Springfield | “I believe a new season of cooperation and Great Commission fruit is about to be driven by our Lord. We can’t do it by ourselves,” Scott Foshie said. “It must be a ministry of the Holy Spirit through Illinois Baptists.”
In his first address to the full IBSA Board March 24, incoming Executive Director Foshie honored his predecessor, described a mission field and mission force worthy of sacrifice, and spoke of encouraging happenings across the state, along with some “alarm clocks” that cannot be ignored.
It was the final handoff between Foshie and retiring Executive Director Nate Adams. After a dinner in his honor the previous evening, Adams thanked the Board for 20 years of support and expressed his confidence in Foshie following three months preparing to pass the baton.
Adams also expressed thanks for a few additional gifts given by Board members, including a “Cooperative Program Forever” T-shirt from Eric Brown, pastor of Brainard Avenue Church.
Foshie took the handoff with a running start. “My odometer has already moved over 7,000 miles in three months
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PRAYER POINTS
Cuba targets pastors.
Cuba targets pastors. A Pastor’s son held in March is charged with illegal protests against the communist regime. Christian Solidarity Worldwide demanded the release of the 16-year-old. Crackdowns on churches have increased as protests by Cubans have flared.
Prayer call for Venezuela.
After the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his transportation to the U.S. to face charges, Christian leaders urged prayer. “We reaffirm our confidence in the sovereignty of God, who reigns over the nations and guides history according to his eternal purpose,” the Evangelical Council of Venezuela told believers there.
Islam surges in UK.
Actor John Cleese faced backlash for his social media post: “…For centuries British people have been influenced by Christ’s teaching. If these values are replaced by Islamic ones, this will not be Britain anymore.” Respondents criticized Cleese for his depiction of Jesus in 1975’s “Monty Python’s Life of Brian.”
Quiet miracle in Iran.
Even as war continues, house churches in Iran are growing. IMB is soliciting gifts for digital Bibles. “Brothers and sisters in Iran are willing to risk their lives to ensure people have access to the truth, especially in these uncertain times. That is why we are scaling our efforts to get the Word of God into the hands of seekers in Iran.”
More American engagement.
To encourage missions involvement, IMB’s Quintell Hill took black pastors to Ethopia recently. “They’re on fire for it now,” he said. Visiting the mission field “is the secret sauce to exposing more African American pastors to the nations.”
‘Glimmer of hope?’
Jang, a Chinese missionary held in North Korea for a decade, was released. Six other missionaries arrested at the border are still imprisoned. Within the country, named No. 1 on Open Doors’ persecutors list, 50,000 Korean Christians are believed jailed.
from Christian Post, Baptist Press, IMB, Open Doors US
istening to God is an opportunity. God’s Word implores us, “So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying his voice, and by holding close to him; for this is your life and the length of your days…” (Deut. 30:19-20, NASB).
My family’s new call launched an extended season of hearing God’s voice through you. Since December, I have travelled thousands of miles across the Land of Lincoln. I have many more opportunities on the calendar, and I hope to reach the milestone of listening to God through gatherings provided by all 33 Illinois local associations. (Have you invited me yet?)
What I’m hearing fills me with hope for a great future and fuels my desire to serve you. Here are a few examples.
You are resilient and hopeful Illinois Baptists are grateful to God for his faithfulness. I’m hearing countless stories of how he is bringing new life to our churches. As our culture remains embroiled in intense spiritual warfare, we are not naïve about our challenges. I have been struck by how, dependent on God, we are overcoming and thriving in Jesus.
I’ve heard multiple stories of churches seeking God’s deliverance from baptism droughts, and he is blessing them with new, eternal fruit. In every case, the Lord called churches to first ask God for new, willing hearts. That led to a season of intentionally showing up in the lives of lost people, loving them, praying for them, and sowing the gospel.
As a result, people are coming to Christ in greater numbers through Illinois Baptists than before the pandemic began, with nearly 4,000 baptisms celebrated in 2025. If we continue to seek God, live “2 Chronicles 7:14 repentance,” seek
SCOTT FOSHIE
God’s voice through you
“John 15:5 abiding in Jesus,” and practice “Acts 1:8 evangelism and missions,” God will continue to multiply blessings!
You are hungry for relationship
I am humbled by the koinonia love of our Baptist family and hear your clarion call for deeper relationship. Pastors are urgently seeking life-giving opportunities and deeper brotherhood.
As a result, I am committed to leading our team to expand efforts to connect us in ways that
“I’m just not sure... Let me try the tan CSB again.”
strengthen local associations and multiply our presence throughout our mission field. Please pray for our team to have his wisdom about how to depend on God and accomplish this well.
You are raising new pioneers
In recent years, we’ve been burdened by our need for renewal and a new generation of servant leaders, so that Illinois Baptists can continue to bring life to Illinois and the world. I’m seeing exciting, tangible signs that the Lord is answering our prayers. I’ve had numerous encounters with new, hope-filled leaders God has called to preach, lead, and serve. These leaders desire to foster new seasons of life in churches across our state that reach souls.
We are committed to serving Illinois Baptists and ensuring you have abundant resources and opportunities to join God in his life-giving work. Your faithful giving to the Cooperative Program is the fuel for this wonderful Great Commission engine the Lord has entrusted to us, and we are committed to stewarding it well.
I hope to talk with you personally soon, if we haven’t connected already. We are committed to serving you well, and I would love to hear from you about how God is speaking to you as you reach your mission field.
Contact Scott Foshie at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.
COUNTRY CLUB HILLS– At Hillcrest Baptist Church in suburban Chicago, Pastor Adron and Victoria Robinson welcomed Scott Foshie and his son, Levi.
from the front: foshie’s first board meeting
Continued from P. 1
listening to Illinois Baptists,” he said, referring to his pace visiting churches and holding listening sessions coordinated with local associations.
“It’s fun and wonderful to hear the history, to hear the stories and also to continue championing Illinois Baptists.”
Foshie gave an update on the state of the churches. Summarizing 2025 Annual Church Profile (ACP) data, he pointed to causes for optimism but also some “alarm clocks.”
Baptisms are 9% above 2019 and worship attendance is 2.5% higher than the previous year.
Foshie shared anecdotes of God’s work in churches, including Diamond Springs Church which baptized seven people in January, after 13 years with no baptisms.
But 370 churches baptized zero in 2025. “So, let’s pray for these baptism droughts to end,” Foshie challenged. “And we’re going to be doing some strategic ministry to help these churches bear gospel fruit again in the future.”
More alarming, Foshie said, is that Sunday school and small groups ministry attendance is still 10% below 2019. While overall giving to churches is climbing, church giving to missions through Cooperative Program in 2025 was 16% below the 2019 total of $6.2 million.
“We need to call churches to get the vision anew and afresh for Great Commission ministry through Cooperative Program,” he said. Supporting over 3,600 international missionaries, over 3,000 church planters, “six of the 10 largest evangelical Bible-based seminaries in America” is a compelling vision worth Illinois Baptists’ support, he said.
Board actions
The Strategic Planning, Resource Development, and Administrative Committees brought reports from their February meetings.
Resource Development Committee chair Curt Lipe brought a motion that the Executive Director prepare a 2027 budget based a CP goal of $5.5 million, down from the $6 million goal in 2026. The plans would also utilize up to $500,000 from reserves. The CP ratio would remain unchanged at 56.5% IBSA and 43.5% SBC, excluding shared expenses not to exceed 10% of the CP goal. All committee motions were approved.
Board members also heard an update on the Baptist Foundation of Illinois’ audit process. “At the September meeting, BFI board leadership and staff communicated hopefulness to have BFI’s 2023 audit completed by the end of 2025 and its 2024 audit completed in early 2026,” Lipe said. “(That) timeline has been delayed to estimate completion of both 2023 and 2024 audits by the second quarter of 2026… This would indicate that the 2025 IBSA audit will once again have a qualified opinion, as we did for the 2024 audit.”
The Board moved to refer to the Constitution Committee a motion about resolutions from the 2025 IBSA Annual Meeting. The motion, made by a messenger on the floor, asked that all resolutions presented for consideration, including those proposed from messengers at the meeting, be published and distributed prior to a vote by the messengers. Since the motion addressed internal operations of Board and/or Committees of the Association, the moderator of the Annual Meeting referred the matter to the Board on the recommendation of the parliamentarian.
after the tornado
Chicago allows Moody teachers
ADF brokers settlement in religious freedom case
Chicago | Moody Bible Institute (MBI) will be allowed to participate in Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) student teaching program after the college alleged religious freedom violations in being excluded.
CPS first said MBI couldn’t participate in the student-teacher internship unless the institute abandoned its religious-based hiring practices, but agreed to drop the requirement after Moody filed a federal lawsuit.
“We are deeply grateful that a resolution has been reached affirming our constitutional right to hire individuals who are aligned with our core mission and biblical values,” MBI Provost Tim Sisk said in announcing the settlement. “Moody’s Elementary Education students are eager and well prepared to participate in the CPS student teaching program.”
MBI limits employment to those who
share and live out its biblical beliefs and values, including those on marriage and human sexuality. CPS called that discrimination. As part of the settlement, CPS will recognize Moody’s right to limit employment to those who agree with the institute’s religious tenets.
Alliance Defending Freedom represented Moody in the November 2025 lawsuit. The law firm, an IBSA ministry partner, specializes in religious liberty cases. The settlement was announced March 12.
─Baptist
Press
Administrative Director of Operations Jeff Deasy was recognized in advance of his retirement at the end of April. Deasy and his wife, Kathy, joined IBSA 10 years ago, after serving with the International Mission Board in Brazil and Kenya.
The Board welcomed five new members: Greg Braswell (FBC, Waterloo), Tom Clore (FBC, Eldorado), Nate Martin (Waldo Missionary, Metropolis), Mike Miller (Northcrest Calvary, Moline), and Jason Stuckey (Immanuel, Chicago).
The Board also filled two vacant board positions. Mark Davis (Woodland, Peoria) will fill a Region 2, Class B term, expiring in 2027. Rhonda Johnson (Destiny, Rock Island) will fill a Region 2, Class A term, expiring in late 2026.
Kevin Carrothers, Executive Director of Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services, reported BCHFS’ Faith Adoption ministry, which has provided services in Mt. Vernon for more than two decades, recently established a relationship with a pregnancy clinic in Rockford. They are now seeking volunteers to help serve pregnant women in northern Illinois.
Journey takes next steps
Kankakee | A week after an EF3 tornado struck Journey Church of Kankakee County, Rachel Thill said she feels “God’s inexplicable peace about the situation. We shouldn’t have any peace, but we do.”
The facility lost one education wing and two-thirds of the roof on the A-line sanctuary when a line of storms crossed northern Illinois March 10. Moving into Indiana, it claimed two lives.
The church moved its Sunday worship services to Bethel Baptist Church in Bourbonnais, one of two mother congregations to the church plant. “We believe God has a plan for our church,” Thill said. She serves as church treasurer. Her husband, Jon, is worship leader for the congregation of about 30.
“Pray for us to have the wisdom to follow God’s will for our church.” Thill said. “Pray we have peace and patience as we work to do what is needed to rebuild.” A structural engineer will determine whether any of the facility can be saved.
Three Rivers’ Associational Mission Strategist Dan Eddington, who has been working with the lead-
ership, said it appeared the twister lifted the A-line section of the roof several inches then dropped it.
Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) sent an Incident Command Team led by Glen Carty, IBDR Interim State Director, to work with a Multi-Agency Resource Center.
Carty described the damage to the area as “really bad” with “trees everywhere, and some homes were completely gone.” Three IBDR chainsaw Teams were called out immediately.
HONORS CLASS – Nate Adams (c) received the customary trophy for 20 years of service from Board President Paul Cooper (r) and incoming Executive Director Scott Foshie (l).
Bellevue pastor emeritus Steve Gaines dies
Memphis | Former SBC President Steve Gaines died March 21 after a long battle with kidney cancer. “Bro. Steve has faithfully served the Lord and shepherded so many people through the years,” his successor, Ben Mandrell, said when Gaines entered hospice care the week before. “He’s been a great pastor, mentor, and friend.”
Gaines, 68, served two terms as SBC president, elected in 2016 and 2017. He won the first term after J.D. Greear stepped aside following a razor thin margin in a three-way race that would have meant multiple run-offs. A photo of Gaines and Greear praying together at the podium remains memorable. Greear followed Gaines in the presidency in 2018.
Gaines followed Adrian Rogers as pastor of the historic Memphis megachurch in 2005, no mean feat that offered bumpy years at the outset. But he endured.
Illinois has two significant connections to Steve and Donna Gaines. His successor in 2025 is Tampico native Mandrell, who left the presidency of Lifeway to accept the pastorate. And one of Gaines’s friends is Doug Munton, pastor of First Baptist Church of O’Fallon.
“God put Steve Gaines in my life when we were in our 20s,” Munton told the Illinois Baptist. “We were working on our PhDs, pastored nearby churches and often carpooled to seminary together. Traveling 100-mile round trips gave us plenty of time to solve the world’s problems, talk about our families, and
sharpen our ministry philosophies. We later joined a small group of likeminded pastors in a prayer group that was exceedingly meaningful.”
Munton and his wife, Vickie, have spoken on several occasions about the value their circle of seminary friends that includes Steve and Donna Gaines.
“You (and should) get many new friends in life. But don’t forget to thank the Lord for the old friends he used to shape and strengthen you,” Munton said. “I’m glad God put Steve in my life—a prayer warrior, bold witness, generous giver, and passionate follower of Jesus.”
Gaines served on the committee that revised the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). He assumed the title “pastor emeritus” on his retirement from Bellevue last year.
─Eric Reed
IBSA pastors honor icons, mentors
Gaiter remembers Jackson Shannon describes King legacy
Elmhurst | Pastor James Shannon spoke on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Elmhurst University on King’s birthday. As a child, Shannon was under King’s ministry at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. in the late 1950s.
“When Dr. King came to Dexter, I was seven years old, and I was 13 when he left,” Shannon said in a story reported by a suburban news website, Shaw Local. Shannon was baptized by King and lived in Montgomery at the time of the 1955-56 bus boycott.
“The night after Rosa Parks was arrested, Dr. King said that our weapon is going to be a weapon of love,” Shannon said. King preached non-violence learned from Mahatma Ghandi and theologian Reinhold Neibuhr. “The thing we have to do is withdraw ourselves from an evil system,” Shannon recalled the young King said.
“When Dr. King said that his children will be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin, to our community, that was a very profound statement because everything that happened to us was by the color of our skin,” Shannon said.
The Glen Ellyn pastor, named citizen of the year in 2024, moved to the Chicago suburb 40 years ago. He pastors People’s Community Church.
Chicago | Pastor Maurice Gaiter of Empowerment Community Church was invited to pray at a remembrance service for Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died Feb. 17 at age 84. “He gave us the ability to believe in ourselves when so many would not believe in us,”
Gaiter said at the gathering held at Jackson’s southside headquarters. Feb. 26.
Gaiter was a personal friend of Jackson for 20 years, starting at age 12 under Jackson’s community outreach. Of the lessons Gaiter learned from Jackson, one stands out:
“Rev. Jackson would say to us, ‘I thank God that he has always been with me in tight places. Whenever you are in a tight place, Jesus will always be the answer. He always has been for me.’”
“I have carried that with me to this day,” Gaiter said with gratitude. “And like he said, Jesus has always been with me in tight places.”
Gaiter said Jackson sought to impact humanity with his ministry through social service and political action, while Gaiter’s work is to empower people through personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Gaiter, who serves in the Austin neighborhood, was chosen to pray from more than 100 pastors in the city. “It was the honor of a lifetime,” he said.
capitol watch
More than 9,700 bills are filed in the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly. Some rise to the top as of particular interest for Illinois Baptists. Here are a few House Bills waiting possible committee action.
HB 4834 Controlled Substances
This bill would end monitoring of drugs taken by transgender individuals and women undergoing medication abortions, specifically testosterone, Mifepristone, Misoprostol, hormone-related GnRH analogues, and estrogen. Previous records would be erased.
HB 5022 Reproductive Liberty
The bill would broaden the definition of a “medical facility,” allowing a birth center and providers offering abortion or birth control services to share the same location. It would remove bans on midwives performing abortions. It also would end reporting of newborns that test positive for controlled substances in their blood as a “neglected child.”
HB 4860 Void Agreements
This bill amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to protect properties used for medical procedures—especially those providing reproductive health care (like abortion clinics, clinics offering contraception, fertility treatments, or related services)— from restrictive clauses in property agreements or deeds. Inclusion of such restrictions would be a civil rights violation.
HB 4966 SECURE DCFS wards
The author says the Safeguards to Ensure Continuity and Uphold Rights and Equity (SECURE) Act would strengthen protections for children and youth in DCFS care. It would take their placement preferences into account and limit out-of-state placements, based partly on the state’s abortion rules. It would also safeguard “certain healthcare access” and ban conversion therapy consent.
HB 4282 Medical Care Referrals
This bill would amend two statutes related to abortion access and conscience objections by healthcare providers. The bill would establish additional funding for “reproductive healthcare.” It would also require workers who refuse to aid abortions to provide patients with information on providers who did. And if they refuse, the bill would allow a $5,000 judgment and an additional $5,000 penalty, which would go into the new fund.
Ronnie Floyd, JD Greear, Steve Gaines in 2016
The 2026 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando may feel a lot like 2025. And 2024. While the official agenda hasn’t been released yet, the unofficial talking points on social media sound much like previous debates. Issues thought settled by similar failing votes in successive years may be brought to the floor again. Among them:
The role of women in pastoral ministry
One candidate for SBC President says constitutional action like the Law Amendment is still needed to reserve the pastorate for men.
While the Baptist Faith and Message (2000, amended in 2023) is clear that pastoral leadership is a male-only position, it does not disallow the use of “associate” or other minister roles for women. The Law Amendment did not receive enough votes to change the SBC governing documents. Willy Rice wants to take up that cause again. In the meantime, the SBC Executive Committee dismissed two more churches for having women in teaching pastor positions in February.
The future of the ERLC
While the vote to defund the SBC’s public voice fell short of the required two-thirds margin, there are still rumblings about its future. In the meantime, the interim presidency of Gary Hollingsworth has lessened concerns for some leaders. Trustees have passed guidelines for the next head, providing guardrails for ERLC actions. And the search continues among a field of candidates described as especially engaged, promising, and qualified. The announcement of a new ERLC President and CEO could come prior to the Orlando convention, increasing the “give-him-a-chance” sentiment among messengers.
Board transparency
This issue is not settled, with continuing questions on the internet about financial operations of the North American Mission Board in particular, including salaries of top leaders which are not disclosed. All SBC entities report to their trustees. Trustees take actions regarding spending and disclosures—not messengers, which is why repeated
motions demanding public disclosures are consistently ruled out of order. But this topic will probably be raised from a floor mic again.
What’s not being discussed
Sexual abuse. Since returning to Executive Committee responsibility for handling abuse claims, tracking credibly accused abusers, and training churches in abuse prevention—where it resided when the whole issue erupted—little has been said about additional actions. A relatively small percentage of churches have engaged the new abuse prevention training. All but one of former NAMB VP Johnny Hunt’s
Two candidates announce for president (so far)
Josh Powell, 51
Lead pastor, Taylors First Baptist Church in South Carolina, where he has served for 5 years.
Education & previous service: Bachelor’s from North Greenville University and M.Div. from Southern Seminary. Pastored churches in South Carolina and Kentucky. Served as president of the S. C. Baptist Convention (2020), Southern Seminary trustee (2016-2024) including chair (2022-2024); North Greenville University board (20222027) including chair (2024-2025).
Key Quote: “The world is changing rapidly, and the opportunities for gospel witness are enormous. Southern Baptists should be the most outward-focused people in the evangelical world. Our best days will not come from endless internal debates, but from renewed commitment to reaching people with the gospel.”
Powell is a third generation SBC pastor.
Average morning worship: 1,667
CP giving: $438,259 (7.6%)
Baptisms: 56
Platform: Powell says the SBC presidency is a role of stewardship rather than personal ambition. His three platform commitments: (1) Renewed commitment to the truth of God’s Word and the SBC’s core beliefs, (2) Rebuilding trust in cooperation through stewardship and missions, and (3). Renewing focus on the Great Commission by prioritizing missions, church planting, and reaching the nations with the gospel.
“I see that hope in pastors faithfully preaching the gospel each week, in missionaries carrying the gospel to the nations, and in young leaders preparing for ministry who believe the SBC still has an important role to play in the work of the Great Commission.”
“One reality we must address honestly is the long-term decline in Cooperative Program giving. The CP remains one of the most effective missions funding models in the world, but many churches do not fully understand how it works or why it matters. Some churches have also expressed concerns about how decisions are being made within our institutions and whether their voices are being heard. Whether those concerns are always warranted or not, the perception matters. Healthy cooperation depends on confidence.”
quote from Baptist Courier (Mar. 2026)
Willy Rice, 62 Senior pastor, Calvary Church in Clearwater, Fla., 21 years.
Education & previous service: Pastored in Florida and Alabama. Bachelor’s degree from Samford University, M.Div. and D.Min. from New Orleans Seminary. Served as Fla. Bapt. Conv. pres. (2006-2008); SBC Pastors’ Conf. pres. (2015). Chaired SBC Committee on Committees (2010) and SBC Committee on Nominations (2016).
NAMB Trustee (2018-2022). In 2022, now-SBC President Clint Pressley announced he would nominate Rice for SBC president, but Rice did not run due to a controversy involving a deacon at his church which has since been resolved.
Average morning worship: 3,055 CP giving: $343,549 (3%) Baptisms: 409 Platform: “7 Pillars of Renewal.” Among them are (1) Convictional Clarity, which includes adding an article to the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) affirming gender as a fixed matter of biology and marriage as exclusively between one man and
one woman. It also proposes a task force to be called for to study the issue of “The Use and Understanding of the Term and Office of Pastor Among Baptist People.” Another is (2) Denominational Accountability, calling for a task force to “re-establish the authority of the local church and the active oversight of trustees.” Rice has advocated for the elimination of the ERLC and proposed it at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting, but the vote failed. He has since expressed desire to have a trusted and effective ERLC.
Key Quote: “Can you honestly look back over the last few years and conclude we are more united and more on mission? Or do you feel like I do? And like so many I hear from that there are real concerns that call for serious reflection, humble correction, and a new day of renewal.”
“What if as we approach that once-in-a-lifetime moment, Southern Baptists were to unite as never before to make sure every person in our nation heard the message of Jesus and was urged to respond in repentance and faith, and imagine Southern Baptists embracing a historic generational goal to get the gospel into every tongue, every nation and every tribe across the globe.”
YouTube announcement (Oct. 2025)
IN FOCUS
Person to person
A wave of baptisms shows the power of sharing
BY ERIC REED
church in Georgia reported baptizing 400 people on a single Sunday in March. From among 3,000 worship attenders at the church’s three campuses, hundreds responded to the call to follow Christ in baptism. And they stirred the waters for a long time that day.
Such a story seems possible in Georgia where some “buckle of the Bible Belt culture” remains. Where megachurches with thousands of worshipers are still commonplace. Where even the unchurched are often aware of the altar call practices still employed in many Baptist churches. The “y’all come” altar call still works there.
But what about places where they don’t say y’all? Where the preacher doesn’t always stand at the front to issue an invitation. What about in Illinois?
Can the waters of baptism be stirred in our not-soSouthern SBC churches?
In fact, they are.
Numbers from the 2025 Annual Church Profiles (ACPs) and fresh reports from churches in 2026
show a movement of the Spirit and, we hope, a trend.
A tale of two churches
The two churches whose recent stories buoy our belief in rising baptisms demonstrate a principle: Old churches can reach people and start baptizing again; new churches can reach unreached people in unlikely places. And it’s all from good word of mouth.
That’s what effective evangelism is built on: One beggar telling another beggar were to find water.
David Starr hadn’t planned to return to a church he firdt pastored more than 30 years ago. At 79, most people would have retired. But when the handful of the faithful hanging on at Diamond Springs Baptist Church in the country outside Shattuck phoned, Starr took up the call.
From single digits in worship, the church is now averaging more than 30 each Sunday. “We’d have 40 if everybody’s there at the same time,” Starr said.
P. 8
A wave of baptisms in the new year builds on the increases from last year. The baptism of six people at Empowerment Community Church in Chicago on a single Sunday in February is but one of the recent celebrations at Illinois churches.
Pastor Maurice Gaiter (center) said leading people to faith in Jesus Christ, followed by obedience to him in baptism, is the main agent of change in his Austin neighborhood. Empowerment Community baptized 20 people in 2025.
Top IBSA churches in baptisms - 2025
He’s aiming for 50 at Easter. There’s nothing flashy about the church or contemporary about its worship, but the gospel is clear and Spirit is present.
“One man saw cars outside the church and decided to come,” Starr said. “A lady came, then brought her son and his family. He brought his best friend, a single man with two kids. Soon we had all these people. It was like a domino effect.”
Only one person had been baptized in the 20 years since Starr left. “So we had to clean out the baptistry,” he said, “the changing rooms where old stuff had been stored.”
Starr baptized seven people on a sin gle Sunday in February—one teenager and six adults. “It’s not anything I’m doing. The Lord is doing it,” he asserted. Starr started a discipleship class immediately, and he plans to canvas the area where new homes are being built. He preaches bringing friends to Christ. “I stand and marvel at what God is doing.”
And the people are inviting people.
to SALT network. From there, H20 on the Indiana State campus was born.
Marshall Church sent members to support the campus church when it launched in the fall. Cooper and Wilkin align their preaching plans so they can support each other’s ministry. And H20 took off.
The resulting baptisms come from students telling students. One young woman who was a member of Marshall Church wrote to her sister on campus about her own conversion. “I’ve fallen in love with Jesus,” she wrote, “and I want you to know him too.”
She also wrote to her parents urging them to follow her in following Christ, Cooper said. Now the whole family has been baptized.
Let’s run the numbers
Baptisms in Illinois increased in 2025 by 5.63%. That’s 3,875 last year compared to 3,657 the year before. More important, rebound from the impact of Covid closures is complete, with baptisms 9% above 2019. While worship and Sunday school attendance have not fully returned, IBSA churches’ commitment to bring people to faith and baptism is renewed. With it, there’s hope for increased emphasis on evangelism in our congregations.
Across the SBC, the popular “Who’s Your One?” strategy is being redeployed by the North American Mission Board. And in Illinois, renewal of the strategy urging every church member to identify a lost person whose salvation they will pray for is already underway. A video explaining the strategy is posted at IBSA.org/ministries/evangelism.
The sample principle is at work in another unexpected place—a college campus just across the state line in Indiana. A Baptist Campus Ministry at Indiana State University in Terra Haute has birthed a new congregation, with Marshall Baptist Church serving as midwife.
“We started by having ‘Church on Campus’ one Sunday a month,” Marshall Pastor Paul Cooper said. Cooper graduated from the university and has history with its BCM. His church about 15 miles from the campus has taken to heart its ministry to the students. “It became clear that a church was needed, and that we didn’t know what we were doing,” he mused.
BCM Director Chad Wilkin partnered with Cooper to provide a consistent Sunday presence on campus. Then they met the team from H20, an Ohio-based college church planting group similar
In many churches, help jumpstarting effective witnessing is needed now.“This past year, 370 of our IBSA churches did not witness a single baptism,” IBSA Associate Executive Director Mark Emerson said. “A significant obstacle for these churches is that many have been deceived in thinking that their church is too weak to effectively share the Lord. This can prevent them from embracing the urgency of evangelism.”
But, as Diamond Springs Church clearly demonstrates, stuck churches don’t have to stay stuck.
“Remarkably, this past year in Illinois, Baptist churches of various sizes, ages, and resources, including those without pastors or effective facilities, actively shared the gospel and witnessed individuals professing their faith through baptism,” Emerson said. “It is evident that the gospel’s impact is not contingent upon the physical size, structure, or financial resources of a church.”
As Pastors Cooper and Starr pointed out, people with zeal born of their own salvation make great impact when they share the good news they’ve experienced for themselves with others who need to know Jesus.
“When churches are intentional about sharing the gospel,” Emerson said, “individuals are drawn to Christ.”
From zero to celebration
How your Church can cultivate an evangelistic culture
A renewal of evangelistic zeal is dependent first on the Holy Spirit. When he finds a people who are open to his work and eager to share their faith, the Spirit opens doors for gospel conversations and readies the waters for baptism.
IBSA’s Mark Emerson said there are vital ways for churches to encourage an environment where the desire for evangelism grows. He points to eight key actions that produce baptisms in a Baptist church.
1. Pray for lost people by name. This is an integral part of the “Who’s your One?” strategy. Consistently bringing lost people before the Lord is biblical. And using a device such as Ping-Pong balls or Post-It notes on a wall or cross as reminders to pray is no gimmick. It’s a nudge the Spirit can use.
2. Offer intentional witnessing training. Statistics connect increased baptisms to preparation of believers to share their faith. A NAMB study showed that 87% of top baptizing churches had evangelism training.
3. Emphasis Sundays still work well. Hosting a special Sunday like “Friend Day” helps a church connect to lost/unchurched people.
4. Hold a revival or spiritual awakening weekend. IBSA’s Church Renewal Journey is an excellent alternative to a traditional revival.
5. Schedule VBS. One-fourth of all baptisms in Southern Baptist churches are directly connected to Vacation Bible School.
Yes, it’s a lot of work for a once-a-year event, and some will argue such effort should be put into Sunday school or some other year-round discipleship.
But having the congregation focus on sharing Christ, especially with children, opens eyes to the need and to other evangelism opportunities all year long.
6. Send your group to camp. IBSA sees about 10% (and sometimes as much as 20%) of kids who attend summer camp receive Christ.
7. Start a new adult Sunday school class or small group. On average, a new adult Bible study group nets three baptisms in the first year.
8. Lead your church on a mission trip. Sharing the Lord in another context spurs a church to share Christ in their own backyard.
Evangelism matters
Once, some years ago, our family drove to the mall. Do you remember malls? When we arrived at the parking lot, our kids piled out of the minivan. Except one didn’t. My wife gasped, “Where is Rachel?” Somehow, in the confusion and mayhem of loading the family of six into the vehicle, we left our daughter behind. She has reminded us of that event many times!
Have you ever forgotten something very important? Apparently, many churches and Christians have forgotten about evangelism. Evangelism can get crowded out of our spiritual consciousness by our busy schedules and demanding programs. We can overlook it in the mayhem of budgets and meetings. It can be forgotten as we prioritize the needs of those already evangelized. As our priorities pile out of our churches, might we suddenly gasp, “Where is evangelism?”
Let’s not let evangelism sit forgotten in the corner of our church buildings. Instead, let’s have a renewed commitment to sharing the good news of the gospel with others. Here are three reasons evangelism still matters.
1. Evangelism matters because people are lost without Jesus. Those without Jesus aren’t just misguided or unaware. They are separated from God and facing eternity apart from him. Only Jesus can forgive sins, and he alone can give us eternal life. People need the salvation that only Jesus can provide.
Getting started
IBSA can help with—
Training to implement “Who’s Your One?”
Coaching for pastors in evangelism
Witness training for Gospel Conversations Small grants to hold evangelistic events
Connection to more evangelism resources
Contact MarkEmerson@IBSA.org
2. Evangelism matters because we need to share. We can define evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where the bread is.” It is selfish and spiritually unnatural for those who have found the bread of life to keep that to themselves. It is spiritual and Christlike for believers to want others to experience the gospel freedom and hope for eternity that they have discovered.
3. Evangelism matters because God tells us to. The Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20) applies to our encounters locally as well as reaching the nations. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us be witnesses for him where we are (Jerusalem) as well as beyond (to the ends of the earth). The biblical mandate for evangelism applies to all believers in every church.
Evangelism is easily left behind. Don’t forget about reaching people. Don’t forget that God can use someone like you to share the gospel message with another. Don’t forget that your church can be used by God to tell people about the incredible good news that Jesus saves.
Evangelism matters!
─ Doug Munton is the Pastor of First Baptist O’Fallon and is serving as President of IBSA.
MUNTON
Nate & Beth honored at retirement dinner: ‘See ya soon’
Nate and Beth Adams were honored at a retirement dinner hosted by the IBSA Board March 23. There were laughs, and a few tears shed, as family, present and former staff, and friends reminisced with the Adamses and shared their congratulations.
The Board and staff presented gifts and participated in some lighthearted fun playing a few rounds of his favorite game show, Family Feud. In one category, the survey said that in retirement Adams is expected to climb a mountain, enjoy the grandkids, and “drive Beth crazy.”
Adams passed along memorabilia from his office. To Associate Executive Director Mark Emerson, he presented a Cubs/Cards checker set, representing their competing loyalties. And to incoming Executive Director Scott Foshie, Adams presented a framed map of Illinois given to him by his own search committee 20 years ago.
Adams retired March 31 as the longest serving Executive Director in IBSA history. Adams said he had no plans to do anything for the next few months—except Beth’s waiting honey-do list.
Our Facebook journal
“We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve shared our stories, and we are only on day two.
Today we made goodie bags for four little boys! We also made them beds so that they would not all have to sleep together on a pullout couch.
We shared Scripture, we read a book to them, we told them a Bible story, prayed with the momma and listened to some of her story. Seed planted.”
Jill McNicol
MISSION
Borderlands
Our mission trip to Laredo continues even today
BY RITA KLUNDT
Ipacked last minute, but I’d been praying about the trip for months. Jill McNicol, our state WMU President who organized the mission trip to Laredo, Texas, had reminded us while we were still at the airport in St. Louis that we’d need to be “flexible and patient.”
Osvaldo Lerma, the Send Relief Ministry Center’s director, and his wife, Vanessa, repeated the same advice: “Be flexible and patient.” Osvaldo added, “Be listening and available for the Holy Spirit.”
Send Relief is there full-time in the border city of Laredo to show Christ’s love and serve families in transition. Their model is one of partnership and cooperation in meeting physical needs, but more importantly, sharing the hope of the gospel through face-to-face interactions. Osvaldo and Vanessa make it look easy— easy enough for seven women from Illinois to give it a try. So we did!
We took beds and bedding to a couple of families with children who had no beds. OK, putting those beds together was not as easy as it should have been, even after we consulted the instructions. But we got it done. Those beds made seven kids very happy and made a way for us to connect them with Send Relief and hopeP. 12
Least, last, lost
A team of women from Central Illinois churches spent a week with the Send Relief Center in Laredo, Texas. The center, operated by the North American Mission Board, has served thousands of “the least of these,” migrants and refugees at the Rio Grande border with Mexico. Today, about 20 people arrive each week.
fully a local body of believers.
“Time,” Osvaldo stressed after a full list of what it takes to reach people and then disciple them. “It takes a lot of time.”
We visited a center that a few months ago had been overwhelmed with unhoused families in transition. The load on the workers there has lessened, but there is still a sense of great need. The most we could do for them was to pack groceries, assembly line style, for the next batch of families that would be coming through. Seven women can break down 50-pound bags of rice and beans into family-sized bags and pack a boat load of groceries in an hour or two and still have time for conversation.
My favorite part of going to Laredo was not the weather, although we all enjoyed a wonderful peek at spring. My favorite was not the food, although our hosts fed us well. My favorite was not the laughing or the storytelling, although I added some really good stories to my collection and a good belly laugh is great medicine.
My favorite was seeing tears from a little boy’s eyes when he heard that he’d been wrong. “No,” I said. As best I can recall our conversation, I continued. “God loves you. He isn’t looking to ‘catch’ you doing something wrong or to punish you. He loves you. He’s looking to save you. He wants to provide for you—to protect you.”
I prayed in the time it took to grab a deep breath. “I don’t want to interrupt your lunch. I don’t mind if you eat while I talk.” She shuffled the lunch bag, but kept her eyes on that little, red flashlight. “This flashlight reminds me that Jesus is the light of the world.” I held it out. Dangled it.
She started to reach for it, but then didn’t. Her blank stare wasn’t as strong as the Holy Spirit’s presence.
“The light of the world,” I said. “Duh. Everyone knows that’s the sun. Right?” She grinned as if accommodating an old lady who must be 40 or 50 years her senior.
“Tell me, what do you think about Jesus? Has anyone ever told you that he is the Light of the World? That he created light?”
“No.” Camilla looked straight at me.
Unexpected guest
It was 6 a.m. and I was stumbling toward the restroom in a pre-coffee haze when Nancy calmly asked, “Jamie, can you help me with something?”
I figured it was a fashion emergency or a stuck zipper. Instead, she pointed a finger and said, “There’s a tarantula on my shoe.” We named him Waldo. Jamie Bond
There’s a picture in my heart though of Raymond sitting on a concrete step—no shirt, filthy feet, and eyes that were almost hidden by obesity. “I got a new bed.” he said. “And a pillow!”
Encountering Raymond and offering him one truth about God would have been enough to make the trip to Texas worthwhile. But God is way better than great.
Two or three spiritual conversations per day is so far above my average. But everything we did in Laredo, Texas, I could do right here in Pekin, Ill.
I met Camilla at a downtown park. It’s near the bus station and where unhoused and restless people can rest in the shade. We prayerwalked the perimeter a couple of times before unloading the van and handing out hygiene kits, freshly packed sack lunches and bottles of ice-cold water. Camilla came to collect her goodies.
She sat at a picnic table at the edge of the park and with her back to the crowd. The majority of the people had been served, so I made my way to Camilla.
I had thought to pack some keychain flashlights. People living on the streets might appreciate such a trinket. I pulled one from my backpack.
“I’d like to give you this flashlight,” I said to draw her attention. “Would it be okay if I tell you why I want you to have it?”
Oh, Lord! What am I supposed to say next? I haven’t a clue!
I started to sit across from her still not knowing what else to say.
Easy, Rita. Take time. There’s no rush.
With no clue how to direct this conversation, I played nervously with the flashlight. “A flashlight seems useless in broad daylight, doesn’t it. Do you think you will be able to use it? I promise it’s bright at night.”
She nodded and smiled. Her teeth were rotten or missing, but what a beautiful smile. I talked about how we don’t think about light until it gets dark. She agreed.
“A dark day happens to all of us,” I said. It happened to me.”
“I’ve had dark days,” she said. Hers was a story of loneliness, hopelessness, addiction, and shame. There was no Roman’s Road confession, but I quoted John 8:12 imperfectly. Camilla gave me permission to pray with her, just a simple prayer for her safety, that she would soon desire to know Jesus and understand that he wants to light up her
world.
I pointed out Osvaldo and Vanessa who regularly bring a crew to feed people in the park, and I gave her directions to their church, just around the corner. I trusted an outcome that was not for me to see or finish, but to pray about.
I tucked one last flashlight in my purse for the flight home. I’ve always wanted a good airplane story of my own. I’d claimed a cherished aisle seat. A tiny Indian woman sat in the middle.
She’d noticed my red pen and manuscript.
“You’re a teacher,” she said.
“No. I’m a writer.”
Normally, I’d encourage that conversation to continue, but what I really wanted was a legitimate reason to pull out that last flashlight and tell the Light of the World story again. But our conversation had nowhere to go.
Once the plane stopped at the gate in St. Louis, I reached for my phone. I had only one message during the two-hour flight. It was from a man in Peoria who is working to plant an Indian church there. He’d sent me a flyer about an upcoming Easter event.
“You won’t believe this,” I said to the Indian woman. “But the only message I got during this flight is from a man who came from India to be a missionary. He’s inviting me and any of my Indian friends to an event.” I tipped my phone, hoping she would take a look at the colorful flyer.
“Where is that?” she asked.
“Peoria. Are you going on to Peoria?”
“No,” she said. “I’m going to Miami. But I have a daughter in Peoria. She might be interested.” In spite of the chatter around us, I’d heard her clearly. She added, “And it would be good for her.”
The young lady in the window seat was getting restless, but the Indian lady took her time and pulled her own phone from her purse to take a photo of the flyer. I then pulled a business card from my purse and gave one to my new friend, whose name I can neither pronounce nor spell.
So our mission trip to Laredo is not over. God is taking time to finish what he started in the lives of the people we met and in our lives, too.
Spiritual Breakthrough
“We distributed sack lunches for unhoused people in one of the city parks. [Mission Center Director] Osvaldo asked for a volunteer to tell the story of the Prodigal son in English and he would translate in Spanish. Afterward a man came up and wanted to pray with me. Walter has struggled with addictions. He wanted to recommit his life to Christ.”
Jill McNicol
MEET THE TEAM
Kayla Houchin
Communications Team
Administrative Assistant
Home: Raised in Ashland, now I live in Springfield
Experience: B.S. in Media Communications from Hannibal-LaGrange University. I worked as editor for the Quincy HeraldWhig and Hannibal Courier-Post and TV news producer in Missouri and Central Illinois.
Journey: My babysitter showed me “The Prince of Egypt” in elementary school. When I fell in love with the movie, she told me it was based on a real story. She told me more about Jesus, the Bible, and church. I begged my parents to take me to church for more than two years; they finally relented. I was saved a few years later.
Favorite verse: Psalm 23
Bible person: Moses. His story shows that God can use ordinary, flawed individuals in extraordinary ways. (Plus the whole “The Prince of Egypt” thing.)
Hobbies: Reading, video games, hiking
Snack: Cookie dough (or just cookies in general)
Book: The Harry Potter series
Desert island download: A mix of some of NF’s top hits.
Superhero: Captain America
Pet: My mini poodle, Rosie, is a ball of energy and I absolutely adore her!
INSIGHT
A ‘Golden’ opportunity
New best seller may prompt gospel conversations
It’s not every day that a novel with frequent references to kindness, hope, and heaven is the top selling book at Amazon and reaches number one on the New York Times list. But Theo of Golden has. In this Easter season, the unlikely bestseller could open doors for conversations about faith like The Chosen TV series did for several years.
Allen Levi didn’t set out to write a bestseller or a Christian apologetic. He just wrote a novel about an unusual idea he had, prompted by a visit to a coffee shop in his Georgia town. He finished the manuscript during his Covid sequester, then put it away. But a few friends read it and urged him to publish the book.
In his mid-60s at the time, Levi knew no publisher would take a chance on an old first-time novelist, so he eventually paid for a small press run himself. His niece planned a marketing strategy using Facebook and a few book club appearances.
“When I die, I will take this book to Jesus, and I will say, ‘I made this for you; this is a gift for you,’” his voice cracking as he explained his lack of interest in big media promotions. Levi told podcaster Russell Moore he thought he might distribute a 100 copies, or maybe 1,000, but Theo of Golden has become “the little book that could” with three months on the major charts.
The lawyer-turnedsongwriter, who lives in rural Georgia and cares for his 96-year-old father, says the book demonstrates generosity and kindness. Not “random acts of kindness” popularized by Oprah and bumper stickers two decades ago, but intentional Christ-like benevolence toward strangers engaged by Theo, an elderly man from Portugal.
their lives, good and bad, the choices they make, good and bad, and Theo’s ability to inspire hope that is born out of his Christian faith.
“I wanted to communicate hope,” Levi told Christianity Today. “I certainly wanted to communicate that Theo was a man who loved and he was a man who expressed that
book. We will focus on three questions:
Which portrait-recipient’s story most impressed you and why?
Readers have talked about realizing their own need to grow in Christ-likeness. This may open con-
in a winsome way through kindness and generosity. But I didn’t want the book to be so steeped in this man’s faith that it would run off readers who don’t share our faith perspective. Out of kindness to that audience, I tried to make the story as engaging as possible without denying that this man was a character of faith.”
Theo saw some portraits of local townspeople for sale in a coffee shop, much as the author did. He bought the sketches and throughout the book delivers them to their subjects. Along the way, the story becomes about what’s happening in
It’s not The Shack (with all its overt theophany and controversy), but the novel offers genuine treatment of death and life, faith and the resulting hope of heaven.
As with the not-tooChristian book that rises above the cultural wave every decade or so, Theo of Golden appears poised to open talks among friends and strangers about the realities of faith in Christ. Like Christy, Mitford, The Passion of the Christ, The Chosen, and The Jesus Revolution, it will be up to followers of Christ to fill some gaps and connect the biblical dots in Theo’s winsome witness.
I’m planning an Easter season discussion group with Christian friends who might engage others about the
versations about “missing the mark,” sin and its impact, and what people who come to faith in Christ experience in forgiveness and restoration.
How did you see God at work in the novel?
There’s pain and death, heaven and hope, and God is in it all. People reading with eyes of faith will see this; others may need help at this point.
How can this book encourage you to have a gospel conversation?
As with most witnessing encounters, turning from “your story” and “my story” to “His Story” is the most important shift. Discussing how to do that may be helpful preparation.
For some people at the edges of the faith discussion, Levi sees this trip to Golden as opportunity for “pre-evangelism.”
“We give them something that prepares the palate, so to speak. And that is not to say that we don’t ultimately want to get to the point that we share the gospel of Christ,” he told CT. “We want to do that.”
Eric Reed is editor of the Illinois Baptist.
Answering objections:
John Howard tackled a Sunday night sermon series at Second Baptist Church of Marion on the objections people raise to Christianity. This is an excerpt from his response to the statement: “Doesn’t Christianity oppress people?”
his question may not be one you’ve grappled much with yourself, but you will eventually hear some form of this accusation: “Christianity has done more harm than good.”
We don’t need to get defensive, because Jesus himself confronted corrupt religion. He confronted people who used God’s name to oppress, manipulate, control others. And he wasn’t vague.
These texts show that Christianity does not oppress people—sinful people misuse Christianity. But the gospel itself always brings freedom.
Luke says Jesus stood up in his hometown synagogue, opened the scroll of Isaiah and read his own mission statement. Jesus’ liberation is first and foremost spiritual. He frees not just from external chains, but from sin, guilt, and false religion. Our ultimate freedom is rooted in the covenantal work of Christ, not human systems.
Liberation is not something we manufacture by activism or social progress; it is something God produces when his Spirit breaks the
chains of sin and awakens the heart to Christ.
Because of the Fall, every human structure carries the risk of oppression—even the church. That’s why correct theology emphasizes church accountability, church discipline, and Christ-centered authority—so that sinful hearts cannot twist God’s truth for personal gain.
When Christianity is misused, it’s not Christianity that’s on display— it’s sin wearing a religious mask. But the gospel unmasks the pretender. The gospel shines light on corruption. The gospel refuses to join hands with oppression. This is where we need clarity today.
Across evangelicalism there is intense debate about justice, race, power dynamics, and what many label “wokeness.” Some argue if we talk about human dignity or structural injustice we are compromising the gospel; others argue unless the church adopts the full language and categories of modern cultural activism we are failing the gospel.
But here is the truth Scripture gives: the gospel is liberating, not oppressive—but our understanding of oppression and liberation must be shaped by the Bible, not by secular ideologies.
We do not need to pick between culture-war outrage and culturedriven activism. We need to be a people whose moral vision is formed
by Christ, whose justice is defined by Scripture, and whose understanding of human dignity flows from the image of God and the cross of Christ—not from the ideological pressures of the moment.
Gal. 3:28 is revolutionary—not because it erases human distinctions, but because it removes the spiritual hierarchy between people. It makes sense only because of union with Christ. In Adam we were divided, competing, alienated; in Christ we share one covenant standing, one righteousness, one acceptance before the Father.
So Paul isn’t flattening creation distinctions—he’s announcing covenantal equality flowing from our union with Christ. Ancient society was built on ethnic superiority: Jews saw Gentiles as unclean. Gentiles saw Jews as strange.
But at the cross, all stand equal. In Christ, dividing walls come down.
Paul’s statement is theological, not just sociological. We are united in Christ’s covenant, bearing the Spirit, sharing the inheritance, and participating in his righteousness.
Billy Graham famously put it like this: “The ground is level at the foot of the cross.” Where the world is divided, Christ unites. Where culture ranked value, Christ grants equal worth. Where sin created hierarchy, Christ creates family.
amid flawed cultural norms, is called to lead by example. Our commitment to justice flows from sanctified hearts, not from worldly pressure or political ideology: “for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Yes, Christianity has been misused. But what happens when Christians actually obey Scripture?
Hospitals appear. Schools appear. Human rights appear. Abolition movements rise. Care for widows and orphans expands.
The dignity of women is elevated. Slavery collapses. Literacy spreads. Mercy ministries flourish. Laws change. Nations transform.
Let me offer a needed clarification: this is not liberation theology. We don’t preach salvation by activism. We preach salvation by Christ, and that salvation bears fruit in many ways, including justice, mercy, and neighbor love.
When Christ reigns in a person’s life, oppression cannot. When Christ reigns in a church, control cannot. When Christ reigns in a nation, injustice cannot.
Jesus came to free the broken, lift the oppressed, destroy the works of the devil, form a new people—equal in worth, united in love, liberated by
EVENTS
Disaster Relief Training
4/10-11 Emmanuel BC, Carlinville
8/28-29 Lake Sallateeska Camp
What: Courses vary but may include childcare and chaplaincy, flood recovery, chainsaw, and incident management.
Cost: Current members, free. New members or expired badges, $50.
Info: IBSA.org/events
Contact: JanetSheley@IBSA.org
April 17-18
Student Discipleship Retreat
What: D-Now weekend
Where: Streator Baptist Camp
Cost: $25 per person
Contact: MichaelAwbrey@IBSA.org
June 7-10
SBC Annual Meeting
What: Four days of worship, preaching, missions, and SBC business. 200 gatherings during the week.
Where: Convention Center, Orlando Info: sbcannualmeeting.net/
July 20-26
Go Chicago
What: Student missions in the Windy City.
Where: Ashburn Baptist Church, Orland Park
Who: Students 12-18
Info: Watch for more details coming soon!
June 16-20
Super Summer
What: Camp helps students grow to their fullest potential. “One Body. One Mission.” is based on Ephesians 4:15-16. Where: Greenville College, Greenville
Cost: Students: $250 (add $20 after May 25).
Adults: $150 (add $20 after May 25).
Info: IBSA.org/supersummer
Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
July 31-August 1
Level Up Guy Camp
What: Retreat for dads, sons, granddads and mentors, bring your guys.
Where: Lake Sallateeska
Cost: $75 for men, 18 and under free Contact: JacobKimbrough@IBSA.org
August 21-22
Priority: Hispanic Women’s Conference
What: Leadership development
Where: Lake Geneva, Wis.
Email: CarmenHalsey-Menghini@IBSA.org
August 22
Tech Conference: All Regions
What: Specialized training for pastors, tech/ worship leaders, volunteers.
Where: IBSA Building, Springfield
Cost: $20
Email: CarmenHalsey-Menghini@IBSA.org
‘Campers’
James Rentfrow, 76, and his wife, Catherine, 77, succumbed to injuries they sustained on Feb. 19 in a multi-vehicle accident on I-57 south of Effingham.
Both were hospitalized in Champaign where James died March 3 with Catherine following him in death on March 7.
“It breaks our hearts,” said Karen Mowers, secretary for Illinois Campers on Mission (COM). “James died holding her hand…. Our comfort is we know they are with Jesus and back together again.”
The Rentfrows were active in COM and in Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief. James was a Blue Hat, directing response teams, and Catherine was on Childcare and Shower-Laundry Unit teams.
They had recently returned from Pineywoods Baptist Camp in Groveton, Texas. They and other Illinois COM volunteers had reunited with former Lake Sallateeska Manager Philip Hall, who is now that camp’s project manager. The couple spent a few weeks adding bathrooms onto cabins and helping refurbish a conference center.
The couple often worked at IBSA camps. Mike Young, pastor of The Ridge Church in Carbondale, worked with them when he served as manager of Streator Baptist Camp. He described James as “quiet, a hard worker, and someone who did what was asked of him,” Young said. “Both were strong believers and there is great assurance in that.”
couple dies after collision ‘Spiritual Grandmother’ remembered
Bonnie L. Berry, 93, died March 8 in Joliet. She was the widow of IBSA church planter and missionary Marvin Berry, who served in that role from 1971 to 1993. She was his partner in ministry.
Bonnie and Marvin moved to Joliet in 1968, where they raised their family of five children.
Bonnie taught in Joliet Grade School District 86 for 30 years. She was a member of Iglesia Camino al Cielo Church, a church the couple planted in 1982, where she served as a Sunday School teacher and church treasurer.
The Rentfrows were awarded the Campers on Mission Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. They are survived by two daughters, three sons, four grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. They were active members of First Southern Baptist Church of Farina.
community. They worked in a huband-spoke model, meaning they would start one church, the ‘mother’ church, and then immediately begin looking for the next neighborhood to plant a ‘daughter’ church. Their efforts laid important groundwork for the growth of Hispanic Baptist congregations in the region.”
“Marvin and Bonnie were known for their remarkable longevity in ministry,” IBSA Mission Director Shannon Ford said. “Rather than moving frequently, they spent the majority of their missionary service in Illinois, becoming well-known and deeply trusted within the Joliet
In missionary circles, the Berrys were respected for their ability to build bridges between English-speaking Baptist associations and the cultural and ministry needs of Hispanic mission congregations. Bonnie played an essential role in their work, often managing administrative responsibilities and coordinating community outreach.
Ford said the Berrys are still widely remembered in the Hispanic community around Joliet as “spiritual grandparents” of the mission work.
Email IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org
Marshall Baptist Church seeks a fulltime Executive Pastor to serve alongside the Lead Pastor in our mission of “helping people follow Jesus.” Provide leadership to staff and ministry teams, oversee systems and processes, leads small groups, assist in preaching and service planning, and serve as an Elder. For info or to submit a resume, contact marshallbaptist@ gmail.com.
Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria seeks a full-time pastor. WBC is a missions-minded church ministering to the international peoples of Peoria. Candidates must have a seminary degree and should send a letter of application and a resume to searchteam@ woodlandbaptistchurch.net.
Mission ILLINOIS
Lisle: Hands on
“Every month, we intentionally take a Sunday off from regular services to serve our community,” leaders at 168 Church in Lisle posted. They call it Participate Sunday. Everybody in the church family is included in the service projects, from the oldest to the youngest. They recently built bikes and coffee tables for refugee families who are being rehoused by World Relief in Chicagoland.
…if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you. Matt. 17:20
hood: Rolling BBQ
Who can turn down a free burger or hot dog? No one.
This neighborhood outreach took Disaster Relief’s mobile grill on a trip through Jacksonville, offering fresh lunch bags, and an invitation to the Mother’s Day services the following day. With a focus on Gospel Conversations, the missions team put their outreach into words.
They found people willing to listen, including the young mother with two small children through her open window and a deaf man. The team “happened” to have someone who knew sign language. Offers of prayer accompanied by lunch proved a welcome introduction.
Mascoutah: ‘Saturate 62258’
A team of 61 people from First Baptist Church of Mascoutah toured their community for Saturate 62258. In one Saturday, they visited homes, handed out 2,500 blessing bags, and prayed with the people in their neighborhoods.
