This week I came across a striking observation. As citizens of the United States, we are recipients of the amazing blessing of the Lord. Prior generational leaders, while not always copacetic with church leaders, were for the most part people of faith who understood the value of righteous behavior and the need to order one’s life according to biblical principles. Historically, our nation’s birth and prosperity demonstrated to the world the importance of freedom of conscience and personal … [Read more...]
Mountain Grove rebuilds, reaches out
MOUNTAIN GROVE – Sometimes the road to church revitalization is less a road and more of a potato field. A year ago, Mountain Grove Family Church, a once-thriving congregation here in south central Missouri, was stuck mid-stride in a stalled building program, with just six or seven members paying the church’s expenses out of pocket to keep the doors open. The church sought help from the Missouri Baptist Convention, which paired them Westside Baptist Church 90 minutes north in Waynesville as … [Read more...]
Revitalization brings hope
WARSAW – After 15 years of serving small, dying churches, Daniel Yoder looked forward to birthing a new church here in 2012. But he had no idea that God would use him also to revive one of Warsaw’s small, established churches. Yet, beginning July 1, 2012, that is exactly what happened. On that day, Yoder’s church plant opened its doors for worship, and also on that day members from Open Arms Baptist Church, an established but struggling church in town, began to speak with Yoder about … [Read more...]
Churches should consider marriage policy
HANNIBAL – With the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the issue of same-sex “marriage” later this year, Missouri Baptist churches should prepare by developing policies that clearly define their biblical stance on marriage. “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure – and much better than getting pounded in the courtroom someday,” Michael Whitehead, the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) chief legal advisor and principal of Whitehead Law Firm LLC in Kansas City, said. Whitehead … [Read more...]
WMU meeting set for April
ST. CHARLES – The Missouri WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting will be held at First Baptist Church here, April 10-11. Those who register to attend the meeting by March 25 will be charged a registration fee of $30 per person. After that date, the fee goes up to $40. The meeting’s theme is “All for You: Surrender, Sacrifice, Serve.” National WMU Executive Director Wanda Lee will bring the theme interpretations during general worship sessions at the meeting. Other featured … [Read more...]
Judge stays Foundation transition pending appeal
A trial judge stayed any further transfer of governance of the Missouri Baptist Foundation to trustees elected by the Missouri Baptist Convention while the matter is on appeal. Judge Frank Conley’s judgment of June 6, 2014, ordered the ouster of Foundation trustees not elected by the MBC. Conley met with legal counsel for the convention and for the Foundation at the Cole County Courthouse on March 4 to hear a motion filed by Foundation attorneys seeking clarification of Conley’s order. … [Read more...]
Senegal touched by Bible stories
DAKAR, Senegal – Bible stories have stirred hearts in a Senegalese village, where Missouri Baptists continue to minister even though the Missouri Baptist Convention’s three-year partnership in the region has come to a close. A mission team made up of Baptists from churches in South Central Missouri traveled to Senegal recently to follow up on audio New Testaments that Missouri Baptists had distributed to the villagers in June. The team included Bradley Jemes, pastor of Orla Baptist … [Read more...]
Missional living required in hostile environment
SPRINGFIELD – Conference leaders at “Furnace,” the Missouri Baptist Convention’s 2015 state evangelism and discipleship conference, encouraged church leaders from around the state to remain faithful amid hardship and opposition, Feb. 5-6. During the morning session of “Furnace,” Feb. 6, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Jason Allen preached from the biblical account that inspired the conference theme—namely, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the fiery … [Read more...]
Breakouts give practical twist to Furnace
SPRINGFIELD – Sixteen breakout session leaders during the Furnace Conference Feb. 5 and 6 helped attendees put into the content from the main session into a plan for reaching the lost. Victor Benavides led sessions on servant evangelism events. “The way to find how to reach people is to talk to people,” he said. “Every servanthood evangelism project is a mini mission trip.” Charles Billingsly, worship pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. and worship leader for the … [Read more...]
High flying tricks, stunts draw large crowd
AURORA – More than 1,800 students and adults packed Aurora High School’s Houn’ Dawg Gymnasium Feb. 4, and this time it wasn’t because of a Big 8 Conference varsity match-up. “Brad Bennett and his Real Encounter team do a great job with the whole program and about halfway through, when Brad gives his testimony and an invitation, we saw 128 decisions and 102 professions of faith,” said Wade Rogers, senior pastor at First Baptist Church Aurora and church coordinator for the event. The event … [Read more...]
Appeals Court judge rules in MBC’s favor in Foundation case
Chief Judge Alok Ahuja of the Missouri Court of Appeals in Kansas City issued an order Feb. 13 denying a motion by Missouri Baptist Foundation's attorney Larry Tucker seeking a stay of execution of a Cole County judgment. The chief judge’s ruling in effect allows the MBC to proceed with the seating of its duly elected MBF trustees, which the convention announced in a news release Jan. 27. As a result of the ruling, Tucker may have to file another motion for a stay in Cole County before … [Read more...]
Gail McWilliams: A story of faith and vision
HANNIBAL – Most people live life based on what they see. But Gail McWilliams, international speaker, author and radio host, says that that is a limited and disappointing view of life. “They don’t see the big picture, only a narrow view that leaves them feeling stuck and unexcited about the life they’ve been given,” McWilliams said. “My goal is to always give people a new vision that looks past the horizon where the sky is the limit. We are here during this time in history for a … [Read more...]
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