Consider this prayer for Father’s Day: Heavenly Father, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; The whole earth is full of Your glory. Thank you, Father, for the examples of my dad and other men who invested themselves in my life for Your purposes. Although they were human and susceptible to sin, they stayed true, faithful, and godly. In this culture of mayhem, may the lives of these godly men be seen again as “normal” for all who love Christ and seek His will. May their faithfulness be … [Read more...]

In 2022, the print schedule for The Pathway places this issue just seven days from a very special day: Memorial Day. It was first called “Decoration Day,” the first national day of decorating the graves of those men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our personal and religious freedom. More than 5,000 people participated in decorating the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. We’ve done our best to fill the day with other activities instead of grieving with families over the … [Read more...]

Resurrection Day is this coming Sunday! Hallelujah!! Celebrate, for our Christ has risen from the grave! Indeed!! In 1 Corinthians 15: 20-23 we read, “But as it is, Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His … [Read more...]

Over the last four columns, I’ve attempted to unpack the functions of a state convention. Now, we should ask: What is a practical example of these functions? For church leaders, the function that perhaps brings the greatest value to both the minister and the local church is the work of the MBC Leader Care Network operating within the Developing Leaders Group. “The Leader Care Network helps Missouri Baptist church leaders get well, lead well, and finish well,” says Jim Misloski director of … [Read more...]

In this issue we continue to ask the question, “Why?” Like inquisitive children, every organization needs to examine the “Why?” What do they do that no other organization does at that level? Churches need to ask that question, too, but for entirely different reasons. One reason is so that churches stay on their biblical mission mandate – namely, to make disciples. Churches are engaged in reaching new people with the gospel, and they also are engaged in engaging new and older saints in … [Read more...]

As with all organizations, the Missouri Baptist Convention needs to ask the question, “Why?” Why are we an important part of what the Lord is doing among a network of Bible-believing, evangelistic, mission-minded churches located in the center of the Heartland? Some people point to Acts 1:8 and describe the state ministry as a “Judea” ministry.  The result is a relational and authentic ministry that works with local churches and church leaders to transforms lives and communities with the … [Read more...]

While convalescing from Covid, I found time to read some academic papers. One caught my attention in a significant way—the statistical value of a human life. Based on nine different studies, the U.S. Department of Transportation determined that the statistical value of a human life is somewhere near $9 million. The Department of Transportation uses this kind of information to determine long-term, multigenerational trends and the economic impact of developing various forms of … [Read more...]

Along the journey, it’s not uncommon to touch, handle or restore historical treasures. Last week, with the help of a friend, I held a family bible that I paid to have restored. When I became the guardian of this family treasure, it was in really rough shape – so much so that I didn’t recognize it as the complete New Testament. Today, it is a beautiful treasure that lists my grandmother’s birth, marriage, and untimely death in 1967.  This week, my hands held another historical treasure. As … [Read more...]