OKLAHOMA CITY – The National Baptist Convention of America brings thousands of pastors and church members together, including a mother-son duo who are greeting visitors.
Della Hathorn started coming when she was just a toddler.
“Ever since I was 2 and I’m 101,” Hathorn said.
“She`ll be one of the greeters, so she`ll best standing. That`s why we`re getting rest right now,” son Chester Hathorn said.
More than 8,000 delegates are represented from all 50 states. The convention is now in its 139th year. But it hasn`t been in Oklahoma in 57 years.
“We felt like if the convention came here to Oklahoma, maybe our footprint would expand more than it currently is now,” Pastor Derrick Scobey said.
The footprint of NBCA reaches countries like Panama, Haiti, Jamaica and Ghana, where churches, schools and hospitals are funded through the organization.
A banquet Monday night at the Cox Convention Center will focus on those efforts and raise money to go back to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.
“If it was not for the support of the convention, I would not be able to do the churches, etcetera. Even the auxiliaries within our convention are extremely supportive of what we do,” Pastor Dennis Jones from Houston, Texas said.
They have a mission to give back and promote the Christian faith.
“We support not only missions, but we support our training and our education to take back to our location churches,” Dr. D.L. Grant said.
Church leaders from all over coming together in Oklahoma to make an impact on their church community.
Click here for more information.
United Voice mission statement: A coalition of Oklahoma’s media outlets, brought together in a united voice to promote a healthy dialogue on race.
