BRANSON – Gold shirts and hats were in abundance at the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting. MBC Disaster Relief (DR) volunteers not only had an exhibit to represent their ministry, but they staffed the childcare area and served as door greeters and ushers in the convention hall. Gaylon Moss, MBC DR director said they were asked to provide the childcare, the ushers and to staff a booth for DR as well as Baptist Builders and Hunger Relief. He said he was pretty excited about the … [Read more...]
‘Defining Decade’: Yeats honored for 10 years of MBC service
BRANSON – It was on the stage at the 2011 Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Annual Meeting that John Yeats was officially installed as the executive director of the MBC, so it was only fitting to mark his 10-year anniversary during the 2021 annual meeting here. MBC First Vice President Chris Williams recognized Yeats prior to the executive director’s report to messengers, honoring him for 10 years of service not just Missouri Baptists, but “10 years of Kingdom work.” “I think about the … [Read more...]
Synergy provides a powerful gospel story, Yeats tells messengers in annual address
BRANSON – Synergy, as illustrated in the cooperative work of Missouri Baptists to obey the Great Commission, provides the world with a powerful gospel story, Executive Director John Yeats said Monday evening in his address to messengers and visitors at the MBC Annual Meeting. Yeats’ remarks closed out the first day of the two-day event, Oct. 25-26, at the Branson Convention Center. “Like an internal combustion engine, there are so many things working together among Missouri Baptists to … [Read more...]
SBU’s Kimbrough: ‘Scripture is sufficient’
BRANSON – “We profess sufficiency of Scripture, but do we really believe it?” Matt Kimbrough, assistant professor theology and head of the Division of Christian Ministry at Southwest Baptist University and lay pastor at Springhill Baptist Church, asked the messengers and guests at the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting. “Jesus tells a parable in Luke 16:19-31 about Lazarus and the Rich man,” Kimbrough said. “Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees for their attitude toward money. Jesus … [Read more...]
State-to-state mission opportunities highlighted in convention’s exhibit hall
BRANSON – MBC convention attenders were drawn to the booth of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention (MWBC) because they were giving away samples of cheese and apples, favorite food products of those two states. Representatives of that convention shared mission opportunities with Missouri Baptists as they munched on cheese and apples. At the Montana Southern Baptist Convention (MSBC) booth a man with a big brown cowboy hat greeted convention attenders with a broad smile and a warm … [Read more...]
Evans: ‘To fix the issue, look at Scripture’
BRANSON – Chaos, conflict, and confusion in the United States today parallel the state of Israel recorded in 2 Chronicles 15:3-6 according to Tony Evans, nationally known pastor, and author. He is the senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas and president of The Urban Alternative. “We are looking at the devolution of a nation,” Evans told those attending the annual meeting. “It doesn’t matter if we throw social, government or religious solutions at it, we must get to the root … [Read more...]
Ministers’ wives receive advice on trusting God
BRANSON – “We will seek only to the extent we trust” – wise words delivered by Laura Lacey Johnson, guest speaker at the Ministry Wives Luncheon, which was held at the recent Annual Meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention in Branson. Women in attendance were treated to a beautifully prepared lunch, and then they joined together in worship music. Johnson followed with encouraging remarks centered around the Meeting’s theme verse from Matthew 6:33, “Kingdom Focus.” Several personal … [Read more...]
IMB’s Chitwood: 7,317 people groups remain unreached
BRANSON – Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board (IMB), thanked the Missouri Baptist messengers for their prayers and financial support during their annual meeting, Oct. 25. “We have 3,635 missionaries serving around the world because of this support,” Chitwood said. “This has been the best financial year in the history of the organization. Southern Baptists gave 177 million dollars to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Because churches support the IMB with the … [Read more...]
Nelson encourages Missouri Baptists to focus on the Kingdom of God
BRANSON – Missouri Baptists should become “laser-focused on the Kingdom of God,” Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) president Jon Nelson told messengers attending the MBC annual meeting here, Oct. 25. “So many times, we would rather secure our own fiefdoms than the Kingdom of God,” Nelson, pastor of SOMA Community Church, Jefferson City, said. “God’s Kingdom is a gift to us, one we should never squander. ... The thing we need most is the Kingdom of God.” Referring to Matthew 6:33, … [Read more...]
Motion calling for sexual abuse task force fails
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was updated, Nov. 5. BRANSON – Missouri Baptist messengers at their annual meeting, Oct. 25-26, voted down a motion that would have created a sexual abuse task force in the state convention. Scott Gordon, a messenger from Claycomo Baptist Church, brought the motion. The motion reads as follows: “I move that the newly elected President of the Missouri Baptist Convention appoint a task force to examine the issue of sexual abuse for the purpose of developing and … [Read more...]
Together for the Kingdom: Missouri Baptists learn about cooperative ministry at annual meeting
BRANSON – During their 187th annual meeting, Oct. 25-26, messengers of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) heard reports of the work being achieved through their partnership in Kingdom ministry. “Let me make it very clear: We are doing good Kingdom work,” MBC president Jon Nelson told the 1,194 messengers and 267 guests from 451 churches who gathered in Branson for the meeting. Welcoming leaders from various MBC ministries to the stage, MBC Executive Director John Yeats highlighted … [Read more...]
MBC resolutions address race, abortion, BFM 2000, parental responsibility
BRANSON – Missouri Baptists adopted five resolutions during their annual meeting here, Oct. 25-26, dealing with a spate of issues from race to abortion. The first resolution expressed gratitude to the Branson Convention Center and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel for hosting the annual meeting. The adopted Resolution 2, “On Parental Responsibility,” urged Missouri Baptists to “embrace their ultimate responsibility for the spiritual and social development of their children by being … [Read more...]