EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been edited and updated, having run previously in the Oct. 8, 2013, edition of The Pathway. NORWOOD – Pastor Stephen Fugitt believes that churches have the right to arm themselves for the day when a gunman enters their buildings to do harm. Yet no one had time to open fire against a gunman who aimed his .357 magnum revolver at Fugitt as he preached to his congregation at the First Baptist Church, Norwood, July 21, 2013. Instead, one church member grabbed … [Read more...]
32 new missionaries obey their Savior to share the gospel among the nations
RICHMOND, Va. – As a preschooler in the children’s group called Mission Friends, new Southern Baptist missionary Amy Jones learned about God's desire to gather people from every nation, tribe, people group and language by His grace and for His is glory. “It became real when my mother returned from England with stories and a tea set,” Jones recalled during a Sending Celebration Nov. 16 that marked the appointment of 32 new International Mission Board personnel. “Europeans are fascinating … [Read more...]
Peyton shares Christ with forgotten refugees
NORTH AFRICA – Six years ago, one of Seth Peyton’s* good friends paid a high price to escape the violence and famine of his home country. Like hundreds of other North African refugees, he gave his savings to a smuggler who packed him into a standing-room-only truck for a long, miserable trip across the Sahara Desert followed by a dangerous boat ride across the Mediterranean Sea. Many don’t make it—their bodies wash up on the shore of Europe’s coast. But Seth’s friend said he wasn’t … [Read more...]
Missouri WMU offers Lottie Moon resources
JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union (MWMU) showcased the diverse resources it has to offer churches at the 2017 Missouri Baptist Convention recently held in Raytown. Included among the mission materials at the MWMU exhibit booth, were ideas on how to implement a successful Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) campaign. MWMU’s Executive Director Laura Wells, Preschool/Children/Student Missions Consultant Teri Broeker and President Cherri Crump, and other MWMU … [Read more...]
Does the Bible support self-defense?
The mass shooting earlier this month at Sutherland Springs Baptist Church in Texas left 26 people dead, made a hero of a civilian who confronted and shot the murderer, and raised lots of security-related questions for Christians: Should I buy a gun? Does my church have a security plan? Is it ok to defend myself, or my church family, when threatened? How do I reconcile Jesus’ instructions to buy swords with His rebuke of Peter for using one? What would Jesus have done in … [Read more...]
FBC De Soto takes Thanksgiving to Italy
ITALY – Twelve miles south of Verona, Italy, lies the township of Pizzoletta. The tourists who visit this beautiful part of Italy rarely make it to this small village and prefer to crowd into the narrow streets of Verona to see the Roman Arena that dates to 40 B.C. or “Juliet’s Balcony” that is just off the Piazza delle Erbe. But in early November, Pizzoletta boasted an unusual attraction for the Veneto region ... an American Thanksgiving dinner. On November 4th, a mission team from … [Read more...]
Worship resumes with call to overcome, NAMB offers to cover all funeral costs
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas (BP) – Pastor Frank Pomeroy’s first message to the surviving members of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, was that they must overcome darkness with the light of Christ. Seven days after a gunman killed 26 worship attendees, Pomeroy – who was out of town during the Nov. 5 attack – delivered his message at a tent worship service blocks away from the church property. More than 500 people attended the Nov. 12 service, according to media estimates. … [Read more...]
Over the top for the top of the world, elsewhere
The promotional materials for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions are out in circulation. This time of year, our Missouri churches often use the materials for promoting a week of prayer for our 3,800 international SBC missionaries, or some churches host a missions event that promotes all levels of missions – international, domestic, state and associational missions. One of the stories in the packet especially caught my interest because of Missouri Baptists’ … [Read more...]
Ozark’s School to the Nations equips Missouri Baptists for global outreach
OZARK – Untrained eyes might see a small farm here, but many around the world know this 30-acre plot as a launching pad for the gospel. The School to the Nations, founded by Randy and Maureen Copeland in 2000, is a missionary training facility fully equipped with an African training village, a jungle training village, and a professional ropes course, all designed to help churches prepare teams for the mission field. According to Randy, the ministry exists to equip local churches to take the … [Read more...]
Sutherland Springs: Proof texts and guns in church
After the recent horrific church shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX I saw a lot of varied reactions on social media. Of course there were renewed calls for stronger gun control laws and there was the predictable defense of Second Amendment rights. Many of social media posts both for and against gun control came from self-identified Christians. I believe that followers of Jesus should be vocal in this debate, but that is not subject of this post. I want to discuss the exegesis of some of … [Read more...]
Slain pastor’s daughter sees God amid pain
HANNIBAL – A few years ago, while serving as a summer missionary in Chicago, Cassidy Winters saw for the first time how God was “putting together the broken pieces” of her life for His glory. That summer, Cassidy worked as a camp counselor, and the experience was far from the Bible-belt variety Vacation Bible School she at first expected. Her students – 7-year-old boys transplanted from inner city Chicago to a campground in wide-open spaces – yelled, played and created havoc as she … [Read more...]
Pastorless churches find bright futures through CP: Transitional pastors available through MBC
JEFFERSON CITY – Losing a senior pastor for any reason can send a church into crisis mode. But the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) “transitional pastor ministry” aims to help pastorless churches prepare them for a bright future of ministry. “One thing that a transitional minister can bring to a church is hope,” said Mark Arnold, a member of the MBC’s network of transitional pastors. “He helps them understand that God still has a future for them, still has a purpose for them.” The … [Read more...]
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