October, 2025

We are planning for a big gathering this year! The meeting will begin with a Business Session at 3 P.M. During this session, we will vote on a 2026 Budget and 2026 Officers. We will hear reports from our staff and a report on our PAL Lodge Fundraising Efforts. Chuck Harrison will be giving his final address to the association during the Business Session.

Chuck came to serve as the Director of the Peninsula Baptist Association in November 2010. He has guided us through many changes during the past fifteen years. He has consulted with many of our churches through times of congregational change. And he has helped pastors navigate the challenging times we live in.

Our Transitional Director Search Team is also hoping to recommend a candidate to become the Transitional Director at this meeting. (More about this later in this newsletter.) This Transitional Director will serve during the process of searching for our new Director. The Transitional Director will be leading the association through a visioning season to help prepare this network of churches for the future.

The Business Session will be followed at 6 P.M. by a service of Worship and Celebration. Details of this meeting are being kept under wraps to avoid disclosing any surprises. It will include a time of looking back over the time Chuck has been our director, and a time of looking to the future of the PBA.

It is our hope that both of these services will be well attended by the people of our churches. Of course, to vote during the Business Session, you must be an official “Messenger” from your church. Anyone may attend the Business Session, but only official messengers may vote.

This is one of those unique points in time for our association. As we look to the future God has for us, we need to hear from as many voices as possible. Please consider attending – even if you do not regularly attend these meetings.

Earlier this year, the PBA Leadership Team decided to form a search team in order to find someone to serve as “Transitional Director” while we search for our new Director. That team has been hard at work! And they bring us this brief report:

After a two-year hiatus, our Scholar-in-Residence Dr. John Herbst is back to writing his blog on Bible and Theology. The blog is aimed at pastors and other serious students of the Bible. Click on the "Scholar-in-Residence" button under “Resources” on our website https://thepeninsulanet.org/ to see what John has to say about the Word of God and how to apply it today!

Our online giving option is now available on our website. Go to https://thepeninsulanet.org/, and click on the “Give” button on the top right of the homepage. You will find “Introduction to Giving” instructions there. We chose to go with a company called “Vanco” that specializes in online giving to Christian ministries.

Our effort to raise funds for needed repairs at the Peninsula Association Lodge (PAL) at the Eagle Eyrie Conference Center officially ended on Tuesday. As you know, the bathroom facilities in the lodge are in critical need of upgrading.

Unfortunately, the pledges fell way short of raising the amount needed. Our Leadership Team will be making a recommendation of next steps at our Annual Business Session on October 27th at 3 P.M. at First Baptist Church of Newport News.

We received an email from Kay Griffin, Treasurer of Yorktown Baptist Church, announcing that the church has called a pastor. Here is a portion of that email:

We provide this information to assist churches seeking a senior pastor. We can only provide information given to us by churches, so please keep us informed! You may also let us know about other open positions in your church if you would like us to publicize them. Churches currently without pastors: Buckroe Baptist Church, Grace Baptist Church, Hornsbyville Baptist Church.

This full-time pastoral role oversees children’s ministry (K–5th), youth ministry (6th–12th), and discipleship support for parents. It is designed to offer holistic, gospel-centered leadership to the family ministry of Gloucester Point Baptist Church—strengthening homes, developing young leaders, and partnering with parents in spiritual formation.