Evangelism Conference Jan. 28-29 at 1st Arnold
JEFFERSON CITY—Restoring passion and reducing lostness is the theme of the upcoming State Evangelism Conference for the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Jan. 28-29 at First Baptist Church, Arnold.
Sammy Gilbreath, state evangelism director for the Alabama Baptist State Convention, and Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, will be two of the featured speakers. Gilbreath will close the program Monday night and Luter will preach the final message on Tuesday.
MBC State Evangelism Director Gary Taylor chose the first part of the theme out of Matthew 22:37-39, where believers are told to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, and their neighbor as themselves. This is the passion that needs to be restored in Missouri Baptist life.
“The hope that I would have is for us to go back to our churches and really want to put God first in everything we’re doing,” Taylor said.
The rest of the theme pertains to reducing the number of souls who are currently bound for hell—dead in their sins as they know not life in the Lord Jesus Christ. Reducing this number comes from the power of the preached Gospel, the agent of salvation sent to a ruined mankind by a holy and merciful God through the lips of His willing evangelists, both laity and clergy. The verse that Taylor has selected for this part of the theme is Luke 19:10, where the Son of Man (Jesus) is presented as having come to earth to seek and to save that which was lost.
Reggie McNeal, missional leadership specialist for Leadership Network of Dallas; Gary Hollingsworth, senior director and interim evangelization group leader for the North American Mission Board (NAMB); Jimmy Kinnaird, NAMB personal and event evangelism manager; and Bob Caldwell, pastor of outreach, First Baptist Church, Arnold.
Iris Blue of Lucas, Texas, will give a special testimony and music will be delivered by Charles Billingsley, worship leader of Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va.
There are four hotels located near the church. They are: Best Western St. Louis, (314) 416-7639; Comfort Inn, (636) 296-3000; Drury Inn, (636) 296-9600; and Ramada Limited, (636) 282-2400. Blocked and group rates are available under the MBC.
For more information, call (800) 736-6227, ext. 656, or go to www.mobaptist.org.