PLYMOUTH, Mass. – At Burial Hill in Plymouth, Mass., modern sightseers can find the graves of Mayflower heroes like William Bradford, who was the governor of Plymouth Colony from 1621 to 1657. But on Burial Hill they can also see a memorial to the family of Adoniram Judson, Jr. (1788-1850), the famed Baptist missionary and Bible translator who left the shores of Massachusetts to proclaim the gospel in Burma. Judson’s father, Adoniram, Sr., served as pastor of a church in Plymouth. Nearly … [Read more...]
‘They knew they were pilgrims’: Mayflower lands on Plymouth Rock, leaving 400 year legacy
PLYMOUTH, Mass. – Sometime in the early autumn of 1621, a group of English colonists, now commonly called the Pilgrims, celebrated a feast in Plymouth, Mass. But, according to Historian Robert Tracy Mckenzie, that celebration in the fall of 1621 didn’t much resemble the Thanksgiving feasts hosted in households across the United States today. After all, the Pilgrims likely feasted on ducks and geese, fresh fish, mussels, clams, or even some eels, alongside an Indian corn succotash as well … [Read more...]
‘The Word of God will win’: Book of Martyrs ignites faith among millions of Christians, including Pilgrims
OXFORD, England – Only moments before their execution in flames on Oct. 16, 1555, the Protestant preacher Hugh Latimer comforted his colleague, Nicholas Ridley. Both men had been prominent leaders of England’s Protestant church in previous years, but they had been arrested after the Catholic Queen Mary Tudor came to the throne of England in 1553. Now, they were chained together to a stake, standing amid burning faggots of wood. As an executioner lit the faggots under Ridley’s feet, Latimer … [Read more...]
First English Baptists share little known link with Mayflower’s passengers
LONDON, England – In 1612, eight years before the Pilgrims set sail for the New World to find a home where they could worship together in freedom, English Baptist pastor Thomas Helwys proclaimed a message that would transform Western civilization for centuries to come. Writing to King James I, Helwys published a tract called A Short Declaration of the Mistery of Iniquity, and in it he wrote the following inscription: “Hear, O king, and despise not the counsel of the poor, and let their … [Read more...]
SBU’s Center for Global Connections shifts to local ministries during pandemic
BOLIVAR (SBU) – When projects coordinated through Southwest Baptist University’s Center for Global Connections were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local ministry opportunities became a larger focus for staff and students. “It’s not a matter of where we’re going to minister,” said Diana Gallamore, director of the Center for Global Connections and travel stewardship. “It’s a matter of where God is leading us.” Because of the comprehensive training process students must complete … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists encouraged to pray amid crisis in Armenia, Azerbaijan
ABOVYAN, Armenia – In a state of shock, Armenian Pastor Vazgen Zohrabyan couldn’t stand to enter the Abovyan City Church here for three days. Located in a town only 10 miles north of the Armenian capital of Yerevan, his 250-member church offered on social media to take in refugees of war. The response was overwhelming, and for a short time it emotionally took its toll on the pastor. This crisis began when, in late September, fighting once again erupted between Armenia and its neighbor, … [Read more...]
Pastors’ Conference encourages Missouri Baptists to ‘stay the course’ in ministry
ST. CHARLES – Missouri Baptists were encouraged to persevere in ministry during the Missouri Pastors’ Conference at the St. Charles Convention Center here, Oct. 26. “Wherever we do in ministry, we have got to stay the course,” said Pastors’ Conference President Richard Clouse, pastor of Carpenter Street Baptist Church, Moberly. The theme for the 2020 conference was “Stay the Course.” Sessions throughout the morning and early afternoon featured speakers: Doug Munton, pastor of First … [Read more...]
Luther’s 500-year-old ‘On Christian Liberty’ lays foundation for modern religious freedom
WITTENBERG, Germany – In 1505, the young man Martin Luther, cowering before a thunderbolt, vowed to become a monk and a devout servant of the Catholic church under the headship of the Roman pontiff. Fifteen years later, in the summer of 1520, Pope Leo X launched his own thunderbolt at Luther in the form of an edict that denounced Luther as a “wild boar” destroying God’s “vineyard,” the Catholic church. The pope warned Luther to recant his errors within 60 days, lest he be condemned as a … [Read more...]
Let’s stand, struggle, witness with persecuted believers
Nov. 1 marks International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church “I don’t think my father will kill me.” Zane Pratt, vice president for global training at the International Mission Board, heard these words from a 17-year-old boy who placed his faith in Christ only an hour earlier. This teenager was the first Muslim that Pratt had ever led to Christ. “I have to tell my father,” the boy told Pratt. “This is too important. This news is too good. I don’t think my father will kill me. My … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists elect first black president during 2020 annual meeting
Messengers approve amendments to SBU governing documents ST. CHARLES, Mo. – During their 186th annual meeting, Oct. 26-27, messengers of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) elected their first ever black president and approved amendments to Southwest Baptist University’s governing documents. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, 842 messengers and 172 visitors from 340 churches gathered at the St. Charles Convention Center here. By contrast, the 2019 annual meeting in Branson included 1,277 … [Read more...]
Pastoral care restored in Mo. nursing homes
New CMS guidelines see ministers as ‘essential’ for health of residents JEFFERSON CITY – Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the state and nation once again have access to their pastors, partly because of the public policy advocacy of the Missouri Baptist Convention and The Baptist Home. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated COVID-19 restrictions, Sept. 17, expanding guidelines for compassionate care visits at long-term … [Read more...]
Is this the end of Roe v. Wade?
Missouri pro-life leaders see new hope for overturning Roe v. Wade amid Barrett’s confirmation hearing WASHINGTON – Missouri Baptist pro-life leaders have expressed hope that the United States Supreme Court will overturn its infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion if Amy Coney Barrett takes a seat on the nation’s highest court. But, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, Missourians must be all the more vigilant to protect the unborn and to reach out to hurting parents and … [Read more...]
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