MACON – Church growth is not always easy to identify. Nickels and noses are easiest to count, but numbers may not reveal the full story. First Baptist, Macon, like many other churches, hasn’t seen a revival, at least if revival means overflow crowds. But according to Pastor Phil Bray, the church continues to trust in the power of God’s Word to make old men new and transform believers into the image of Christ. Over the last two years, FBC Macon has faced the same challenges as other … [Read more...]
Faith Community brings gospel to north St. Louis
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provides half of the North American Mission Board’s annual budget, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to resource missionaries. The offering’s theme this year is “United,” based on Romans 15:5-6. The 2022 Week of Prayer for North American Missions is March 6-13. ST. LOUIS (BP) – Michael Byrd went back to his old neighborhood to plant a church knowing ministry there would be challenging. So, when he met and befriended an unmarried couple … [Read more...]
Congregation of eight sees God bring new life, growth
‘I am amazed,’ says pastor at Mt. Nebo Baptist, Lockwood LOCKWOOD – Before Rick Sharp became the church’s pastor in October 2021, the eight adult members of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church here considered closing. Then God stepped in. “We’re not to be amazed when God works, but I am amazed. These eight people had struggled for years to keep it alive when we got here,” Sharp said. Those eight now number more than 60, even though the church is three miles outside of Lockwood. Sharp has … [Read more...]
Kansas City church sends Bibles to the Philippines
KANSAS CITY – Scripture is building heart connections and relationships between Kansas City and the Philippines. The first of two Bible building conferences was held at Country Meadows Baptist Church here. “We started the ministry by hand carrying about 300 Bibles to the Philippines,” Bill Barker, member of First Bible Baptist of Blue Springs, said. “When we learned the need for scripture especially in three of the 86 dialects spoken in the Philippines, we knew we must be involved.” The … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists stand with Ukraine
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson may be the highest ranking Missouri Baptist in the state who has prayed for and expressed support for the Ukrainian people, but he is not alone. "In the face of unprovoked Russian aggression, Ukrainians refuse to back down or cower to a dictator,” Gov. Parson, a member of First Baptist, Bolivar, said on March 1, announcing that the state Capitol dome would shine blue and yellow – the colors of the Ukrainian flag – through March 4. “Missouri … [Read more...]
Jefferson City pastor sees CP from both sides
JEFFERSON CITY (BP) – Since 2007, Cornerstone Baptist Church has sent 10 percent of its undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program, the way Southern Baptist churches work together to spread the Gospel in North America and throughout the world. “We just believe the Cooperative Program is the primary way to reach the world for Christ,” Pastor Brian Credille said. “We are open to doing other things, but I don’t think anything else could take the place of sending career … [Read more...]
‘Miracle from God’ needed, Ukrainian Baptist leader, Southwestern alum, says
LVIV, Ukraine (BP) — “We need a miracle from God,” Yaroslav Pyzh, president of the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, said from his western Ukraine home in a Zoom interview with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s news staff on the evening of Feb. 26. As he prays for the miracle, Pyzh is marshaling the people and resources of his school to help refugees of the war. Pyzh, a 2012 Doctor of Philosophy graduate of Southwestern Seminary, has served as president … [Read more...]
Ridge Church pursues ‘kingdom growth’ via multiple campuses in eastern Missouri
VILLA RIDGE – When The Ridge Church paid off its debt in 2016, Pastor Roger Johnson shared with members that he was uninterested in “adding more buildings” to the current campus. The congregation had already adopted smaller churches to help revitalize, and changed its name from First Baptist of Villa Ridge to emphasize the partnership. He wanted to continue revitalizing struggling churches. “I felt like God wanted us to think more in terms of kingdom growth,” Johnson says. “God began to … [Read more...]
Temple Baptist, Sullivan, serve community, world
SULLIVAN – Organization and structure are friends of the ministries of Temple Baptist Church in Sullivan. “We call it efficiency and stewardship,” G. Scott Perry, senior pastor said. Member Ron Eichwald agreed with Perry. “Our church doesn’t want to stay in the building,” he said. “Pastor has always said that if you have a feasible ministry idea and the people to do it, the church will do whatever it takes to support it. So, now we have many competent people in different … [Read more...]
IMB trustees approve 52 missionary appointments, celebrate giving reports
RICHMOND, Va. – International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 52 new full-time, fully funded missionaries, while also honoring the service of 80 emeritus missionaries during their Feb. 2-3 meeting in Richmond, Va. Chuck Pourciau, trustee chairman and lead pastor of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, presided over the two-day meeting, which included 53 trustees meeting in person and 17 joining online due to issues such as COVID-19 and inclement winter … [Read more...]
Why your state convention is important today? (part 3)
Why a state convention? As we learned in the last issue, a state convention plays an important role in what the Lord is doing among a network of Bible-believing, evangelistic, mission-minded churches. Specifically, the state convention is an Ephesians 4 ministry that facilitates the networking of our churches to do “effective working” of those kinds of ministries that are larger than one congregation. Historically and pragmatically, there are seven unique functions cooperating churches … [Read more...]
‘Returning to missional focus’: Jackson church seeks to learn from past
JACKSON – The First Baptist Church here has learned a thing or two about what makes a church last. The congregation also knows how churches die. First Baptist is one of six congregations planted by Bethel Baptist Church, the first permanent non-Catholic congregation west of the Mississippi River. Now referred to as “Old” Bethel, that “mother” church grew and flourished for half a century after its founding in 1806. They planted new churches all over the area – First Baptist was founded in … [Read more...]
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