CP Connections Fall 2023

Cooperation is the hallmark quality of Southern Baptists, and the Cooperative Program (CP) is the heartbeat of our strategy of cooperation. We’ve been working cooperatively for the better part of the last 100 years and have seen great progress in the advancement of the Kingdom during this time. In fact, I’m inclined to say that the Cooperative Program is the greatest mechanism for fulfilling the Great Commission in the history of the Christian church. I recognize my bias, but I don’t think this statement is unreasonable.

Of course, the work of CP begins right here in Mississippi and expands outward with a global reach. Our efforts of providing disaster relief, planting churches, equipping existing churches, offering university campus ministries, and providing quality Christian higher education are only some of the ways we utilize CP gifts in the state. Beyond Mississippi, we are part of a national church planting and evangelistic strategy through the North American Mission Board, a global missions sending effort through the International Mission Board, and a quality platform for training ministers and missionaries through six seminaries that are world renowned.

Over the last several years, I’ve become concerned that we aren’t celebrating the impact of our cooperative efforts as vigorously as we could. Even more, I’m eager to make sure the next generation understands the value and spiritual blessing of this strategy of doing ministry and missions. As a result of these concerns, your Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) team spent some time brainstorming how we might better highlight what the Lord is doing through our cooperative strategy.

The result of the brainstorming is this inaugural issue of CP Connections. In this issue, you’ll read stories of personal transformation and strategic partnerships that are all an outgrowth of cooperation. Everything you read is the result of your investment in the Cooperative Program and should be celebrated as a victory for every church that is part of our mission network.

I hope you’ll read every word of these articles and lift up those who are highlighted in your prayers. When you’ve finished with the magazine, pass it along to somebody else in your church who will champion the cause of cooperation. Make no mistake, this is not about what we have done! The desire of our hearts is to celebrate what God has done through His people who have faithfully and generously given for the greater cause of missions. We haven’t finally decided how often we’ll publish this magazine, but we do anticipate this will be the first of other issues to come. If you find it helpful and encouraging, please let us know. That’ll be key for decisions we make about future publications. Our desire at the MBCB is to be the best stewards possible of the gifts that have been given for God’s glory.

Finally, thank you for your commitment to the Cooperative Program! We simply would not be able to do what we do collectively without each of you, and I’m praying for the Lord to bless your good work.

Your fellow servant,

Shawn Parker

Executive Director-Treasurer, Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

CP Connections is published by the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and is produced to emphasize the cooperative efforts among Mississippi Baptists. The magazine is distributed by mail to each cooperating church and is available in a digital format at mbcb.org/CP. Any article without attribution is by CP Connections Staff.

Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

P.O. Box 530 Jackson, MS 39205

601.968.3800 www.mbcb.org

msbaptist@mbcb.org

Volume 1, Number 1 © 2023 Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

ON THE COVER: Students worship during Super Summer 2023 at Mississippi College.

CONTENTS

CP Celebration

2 Super Summer equips students to share the Gospel

Church Spotlight

8 Longview Point has church planting worked into its DNA

Departments

14 Disaster Relief provides vital cooperation in times of need

17 Mississippi Baptist Student Union celebrates 100 years

20 Multicultural Department reaches ‘the ends of the earth’ right across the street

22 Mississippi and Dakota Baptists form beneficial partnership

Agencies

26 Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission preserves our collective church memories

29 Changing one life at The Baptist Children’s Village changes generations

CP Information

31 Where do I begin promoting the Cooperative Program?

32 How is the Cooperative Program distributed?

34 Top 25 Cooperative Program gifts by region

BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS

Over 800 Mississippi high school students gathered July 10-14 at Mississippi College in Clinton for the 2023 Super Summer conference.

Super Summer equips students to share the Gospel

BY TANNER CADE

Since 1987, students have gathered to grow deeper in their faith and deeper in their passion to share Jesus in their daily lives. It is designed for student leaders who personally have a desire to grow spiritually. Students come to Super Summer knowing that they will be challenged not only to grow, but to actively share their faith with others.

This year’s theme of “Barefoot” was based around Isaiah 52:7. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (ESV).

Garrett Mills, associate pastor and minister to students and children at First Baptist Church, Terry, is new to the church staff and brought a first-time group of students. “The theme ‘Barefoot’ was very well received,” he said. “I really believe it challenged our students to move past knowing about God to evangelism. This theme was one of the more challenging themes.”

Josh Kinsley, high school pastor at Broadmoor

Baptist Church, Madison, said, “Even if the word ‘barefoot’ wasn’t used, the truth of Isaiah’s words could be heard in every sermon, lesson, and small group.

“In my 10 years of Super Summer, I heard more about the importance of taking the Good News to our communities than ever before,” he added.

Super Summer is a leadership, evangelism, apologetics, and discipleship training conference sponsored by the Discipleship/Sunday School Department at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB). The MBCB Discipleship/Sunday School Department assists and equips local churches in many areas including age-group ministries.

Students that have completed the eighth through 12th grades, met basic requirements, and are selected by their church for their leadership abilities may attend. The goal of Super Summer is two-fold: to provide qualitative spiritual growth and to help develop youth leadership in Mississippi Baptist churches and communities.

Super Summer is planned and coordinated by a 14-16 member team of student ministers who serve

“I choose Super Summer because I see the value in the event. When it is done right, Super Summer is one of the best things Mississippi Baptists do each year.”

ANDREW IRWIN, MINISTER OF STUDENTS AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, LAUREL

on the planning team for a three-year period, rotating on and off each year.

Andrew Irwin, minister to students at First Baptist Church, Laurel, was one of the 16 planning team members. He told The Baptist Record the large team is broken into smaller sub-teams to accomplish specific tasks like choosing the band and worship team.

Though planning conversations are consistently discussed, the team formally started meeting in September 2022 to plan for this summer. “There are a lot of conversations that happen in our planning team meetings about how to make the event even better,” he said. “We want to glorify God and work together. This year’s team has been such a joy to be a part of.”

Ken Hall, MBCB student ministry consultant, told The Baptist Record that this year recorded noteworthy numbers of 897 total high school students and adult sponsors. Ninety-two Mississippi Baptist churches were represented along with 131 youth ministers serving as staff in the different schools. In addition, 153 young adults served as team leaders to

“Our Mississippi churches are better because of the Christian leaders this camp has and is producing.”

JOSH KINSLEY, HIGH SCHOOL PASTOR AT BROADMOOR BAPTIST CHURCH, MADISON

facilitate the schools and small group needs.

Jason Curry, founder of Finish Empty, led the main worship sessions and Journey Worship Company led the worship sets. The band is comprised of worship leaders, musicians, and songwriters who serve at The Journey Church in Lebanon, Tenn.

“The worship was a top notch experience this year. I believe the biblical songs that Journey sang are undervalued,” shared Mills. “This is my second experience with them, both times Gospel centered messages were always on the forefront.”

Elliot Garrett, minister of youth at First Baptist Church, Senatobia, expressed thoughts on speaker

Jason Curry, founder of Finish Empty® ministry. “Jason Curry is an outstanding preacher who is faithful in his exposition of the Bible, and his preaching was filled with conviction, challenges, and grace,” he said. “My students and I were incredibly encouraged by his faithfulness in preaching each night.”

Curry attended Mississippi College where he played baseball and graduated with a degree in communications. He currently serves on staff at The Church at Rock Creek in Little Rock, Ark.

Even after 30-plus years and in the midst of in-

creasingly busy summer family schedules, Super Summer continues to be an important choice for student ministers in their yearly calendar planning.

Irwin shared his thoughts about choosing to be involved with Super Summer. “I choose Super Summer because I see the value in the event. When it is done right, Super Summer is one of the best things Mississippi Baptists do each year.

“The fact that it involves students from all over Mississippi helps in so many ways down the road. It makes our state unique and cooperative unlike any other state I know of.”

Kinsley shared similar sentiments. “Our Mississippi churches are better because of the Christian leaders this camp has and is producing. It’s not only benefitting student ministries, it’s having a widespread effect on our churches all because of the young leaders that are being trained in leadership, evangelism, apologetics, and discipleship.”

Super Summer is primarily funded through the Cooperative Program. Learn more about the ministry by emailing Ken Hall: khall@mbcb.org.

SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM

Longview Point has church planting worked into its DNA

BY TONY MARTIN

Longview Point Baptist Church, Hernando, has been constituted as a church since September, 2002.

Frank Pevey, Executive Pastor of the church, has been on staff for 16 years. “I wasn’t part of the church from the very beginnings. Wayne Marshall and Longview Heights Baptist Church had a vision to plant a church,” he said. “There were a significant number of people who were coming from Hernando to go to Longview Heights. So they found a hardware store that was going out of business and they remodeled it. They started there on the square. Alvin and Amy Kelly gave Longview Point this piece of property. Homer Skelton told Wade Humphries, ‘I’d like to give the church $2 million to build a family life center to honor my mother.

“This first building was built in late 2005,” Peavy continued. “We’ve had some building and parking lot expansions along the way. The key thing historically is that we are a church plant, and starting churches is our DNA. Wade Humphries and [current senior pastor] Wade Stevens have both led in reaching people, planting churches, giving money away to church planting, missions, and the Cooperative Program. It’s not just a focus on building Longview Point

— it’s a focus on building the Kingdom.”

“There’s a world of difference in seeking to grow your church and seeking to grow the Kingdom,” said Stevens, who has been senior pastor for four years. “From a purely pragmatic standpoint, before you get to the words in the Bible that deal with these issues, the worst thing you can do for your church is to try to grow it. If you want to see your church grow, seek to advance the Kingdom. That’s Matthew 6:33. Seek first the Kingdom. That’s the heart of this church.”

Stevens was asked about how church plants “birthed” new plants.

“If we’re going to plant you, you’re going to plant,” Stevens said. “I don’t think it’s bad to plant a church without some well-established expectations of what they’re going to do. Since you get support from the state convention, then you have to give 6% to the Cooperative Program for the duration of your support. Planting churches is like having kids — if you wait until you can afford to do it, then you won’t ever have them. If you just press on, then somehow the Lord will provide for those needs as they arise.”

Stevens said that within two years, the church plants need to be thinking in terms of where they are going to plant and who will do the planting.

“We are still planting churches,” said Stevens. “So if a young man is reading this is and has a heart for planting churches, we’d love to hear from him.”

“Our goal is to plant three churches a year,” Stevens continued. “We talk financially about not outgiving God, but it’s true with Kingdom resources in general. If you will be open handed with the people that God has entrusted to your care, then God will be open handed with the harvest. That’s been the 20 year experience of this church.”

The church places a high premium on sending out people.

Jason Ford, Missions Pastor, said, “We aren’t sending out second-rate guys. We send out some of our best, our finest folks.”

“Something I thought was so cool when we first moved here was that all new staff members have to go through a new member’s class,” said Steven Hodge, who has been Worship Pastor for two-anda-half years. “Every time I sit in there I hear this: ‘Welcome to the Longview Point family. We’re glad you’re here, we’re glad you’re part of our church, but just get ready. At some point, we’re probably going to ask you to leave.’”

Longview Point has planted ten churches. Two more will launch this year. Another will launch in 2024. Those ten churches have planted six others.

“These aren’t folks we’ve just thrown money at,” said Ford. “These are people who have gone out from our church body and have gone through our church planting residency program.”

A church plant from Longview Point will receive $20,000 a year for two years with a re-evaluation at the end of that time. The church helps them with other resources, such as graphic support, website design, and financial accountability tools. “We try to resource them not only financially, but with those in-house things they need,” Ford said. “We could fund one planter fully, but we don’t do that. We want them to feel some pressure to network, because we want other churches to get excited. It helps multiply the impact when they’re developing other partners and giving them a vision for church planting.”

The Mississippi Baptist Convention Board also provides $20,000. The plants begin with $40,000,

“If you want to see your church grow, seek to advance the Kingdom. That’s Matthew 6:33. Seek first the Kingdom. That’s the heart of this church.”

WADE STEVENS, LONGVIEW POINT BAPTIST CHURCH SENIOR PASTOR

but are expected to raise funds to supplement the pastor’s salary and ministry budget.

“The Cooperative Program serves all Southern Baptists,” said Stevens, “and that allows us to cooperatively fund missions. That was the heart of the CP at its inception. CP isn’t financing the institution – it’s cooperatively funding missions.

“I like to say that the Cooperative Program’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness,” Stevens continued. “Its strength is that we are cooperatively funding missions, so that we don’t have missionaries stateside fundraising for missions. Its greatest weakness is that we don’t have missionaries on stateside fundraising for missions. What I mean by that is that churches don’t usually have direct exposure to real field personnel who are being supported by this widow lady who just draws a Social Security check and gives faithfully.”

“The way we do that here is through our Global Impact Conference every September,” said Ford. “People don’t just give to, say, Lottie Moon. They see themselves giving to the missionaries who come to visit us.”

“Hundreds of Mississippi Baptist churches are comprised completely of people who don’t have a personal relationship with a missionary,” Stevens said. “If they did, it would be a game changer in terms of their perspective on the Cooperative Program.”

“We do what we call Starting Point, which is our

new member orientation,” said Pevey. “We ask the question, ‘How many of y’all know what the Cooperative Program is?’ There is at least 80% every time who have no clue what the Cooperative Program is. So we educate them as to what it is.”

“I wish they’d call the Cooperative Program the Cooperative Missions Program,” Stevens said. “A lot of people think that CP is like a denominational fee. I believe in CP. Where else are you going to cooperatively fund missions? I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that the Cooperative Program is one of the most ingenious moves the church has made in the modern missions movement. What else has put thousands of missionaries on the field?”

Longview Point Baptist Church faithfully gives to the Cooperative Program. Churches may give through mbcb.org/give.

“I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that the Cooperative Program is one of the most ingenious moves the church has made in the modern missions movement.”

WADE STEVENS, LONGVIEW POINT BAPTIST CHURCH SENIOR PASTOR

Disaster Relief provides vital cooperation in times of need

BY HUBERT YATES

Most of the time when Southern Baptists consider the Cooperative Program thoughts immediately turn to the cooperative funding method that provides for one of the world’s largest Christian denominations mission, education, and administrative needs. However, probably one of the best examples of the Cooperative Program is not as a funding model, but as a ministry that illustrates the true essence of the program in action, “COOPERATIVE”.

Within the 42 State Conventions/Associations of the Southern Baptist Convention resides a ministry that responds “to bring help, hope, and healing” to those affected by disaster and crisis situations. Collectively

these individual state ministries are known as Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, one of the three largest disaster relief response organizations in the United States. Yet, individually these ministries are all a function of their state convention/association. Responding locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief provides a number of ministry functions to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those affected by natural and man-made disaster/crisis situations by both sharing and showing the love of Christ.

Each of the State Conventions/Associations, through Cooperative Program giving on the state level, establishes the base support for their State Disaster Relief ministry. Each ministry, while sharing common training, functions, and task, is unique in that each has a look and feel distinctive to each state/area due to the types of disasters and situations that are encountered, the volunteer participation levels, and the development/scope of the individual convention/association. Some conventions/associations have a small full time staff while others may be staffed by part-time or volunteer leaders. Overall, the majority of the ministry is accomplished by and through the volunteers who share in the commitment to minister to those who are facing the difficult times experienced in disasters and crisis moments.

When disaster/crisis events strike, local church or association based Disaster Relief teams respond to help those who have been affected. Although these teams may be from individual churches or local associations, they operate from a common training and operations platform so that they can easily work together to meet the needs that are presented. If the incident is larger or has a greater need than can be met by the local response, a call can be made to engage additional resources with additional church/association teams responding from across the respective conventions/associations or regions. For even larger events, teams from other state conventions/associations can be called upon to meet the needs that are presented. What was beyond the capability of a single congregation or association now becomes a possibility as the response is shared collectively.

For example, consider the March 2023 Tornado Outbreak across the state of Mississippi. On March 24th, an F4 tornado struck Rolling Fork and Silver City in the Mississippi Delta, and continued across the state touching down in Carroll and Montgomery counties, before striking Amory. Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief immediately began assessing the needs determining the need for responses to these three areas. Using resources from across the state, an initial response was established utilizing teams from across the state. Due to the scope of the disaster, resources were stretched thin, particularly in Rolling Fork, and a request was made to Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief for support. They responded by providing assessment, feeding, and incident management teams. This sharing of resources allowed all three sites to minister to the needs of those affected.

A week later, numerous tornadoes touched down in Desoto, Panola, Pontotoc, Lee counties in Mississippi with a major tornado touching down in Central Arkansas. The Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief teams were needed in their home state, so a request was made for support with Alabama Baptist Disaster

Relief responding to the call. The Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief team mobilized and deployed within 24 hours allowing the Arkansas teams to return to their state where they were joined by teams from the Southern Baptist of Texas and Texas Baptist Men in meeting the needs of those affected in their state. At the same time, Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief was able to provide local teams to assist the homeowners in the newly damaged areas. It is this spirit of cooperation that sets Southern Baptist Disaster Relief apart in Disaster Relief ministry.

Although Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is but a small financial benefactor of the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is an embodiment of the spirit of cooperation that undergirds the work of the Cooperative Program. Truly, we can accomplish more together than apart as we seek to declare Christ to the world.

Hubert Yates is director of Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief. Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief is funded through the Cooperative Program. Learn more by emailing hyates@mbcb.org.

Mississippi Baptist Student Union celebrates 100 years

BY SAM IVY

In 1923, Mississippi Baptist leaders met with other Southern Baptist Convention leaders at the Sunday School Board for the purpose of solidifying the strategy to meet what they considered to be the frontlines of ministry: the college campus.

It was out of that meeting that Dr. J.D. Franks, pastor of First Baptist Church, Columbus, worked to establish the Baptist Student Union (BSU) ministry at Mississippi State College for Women which is now Mississippi University for Women (MUW). Two land owners connected with the church and campus, donating different parcels of land where the Baptist Workshop would be built. The old wooden workshop was best known for the front area having sawdust

floors where members of local churches would go to rake it out at the end of the semester. Longtime Ole Miss BSU Director, Marian Leavell, beginning in the 1930’s would keep heated bricks in the floorboard of her car to be able to have Bible study with students during the cold weather.

Mississippi BSU in its infancy was about reaching and engaging students while trailblazing new pathways and connections for the gospel on the college campus. After a quarter of a century, BSU prayerfully began to invest in the ministry of mobilizing students to engage in the Great Commission through summer missions. This story of Mississippi BSU summer missions began in 1947 when the BSUs of Mississippi

and Louisiana partnered together to raise enough money to send one student, Corrinne Griffin (Blue Mountain Christian University), to serve on a summer team to Hawaii. That marked the beginning of a movement of college students across our nation, and a commitment from Mississippi Baptists to mobilize BSU students to spend their summers serving on short-term missionary assignments.

Since that small beginning, Mississippi BSU has commissioned 5,662 students from 28 campuses to serve in dozens of countries on six continents and in nearly every state. While the assignments are diverse, summer missionaries all have the goal of building bridges to gospel conversations and discipleship relationships.

passionate, adaptable, and relational; and they want to do something to impact our world. Career missionaries and church planters love having students serve with them as they can help breathe new life into their work.

“To Know Christ and To Make Him Known” is our mission and God is using Mississippi BSU on our campuses, across our state, and throughout the world to point others to the salvation that is only found through Jesus Christ.

Chad McCord, director of Missions Mobilization at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, credits Mississippi BSU with fostering his passion for missions. “God used the BSU to feed the fire God had

already started in my life to call me into ministry. I didn’t know what area of ministry God was leading, but I trusted God to lead me. Then, God used BSU mission trips to places like New Orleans, Panama City Beach, and Mission Arlington as well as serving a summer in Sacramento to show me exactly where God was calling me. God called me to be an international missionary. My family and I would later serve in Southeast Asia for 15 years.”

In the same year Mississippi BSU was founded, the traffic signal was invented. Much like the flashing beacons that help drivers navigate every bend and turn, Mississippi BSU seeks to help college students at critical crossroads in their lives to choose Christ over the world.

There are more than 160,000 college students in the state of Mississippi and as Jesus states in the gospel account of Matthew, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’

Join us in praying for our BSU Directors, local churches, and students as we seek To Know Christ and To Make Him Known in the century that lies ahead.

Sam Ivy is director of Collegiate Ministries at MBCB. Collegiate Ministries is funded through the Cooperative Program. Learn more by emailing sivy@mbcb.org.

Multicultural Department reaches ‘the ends of the earth’ right across the street

BY PAULA SMITH

The Multicultural Ministries department of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board works cross-culturally throughout Mississippi to touch lives with the Gospel message. This department, which became a reality in April, 2022, is designed to strategically spread opportunities throughout the State to reach every ethnic and language group living here.

To date, Mississippi Baptists minister through 61 African American churches, four Chinese speaking churches, four Korean speaking churches, 11 Native American churches, and 20 Spanish speaking churches, with numerous weekly Bible studies in American Sign Language (ASL), Hindi, Arabic, Filipino, Persian and other languages. What an opportunity we have — “right across the street” — to reach “the ends of the earth” with the Gospel! This is possible because of your gifts to the Cooperative Program.

The population of Mississippi is changing and God is opening doors for us to change with the population. Cultures are reaching cultures.

Greater Harvest Baptist Church, a wonderful African American Church in south Jackson, is taking advantage of the changing community where their church is located. They are sensing the Lord’s leadership to begin reaching the largely Hispanic community in their area. In five months, eight people have been baptized and the congregation is growing spiritually, tithing and reaching out to the highways and back alleys calling people to Jesus!

The Chinese Christian Church of Greater Jackson has followed and ministered to a persecuted part of the Body of Christ leaving China. The Chinese Church in Jackson connected with another min-

Paula Smith Director

Janeth McIlwain Ministry Assistant

Rocky Tzib Hispanic Consultant

Ray Duplessie Choctaw Consultant

Vickie Stuart Deaf Consultant

Lowell Walker African American Consultant

istry in another state that had a warehouse full of Chinese Bibles. The Chinese Bibles were not able to get through the system to China, but because of the ministry already established in the United States, the Bibles are in the hands of these persecuted Christians who have relocated to the US and others as they come to faith in Jesus.

The Lord has formed a diverse team of bi-vocational ministers to lead as Contract Strategists in the Multicultural Ministries Department. Lowell Walker is pastor of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Tupelo and leads the African American Ministry. Vickie Stuart works for the Mississippi Department of Rehab Services (MDRS) as an interpreter for the State of Mississippi and leads the Deaf Ministry. Ray Duplessie is pastor of Fernwood Baptist Church in Gulfport and

leads the Native American Ministry. Rocky Tzib is the pastor of Iglesia Bautista Cristo Vive in Pontotoc and leads the Hispanic Ministry. Janeth McIlwain serves as the Ministry Assistant for the department. She brings a unique perspective to the work. Janeth grew up in Mexico but has lived in the United States the last 11 years. We continue to pray for the Lord to fill the leadership role for ministry to Special Needs Adults and the Asian population.

Because of your giving to the Cooperative Program, leadership training, discipleship programs and mission opportunities have been provided in each area of work. Thank you for reaching the world next door!

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).”

Paula Smith is director of Multicultural Ministires at MBCB. Multicultural Ministries is funded through the Cooperative Program. Learn more by emailing psmith@mbcb.org.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

GALATIANS 3:28

Multicutural Ministries Department consultants Lowell Walker (center) and Ray Duplessie (right) speak with Washington Association AMS Hank Lee during the 2022 Mississippi Baptist Convention.

Mississippi and Dakota Baptists form beneficial partnership

BY TONY MARTIN

Fred MacDonald, Executive Director/Lead Missionary of the Dakota Baptist Convention, is praying for partners to join them as they partner together to strengthen established churches.

The relationship between the Dakota Convention and Mississippi has been growing for some time.

“I’m a baby stepper,” said MacDonald, “so that’s what I’m doing. I became executive director in 2020. I grew up in the Dakotas, went to high school and college there. I’d been a director of missions in New Mexico. When I came to the first executive director’s retreat I met Shawn [Parker, Executive Director/ Treasurer, Mississippi Baptist Convention Board]. He’d become executive director the year before. At that meeting, they were talking about forming stateto-state partnerships, larger conventions in the South forming partnerships with newer work areas like the Dakotas.

“Our personalities clicked,” MacDonald said. “We started talking about what a partnership would look like, and I said, ‘I have no idea.’ I’d been on the state staff of the Dakotas some years back, and we

had partnerships, and I’d not been involved in the development of partnerships – just the implementation of them.”

The two men continued talking. They determined that they did not need a formal partnership as had been the custom in years past, but needed a way to connect the two states, so that Mississippi churches could be a blessing and encouragement to the work in the Dakotas, and vice versa.

“I told Shawn from the beginning that we really weren’t interested in a partnership where our state was like the kid sister — we also wanted to be a good partner,” said MacDonald.

Mike Ray, director of the MBCB’s Missions Mobilization Department, got involved. Ray invited MacDonald to come to the Mississippi Baptist Convention annual meeting in October, 2022. Buck Hill, Send Network Dakotas Director, also attended. A couple of church planters from the Dakotas joined the group.

“We got to meet a lot of the folks from churches here in Mississippi,” MacDonald said. “It’s developed from there.”

MacDonald and native Mississippian Stephen Carson, Church Planter Catalyst, came back to Mississippi for the state Evangelism Conference earlier this year and had the opportunity to preach in local churches while here.

There are about 80 Southern Baptist churches in North and South Dakota. “We’ve had a couple of churches in the last year that went through some tough times and closed, but there has been a lot of new work started,” MacDonald said. “If you look at our ten strongest and most active churches, over half of them are less than ten years old. So there are good things are happening in the Dakotas.”

Carson is a planter in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, a community of about 5600, which is considered the geographic center of the United States. When asked about the spiritual state of the Dakotas, Carson said, “It’s very open. Many people come from a heavily Catholic and Lutheran background. Our town is a cowboy town, and still has that tradition. The Black Hills are just a neat place to live. There’s an openness to the gospel and a hunger for God’s word. There is

a craving for that. The ministry there is extremely refreshing. We’ve been accepted. I’m from Mississippi, and we wondered if we’d be accepted. But the people have loved on us.”

When asked about current needs in the Dakotas, and how Mississippi Baptists could help meet those needs, MacDonald said, “Among established churches, we need some of the traditional things – block parties, for instance. Most of our associations have block party trailers. We need churches to pray for our pastor. A church could partner with one of ours, and once a month make a call or send an email. They could ask that pastor and his wife, ‘We’re thinking about you. How can we pray for you?’

“In church planting, we have a number of areas we’re looking at,” MacDonald continued, “particularly in North Dakota. Two-thirds of our churches are in South Dakota, one-third in North Dakota. There are all sorts of places that need a new work. If we had a church that had a planter who could come and go back to those old circuit rider days, especially

in southwestern North Dakota. A planter could start a work in several places.”

“From a church planting perspective, we need partners,” said Carson. “Financial partners and volunteer teams. We could use builders, people to lead Vacation Bible School or block parties or whatever. We also desperately need planters. And prayer – we’re praying that our Dakota churches will get to the point where they’re raising up indigenous people in the Dakotas to plant churches.”

“One other thing,” said MacDonald. “There is a great need for Native American work. Between the two states there are 12 or 13 reservations. South Dakota has the fourth largest percentage of Native Americans among the states — only New Mexico, Alaska, and Oklahoma have more. Poverty is rampant. Unemployment, alcoholism, and teen suicide are all high. There is despair. We have some work, but there is still a real need. I’d ask Mississippi Baptists to pray for our Native American churches and the new work that needs to be done.”

A group of 26 Mississippi Baptist Convention Board pastors and ministry leaders met with peers within the Dakota Baptist Convention May 8-11, along with representatives from the North American

Mission Board, spending four days strategizing and dreaming of future partnerships toward spreading the Gospel.

The MBCB helped offset travel costs for the group, as it did two weeks earlier when 18 pastors and leaders traveled to Maine for the same reason. Over the last eight months more than 80 Mississippi Baptists have undertaken eight such “vision journeys,” as they are being called, to locations including Buffalo, Japan, Toronto and the United Kingdom.

“Fred MacDonald and I are convicted that we can help each other in ways that play to our strengths,” Parker said. “We’ve talked about those options such as how they can help in areas like the Mississippi Delta.

“This benefits Mississippi Baptists in that it gives us another outlet for ministry in an area in need,” Parker said. “We already have a strong connection with the Dakotas because quite a few of our guys have gone up there to plant churches. This will expand our opportunities to work with those churches.”

“There are people who are literally living in an area where church attendance is not even an option for them,” said Casey Hughes, pastor of Meadowview Church in Starkville. “It’s not so much that [they don’t have access to] a trustworthy Gospel-preaching church, there are just no churches for people that, really, are drawn to worship Jesus, that know Jesus and grow in a relationship with Him.”

Vision Journeys through Missions Mobilization are funded through the Cooperative Program. Learn more by emailing Mississions Mobilization director Chad McCord: cmccord@mbcb.org

“The Black Hills are just a neat place to live. There’s an openness to the gospel and a hunger for God’s word. There is a craving for that. The ministry there is extremely refreshing.”

STEPHEN CARSON CHURCH PLANTER CATALYST

Stephen Carson speaks to a group of Mississippi Baptists during a recent vision journey to the Dakotas.

Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission preserves our collective church memories

BY WILLIAM H. PERKINS, JR.

Many members of the state’s majority Mississippi Baptist population would probably be surprised to know that a vast, comprehensive storehouse of information is available to them at the Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission located in the Leland Speed Library on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton.

The Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission is an agency of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board composed of primary and secondary sources relating to Mississippi Baptist history, most notably Mississippi Baptist churches and Baptist associations.

“If the Historical Commission is one of Mississippi

Baptists’ best kept secrets, I’m ready for the secret to be told,” said Dr. Anthony Kay, longtime Mississippi Baptist pastor and executive director of the commission for the past 11 years.

The records on file date as far back as the first Baptist association in 1806 — Mississippi Association currently headquartered in Liberty in Amite County — and 1810, from Sarepta Baptist Church in Franklin County.

Heather Moore, the commission’s librarian for the past 15 years, along with the commission’s assistant, Hannah Holley, answer hundreds of inquiries each year ranging from where someone’s

Heather Moore and Anthony Kay

great-great-grandfather pastored in the state to research on the long-lost practice of church discipline.

“Every Mississippi Baptist church has a folder at the Historical Commission,” Moore said, although some of the folders are more complete than others. The contents of the folders and other church materials depend on what churches have given the commission to preserve.

The commission’s offices include an in-house reading room for individual researchers and groups, and a fireproof vault for the safe keeping of church records. The scope of the available historical information can be mind-bending to a Mississippi Baptist layman. Just a few of the available items and services include:

— Mississippi Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention annuals.

Association annual reports.

Digitized and physical issues of The Baptist Record, news journal of the Mississippi Baptist Convention.

Original meeting minutes and other documents from local churches.

Biographical files on many of state’s ministers. Workshops for preparing what are termed “significant anniversaries” of 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 years, which are held bi-annually around the state. In addition, special certificates marking the anniversaries can be presented to churches by the Commission’s board members.

History Highlights, a year-by-year compilation of data about the church, obtained by researching the available minutes of the associations with which the church was affiliated through the years.

Moore added that “church records offer a rich view of the community as well as the church,” and even include stories like a church disciplining a member for wrongfully accusing another member of killing a wild hog (including an apology before the congregation), or church reactions to the state’s Yellow Fever outbreaks.

“There is so much history available in our materials that can be accessed and researched at no cost,” Moore said.

The Board of Trustees for the Historical Commission has just approved Moore’s request to purchase new equipment to aid in the preservation and digitization of the commission’s materials, including a new overhead book scanner and microfilm scanner that will allow staff to digitize materials in-house to assist more churches in preserving their records.

The Historical Commission also maintains a drivethrough exhibit on Highway 61 in Fayette County about the history of Mississippi Baptists, as well as the grave site of Benjamin Whitfield one of the founders of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, and his family.

In cooperation with the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB), the commission has contracted for an update to the Mississippi Baptist history written by Richard Aubrey McLemore and published in 1971.

Dr. Bob Rogers, former Mississippi Baptist pastor and current chaplain at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, is compiling the new history. The commission plans to have the book published in 2024.

“I’m currently writing the last chapter of the new edition of the book, A History of Mississippi Baptists.

I expect it will take a few months to do a deep edit, add illustrations, and get it into print.

“The last two chapters will bring the book up to the present, but the entire book has been completely rewritten in a more narrative style with original research. It will include the 1795 declaration on religious freedom by the first Mississippi Baptist pastor, Richard Curtis.

“The book is full of stories of everyday Baptists, especially as they survived slavery, the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and so on,” Rogers said.

Kay appeals to congregations to be sure they are represented in the archives of the Mississippi Baptist history. “One of the greatest desires of the human spirit is to be remembered. We’re preserving memories for the churches of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, and we want every church to be a part of this ministry,” he said.

The Historical Commission is an agency of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and receives monies from the annual Cooperative Program budget. Learn more by emailing mbhc@mc.edu.

“One of the greatest desires of the human spirit is to be remembered. We’re preserving memories for the churches of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, and we want every church to be a part of this ministry.”

ANTHONY KAY, MBHC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Changing one life at The Baptist Children’s Village changes generations

BY CHRYSTELLE THAMES

It was a warm Mississippi August day when an 8-year-old Robert Thames first arrived at The Baptist Children’s Village (BCV). He joined nine other boys who had previously found their way to this safe haven. In this new home with a spacious yard to play in, he had his own bed and closet.

Some of Bobby’s (which he insisted he should be called for the first time in his admission meeting) fondest memories of those early days was of Housemother Missionary, Eva Steen. She was a kind but stern presence with a sense of humor useful in her work with a house full of active young boys. Bobby spent his early years with grandparents in rural Mississippi getting up before the chickens. This habit of rising early bought him some one-on-one time walking around the one-mile campus with Mrs. Steen. Perhaps to keep him from waking the rest of the boys she invited him along for what was likely her one moment of solitude in the day. Regardless of her motives, she never knew what those early morning walks meant to this young country boy. To this day, he still thinks of those times with this housemother.

Psalm 68:5-6 says, “A father to the fatherless, defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.” God indeed took this lonely boy and set him in his Baptist Children’s Village family where he was nurtured and loved for the next twelve

years. He, along with his other BCV brothers enjoyed a “normal” boyhood with good food to eat and playtime in the dirt. There was always a friend to ride a bike and explore bugs with. Regular church attendance was common practice but not a favorite pastime for he and his BCV brothers. While each of their stories were different, these boys had in common a BCV experience that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

In the spring of 1976, at 16-years old, I moved to the Flag Chapel campus of The Baptist Children’s Village and it was for him, in his words, “love at first sight.” I, on the other hand, was not so immediately smitten. In his persistence, I slowly came to realize what an amazing person he was (and is). We eventually began to “date” but “dating” at The Baptist Children’s Village in those days was a little different. You were allowed to see each other around campus at activities and, with permission, in a cottage with supervision. Over time you were able to earn the privilege of an off-campus date where BCV male residents were allowed to borrow a BCV car to take his date to dinner and a movie, for example. While we

did not really appreciate the restrictions at the time, it certainly allowed us healthy time together to get to know each other.

Bobby and I married in the beautiful Powell Chapel at the top of a hill in the center of that India Nunnery Campus surrounded by friends and family who had stayed in touch. We often reflect on the kindness of God and are fascinated by His intricate and unsuspecting plans for our lives.

We could not have imagined in those early days that He would take a boy, born to a navy dad in Seattle Washington, and a girl born on a stormy night in Detroit, Michigan, and bring them together at The Baptist Children’s Village in Jackson, Mississippi. Though we are polar opposites in so many ways including that he is an only child and I am one of 14 children, it was there that God gave each of us a united passion to build a family that would honor Him and look different than either of our biological families. Today we have two adult children and a hard-working son-in-law who all love the Lord and three beautiful grandchildren. How precious is this gift of family that He has blessed us with.

Changing one life at The Baptist Children’s Village changes generations. Our family tree is different because of the investments Houseparent Missionaries like Mrs. Eva Steen and Mrs. Ernestine Winters who helped mold me and a houseful of other teen girls. Because of the sacrifices they made, our children and grandchildren are afforded a life that is full of opportunities they may not have known had the Lord not intervened and masterfully placed each of us in our BCV “family” in His perfect time.

When churches of the Mississippi Baptist Convention give through the Cooperative Program they are supporting the important work of the The Baptist Children’s Village.

Crystelle Thames is director of Communications at The Baptist Children’s Village. The BCV is an agency of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and receives monies from the annual Cooperative Program budget. Learn more by emailing cthames@ baptistchildrensvillage.org.

Robert and Chrystelle Thames on their wedding day at Powell Chapel on the India Nunnery Campus of The Baptist Children’s Village.

Contact Us

The Stewardship/Prayer Ministries department at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board is here to help you learn how your church can reach people in Mississippi and around the world through the Cooperative Program. Contact us today for more information!

Gather Resources

We have free print and online resources for you to help promote the Cooperative Program in your church. Every item available is presented in our Stewardship/Prayer Ministries Resource Catalog. The catalog and other resources are easily accessable on our website at mbcb.org/cp.

Start Now

Through the Cooperative Program, we can do more together to advance the Kingdom than we could ever do on our own. The Mississippi Baptist Convention Board accepts donations online and by mail to the Cooperative Program.

TO GIVE ONLINE: Online donations can be made by a church or an individual at www.mbcb.org/give. This will allow you to access past donations, edit recurring donations, and change personal or billing information.

How is the Cooperative Program distributed?

Mississippi

2,082 CHURCHES • 524,752 MEMBERS

When your church gives through the Cooperative Program, 61% of the money stays in Mississippi and the other 39% goes to the Southern Baptist Convention. In Mississippi, Cooperative Program funds are used by the Mississippi Baptist Convention to help pastors and churches through consultations, trainings and other resources. A portion also goes to evangelism efforts at the State Fair, rodeos and other venues. CP funds seminary and churches in our prison system, All State Youth Choir and worship training, Baptist Children’s Village, associational missions, Camp Garaywa and Central Hills , among many other ministries.

When your church gives $1000

North America

2,469 MISSIONARIES

1,018 NEW CONGREGATIONS

Some of the Cooperative Program funds going to the Southern Baptist Convention are sent to the North American Mission Board, which supports the work of more than 6,189 missionaries and chaplains in the United States and Canada. The Cooperative Program also helps support the nation’s six seminaries and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

World

3,552 MISSIONARIES • 107,701 BAPTISMS

22,744 NEW CONGREGATIONS

The Southern Baptist Convention additionally sends Cooperative Program dollars to the International Mission Board, which works to reach more than 3,175 unreached people groups.

Top 25 Cooperative Program gifts by region

REGION 1

“The Cooperative Program is one of the great unifying factors among Southern Baptist life. The CP is built on the Biblical foundation that together we can accomplish much more than we can do separately.  As Southern Baptist churches work together we are able to reach the world for Christ through missions, solid theological education, and many other avenues that we are able to provide solely because of the CP. In many ways, only eternity will tell how valuable the Cooperative Program is towards kingdom work.”

2

1 3 4 5

REGION 2

“The strongest man in a tug of war may serve as the anchor of the team, however, he could never win the contest without his teammates. So it is with the Cooperative program! It allows all churches, regardless of size or budget, to pull together to achieve our purpose as a convention. It allows all churches, regardless of size or budget, to say the sun never sets on our work for the Kingdom of God.”

Dean Stewart

Pastor, Labelle Haven Baptist Church

REGION 4

“The Great Commission unites over 50,000 autonomous churches within the SBC, and this Great Commission unity is most clearly evidenced through the Cooperative Program. No other aspect of our convention compares to the Cooperative Program in fulfilling the Great Commission. Through the Cooperative Program, churches are planted, pastors are equipped, missionaries are sent, the nations are reached, the gospel is proclaimed, the lost are found. The opportunity to participate in Great Commission work through the Cooperative Program is not only the greatest distinctive of the SBC; it’s the most sacred privilege.”

Luke Gardner Pastor, First Baptist Church,

Kosciusko

Dr. Matthew Alexander Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenville

REGION 3

“As a pastor, I’m grateful for the Cooperative Program for a couple of reasons. For one, there’s no question that, in cooperation with each other, we can do so much more than we could ever do alone. Secondly, it’s great to know that, at one time, we can help support how God is at work around the world, around the state and nation, and through training up the next generation of leaders.”

Chip Stevens

Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jackson

REGION 5

“Christ has called us to take the gospel to all people in all nations. The Cooperative Program aids us in fulfilling Jesus’ commission in countless ways — one of which is training men and women through robust, biblical, Christ-exalting instruction in our various educational institutions. My education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary directly resulted from Cooperative Program funds, and I could never have afforded such an excellent education without it! I feel incredibly indebted to all Southern Baptists for their generosity in giving to the Cooperative Program.”

Joseph Bird

Assistant

Professor

of Religion, William Carey University

REGION

UPCOMING EVENTS

September

Margaret Lackey State Missions Offering Promotion; Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir & Orchestra Auditions

11 Church Safety for Minors Workshop

Northcrest Baptist Church, Meridian

9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

11 CRV Banquet William Carey University, Hattiesburg

5-7 p.m.

12 Church Safety for Minors Workshop West Ellisville Baptist Church, Ellisville

9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

14 Synchrony/Next Gen Ministry First Baptist Church, Long Beach 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

14 CRV Banquet Blue Mountain College, Blue Mountain

6:30-8:30 p.m.

15 Mississippi Baptist Chaplains’ Association (MBCA) Fall Training Baptist Building Skyroom, Jackson

8 a.m.-3: p.m.

15-16 The Gathering (State Women & Teen girls event)

16 Children’s Missions Day WMU

17 Anti-Gambling Sunday (CAC Emphasis)

23-24 Young Musicians Honor Choir

First Baptist Church, Summit 9 a.m. on 23rd; noon on 24th

25 CRV Banquet Mississippi College, Clinton

6-8 p.m.

28 Small Church Youth Ministry Workshop

Pine Grove Baptist Church, Picayune

6-8:15 p.m.

29-30 College Student Conference

First Baptist Church, Madison TBD

29-10/1 Mississippi Baptist Convention of the Deaf (MBCD) Conference

Garaywa Camp & Conference Center, Clinton TBD (MCM)

October

1 Cooperative Program Day (SBC Emphasis)

4-15 Mississippi State Fair Ministry Mississippi State Fair Grounds, Jackson

8 Global Hunger Sunday (CAC Emphasis)

19 Small Church Youth Ministry Workshop

Smithville Baptist Church, Smithville 6-8:15 p.m.

21 Hispanic Fellowship

First Baptist Church, Jackson

23 Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Committees

23 Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Meeting Baptist Building

23 Mississippi Baptist Christian Educators Fellowship Luncheon

First Baptist Church, Jackson Christian Life Center Dining Room

11 a.m.-1 p.m.

23 Ministry Wives Conference FFirst Baptist Church, Jackson 5th floor

1-4 p.m.

23 African American Fellowship FFirst Baptist Church, Jackson

24-25 Mississippi Baptist Convention First Baptist Church, Jackson

8:30 a.m., 24th; 11:35 a.m., 25th

24 MBCB Bivocational Ministries Breakfast

Baptist Building Skyroom, Jackson

7-8 a.m.

24 Mississippi WMU Annual Meeting with Convention Old Capital Inn, Jackson

24 Mississippi Baptist Chaplains’ Association (MBCA) Fall Banquet

Baptist Building Skyroom, Jackson 4:45-6 p.m.

25 Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Meeting (Exec. Admin.)

Baptist Building Skyroom, Jackson

Immediately following the last session of the Convention

November

3-4 Mother/Daughter Weekend

Garaywa Camp & Conference Center, Clinton

6 Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer (WM/WMU National Emphasis)

9 Small Church Youth Ministry Workshop

Mississippi University for WomenBSU, Columbus

6-8:15 p.m.

10-11 Mother/Daughter Weekend

Garaywa Camp & Conference Center, Clinton

December

3-10 Week of Prayer/Mission Study for International Missions & LMCO (WM/WMU Emphasis)

5 Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Meeting

Central Hills Baptist Retreat