JEFFERSON CITY—The Christian Life Commission (CLC) of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) re-elected David Krueger, pastor, First Baptist Church, Linn, as chairman and heard supportive remarks from the new MBC Executive Director John Yeats, during its Dec. 8 meeting at the Baptist Building.
Other elected officers were Carol Wessel Boyer, member, First Baptist Church, Troy, as vice chairman, and Justin Mosher, pastor, Fifth Street Baptist Church, Hannibal, as secretary.
Krueger introduced Yeats, calling attention to Yeats’ prior work as legislative coordinator of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Yeats expressed a passion for the mission of the CLC and urged them to remain mindful of what they are up against.
“The goal of some people is lawlessness and to sanction lawless behavior,” he said. “Their goal is to use the minutia of the law to marginalize who we are as a faith community. So it’s very important for us to keep in front of them that we understand what they are doing.”
Yeats stressed that the CLC can be used for evangelism. A doctrinally sound and properly equipped CLC can define sin better, he said. A better definition of sin in a state can then lead to more of a hunger for a Savior, he said.
“The evangelistic component is a part of being biblical believers. We’ve got to live out our convictions,” Yeats said.
In CLC business, Kerry Messer, longtime legislative liaison for the CLC, was awarded another one-year contract to represent the entity at the State Capitol in 2012. Yeats indicated his approval of their vote by mentioning that Messer is respected all over the nation for his work, and that his partnership with Missouri Baptists through the CLC is “a model that some other states have looked at.”
The executive director’s advice for commissioners is to keep on lifting up the righteousness and justice of God. This becomes very practical when it comes to the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) that Southern Baptists are now living, he said. GCR is an SBC initiative intended to take the gospel to urban areas like St. Louis, one of the cities specifically targeted by the North American Mission Board.
“We’re gearing up for greater church planting,” Yeats said. “We have municipalities and we have the state possibly placing burdensome regulations on us in being able to start churches. That ought not be.”
Krueger presented flowers and a plaque to Mary West, a member of First Baptist Church, Mountain View who formerly served as secretary for the CLC and whose term on the commission expires. Krueger called West an invaluable close advisor and worker.
Krueger encouraged the commissioners to urge people to attend the MBC Worldview Conference March 29 at Memorial Baptist Church in Jefferson City. Its theme is, “A Christian Citizen’s Responsibility in 2012.” The event is being sponsored by the CLC and The Pathway.
ALLEN PALMERI/associate editor
apalmeri@mobaptist.org