JEFFERSON CITY – For many years, Brad Bennett has used motorcycle and bike stunts to open doors for gospel witness, first through the Real Encounter evangelistic ministry and now in his role as Making Disciples director for the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). Bennett and other members of the MBC’s Making Disciples team now take ministry to Missouri Baptist churches through the LIFE Outreach Initiative, like the recent outreach in Sikeston that drew 1,700 people and resulted in more than … [Read more...]
New CP bulletin insert now available
JEFFERSON CITY – A new bulletin insert from the MBC helps Missouri Baptists better understand how their support of the Cooperative Program benefits the local church. The insert is titled, “7 Ways Your Gifts Go Around the World and Come Back Home.” Samples were mailed earlier this month to each MBC-affiliated church, and additional copies are available at no cost from the MBC. The Cooperative Program (CP) is the funding process Southern Baptists have used since 1925 to carry out the … [Read more...]
Missourians teach book of Revelation to pastors in Nicaragua
MANAGUA, Nicaragua – When Missouri pastors Lane Harrison and Chris Williams signed up to teach and train pastors in Nicaragua, they didn’t know they’d be signing up for one of the more challenging books of the Bible to understand and preach through: Revelation. But all Scripture – including each part that takes effort to understand – is God-breathed, so the Missouri pastors committed to teach Revelation during a mid-March trip to the Central American nation. Harrison, lead pastor of … [Read more...]
Missouri WMU celebrates 100 years
POPLAR BLUFF – On Oct. 15, 1923, Missouri Baptist women met at First Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff, and officially began Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union (MWMU). On April 14-15, 2023, over 300 men, women, students and children gathered at First Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff, once again to celebrate the past 100 years of Missouri WMU. Sandy Wisdom-Martin, national WMU executive director, was the keynote speaker during the three worship celebrations as we experienced and heard about our Hope … [Read more...]
‘Our job isn’t finished,’ Missouri Baptists tell Midwest March for Life participants
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Baptists – including three keynote speakers – joined a crowd of some 700 pro-life advocates during the Midwest March for Life, April 26, on the lawn of the State Capitol here. Brandy Meeks, president of the Vitae Foundation and member of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) Christian Life Commission (CLC), put a spotlight on the abortion industry’s efforts to convince young people to support abortion. “Friends, parents, grandparents that are out there, … [Read more...]
MBC Executive Director search committee accepting nominations through month of May
EDITOR'S NOTE: A new video update about the MBC Executive Director search was posted, May 22, at https://mobaptist.org/executive-director-search. JEFFERSON CITY – Until the end of May, the Missouri Baptist Convention's (MBC) Executive Director Search Committee is taking recommendations for potential candidates to serve as the MBC's next Executive Director. Recommendations can be made online at https://mobaptist.org/executive-director-search. Members of the MBC Executive Director … [Read more...]
More than 2,300 Kenyans profess faith in Christ
‘Ball of Many Colors’ proves an effective evangelism tool NAIROBI, Kenya – Evangelism doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as a conversation in the street, or even kicking around a soccer ball in the African plains. That was what Keith Vawter, director of missions for Wright-Douglas-Ozark Baptist Association, found out on a recent mission trip to Kenya. Joining with Alan David, pastor of First Baptist, Bonne Terre, and Jeff Everard, pastor of First Baptist, New Offenburg, … [Read more...]
‘Good people, good workers’: Glenallen residents blessed by Missouri DR volunteers
GLENALLEN – In the early morning hours of April 5, a tornado touched down in the Southeast Missouri town of Glenallen, beginning its path of destruction on the farm of Stanley and Kim Long. It crossed fields, passing by cows with newborn calves, ripping out trees and destroying farm outbuildings before hitting the adjoining family farm. Brenda Kay Long, Stanley’s mother, was thankfully taking shelter at his home. The tornado, classified by the National Weather Service as an EF-2, … [Read more...]
Search begins for new MBC executive director
BRANSON – Members of the MBC Executive Director Search Team officially began their pursuit of a new convention leader at a meeting in Branson, April 20-21. Members prayed together, discussed the search process, elected officers and organized the search. Current Executive Director John Yeats asked the MBC Executive Board in March to begin a search for his replacement. The board elected a 10-member committee that includes current MBC President Chris Williams. Yeats moderated the search … [Read more...]
Dozens come to Christ during LIFE event in Ewing
EWING – More than 70 people came to know Christ at a bicycle stunt show, March 22, in northeast Missouri. However, this doesn’t tell the full story of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s LIFE Initiative. Such events are planned months in advance with pastors and church leaders determining costs, locale, prayer input, encourager training, promotion, worship, community involvement, and other details. Brad Bennett, the MBC’s Making Disciples director, is aware that events can too often be … [Read more...]
‘I feel like we experienced revival’: FBC Steele praises God for post-pandemic growth, baptisms
STEELE – Pastor Ryan West joined First Baptist Church as senior pastor in June 2020, during a difficult season for churches across the nation. COVID-19 restrictions affected most churches. Three years later, many churches still face the challenge of recovering pre-COVID church engagement. However, consequences of the virus entered as a double-edged sword. The same virus that bred separation also bred a noticeable longing for community. “People weren’t afraid of being apart. They just … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptist evangelist reaches cowboys from Missouri to Guatemala
PLEASANT HILL – As a pastor, evangelist, and full-time cowboy, Sam Anderson has spent the last fifteen years of his life in ministry working to bring the gospel to other cowboys around the globe. From a young age, Anderson knew he wanted to serve God through evangelism: “I’ve always been interested in evangelism. It’s been one of my basic strengths for as long as I can remember. In college, I was even the chairman of the Baptist Student Union’s evangelism team. Sharing the gospel has been … [Read more...]