LEXINGTON – For a church in western Missouri celebrating its bicentennial in 2025, First Baptist Church, Lexington, is undergoing a remarkable aging process. “It’s 200 years old, but it’s getting younger,” according to Pastor Russell Peirce. “Our growth is coming from younger people, so our median age is getting lower,” he says. Peirce says that, in the church's history, there have been “seasons of dry spells but also seasons of refreshment and revival.” He sees the church now in a … [Read more...]
FBCO’s Sanders looks to next phase of ministry following retirement
O’FALLON – This summer, long-time Missouri Baptist minister Lee Sanders retired after over 50 years in ministry, including 27 at his current church, First Baptist Church, O’Fallon (FBCO). In July, FBCO honored him with a new title, associate minister emeritus. Sanders and his wife, Penny, plan to continue serving at FBCO. “Emeritus” is a distinction given to valued servants and instructors who retire but are allowed to keep their previous titles. It’s most commonly applied in ministry to … [Read more...]
Church merger brings growth, unity, focus on global missions
OAKVILLE – When two declining south suburban St. Louis churches partnered with a larger church in ministry, the result not only increased attendance for the two but increased kingdom impact locally and globally for all three congregations. Windsor Baptist Church in Imperial, just outside of south St. Louis County, had been running 50–60 worshipers on Sunday mornings before it was adopted by Canaan Baptist in Oakville, about 10 miles away. However, after several pastoral changes and church … [Read more...]
MBU sports team focuses on more than athletics
ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University (MBU) head track-and-field Coach Jerry McQueen is creating opportunities for his athletes to be involved in service projects and help them be the hands and feet of Jesus. MBU encourages its sports coaches to get student-athletes involved in hearing and presenting the gospel, McQueen said. So 12 MBU track-and-field athletes recently served with Focus on Missions (FOM) in north St. Louis. FOM is an evangelical eyeglass ministry operated by Steve … [Read more...]
Seniors find fruitful ministry in Missouri Disaster Relief amid tornado response
ST. LOUIS – About 15 years ago when she was in her mid-60s, Glenda Townsend began serving with Missouri Disaster Relief with her husband Ben. Recently, she deployed to east central Missouri to maintain the ministry’s laundry and shower trailer for crews working in the St. Louis area following tornados there in mid-March. She says the relief organization is one where older adults can make an effective contribution even if they don't want to be part of the physically demanding chainsaw and … [Read more...]
Pastor celebrates 40 years at Mineola church
MINEOLA – The typical Southern Baptist church sees a senior pastor change about every five years. It can be more often in smaller congregations. So what does it take for a pastor to remain in the same pulpit for four decades with no sign of slowing down? Mineola Baptist Church in east central Missouri just celebrated 40 years under the leadership of Pastor Jim (“Brother Jim”) Cline. He’s still looking at new ways to enhance the church and his ministry. He attributes no single thing to … [Read more...]
Overflow Church ‘saturates community with the overflowing love of Jesus’
GRANDVIEW – Overflow Church in the Kansas City suburb of Grandview, hopes to reach its community for Christ though a mission of “saturating (the) community with the overflowing love of Jesus.'" (See related story here.) Pastor Alan Findley says the recent church plant is doing that by blending its congregation with another, and through partnerships with other established churches. Overflow began in 2020 as a new church work of NAMB’s SEND program, and Blue Valley Church across the state … [Read more...]
Octogenarian couple aim to be ‘part of what God is doing’ at church plant
GRANDVIEW – Their mid-80s seemed a perfect time for Conrad and Donna Krieger to jump into a new work as church planters when Overflow Church began in a suburban area of young families and varied ethnicities. (See related story here.) And, for a couple used to traveling around the country in a motorhome with their family to sing in small churches, moving though several Kansas City locations as Overflow found a permanent building was nothing new. The Kriegers attended Blue Valley Church in … [Read more...]
Springfield church choirs take the stage at Carnegie Hall with Charles Billingsley
NEW YORK CITY – In November, three Springfield churches sent their choirs to perform at Carnegie Hall In New York City with Christian artists Charles Billingsley and TaRanda Greene. Choirs from Crossway, Ridgecrest, and Second Baptist, along with five other choirs from around the country, sang with Billingsley on Monday, Nov. 25. Billinglsey was formerly a member of the Contemporary Christian Music group NewSong, and was worship pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA. … [Read more...]
Trinity Baptist, St. Mary, finds renewal after aligning ministries with mission
ST. MARY – In 2020 Trinity Baptist Church in St. Mary was experiencing declining membership and had an average worship attendance of around 30. However, the congregation wasn’t ready to close the doors. The church’s biggest strength was it didn’t give up,” Pastor Ed Carter says. “It kept on going even though (the members) knew they didn’t have much strength or power left.” St. Mary is about an hour and a half south of St. Louis. Carter became the church’s pastor in August 2020. He led … [Read more...]
IMB’s Pratt: Local church ‘foundational’ to missions
O’FALLON – The local church is “the foundation” of training overseas missionaries for the International Mission Board (IMB) said the organization’s vice-president of field personnel, Zane Pratt, at the annual Global Missions Celebration at First O’Fallon, Oct. 10-13. Speaking as the mid-week conference kickoff speaker, then echoing his remarks during the church’s Sunday morning worship service, Pratt said, “The local church is the heart of missionary training.” Local churches, he said, … [Read more...]
Anthem Church, Columbia, fosters church planting in Mankato, Minn.
MANKATO, Minn./COLUMBIA, Mo. – Columbia’s Anthem Church is a fairly young Missouri Baptist church that’s putting an emphasis on missions, missions training, and church planting. Though it was a church plant itself just seven years ago, it’s already starting to grow other churches and recently sent members to Mankato, Minn., to aid a new work in the hometown of Minnesota State University. A member of the Heart of Missouri Baptist Association, Anthem is also a Salt Network church. The … [Read more...]
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