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Missouri Baptist Convention's Official News Journal

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UPDATE: Leatherwood to remain ERLC president; ERLC board chairman resigns

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NASHVILLE (BP) – Brent Leatherwood remains president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. ERLC executive board members say board Chairman Kevin Smith acted alone in an announcement of Leatherwood’s removal on July 22 and violated the entity’s bylaws. A early morning release from the ERLC executive committee says: “As members of the ERLC’s Executive Committee, we formally retract the press release which was sent yesterday. “There was not an authorized meeting, vote, or … [Read more...]

Leatherwood removed as ERLC president

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EDITOR’S NOTE: A day after this announcement was made by the ERLC, the organization retracted the announcement and stated that “There was not an authorized meeting, vote, or action taken by the Executive Committee. Kevin Smith has resigned as Chair of the Executive Committee. Brent Leatherwood remains the President of the ERLC and has our support moving forward.” NASHVILLE (BP) – The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention announced Monday night, July … [Read more...]

FBC Dallas meets in convention center after fire destroys church’s historic sanctuary

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by Jonathan Howe DALLAS (BP) – Two days after a four-alarm fire ripped through the historic sanctuary at First Baptist Church, Dallas, the church gathered for worship in the nearby Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Sunday morning, June 21. “It’s not the building, it’s what that building represents: it represented the bedrock foundation of God’s Word that never changes… We are going to rebuild and recreate that sanctuary as a standing symbol of truth,” pastor Robert Jeffress told … [Read more...]

Annual meeting parking lot encounter brings food, clothes, payday to migrant

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (BP) – The man asked Daren Belardo for some cash. He received much more than that. A member of Lifepointe Church in Sedalia, Mo., supply pastor and Missouri state trooper, Belardo was attending his first SBC Annual Meeting at the invitation of his father-in-law Paul Ray Grubb, pastor emeritus of First Southern Baptist Church in Sylmar, Calif. On June 12 he dropped his in-laws off for the Send Relief breakfast and proceeded to park some four blocks away. “I parked … [Read more...]

Lifeway study: Southern Baptists supportive of the Cooperative Program

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The SBC’s Cooperation Group initiated a survey of all Southern Baptist congregations to collect data that would provide insight on churches’ understanding of and partnership through the Cooperative Program, as well as thoughts, feelings and perceptions about the Cooperative Program and stewardship. The study was administered by Lifeway Research and was sent to up to one email address on file for Southern Baptist congregations. BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Lifeway Research) – The … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief ramps up response to Hurricane Beryl in Texas, continues efforts in Iowa, New Mexico

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EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes additional reporting from Missouri Disaster Relief about their work in Iowa. HOUSTON (BP) – Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) units have deployed in and around Houston up into Texarkana in response to Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall early Monday morning, July 8. Units with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC), Texans on Mission, Arkansas and Alabama are providing meals, showers and chainsaw work to survivors. As of Wednesday … [Read more...]

Missourians network, learn, vote at SBC Annual Meeting in Indy

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INDIANAPOLIS – Missourians at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) were greeting friends, old and new.  They browsed the exhibit hall and picked up books and information. They were inspired by Bible preaching, and then they voted for and against business session items. The Pathway spoke to several in the hallways who hail from the “Show Me State,” and they had various experiences and opinions to share. Bob Feeler, the associational mission strategist of Twin Rivers Baptist … [Read more...]

Church compensation study deadline is June 30

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DALLAS (BP) — The deadline is fast approaching for churches wanting to contribute to the survey used widely for determining comparable staff wages and benefits in their upcoming budgets. June 30 is the last day for churches to share their information. Formed through GuideStone, Lifeway Research and Baptist state conventions, the SBC Church Compensation Survey is the largest such free study on American churches and conducted every two years. Results will become available in early fall as … [Read more...]

Southwestern receives accreditation warning update, Dockery notes positive steps

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FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — After a year of evaluation, the board of trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) continued Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s “Warning” status during its June 13 meeting, which SACSCOC announced June 17 on its website. The Board noted three areas of concern last year, but these concerns were reduced to two areas this year. In June of 2023, SACSCOC announced the seminary had been placed on warning for … [Read more...]

Mission:Dignity Sunday this weekend

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By Susan Ervien/GuideStone DALLAS (BP) – In the New Testament, we find these words: “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress …” James 1:27 (CSB). On June 23, Southern Baptists will again have the opportunity to honor unsung heroes of the faith — namely, retirement-aged Southern Baptist pastors, workers and their widows who served and abundantly blessed others during their years of ministry. Widows represent 60 … [Read more...]

Midwestern Seminary hosts For the Church micro-conference at SBC24 on “The Future of the SBC”

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by Michaela Classen INDIANAPOLIS (MBTS) – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) hosted a For the Church Micro-Conference during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 11 in Indianapolis. Nearly 1,400 attendees gathered for a panel discussion on the topic “The Future of the SBC” and worship music by Sandra McCracken. To open the conference, McCracken led the audience in singing three original hymns, “Steadfast,” “We Will Feast in the House of Zion,” and … [Read more...]

WRAP-UP: SBC officer elections feature many candidates, several runoff contests

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INDIANAPOLIS (BP) — A crowded field of candidates led to numerous runoff elections in 2024. After two runoffs, North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley was named president. Pressley is senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church near Charlotte. Brad Graves, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Ada, Okla., was named first vice president. Eddie Lopez, senior pastor of FBC en Español, Forney, Texas, won the race for second vice president after one runoff election. In the second … [Read more...]