August 1, 2021 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

Mission Illinois Offering &

Defending the holiness of Scripture

Welcome to Judea

Why

If charity begins at home, so does missions.

Jesus’ instructions in Acts 1:8, simply put, mean start where you are and move outward from there. The ever-widening circles he described are Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Many missions-minded people interpret these four spheres geographically, starting where the particular believer reading the text lives.

If the believer’s home is at the center as Jerusalem was for the disciples, and the whole earth is the ultimate assignment for us as it was for them, how then do we interpret Judea and Samaria?

Southern Baptists have strong commitment to international missions, so that area of largest responsibility is clearly covered in our churches’ support of 3,610 International Missions Board (IMB) missionaries. And Samaria may be interpreted as missions on our continent through the North American Mission Board (NAMB), especially 3,057 church planters across the U.S. and Canada (missionary units, including church planting couples who count as one unit).

Oversight named

For SBC Executive Committee investigation

P. 3

Abortion resolution

Will new statement slow limitations?

P. 5

What if Jesus attended the convention?

P. 6

Table Talk with Josh Steely P. 13

4-page pull-out includes devotions and missions promotion plan

SPECIAL SECTION: Prayer Guide and feature stories inside

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

Editorial Resident - Grayce Lillpop

The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3119 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. E-mail us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff.

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every month by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

The BIG Baptist family album

On the Illinois mission field

Pray for Pastor Jai Park, his wife Sunhee, and Peaceful Korean Baptist Church as they witness to the residents of Rolling Meadows in Chicagoland. They want to show how the gospel is enough in a polytheistic culture.

Pray the news: Parents and schools

Amber Fisher started the Illinois chapter of Parents’ Rights in Education after becoming concerned about what her children were being taught at school. “We thought we were protected living in a relatively rural school district,” Fisher said. But new legislation will introduce discussions about sex and gender she feels “should be a parent’s decision when their kids are ready.” Read more on page 4.

Your Cooperative Program gifts at work

NATE ADAMS

My best kept secret

Every now and then one hears about a public figure, sometimes even a pastor or religious leader, who chooses to unveil a long-kept secret, or who perhaps has it exposed by someone else. Sometimes that secret surprises us because it reveals a character very different from the person we thought we knew. At other times, the secret simply confirms what we suspected all along.

I hope the 36-year secret I want to share now is in that second category. It’s a secret that has deeply influenced my character, my values and priorities, my family, and any accomplishments I may have. In fact, it continues to do so, because perhaps my best kept secret—is my wife.

Let me hasten to add that I do not attempt to keep Beth a secret. Many closest to me know her too. They won’t be surprised at a word I am writing here. But if you don’t know her, you won’t know how deeply this special woman has influenced and grounded my life and helped make me who I am.

The reason I describe her as a secret is that she rarely shares any public attention with me. She prefers it that way. Her gifts and strengths excel behind the scenes, in quiet places where encouragement and service and giving and disciplined prayer often bear their fruit. The gifts God has given me often place me in front of people, but the gifts God has given Beth place her among and alongside people. Frankly, we are often at our best as a couple, not when she joins me in the spotlight, but when I join her in the lower light of service and anonymity.

Beth and I were walking on our college campus years ago when we met a well-known professor who smiled as she approached us and said, “Hello, Nate!” Then she turned to greet Beth and found herself saying, “And hello…there.”

Beth has joked many times since then that people will often know my name, and she will simply be “there.” But that’s really the point, isn’t it? Whatever public service or failures may thrust me into a spotlight, she is always “there” to be my steady, my reality check, my encourager, my perspective giver, my home base, my life partner, my wife.

For now 36 years, Beth has been all that and more to me. And only a few people fully realize how much less I would have to offer if she were not by my side.

I write this not only to celebrate my faithful wife, because as I mentioned she may not completely enjoy the recognition, but I want to also celebrate the countless other ministry spouses who are “best kept secrets,” yet make their partner’s service possible.

Deaf women in the Czech Republic study the Bible together. IMB photo

Giving by IBSA churches as of 7/16/21

$3,186,225

Budget Goal: $3,338,468

Received to date in 2020: $3,013,337

2021Goal: $6.2 Million

Many of them, like Beth, did not aspire to marry public figures. They may have found themselves in that role unexpectedly, long after the marriage vows. Some have humbly explained to search committees that they don’t play an instrument, or want to be a ministry leader, or aspire to speak at the women’s conference. But they will be there for their more public partner in ways that make his ministry more than double.

Of course there are many ministry marriages where both spouses have highly visible, even dynamic gifts, and who use them powerfully together. Those we should also celebrate! God knows who we each need to best complement our ministries. It’s worth recognizing the unassuming wives who are our very best kept secrets.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Let’s celebrate ministry spouses who make their partner’s service possible.

From the front: illinois—our judea

Continued from page 1

And local missions commitment goes without saying. Each church has a responsibility to its own community through local partnerships and to its nearby network of sister churches in the local association.

The piece that we focus on this time of year is Judea. Our great Illinois mission field.

If we are not careful, we may assume that someone else is caring for Illinois. After all, there are almost 1,000 Illinois Baptist churches, church plants, and mission congregations, and each one has been divinely assigned in its own community. But when we consider the size of Illinois, both in geography and population, this vast mission field is far more than any of our churches can cover on their own.

God has entrusted Illinois Baptists with the fifth largest state in the nation, with almost 13 million residents, including 3.2 million who are new to the country. And most important, more than 8 million people in Illinois don’t know Jesus as Savior.

Litton names investigation oversight

Nashville, Tenn. | SBC President Ed Litton has named a seven-member task force to oversee a third-party review into the handling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC Executive Committee (EC). The task force was required by messengers at the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, after it was reported that the EC had hired a firm on its own to conduct an investigation of EC actions.

“The messengers of the 2021 SBC annual meeting spoke clearly and overwhelmingly regarding this important task,” said Bruce Frank, pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church of Arden, N.C., who will chair the group. Marshall Blalock, pastor of First Baptist Church of Charleston, S.C., will serve as vice-chair.

In addition to the seven members, Litton named two advisors to the task force with “expertise in handling sexual abuse dynamics.” One of them, Rachael Denhollander, is an attorney and survivors’ advocate who became known internationally as the first woman to file a police report and speak publicly against USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. After her actions, 250 women made similar accusations.

“in order for this investigation to be truly external, independent and unbiased,” and that the Executive Committee “can’t be the ones to hold themselves accountable.”

The task force is to receive a written report 30 days before the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting. The report is to be made public within a week, along with suggested actions for messengers.

“Southern Baptists, I urgently call you to pray for this process and to bear the burden alongside this task force as they pursue truth, identify issues, and move forward toward greater health in the area of response to abuse,” Litton said.

GIVE A LIFT – Food distribution was a new missions opportunity for Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief starting in 2020. Churches report open doors for the gospel through compassion ministries.

That’s why Illinois Baptists take every opportunity available to share the gospel through the Illinois Baptist State Association.

In 2021, the Mission Illinois Offering and Week of Prayer focuses on church planting in our two largest metro areas, Chicagoland and Metro East St. Louis. We explore leadership development that serves and strengthens our local churches. And we highlight one of many compassion ministries; this one in particular opened up to our Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers during the pandemic.

We could have told so many more stories, because Illinois Baptists reach out with the gospel love of Jesus in so many ways. And the reason, like the offering itself, is to share Christ in Illinois.

Please remember the Mission Illinois Offering and Week of Prayer, September 12-19. Read the MIO special section in this edition. Pray over the devotions. And encourage your church in giving to state missions. Our participation is vital to fulfilling the Great Commission here in Illinois.

The other advisor, Chris Moles, is a pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance and author of two books on abuse. Both Denhollander and Moles previously served on an advisory group formed in 2018 by former SBC President J.D. Greear.

Litton said in forming of the task force he “sought counsel and recommendations from experts in the field and from trusted advisors.” He said the task force includes pastors in the SBC “who are independent of the Executive Committee and who do not have a conflict of interest related to the review” as well as laypersons “with professional expertise for this assignment.”

The motion was approved amid controversy over allegations made by former Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore, who resigned in May. Moore charged in two letters leaked to news media that calls to address sexual abuse in the SBC had been “stonewall[ed]” by leaders. Audio clips from two meetings Moore described were later posted online by a former ERLC staff member.

The pastor who made the motion, Grant Gaines of Murfreesboro, Tenn. said, appointment of a task force was necessary

Additional members of the task force are John Damon, CEO of Canopy Children’s Solutions, Jackson, Miss.; Nashville, Tenn. judicial law clerk Liz Evan; counselor Heather Evans of Coopersburg, Pa.; Andrew Hébert, pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas; and Bucas Sterling III, pastor of Kettering Baptist Church in Upper Marlboro, Md.

– condensed from a report by Baptist Press

Camp relocated to Streator

A students’ camp week was moved from Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp to Streator Baptist Camp during the week of July 19, after Covid-19 cases were reported following a summer camp at IBSA’s southern Illinois facility near Pinckneyville the previous week. A local association that used the facility had confirmed cases of the virus in the days after campers returned home. The move of “Rebound” camp to Streator was out of caution.

LITTON FLOYD DENHOLLANDER

Watch the stories at missionillinois.org

Action ends predatory loans

A bill signed into law June 30 stops payday lenders from collaborating with out-of-state banks in order to carry on unscrupulous practices. “We are grate ful to Congress for passing this legisla tion and President Biden for signing it,” said Daniel Patterson, acting president of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). “No longer will pay day lenders be allowed to subvert existing state laws and exploit vulnerable people with outrageous interest rates on short-term loans... The Bible condemns usurious business practices, and the SBC messengers have denounced predatory payday lending.” Some lenders charged up to 400% interest.

High Court denies florist

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by Washington state florist Barronelle Stutzman after a state court said she was guilty of discrimination because she refused to design flowers for a same-sex wedding. The high court’s refusal effectively ends the Southern Baptist woman’s protracted legal efforts to operate her shop by her Christian convictions. Three associate justices—Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch—would have granted review. Alliance Defending Freedom (an IBSA ministry partner), which represented Stutzman, described the order as tragic. General counsel Kristen Waggoner wrote, “A government that can crush someone like Barronelle, who kindly served her gay customer for nearly a decade but simply declined to create art celebrating one sacred ceremony, can use its power to crush any of us regardless of our political ideology or views on important issues like marriage.”

D.C. church reimbursed

The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $220,000 in legal fees in a settlement with Capitol Hill Baptist Church. That comes nine months after a federal court ruled D.C. could not prohibit the congregation pastored by Mark Deaver from meeting outdoors with proper safety measures during the Covid-19 pandemic. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had restricted religious gatherings, but the court said her actions likely violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The church returned to its auditorium May 2.

– Reported by ERLC and Baptist Press

Affiliate with IBSA

Churches wishing to apply for affiliation with the Illinois Baptist State Association must submit an application for membership by September 20. To request an affiliation packet, visit www.IBSA. org/membership. For more information, contact Barb Troeger at (217) 391-3107 or email BarbTroeger@IBSA.org.

‘Jericho March’ at Governor’s Mansion

Protestors seek vetos on sex ed legislation

Springfield | The walls are still standing around the Governor’s Mansion, but protestors including a woman blowing a shofar horn made their point with a rally they called a Jericho Prayer March. About 250 people circled the block in downtown to urge Governor Pritzker to veto two bills affecting children in public schools. Passed in May, SB 818 is a sex education bill with a controversial curriculum, and HB 156 mandates public schools place feminine hygiene products in boys’ bathrooms.

The president of the Illinois Family Institute, David E. Smith, described SB 818 as “antithetical to the values of the Bible and most parents” in Illinois. He described the curriculum as not age appropriate or medically accurate. Further, the curriculum encourages children to experiment sexually. In his prayer Smith asked God for “forgiveness for what we’re teaching our children.”

While SB 818 allows schools to opt out of teaching sex education, the only curriculum public schools would be allowed to teach meets national sex sducation standards from a non-governmental partnership called the Future of Sex Education. The curriculum includes a text book that some state legislators have described as pornographic. Titled “It’s Perfectly Normal,” the book features nude cartoons depicting sexual positions. It has been banned in some schools and libraries.

HB 156 requires public schools to provide free feminine hygiene products in both girls’ and boys’ bathrooms for students in grades 4 through 12. The Center Square reported the bill’s co-sponsor, Kathleen Willis of Addison, said its passage was necessary for the health of transgender students. Before the crowd circled the walled mansion, Gay Lynne Ledley (below) blew a shofar made from a ram’s horn, as the priests did before Joshua and his men began their march around Jericho. “I don’t want my grandson to go to school to learn what they’re going to teach him,” said Ledley, a director at Choices Pregnancy and Health in Casey.

Marion-area resident Tanya Miller, who attended with members from her church, said she feels “burdened for our kids and their future. My grandfather always told me you have to stand firm. And, we have to stand in front of God and answer for what we do.”

Parents consider ‘opt-out’ options

Homeschooling saw a surge in growth while schools were closed for in-person learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic, doubling to 11.1% of all students by October 2020. Now, as parents plan fall schooling and the return to classrooms for many, new issues about controversial curriculum are prompting parents to consider alternatives, including “opting out” of objectionable courses.

The Illinois Family Institute (IFI) hosted a series of eight meetings around the state to showcase options in light of recent legislation advocating liberal sex education starting with very young children. Amber

Fisher, leader of Illinois Parents’ Rights in Education, said, “I think it should be the parent’s decision to decide when their children are ready” to have complicated issues of sex and gender introduced. The group’s website includes a form to withdraw children from such objectionable classes: www.ParentsRightsInEd.org/Illinois.

The topic of homeschooling came up at the June 2021 Southern Baptist Convention when messengers rejected a change to Lifeway’s ministry statement which would have taken away its responsibility to “assist churches with Christian schools and home school ministries.”

BARRONELLE STUTZMAN

SBC resolution may hinder abortion limitations

Some pro-lifers concerned about strict abolitionist wording

A resolution calling for complete abolition of abortion that was passed by messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting is receiving criticism from other pro-life Southern Baptists. They say its language fails to recognize the value of legislation that limits abortion little by little.

At the Nashville convention, messengers overturned a decision by the SBC Resolutions Committee that denied a vote on a resolution submitted from the floor condemning abortion in any form. The committee cited another being offered in opposition to abortion that messengers approved. In response, one of the resolution’s ten co-authors, Bill Ascol of Owasso, Oklahoma, (pictured below) spoke four times in favor of the resolution. His persistence paid off, as messengers agreed to bring his resolution for a vote, then approved it.

Southern Baptists have used resolutions to speak out against abortion multiple times over the last four decades, but this appears to be the most strictly worded. Critics expressed fears it would discredit attempts to restrict abortion through bans on partialbirth abortion or so-called heartbeat laws that prevent abortion after an early stage of fetal development.

Pro-life advocates in several states have had success limiting abortion through heartbeat laws, including Missouri, where all but one abortion clinic has been closed.

One of those critics was Dana Hall McCain, (above, far right) a member of the SBC Commit-

tee on Resolutions. McCain wrote in the Alabama Baptist newspaper, “The language we use to advocate for righteous causes matters, as do the methods, and this particular document failed on both of these counts.”

McCain directed much of her criticism toward language she believes calls for the “prosecution of women who have abortions.” She worries how that will affect ministry outreach by Southern Baptists. “The abolition folks see no difference between a frightened and broken 16-year-old or an abuse victim who, in her deep distress, is tempted to seek an abortion, and an assassin who shoots another in cold blood,” McCain wrote.

High profile SBC seminary professors and ethicists have also expressed opposition to the resolution. In an essay published online by the Public Discourse, Alan Branch, Denny Burk, Daniel Heimbach, Steve Lemke, Jeffrey Riley, Andrew T. Walker, C. Ben Mitchell, and Richard Land wrote about the resolution’s failure to account for exceptions in the case of the life of the mother.

One example they cited is a rare ectopic pregnancy which occurs when an embryo is implanted in a fallopian tube rather than the uterus. There is no chance for the developing fetus to survive. The fallopian tube will eventually rupture and take the life of the mother if it is not removed. In the essay, they wrote “the aim in such removal is not to destroy life but to save the one life that can be saved—the life of the mother,” which the resolution prohibits. Several notations are included

to support their view that the life of the mother exception is consistent with the Bible’s teaching about the sanctity of human life.

After lengthy debate, the resolution was adopted with addition of one word, “alone,” in a paragraph that then read: “RESOLVED, that we will not embrace an incremental approach alone to ending abortion because it challenges God’s Lordship over the heart and the conscience, and rejects His call to repent of sin completely and immediately.”

The resolution laments “any complicity in recognizing exceptions that legitimize or regulate abortion.”

In Illinois, many pro-life advocates hope to use incremental laws to push back against largely unrestricted abortion access in the state. An example is the current state law requiring women under age 18 to notify a parent, legal guardian, or grandparent at least 48 hours prior to an abortion. A bill to repeal the Parental Notice Act failed in the spring legislative session. Around 1,000 abortion procedures are performed on minors each year in Illinois.

– With reporting from Baptist Press and The Alabama Baptist

New poll: Equality Act opposed Genocide condemned

Resolution 8, approved by messengers at the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention, identified China’s treatment of the mostly Muslim Uyghur people as genocide. That marks the first time an American denomination used the term to label persecution of the people group, according to Christianity Today.

The resolution urged “the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Republic of China to cease its program of genocide against the Uyghur people immediately, restore to them their full God-given rights, and put an end to their captivity and systematic persecution and abuse.” Previously Pope Francis had brought their suffering to light, and both the Trump and Biden administrations called their treatment genocide. The resolution called on the U.S. government “to bring an end to the genocide of the Uyghur People, and work to secure their humane treatment, immediate release from reeducation camps, and religious freedom.” Further, the resolution encouraged admission of Uyghur people to the U.S. as refugees.

“Christians should be at the forefront of human rights efforts, which is why the SBC resolution is so important,” Knox Thames wrote at CT Online. Thames served as the U.S. State Department’s special advisor for religious minorities during both the Obama and Trump administrations. “As someone who grew up in a Southern Baptist church, it was good to see Southern Baptists... confront horrific persecution abroad.”

– with reporting from Christianity Today and Baptist Press

Many Washington observers had wondered if leaders in the U.S. Senate might use June’s LGBTQ focus to force a vote on the Equality Act (HR 5), passed by the U.S. House in February. A new survey shows an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose key provisions of the Equality Act, which could be one reason why the bill has stalled.

The survey conducted June 16-17 by Rasmussen Reports and Summit.org found 82% of Americans said freedom of religion is important to maintain a healthy American society, with just 9% stating it’s not important. In addition, just 20% of Americans said they believe churches and faith-based charities should be required by law to hire people who oppose their religious beliefs. The Equality Act would disallow conscientious objections due to religious beliefs to be used in the hiring of gay, lesbian, and transexual individuals by Christian business owners or religious organizations and churches.

Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries, a Colorado-based Christian training organization for young people, was encouraged by their survey’s findings. He believes it shows the “American people overwhelmingly support the

continued protection of the constitutional right of freedom of religion.” Myers noted the study found bi-partisan support for “not requiring by law that churches and faith-based charities to hire people who oppose their religious beliefs.”

Any consensus between the two parties is rare now, but “in an era of hyper-partisanship, freedom of religion retains broad, bi-partisan support among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents,” Myers concluded.

Should churches and faith-based charities be required by law to hire people who oppose their religious beliefs?

Republican Should not 60% 14%

Independent

Should Should not Should Should not Should

Democrat 54% 16% 37% 28%

Trends from nearby and around the world. Tracker

Bible: More time for Bible reading

181 million American adults read the Bible at least once last year, up 7.1% from the year before. And 128 million read the Bible with regularity, meaning once a week or more, according to an annual survey by the American Bible Society and Barna Research.

In the State of the Bible poll, three-fourths of adults believe the Bible is from God.

*Actual word of God, take it literally Inspired, but some verses are symbolic Inspired, but has factual or historical errors

Not inspired, how writers understood God

Just another book of stories and advice

Pro-Life: Networks refuse commercial

CBS and CMT (both owned by Viacom) and the Hallmark Channel all refused to air an ad from a leading pro-life group. The commercial is part of a $2 million campaign to raise awareness of a pending U.S. Supreme Court hearing on Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks. The networks called the spot “controversial” and “unacceptable.”

The ad says, “Science tells us that at 15 weeks, these babies have formed faces, they smile, they yawn, they feel pain.”

– info from Christian Post

People: PTL revisited

(*all paraphrased from Barna’s lengthier responses )

Midwest: Trans housing required

College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo., will appeal a ruling that they must place transgenderidentified male college students in girls’ dormitories, if they apply for housing.

A federal judge recently denied the Christian university’s request for protection from the Biden administration’s Fair Housing Act. The school said the rule forces religious schools to violate their religious beliefs.

– info from Christian Post

What would Jesus resolve?

There was a moment in the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville that caught the attention of messengers in the hall and watchers online, not because of its verbal content, but for its optics, as they say. The presiding officer recognized microphone number three. A voice began his introduction, a pastor from Florida. When his image popped up on screen, there was a bit of a gasp.

Jesus just showed up at the SBC, the Twitterverse exclaimed. And it sure looked that way.

Joshua Coleman, with long hair, a beard, and dressed in a long white shirt, almost tunic-like, said he was new to the SBC. He had a simple question involving Cooperative Program resources for the local church. But his appearance on the convention floor amid so many messengers making motions and resolutions in record numbers raised another pertinent question:

If he showed up at the convention in bodily form, what would Jesus resolve?

The value of resolutions has been argued in the weeks since the convention, both to make the case for their importance and to refute it. After all, resolutions can only be made by messengers at a particular point in time, and technically they only serve to express the opinion of that particular gathering. Resolutions are not binding on the local church or on SBC entities. And, as we learned, they cannot be rescinded. One messenger sought to rescind resolutions back to the Convention’s founding to make a point, but the action was ruled out of order. Messengers at any given annual meeting may only vote to express a different opinion on a matter later on.

That does not lessen the value of resolutions. And resolutions should not be dismissed because of their punctiliar (point-in-time) nature.

Messengers also approved Resolution 8, which made the SBC the first denomination to identify the killing of Uyghur Muslims in China as ethnic genocide. Christianity Today reported surprise in some quadrants, but also appreciation.

“The [SBC] has blazed a trail for others to follow,” said Nury Turkel, chair of the Uyghur Human Rights Project and vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). “This is a historic resolution where Baptists have come out to affirm solidarity in standing up against atrocities, no matter the ethnic and religious identity of the victims.”

Tammy Faye Bakker is coming to the big screen September 17. “I just was so blown away by her and her story,” portrayer Jessica Chastain told People magazine. “The thing I loved the most about Tammy is her capacity to love. She knew what it felt like to not feel important, and she didn’t want anyone to experience that.” Jim Bakker will be played by Andrew Garfield. Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Jimmy Swaggart will also be depicted in what newsman Ted Koppel called, at the time of PTL’s 1987 collapse, “a national soap opera.”

– info from RNS

Two resolutions passed in Nashville demonstrate this. Messengers approved a resolution supporting a complete abolition position on abortion, which was in conflict with one brought by the Committee on Resolutions. The Committee’s position has been further unpacked following the annual meeting. Their original statement would allow for incremental limitation on abortions as an effective means of virtually ending abortion. The alternate resolution received a lot of attention, and ultimately approval of an absolutist stance.

That’s the power of resolutions. They may not be binding or especially lasting, but resolutions can crystallize opinion. Because of that power, a resolution should be considered not because of the popularity of the position or the volume of the voices advocating it, but because of the strength of the argument. Sometimes that argument is complicated and nuanced; understanding and approving it takes time. The investment of time is worthwhile if, in our congregational form of government, we are to make statements that affect public opinion and effect public policy.

The wife of a pastor-friend of mine would tell her husband, if she needed to say home while he went to the convention, “Bring me a copy of the resolutions.” Today, of course, she can download them, but her point is well taken. Resolutions have impact. They turn the spotlight. They shift opinions. They state what Baptists believe needs attention.

And, hopefully, Jesus would too. – Eric Reed

THE MESSENGER – A pastor from St. Petersburg, Florida caught the attention of the crowd at the Nashville convention—and prompted a new question.

MISSION

Block parties spread the Word

Pleasant Hill | Don Hannel says he prayed for years to reach the communities near the church he pastors, First Baptist Church of Pleasant Hill, but doors did not open until this spring.

Located in the narrow wedge between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers about thirty miles south of Pleasant Hill, Hardin has no Southern Baptist church. First came the opportunity to host a Bible study. Next a door opened for a block party. Hannel decided to spread the love, hosting three block parties in one weekend.

The church partnered with Hangar Church from Mississippi. They started June 26 in Kampsville with bounce houses, food service provided by Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief, and worship led by Hangar Church. Hannel tallied 162 local guests. The next day, they set up camp in Hardin and reached 138 guests. Then on Sunday, FBC held their regular services and closed the weekend in Pleasant Hill with 133 guests.

Hannel plans to continue this momentum with Bible studies called Journey Groups in Hardin.

Illinois students aid Dakota church launch

Their plans for a mission trip at the beach over spring break fell through, so a team from Southern Illinois University (SIU) headed for the mountains at the close of the semester. They drove west to South Dakota to work with church planter Kenneth Brock. His plant, Mercy Gate, launched this year.

The team included Baptist Campus Ministry team leader Brandon McNeely, IBSA Church Planting Director Kevin Jones, and six college students. “Our goal is to facilitate the local church wherever we go,” said Jones, who also specializes in collegiate ministry for the state association. “We walked door-to-door, then worked the bounce houses and games at the block parties so Mercy Gate’s congregation could connect with their neighbors.”

The group arrived May 16 and attended Mercy Gate’s Sunday morning worship service. That afternoon they mingled with the congregation and prepared for their work. Monday through Wednesday the group canvassed the areas around Summerset, the church’s Rapid City neighborhood, inviting residents to the block party, then shared Christ or prayed with them as the opportunity was presented.

Block parties on Monday and Tuesday reached between 200 and 300 people each. Four people came forward to profess faith in Christ at a service Wednesday evening.

“One woman in her late sixties said, ‘I’ve never heard that, nor have I ever been to church.’” Brock reported. “We also had over 120 people in the Sunday service after the block parties. This was a first for our new church plant.” The new pastor said he feels deeply the lostness in South Dakota. Brock said he is excited to follow up with connections that were made that week. He hopes to plant two new churches there.

– Leah Honnen

ON DUTY – SIU students (above) serve snacks and man the booths at a block party in Rapid City, while Mercy Gate members meet residents of the new church’s neighborhood (left).

SALUKIS AT RUSHMORE – BCM students from SIU stop at Mount Rushmore (above, left) while on their South Dakota mission trip: Patrick Hogge, James Jessup, Thomas Jessup, Ben Schellenburg, Jacob Hulsey, Jennifer Sixtos, and team leader Brandon McNeely

PARTY HEARTY – Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief and a team from Hangar Church in Brandon, Mississippi, teamed with FBC Pleasant Hill to stage three block parties. The result is new Bible studies in Hardin.

Rapid City, SD

Pleasant Hill, IL

Making memories for a lifetime

After a year off, summer camps’ return is good news

BY GRAYCE LILLPOP

David VanBebber had fond memories of summer camp from his childhood. As an adult, he wanted the kids from his church to have the same experience. So the pastor of Meadow Brook Baptist Church in Auburn teamed up with churches from his local association and with IBSA to create a special week, one he hoped would change some young lives forever.

For five years now, VanBebber has made summer camp a priority for children at his church and for the Heartland Baptist Network of churches in central Illinois. The churches see the value in camp experiences. “There are several kids that go to our church that needed assistance,” VanBebber said. “Through the generosity of different churches in our association and individuals, every kid that wanted to go to camp within the past five years has been able to go.”

And the kids are eager to return. Amid the buzz of campers lining up for recreational activities early in their week in the country, there was chatter about the excitement of reunion. “It’s so fun to get away and see the friends that I met here, every summer!” said Grace, a ninth grader. Heartland’s summer getaways meet at Streator Baptist Camp, IBSA’s facility serving northern Illinois. New on the job during the year the camp was closed due to Covid-19, camp manager Jacob Kimbrough and his wife, Katie, have used the time preparing to reopen in 2021. Their work involved continuing renovations, which gave many recreational activities a fresh new look.

“Looking back to when I visited Streator five years ago, the improvements totally revolutionized its usefulness as a camp and the overall opportunities for recreation,” VanBebber said. He mentioned activities such as gaga ball, human foosball, paddle boats, and kayaks, as well as a waterslide getting a much-appreciated update. Always popular at Streator are archery and fishing in the stocked lake.

VanBebber said that all the activities allowed kids to experience something that was normal, something they had missed. “This year’s camp was particularly significant because we were coming out of Covid. It was an important way to help kids bounce back spiritually from the pandemic.”

In addition to the outdoor fun, campers studied the Bible every day. They learned the 3-Circles witnessing tool, a simple but ingenious way to share the gospel with campers who haven’t heard it, and to prepare those who do know the gospel to share it with their friends.

“Camp is very valuable in that, in a period of four to five days, kid’s lives can be touched by Christ possibly for the first time ever,” said VanBebber, who served as camp director. Allowing kids to interact with other young believers from

their part of the state establishes a community for them to grow with outside of the camp setting. Bringing his church family to summer camp has added a whole new dimension to their ministry. Their students eagerly look forward to it throughout the year.

In southern Illinois, a similar story can be told at Lake Sallateeska, IBSA’s original camp, first operated by the Illinois WMU, and the site of wonderful memories for many Illinois Baptists. The team there, some new and many returning, viewed this summer as a comeback. Brock and Polly Vandever came onboard at Lake Sallateeska at approximately the same time as their counterparts in Streator. “I feel like it was this bittersweet thing,” said Polly about the year when their downstate facility was also closed.

“We didn’t get to experience camps our first year due to Covid regulations, but that gave us all this time to really get to know the quirks of the property and to pray over the land. When we got the green light to go ahead for the summer, we were super excited,” Polly said.

Although their first year at Lake Salleteeska looked different than they had anticipated, the Vandevers said the Lord used the time to equip them for the chapter that was about to begin.

Lake Salleteeska has long-term staff on board, but the camp also has lots of support from volunteers and through local community relationships. “I’m the camp manager, but camp doesn’t happen without all the other people,” Brock said. “It doesn’t happen without the volunteer camp directors, it doesn’t happen without all the other volunteers. Whatever we need, they’re willing to do it because they know the impact camps have on kid’s lives.”

The leadership teams at both camps have made efforts this year to reach into their surrounding communities. Polly said by forming a relationship with an employee of their local hardware store, more children signed up for camp. “It was really neat to see how those pieces of the puzzle all connected. It’s been really rewarding to build on those relationships,” she said.

IBSA offered a total of three camp weeks at the two facilities, and made the campgrounds available to local associations that wanted to host their own camp weeks. The themes “Bounce” and “Rebound” were about more than reopening,

HANDS ON – Students at Streator Baptist Camp mix study and fun, including time in God’s Word and learning the 3 Circles tool for sharing the gospel. Outside, camp manager Jacob Kimbrough teaches archery (right). And the games 8-square and human foosball in a renovated recreation area are crowd favorites (far right).

REEL GOOD TIME – Recreation at Lake Salleteeska is sometimes loud and sometimes quiet. The cups game (above) is laugh out loud fun, as is jumping cannonball-style into the indoor pool (far left). Campers build boats for a cardboard regatta. (See purple team top, green team on facing page, and orange team on page 1). For a peaceful break, campers learn to fish on the lake.

VanBebber said. The 2021 summer camp season allowed students and adult leaders to be rejuvenated in a number of ways, “spiritually, socially, and maybe even emotionally,” the pastor said.

With Lake Salleteeska and Streator Baptist Camps, guests can meet God without distraction, out by the lake, in the bunkhouse or chapel. And for students who have yet to know Christ as Savior, summer camp, with its evangelistic emphasis, can make life changing and lifelong impact.

As summer gives way to fall, the staffs at both IBSA camp facilities will be making the transition to cooler weather activities. Campfires and hayrides, favorites even in summer, will be especially popular during getaways for pastors and church leadership teams. The facilities may be rented for reasonable rates, for groups of all sizes, or for ministry retreats. Contact the camp managers for more information.

Lake Sallateeska: BrockVandever@IBSA.org

Streator: JacobKimbrough@IBSA.org

THE cooperative program • 2nd quarter report jan. 1 - june 31

Our mission field

Illinois is home to 13 million people, and at least 8 million who don’t yet know Christ.

This report includes contributions received by the Illinois Baptist State Association through the second quarter of 2021. For questions about this report, contact the IBSA Church Cooperation Team at (217) 391-3106, e-mail JeffDeasy@IBSA.org, or write to P.O. Box 19247, Springfield, IL 62794-9247.

Our state is an urgent mission field.

Top 100 Illinois churches in Cooperative Program support through the second quarter of 2021

When your church gives to the Cooperative Program, stays in Illinois to support ministries in key areas:

56.5%

Riverton

Revitalized

When

Grace Community Fellowship, Vandalia 76.43 Swansea, Swansea 75.02

Cave in Rock First, Cave in Rock 75.00

Ozark, Ozark 74.79

Grace Fel. Davis Junction, Stillman Valley 74.37

Gospel Grace, Woodstock 74.26

Vera, Ramsey 73.45

Tallula, Tallula 71.18

New Prospect, Broughton 70.68

Meadowridge, Zion 70.34

Nashville First, Nashville 68.18

Bethel, Vandalia 67.79

Calvary, Pittsfield 67.12

Carmi First, Carmi 67.09

Columbia First, Columbia 66.36

Erven Avenue, Streator 66.28

Scott Street, Eldorado 64.85

Diamond Springs, Shattuc 64.75

Bethalto First, Bethalto 64.73

Faith, Freeburg 64.58

Flat Rock First Missionary, Flat Rock 63.79

Pleasant Valley, Belleville 63.65

Elk Grove Village First, Elk Grove Vlg 63.38

Casey First, Casey 61.98

Union Grove, Eldorado 61.90

Salem First, Salem 61.84

Olive Branch, Martinsville 61.56

Mitchell First, Granite City 61.46

Island City, Wilmington 61.23

Prairie Grove, Oblong 61.22 New Salem, Mc Leansboro

200 of churches are plateaued or declining.

67%

80% of church leaders say church revitalization is needed.

These needs go hand-in-hand. Revitalized churches are better equipped to plant new works where they’re needed.

Innovation season

Across Illinois, churches pivoted to address needs created or compounded by the pandemic.

IBSA helped with innovative technologies. Today, even as churches resumed many “normal” activities, ministries may look different because of the lessons we learned.

IBSA congregations reach their communities through

Livestreamed worship

Alternative church services

Online discipleship

Increased food distributions and more.

Our Illinois mission field is vast. Thank you for your gifts to the Cooperative Program, approximately $6 million annually from IBSA churches. By them, you make a difference, starting here at home.

GROWING

the Holy Bible

For many translations of Scripture, the title is given as “The Holy Bible.” Yet we do not often think about what this means, that Scripture is holy. Recognizing the Bible as holy affects our whole approach to this book and its impact upon our lives.

There are many books out there: some lovely, some ugly, some useful, some worthless, some true, some false. We are blessed to have many good and lovely and true and useful books written by wise Christians which can draw us closer to God. But the Bible is above them all, categorically different, profoundly and uniquely holy.

The word Bible comes into English from the Greek, and simply means “books.” This particular book is a collection of sixty-six books, and by referring to this book as the holy Bible, we are saying that this book is set apart from all other books.

The holiness of Scripture is a perennially relevant doctrine, one that bears constant reminding. Even evangelical Christians can fall into a pattern where our reverence for the Bible is strictly theoretical rather than applied. We can succumb to the temptation to domesticate Scripture, as though we were the masters—rather than the grateful recipients—of God’s Word.

And for those of us who hold to the holiness of Scripture, a ready answer is needed as we explain this key belief to others who see all purported sacred writings as being on a level plane.

Holiness, at its core, is about separation. To be holy is to be set apart from what is ordinary. A Christian understanding of holiness begins with God, who is supremely holy. In the celestial throne vision of Revelation, the four angelic beings before the Lord sing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev. 4:8; see also Isa. 6:3). God is above all created things, incomparably glorious in majesty, righteousness, beauty, wisdom, and power. The thrice-holy God makes people and

things holy by separating them from the rest for his purposes. So, to be holy is to be set apart by God.

To say that the Bible is holy, then, is to say that this book is set apart from all other books by God and for his purpose. This is found in the very origins of Scripture, for “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

Scripture is holy because it is given by the Holy God. It is written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, centered upon the Holy One, Jesus Christ, declaring the holy gospel of salvation, illuminated to those who believe by the same Holy Spirit, instrumental in God’s purpose of redeeming lost men and women, sanctifying

them, and bringing them into his holy people.

All of this means that we are not to regard the Bible like any other book. We ought not treat it as flippantly as we often do.

The characteristics of Scripture call for response from those who receive the Word. Because God’s Word is true, we should believe it; because it is authoritative, we should obey it; because it is sufficient, we should rely upon it; because it is holy, we should treat it with reverence. But what does this reverence look like? Keeping it on the top of the bookshelf?

We revere Scripture by reading it and heeding it, gratefully and gladly. Our temptation is to resist Scripture when we don’t like what it says, and at other times to simply neglect it. But we don’t get to pick and choose which parts of God’s holy Word to accept. He has given it all to us. We are charged to attend God’s Word, not to revise it, nor apologize for it, nor let it gather dust.

The Lord has given us this Word to lead us to himself, to guide us safely home. We may say, with the psalmist, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).

Josh Steely is pastor of Chatham Baptist Church.

Learning curve recommendaTions

Adorning the Dark

Andrew Peterson

This book is an encouragement for creative Christians trying to use their gifts to serve God. Peterson himself is a songwriter and author. It is great for writers, songwriters, poets, artists, and other creative minds.

– Pat Scarbrough, multimedia specialist, Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services

Prayer

Tim Keller

When Tim Keller and his wife, Kathy, were facing very challenging circumstances, she encouraged him that they should make praying together a priority. Their example has spurred my wife and me to pray together. It has been life-transforming for us together to intercede on behalf of our family and our church family.

– Jonathan Peters, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Columbia

Getting to the Other Side of Grief

Susan J. Zonnebelt-Smeenge and Robert C. De Vries

At ReFramed Ministries in Decatur, we minister to women who have experienced the loss of a child or spouse. Along with this book on overcoming the loss of a spouse, another resource I recommend is Paul David Tripp’s devotional book, “A Shelter in the Time of Storm.”

– Amy Richards, ministry leader, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Decatur

it’s

That must be explained and defended these days

It took a while for the greeting time to return to normal.

people

Welcome

Corwin Wong is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Winthrop Harbor. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Wong is a graduate of Gateway Seminary and previously served as associate/youth pastor of Brentwood Bible Fellowship in California. He and his wife, Mandy, have four children.

Hail and farewell, sort of

It was 11 years ago that young Meredith Day joined the IBSA staff as associate editor of the Illinois Baptist. A lot of news has happened since then, and Meredith covered it all. She made some herself, marrying Chris Flynn, a fine Illinois fellow, and bringing two beautiful girls into the world.

A dyed-in-the-wool Southern Baptist, with a pastorfather and church pianist-mother, a degree from a Baptist college, and two stints in mission service, Meredith has proven to be a blessing to us in Illinois for this decade. She has set high standards for our journalism, and is responsible for much great work here, even on a busy part-time basis since she became a mother. We are glad she will continue as a columnist, writing about culture and the Christian family.

Thank you, Meredith.

Two Illinoisans graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Christopher Korves of FBC Red Bud graduated with a Master of Divinity and Mariah Bowker of Faith Baptist in Carrollton earned a Bachelor of Science from Southern’s Boyce College.

Jerry Darden retired from New Life Baptist Church in Waverly after serving as bivocational pastor for 13 years. Darden works at Big R of Springfield and his wife, Linda, is a ministry assistant for the IBSA Leadership Development Team.

WITH THE LORD

Leona E. Davis, 81, wife of the late George Davis, died June 28. She ministered with George for over 50 years as a pastor’s wife and a NAMB missionary in central and southern Illinois. She also served as a leader in state and local WMU. The Davises served churches in Louisville, Altamont, Herrin, Grayville, Fairfield, Champaign, and Patoka. She is survived by three sons, a daughter and their families. Her son Mark Davis is Pastor of Education at Woodland Baptist, Peoria. Granddaughter Lindsay Wineinger was recently elected president of Illinois WMU. Memorials may be made to Springfield Southern Baptist Church.

Keith Neal, 67, pastor of Opdyke Missionary Baptist Church for the last 17 years, died June 23 of cancer. He previously pastored Olive Branch Baptist in Wayne City and Williams Chapel after being called to ministry in 1992. Neal is survived by his wife Judy and two sons. Together with Judy, he operated the Macedonia Game Preserve for 22 years and farmed. Memorials may be made to the church.

Book spotlights ‘church ladies’

Writer Rita Klundt’s compilation of short stories features 22 women with close ties to Illinois Baptist life. “Real Life. Real Ladies” is a book of true stories from the pews that reimagines the role “church ladies” play in their congregations and communities. “These aren’t your garden variety testimonies,” Klundt said, noting the book “manages some difficult topics and situations with transparency, integrity, and grace.”

The book is the result of short story swaps Klundt organized to help women write down their

stories and share them with each other. To be included in the book, stories had to be written by women who profess faith in Christ, and relatable for all women, churched and unchurched.

Both Lindsay Wineinger, current president of Illinois WMU, and past president Jill McNicol contributed a story. Sixteen of the writers are members of Liberty Baptist Church in Pekin. “Real Life. Real Ladies: Short Stories from the Pew” is available on Amazon.com.

Making kids (and moms) feel safe BRIGHTER DAY

One afternoon in the first grade, I refused to get on the school bus. It was an uncharacteristic act of public rebellion, so I remember the details well: sitting at my desk in the classroom with my head down until Mrs. Spencer, the principal, came through the door. When she knelt down next to me and asked why I didn’t want to ride the bus, I told her the driver drove too fast. That wasn’t true. But he did raise his voice often and used language more suited to the rowdy eighth graders in the back than the nervous first grader up front. Mrs. Spencer, who at six feet tall towered over nearly everyone at school, walked me out of the classroom and to the door of my bus, where she introduced me personally to the driver. “We want all our boys and girls to feel safe, don’t we?” she said. It wasn’t a question.

I’ve thought of Mrs. Spencer more often as my own children have started their school years. There are now adults in their lives whose primary purpose is to protect them. They need those teachers and administrators because, as children, they’re naturally vulnerable. I need those caregivers because sending children into the world puts parents in a vulnerable position. We need fellow adults who will serve as a shield and actively foster an environment of protection.

At the Southern Baptist Convention in June, key decisions were made to reinforce Baptists’ commitment to protecting the vulnerable. Voters approved a resolution to abolish abortion, and also

EVENTS

Aug 6-7

Hispanic Pastor’s Conference

What: Featuring Jose Nunez and Carol Evaul on parenting cross-culturally, Scott Foshie on church revitalization. Includes outdoor activities for the entire family. Begins 1 p.m. Friday. Cost: $15 per person or $25 per couple. $5 per child.

Where: Streator Baptist Camp, Streator Info: BobEvaul@IBSA.org • (618) 567-6170

Aug 17, 19

Regional Worship Training

What: Training from vocalists, musicians, and technology volunteers.

Where: Aug. 17: Second Baptist, Marion

Aug. 19: IBSA Building, Springfield Info: BenJones@IBSA.org

Sept 10-11 • Oct 22-23

Refocus Retreat for Men

What: A time to rest, be encouraged, and deepen your knowledge of the Word.

Where: Sept. 10-11: Streator Camp

Oct. 22-23: Lake Sallateeska Camp

Info: BenJones@IBSA.org

Aug–Oct

Equip Regional Training Events

What: Church leaders will grow their skills through two breakout sessions.

Where: Aug. 10: Emmanuel, Carlinville

Illinois Baptist Evangelism Conference Decatur Sept.

26-27

Featuring

Scott Harris

IBSA Evangelism Director

Sept 22

MEREDITH FLYNN

strengthened the denomination’s stand on sexual abuse. One Illinois pastor told me that while some of the controversial issues debated at the annual meeting don’t hit home with his church members, preventing abuse is one that definitely does.

Over the past few years, abuse survivors and advocates have shared the Scriptures that inform their work to prevent future abuse. One verse referenced is Proverbs 31:8—a call to speak up for those who have no voice. Mrs. Spencer did that one day in 1987, and likely every other day that year. My children’s teachers and caretakers do that every day now.

As we move into back-to-school season, I’m compelled to pray for all the Mrs. Spencers, past and present, and to look for opportunities to renew my own commitment to use my voice to protect those without one.

Meredith Day Flynn is a wife and mother of two living in Springfield. She writes on the intersection of faith, family, and current culture.

Aug. 24: Meadow Heights, Collinsville

Sept. 14: Logan Street, Mt. Vernon

Sept. 17: Alpha Church, Chicago

Sept. 18: TBD, Chicagoland

Sept. 28 FBC, Effingham

Oct. 12: FBC, Morton

Oct. 19: FBC, Marion Info: www.IBSA.org/equiptraining

E-mail: TammyButler@IBSA.org

Sept 18

BCHFS Fall Festival

What: Games, free lunch, entertainment, quilt and craft auctions benefiting the Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services.

Where: Residential Care Campus, Carmi Info: www.BCHFS.com (618) 382-4164

neTworking

Convention

and Illinois Baptist pastors lead 14 breakout sessions

$25 fee includes materials & meals

Leading Major Change

What: Lunch conference with Dr. Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary. The seminar and luncheon are free, plus first 150 registrants receive free Iorg book.

Where: Crossroads Church, Carol Stream Info: www.IBSA.org/leadingmajorchange

Sept 24-25

Women’s Ministry Essentials

What: Interact with an experienced specialist and practitioners on how to reach and disciple other women.

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Info: www.IBSA.org/women

CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org

Find more information on ministry positions at IBSA.org/connect

Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

Summit Avenue Baptist Church, Decatur, seeks a bivocational pastor Salary, benefits, and parsonage provided. Send resume to Chris Granda, 343 W. Andrews St., Macon, IL 62544 or email office@cbadecatur.com.

Grace Baptist Church, Palmyra, seeks a bivocational pastor. Submit resumés to Grace Baptist Church, P.O. Box 61, Palmyra, IL 62674. Contact John Ford for more information at (217) 204-6623.

Harbor Church, Lake of Egypt, seeks a lead pastor. Both full-time and bi-vocational applicants may be considered for this position. Email resumés tobradshawnee@gmail.com. Please include sermons or teaching videos highlighting your teaching style.

Harvard Hills Baptist Church of Washington is seeking a bivocational pastor Send resumés to meyer_steve@att.net.

JJ Washington Georgia Baptist

Fred Luter of New Orleans

Tabernacle Baptist Church and Decatur Inn and Conference Center

Church Planting

Student Ministry

Local Associations

Women’s Ministries

Crossover Missions

International Missions

Small Church Fellowship

Evangelism Coaching

New Congregations

Hispanic Pastors Ministers’ Wives

Disaster Relief

Church Staff and more