200th Annual Gathering October 6 & 7

We are excited to invite you to the 200th Annual Gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio at the beautiful Cherry Valley Hotel (2299 Cherry Valley Rd., SE, Newark, Ohio 43055).

“Trusting God Who Knows the Future,” based on Isaiah 46:9-10 will be the theme for this year’s Gathering.

We are excited to have the Reverend Dr. Howard Washington, Senior Pastor of the historic Second Baptist Church of Columbus as our keynote speaker, Adult & Youth Choirs of the Emmanuel Chin Baptist Church of Columbus, Benjamin Payne & Praise Team, recognition of our Ohio Leadership Academy graduates for our Tuesday evening worship service.

The Gathering will be an opportunity to celebrate our history, engage in dynamic worship, enjoy rich fellowship & networking, and provide opportunities to develop stronger ministries for the next generation. Several helpful workshops will be provided for local church ministries.

1. How Firm a Foundation – Early Baptists – Dr. Pricilla Eppinger, American Baptist Historical Society, Atlanta.
2. Strategies for Next Generation Discipleship – Rev. Adam Farnsworth, Porterfield Baptist Church, Little Hocking.
3. Refocus for Impact – Dr. Ed Rogers, Renew Transformational Strategies, Parkersburg.
4. The Changing Context and a Strategy for Vital Small Church Ministry – Rev. Mark Click, ABC Ohio, Granville.

We are looking forward to a visitor from the past by one of our founding members of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio (formerly named the Ohio Baptist Convention) Elder Jacob Drake who will be sharing stories from the early days of the Region.

The ABC Ohio Annual Business meeting will include reports on Region Ministries, election of new Officers and Board Members, and a message from the ABC Ohio Region Board President Mrs. Susan Stotts.

Every ABC Ohio congregation is encouraged to send delegates and guests to the Annual Gathering. In accordance with the ABC Ohio Constitution … “The voting delegates at meetings of the Region shall consist of (a) All officially recognized professional church leaders registered at the Region’s main office; (b) delegates from cooperating churches on the basis of two delegates in addition to the recognized professional church leaders from each church plus one delegate for each one hundred residents or fraction thereof above the first one hundred reported, and (3) all members of the Board.” (Article III, Section 3).

If you have any questions or need additional information regarding this year’s ABC Ohio Annual Gathering, please contact the Core Services Administrator Leslie Hoskinson at (740) 587-0804 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Additionally, Annual Gathering information will be arriving in August via mail and here on our website.

Please mark the dates on your calendar and plan to join us for this historic Annual Gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio. Don’t miss out on the blessings!

If you have any questions or need additional information regarding this year’s ABC Ohio Annual Gathering, please contact Leslie Hoskinson, Core Services Administrator at your convenience. Leslie may be reached at (740) 587-0804 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..