KANSAS CITY – Vic Borden, the pastor of Red Bridge Baptist Church here, focuses on his ministry strengths. For him, that means walking alongside his congregation as shepherd and counselor, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. “I’m just an OK administrator, theologian and preacher, but I am in my zone when I am tending the flock,” Borden said. I have that heart for God’s people, and I think they would tell you that. I feed them and I watch out for them and … [Read more...]
David Wells: The pastor as servant-leader
HILLSBORO – When it comes to serving, pastor David Wells prefers to lead Sandy Baptist Church by example. “Whether it is serving through missions, ministering or disaster relief, you can’t take the people where you haven’t been,” he said. “If I want them to serve, I need to be their servant first. Servanthood is about doing it with them, not for them.” Wells was in a perfect position to model servant leadership for Sandy Baptist. When they called him as pastor, they specifically asked … [Read more...]
Small Puxico church displays heart for missions
MOLDOVA – As one of the smaller former Soviet states, Moldova is an easy nation to overlook. Not for Lewis Scott of Brush Creek Mission Baptist Church in Puxico. Scott will return for his fifth trip to tiny country wedged between Romania and Ukraine later this month as part of an IGO Missions health clinic trip. Scott partners with a local Baptist congregation in a series strategic cities and towns. Each clinic is preceded by an evangelistic crusade where people sign up for a time … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptist Children’s Home adopts BFM 2000
BRIDGETON – The Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) made a statement for families and its place in Baptist life by affirming the 2000 version of Baptist Faith and Message during its July 25 board meeting here. During an ongoing mission audit, MBCH leadership realized that despite being in operation and cooperation with Missouri Baptists since 1886, the ministry never adopted a formalized statement of faith. In order to shore up its identity and legal position for hiring Christians … [Read more...]
BGR’s Palmer casts partnership vision
JEFFERSON CITY – Baptist Global Response took on 283 projects in the name of humanitarian aid last year, many in areas that are officially closed to the gospel. Yet despite that and despite nearly a quarter of a million people hearing the good news through their work, many Baptists are unaware of BGR’s work and mission. The president of Baptist Global Response, Jeff Palmer, spoke in mid-Missouri twice in late July, once at the Baptist Building July 22 and at Review Baptist Church, Osage … [Read more...]
Peace Valley’s doors open to those ‘weary, burdened’
ST. ROBERT – Kenneth and Vickie Campbell searched for 30 years for the right parcel of land on the river outside of Rolla. 30 years of searching, but nothing felt right. Nothing until, on a whim, Kenneth picked up a local ad sheet and saw an ad for 58 acres five miles from I-44. “This is it,” Vickie remembers Kenneth saying as they walked up the entrance to the property that cold January morning. “What do you want to do with it?” was his next question. The couple, long-time members of … [Read more...]
Despite lack of disasters, DR interns soldier on through summer’s heat
JEFFERSON CITY – The unofficial motto for Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief is be flexible, be flexible, be flexible. That motto extends to this summer’s DR interns, even when disasters seem to be few and far between. Five college students are serving through the middle of August as disaster relief interns, and in a twist from recent years, all of them are young women. Living in what can be charitably called spartan conditions for the summer and on call 24-7, the quintet trained in all … [Read more...]
Despite glazing over the Almighty’s providence, ‘Dunkirk’ a must-see
JEFFERSON CITY – Who knew the story of a colossal military failure could turn into such an inspiration? And yet that is what you get with the wonderfully tense movie directed by Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk.” It’s a very straightforward – and true – story. In the opening days of World War II (and long before the U.S. entered the fray), more than 400,000 British soldiers were trapped at Dunkirk, a small city on the French side of the English Channel. Though only 35 miles of water separated … [Read more...]
Special needs VBS uplifts Cape Girardeau families
CAPE GIRARDEAU – Vacation Bibles Schools (VBS) are billed as being open to all, but Bethany Baptist Church here, took the extra step to make sure special needs children in their community knew that God created them and loves them. During plans for the church’s traditional VBS, a mother of an autistic boy asked Donna Johnson why there couldn’t be a VBS designed specifically for children in the church and community with special needs. Johnson and the rest of Bethany took on the challenge. … [Read more...]
Baptist Global Response leader coming to Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY – The president of Southern Baptists’ international relief agency is headed to Jefferson City. Jeff Palmer, the president of Baptist Global Response, will speak at a dinner July 22 at 5 p.m. hosted by Riverview Baptist Church in Osage Beach and the Missouri Baptist Convention. Palmer will share the organization’s vision and strategy, as well as partnership opportunities for churches and individuals to provide disaster relief and community development assistance to those … [Read more...]
Family affair: Ozark family takes on SBC registration
PHOENIX – Before Don Currence decided to run for the office of registration secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention, his daughters were the family’s standouts as messengers checked in to the SBC Annual Meeting June 13-14. The elder Currence, who is the minister of children and administration at First Baptist, Ozark, and was serving as acting registration secretary in the absence of Jim Wells, knew going in that help would be scarce in Phoenix, and sensed an opportunity to work with … [Read more...]
Missouri ranks 7th in attendance at SBC
PHOENIX – The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting drew 5,018 messengers to Phoenix June 13-14. The unofficial total is 31.6 percent fewer than last year’s 7,321 messengers in St. Louis but 164 more than 2011 when the convention last met in Phoenix. Missouri was the seventh largest delegation, bringing 242 messengers. As expected, Arizona Baptist churches turned out for their host-meeting; their 374-messenger total was the second largest of the state delegations. Texas was the … [Read more...]
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