Illinois Baptist in focus
Why you gotta have friends Table Talk with Jared Pryer P. 9
Isolation
Longevity has rewards P. 8
Our individualistic age has made Christian community a hard sell
Blessings of giving CP annual report Section B
IB Team Report: Speakers Trevin Wax, Vance Pitman, Ben Mandrell, and more at Midwest Leadership Summit. P. 5
Southern Baptist Convention
IllinoisBaptist.org
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
FEBRUARY 1, 2024
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325
Vol. 118 No. 2
IB Two hats in the ring
LEADERSHIP
Aiming for the fences
Early declarations mean long election cycle Two pastors will allow their nominations for president of the Southern Baptist Convention in an early bid for the June election at the Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. Similar early declarations in 2022 ultimately produced a three-man race with a lot of public discussion, as SBC presidential candidates usually don’t “campaign.” The announcements come at the same time the latest nominee for the paid permanent position of SBC Executive Committee President and CEO withdrew his name from consideration. (See story on page 4.) Oklahoma pastor Mike Keahbone announced his intention to run for SBC President in a news release by the California pastor who will make the nomination. “Mike Keahbone is the real deal, a leader who loves the Lord, loves the SBC, and strives every day to make it better. He is a son of the
Nate Adams P. 2
SBC NEWS
Withdrawn Another EC candidate is out P. 4
PRESSLEY
KEAHBONE
SBC, and I am convinced he is more than ready to step up and step into the role of president,” Victor Chayasirisobhon said. Keahbone is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lawton, Okla. He has served as a member of the SBC Executive Committee since 2021 and is the vice chairman of the SBC’s Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force. Before that, he was a member of the Sexual Abuse Task Force. Keahbone has frequently spoken on behalf of abuse survivors. A Native American with heritage from the Comanche, Kiowa, and P. 3
ILLINOIS NEWS
Increasing after Roe More abortions, as expected P. 4
FOR THE PASTOR
“I think I can” Michael Awbrey P. 10
BRIGHTER DAY
An unlearned lesson Meredith Flynn P. 12
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The Illinois Baptist staff
NATE ADAMS
Editor - Eric Reed Graphic Designer - Kris Kell Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner Comm. Coordinator - Nic Cook Graphics Assistant - Makayla Proctor Team Leader - Ben Jones
Impossible alone
The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3127 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org. The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. E-mail us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff. POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every month by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.
The BIG Baptist family album Welcome to the family! Life Community Church in Hillsboro affiliated with IBSA in November. Hillsboro is a town of about 6,000, and the Montgomery County seat. The church is pastored by David Baker. He and his wife, Alana, are Litchfield natives. They have four children.
Pray the news With primary elections and caucuses in every state from now ‘til June, pray for God’s guidance for the process. Pray for people to seek godly wisdom. And pray for gracious and Christlike attitudes to prevail.
When is the last time you took a big swing?
Our global mission field
There are 810 million people, 200 spoken languages, and 51 sovereign states in Europe. But in this land of great cultural influence, more than 98% do not follow Jesus. International Mission Board missionaries share the gospel with multitudes, including immigrants in the St. Denis suburb of Paris (above), which has 113,000 residents.
Total giving by IBSA churches as of 12/31/23
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mpossible things are only impossible alone.” Though I was shaving and only halfway paying attention to the radio advertisements that were droning on in the background, that line caught my attention. I stopped and listened carefully to learn the company’s name, then I searched online and discovered an Australian company that was promoting its collaborative software. On its website I found videos with fast-paced music and images that included space rovers, electric trucks, windmills, skyscrapers, and rockets— presumably from some of the industries they serve with their software. The most surprising image was a simple lead pencil, about which they observed, “Even something as simple as a pencil was once impossible.” I wrote down several quotes from those brief videos: “Sorry geniuses, but everything in this world requires collaboration. Few things are actually accomplished alone. We are at our best when we put our heads together, in order to take the big swings. When was the last time you accomplished something big? It was probably by working together.” I especially appreciated the good-natured jab at geniuses, and the idea that very bright people sometimes fall into the trap of thinking they don’t need the help of others. If you are an informed Southern Baptist, you don’t have to be a genius to know that the true genius of our worldwide, Great Commission efforts is cooperation. Some very bright men and women have come and gone and risen and fallen in SBC leadership over the years. It’s all of us steadfastly working together through good times and bad that keep missionaries going, churches multiplying, and the gospel spreading throughout the world. That cooperation also means that your church is never alone, and that no pastor, however brilliant or however discouraged, should choose isolation. Our International and North American Mission Boards are rightly focused on sending missionaries and multiplying churches into the unreached and underreached areas of the world. But in your community, your church is the missionary! And just as our mission boards would never leave a missionary or a new church on its own, your state and local associations are eager to assist your church in fulfilling its mission. Here in Illinois, we currently have over a hundred churches engaged in an intentional revitalization process, each seeking to renew its health and refocus its mission. About 150 churches are engaged in a “next step” consultation process designed to give its ministries new traction and advances. Churches of similar sizes and contexts are convening regularly to pray together and to share ideas for more effective evangelism and missions. One of those churches went from baptizing no one the previous year to baptizing more than ten the next year. Another went from having very few men in their church to having a thriving men’s ministry. Yet another engaged in missions in a way that brought new life to the church. That’s why the words from the software company resonated with me: “When was the last time you accomplished something big? It was probably by working together.” Just as there are unengaged people groups at the ends of the earth, there are also churches that are unengaged in the power of collaboration and cooperation with other churches and leaders. And the more isolated a church becomes, the more impossible its mission probably feels. It may not be from self-confident genius or from discouragement, it may simply be from busyness or unawareness or personal distractions. If that describes you or your church, let me offer you some encouragement from an Australian software company, and from the Bible. Collaborate and cooperate with other churches in the network! Impossible things are only impossible alone. Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.
$5,338,046
2023 Goal: $6 Million
February 01, 2024
IBSA.org
NEWS Maestas joins IBSA Springfield | Mark Maestas joined IBSA as the Growth Team Leader February 1. Maestas has 20 years’ experience in church ministry, including stints as executive pastor of Vale Church in Bloomington in 2018-2019 and at Sagebrush Church in Albuquerque in 2015-2018. At Sagebrush, “he helped create a leadership development pipeline that trained over 800 leaders in two years, and that coached and developed a team of young pastors,” said IBSA Associate Executive Director Paul Westbrook. Maestas has consulted with MAESTAS several non-profit ministries through his own organization since 2002, and most recently guiding churches in their hiring processes for Chemistry Staffing. He graduated from Howard Payne University and has an M.Div. with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from Denver Seminary. Maestas is married to Jamie, who grew up as a Southern Baptist pastor’s daughter in New Mexico. They have three sons. “We are excited to welcome them to our IBSA family,” Westbrook said.
Multiply Illinois
‘Hubs’ revamped for 2024 Regional training opportunities for pastors have been revamped for 2024. Multiply Illinois Hubs, held regionally four times per year, offer a new look and new ways to gather, care for, and train leaders. Hubs will serve as ongoing trainings and encouragement processes, not merely a one-time event. Pastors have unique work schedules that limit availability for gathering, so each hub date will feature identical sessions in the morning and evening. Hubs will also be a place for worship, prayer, and connectivity. Here are locations for the first round of Multiply Hubs: February 27-28 – Metro East, Meadow Heights Baptist, Collinsville March 7 – South Region, Immanuel, Benton March 12 – West Central Region, Woodland Baptist, Peoria March 14 – East Central, Logos, Decatur March 21 – Chicago Region, All Peoples Fellowship, Carol Stream March 23 – Chicagoland Hispanic Hub, TBA Cost: Free Info: IBSA.org/multiply-illinois-hubs/ Contact: AubreyShelby@IBSA.org
From the front: two sbc presidental candidates announce Continued from page 1 Cherokee tribes, Keahbone served on the 2023 SBC Resolutions Committee and helped write the resolution on “the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report” which was adopted by SBC messengers. FBC Lawton budgeted 6% for the Cooperative Program in the current fiscal year, and averaged 623 in attendance last year. The first candidate to declare was Charlotte, North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley. He has served Hickory Grove Baptist Church as senior pastor since 2010, and before that was pastor of Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. Pressley “has led his church to plant and revitalize other churches, send missionaries, and sacrificially give to the Cooperative Program and Great Commission causes,” said Chris Justice, a North Carolina pastor who will make the nomination. “Clint Pressley loves the Southern Baptist Convention and the mission that holds us together,” Justice said in a news release. “I know him to
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be a man of conviction who is joyfully orthodox, devoted to the Great Commission, and committed to our cooperation as Southern Baptists.” Pressley’s leadership roles have included a term as SBC First Vice President in 2014-15. He was also active in advancing what was called a “traditionalist” Baptist theology when the convention was engaged in debate over Reformed theology. Hickory Grove Church gave 2.4% to the Cooperative Program in 2023, and a near equal amount to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. The church averaged 2,632 in attendance last year. The election of a successor to current SBC President Bart Barber will be just one of the votes that draws Southern Baptists to the Midwest for the annual meeting June 11-12 at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. —IB staff with additional reporting from Baptist Press and the Biblical Recorder
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the briefing
Anti-Semitism laws Georgia has passed legislation adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism. The 2016 definition is used by the U.S. State Department. Iowa and Virginia passed similar legislation in recent years, while Indiana and South Dakota are presently considering bills using the same definition. World magazine reports opponents say the definition falsely labels legitimate criticisms of the state of Israel as anti-Semitism and could be used to suppress free speech that supports the Palestinian people.
Wheaton denies label The president of Wheaton College has denied claims that the Illinois school is “woke,” and that its standards including gender identity are slipping. “Wheaton College remains fully committed to Christian service—which we embrace as ‘service’ in our very mission statement—to biblical orthodoxy and Christ-centered education, including in matters of human sexuality, gender identity, and race relations,” Philip Ryken said. The commentary published at the FOX News website was from freelancer writer Tim Scheiderer, a graduate of Bob Jones University. He said the “Harvard of Christian schools” was drifting in the same direction as Harvard University. Ryken said Scheiderer contacted Wheaton’s public relations department in January, claiming he was writing an article for the Wall Street Journal. Ryken called the essay “incendiary” and said it “failed to meet the minimal standards for journalistic accuracy.”
Iowa’s gender rights LGBTQ advocates waved rainbow flags and cheered when the Iowa legislature refused to limit the definition of gender in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The bill would have removed gender identity from civil rights, while adding gender dysphoria as a disability. Gender identity was added to Iowa civil rights in 2007. Hundreds of supporters filled the capitol for the vote, which prevented the changes from leaving committee. —AP, World, USA Today
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SBC executive committee
Ga. Exec withdraws from EC candidacy Nashville, Tenn. | The nominee for President and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee (EC) has withdrawn his name, after the search committee told EC trustees it had a candidate and would reveal his name ahead of their February 19 meeting and vote. He is Thomas Hammond, Executive Director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Hammond’s name was not officially released, but widely discussed on the SBC grapevine. Baptist News Global (a non-SBC news site) reported that Hammond notified the executive committee of his state convention that he had been under consideration, but was withdrawing his candidacy. According to BNG, Hammond wrote, “Over the past week, it has become clear that God’s will is for us to remain in Georgia. We are resolved to continue our efforts in ministering to pastors, their families and to strengthening churches to reach Georgia for Christ.” Hammond has served as the top leader in the Georgia convention for five years. He led the body to reduce the budget from $40 million to $31 million annually, and last week, the board announced the sale of their large and relatively new office building for $32 million, about half its appraised value. Hammond previously led evangelism ministry for the North American Mission Board (NAMB). He served with NAMB for 13 years. Other reasons for Hammond’s withdrawal were not stated, but the SBC EC continues to wrestle with its own financial losses and the continued fallout from the handling of sexual abuse claims by previous denominational leaders. EC Vice President Jonathon Howe remains
as interim CEO. No permanent leader has been elected since Ronnie Floyd resigned in October 2021 over abuse handling and the convention-wide investigation conducted by Guideposts Solutions. One HAMMOND candidate was presented, but EC trustees did not approve election of Texas pastor Jared Wellman, mostly over questions about the selection process that allowed Wellman, once a de facto member of the search committee, to become the nominee. That was in May HOWE 2023. The first interim CEO, EC Vice President Willie McLaurin, resigned after revelations during vetting for his own candidacy for the permanent post that he padded his resume with schools and degrees he did not earn. Howe assumed the interim post under SBC bylaws, but the new chair of the EC, Phil Robertson, indicated within a month that he wished to replace Howe. However, the next candidate for interim also withdrew his name unexpectedly the night before a vote in October. The search committee had promised a permanent CEO candidate before the EC’s full trustee meeting Feb. 19-20. More likely now is the possibility of presenting a candidate ahead of the SBC Annual Meeting in June. For now, it appears that helming the SBC ship of state has become the job no one wants.
Pressler case settled
A confidential settlement was reached in a sexual abuse lawsuit against retired Texas Judge Paul Pressler, a key figure in the SBC’s conservative resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to Pressler, the Southern Baptist Convention, the SBC Executive Committee, and First Baptist Houston were named as defendants. The suit, filed by Pressler’s former assistant Gareld Duane Rollins Jr., accused Pressler of molesting him during his teenage years, with allegations of knowledge and cover-up by Southern Baptist Convention leaders. Despite longstanding denials of wrongdoing by Pressler and SBC leaders, a special counsel announced the settlement, citing the “horrendous nature of the abuse allegations,” potential confrontation with abuse survivors during trial, the Executive Committee’s financial condition, and contributions from multiple insurance carriers. Rollins’ suit was initially dismissed, due to the statute of limitations for incidents more than 40 years ago, but a judge later allowed the suit based on Rollins’ claims of recent trauma related to the alleged abuse. A more recent investigation showed that Pressler was dismissed from a youth ministry position with FBC Houston in the 1970s, based on an accusation of lewd behavior with a student. Other men came forward with similar claims during the investigation. No details of the settlement were made public. —Christian Post, The Baptist Paper
—Eric Reed
Paul Pressler (l) with Paige Patterson (r) in 1990
IDPH shows abortions in Illinois increased after Roe 3-in-10 are from out-of-state, procedures on minors jump almost 25%
Springfield | The numbers are in, and they don’t look good. Abortions rose from almost 52,000 to more than 56,000 in Illinois after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This tally includes the sixmonth period in 2022 when surrounding states were limiting or outlawing abortion. It’s the highest number recorded by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) since 1986, when 61,675 abortions were reported RUMLEY in the state. What’s more, the number of minors receiving abortions jumped by nearly 25%. “Those numbers are just staggering,” said Molly Malone Rumley of Illinois Right to Life. “I think sometimes it’s easy to just look at them and just see numbers, but as Christians we should look at those numbers and see the human lives behind them.”
Many progressive groups welcomed so-called “abortion tourism,” providing funding and lodging for out-of-state women to travel to Illinois to undergo the procedure. Abortion clinics closed shop in Texas, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, and reopened in the Illinois. “New abortion clinics are opening up all the time,” said Rumely. “All around the state border, there are billboards that say, ‘Come get your safe legal abortions in Illinois,’ even though there are no regulations on it at all.” Planned Parenthood put one of its facilities on wheels in the form of mobile site that operates along the state border. The Reproductive Health Act of 2019 removed inspection requirements for clinics along with most reporting standards. Overall, abortions increased by about 9% from 51,797 in 2021 to 56,457 in 2022. The increase was driven by women traveling from out-of-state to undergo abortions —16,849 compared to around 11,307 in 2021. According to Planned Par-
enthood of Illinois, women from 40 other states have come to their sites to have abortions since the fall of Roe, mainly from Wisconsin, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Texas. Planned Parenthood reported a 54% increase in clients following the Court’s decision. One surprising statistic was a small decrease in the number of Illinois women who had abortions, down from 40,073 in 2021 to 38,964 in 2022. Women between the ages of 18-29 underwent the most abortions with 36,444, an increase of more than 8% over 2021. They were followed by women in the 30-39 age group who had 16,559 abortions, an increase of just over 10% from 2021. Young women under age 18 undergoing abortions rose to 1,615, a jump of 24.5%. Rumley believes the jump is a
result of repeal of the Parental Notification Act which took effect in June 2022. Most abortions were performed at 8 weeks or less (49.47%), followed by 33.4% performed at 8-11 weeks, 8.9% at 12-15 weeks, 5.5% at 16 weeks or more, and 2.6% at an unreported number of weeks. “I think we can only expect to see the number of abortions continue to increase,” Rumley said. —Lisa Misner
February 01, 2024
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IN FOCUS 1
Leaders gathered at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield January 23-25.
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Don’t be ‘you’ For church leaders overwhelmed by today’s culture, the Summit offers help breaking through isolation. BY __
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4 1. FIRST UP — NAMB’s Trevin Wax helped define our culture, where individualism has produced isolation. 2. PRAISE — David Higgs led an Illinois worship team. 3. VIEWPOINTS — Leaders described their findings for highlights videos. 4. NETWORKING — Sponsoring organizations shared resources in the hallway.
AN ILLINOIS BAPTIST TEAM REPORT Springfield | Trevin Wax set the stage for the event with a clear depiction of the mission field in the United States, especially outside the Bible Belt. He addressed the explosion of pseudo-religions and no-religions in the age of the “be true to yourself” mindset. “The church is going to be here in 40 years—the church isn’t going away—but what is it going to look like?” Wax asked. Blogger, culture analyst, and vice president for the SBC’s North American Mission Board, Wax explained the core secular tenet of the era, “expressive individualism.” The person finds definition and meaning from within, rather than from an outside source, such as the gospel or Jesus Christ himself. This worldview creates so many versions of personal reality that it results in isolation and loneliness.
“The beauty of the gospel is that it does not isolate us,” Wax said. But with so many people creating such small universes with themselves at the center, the call to Christian community becomes hard to sell—but more needed than ever. Leaders grabbed the concepts. They began interpreting their equipping sessions in light of the language that was new to many. After six years away pursuing his education, Joel Vancil, (left) is home now, planting a church in Ashley, Illinois, population 462. “This is actually my fifth day back in Illinois, so I’m really glad to be here, wanting to network and reconnect.” Vancil heard similar teaching from the leader of a breakout session. “The church planter from the Salt Company (David Livingstone) was excellent,” Vancil said. “Even P. 6
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Continued from page 5 though Ashley barely qualifies as a city, a lot of the postmodernism that he was talking about certainly exists there.” Church leaders from the central states engaged more than 12,000 hours of training, teaching, and worship at the three-day Midwest Leadership Summit meeting in Springfield January 23-25. In multiple plenary sessions led by national SBC speakers and regional church planting practitioners, and in 60 breakout sessions, 1,000 leaders shared and received equipping for ministry in their unique Midwest settings. The biennial event brings together nine Baptist conventions covering 12 upper Midwest states. It is sponsored and planned by the state conventions, with additional partnership support from Lifeway Christian Resources, Guidestone Financial Resources, the North American Mission Board, and Woman’s Missionary Union. With the event held in Springfield since 2015, the Illinois Baptist State Association has been heavily engaged in hosting MLS at the Crowne Plaza just down the street from the IBSA Building. Wax was one of three keynote speakers in the plenary sessions, along with Lifeway President Ben Mandrell and NAMB’s Send Network President Vance Pitman. Wax described our current self-centered era by its mantras: You be you. You are enough. Follow your heart. Chase your dreams. This is the rampant rejection of outside sources of authority in favor of moral relativism that emerged in the 1990s. Too often, Wax said, the church has given its tacit approval to this philosophy, as if God existed just so “you can be your best self.” “We are more affected by ‘expressive individualism’ than we know,” Wax said—partly because it fits the rugged individualism of the America, and partly because our whole culture is steeped in it now.
as a college student in Ames, Iowa through the ministry of the Salt Company, a campus ministry started by a Southern Baptist church. Today, he is lead planting pastor for Treeline Church in Ann Arbor, a multi-generational church reaching students at the University of Michigan through their college ministry. “There is more spiritual hunger and more unmet longings and expectations today,” the young pastor said, pointing especially to today’s college-age adults. Reaching the next generation must be well funded, Livingston advised. Treeline is a multi-generational church he said, but at least half its budget goes to reach college students.
The confusion around gender identity is today’s chief example of rejection of conformity. The result is growing dissatisfaction with everyone around that self who would limit their personal definitions, and especially with the church that calls people to community based not on their own identity, but on Christ’s. The church has become the enemy because it threatens non-conformity with its call to faith—a specific faith. “We have to stop thinking about other religions or non-religions,” Wax said. “We have to answer ‘Why Christianity?’, but also why not all those other quasi, pseudo religions.” Only Christian community can solve the isolation problem, because it’s a community based on sacrifice of the self in favor of Jesus. “The most non-confirming thing you can do is to confirm yourself to Jesus Christ,” Wax said. “That’s true non-conformity—dying to yourself.” Church planter David Livingston said he feels there is a “deep hunger for Jesus that wasn’t present in previous generations.” Livingston was saved
Raising up next gen leaders In a well attended “early bird” session, Ben Mandrell addressed “the short bench,” the difficulty faced by many churches today finding and developing leaders, particularly among young people. “Multiplication is one of the most intimidating things in ministry,” Mandrell said of raising up leaders. He cited statistics showing that in some
states, as many as 27% of churches are searching for pastors—a process that is harder and takes longer now. “Who is the next generation, and how will we find them?” Mandrell asked. Using Robert Coleman’s The Master Plan for Evangelism as a guide, Mandrell offered eight steps for a mentoring process that draws young people into ministry in the same way Coleman advocated sharing the gospel in his classic work. “You can’t mentor in a microwave,” the Tampico, Illinois native and Colorado church planter said. Mentoring takes time. “Jesus was always building his ministry for the time he was gone,” Mandrell told the packed room. “How would your agenda shift if God said, ‘You’re going to be out of there in three years’? Jesus was always working himself out of his job.” Any size church can be effective In the Midwest today, self-identified evangelicals range from 18.7% in Wisconsin to 32.7% in Missouri. Illinois claims 23.7% evangelical believers. Here, as everywhere, Sunday morning isn’t what it
February 01, 2024
used to be, and evangelical churches need encouragement. The Midwest Leadership Summit started as the North Central States Rally in the mid-1950s to encourage Baptists in a largely unreached area outside the SBC stronghold. The rally was staged between two SBC Annual Meetings in Chicago in 1950 and 1957. It was part of a move to create new local associations and plant churches in midwestern cities. The event met every three years, then switched to every two years in 2018. Strengthening existing churches in this environment is vital. Even more so for pushing back lostness is planting churches that can reach isolated and disconnected people, especially students and young adults. Vance Pitman encouraged pastors to take up the challenge of advancing the kingdom. “The size of the church does not determine the significance of the church. The size of the mission determines the significance of the church.”
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Noting it might be controversial, Pitman said, “Church planting is not the goal. The church that you are planting one day is going to die. All the churches that were planted in the New Testament are all dead and gone…. But the kingdom of God is alive and well.” Then where does the local church fit in? To introduce people to Jesus, disciple them, and launch them into serving him. “We’ve made the local church the goal,” said Pitman. “We’re doing it wrong. The church is a tool for establishing the kingdom of Jesus.” Pitman said, “The church being born isn’t the finish line of God’s activity. It’s the starting line.” Three church planters told their stories in the large worship sessions. Aaron Taylor from Columbus, Ohio, said their congregation, Living Hope Baptist Church, runs 120 on a “banner day,” but is impacting its city in a big way. The church started a free furniture store, Finding Hope Center, three years ago with virtually no inventory or funds, only God’s calling. When space across from the church opened up, Taylor asked the landlord to give the church 30 days to raise a year’s rent. “We did not raise (the required) $25,000. God did it in 22 days, and we raised $31,000.” A year later Taylor received a call about connecting with a friend who had a storage unit with some furniture he wanted to give away. “We pulled up and it was the Midwest Distribution Center for La-Z-Boy Furniture, and we found out the director of that facility loved Jesus a whole lot,” Taylor said. They were given permission to take as much scratch-and-dent furniture as they wanted. The church has given away over in $700,000 in furniture and shared the gospel with 350 families. The pastor said, “We’re living in the middle of a miracle.”
Healthy pastors The Guidestone leaders addressed pastoral health in a luncheon the financial institution sponsored. President Hance Dilbeck (right) picked up a theme he introduced in an earlier visit to the Midwest in November— pastoral self-care. “If God is calling you to oversee the flock, you’ve got to oversee yourself,” he said, citing 1 Timothy 4:16. Paul tells Timothy to guard the self and the doctrine. More pastors fail at the issue of the self than of doctrine, Dilbeck said. “If we mess up in these two areas, it’s all going down the tubes—if we get the doctrine wrong, or we don’t pay attention to ourselves,” he said.
Hallway conversations “The geography of our state is a big challenge. The opportunity to fellowship with others is rare because of the distance (between towns and churches). People are able to come here for training regardless of the size of their church and receive practical tools to take home and be inspired… It is a real inspiration and encouragement.” —Ed Gregory, Baptist Convention of Iowa
“I came here for the first time in a long time. I enjoy the camaraderie, but I was surprised by how much I got from it. I came away with a lot of good ideas. Having a very clear, structured leadership development strategy is probably the main thing I’ll take away.” —Mark Goldman, FBC Herrin
“A take away for me was the emphasis on teambuilding. My husband, Rob, and I are trying to recruit leaders. Having specific standards is helpful. They encouraged us to look for people for our team who are like Jesus rather than ‘what they can do.’ The presenters were the very best. They were easy to understand and enthusiastic.” —Sandy Brogdon, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Roodhouse
“The church brought me in to help reach the diverse community around our church…There are Hispanics, African Americans, and mixed ethnicities represented. The church is right in the heart of the neighborhood…This conference rocked my world for doing ministry.” —Brian Morgan, Pasfield Baptist Church, Springfield
“I just started as pastor on January 1st, so I am brand new to the ministry and to this gathering. It has been filled with many good strategies. The breakout on having the church get together to realize the problems and how to fix them, rather than pointing fingers, to come up with the master plan—that was very good.” —Rene’ Escalante, Fellowship Baptist Church, South Chicago Heights
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One church, 60 years The inspiration of Edmund Hill
Ramsey| In many parts of Illinois, there are pastors who have stayed in their churches for 15, maybe 20 years. And some longer than that, like maybe 25. But few have stayed 60 years. Edmund Hill, age 88, has been the pastor of Bayle City Baptist Church since 1963, more than 60 years now. He was recognized at the annual meeting of the Illinois Baptist State Association last fall. IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams asked the crowd if they could remember a few things that were around in 1963. He said the computer mouse had not yet been invented. Instant coffee was brought on the market about that time. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And the population of the world has almost doubled since then. All through this, Edmund Hill has been serving Bayle City. Pastor Hill said he was attending church with his parents as a 28-yearold when an older pastor stopped
by his home church in Ramsey. He asked Hill if he would be interested in preaching at the Bayle City church. Hill agreed. “I thought I might be there a few months,” Hill said. But 60 years later, he’s still serving there and his congregation loves him. He’s baptized generations of people—sometimes children, their parents, and their grandparents. Bayle City is a rural community of about 50 people outside Ramsey in south central Illinois. The Baptist church is the only church around. Joe Lawson, associational mission strategist for Rehoboth Association said, “Edmund is persistent and tenacious” as a bivocational pastor. “There have been ups and downs as he has pastored but he has never wavered from God’s call.” Lawson remarked, “Edmund is an evangelist. He shares his faith regularly.” Bayle City church has never been
large, maybe 40-50 attenders in 1963. Now they have about 20 people. There is a mix of ages, from middle-aged to seniors, and on Wednesday evenings they have 15 teenagers and some children who come for student ministry. Pastor Hill told a couple of stories about people God laid on his heart. One man was coming to visit him from the community of Pana. He sat down with Hill in his basement and accepted Christ. Another man, named Bob, mowed the church yard. Hill felt the Lord leading him to go share Jesus with this 91-year-old man. Four evenings later Bob prayed to receive Christ. Four days after that he passed into eternity. “I hope you see the heart of a man who pastors a church for 60 years,” Adams told the annual meeting participants. “I hope, in addition to pursuing church health, it gives some hope to you as well.” Hill’s wife, Genevieve, has been a partner in the ministry. She encourages the Bayle City members and helps Hill with church arrangements. Asked for advice, Hill said “I never intended to preach.” He was a farmer and heavy equipment operator most of his life, along with his bivocational ministry. “But God has a way of convincing us what he wants us to do.” “I am not for change for change’s sake,” Hill said. “Don’t think of it as ‘Well, I will pastor here for a while and another church will come along.’ The best thing a pastor can do is visit the lost. It’s hard to beat an individual visit.” Why did he stay 60 years? “When I went there, I went from Sunday to Sunday and finally just became the pastor,” Hill said. “Other churches contacted me (to preach) but I saw no reason to move. I became attached to the church. I’m happy there. I just didn’t see the need to move.”
IBSA Associate Executive Director Mark Emerson said, “The turnover rate among pastors of churches continues to increase. Zone consultant reports show an average of 10% of IBSA churches (around ninety) are currently seeking a pastor.” He noted that longer tenure of a pastor, like Pastor Hill, helps the church and the pastor as they determine to do ministry together. Emerson said for the first few years there is a honeymoon period. That ends and trust is built up until after the fifth year. At that time there is a need to “reinvent” oneself as pastor. New ministries and initiatives must be started to maintain vitality. This needs to occur every 7-10 years throughout the pastor’s tenure. Lawson said he would encourage pastors to see that “long tenure is effective tenure.” When a pastor stays around a while, he gets to baptize generations of people. Projects get completed, he said, and the pastor sees the fruits of his evangelism. “Don’t go three years and out, or five years and out,” Lawson urged. Edmund Hill is still on the job, for as long as the Lord allows. And after 60 years, he remains determined to do his best. Richard Nations is Associational Missions Strategist for Sandy Creek Baptist Association.
Survey: Half of pastors consider leaving The number of pastors who have thought about leaving their church or leaving ministry altogether increased in the years after Covid closures, according to a new survey by Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Surveyed in fall 2023, 53% of church leaders have mulled departing ministry since 2020, up from 37% in a similar survey in 2021. At the same time, 44% have serious considered leaving their current church, double 21% reported three years ago. In the poll, the oldest and youngest pastors were more likely to stay while pastors from Gen-X (born 1965 to 1980) were more likely to consider a career move. The growing discontent among pastors was described as a “disconcerting” reality that implies
“clergy are in the midst of a challenging time,” Christian Post reported. The average clergyman is 59 years old and has
been in his position seven years. While 75% were full-time, 60% were solo pastors with little additional team leadership. “Fewer people from younger generations now participate. Vitality measures are down, and greater numbers of attendees increasingly concentrate in the larger churches. Any post-pandemic rebound that happened did not rectify this situation, far from it,” researcher Scott Thumma said. “Less than half of congregations have recovered to or surpassed their pre-pandemic reality across several key measurements, such as attendance numbers or financial health,” they explained. Researchers characterized the result as diminished morale, with 35% of churches saying their future is uncertain. —IB Staff with information from Christian Post
February 01, 2024
IBSA.org
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GROWING MEET THE TEAM
Nic Cook
Network Communications Coordinator Home: As an Air Force kid, I lived in quite a few places including Guam, North Dakota, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. God brought me here, and I married a Chatham girl. So, I’ve called Illinois home for 17 years. Education: Degrees in music for vocal performance, Master of Ministry, certification in spiritual direction. Ministry: Worship pastor 15 years, lead pastor for 7. Favorite verse: I have grown to love John 15:15. It’s easy to understand a servant relationship with Jesus, but friendship is what I think he really longs for with us. Favorite Bible person: Peter, because I jump in with both feet. Sometimes it leads to moments of walking on water towards Jesus, and sometimes it leads to needing Jesus to pick up an ear or two. I love the tenderness of Jesus pursuing Peter after his failures and commissioning him back into the mission.
table talk
You gotta have friends For people in ministry, it’s vital to our souls
“Friendship seems as necessary an element of a comfortable existence in this world as fire or water, or even air itself,” Charles Spurgeon wrote. “A man may drag along a miserable existence in proud solitary dignity, but his life is scarce life, it is nothing but an existence, the tree of life being stripped of the leaves of hope and the fruits of joy. He who would be happy here must have friends; and he who would be happy hereafter, must, above all things, find a friend in the world to come, in the person of God, the Father of his people.” In the camaraderie of brothers and sisters I served alongside after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, I learned the importance of not living in isolation. This lesson was reiterated recently as I have walked with family and friends through the trauma of the accident in Phoenix that resulted in the loss of life of one and severely injured three others from Ten Mile Baptist Church. It is dangerous and unwise to live life disconnected from others. Solomon warned, “One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound wisdom” (Prov. 18:1) God spoke in Genesis 2:16, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” This is the only item in the creation account called “not good.” Adam had perfect fellowship with
God in the Garden, but the Lord saw fit that man needed the companionship of others. Friendship is perfectly demonstrated in the Trinity by the relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. As image bearers, we have an innate desire for fellowship as it reflects our Creator. In Scripture, we see a variety of friendships: Jesus with Peter, James, and John the Beloved; David and Jonathan who exhibited brotherly love to one another; Paul and Timothy in a mentoring kind of friendship; in-laws Naomi and Ruth. Common to them all is affirmation. It’s an important part of relationships, and of the culture of ministry. In his book, Made for Friendship, pastor Drew Hunter offers practical steps regarding affirmation. Guys are especially good at giving a jab in the side with a sarcastic comment, but we don’t always know how that may actually be tearing the other person down. As a counselor, I often hear clients say, “I’ve heard those things all my life, and now I believe them.” But Scripture says, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:10 ESV). Hunter wrote, “Whenever the thought crosses your mind to affirm something about someone,
Hobby: Recording music over the past year, and I’m having a blast. Favorite food: Anything Teriyaki flavored, and I could survive on Chipotle burritos. Author: C.S. Lewis. I love his space trilogy and the Narnia stories. Character: Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings, a compelling picture of goodness, faithfulness, and friendship. Desert island disc: Switchfoot’s Beautiful Letdown A quote I find myself saying: From my dad, “Wherever you go, there you are.”
The pastorate can be a very lonely position... Except on those days when you’re way behind on sermon prep.
do it, and do it without hesitation.” Maybe it doesn’t feel normal to look your friend in the eye and say you admire him or her. For guys that can be particularly hard when sarcasm has been the most common form of expression. Most guys who come to my office were taught as boys to suppress their emotions. Because of this, emotions and affirmation can be uncomfortable. That discomfort often is expressed in the form of sarcasm. They do not know how to handle or express true affection. David slayed Goliath as well as the lion and the bear, but he also played the harp and wrote poetry in the form of psalms. If we read a few psalms, we will hear the depth of emotion expressed in the words of David. With practice, kind words and affirmation will begin to feel normal. “If you desire true friendship, it is not because you are weak; it is because you’re not a rock,” Hunter wrote. “You are made in the image of the God of exuberant love. You are most like God, and you are most truly human when you want friendship. Your unmet longings for friendship are not evidence of a deficiency; they are signs of your dignity. God made you for friendship.” Those in ministry especially need friends who will love them because of who they are, not just because they are a leader in their church. This kind of culture change starts from the top. If we are the example of a good, faithful friend, we are more likely to find good, faithful friends. A good friend handed me a copy of Made for Friendship a year ago and asked me to put its principles into practice. I’m working on it. And I’m discovering in biblical friendship, we find encouragement and the strength to persevere. Jared Pryer is a counselor in Mt. Vernon and teaches adults and youth at Ten Mile Baptist Church in McLeansboro.
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Illinois Baptist
for the pastor
‘But I’m willing to try!’ “We’ve never done it that way… but I’m willing to try it.” This was the response of one of our church’s worship team leaders after I shared a plan to return from the pandemic that would stretch our all-volunteer team to the limits. We were moving from one service to three, two on Sunday morning and one on Saturday night. While this move would allow people to spread out during Covid and add flexibility to reach more people, the worship team and tech teams would be increasing their responsibilities. It would have been easy at that moment and over the following months for complaints to arise, but that was never what I heard. The worship team saw the additional services as an opportunity to serve our people and reach our community. Instead of saying, “This will never work,” they said, “How can we make this work?” I cannot tell you how much their attitude buoyed me during a time when I was keenly aware of my own anxiety in a trying season of ministry. An openness to change, even an enthusiasm to try something that was difficult was a source of encouragement to me. There is little that will breathe wind into the sails of a pastor’s heart like a congregation that is eager to innovate to reach the lost and make disciples. Nothing says you are for your pastor more than following him into new endeavors. In his book Lead Like It Matters: 7 Leadership Principles for a Church That Lasts, Craig Groeschel reminds us that if we want “to reach people no one is reaching, we’ll have to do things
no one is doing.” We must not allow fear of failure stifle stepping out into what God calls us to. As William Carey said, we must “expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.” Change isn’t the goal. Henry Blackaby reminds us that the goal is aligning ourselves with the work God is doing in his world. Adjustments are needed for us to experience the joys of obedience and partnership with God in his work. Pastors must work to cultivate an environment where these kinds of adjustments become normal. This requires trust that comes from relational investment with our people. We need to be open and transparent about the reasons for and risks of a change and be honest when a change doesn’t pan out as we hoped. I’ve found it true that God often does new things in our hearts and in our churches when we attempt new things. In our season of pandemic-driven innovation, we witnessed every new member who came to the church during that time start in a new service time. Our worship team grew with new vocalists and instrumentalists. New tech team leaders were trained. God blessed our efforts beyond what we expected. The next time you feel those words welling up, “We’ve never done it that way,” consider adding, “But I’m willing to try it!” Michael Awbrey is Leadership Development Director for the IBSA Growth Team.
The pastor’s life isn’t easy. It helps to share the journey with someone who understands. Learn more about your network that ministers to those who minister. IBSA.org/for-the-pastor
In Paul’s steps…
Athens, Patmos, Corinth, Ephesus Historic sites of the first-century church
Visit Greece with a Cruise April 22-May 1, 2024 Led by Nate and Beth Adams Offered by Believer’s Travel For more information email NateAdams@IBSA.org, phone 217-391-3108, or scan the QR code.
February 01, 2024
IBSA.org
Noeth recalled for service with humor Jim Noeth, 67, died Jan. 1 after a battle with cancer. Noeth and his wife, Pattie, have been familiar faces in the Illinois Baptist family. They served with Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief and Campers on Mission. In retirement, the Noeths often served at Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp. “He could often be found working on one of his many projects, improving this campus one thing at a time,” said camp manager Brock Vandever. The Noeths had volunteered at the camp near Pinckneyville for more than eight years, often parking their camper on the grounds to stay close to the work—and the ministry. “He led by example and took time to impart his vast knowledge to the younger generations in anything that he could, whether it was electrical work or sharing a Scripture with them. He especially loved summer camp season when kids were having fun and learning about Jesus. He never passed up the opportunity to do laser
tag as a moment to share Jesus with them and ultimately, he had as much fun as the kids did,” Vandever said. “He truly saw this camp as his ministry calling and lived that out, day in and day out, even sacrificing other things so that this campus could be a blessing to everyone who walked on property. He will be deeply missed for his kindness, love, humor, joy, and compassion,” Vandever said. Noeth was a deacon at Meadow Heights Baptist Church in Collinsville. Noeth is survived by his wife, Pattie, and two children and their families.
C on fer en c e
B i b l i c a l T r a i n i n g f o r To d a y ’s C u l t u r e
RECOVERING
Biblical Manhood
Dr. Scott Lively
Author, Attorney, Human Rights Consultant, Pastor & Missionary
Nancy Pearcey
Bestselling Author & Founding Editor of BreakPoint Radio
with the lord Joe E. Proctor, 90, of Herrin died Dec. 17, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Joanna, a son, Daniel, and numerous grandchildren. He was preceded in death by another son, David. Proctor held three degrees from William Jewell College, a Baptist school in Missouri. After two years as a chaplain’s assistant in the U.S. Army, Proctor began serving as minister of music in Missouri and Illinois Baptist churches. For 25 years, beginning in 1969, he taught music and foreign languages at Herrin High School, then in retirement served on mission trips in Europe and Asia. His body was gifted to the SIU Medical School.
Tenth Annual
W or l d v i e w
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CLASSIFIED AD FREDERICK BOULEVARD BAPTIST CHURCH in St. Joseph, Mo. seeks a Lead Pastor to join our elders and ministerial staff to contribute with expositional preaching, discipleship leadership, and administration. More information at frederickboulevard.com/ps.
Networking
Send Networking items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org
McArthur Drive Baptist Church is seeking a bi-vocational pastor to lead into their next phase of ministry. Send resume to Pastor Search Committee, 109 N. McArthur Drive, North Pekin, IL 61554, or email MDBC65@yahoo.com.
Martinsville First Baptist Church seeks a bi-vocational pastor. The church seeks an energetic candidate to work with a motivated congregation to grow programs for all ages. Send resume to MFBCpastorsearch@ yahoo.com.
Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, IL seeks a senior pastor to lead a thriving church in the next season of growth. LABC is a multi-staff church in a college town averaging almost 300 in worship. Please apply through “Senior Pastor Search” tab at LABCjacksonville.org.
Search more church openings at IBSA.org/pastor-search or scan this code.
Pastor Myles Holmes Author & Pastor of REVIVE in Collinsville, IL
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, March 2, 2024 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Village Church of Barrington / 1600 E Main St., Barrington, IL Contact Us: 708-781-9328 / illinoisfamily.org
April 26-27, 2024 Bank of Springfield Center, Springfield, Il For more information visit IBSA.org/priority or scan the QR code
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Illinois Baptist
Tracker
BRIGHTER DAY
Learning to suffer well
Y
ears ago, I worked with a friend life. All along, she says, she thought who had gone through a lot of she was learning how to live a happy difficulties in her life. Because life. But really, the opposite was true. she was transparent about the hard She was learning how to die. things she had experienced, I asked if That’s a bleak thought for this I could interview her about how she’d midwinter, but a true one. Time managed to walk faithfully through wears us all down, softening edges them. and smoothing rough places. At some I had in mind I’d write a book about point, life becomes more about endhow to suffer well, having not sufings than beginnings. fered very much myself. I wanted I could anxiously wait on to be prepared for when that the other shoe to drop, or day came, and a seasoned I could commit to memsufferer who still trusted ory what I’ve learned God seemed like the best watching others: be example to follow. honest, in prayer and in My friend and I your community group. never entered a formal Trust people with the interview process, but I hard things, and trust propped my elbows on her God with your biggest high desk many times and fears. Accept help. Practice MEREDITH FLYNN listened, trying to gain wisthankfulness. Draw near dom I could use when my hard things to God, and he will draw near to you came. (James 4:8). I’m almost 20 years older now, I was arrogant to think I could write and thankful that I haven’t yet gone a book that would help me and others through most of what she had at my get through suffering without as age. But the inevitability of suffermuch pain. ing—the certainty of it—is even closer Twenty years later, I know ease now than it was then. And again, God isn’t the aim or even a possibility. has been impressing on me the value Suffering is going to come. Faithful of watching closely as others walk examples are a gift before, during, through trials. and after the hard things. It strikes me that one of the unsung benefits of community is learning Meredith Day Flynn is a wife and from the examples of people who are mother of two living in Springfield. relying on God to carry them through. She writes on the intersection of The songwriter Jon Foreman wrote faith, family, and current culture. about a woman nearing the end of her
EVENTS February 11
Pursing God Together: Marriage Retreat
Where: President Abraham Lincoln Doubletree Hotel, Springfield What: The retreat focuses on replenishing couples spiritually, maritally, and missionally. Couples will be encouraged with a renewed sense of passion to pursue God’s purpose together. Cost: Free; full, can join waitlist Info: IBSA.org/pgt Contact: AubreyShelby@IBSA.org
March 3-10
Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions
What: Annual giving for church planting and compassion ministries in North America Where: Your church How: Pray for a goal and set out to reach it. Pray for church planters and missionaries in SEND Cities including Chicagoland and Metro St. Louis
Trends from nearby and around the world.
Midwest believers: Percentage of evangelicals
Among our immediate neighbors, Illinois comes in next-to-last in the percentage of people who selfidentify as evangelical (23.7%), with Wisconsin coming in last. Surprisingly, California has more evangelicals than Illinois (24.8%). In the rest of the nation, Mississippi has the highest percentage (53.9%) and Vermont is lowest (12.1%). As a region, New England has the lowest averages, with no state above 18%. —info from Ryan Burge, using data from Nationscape
april 12-13
April 20-26
Where: Streator Baptist Camp What: Includes worship and recreation. Group sessions will be led by your leaders using the Never Alone D-Now curriculum from LeaderTreks and provided by IBSA. Cost: $35, T-shirts +$10 Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org Info: IBSA.org/events/d-now-weekend
Where: Southeast Guatemala What: IBSA pastors are invited to assist in pastoral training, personal evangelism, and revival services. Carlton Binkley, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist in Decatur, will guide the team along with IBSA Mission Director Shannon Ford. Cost: Approx. $1,500 per participant (airfare, local travel, food, and lodging) Info: IBSA.org/events/guatemalamissiontrip/ Contact: ShannonFord@IBSA.org
D-Now Weekend
Ignite Evangelism Conference
March 17-18 – FBC, Fairview Heights May 5-6 – Campground Baptist, Mt. Vernon May 19-20 – Alpha, Bolingbrook What: Learn to share faith effectively. Help your church reach lost friends, family, and people in your community for Christ. Cost: Free Info: IBSA.org/ministries/evangelism/ Contact: LisaHarbaugh@IBSA.org
Guatemala Mission Trip
Disaster Relief Training
April 12-13 – Emmanuel Baptist, Carlinville May 18 – Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville What: Practical training in chaplaincy, flood recovery, feeding, chainsaw, childcare, communications, more. Cost: Current members are free. New members or those with expired badges pay $50, which includes trainings for three years, badge, and background check. Info: IBSA.org/ministries/disaster-relief/ Contact: LisaHarbaugh@IBSA.org
April 26-27
Priority Women’s Conference
Where: Bank of Springfield Center, Springfield What: Celebrate God’s faithfulness through worship and studying God’s word, educational breakout sessions, and leave reminded they are not alone on their ministry journey. Cost: See website for pricing Info: IBSA.org/ministries/priority Contact: AubreyShelby@IBSA.org
See the IBSA calendar for more events. https://www.ibsa.org/calendar/