Thank you, Missouri Baptists, for giving through the Cooperative Program (CP). The Pathway is a Cooperative Program-funded ministry. That is why we do not have a subscription charge for mailing it directly to your homes, businesses and churches.
The Pathway’s mission has always been to make Jesus Christ known and that all honor and glory is due Him. We attempt to do that by telling the story of how He is at work in our state through you. It is our desire to “build up the body” through encouragement, by testifying to the grace, love and mercy of God as He uses Missouri Baptists to make Himself known.
I have always wanted Missouri Baptists to take ownership of The Pathway. Yes, it ultimately belongs to God, but He has entrusted us with it. And we dare not take that lightly. I want you to love The Pathway because it demonstrates God’s activity in Missouri.
The Pathway seeks to tell the truth. We live in a fallen world, one in need of a Savior because we cannot save ourselves. Christ said He is THE Truth. Truth exists, and Jesus said we can absolutely know it!
The Pathway is different from secular media in this regard. I know because I am a product of secular media, having worked in radio, as a military journalist and as a reporter for three major daily metropolitan newspapers. The secular media are too often driven by relativism and imaginary dilemmas.
The relativism is manifested in the adage, “What is true for you may not be true for me.” This leads to inconsistencies in reporting facts. For example, compare how they covered the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the claims of an alleged sexually abused woman and how they are largely ignoring similar claims of a woman who says she was violated by former Vice President Joe Biden.
We’re seeing a grand dilemma play out in media coverage of COVID-19. We must stay locked down because it is “dangerous” and “unsafe” to veer out, yet the economy is on the brink of collapse. We dare not leave the house, but when we do, we may find there are no jobs. The media too often feasts on such tactics as a means to control rather than inform.
The Pathway opposes journalistic shenanigans. Relativism is a lie from the pit of Hell. There are only perceived dilemmas. Our absolute God is absolutely sovereign and He will deliver.
I found it ironic that one of the state’s largest newspapers, The Kansas City Star, just recently issued a public plea for financial help. Why should hurting Missourians, especially those of faith, help a for-profit newspaper that openly mocks our beliefs while promoting abortion and homosexuality? It’s Editorial Board, who must think First Amendment rights belong only to them, act more like the prophets of Baal than fair-minded journalists.
The Pathway espouses a worldview far different from theirs. Ours is based on God’s inerrant, infallible, sufficient Word. We are not motivated by politics or an ideology. Yet our worldview demands we address the issues facing our society. We are not shy about engaging in the marketplace of ideas. Jesus is Lord of all creation, and we seek to bring His truth, love and mercy to bear on everything. This is why we boldly address issues like abortion, sex trafficking, the family, adoption/foster care and religious freedom (only God is Lord of the conscience).
Missouri Southern Baptists are the largest non-Catholic denomination in the state. With that comes an awesome responsibility, and it is The Pathway’s job to tell that story. We have the privilege of historically documenting how Missouri Baptists feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the sick, aid the homeless and rescue the prisoner. Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Disaster Relief has become one of the state’s most important, if not revered, organizations when catastrophe hits.
I want to thank MBC Executive Director John Yeats and the Executive Board who have made The Pathway a priority. The Pathway has a terrific staff and a great team of statewide freelance writers. They work hard for you. We learned on April 22 that The Pathway’s print and online editions each won Awards of Merit in this year’s Evangelical Press Association Awards. The paper has won nearly two dozen such awards since its beginning.
When I launched The Pathway 18 years ago, I never dreamed that it would become the fourth-largest paid, circulated newspaper in Missouri, with an estimated readership of more than 60,000. But that is what God can do. I am blessed.
Thank you, Missouri Southern Baptists, for your continued support of the Cooperative Program and The Pathway.