SIKESTON – Pastors and other church leaders from around the state gathered in the bootheel for the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) first 2014 church security and intruder awareness training here at Miner Baptist Church, Feb. 15. During the first decade of the millennium, instances of church violence in the United States increased tenfold, according to one report. And violence can strike anywhere. For this reason, Tim Kile and Erik Baileygaines of Strategos International equipped 61 … [Read more...]
Maps reveal Missouri’s seven most unreached counties
JEFFERSON CITY – Two maps posted on the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) website reveal that nearly 50 percent of the lost in Missouri live in only seven counties. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 4.5 million people out of the state’s total population of 6 million do not claim to be born again. In 2013, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) created a report “that weighted lostness in each Missouri county based on population.” Mark Snowden, MBC evangelism/discipleship strategist, … [Read more...]
With ‘feeling faith’ come hope and tears
Once he feels its flame, a child will never doubt the candle’s heat. Likewise, the English Reformer William Tyndale once wrote, those who “feel” their faith will stand firm in the truth of Scripture and the promises of God. Convinced that Englishmen and women needed to hear God’s Word in their own language, Tyndale published in 1526 the first English New Testament translated from the Greek text. Throughout the 10 years of ministry that followed, he often spoke of “feeling” – a term that he … [Read more...]
Hobby Lobby defends faith in Christ
JEFFERSON CITY – Joshua Hawley, an attorney on the legal team defending Hobby Lobby, told members of Concord Baptist Church here that the Oklahoma-based arts and crafts retailer will stand before the Supreme Court, March 25, because of “the hope they have in Jesus Christ.” The Green family – the Southern Baptist owners of Hobby Lobby – filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2012 because of an HHS mandate that would force them to violate their … [Read more...]
Engage to feature Eric Bryant
KANSAS CITY – The Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) annual Engage Conference, Feb. 21-23, will feature Eric Bryant, a member of the leadership team at Gateway Church in Austin, Texas, and author of Not Like Me: A Field Guide for Influencing a Diverse World – formerly titled, Peppermint-Filled Piñatas. Bryant’s book challenges Christians to engage the diverse people that surround their churches, genuinely relating to them, guiding them to faith and developing them into leaders who share … [Read more...]
‘Normal Christianity’ comes with tears
Editor’s Note: *Denotes name changed for security. SPRINGFIELD – “Normal Christianity” brings persecution, missionary and author Nik Ripken* said during the Missouri Baptist Convention’s 2014 “Sowing in Tears” conference at Crossway Baptist Church here, Jan. 27-28. “In the Bible, persecution is normal,” Ripken said, reporting that “70 percent of all Christians practicing their faith live in environments of persecution.” When Ripken* entered Somalia with the International Mission … [Read more...]
‘Love your neighbor’ without endorsing sinful behavior
FORT WORTH (BP) – Christians can graciously speak the truth about homosexuality and biblical marriage, New Testament scholar Robert A.J. Gagnon said during an institute hosted by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Land Center for Cultural Engagement last year. Gagnon said that those who mention Jesus’ citation of Lev. 19:18, the command to love one’s neighbor, in defense of homosexuality and the redefinition of marriage often ignore the immediate context of this passage of … [Read more...]
Church security training planned for Sikeston, Feb. 15
SIKESTON – The Missouri Baptist Convention has organized another church security and intruder awareness training at Miner Baptist Church in Sikeston, Feb. 15. To register, visit www.mobaptist.org/church-security. Who should attend? • Church Ushers • Church Greeters • Church Leadership • Security/Safety Personnel • Parking Control Personnel • Deacons/Elders • Volunteers • First Line Reception Personnel Topics Covered: • History and demographics of church … [Read more...]
Engage to feature author of ‘Not Like Me’
KANSAS CITY – The Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) annual Engage Conference, Feb. 21-23, will feature Eric Bryant, a member of the leadership team at Gateway Church in Austin, Texas, and author of Not Like Me – formerly titled, Peppermint-Filled Piñatas. Bryant’s book challenges Christians to engage the diverse people that surround their churches, genuinely relating to them, guiding them to faith and developing them into leaders who share the church’s values and … [Read more...]
‘Mom, I’m gay. Do you still love me?’
JEFFERSON CITY – During much of her life Ann Mobley did not greatly concern herself with homosexuality. Regarding the biblical stance on homosexuality, she knew what most Christian parents know about it – namely, that homosexual acts are censured in Leviticus and Romans. “Homosexuality was just a word to me,” Mobley, a member of Jefferson City’s Concord Baptist Church, told The Pathway. Then on Easter Sunday, 1992, homosexuality suddenly “had a face, the face of my son.” Her 25-year-old … [Read more...]
Attorney defending Hobby Lobby to speak at Worldview Conference
HANNIBAL – Joshua Hawley, associate professor of law at the University of Missouri, will speak at the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) annual Worldview Conference here, April 3, less than two weeks after he stands before the United States Supreme Court in a landmark case on religious liberty. Hawley serves on the legal team that will defend Hobby Lobby before the Supreme Court, March 25. The Green family – the Southern Baptist owners of Hobby Lobby – filed a lawsuit against the … [Read more...]
The historical Jesus
Nearly a decade ago, an article in Popular Mechanics reported that forensic scientists had reconstructed the “real face of Jesus.” Their reconstruction differed sharply from the typical portraits of Jesus that portrayed Christ with graceful features, light skin and flowing, brown hair. Instead, these scientists gave Jesus large dark eyes, black hair and tawny skin; bushy eyebrows and a short, frizzed moustache, beard and hair; as well as strong cheek bones and a bulbous nose. However … [Read more...]