First appearing in places with limited exposure, such as truck stops and certain fraternal organizations, so-called “grey machines” eventually brought gambling into mainstream businesses across the state of Missouri. For several years, this evil has been left largely unchecked, and has even been met with apathy, but a court ruling this fall offers hope that these malignant, and illegal, grey machines can be challenged. There have been a few attempts to stem the tide of open and lawless … [Read more...]
Rocky Mount pastor retires after 48 years
ELDON – Jimmy Carter was president back then, and Southwest Baptist University (SBU) was still Southwest Baptist College (SWBC). It was February of 1977, and a young graduate, along with his wife Marilyn and their two daughters, drove from Bolivar to the Lake of the Ozarks in their Ford Pinto. Dan Duckworth was beginning his pastorate at Rocky Mount Baptist Church, just a few miles south of Eldon. Dan had done some of his growing up in the area – his dad had pastored the West Union Baptist … [Read more...]
Pro-life, pro-adoption bill awaits Missouri governor’s signature
EDITOR’S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant for the Missouri Baptist Convention. This is the third in a series of articles covering the actions and results of the First Regular session of the 103rd General Assembly of the State of Missouri. Some pro-life legislation gets a lot of headlines—like HJR73, which we will discuss at a later time—while other pro-life legislation gets passed over with little media attention, despite strong bipartisan support. One example is … [Read more...]
Missouri lawmakers approve bill allowing school chaplains
EDITOR’S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant for the Missouri Baptist Convention. This is the second in a series of articles covering the actions and results of the First Regular session of the 103rd General Assembly of the State of Missouri. When I was growing up, we were never concerned with school shootings. Bullying was minimal. Mental health issues were practically unheard of and suicide—at least among school age kids—was unheard of. But we live in a different … [Read more...]
Missouri bill protecting religious freedom on college campuses heading to Governor’s desk
EDITOR'S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant for the Missouri Baptist Convention. This is the first in a series of articles covering the actions and results of the First Regular session of the 103rd General Assembly of the State of Missouri. In our cultural engagement, we give a lot of attention to the sanctity of life, gambling and drugs. Certainly the life issue is the most important, but if we’re not careful, we can easily overlook a lot of other issues that are also … [Read more...]
Legislative actions aim to protect unborn lives
EDITOR'S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant for the Missouri Baptist Convention. Last November Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment “officially” known as The Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative” but more commonly known as Amendment 3. It passed by 95,637 votes out of nearly 3 million votes cast, or 51.6% to 48.4%. Immediately after it went into effect Planned Parenthood sued to start invalidating the plethora of state statutes that had resulted in … [Read more...]
Missouri House Bill purports to restrict gambling, but does the opposite
EDITOR: Timothy Faber serves as Missouri Baptist Convention legislative consultant. The old saying “if you can’t beat them, join them” seems to be the preferred choice for some of our state legislators. There are many good men and women serving in our state legislature, to be sure, but there are some who like to pretend they are fixing a problem when in reality they are spilling a lot of ink and leaving a bigger stain on our state. They dangle a promise of new revenue while trying to … [Read more...]
Hold marriage in honor
Following Christ is somewhat like remodeling a home. As we mature in our relationship with our Master we move from a bassinet to a crib to a twin bed and eventually a double or queen size bed. We move from a high chair to a full size chair at the table. And the swing set in the backyard is replaced with a deck and propane grill. But if we switch our furniture and maybe even change a few walls or replace windows, but neglect the foundation, we will soon find our home in a shambles. The … [Read more...]
The gift of government
EDITOR'S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant with the Missouri Baptist Convention. All of us have complained about the government at one time or another. Even the perpetually positive Ronald Reagan once quipped “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help." Everything from taxes, to red tape, to oppressive regulations from un-elected bureaucrats . . . give us something to complain about regarding the government. But … [Read more...]
Gambling does not promote God’s kingdom
Missouri Amendments 2, 5 propose to expand gambling in Missouri EDITOR'S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant with the Missouri Baptist Convention. One of my many fond memories from being a student at Southwest Baptist University was singing the Lord’s Prayer in chapel services. When Pike auditorium was filled with the voices of 1700 or so students worshipping through the singing of that prayer, it would reverberate off the walls and our hearts resonated the heart of God. … [Read more...]
‘Deliver those being taken away to death’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant with the Missouri Baptist Convention. JEFFERSON CITY – Proverbs 24:10-12 says: “If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited. Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter – oh hold them back! If you say ‘See, we did not know this,’ Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according … [Read more...]
Speak up for the voiceless
EDITOR'S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative liaison for the Missouri Baptist Convention Ancient Rome was a wretched place. They made sport of people being devoured by wild beasts and cheered as gladiators fought in the arenas. They also had a practice called “exposure” – taking an unwanted newborn to the dump and leaving them exposed to the elements and the rodents. Infanticide. But in the first century AD the church was accused of turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6). In time, … [Read more...]