NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Joseph Somkhith* understands the plight of today’s 60 million refugees. He once lived as one. Somkhith was 10 years old when he and his brother fled Laos after a communist takeover in the mid-1970s. The two boys crossed the Mekong River into Thailand, facing what Somkhith described as “insecurity and violence” along the way. Nearly a year later, Somkhith’s family was reunited in a refugee camp in Thailand. “My family separated from each other for the sake of saving … [Read more...]
Adoption ‘a picture of the gospel,’ Jasper Rains says
ST. LOUIS – One thought filled Jasper Rains’ prayers during his daily, one-hour drive to and from work in early 2007 – the thought of a baby boy who had been abandoned by his birth mother at the hospital. The previous summer, after Jasper and his wife Kendra received Missouri state foster care licenses, the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) contacted them about this baby boy. “The Children’s Home told us … that this may be our child,” Jasper, who now serves as minister of … [Read more...]
FBC O’Fallon puts global missions in the spotlight
O’FALLON – Though most new years begin in January, at First Baptist Church, O’Fallon, October kicks off the year for one of the suburban St. Louis congregation’s biggest ministry priorities. The church’s recent annual Global Missions Conference (GMC) celebrated activities the church accomplished in the last 12 months, and introduced mission partnerships and short-term trips for the coming year. The five-day emphasis involved 12 missionaries in multiple events, several dozen church … [Read more...]
Ripken: Persecuted Christians see miracle of everday U.S. churches
SPRINGFIELD – The International Mission Board’s Nik Ripken opened a window on the realities facing persecuted believers worldwide and on the way those believers view American Christianity during the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting, Oct. 28. “There is no free church and persecuted church,” Ripken said. “There is just the church. And it is always persecuted and it is always free. And when any part of your body is hurting and you’re not aware of it, and you’re not concerned about … [Read more...]
Luncheon highlights MBC partnership with Italy
SPRINGFIELD – MBC Annual Meeting participants heard Charles Worthy, Connecting Leader for Italy with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, as he spoke at the partnership missions luncheon here. Rick Hedger, team leader for the MBC Missional Evangelism/Discipleship Team, cast the vision for 15 Missouri churches to agree to partner with three regions of Italy: Veneto, Tentino Alto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. These are all in the northeastern part of Italy, and each region has … [Read more...]
Robin D. Hadaway: Understanding IMB’s financial crisis
I met David Platt at a meeting in the Dominican Republic 13 months before he was elected as IMB President. During a break, I asked him, “What are you going to do when you become IMB president?” Now I understand and I like what he’s doing. As Southern Baptists seek to discern the magnitude and urgency of the current IMB financial crisis, I would like to share some thoughts. I led one of the IMB field administrative regions for over six years with about 325 missionaries under my charge. … [Read more...]
Returning missionaries grateful for help from Southern Baptists
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – International Mission Board missionaries and staff are expressing thanks for the way Southern Baptists have stepped up to provide offers of housing, vehicles and job opportunities to missionaries who have accepted IMB’s voluntary retirement incentive. “Southern Baptists are not only catching the ball, they are running 99-yard touchdowns,” said one missionary serving in Asia. “ … I am praying that people will see what Southern Baptists are doing and will see His … [Read more...]
Why non-westerners reject the gospel
Missionaries to Muslims often report resistance to the gospel message – not because Muslims reject Jesus as a great prophet, but because the Qur’an denies the doctrines of original sin and the atonement. The idea of natural-born sinners runs counter to the Islamic belief that man is basically good but ignorant of Allah’s will. This may be overcome by repeating the shahada – “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” – and by embracing the five pillars of Islam. In … [Read more...]
Baptists poised to seize moment in S. Sudan
JUBA, South Sudan (BP) – While United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon alluded to “a new window of opportunity” for peace in war-torn and famine-stricken South Sudan, one missionary there said “the window is small” for sharing the Gospel in the world’s youngest nation. Ban was speaking Sept. 29 at a high-level meeting of the U.N. as part of its General Assembly debates, which included leaders from around the world. Ban said it is “a pivotal moment” for the country of South … [Read more...]
Floyd makes multi-language appeal to SBC St. Louis
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) – Ronnie Floyd, in just over 3 and a half minutes, speaks volumes about ethnic inclusiveness within the Southern Baptist Convention. Floyd speaks in English and, through a translator’s voice, in Spanish and Korean in a new video to invite Southern Baptists to the SBC annual meeting next June in St. Louis. More than 3,200 Hispanic churches and church-type missions are among the 40,700-plus Southern Baptist congregations across the U.S. and its territories. Korean … [Read more...]
Floyd makes multi-language appeal to SBC St. Louis
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) – Ronnie Floyd, in just over 3 and a half minutes, speaks volumes about ethnic inclusiveness within the Southern Baptist Convention. Floyd speaks in English and, through a translator’s voice, in Spanish and Korean in a new video to invite Southern Baptists to the SBC annual meeting next June in St. Louis. More than 3,200 Hispanic churches and church-type missions are among the 40,700-plus Southern Baptist congregations across the U.S. and its territories. Korean … [Read more...]
Floyd calls for awakening, ponders IMB/NAMB merger
KANSAS CITY (BP) – Merging the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board is a key question Southern Baptists must address if a much-prayed-for spiritual awakening comes to their network of churches. SBC President Ronnie Floyd raised the question during his address at a symposium on “The SBC & the 21st Century: Reflection, Renewal & Recommitment” Sept. 28-29 at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. “Spiritual renewal leads to strategic … [Read more...]
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