ST. LOUIS — As a river finds its source at the top of the mountain so Tower Grove Baptist Church has founded a city on a hill. That city is Tower Grove Christian School (TGCS), depositing springs of everlasting life into the culture flowing from the heart of St Louis. TGCS was founded in 1978 to serve family members of the church. It has since become a mission field housing close to 300 students, of which less than 50 percent are professing Christians. The school motto is “Teaching truth, … [Read more...]
Builders help with fellowship hall
EWING – More than a dozen Missouri Baptist Builders from the Macon and Fulton areas framed a needed fellowship hall for Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in rural northeast Missouri in early April. The Fulton team arrived April 1, finding a concrete slab north of the sanctuary building poured in November 2012. The Macon group arrived April 2. They left April 5, with the 1,500 square foot addition framed, minus roof, windows and doors. Phyllis Rogers, wife of church pastor Jesse Rogers, said the … [Read more...]
Because you give, there are cowboy churches…
CUBA — “I will not start a church plant unless they agree to give at least 10 percent of their undesignated offerings through the Cooperative Program,” states former rodeo champion and now pastor David Kenyon of Deer Creek Church here. His story is layered with evidence of God’s sovereign orchestration of life’s circumstances and events. Also known as Missouri’s “Horse Whisperer,” Kenyon (see ad on adjacent page) lives with his bride of 20 years on a small farm in Moniteau County. He … [Read more...]
Crossway to host evangelism-discipleship event next spring
SPRINGFIELD — The 2014 State Evangelism-Discipleship Conference will be held Jan. 27-28 here at Crossway Baptist Church. Crossway’s Worship Center seats up to 1,500 people, with 1,000 on the main floor before an upward slanted area in the back which is not a balcony. The host pastor is Eddie Bumpers, who will also be giving the convention sermon this year for the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) annual meeting. “We are extremely pleased with the facility,” said MBC … [Read more...]
Pike County pulls together for Christian school
CURRYVILLE – The Pike County Christian School is helping some students who might otherwise fall through educational and spiritual cracks. For the last four years, the Christian school has met four days a week from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the former Curryville School. For three years before, they met in the Peno Baptist Church. Frank Welch is co-pastor of the church, director of missions of the Salt River Baptist Association, and administrator of the Christian school. The association office … [Read more...]
How one Missouri church is seeking partnership in Mexico
PUEBLA, Mexico – Jason Walters wants his church to carry out the Great Commission by identifying its Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and ends of the earth. The student pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis has taken mission teams to the United Kingdom and the Dominican Republic, and his church already partners with other churches in Iowa and West Africa. But when Walters and senior pastor Daniel Carr heard about the vision being cast by 60 churches in the Puebla/Tlaxcala region of … [Read more...]
100: churches: Mexico-Missouri partnership has 2020 vision
PUEBLA, Mexico – Angel Gonzalez hopes to provide counseling, legal advice, and English as a Second Language to his neighbors in the community of La Luna. Abednego Tamariz has a heart for the indigenous Nahuas people of San Miguel and is sharing the love of Christ with many who are enslaved by alcoholism, drug addiction, and domestic violence. Mauro Lara is grieved over six communities within driving distance of his home in the city of Puebla that have little or no evangelistic … [Read more...]
Because you give, a St. Louis church plant sprouts
Editor’s note: Kenny Petty spent time in prison before Jesus released him from a life of crime. He’s now on mission in the eighth most dangerous city in North America. The Cooperative Program (CP) helps fund his urban church. ST. LOUIS – Kenny Petty is a St. Louis original. The pastor-elder of TheGateSTL is a product of the city judged the eighth most dangerous place to live in North America. While today he walks the city’s urban streets sharing the love of Christ, he once walked these … [Read more...]
Burundi pastor ordained in festive ceremony
KANSAS CITY — Many Burundi parishioners were gathered March 10 at the ordination service of Burundi Pastor Dany Byamungu here at Iglesia Cristiana Palabra Viva. The congregation meets at Central Baptist Church where Pastor Omar Segovia, who recently joined the church planting staff of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC), also serves. Byamungu, 29, was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) where he was raised by Christian parents whom he thanked during the service. Due to war, … [Read more...]
Religious liberty of child care providers threatened
JEFFERSON CITY – Church child care ministries will no longer be exempt from government regulations if a bill filed by Rep. Jeremy LaFaver, D-Waldo, becomes state law. “House Bill 493 is a threat to religious liberties,” said Kerry Messer, lobbyist for Missouri Baptist Convention’s Christian Life Commission. The question of licensing such ministries has been a recurrent effort in the Missouri General Assembly, but Messer calls HB 493 “the most direct frontal assault on church child care … [Read more...]
The Pole Vaulting Pastor: At age 80, he’s still clearing the bar
VERONA — Hubert Conway, pastor, Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, longed to turn 80 years old last August. His agenda was to join the 80-84 age group for the Senior Olympics, which means he has a better chance to become the national pole vault champion. Healthy through and through, he can still vault and preach with the best of them. Hubert Conway is a specimen. He takes no medicine. No pills. “Everything is fine,” he said. “I really think that I probably am as healthy as a lot of … [Read more...]
Twin Rivers helps raise missions awareness
WARRENTON — For the second time in three years, Twin Rivers Baptist Association (TRBA) held a missions conference, bringing missionaries from the United States and the world to meet, dine, and fellowship with Baptists in St. Charles, Lincoln, Montgomery and Warren counties. Director of Missions Brent Campbell said that 15 missionaries from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and International Mission Board (IMB) participated in events across 15 churches during the On Mission … [Read more...]