Scott Nichols, Send Chicago, NAMB & Pastor, Gospel Life, North Wheaton
Jericho Taetz, Worship Pastor, Ashburn Baptist, Orland Park
Tommy Thompson, Vice President, Pastors Conference & Pastor, Ashburn Baptist, Orland Park
Pam White, Chair, BFI & Member, The Ridge Church, Carbondale
Jef Williams, Chair, IBSA Resolutions Committee, Executive Director of Children’s Activity Center, East St. Louis, & Pastor, New Christian Fellowship, Fairview Heights
Tuesday
12:00 p.m. .
2:00 . .
Wednesday
Affinity Group Gatherings
. Order of Business Committee Meeting – Room 2
. Credentials Committee Meeting – Room 7
4:45 Chicagoland Baptists Dinner and Annual Meeting – Room 1
8:30 .
. Dessert served in the foyer
8:00 a.m. Women in Ministry Breakfast (Advance Registration Required) – Room 1
12:00 Resolutions and Christian Life Committee Meeting – Room 7
4:45 .
. . Cooperative Program Appreciation Dinner and Welcome to New Churches with the Executive Director (Advance Registration Required) – Room 1
7:30 a.m. Meet at Ashburn Baptist Church for Vision Tours/Mission Projects – (Advance Registration Required)
Childcare provided by Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief is available just off the foyer.
Announcements
• Please silence your phone when in the meeting.
• Livestreaming and all meeting details are available at IBSAannualmeeting.org.
• Resolutions may be submitted at the front of the auditorium until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday evening, for review by the Resolutions and Christian Life Committee.
• To nominate a person for office, the IBSA Constitution reads, “All nominators, after obtaining prior consent of the nominee, in their nomination speech shall include but not be limited to (1) the name and role of the nominee, (2) nominee’s history of service to IBSA, and, (3) the history and participation in the Cooperative Program of the church and or nominee.”
• Messengers may make motions following reports and during periods of miscellaneous business.
o A messenger may propose: “I move/propose that…”
o Motions require a second messenger to agree to consider the motion by stating, “I second…” If no one seconds, the motion fails.
o If the motion has been seconded, messengers will then have an opportunity to speak in favor or against the motion before a vote is taken.
• Offerings during the Annual Meeting will go to the IBSA Minister’s Relief Fund. These gifts help IBSA ministers who love and serve the local church, and are experiencing hard times and unexpected transitions. You can give digitally at www.IBSAAnnualMeeting/ministersrelief or by scanning the QR code below.
Prayer Prompts
• As we gather and worship, ask the Holy Spirit to unify our hearts.
• As we make decisions, ask for “Spirit-guided” collective wisdom.
• As reports are made, give thanks, and ask for increase next year
• When we are challenged to pursue health and hope, pray for courageous obedience.
• When we return home, challenge your church to “pray continually.”
Illinois Baptist State Association Officers and Committee Reports
FORMER PRESIDENT
Michael Nave (resigned Oct. 24, 2024) Marion, IL michael.a.nave@gmail.com
*PRESIDENT
Carlton Binkley Decatur, IL carlton.binkley@gmail.com
RECORDING SECRETARY
Charlene Moe Chatham, IL cedmi1@uis.edu
ASSISTANT RECORDING SECRETARY
Matt Philbrick Ramsey, IL philby08@yahoo.com
*Under Officers Section: Article 6 Section 7. In the event the president is unwilling or unable to complete the term of office, the vice president shall assume the office of president, vacating the office of vice president. Assumption of the office of president by the vice president will be considered a full term providing the major fraction of the term is served.
Committee on Order of Business Report
The 2024 Committee on Order of Business met after the 2023 Annual Meeting in Marion to evaluate the 2023 Annual Meeting. They met on March 14 and September 12 to make decisions regarding 2024 meeting plans, to propose the 2027 meeting location, and to confirm and update information to report for the 2025 and 2026 meetings, which are being planned for the Crowne Plaza in Springfield November 4-5, 2025, and Metro Community Church in Edwardsville November 3-4, 2026.
The Committee recommends that:
1.Doug Munton of First Baptist Church of O’Fallon bring the 2025 sermon, and that Seth Conerly of Metro Community Church, Edwardsville be the alternate speaker.
2.The 2027 IBSA Annual Meeting be held at First Baptist Church in Marion on November 9-10, 2027.
Respectfully submitted:
Will Bynum
Glen Carty
Jeanette Cloyd
Rick Dorsey
Jeff Downard
Lawrence Haskin
Ben Hottel, Vice Chair
Nate Mason, Secretary
Corey Menken, Chair
Jon Montgomery
Charles Peck
2025 Officers
Corey Menken, Chair
Rick Dorsey, Vice Chair
Jeanette Cloyd, Secretary
Credentials Committee Report
The Credentials Committee first met on March 14 to review responsibilities and to preview the application and interview processes for considering new churches for IBSA cooperation. Throughout the year, members of the Credentials Committee received completed applications for cooperating with IBSA from 12 churches and conducted interviews with a leader from each of the churches. One church was not ready to move forward in the process for friendly cooperation. The Credentials Committee met on September 24 and October 3 to review applications, and recommends to messengers of the 2024 IBSA Annual Meeting the following churches, to be considered in friendly cooperation with the Illinois Baptist State Association:
CityLine Bible Church, Niles College Avenue Baptist Church, Normal Garden City Church, Chicago
Lai Christian Church, East Moline
Manchester Baptist Church Ministerios Yahweh, Decatur Redeemer Community, Minonk Redeemer Reformed, Ashley Redemption City, Rockford
The Lively Stone Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago
The River Christian Assembly (The River Church), Cahokia Heights
The Committee further recommends the Association deem no longer in friendly cooperation the following churches that have not been cooperating for at least five (5) years, in accordance with IBSA Constitution Article 4, Sections 3, 4 and 10:
First Baptist Church, East Carondelet Christ Church, Michigan City, Indiana
New Seasons, Chicago Truth Foundation Ministries, Bolingbrook
The committee discussed the importance of continuing to try and reclaim the non-cooperating churches. This is being done by IBSA staff through multiple letters each year, and through attempts at personal contact and reclamation by the IBSA staff and associational leadership.
Respectfully submitted,
Bob Burton
Ron Closson
Don Evans, Chair
Jay Huddleston
Brian Lingle
Alex Melton
Andrew Post, Vice Chair
James Shannon
Ryan Tackett
Reed Tallman, Secretary
2025 Officers:
Chair – Reed Tallman
Vice Chair – Alex Melton
Secretary – Brian Lingle
Historical Committee Report
The Historical Committee met on March 12, 2024. Assigned tasks and responsibilities were reviewed.
The committee was excited to see the newest acquisition to the archives. It is the first mechanical recording device used by any employee of IBSA. It had been purchased in 1943 by the editor of the Illinois Baptist and was used at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Chicago in 1950. A pastor found it at an antique auction and bought it for $100.
Deb Bier and Susan Full gave the Archive Ad Hoc Work Group Report. They stated that associational annuals continue to be the best source of Illinois Baptist history. They asked that the annuals be sent each year to the library for storage. A policy is being developed that will outline how donated materials from disbanded churches will be handled when received.
Progress is being made on completing a display area on the first floor of the IBSA Building in the welcome area of the Resource Room.
Respectfully submitted:
Mark Barber
Doug Bell, Vice Chair
Deb Bier
Sharon Carty
Carl Dillow
Jan Elliott
Frank Forthman Jr., Chair
Susan Full
Walter Kant
Walter Philbrick
Judy Rinkenberger, Secretary
2025 Officers:
Carl Dillow, Chair
Walter Philbrick, Vice Chair
Judy Rinkenberger, Secretary
Resolutions and Christian Life Committee Report
The Committee met March 12 to discuss potential resolutions to be presented at the 2024 IBSA Annual Meeting and assigned topics to members. The Committee then reviewed drafted resolutions at its September 12 meeting.
The Committee recommends the following resolutions for vote at the 2024 IBSA Annual Meeting. Any additional resolutions by messengers are to be submitted by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12. The Committee will meet to discuss any newly submitted resolutions, and either prepare those resolutions for presentation and vote at the afternoon session on Wednesday, November 13 or recommend that they be referred to the 2025 Resolutions and Christian Life Committee for further work and consideration.
Resolution on Appreciation to Ashburn Baptist Church
WHEREAS, Ashburn Baptist Church has clearly demonstrated the gift of biblical hospitality in hosting the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Illinois Baptist State Association; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Tommy Thompson, along with the staff and members of Ashburn Baptist Church and its multiple campuses, have reflected generosity and the cooperative spirit of the IBSA family by giving of their time, resources, and facilities; and
WHEREAS, the church has extended exemplary cooperation in working with IBSA officers, staff, and leadership; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the messengers to the 2024 Illinois Baptist State Association Annual Meeting, November 12-13 at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, Illinois, express our deepest appreciation and commit to pray for God’s continued blessing on this church as they seek to serve their community and the Lord, as he transforms lives through the power of the gospel.
Resolution on the Centennial Anniversary of the SBC Cooperative Program
WHEREAS, in 2025 Southern Baptists will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Cooperative Program; and
WHEREAS, upon the establishment of the Cooperative Program, M.E. Dodd, Chairman of the Commission on the Future Program, exhorted Southern Baptists toward “a unity of purpose and consecration never known before;” and
WHEREAS, since 1925 the Cooperative Program has provided a comprehensive funding mechanism for like-minded Baptist churches to support missions in all the world, all the time, at the same time (Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 1:8); and
WHEREAS, the biblical principle of cooperation compels us to work together and thereby have greater impact for our collaborative efforts (Acts 15:25-26; Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 9:12; 3 John 5-6); and
WHEREAS, over the past 100 years, Illinois Baptists have contributed millions of dollars through the Cooperative Program to fund missionaries, disaster relief efforts, church planting, church revitalization, chaplaincies, evangelistic initiatives, discipleship strategies, pastor care, Christian education, Baptist communications, human needs ministries, and more; and
WHEREAS, Illinois Baptists have made a great commitment to our missionaries, both at home and abroad,
and to our larger family of Baptist workers whose Great Commission efforts are supported and sustained through Cooperative Program giving; and
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 3 of the IBSA Constitution states that a church will be deemed “cooperating” when it has “contributed financially through IBSA to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Illinois Baptist State Association meeting in Orland Park, IL, November 12-13, 2024, enthusiastically affirm the Cooperative Program as our primary method of funding our Great Commission cooperation at home and abroad; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we ascribe thanksgiving and glory to God for blessing the partnership in the gospel we have known through Cooperative Program giving for 100 years (Phil. 1:3-5); and be it further
RESOLVED, that we are grateful for the churches that give faithfully and sacrificially through the Cooperative Program and for all who all who openly promote, support, and commit to the Cooperative Program among our family of churches, associations, and ministry partners; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that we recommit ourselves to the celebration and promotion of the Cooperative Program within our churches, associations, and entities, especially during its 100th year.
Resolution on Continued Affirmation and Celebration of the Baptist Faith & Message as its Centennial Anniversary Approaches
WHEREAS, the year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the Southern Baptist Convention’s doctrinal statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, that helped summarize the biblical basis of our overall unity and cooperation together as Southern Baptists; and
WHEREAS, this unity and cooperation enables autonomous churches to partner together and advance the gospel locally, regionally, nationally, and globally in order to fulfill the Great Commission; and
WHEREAS, this voluntary partnership calls for an ongoing commitment to both biblical unity and missional cooperation; and
WHEREAS, our unity as IBSA churches is established on the inerrant, infallible, and inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21); and
WHEREAS, Article III, Section 1 of the IBSA Constitution states that we adopt as our sole authority “the Bible as the basis for all our faith and practice,” and that any confessions of faith constitute a “consensus of opinion” for general instruction and guidance “concerning those articles of the Christian faith which are most surely held among us;” (Article III, Section 3); now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that we will continue to strive for unity together around God’s Word as the basis of our cooperation which this association of churches believes to be faithfully summarized in The Baptist Faith and Message 1925, 1963, 1998, and 2000 (rev. 2023); and be it further
RESOLVED, that we will continue to strive for doctrinal fidelity and clarity around the essentials of our faith, and the Good News of Jesus Christ, which will enable us to continue to cooperate together, even amidst otherwise tertiary differences as autonomous local churches; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this ongoing commitment to The Baptist Faith & Message will be for the sake of God’s mission to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Resolution on Unity in the Church, Community, and Home following the 2024 Election
WHEREAS, a resolution for unity following the national election was presented for consideration and adopted during the 2020 IBSA Annual meeting; and
WHEREAS, our nation continues in a state of political, moral, and spiritual brokenness that can only be changed through the gospel of Jesus Christ; and
WHEREAS, Jesus Christ, through his Spirit, has united his people under his lordship and has commanded believers to join in joyfully reconciling, redeeming, and restoring sinners to their Creator through his gospel; and
WHEREAS, Scripture urges unity among believers through a spirit of humility, gentleness, patience, and love (Eph. 4:3), and reminds us that we must submit ourselves to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established (Rom. 13:1); and
WHEREAS, cooperation of churches in the Illinois Baptist State Association is based, not on political beliefs, party affiliation, or support for particular candidates in any election, but on unity in the work of elevating Jesus Christ in the church, community, and home; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the messengers to the 2024 Illinois Baptist State Association Annual Meeting, November 12-13 at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, Illinois, do hereby seek to set an example of unity, showing the world that we are Jesus’ disciples by the way we love each other, even in our political differences; and, be it further
RESOLVED, that our hope and our pursuits in this life are ultimately guided by our hope in Christ Jesus and not by the results of an election, and regardless of the outcome of said election, we, as members of Christ’s church will seek to pursue peace in our nation and in our Association, thanking God especially for giving us a fellowship that celebrates unity and cooperation among autonomous church bodies, respecting one another; and, be it finally
RESOLVED, that we encourage all Southern Baptist churches in Illinois and nationwide to continue elevating Jesus Christ above all political parties or partisan stances in the church, community, and home, and to deepen our commitment to cooperate with unity in the mission of advancing God’s Kingdom during this election season and beyond.
Resolution on the Office of Pastor/Elder/Overseer
WHEREAS, the Baptist Faith and Message, (2000, rev. 2023) affirms that a New Testament church is “an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers,” (Article VI.) and the Holy Bible, the Scriptures, are “the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.” and
WHEREAS, Galatians 3:26-29 states that “there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female,” recognizing that the church welcomes people who come from all ethnic backgrounds, different sociopolitical status, and both genders, and calls them all to come and find their truer identity in Christ; and
WHEREAS, the Holy Spirit bestows all believers, both men and women, with varied gifts as indicated in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 and all are encouraged to use their gifts for the building up of the church; and
WHEREAS, the early church recognized women in significant roles of service to the church, as recorded in Romans 16:1-15, Acts 18:24-26, and 1 Corinthians 16:19; and
WHEREAS, the scriptures, in Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:2-7, when giving the qualifications for pastors/ elders/overseers use masculine language; and
WHEREAS, 1 Timothy 2:12-14 indicates that the primary authorities in the church under the headship of Christ are to be male, recognizing this as rooted in the order of creation and the fall; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Baptist State Association recognizes autonomous churches who hold to various Baptist confessions of faith, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the messengers to the 2024 Illinois Baptist State Association Annual Meeting, November 12-13, at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, Illinois, affirm our agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message (2000, rev. 2023) that “two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon,” and that “while both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” And be it further
RESOLVED, that Illinois Baptists will endeavor to prayerfully encourage the service of spiritually qualified and gifted men and women in our autonomous churches within the guidance of the Scriptures’ teaching on the offices of the church.
Resolution on the Commitment to Strong and Successful Marriages
WHEREAS, the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (rev. 2023) states that “God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society,” and that “Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime;” and
WHEREAS, Illinois Baptists joyfully and steadfastly rely on the Holy Bible as true and totally trustworthy, without any mixture of error; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40-50% of first marriages and 60-67% of second marriages end in divorce, due to some valid, yet many other invalid and unbiblical reasons, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the messengers to the 2024 Illinois Baptist State Association Annual Meeting, November 12-13 at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, Illinois, grieve deeply the spiritual and mental anguish that families have suffered due to the current state of the institution of marriage in our country; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we encourage pastors, officiants, and other leaders of the church to take seriously their commitment to strong biblical marriages by counseling with couples before marriage in order to ensure that there is an understanding that marriage is a commitment between one man and one woman, as well as a covenant with God, to remain bound together as one flesh (Mrk. 10:8) until only death shall separate (Mrk. 10:9), and they should also determine, through such counseling, whether or not the couple should be counseled to continue forward in marriage, especially if there is evidence that there may be an issue or issues that will seriously hinder the marriage, being the voice of reason when needed, and to consider excluding themselves from the wedding when necessary; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we, as members of the body of Christ will also seek to encourage and promote strong marriages within our churches, even among those in leadership, by being vigilant to encourage couples, providing opportunities for education and growth, and by bearing one another ’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), and we will also take seriously our commitments within our own marriages, and seek to love and respect (Eph. 5:22-26) our spouses according to God’s description of love (1 Cor. 13:4-8); and be it finally
RESOLVED, that we will endeavor to help struggling families find peace in Christ that is beyond under-
standing (Phil. 4:7), love amongst the saints that is without hypocrisy (Rom. 12:9) and hope in the future where God makes all things new (Rev. 21:5).
Respectfully submitted:
Rich Barnett
Allen Boland
Cliff Easter
Debbie Giacomo, Secretary
Tom Gray
John Howard
Tom Rains, Vice Chair
Barry Sink
Dewayne Taylor
Jason Webb
Jef Williams, Chair
Joshua York
2025 Officers:
Jef Williams, Chair
Rich Barnett, Vice Chair
Debbie Giacomo, Secretary
IBSA Board of Directors’ Reports
Chairman of the Board of Directors’ Report
Bruce Kirk
The IBSA Board of Directors continues to bring value to the 900 Baptist churches in the state of Illinois. As our world recovers from the repercussions of Covid-19, many different areas of church ministry continue to be affected, including baptisms. However the Board has kept its focus on kingdom initiatives. Based on the proactive approach of our executive Director Nate Adams and his staff there is evidence of recovery across our state. The IBSA continues to promote health, growth, and mission among churches, and encouraging results are surfacing. Pastors who embrace assistance from this strategic plan are beginning to see and reap its benefits.
Based on the close working relationship between the board and our executive director and staff, new strategies were adopted. Recognizing that if the pastor of a church is fatigued, burned out, or unhealthy, the entire church may suffer, the board recommended greater attention be paid to the health of the pastors in Illinois. Without hesitation, Nate and his staff crafted a “FOR the Pastor” plan to address the health of the pastors across the state. This spirit of cooperation between the board and our executive director and his staff bring great value to the churches of our state.
A careful consideration has been made to prioritize kingdom resources before brick and mortar. However future generations of Illinois Baptist will inherit our Illinois Baptist State Association building in good condition. Many upgrades have been made on the first floor of our facility. The resources were well spent. The parking lot has been repaved, and there will be some additional upgrades on the building.
Serving as IBSA board chair I am encouraged by the commitment of the board members and staff. I am blessed to have Josh Bledsoe working beside me as vice chair and Paul Cooper as Board secretary. I believe these two men love God, and God’s people. These two men’s service to Illinois Baptists is a testimony of their commitment to growing the kingdom. I would be remiss not to mention Jeff Logsdon our prior Board chairman. It was a blessing to serve with Jeff as he meticulously served Illinois Baptist. Jeff had great knowledge of the inner workings of the Illinois Baptist Association. It was a blessing to witness the seamless collaboration Jeff exhibited between himself, the board, our executive Director and the staff.
I would also like to thank Nate Adams and Barb Troeger for their help and their commitment to keep me updated. The day-to-day operations of this organism led by Nate Adams our Executive Director and his staff are commendable. The brotherhood and sisterhood of Nate’s staff is visible to all. There is so much more that I could say, but I will end this report by saying that the Illinois Baptist State Association by the power of the Holy Spirit in my opinion is in good hands.
IBSA Board of Directors Recommendations
The IBSA Board of Directors moves that the proposed 2025 budget, salary structure, and Cooperative Program ratio be approved as printed, based on a Cooperative Program Goal of $6,000,000 and a Cooperative Program ratio of 56.5%/43.5% (IBSA/SBC), excluding shared expenses not to exceed 10% of the Cooperative Program Goal.
Executive Director’s Report Dr. Nate Adams
Our devoted IBSA staff continues to passionately pursue the mission of “delivering network value that inspires each church to thrive, in health, growth, and mission.” We pursue that mission with five specific strategies. Three are “church-facing” strategies: Health, Growth, and Mission. And two are “network-facing” strategies: Engagement and Partnership. Each strategy has statements of measure, and from those more general statements of measure flow specific, annual goals and metrics, approved by the IBSA Board and monitored throughout the year.
While year-end data from the 2024 Annual Church Profile will not be available until January 2025, below are a few highlights of IBSA’s ministry outcomes thus far in 2024:
•Through September, 7 new churches have been planted in Illinois, with the possibility of 5 more by the end of the year. One of these plants was IBSA’s first in Brown County, reducing the number of Illinois counties without an IBSA church from 10 to 9. About 50 church plants are currently in some stage of development, from planning to gathering, to launching, to constitution and affiliation.
•In addition to those new church plants in progress,11 new churches are being presented for affiliation with IBSA and celebrated at this year’s IBSA Annual Meeting.
•100 churches have already been trained in developing intentional evangelism strategies this year, and 165 students thus far have been trained to share their faith, with fall Youth Encounter events soon to be added to that total. We were encouraged to see baptisms by IBSA churches bounce back by 41% in 2022, and another 30% in 2023, to 3,361, just below 2019’s pre-Covid level of 3,553. And we continue to hear anecdotal evidence of continued increases in baptisms in several churches this year
•Through August, 1,414 volunteers from 254 churches participated in IBSA-coordinated mission projects. In addition, 47 churches have been trained in developing intentional missions strategies.
•Our 2024 goal of continuing to engage at least 150 IBSA churches in intentional, Next Step consulting processes is well underway, with 136 churches engaged through August.
•Through August, 812 pastors and leaders have participated in leadership development processes. 2,108 church leaders have participated in a variety of ministry events, and 1,101 workers have been trained in specific church ministry skills.
•In January (23-25), IBSA hosted 988 leaders from 12 Midwest states for the Midwest Leadership Summit at the Crowne Plaza and surrounding hotels in Springfield, including 331 leaders from IBSA churches.
•As of the end of August, IBSA’s Health Team and its trained pathfinders and coaches are engaged in intentional revitalization processes with 89 churches. 41 new pastors have entered coaching relationships, bringing the current number of pastors in coaching relationships to 83. An additional 34 churches are using simpler revitalization processes. 4 churches have completed Church Renewal Journey weekends, and 12 additional churches weekends scheduled.
•Through August, IBSA staff have directly trained or assisted 11 IBSA churches in their pastor search processes.
•IBSA staff continues to make concerted efforts to connect with and engage pastors and churches through phone, e-mail, webinars, and videoconferencing. Through August, our staff had direct contact with 72% of IBSA churches, and we continue to pursue a goal of reaching at least 85% by the end of the year.
•Participation at our two IBSA Camps continues to be strong. Through August, 103 groups from 197 unique churches have used one of IBSA’s two camps. Including outside groups, almost 4,000 campers have utilized the camps. Streator Baptist Camp recorded another new high in camper participation this year, hosting 1,795 campers through August, compared to 1,756 in 2023 and 1,182 in 2022.
•2024 Cooperative Program giving from churches through September is roughly even with the same period in 2023, but still 9% lower than 2019, the most recent (pre-Covid) year when the annual CP goal was met. Some churches continue to report concerns about various issues at the national SBC level that may be affecting CP giving, but we are hopeful that these will continue to resolve, and that the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program in 2025 will give churches a renewed passion for and confidence in Cooperative Program giving.
•IBSA’s 2024 “For the Pastor” emphasis has included 5 IBSA-led retreat offerings for both pastors and wives, multiple grants for Associations to host local pastor or pastor and wife retreats, free personal retreat lodging at both IBSA camps, and free counseling sessions in partnership with Pathways Counseling from the Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services.
The IBSA missionaries, staff, and I appreciate so much the partnership and cooperation of IBSA churches and consider it a joy to serve the Lord through this ministry. We welcome any questions or input that may assist us in serving IBSA churches more effectively.
2025 BFI Board Officers:
Pam White, Chair
Brent Cloyd, Vice Chair
Kyle Edmiston, Secretary
Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services
Executive Director’s Report
Kevin Carrothers
Faithful service, focused mission
Celebrating the legacy of BCHFS happened when the Board of Trustees granted emeritus status for Leon Talley and Doug Devore. This honor recognizes the outstanding service they made to advance the mission of the Baptist Children’s Home. Even in retirement they continue to faithfully support BCHFS.
A new mission statement emerged after a year long study. BCHFS strengthens families across Illinois by sharing hope in Christ. From its beginning, BCHFS was tasked with a mission to provide support to children and families in need. BCHFS continues playing a vital role in nurturing and strengthening families with compassion, service, and faith.
Programs meet the various needs of families facing challenges. Angels’ Cove provides pregnant women resource for a safe and healthy pregnancy, including residential housing, pregnancy and parenting education. The Baptist Children’s Home provides residential care to youth experiencing difficulty in their current home environment. Faith Adoption Ministry provides adoption as a life option for preborn children, serving women who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and the Christian families hoping to adopt. GraceHaven, a pregnancy resource clinic, provides information and support services such as ultrasounds encouraging families to choose life for their unborn children. Pathways provides outpatient counseling for individuals, couples, and families with diverse needs.
Challenges to the mission are ever present. The evolving complexities of new laws and regulations require vigilance. The financial landscape sees expenses rising more quickly than income. However, the Lord is faithful to provide. The hope found in Jesus is foundational to the mission of BCHFS, recognizing lasting change begins with spiritual transformation. The integration of faith and human needs ministry allows BCHFS to provide families with the opportunity for purpose and meaning that transcends their current circumstances. This holistic approach to the mission of God empowers families to connect with God and each other
The words of Paul are fitting. “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” Philippians 1:3. We are grateful for your partnership in the gospel. We are thankful for your faithfulness from our beginning. We are grateful for the generous churches and individuals who support the children and families through the ministry of BCHFS.
2025 BCHFS Board Officers:
Eric Bramlet, Chair
Ron Daniels, Vice Chair
Cheryl Dorsey, Secretary
Illinois Members Serving on Southern Baptist Convention Boards,
