“WE WERE THERE”

Without a doubt, National Baptist Convention Presidents and messenger, to include the populace of Nashville, will long have it etched in the museum of their memory that truly “we were there”. As four separate, distinct, historical, autonomous and spirit led conventions convened under one roof in the City of Nashville, Tennessee, what a joy it was to have been a part of that history-making week.

In so many ways, it was like a down-home family reunion, a fill-the-pew rally, or perhaps even a “Friends Day” in the local church. Whatever manner others may describe our week together in Nashville, I am convinced it was exhilarating, electrifying, exciting, extraordinary, exuberant, and exceptional. The Lord God Almighty, our presidents and the thousands of messengers made it so.

Logistically speaking the Opryland Hotel and Resort facilities were very accommodating for lodging, meetings, eating and fervent fellowship. No matter where you were seated in the Grand Ballroom both the audio and video were near perfect. Even the hearing and visually impaired should have had minimum difficulty in hearing or seeing the speakers. Even the power points and wide screens for viewing would cause one to know “this truly is some good stuff.”

Many thanks to Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, Pastor-Emeritus, Concord Missionary Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York, for our four conventions to come together in a joint meeting. At that time, Dr. E. Edward Jones was still president of the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. I am convinced that’s when the vision of Dr. Taylor linked up with the support of Dr. E. Edward Jones and the embryo of a vision (after much coordinating meetings, teleconferencing, traveling, strategizing and praying) became reality the week of January 24-28, 2005 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee.

On the evening of 24 January 2005, Dr. E. Edward Jones, Pastor, Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, Shreveport, Louisiana-President Emeritus, NBCA, Inc., with stealth-like strides and a statesman gait, hit the Unity Banquet with a preemptive surgical strike that penetrated our hearts and left no collateral damage arteries or veins. Only Dr. E. Edward Jones can do it like Dr. E. Edwards Jones. Preach! That is.

Part of the genius of our joint meeting is that in the mornings, we all assembled together as individual conventions. During the evening services we all came together for worship.

On Tuesday morning, January 25, 2005 Dr. William Shaw, President National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., under the auspices of the Holy Spirit and the tenants of God’s grace led us to the summits of Mount Moriah and Sinai as he proclaimed expositionally. The entire congregation was on their feet when Dr. Shaw began celebrating in the sermon.

An added educational attraction to me, were the many informative forums. How beneficial and timely were the presenters and topics discussed.

Tuesday evening, January 25, 2005, was NBCA, Inc. Night. As we returned to the Delta Ballroom, there was something mystical in the air. Hundreds of our sisters were dressed out in red attire, along with NBCA, Inc. brothers dressed in dark suits and red neckties. I am convinced that the other conventioneers knew that NBCA, Inc. were there and were well represented.

Our inimitable Vice-President at Large, Dr. Wallace Hartsfield, introduced and then presented our very own President, Dr. Stephen J. Thurston, NBCA, Inc. President Thurston, in his own style of preaching demonstrated what the Holy Spirit would do with a preacher when that preacher submits to the Holy Ghost Power.

Rarely do hurricanes come as far inland as Tennessee, however, before our President began to celebrate in the sermon, Conventioneers knew in their hearts that Hurricane Thurston had hit inland in the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. After thunderous applause, and shouts of Amen!, Hallelujah, and preach brother!, decorum was restored and hearts were still overflowing with the good news of the Word of God. The joy that yet fills my heart that along with so many more I can loan my voice and proclaim with others, “we were there”. Never was I more proud of our president as he demonstrated to us the art of exegesis in expository preaching. I am certain that others (preachers) took copious notes for further study.

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During the morning joint session on Wednesday, January 26, 2005, Dr. Melvin Wade, President of the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, blessed our hearts in sermon as he brought down the fires of Mount Moriah. Interspersed in his sermon were testimonies as well as revelations. It appears to me that conventioneers were on their feet in applause before they were aware of it.

Wednesday night found us under the tutelage of the Progressive National Baptist Convention President, Dr. Major Jemison. He would be the final speaker/preacher of the four presidents assembled. Again, it was revealed to me that God still is not a respecter of persons because that same grace and power that began with Dr. E. Edward Jones as Unity Banquet speaker on Monday night had lost none of its power as it traveled through Presidents Shaw, Thurston, and Wade and then upon President Major Jemison. To God Be the Glory!

I am confident that on Thursday morning, January 27, 2005, our hearts were abounding with excitement and great spiritual anticipation as to what the mighty hand of God would do next during this joint conventions meeting.

Not only was Thursday, January 27, 2005 to be the last night of this historical gathering; but also the dreamer/visionary, none other than Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, Pastor-Emeritus, concord Missionary Baptist Church of Christ, Brooklyn, New York, would preach the concluding sermon and preach he did. In his gravelly voiced grandfather style of preaching, he subtly opens the gate of the gospel. He draws you in and then while you are enthralled with the might of the message he closes the gate behind you. You find yourself hanging onto his every word, trying to get more prose, art illumination and deeper meaning from the message. Then Dr. Taylor allows the worshipper to ascend the heavenly mountain beyond the atmosphere, stratosphere and ionosphere. Onward to the third heaven, seemingly you can hear him, Dr. Taylor, knocking on heaven’s door. You can hear the sentinel ask, “who’s there and what do you want”. Dr. Taylor’s reply—would see Jesus! Then as quickly as you made the ascent with Dr. Taylor, it’s now time to descend back down to reality. The reality of knowing there is still work to be done. There are still rivers to cross. There are still burdens to bear, songs to sing, prayers to pray, and yes, meetings to attend.

During that holy and sacred setting of our convention’s joint meeting, the Holy Spirit seemingly brooded over us in those moments of newness. Dr. Melvin Wade walked us back through the annuals of time in our churchianity. The songs (long meters) old one (hundreds) we used to sing; the mourning and revered times we had together.

As a last act of obedience in worship, we were led to participate in or partake of the Lord’s Supper. Reverently, holy, spiritually, and obediently we broke bread together, not knowing if we would all meet again.

But we have the moments to remember.

It must also be noted that each of the Presidents, Shaw, Thurston, Wade and Jemison, are all products of Bishop College, Dallas, Texas. Each of them had to lay aside some personal priorities or agendas in order for us to come together in this joint convention meeting. Each of our presidents is to be commended for unselfishly coming together to make the joint meeting a success.

The notables who were among us during this historic joint convention meeting were too many to mention in this treatise. However, I urge you to call or write to our convention’s headquarters to purchase tapes or discs of the presenters and preachers. They were all in my opinion very powerful and informative.

We close this chapter on the historical Joint Convention Meeting, January 24-28, 2005 in Nashville, Tennessee. The chapter, I remind you, has closed but the book yet remains open. Other chapters are to be included. Until then, I still join my voice along with others and cry out “We Were There”.

Rev. Solomon Shorter, Sr. Pastor
True Vine Missionary Baptist Church
Alexandria, Louisiana

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