Missouri briefs

Mathis retires after
47 years in ministry

WARRENTON – Harry K. Mathis has retired after 47 years of ministry. The Missouri Baptist Convention churches Mathis has pastored include Hawk Point Baptist Church, Hawk Point; New Hope Baptist Church, Elsberry; First Baptist Church, Gray Summit and First Baptist Church, Fredericktown. He also pastored churches in Texas, Louisiana and Ohio. Harry and his wife, Madalyn, have three children and seven grandchildren. They reside in Warrenton.

MANSFIELD – Charles O.Branstetter of Mansfield celebrated his 100th birthday with a reception at First Baptist Church, here July 16. Keith Vawter is pastor.

Branstetter was baptized by Evangelist Charley Foley and ordained a deacon at the New Hope Baptist Church in Wright County in the mid 1940’s. He later served in the Mission Temple Church, Mansfield; the First Baptist Church, Mansfield; and the First Baptist Church, Seymour where he was named deacon emeritus.

“He has always been faithful in church attendance and a friend of pastors,” said Keith Vawter, pastor, First Baptist Church, Mansfield.

Branstetter’s son, Jerry, of Marshfield, is a deacon at Little Creek Baptist Church, Hartville. Another son, Paul Branstetter of California is a retired Baptist pastor and director of missions.

Kansas City churches
celebrate conversions

KANSAS CITY – Christ Fellowship of Kansas City and Sovereign Grace Baptist of the Independence area of Kansas City feasted on food and stories of conversion July 22-23. Jim Elliff and Daryl Wingerd, pastors of Christ Fellowship, worked out details of the event with pastors Bob Ganote and Curtis Walker of Sovereign Grace.

A covered dish meal began the Saturday evening experience so that the two churches could get to know each other’s members. Thirty-five testimonies of conversion from members of both churches were heard. The testimonies were given in a Saturday evening meeting, an afterglow session, a Sunday morning men’s and boy’s breakfast, plus the two Sunday morning meeting periods. The churches ended their celebration with a huge meal catered by one of the local restaurants.

Sovereign Grace is a traditional Baptist church in a transitional part of the city. The church is small but seeking ways to reach its declining neighborhood. Christ Fellowship is a Southern Baptist church that is untraditional in its meeting patterns. They gather in homes in three locations each Sunday afternoon: Weston, Kearney and the Northland of Kansas City near the airport. The two churches hoped to demonstrate unity and genuine fellowship through the event, Elliff said.