MOUNT VERNON – There’s something appropriate about kids’ offerings during Vacation Bible School going to help the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home minister to children and families. One MBCH trustee, Russell Abbott, the pastor of First Baptist, Browning, challenged his church’s VBS kids to step up, but midway through the week, he was a little discouraged. Attendance was way down due to other simultaneous events in the community, and the numbers were half of what they normally are. “We … [Read more...]
25 years after his first Mo. disaster, new DR head hopes those volunteers serve grow ‘one step closer to Christ’
JEFFERSON CITY – In 1993, Gaylon Moss knew he was where God wanted him. He had answered the call to ministry and was a year into his studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, but he didn’t know what was next. His initial forays into preaching hadn’t been the most successful experiment – an early revival he preached was a “terrible experience,” to use his words. “Lord, who am I and why am I here?” he prayed. All his other classmates seemed like “miniature Billy Grahams.” So … [Read more...]
NAMB’s SEND Relief aims to bring compassion, aid DR
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Seeking to fill gaps as Southern Baptists serve disaster survivors and other people in need, the North American Mission Board two years ago began Send Relief. The ministry identifies five main areas of need: poverty, refugees and internationals, foster care and adoption, human trafficking and disaster response. “While Send Relief aims to send hope by meeting material needs, the primary reason Send Relief exists is to send the eternal hope of the gospel through compassion … [Read more...]
Sharing grace in Uganda: Student’s journey of obedience leads her to love, care for children with disabilities
JINJA, Uganda – Lauren Ziehmer distinctly remembers being in church around the age of twelve and listening to Ms. Ruth. Ruth founded an orphanage in Africa and was sharing about the physical and gospel needs of the children there. As Ziehmer listened, she also heard God’s calling on her heart, setting her apart for a specific purpose. As she got older, doubts crept in and she not only questioned it, she almost felt ashamed she dared think she could ever serve in that way. Over the next … [Read more...]
Missouri trustees talk IMB transition
DALLAS – Southern Baptist’s missionary-sending arm – the International Mission Board (IMB) is in a time of transition, but two Missouri trustees see reason to be optimistic about its future. David Platt, who has been the IMB president since 2014, notified trustees this February he planned to transition out of the leadership role, but committed to serve as long as it took to find his replacement. His tenure was marked by a painful financial restructuring that saw the retirement of many … [Read more...]
Scholarship reflects passion to keep students in church
COLUMBIA – Irv Cockriel has a heart for making sure students who leave home and head to college don’t drift away from their faith. As a retired Mizzou administrator / education professor / fund raiser and member of Memorial Baptist Church here, Cockriel has seen it happen time and time again. And it’s not just anecdotal evidence. A true academic, he has a research file full of studies, sources and books documenting what he sees as a huge threat. One study by Barna found that roughly six … [Read more...]
Messengers make 20 motions, debate SWBTS trustee action
DALLAS – Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention proposed 20 motions during two 15-minute scheduled segments of the 2018 annual meeting in Dallas June 12. A Missourian, Scott Gordon of Claycomo Baptist Church in Kansas City, moved that elected officials not be a part of the annual meeting program. That motion was ruled out of order after the chair as it directed the officers of the Convention to act outside the scope of their duties. Messengers debated then defeated June 13 a motion … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists go deep to the heart of Texas: 391 Missourians attend SBC annual meeting
DALLAS – Nearly 400 messengers from Missouri Baptist churches made the trek southwest to Dallas for the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting June 12-13. Missouri’s 391 messengers were part of the 9,637 messengers making up the unofficial total. Show Me Baptists were the 10th largest state delegation. When registered guests, exhibitors and others are included, the count of those at the SBC annual meeting rose to approximately 15,000, according to the convention manager. It is the … [Read more...]
A tale of two documentaries: Pope Francis, Mr. Rogers movies offer differing pictures of ‘good’ men
I always arrive on time to the movies so I can watch the previews. But after seeing 324 of them (seriously, I’ve kept track of the movies/trailers I’ve watched in 2018), it takes a lot to pique my interest. But trailers for two documentaries – “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word,” and the behind-the-scenes look at Mr. Rogers, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” – both did just that. Both films are still in theaters. Both are about men devoted to “doing good.” The difference is that one explicitly … [Read more...]
Regardless of title, DOMs aim to serve the pastors, churches
SPRINGFIELD – Whether their business card says director of missions, superintendent of missions, associational missionary, or associational mission strategist, the leaders of Missouri’s Baptist associations seem to agree on their purpose: serve the local churches. Associations are nearby churches that voluntarily join together in ministry. They are formed on a regional basis, sometimes a county or group of adjoining counties. Missouri has 61 Baptist associations that relate in a … [Read more...]
Messengers make 20 motions, debate SWBTS trustee action
DALLAS (BP) -- Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention proposed 20 motions during two 15-minute scheduled segments of the 2018 annual meeting in Dallas June 12. Messengers debated then defeated June 13 a motion by Tom Hatley of Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers, Ark., that messengers dismiss Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's trustee Executive Committee. The debate included comments from two current SWBTS trustees, a former convention president and a laywoman. Hatley, a … [Read more...]
KC surgeon stormed Normandy, treated Truman
INDEPENDENCE – A little boy from Doniphan County, Kansas, is the last person one might expect to be responsible for the lives of the President and First Lady. But that became the case for Wallace Graham, who would storm the beaches of Normandy, earn three Purple Hearts, serve as the personal physicians for Harry and Bess Truman and ultimately join Wornall Road Baptist Church in Kansas City. Graham and his family moved from Doniphan County to Kansas City when he was nine years old, just as … [Read more...]
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