These are critical days for our state, nation and the Church. The Pathway’s founding verse, which served as the inspiration for its name, is Jer. 6:16: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” The people of God have found themselves at crossroads throughout history. For example, Philip Graham Ryken notes that the people of God were at a crossroads when Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Two directions were offered – God’s way or the highway. In 1 Kings 18:21 Elijah said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” Western Civilization and the Church, yet again, stand at a crossroads. The Pathway strives, like Elijah and Jeremiah, to offer a prophetic voice, pointing the direction God’s people ought to go.
That said, when The Pathway publishes its Jan. 15 edition, it will mark the print edition’s 10th anniversary as the official newspaper of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). That landmark will be accompanied by another important development. Beginning with that issue, The Pathway will become an open circulation newspaper, meaning there will no longer be a charge for subscriptions. We are hopeful this will expand The Pathway’s circulation into thousands of new households throughout the MBC.
This important move, pending messengers’ approval at the MBC annual meeting in St. Louis Oct. 29-31, will be made possible by your generous gifts through the Cooperative Program. The Pathway will continue to generate revenue through paid advertising, with the balance of its operating costs covered by the Cooperative Program. While subscriptions to The Pathway will be offered to any Missouri Southern Baptist at no cost (we can mail it to your home or church), there are many reasons for having an award-winning Christian newspaper like The Pathway in your home.
The Pathway is firmly established as a reliable source of Missouri Southern Baptist news and an influential conservative voice in Missouri and the Southern Baptist Convention. As confidence in the secular news media declines, Christian publications geared toward Christian readers become more valuable. Missouri Southern Baptists have come to trust The Pathway, knowing that it will always tell them the truth and that its worldview will always be grounded in God’s Word.
The Pathway, quite simply, tells the story of what God’s people are doing in Missouri, our nation and around the world better than anyone else. Its stories inspire, educate and create a sense of connectedness, unity and sense of purpose among MBC churches. The Pathway has developed a reputation as a leader in addressing the moral issues confronting the Church today and God has expanded its influence and ministry to include events like the Legislative Prayer Service and the MBC Worldview Conference. The Pathway has led the MBC to embark on the most aggressive voter registration campaign in recent memory and is providing in this issue the most extensive voter guide ever offered by the MBC.
While there will no longer be a subscription charge for The Pathway, I thought I might offer a few more reasons to subscribe:
• If you are a consumer, we advertise good products for you to purchase.
• If you are a creationist, we endeavor to expose the myth of evolution.
• If you are an ecclesiologist, we write compelling stories about the church.
• If you are an ethicist, we address issues of moral concern.
• If you are a historian, we write stories about Baptist life from the past to the present. We also write “the first draft” of Missouri Southern Baptist history.
• If you are a jurist, we occasionally have to write stories about lawsuits and litigation.
• If you are a statistician, we sometimes have a compilation of facts and figures.
• If you are a pastor who is sick and tired (I’m being facetious) of your church, we list openings and you can apply.
• If you are a layman who is sick and tired of your pastor, we list job openings and you can recommend him to another church.
• If you are unregenerate, we publish stories about how Jesus can save you from your sins.
• And if you are a premillennialist, you need to get The Pathway NOW. Although it is the most reliable publication for Missouri Southern Baptists to get their news, we will not be publishing after the rapture.
Will you subscribe today?