NAMB appoints Suarez as Missouri missionary
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The North American Mission Board has appointed Gustavo “Gus” Suarez as a church planting national missionary, serving in Kansas City.
In that role, he will also serve as the Nehemiah Professor of Church Planting at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City.
Previously, he served as executive director-treasurer for the Northwest Baptist Convention, Vancouver, Wash.
A native of Silver Spring, Md., he has also worked as state director of missions and language missions director for the Baptist Convention of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M., language catalytic missionary for the Baptist Convention of Maryland, Columbia, Md., and a pastor/church planter in Dunkirk, N.Y.
He earned a B.S. degree in physical education at the University of Maryland, College Park, Md.; an M. Div. degree in Bible at Mid-America Baptist Seminary, Germantown, Tenn.; and a D. Min. degree in Bible at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley, Calif.
His wife, Diana, is an operating room nurse who earned an A.S. degree at Ann Arundel Community College, Arnold, Md. The Suarez’s have two sons, Phillip, 20, and Matthew, 16.
SBU students excel at Chicago conference
BOLIVAR—SixSouthwest Baptist University (SBU) Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) students attended the FBLA-PBL National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Chicago June 23-26, and eight national award-winning trophies were brought home.
“A trophy means that the student was in the top ten in the nation in his/her respective event,” said Rhonda Agee, faculty advisor for SBU’s PBL team. “I am extremely proud of the way these students performed and represented SBU and the state of Missouri at NLC this year.”
First place, C++ Programming, Jacob Williams, Hume; Second place, Accounting Analysis & Decision Making, Jan Henbest, Exeter; Third place, Java Programming, Adam Carney, Weaubleau; Third place, Digital Video Production, Jason Willey, Raytown; Sixth place, Computer Concepts, Elizabeth Lackey, Bolivar; Sixth place, Visual Basic Programming, Andrew Cook, Blue Springs; and 10th Place, Network Design Team, Jacob Williams, Hume, and Andrew Cook, Blue Springs.
The four-day conference included business and leadership training and workshops, corporate tours and the election of national officers. Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) is a non-profit educational association of student members preparing for careers in business and business education. PBL has a combined membership of over 11,000 active members in 500 chapters in the United States.
Odessa church helps Charleston mission
ODESSA—Calvary Baptist Church of Odessa recently took 16 people on a mission trip to Shining Light Baptist Mission in Charleston. The Odessa group was joined by seven individuals from New Liberty Baptist Church, Oak Grove, and five individuals from three other local churches. Several people from the Charleston area also helped.
Vacation Bible School (VBS) was held for more than 100 children, and the group worked at remodeling and cleaning an old warehouse to be better utilized as a mission. The Holy Spirit put together an effective team of adults and three youth, organizers said. Two electricians, some carpenters, painters, and other willing workers did a thorough job of cleaning and remodeling.
The whole team worked together in VBS. Others concentrated on feeding the boys and girls as well as the team.
Shining Light is located in a strategic area on six acres with a large building that still needs more remodeling and more of the metal roofing replaced. Larry Neil, pastor of Calvary Baptist, is available to explain the needs at (816) 230-4200. Another contact for those wishing to inquire about volunteer opportunities is Dean Wallace, Shining Light director, at (573) 683-0363.
Radio personality to testify July 30
JEFFERSON CITY—Karen Dye, the former morning talk show host for JOY92 FM’s SonRise, will be speaking July 30 at Concord Baptist Church. The evening is being hosted by the church’s Celebrate Recovery program, beginning with a complimentary dinner at 5 p.m. where parents are encouraged to bring their children. Childcare will be provided from 6:15 p.m. until the event is over.
Dye’s testimony is said to be inspiring, painful, real and encouraging. “I’ve got more baggage than O’Hare and I’m tired of traveling,” she said. “How can I leave the past behind and get off this guilt trip?”
She explained that after several failed marriages and a volatile relationship with her mother, sin controlled her life. She wanted a change but did not know how to make that happen. That’s when she realized that God’s grace is sufficient; she became a new creature in Christ. Her testimony is that Jesus has cast her sins as far away as the East is from the West.
Dye now speaks at conferences and is an emcee for multiple Christian music concerts. She and her husband, Brad, have been married for 11 years, and they have five sons, two daughter-in-laws, one future daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.
For more information, call (573) 636-7422.
Lebanon to host Albert E. Brumley Sing Aug. 1-4
LEBANON – An event celebrating one of America’s most beloved songwriters will return to Lebanon at the Cowan Civic Center August 1-4. Honoring the life of the late Albert E. Brumley, named by the Smithsonian Institute as the greatest songwriter of our time, the Brumley Gospel Sing is a musical experience the whole family can enjoy.
Albert E. Brumley wrote over 800 Gospel and Sentimental songs including, “I’ll Fly Away”, “Turn Your Radio On,” and “I’ll Meet You In The Morning,” among others. His songs have been used in major motion pictures (most recently in O’ Brother Where Art Thou?), and have been recorded in almost every genre’ of music around the world by artists such as Elvis, Alan Jackson, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. In addition, Albert E. Brumley has been inducted into the Halls of Fame for Country songwriters, Gospel Music Association, and the Southern Gospel Music Association as well as the musical halls of fame in the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas.
This year’s event will feature performances by more than 30 full-time artists including; The Booth Brothers, Isaacs, Inspirations, Perrys, Dixie Echoes, Chuck Wagon Gang, Greater Vision, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Blackwood Brothers, Mark Bishop, Karen Peck & New River, Gold City, Lewis Family, Dove Brothers, McKameys, Kingsmen, and The Primitive Quartet.
For additional information call 1-800-435-3725 or visit www.brumleymusic.com.