HOUSTON – They’re perhaps the most appreciated words at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting: “I recommend we advance the agenda 20 minutes.” The bearer of that good news has been a Missouri Baptist: Andy Chambers, a member of West County Community Church. His day job is senior vice president for senior development and professor of Bible for Missouri Baptist University, but he has served each summer as the chairman of the SBC Committee on Order of Business working behind … [Read more...]
Chaplains always on call to minister to victims, DR workers
HUNTSVILLE – With immediate disaster needs like downed trees that need to be cut off of houses and thousands of people needing hot meals, it can be easy to forget a key piece to the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) puzzle: chaplains. John Rhodes, pastor of First Baptist, Huntsville, has been involved with DR since 2001 and as a chaplain for the past six years. In addition to being a DR chaplain, Rhodes filled that role with the Fruitland Fire Department before moving to Huntsville … [Read more...]
Preparing for the Worst
JEFEFERSON CITY – The weather was calm, cool and clear, far from tornado weather. But that didn’t stop more than 200 Missouri Disaster Relief (DR) volunteers from churches across Missouri from converging on Jefferson City as if a Joplin-scale disaster had struck. In the biggest DR operation since the 2011 tornado response, the army of “yellow hats” (volunteers) converged on Jefferson City May 3 and woke up early the next morning to begin working at 6:45. “We’re better prepared for the … [Read more...]
MBCH gearing up for summer camp
BRIDGETON – Trustees appealed for help to send children to camp and received a clean audit report at their April 23 board meeting of the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) at their main campus here. The agency, which works with on average 600 children and 250 families any given day, is also planning its sixth annual camp for students in its care July 8-12 at Camp Palestine in Chilhowee, south of Warrensburg. It costs $200 per student to attend camp, and the MBCH board asked for … [Read more...]
DR crews provide response after Hazelwood tornado
HAZELWOOD – Three weeks into the spring storm season, an April 10 tornado destroyed 12 homes and damaged another 60, prompting the first DR call-out of the year. “We’ve been busy,” said Dwain Carter, Director of Disaster Relief for the Missouri Baptist Convention. Disaster Relief Volunteers from churches around the state have assessed 92 different job sites, and completed work on 84 properties. Those jobs include four temporary “blue tarp” roofs, and debris removal. The gritty, dirty work … [Read more...]
Cape man takes passion for sharing to Philippines
CAPE GIRARDEAU – Sharing Jesus isn’t difficult. Just ask Rex Barker. Recently returned from his seventh trip to the Philippine island of Bohol and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, the retired school teacher and member of Linwood Baptist in Cape Girardeau has taken it upon himself to be the missionary to anyone and everyone who will listen. That goes for southeast Missouri as well as Southeast Asia. “In two weeks, we prayed for almost 10,000 students. That’s a ‘wow.’ The doors just … [Read more...]
Mock disaster could bring 1,000+ to simulation
JEFFERSON CITY – A massive tornado will devastate the Jefferson City area May 3. More precisely, a massive hypothetical tornado will devastate the Jefferson City area May 3. The disaster simulation will be the largest Disaster Relief (DR) event in the state of Missouri, and will take place May 3-4 at the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) DR Head Quarters at 2552 High Point Road outside Jefferson City. “We’re inviting every unit and every volunteer from Missouri,” said Dwain Carter, MBC … [Read more...]
DR structure to make disaster response deeper
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Baptists’ Disaster Relief (DR) response is going to be quicker and deeper according to a new structure for one the most highly visible ministries in the state. Instead of a single “white hat” to manage an entire state – usually the state DR director – there are now eight additional volunteers who can operate as white hats when multiple disasters strike or time and distance make it necessary. “I can’t do it all myself,” said Dwain Carter, the Missouri Baptist … [Read more...]
HLGU’s 2013-14 budget rises
HANNIBAL – Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) trustees voted to change their meeting structure, adopted a revised HLGU mission statement and approved a $21.9 million budget during their meeting March 18-19. The budget for the upcoming fiscal year assumes the same number of residential students as last year (479), but reflects going non-residential student populations and a 4.75 percent tuition increase trustees approved last November. At $21,957,416, It is a 10.3 percent increase from … [Read more...]
Paradise Outfitters reaches hundreds as creative church
OAK GROVE – Four years ago, church planter Brandon Smith was ready to throw in the towel. He knew God had called him and his family to minister to outdoorsmen, but just 10 people at the year-old church was just too discouraging for him take. “It looked like this thing might not survive,” Smith said. “But I see it now as God’s timing.” Fortunately, a faithful group of 10 is more than enough for God to build a church. Paradise Outfitters, a Missouri Baptist Convention congregation that … [Read more...]
Children’s Home ministers to girls leaving sex trade
ST. LOUIS – It’s a far cry from the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) original mission as an orphanage, but a new ministry is aimed at helping women – and sometimes girls as young as 11 – walk away from lives of prostitution. “Until now, there have been no shelters in the Midwest for human trafficking victims (The official legal term for the sex trade is ‘human trafficking’),” said Ron Robinson, an MBCH trustee and pastor of First Baptist, Van Buren. “It’s an exciting ministry, but a … [Read more...]
MBCH reports ‘very good’ financials for 2012
BRIDGETON – Economic outlooks may vary, but 2012 was a strong year according to reports given to trustees at the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) board meeting Jan. 22. “We had a good year,” said Russell Martin, MBCH executive vice president and treasurer. “If I could sing, I would sing the Doxology. Since I can’t sing, I’ll just say ‘praise God!’” Gifts from the Cooperative Program are up slightly ($484,968 vs. $483,333 in 2011) as are individual gifts from Missouri Baptist … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Next Page »