BOLIVAR — What began as a dream four years ago concerning an area of underutilized potential in maximizing enrollment revenue has now turned into a glittering jewel of a reality at Southwest Baptist University (SBU). The Warren B. Davis Family Physical Therapy Center was dedicated Sept. 29, 2011. It is home to the biggest campus-based graduate program at SBU—and one that will be helping the university to be financially viable for years to come. Limited by space in the Wheeler Building … [Read more...]
Carthage’s Cornerstone Baptist looks to the future with plant
CARTHAGE — The hope of Cornerstone Baptist Church as it gets off the ground here in its first months downtown is that something strong is being built. “I saw a statement once that a dandelion grows a lot quicker than an oak tree,” said Jim Ziler, one of three elders in the church whose sending church is South Creek, Springfield. “Hopefully we’re not a dandelion but an oak tree. I think we’ve been able to glorify Him through what we’ve done. We’ve been able to be obedient to what He’s given … [Read more...]
MBC leaders want the best for Boy Scouts
JEFFERSON CITY — The Feb. 6 decision by the Boy Scouts of America to delay until May making a choice on admitting homosexual scout leaders prompted Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) leaders to express their ongoing concern for the spiritual condition of America. “The fact that we’re even watching the discussion and the dialogue is kind of a sad statement of our culture,” said Wesley Hammond, MBC president and pastor, First Baptist Church, Paris. “Here you have an organization that has been … [Read more...]
Budget shift puts more money to front lines
JEFFERSON CITY — When John Yeats became executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) in October 2011, he examined the organization’s fiscal structure to its very core. As recording secretary for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), he knew that more and more state conventions were going with a “legacy” approach to budgeting that involved placing up to six items into a “shared” funding category. He saw this as good for the MBC, as long as it was done prudently and with … [Read more...]
Bootheel pastor takes full advantage of retirement plan
CATRON — Jimmy Johnson, 59, bi-vocational pastor of Catron Baptist Church here in this Bootheel town where at most 50 people out of the town’s 80 may at any given time attend his church, believes in the power of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) church retirement plan. “It’s worked out great for me,” he said. “It’s still one of the best programs I’ve ever seen—especially for us pastors.” Johnson used to preach at Cottonwood Baptist Church in Caruthersville. One day he heard Gene … [Read more...]
Providence offers example of how mentoring can help
NEW BLOOMFIELD — Jim Shaver, 67, and Ryan Ebersold, 27, treasure their mentoring relationship here at Providence Baptist Church. “He jokingly calls it broadcasting seeds of knowledge,” Ebersold said. Shaver, the 12-year pastor at the church with 100 active members, said he is blessed to have a former pastor like Ebersold on staff now as an associate pastor. “I try to teach him something or at least present something to him every day that I’m around him,” Shaver said. When Ebersold came … [Read more...]
MBC to boost retirement plan participation
JEFFERSON CITY — In the 25 years that Gene Foster has served on staff with the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC), he has seen five executive directors take on the challenge of handling the church retirement plan. Each has been involved, to some extent, in making sure that the plan runs smoothly. About half of the MBC churches, as a rule, participate, according to Foster, who specializes in human resources and GuideStone insurance. The amount now budgeted by the MBC to provide matching … [Read more...]
Flag Spring Baptist burning can’t douse gospel fire
CALIFORNIA — People met for church on the last Sunday of November at Flag Spring Baptist Church much like they always have on Sunday since 1879. Well, the setting Nov. 25 may have felt more like the 1800s, when folks gathered in the open air, than say the 2000s, when worship included the conveniences of a modern building. After their facility burned to the ground Nov. 20, church on this first Sunday after Thanksgiving was held on the parking lot under a canopy on a sunny, somewhat windy … [Read more...]
SBU chair seeks computer science excellence
BOLIVAR — Tim DeClue chairs a Computer and Information Sciences department at Southwest Baptist University (SBU) that has dramatically changed since he first arrived on campus in 1985 as an instructor. “There were no personal computers when I started,” he said. “Everything was mainframe, huge machines. The only computer lab we had had been converted from a typing lab where we had typewriters. We barely had networks. The Internet was around, but it was only a very, very tiny … [Read more...]