EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was updated on Jan. 11. Baptist Press reporter Scott Barkley contributed to this report. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mo. – At 5:30 on Thursday morning, Jan. 4, Pastor James Leezer of Williamstown's Providence Baptist Church got a call with bad news no pastor wants to hear: “The church and the parsonage are on fire.” Leezer was studying Jesus' Sermon on the Mount at the moment he received the call, but after he heard the news he turned to God in prayer. After 20 minutes … [Read more...]
Investigation underway as fire destroys church, parsonage in Lewis County
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mo. – The rural church building and the parsonage of Providence Baptist Church here were separately leveled in fires Thursday morning, Jan. 4. No injuries were reported. The parsonage is located a quarter-mile from the church. The glow of both structures was visible for miles by responding crews. Canton and the Monticello base of the Canton R-V Fire Department were paged at 5:07 a.m., and upon arrival they found both structures fully engulfed. Western Lewis County … [Read more...]
Hundreds take ‘Journey to Bethlehem’ through ministry of First Baptist, Troy
TROY – First Baptist dialed back two millennia Dec. 9-10 to give people a sense of what the first Christmas was like. For the 10th year, the church held a “Journey to Bethlehem” event where more than a thousand people attended. “It’s an outside walk-through of the night of Bethlehem. We had stations with King Herod and the wisemen, the Roman soldiers who are intimidating, the rabbis and their prophecies, the shepherds and angels, the market place, the inn where there was no room, and the … [Read more...]
Hannibal-LaGrange Booster Gala recaps past, prepares for the future
HANNIBAL – Two past presidents recapped the past of Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) at the annual Booster Gala, Nov. 11. Larry Lewis, president of the university from 1981 to 1987, recalled how he was a student here from 1952-1954, later came as a trustee, and eventually as president. “I came to Hannibal-LaGrange after a visit here with my pastor. I remember that visit 70 years later and the spirit of it. I felt a family spirit. I had tremendous teachers, but I learned more from … [Read more...]
Missouri DR sends team to help with relief efforts after Maui wildfire
LAHAINA, Maui, Hawaii – In the past, a trip to Hawaii frequently meant the start of a dream vacation. That hasn’t always been the case, though, since a massive wildfire swept through the town of Lahaina earlier this year. In response, Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief was deployed to Hawaii, Nov. 8-22, to help in one of the areas devastated by the summer wildfires that claimed at least 100 lives. Chris Houghtaling, from First Baptist Church of Blue Springs, set up the first team of 11 … [Read more...]
Harrison Baptist Association sees God at work
BETHANY – God has his ways for working in various circumstances within the Harrison Baptist Association’s area. For example, when a windstorm hit in June, Harrison Baptist Association Disaster Relief was able to respond “boots on the ground a half-hour after the storm,” said Director of Missions and Northwest Missouri Regional Disaster Relief coordinator John Mohler. In an odd twist of God’s work, one house damaged had a Hispanic resident, and there happened to be a Spanish-speaking … [Read more...]
Pastors’ Conference encourages ministers, exhorts them to pursue spiritual, physical wellness
SPRINGFIELD – Six ministry leaders poured advice and encouragement into pastors during the Missouri Baptist Pastors’ Conference, Oct. 23. Noah Oldham Noah Oldham, lead pastor of August Gate Church in St. Louis gave encouragement to pastors in their “glorious gospel grind.” Using 2 Corinthians 4, Oldham encouraged pastors, reminding them that they were called, they had repented of and renounced sin, they loved God’s Word, they encouraged others to follow Christ, that they’ve tried to … [Read more...]
MODR brings help, hope, healing after tornado hits Northeast Missouri town
BARING – A tornado may have moved in an unusual path on the night of Aug. 4 and heavily damaged this town of 125 people, but Missouri Disaster Relief moved in a typical way. Many times, a tornado moves toward the east or northeast. This tornado, with estimated maximum winds of 122 miles per hour moved to the northwest. It heavily damaged several of the senior housing apartments, from which people had to be rescued. The post office was all but leveled, and the roof of the town’s only … [Read more...]
Antioch Baptist church member leads ‘Walk Thru the Bible’ sessions
HANNIBAL – Schedules are being set to teach people the Old Testament. Dan Dehner, a member of Antioch Baptist, is offering to teach five half-hour sessions of the Old Testament in the “Walk Thru the Bible” program. “It’s an educational organization that provides seminars and training to churches or groups who want more information of the Bible. I particularly do the Old Testament live sessions. We take the lessons and give a framework of how they fit together,” Dehner said. Dehner said … [Read more...]
HLGU student earns associate’s degree 50 years in the making
HANNIBAL – Wes Segawa completed one class this past semester at Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLG) and graduated with an associate degree in May. That’s the short of a 50-year-long story. The one class was what he lacked for the degree he started in the early 1970s. Segawa, of Hilo, Hawaii, graduated from Hilo in 1970. Like many Asian immigrants in the Hawaiian islands, he grew up a fourth-generation Buddhist. Rev. Richard Uejo, a Hawaiian pastor and 1940 graduate with his wife Masue, led … [Read more...]
Forty-one people find faith in Christ during Lifepointe, Sedalia, tent revival
SEDALIA – A four-day tent revival north of Sedalia brought people to Christ and some were baptized at the event. Lifepointe Church pastor Rusty Thomas reported 41 salvations, 31 baptisms, and three child dedications. From July 12-15, there were a total of 253 people in the children’s tent, 3,199 people in the main tent, and 10,639 people who followed the tent revival on Facebook. This made the total attendance of 14,091 people. “To God be the Glory,” Thomas said after the event. But the … [Read more...]
More than 40 find faith during second week of Super Summer on SBU campus
BOLIVAR – Super Summer week two at Southwest Baptist University, June 26-30, was filled with fresh faces and new works of God’s Spirit. “Each week of Super Summer always has its own unique personality. Even though the theme, infrastructure, and plan is the same, week two is always night and day different. All of it is good, but different,” said Bob Caldwell, team leader. In addition to new faces among students and youth leaders, camp pastor Brian Jump of Forest Park Church in Joplin, and … [Read more...]
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