ST. LOUIS — After one vote on Oct. 29 and another on Oct. 31 to reconsider, messengers to the 178th annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) opted to potentially remove 94 churches from the MBC by Dec. 31 due to their lack of giving through the Cooperative Program (CP).
The action was taken on the recommendation of the Credentials Committee after frequent attempts were made to contact the churches. The goal of those contacts was to see if they would be continuing as members through giving as little as $1 annually to the work of the MBC by means of the CP. It was determined that these congregations have either requested removal or have been disbanded.
In 2008 the MBC adopted a constitutional change requiring all member churches to give to the CP annually. Grace has been extended to all churches in the past four years to promote education and cooperation, and to allow time for compliance. Working with a list of 297 churches from a year ago, the Credentials Committee secured membership commitments from more than two-thirds of these congregations on the way to finalizing the list for the 2012 vote.
“It’s what the convention requires of us,” said Gary Mathes, Credentials Committee chairman and pastor of Christian maturity at Green Valley Baptist Church, St. Joseph. “We worked really hard as a committee to try to redeem as many churches as possible. We’re very grateful that we’ve been able to get as many churches to comply as we have. I’m satisfied that we’ve done what we can.”
With this vote and the addition of 29 newly affiliated churches, the number of MBC churches would settle in at 1,975 if all 94 congregations are removed.
Before the vote to reconsider Oct. 31, Rodney Hammer, messenger, Noland Road Baptist Church, Kansas City, and director of missions, Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association, led a vote to successfully amend the Credentials Committee report on Oct. 29 to create another year of grace for 11 churches in his association.
“I find no fault in the effort of the committee,” Hammer said. “It’s purely on the end of the churches. Having said that, if the intent of all of this is cooperative churches, and that’s their desire, I just need a little more time. I’ve been working with them for the last few months to secure that payment.”
Messengers had second thoughts about that action but did decide to give Hammer some time—approximately two months. He also will benefit by means of a certified letter that will be mailed to each church to help all 11 comply.
The accountability process in St. Louis did yield one success story. Steve Strauch, director of missions, Lawrence County Baptist Association, was able to get one of his churches, Centro De Alabanzo, Verona, to begin giving and remain in the fold.
Here is the complete list of churches that will no longer meet the criteria for maintaining their membership in the MBC if they do not act by Dec. 31:
Churches that are potentially going to be removed:
Blue Ridge, Independence
Coleman, Peculiar
Crossroads Church KC, Kansas City
Ebenezer Missionary, Kansas City
Greater Faith Missionary, Kansas City
Holy Hill, Blue Springs
New Birth Christian Ministries, Kansas City
New Haven, Raytown
New Life Cambodian, Kansas City
Olive Branch Missionary, Kansas City
and True Vine Missionary, Kansas City
All Saints, St. Louis
Banister, Macks Creek
Bansuk, St. Louis
Baptist Revival Center, Neosho
Bell City Southern, Bell City
Berean Lighthouse, Hollister
Berean, Jackson
Bethany Deaf, St Louis
Bethel, Springfield
Broadway, St. Louis
Brush Arbor, Hannibal
Calvary West Missionary, St. Louis
Calvary, Monett
Caruth, Caruthersville
Conran, Portageville
Corder, Corder
Cross Roads, Branson
Denver, First
Des Arc, Des Arc
Eagle Point, Imperial
Emmaus-Springfield, Springfield
Emmaus-St. Louis, St. Louis
Eureka Valley, St. Joseph
Fee Fee, Bridgeton
Four Rivers, Marshfield
French Speaking, Ballwin
Glendale Memorial, St. Louis
Grace Fellowship, Worland, Hume
Greater Fellowship, St. Louis
Greensburg, Baring
Guthrie, First, New Bloomfield
Harmony, Auxvasse
Heartland, Cape Fair
Heavenly Bread Missionary Baptist, St. Louis
Heritage, Lee’s Summit, Lone Jack
Hickory Grove, Clubb, Greenville
Hope Community, Rolla
House To House, St. Louis
Hurley, First, Hurley
Kelley, Ash Grove
Knob Lick, First, Knob Lick
La Russell, First, La Russell
Lafayette Park, St. Louis
LaSalle, St. Louis
Liberty Community Worship Center, St. Louis
Lifeline, Excelsior Springs, Overland Park
Lifeline, Rolla
Linden, Kansas City
Living Stones Baptist Fellowship, Fair Play
Living Waters, Nixa
Milan Hispanic, Milan
Millers Chapel, Glenallen, Webster
Mission Home, Marshfield
Missouri City, Missouri City
Morningside, Fair Play
Mt. Calvary, Robertsville
Mt. Olive, St. Louis
Mt. Zion, Newburg
New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church, St. Louis
New Dover, Clever
New Fairview, Sarcoxie
New Hope, Hartville
New Jerusalem, Ferguson
New Woodville, Kahoka
Northgate, Kansas City
Northland New Life, Liberty
One Way Missionary Baptist Church, St. Louis
Orrick, First
Pioneer, Neosho
Quarles, Clinton
Riverdale, Nixa
Rockville, Rockville
Solomon Temple, St. Louis
Southwest, St. Louis
Spring Crest, Edgar Springs
St. Elizabeth, First, Tuscumbia
Stanton, First
Sulphur Springs, El Dorado Springs
The Arabic, Arnold
The Worship Center Christian Church, St. Louis
Twin Oaks, Poplar Bluff
Union Hill, Oldfield
Wellspring, Houston.