We, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in St. Louis, Mo., June 1-3, 1971, noting that the theme, “In the Spirit of Christ” has been translated from slogan to performance in attitude and in action, in conscience and in conduct throughout the meetings of these days, and gratefully observing the healing balm growing out of mutual devotion to Christ and love for one another in the fellowship of His cause, do now:
1. Give thanks and praise to our God for His evident presence among us with the guiding mind of His Spirit, in the love of Christ, throughout the business and inspirational assemblies of these days.
2. Acknowledge with commendation and gratitude the extensive and intensive preparation for just such days which has been made by our president, his associates, and the denominational staffs. We further gratefully observe the firm hand with the tender touch which has presided in a spirit of humility, freeing controversy from tension and disagreement from disagreeableness.
3. Express gratitude to those thousands of assembled messengers who have met in a spirit of reverence and responsiveness and have participated in the business of the Convention in the spirit of Christ.
4. Give expression of genuine gratitude and well-deserved commendation to the local committees who have labored in love and sometimes sacrificial devotion over manly weeks of preparation and have faithfully discharged duties involving giving freely a total of many hundreds of hours and unselfish service in arranging accommodations supporting the operations and activities of this Convention.
5. Earnestly commend the Committee on Order of Business for efficient, effective, and wise scheduling of the sessions of this Convention, giving major emphasis to business and with adequate provision for participation by any and all messengers wishing to become involved, and yet doing so within the limits of one of our shorter annual Convention.
6. Use this means to express the gratitude of this Convention to the press for their perceptive coverage and spirit of good relations, to the auditorium staff and other employed personnel of Kiel Auditorium, and to policemen and the city of St. Louis for their friendly and willing helpfulness which has been demonstrated in many personal courtesies and services during these days and further request that the secretary of the Convention shall convey these sentiments in a letter or other appropriate form to the auditorium management and to the chief of police.