day training and evangelism day in Hawaii in 2022.

Missions We continue to develop 2022 mission projects for the HPBC including the Philippines, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand as well as a vision trip to Taiwan. We are also working with partners to develop a strategy for HPBC churches to impact New Zealand. We are currently looking for partners in Hawaii, other U.S. states, and NZ. Please be aware that IMB is shifting the East Asia and Southeast Asia affinity groups into one. This will not change our strategy, but it will help us streamline some future projects.