by Grace Thornton, The Baptist Paper

‍

Wayne Faison said Jesus provides a great picture of what pressing on looks like.

In Luke 4, he went into the synagogue, opened the book, and read a prophecy about himself from Isaiah 61 that portrayed him as constantly moving toward those who are in need.

“It would be easy for us as Virginia Baptists to take the position that as it comes to moving forward and pressing toward the high calling of Christ, all we would have to do is follow Christ’s lead,” he said, pointing them toward verses 18-19. “Follow Christ’s lead and preach the gospel to the poor … heal the brokenhearted … preach deliverance to the captives … help recover the sight of the blind … set at liberty them that are bruised … preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

All of that is crucial, said Faison, BGAV’s executive director, as he delivered the annual meeting’s final theme message, “Mission Forward: The High Calling of Christ,” on Nov. 12.

But he urged messengers to the meeting not to stop there.

“The Holy Spirit would like to reveal to us another place we should start when it comes to pressing on toward the high calling of Christ, and it’s found in Luke 4:20,” Faison said. That verse says Jesus gave the book back to the minister.

“And I know, my beloved in Christ, that many of the translations transliterate this as him giving it back to an attendant,” Faison said. “But in the King James Version, it says he gave the book back to the minister, which leads to inquiring minds wanting to know, what did the minister do with the book?”

As ministers, if Virginia Baptists are to press on to the high calling of Christ, they must first find the book, favor the book, and forward the book, he said.

To find it, they must look for it above any other book or podcast, Faison said. “Here’s the good news — the book is hiding in plain sight, the book that brought you from a mighty long way, the book where you learned about the Lord is your shepherd and you shall not wait … the book that tells you that trouble won’t last always.”

When that book is used as a foretaste of glory divine, it will turn this world upside down to the glory of God, Faison said.

To favor the book after they find it, they must cling to it even if the rest of the world doesn’t like it.

“When we are sharing the prophetic words of justice in this book … of repentance … of God’s new world order … I want you to know we run the risk of this book falling out of favor with secular society,” Faison said.

But ministers should keep on going, and they should forward the book, he said.

“Mission Forward toward the high calling of Christ — how many of you know we need a prophetic voice of justice, of repentance? Someone needs to know that it is in Christ that they can have eternal life,” he said. “When it comes to Mission Forward, the question you have to ask yourself is, ‘What have you done with the book?’”

Also during the closing worship session, Charles Reese and Rebecca McCoy-Reese shared a dramatic presentation of the key moments in Jesus’ life related to the resurrection, and the Appalachian-rooted gospel band Chosen Road led music.

Alan Miller, pastor of Orange Baptist Church in Orange, Virginia, also shared that next year’s annual meeting will be held in Virginia Beach, and convention leaders are encouraging Virginia Baptists to submit artwork for an art exhibit on site as well as digital graffiti that will be projected on the walls.

“We think it might look something like all the colors and beauty and sounds and sights and diversity and eclectic displays of God’s gifts expressed altogether in one place,” he said.

Those who wish to submit art for the exhibit — called Art for the Not Yet — can find more information here. The deadline to submit is April 15, 2026.

‍