RICHMOND, Va.— More than 155,000 people die daily without Christ. This is a harsh and unacceptable reality facing Southern Baptists, IMB President Paul Chitwood told a recent gathering of advocates near Richmond, Va. The lost — those living apart from a relationship with Christ — need people who will advocate on their behalf by praying, giving, going and sending. The gathering, which included Baptist state executives, associational and WMU leaders, former missionaries, student leaders … [Read more...]
IMB’s Chitwood: ‘Your state convention helps churches reach your state, our world for Christ’
EDITOR'S NOTE: Paul Chitwood serves as president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. To learn about the Missouri Baptist Convention's state missions offering, visit https://mobaptist.org/mmo/. To learn about the Cooperative Program, visit https://mobaptist.org/cp. My first international mission trip took place on a farm in central Kentucky. As a new pastor in the community, I found myself interacting often with migrant workers from Central and South … [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...]
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...]
Churches advance the glory of God in Italy
ITALY – Italy may seem like an unusual country for missions, but according to Rick Hedger, Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) Multiplying Churches Catalyst, Northeast Italy is a great area for mission partnerships. “Missouri Baptists were contacted by the International Mission Board (IMB) to consider mission partnerships in Italy,” Hedger said. “It is considered an unreached area. Only four out of 100 have a relationship with Christ which is extremely low for any place. Many have an … [Read more...]
Missourians train disciples in England’s Lake District
BOOTLE, Cumbria, England – Neither Jerry nor Carolyn Cox had ever set foot outside the United States. Yet, when God placed a call on his heart to serve for six months making disciples with a small church on the coast of the Irish Sea, both Cox and his wife, Carolyn were ready to pack their bags. Cox, a bi-vocational pastor who served at Henderson Baptist Church in Rogersville, was reading The Pathway last July and noticed an article about American Interim Pastors Ministries (AIPM), a … [Read more...]
Church at Three Trails seeks to grow through missions
ZACATELCO, Mexico – The Church at Three Trails didn’t seek out a partnership with Iglesia Bautista Maranatha in the city of Zacatelco. God sought them out. It began last fall when pastor Brian Grout attended the Partnership Missions luncheon during the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting in St. Charles. There he heard of partial scholarships available if he and another church member were interested in a vision trip. A recent church “replant” that itself has planted a local … [Read more...]
On mission: Enhancing marriages in Italy
SIENA, Italy – Melodious voices in both Italian and English joined together in one accord to sing praises to Almighty God. Dalton Patterson, 26, was in awe. “We will never forget it,” said Patterson, member of Second Baptist Church, Springfield. “It was a solidifying experience that will forever remind us that the God we serve in our small communities is a mighty God who is performing works and development all over the world.” Patterson and his wife, Dani, were part of a mission team made … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists multiply church at home, globally
JEFFERSON CITY – In the fall of 2013, five members from Norfleet Baptist Church of Kansas City set out to East Africa in their first effort to reach a people group thirsty for the gospel. Since that time, church members have reach hundreds of people and have helped to plant five churches in the region. When they return this fall, they expect to witness 200 baptisms. “It’s a Gideon thing for us to do this,” said Scott Flippin, pastor of the congregation of roughly 65. But, through the grace … [Read more...]
St. Louis churches reach out to Indonesia
LOOKING FOR 'SPIRITUAL DARKNESS IN ITALY' LINK? PLEASE CLICK HERE. INDONESIA – Missouri Baptists in St. Louis have learned the longterm benefits of going on mission with God as they’ve organized trips to the islands of Indonesia. Since 2013, Lee Perkins* has led collegiate students with St. Louis connections to Indonesia to reach their Indonesian peers for Christ. Each year, this group has expanded in size – from a handful in 2013 to more than 20 this coming summer. College students are … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists partner in Italy
VENETO, Italy – From the moment he arrived in Belluno, Italy, Jeremy Sells soaked in everything he saw and heard. And this province with a population of nearly 200,000 people had plenty to take in, since it is located in the Alps of northern Italy and in a country that has Christian monuments dating back hundreds—if not more than 1,000—years. But nothing prepared Sells, pastor of First Baptist Church, Scott City, for a meeting he and his mission team had with a local evangelical pastor. … [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...]