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THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE
This year Southern Baptists are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program, which I wrote about in last month’s Messenger, is the unique way all Southern Baptist churches can contribute to the mission and ministry endeavors of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) with maximum effectiveness and impact. We should well celebrate the Cooperative Program and all that our churches have done for the Kingdom through it. At the same time, there is something else very important to Southern Baptists that also celebrates its 100th anniversary this year: the Baptist Faith and Message.
In the early part of the 20th century, mainline denominations were embattled in theological controversy as they sought to deal with the rise of skepticism toward Christianity brought largely about by the growing acceptance of naturalism and modernism amongst the American public. In American religious history, this time period is known as the “Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy.” A battle between theological liberals and conservatives, largely played out in the Presbyterian denomination, was waged for control of seminaries and churches.
Harry Emerson Fosdick’s infamous sermon, “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?” argued that if Christianity were to survive the modern age it must reject claims of the supernatural (e.g. virgin birth, miracles, bodily resurrection) that went against the standards of science. John D. Rockefeller paid for 130,000 copies of the sermon to be sent to every Protestant pastor in America. J. Gresham Machen responded to Fosdick with his book Christianity and Liberalism in which he argued the beliefs of Fosdick and his supporters were so aberrant from Christian orthodoxy that it would be impossible to consider them Christians. The Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy divided the Presbyterians with the liberals winning control.
Observing this controversy were Southern Baptists who did not wish to see the same thing happen in their convention. A commission was formed, led by E.Y. Mullins, to produce a confession of standard beliefs upon which cooperating Southern Baptists could all agree.
The result is what we now know as the Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M), approved by messengers in the 1925 Annual Meeting. The BF&M is not a creed whereby churches are compulsorily forced to obey, which would be a violation of Baptist polity and autonomy of churches. Rather, the BF&M is a confession where Southern Baptists who wish to cooperate with one another voluntarily affirm the beliefs contained within the BF&M. The BF&M was revised in 1963 and again in 2000 by messengers to ensure the convention’s biblical fidelity.
The BF&M lays out the beliefs of Southern Baptists in regard to our understanding of the Bible’s teachings on the cardinal doctrines of the faith. The genius behind the BF&M is that it serves as guardrails for our cooperation with another—it is narrow enough to keep us within the confines of biblical orthodoxy and wide enough to allow us to have differences amongst our churches. For example, the BF&M is clear about the importance and necessity of justification by faith, but allows room for those within the SBC to have a variance of beliefs on soteriology, such as being Reformed or non-Reformed. The BF&M is clear about the necessity of Jesus’ Second Coming, but allows for differences in eschatology such as amillennialism, premillennialism, or postmillennialism.
As Baptists, we cannot hold firmly to church autonomy and at the same time expect every church to believe exactly the same way. That said, we can expect every church to hold to an orthodox view of the cardinal doctrines in the Bible. Baptists have historically never sought unanimity, but rather unity around core beliefs and a shared desire to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The BF&M helps us do just that. I am grateful to serve within a collection of churches that take seriously the Bible and the Great Commission!
EDITOR’S NOTE: To read the BF&M text, visit bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
DON’T BET ON IT
Did you know Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 in the United States in many key categories? According to sources, we are ranked 5th for beef production. We are ranked in the top 5 in energy production and 7th in wind energy production.
Sadly, Oklahoma is also ranked 6th in the nation in gambling addiction, with the second most gambling machines per capita, according to research published in The Oklahoman.
Indeed, Oklahoma is truly a gambling hotspot in this nation. To compound matters, some state lawmakers continue to advance legislation that would legalize sports betting in our state.
While policy makers are being told the move would bring tax revenue to the state, the reality is that taxes of this nature always over-promise and under-perform. Think of the 2004 approval of the lottery, how it was marketed as a cure-all for our schools and has fallen woefully short of those promises. Moreover, sports betting has not been the tax boom it was promised in some states who have already legalized it, or it has come at a higher social cost than first was imagined.
Oklahoma would be making a bad bet to approve sports gambling, one that will have devastating social and personal consequences for individuals, families, and communities, as well as further erode our moral reputation as a state.
Apart from our state’s laws on sports betting, the practice of sports betting has become a ubiquitous part of professional sports and other levels of spectator sports. While TV commercials have sought to make sports betting an ordinary part of life, the devastating effects of gambling addiction are anything but ordinary.
An article called “Sports Betting Hurts American Men” quoted author Charles Fain Lehman, who said, “The rise of sports gambling has caused a wave of financial and familial misery, one that falls disproportionately on the most economically precarious households.”
Sports betting is particularly alluring to young men. The new face of sports betting addiction is that of a lonely young man on his digital device, risking money he cannot afford to lose and locked in a cycle of addiction.
A recent article online showed a real example of sports betting addiction in a young man named Malek. “It was a total warping of my mind,” said Malek. “I know what I’m doing. This is easy, this is great.” However, $10 bets became $100 wagers, which quickly morphed into stakes involving thousands of dollars and huge losses.
There are millions of others like Malek, addicted to sports gambling—an addiction which has been linked to a rise in anxiety, bankruptcies and, most disturbingly, even a rise in domestic violence. Studies have shown that Internet gambling has the same kind of addictive hold on the brain as Internet pornography.
In a recent Messenger podcast episode (at BaptistMessenger.com/podcast), two Oklahoma pastors talk about the moral, economic and social costs that sports gambling has. They explain how sports betting is even tainting sports and sports competition itself and discuss the high cost of gambling addiction.
Churches should be equipped to minister to those families affected by gambling addiction. A helpful guide for churches called, “Pay to Play: A Practical Guide to Addressing Gambling in the Church,” is available to download at erlc.com/research/.
We can no longer ignore the high cost of legalized sports betting and gambling addictions. Whether talking about policymakers considering the approval of sports betting, or talking to young people allured by sports betting, our message needs to be clear: Don’t bet on it. There is a better way.
Brian Hobbs Oklahoma Baptists Editor
July 27-31
Indian Falls Creek Falls Creek Conference Center, Davis, OK IndianFallsCreek.org
August 3-7
Collegiate Week Falls Creek Conference Center, Davis, OK
oklahomabaptists.org/ collegiate-week/resources/
Re-Baptism
EPISODE 61
LISTEN AT
Pastors often struggle with the decision of when to baptize someone from another denomination when membership is requested. Todd and Andy discuss when it is appropriate and the discussions inherent in making these decisions. oklahomabaptists.org/podcast or on...
Hear how multiple churches came together to launch a church plant in Northeast Oklahoma City that is now reaching people for Jesus. today at baptistmessenger.com/podcast or find the Baptist Messenger Insight Podcast program on your preferred podcast platform.
RECOMMENDATIONS SOUGHT FOR
The Nominating Committee of the convention of Oklahoma Baptists invites Oklahoma Baptists from across the state to recommend persons to serve on the various boards and committees. The committee’s nominations will be presented to messengers at the Annual Meeting of Oklahoma Baptists to be held Nov. 10-11.
RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE SENT USING THE QR CODE OR LINK BELOW
oklahomabaptists.org/ recommendations
A Fresh Batch of Stories
I have made an executive decision. Actually, I made this one the same way I make all of my executive decisions: I check with my boss. Some of you are probably wondering if I am referring to Dr. Todd Fisher or Gayla. The answer is a resounding yes! Now for those of you who are wondering what I have done this time…
Many of you probably know that I have written about a lot of different episodes in my life over the many months that I have done this. But as of right now, I am going to change my focus and instead of talking about me, I am going to talk about what I consider some very funny stories in the Bible. In fact, some of them are just hilarious. We will get back to my personal experiences later (Lord willing) but for now, I am looking forward to sharing some funny Biblical stories with you.
Understand that I do this with a bit of trepidation. I suspect I am going to offend somebody with this. Or somebody will accuse me of being sacrilegious. So, let me say if that is you, if you will apologize to me in advance, I will gladly accept your apology.
The story I want to talk about today is found in Acts 20:7-12. Here we find Paul preaching to a good size group of people in a rather good size building (at least three floors). We also find a young man named Eutychus who was sitting at a window, falling asleep and fell out of the window. He hit the ground and died. At that point, Paul interrupted his sermon. He goes downstairs, raises Eutychus from the dead, goes back upstairs and continues preaching until daybreak.
Get this. The Apostle Paul, writer of much of the New Testament, is speaking. I suspect Paul was quite the orator and could hold a crowd. But in this instance, someone actually dies while he is talking. I have often wondered if Paul tried to convince Luke not to put this story in this book. After all, it doesn’t look really good on Paul…
Of course, the question is whether or not I have ever had anyone die on my watch while I was preaching. The answer is I don’t think so. I understand that my preaching may not be all that hot, but I don’t think I have killed anybody with it. I have had a couple of people have seizures while I was preaching, but I don’t think that was my fault. And I have put more than my
fair share of people to sleep during my preaching. I want to say that isn’t my fault either, but I might share a little of the blame.
One of my favorite stories of people going to sleep in church happened when Brother Gene Jorgensen was pastor at First Baptist Marlow (where I would later pastor). One grand Sunday morning, Brother Gene was preaching his heart out until he heard a commotion behind him. He stopped preaching turned and looked only to find one of the men in the choir (You remember choirs, right? They were groups of people who wore robes that made them all look like seminary graduates. They would sing along with the church until right before the preaching. Then they would sing a special because, let’s face it, some songs are more special than others.)
As I was saying Brother Gene heard a ruckus behind him, turned to look only to find that one of the men in the choir had fallen asleep and fell out of his chair onto the choir loft. Brother Gene asked him if he was OK. The man, getting up and dusting off his choir robe, said that he was and sat back down in the chair he had just fallen out of.
I have thought about that story a few times. And I am quite convinced that had it been me who fell out of the choir chair, I would have laid in the floor until the ambulance came, put me on a stretcher, and wheeled me out of the church at which point I would have jumped off the stretcher and ran to Rush Springs or somewhere else that I might never be found. A man’s pride will cause him to do some strange stuff.
Here are a couple of lessons for you to consider. First, as one of my deacons at FBC Marlow reminded me every Sunday: “There is no such thing as a bad, short sermon.” The longer you preach, the greater the opportunity for a wreck. Two, if something funny happens in your life, you might as well own it. Three, everybody needs a little Sabbath rest, just not on Sunday morning during the sermon.
Joe Ligon Oklahoma Baptists Sr. Associate Executive Director
A New Chapter: Northeast Fellowship Church Built on Unity, Steps of Faith
By Northeast Fellowship Staff & Messenger Staff
Church planting is not an easy task. It requires hard work, dedication and immovable faith that God will provide for the church. In 1959, Oklahoma City, Lone Star opened its doors for the first time and for the next six decades would meet weekly. Unfortunately, due to challenges, Lone Star was forced to shut their doors in 2021.
This is how the story of Oklahoma City, Northeast Fellowship began.
The remaining members of Lone Star believed God was not through with them, and they didn’t want to give up on their beloved fellowship. So, they committed themselves to finding a way that God could continue to use the building and continue to work in their community.
The members reached out to Harvey Sparks, who serves as pastor of Oklahoma City, Portland Avenue. Sparks had previously served as interim pastor at Lone Star.
“I remained connected with them over the years,” Sparks said. “I knew they were without a pastor. My thought was that I would hate to see that place go dark right when the city was reaching them.”
Sparks suggested they reach out to the North American Mission Board and utilize the building for a new work, a new church. Sparks approached Chris Gulley, pastor at Oklahoma City, Cherokee Hills because of the Pastoral Residency at the church.
In turn, they met with Stephen Brown, who was helping in their college ministry and a part of the Pastoral Residency program at the time.
“I remember Chris (Gulley) reaching out about this church plant opportunity at an old church called Lone Star,” said Brown. “I didn’t think I had the personality for it. When I think of a church planter, I didn’t think of myself.”
When Brown was first asked about the opportunity to plant a church at the former Lone Star, he committed to pray to see what the Lord would have for him and his
family. After prayer, discussions with his wife Sabrina and speaking with close friends, it became abundantly clear that God was calling Brown to begin a new church in Northeast Oklahoma City.
“I knew as soon as I started praying that I would want to do it,” Brown said.
The process was long and arduous. But through it all, God continued to affirm the call to plant.
When the announcement was made to Cherokee Hills that they would be the sending church for a new church plant, Stephen Brown wasn’t sure if anyone would come alongside or even want to join, but the members of Cherokee Hills stepped up in a big and faithful way.
“I wasn’t sure if he was going to plant a church, but I did know that our pipeline that we have been developing was ultimately for the purpose of building into some men planting churches,” said Gulley. “I was challenged to put my ‘Yes’ on the table and send people (to Northeast Fellowship).”
“I was challenged to put my ‘Yes’ on the table and send people...”
Cherokee Hills ended up sending eight families, including Preston Norman to pastor alongside Stephen Brown, and a few single folks to help start this new church plant. With those committed individuals and the two original couples from Lone Star Baptist Church on March 17, 2024, the first service was held at the newly established Northeast Fellowship with a membership of 25 adults and 10 children.
The church has been active this past year. The identity of Northeast Fellowship is to be a church who “gathers to know Christ” and “goes to make Him known.”
These guiding principles impact all ministries, teachings and decisions. They’ve put on numerous community events and have had significant responses.
In their very first Back to School event, Northeast Fellowship was able to give away more than 300 backpacks to children and feed more than 400 people. They’ve also partnered with two schools, Britton Elementary and a homeschool group called Oaks Homeschool Co-Op. The church continues to serve the community with prayer walks, events, and meals. The church membership is growing.
They run 55-60 per Sunday and had 18 people attend the most recent New Members interest luncheon.
As the church celebrated its first full year of ministry in March, Brown said, “We are blessed by all the Lord is doing. Northeast Fellowship is growing, and we remain confident that the Lord will continue to use our church to reach our community and make Christ known!”
Reflecting on the journey that led up to this church plant, Sparks said, “At Portland Avenue, Kingdom growth is one of our core values, and church planting enables us to multiply our efforts in advancing God’s Kingdom. Through new congregations, the influence of the Gospel reaches beyond the limits of our individual church, impacting more lives for Christ. Since partnering with Northeast Fellowship, we have witnessed God’s hand at work in remarkable ways. First, it has been inspiring to see a small, dying church—Lone Star—catch a vision for reaching future generations by investing all that God has blessed them with into a new work. It was not an easy decision for them to shut their doors and give their assets to a new work, but they were willing to step out in faith for the sake of God’s glory.”
“We remain confident that the Lord will continue to use our church to reach our community and make Christ known!”
Sparks added, “We have seen how God providentially brought together various churches to help establish this new ministry. As a smaller church, we could not have done this alone, but through partnerships with Cherokee Hills, Surrey Hills, and the SEND Network, we have been able to be a part of something truly extraordinary. God receives all the glory for orchestrating it. We have seen God move within our own congregation.”
In faith, Brown stepped into church planting, a role he had never held before. Still, he remained faithful to the calling God had placed on his heart. Now, one year since their founding, Oklahoma City, Northeast Fellowship is thriving, built upon faithfulness to God and the unity of the Church.
On May 11, Northeast Fellowship honored mothers by having a special Mother’s Day service. During this, they also expressed interest in participating in mission trips in North America, South America and Africa. They plan to accomplish this through partnerships with other churches and missions ministries.
“All of us are partners with other churches around the world,” Brown said. “Every single one of your church members is also a church planter alongside you.”
Send Network Oklahoma is a ministry partnership that exists to plant healthy, multiplying churches throughout Oklahoma. For more information about the Send Network Oklahoma, visit oklahomabaptists.org/sendnetwork.
Note: Bible translations may vary for clues
ACROSS
1 People salute them
6 Slumps
10 Christian __ of heaven
14 Juliet’s love
15 Christians __ others
16 Be “perfect, __ as your Father... is perfect” (Matt. 5:48)
17 Where grasses of fields go, according to Jesus
18 What lion-like adversary does, according to Peter
19 Sea of Galilee transport
20 Lady’s man, for short
21 Sabbath Day
WORDSEARCH
23 Winter hazard
24 “I Am Jesus’ Little __”
26 Metal joiner
28 Lesotho capital
31 Choir section
32 Joppa to Jerusalem (dir.)
33 Herons
36 Dog’s breakfast, maybe
40 Former New York stadium
42 Bishop must be “__ to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2)
43 Steadfast, as in faith
44 Sabbath song
45 Christian talk with God
48 Old evil __
49 Christian should not tell one
51 High church service, often
53 __ song, contemporary worship music
56 Fencing sword
57 Desire, with “for”
58 Played (2 words)
61 Tap in lightly
65 Drags
DOWN
1 Plague pest
2 What fills Christian’s heart
3 Final word for 45 Across
4 Ideal Christian words and actions
5 Steelwool soap pad brand
6 Banished Hagar laid her child under one
7 Billions of years
8 Rejoice and be __
9 Spreads out
10 NT book after Philem. (Abbr.)
11 Elliptic
12 “__ be with you”
13 “__ not into temptation” (Matt. 26:41)
21 Christian should not be this
22 Peter drew in great catch, “__ was not the net broken” (John 21:11)
25 KJV art
27 While away the time
28 Web
29 Sodom after fire and brimstone fell
30 “If any man __ to be contentious” (1 Cor. 11:16)
31 Court counselor (Abbr.)
34 “Lips that speak knowledge are a __ jewel” (Prov. 20:15 niv)
35 Climate watchdog group (Abbr.)
37 Christian’s have eternal __
38 Teen dance event
39 Bad one means trouble ahead
41 Against (Prefix)
Note: The word clues are chosen by Messenger staff, while the
67 Christian cares for body and __
68 First name in cosmetics
69 Nobel Prize city
70 “Repent; or __ I will come” (Rev. 2:16)
71 Marketplace where Paul spoke
72 Christian might ask God for this
73 hart
74 Lassos
45 “My beloved Son, in whom I am well __” (Matt. 3:17)
46 Sports channel
47 antelope
50 17 Across remains
52 Christian __ of bitterness (2 words)
53 Tall post
54 Recyclers do this
55 Point of view
56 Swiss mathematician
59 Portion, with “out”
60 Christian should not have a short one
62 At the peak of
63 Christians know they are a __ human
64 Green legumes
66 Lawn
68 “First the blade, then the __” (Mark 4:28)
WORDS ATTEND CHRIST CHURCH COMMUNITY DECISIONS DISCUSSION FAITH FAMILIES FELLOWSHIP GROWING IMPACT INDIVIDUALS INFLUENCE JOURNEY KNOWN LONESTAR LORD MEMBERS MINISTRIES NORTHEAST ORIGINAL PLANTING PRAYER PURPOSE SENDING START TEACHINGS USE VISION WILLING
Church NEWS
COMING EVENTS
The Oklahoma March for life rallies will take place on June 7, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Oklahoma City National Memorial, 620 N. Robinson, and marching to the Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300N. Lincoln Blvd., for a rally at Noon. A rally in Tulsa will begin at 11:45 a.m. (No march) at Chapman Green, 600 S. Main St.
OKLAHOMA BAPTISTS, WATERSEDGE STAFF
BRING HOME BCA AWARDS
Several staff members from Oklahoma Baptists and WatersEdge participated in the BCA workshop. Members of WatersEdge and Oklahoma Baptists’ staff were recognized for their creative work with awards as part of the Wilmer C. Fields BCA Awards Competition, included:
• Harve Allen, WatersEdge content creator, won 2nd place in Feature Writing: Single Article – less than 750 words and 3rd place in Single Article –more than 1,500 words
• Sabrina Cranford, Oklahoma Baptists creative lead, won 1st place in Design Elements: Logo – Redesign, 3rd place in Substantial Projects: Integrated Branding, 1st place in Print Collateral – Booklet and 1st place in Print Collateral – Poster or Flyer
• Marissa Crowson, WatersEdge creative director, won 1st place in Design: Print Collateral –Direct Mail
• Brook Daniel, Oklahoma Baptist Messenger graphic designer won 2nd place in Design: Print Publications – Magazine – Cover
• Dominic Graziano, Oklahoma Baptists videographer, won 2nd place in Photography: News – Single and 1st place in Photography: News Series or Package
• Marcus Wehmuller, WatersEdge advertising specialist, Adam Covington, WatersEdge VP/ marketing and communication & the WatersEdge Marketing Team won 2nd place in Audio-Visual Communications: Video – Instructional – More than 3 minutes
• WatersEdge Marketing Team won 3rd place in Overall Publication: Print Publication – Magazine
• Sabrina Canford & Dominic Graziano from Oklahoma Baptists and Brian Hobbs & Jacob King from the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger won 1st place in Social Media: Campaign or Event.
TRIBUTES
Janet Erwin, 70, died April 26. She was former editor of Missions Mosiac magazine for WMU and staff member of The Alabama Baptist. She also served as an International Mission Board missionary for 19 years — in the Bahamas, Barbados and Hollywood, Fla., with Caribbean Christian Publications and in Latvia in community outreach.
Jim Bob Kirk died April 28. He was MVP pastor at Singler, Antioch, and former pastor of Whitefield, Journey.
PASTOR In Focus
MARK MEADOR
Blackwell, First Oklahoma
BLACKWELL—Since stepping into the role of pastor at Blackwell, First in July 2024, Mark Meador has led the congregation through a season of growth, energy and renewed outreach.
Meador, who also teaches and coaches in the Blackwell school system, was elected by a 33-vote margin. While there may have been some initial wondering whether a multi-vocational (MVP) pastor could balance all the demands of church leadership and a busy role in education, Meador has shown he is more than up for the task. The Lord has blessed the congregation.
At the time he assumed his role as pastor, the church averaged about 25 in Sunday School and had closed off two levels of its three-story building due to low numbers.
As only God can do, that has all changed. Through a focused effort to reconnect with the community and grow the church, Meador introduced “Great Day Sunday”—a Sunday School and worship attendance push that included the launch of a brand-new Sunday School class aimed at reaching new people.
That day, attendance jumped to 47 in Sunday School and 76 in worship. Thankfully, the momentum did not stop there. In the months following, the church’s regular attendance continued to grow. Since Meador’s arrival, 18 people have joined the church, including six by baptism.
The pastor has led the church in some other creative outreach efforts. This past March, they held a “John 3:16 Sunday,” where Meador gathered names of 24 new residents from the city’s utility list.
Church members assembled welcome packets, and 12 members personally delivered them, connecting with families like one that had just moved in from North Carolina and joined the church.
New faces continue to show up on Sundays as a result. Just recently, Pastor Meador led the church bookkeeper’s son to faith in Christ.
On Easter Sunday, the church celebrated with the ordinances, with two baptisms followed by the Lord’s Supper. The church has already hit attendance highs in the 70s on recent Sundays, with one time a high of 82.
In answer to the pastor’s prayers, the church had 114 people attend on Easter Sunday.
From just 25 people and closed rooms across the building, the church is experiencing times of renewal and growth. Meador’s time at Blackwell is already making an impact for God’s Kingdom. As the church continues to reach out, the congregation is praying their mission keeps gaining ground.
by Philip Jones & Staff
OKLAHOMA BAPTISTS’ ‘OPEN HOUSE’ DRAWS HUNDREDS OF ATTENDEES
On May 15, hundreds of Oklahoma Baptists attended an Open House event at the new ministry offices of Oklahoma Baptists, WatersEdge and other Affiliates located in downtown Oklahoma City in Bricktown.
Pastors, church staff and others from across the state traveled in for the Open House, taking a tour of the new building and hearing more about the Gospelfocused ministries.
Todd Fisher, Oklahoma Baptists Executive-Treasurer, said, “We had a great crowd at our open house for the new offices of Oklahoma Baptists, WatersEdge, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children and Baptist Village Communities. God has blessed us with this new location to continue our investment into Kingdom ministry. Thanks to everyone who drove from near and far to be here. What a joy it is to serve Oklahoma Baptists!”
Earlier in the year, Oklahoma Baptists, WatersEdge and the other Affiliates began to occupy the newly renovated office building.
The Open House tour showcased the various Gospel ministries that serve and support churches across the state. Guests were able to tour all floors of the office building. The fourth floor serves as the office space for Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children and Baptist Village Communities. The third floor is where Oklahoma Baptists state convention staff are located,
Join us throughout the year in praying for our missionaries, serving locally and around the world!
2025 MISSIONARY Prayer Guide
Who & Where Why How to Pray
Clay and Lydia Steelman work to meet the physical needs of people in partnership with other International Mission Board missionaries and local churches within their current ministries while also ministering to the spiritual needs of people. They serve the entire East Africa region of Sub-Saharan Africa. It’s very rewarding for them to see others recognize that the love of Christ has made a difference in their spiritual lives, their families, their work, and their church.
For that past 10 years, Peter and Wendy Dockett have served the people of South Asia, using their nursing background to meet physical needs while proclaiming the Gospel. They joined the Send Relief team under the International Mission Board (IMB) and assist IMB units and teams across South Asia to develop Gospelfocused, church-centered, human needs strategies to reach their target people. They hope to see South Asian believers uncover their mission to evangelize their own community and their nation with the Gospel.
International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries William and Cindy Hayward serve in Thailand in a city with a million people and filled with Buddhist temples. They seek to share the Gospel with those lost around them. Sometimes they do this by teaching English using the Bible. Other times they work on building up relationships to share the Gospel with their national friends. They also support their fellow IMB missionaries with advice about visas, housing, moves, vehicles, and learning language and culture.
Michael and Jennifer Garner with their two daughters serve in Prague, Czech Republic. They use video, graphic design, and strategic communication skills to support other workers in Europe. They also take every opportunity to reach the international community. People in Prague are not very open to hearing about Jesus, but when the Holy Spirit moves, and they can share the gospel with new friends or see their Bible students read and understand God’s Word, their joy overflows.
Pray the two daughters of Clay and Lydia will do well in their school classes, to connect well with peers and friends, and to be witnesses for Christ.
Pray for them as they seek to plan and use telemedicine and chaplaincy in ministry.
Pray they can connect well with national partners.
Pray the Lord of the Harvest will send out more laborers among the greatest concentration of lostness, that is South Asia.
Pray local believers will be bold in their witness, as they stand in faith against true threats of persecution.
Pray for the Docketts as they raise and educate their three young children.
Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel.
Pray the hearts of the nationals in Haywards’s work office will be open to Jesus.
Pray for the missionaries in Thailand as they learn the language.
Pray for the Garners’s daughters as they grow up in a spiritually dark environment.
Pray God speaks boldly to them and continues to make Himself real to them. Ask that they stay close to Him.
Pray God directs the Garners to the ministry He wants them to participate in as the international community in Prague is always shifting.
Clay & Lydia Steelman
Peter & Wendy Dockett
William & Cindy Hayward
Michael & Jennifer Garner
sending missionaries serving churches supporting pastors & staff providing disaster relief reaching the next generation every time you give through your church, you are:
KEYS TO RENEWING A DECLINING CHURCH
Just curious. Why are you reading this article? Several possible reasons, I’m sure, but the reason may be your own church is in bad shape. It’s declining, which is a nice way of saying it is dying. You may be thinking about packing it in, turning the keys in, and walking away. But before you do, please consider one thing.
Maybe God isn’t done with your church yet.
I want to tell you a story about a church that was as close to death as any I know.
THE DETERMINATION OF A DECLINING CHURCH
First Southern Baptist Church of Vera, had a history of problems. Back in 2018, they were down to two members, a married couple in their 90s, who literally kept the doors of the church open, a congregation that had only recorded one addition since 2005 and no baptisms.
Each Sunday morning, this couple would show up, unlock the front doors, and do a Bible study, with hopes that someone would walk in the door.
But no one did.
When you think about it, they were as close to death as a church can be. Jesus talked about two or three people gathering as enough for Him to be present. Well, He didn’t say one person. They were just one person away from not being a church anymore. But God had a plan for them.
THE ARRIVAL OF A RENEWAL PASTOR
And He was at work in the life of Gary Butler, a deacon at Skiatook, First, who also served in the area as a supply preacher. Another ministry leader who lived around Vera, Joe Rozzell, would talk to him about pastoring the church. Both Gary and his wife were of the mindset that said, “No way!”
But God can make a way where there is no way, even in our own hearts. And He loves to resurrect things that are dead and dying.
Butler finally agreed to go to Vera in 2018, and Joe went as well to lead the worship and serve as an associate pastor. God has done great work over the past seven years, which includes seeing 22 baptisms and 51 other additions.
This last Easter, the church had more than 60 people in attendance and average about 48 each Sunday. They hold two revivals a year, spring and fall, and God is at work in their midst reaching children in the area.
And just like with all church revitalizations, God gets the glory for all of it.
THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PARTNERING CHURCHES
There’s an old saying, “If you see a turtle sitting on top of a fence post, you know he had help getting there.”
Vera was helped by other churches in the area. Skiatook, First and Immanuel churches served both Gary and Joe and provided some initial leadership for the congregation. Ochelata, First served as their sponsor for them to join Washington-Osage Association in 2019.
Partnership takes a lot of different forms, just like the work of renewal God did at Vera won’t look exactly like the one He wants to do at your church.
So, don’t pack it in just yet. Don’t turn the lights off, drop off the keys at the associational office, and start looking for another church to join.
Maybe God’s not finished yet with your church. Call your associational DOM or AMS and tell him that you read this article, and you’d like to talk to him about it. If needed, I’d welcome the opportunity to join in the conversation. Let’s start praying about how God might write a new chapter for your church.
