December 1, 2020 Illinois Baptist

NATE ADAMS

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE

Americans are sadder in 2020, Gallup found in its Global Emotions Report. When asked whether they had experienced a lot of sadness the previous day, 27% of people answered yes.

In a separate study, Gallup found most Americans say their lives haven’t returned to pre-pandemic normalcy.

Completely back to normal

62 62% 34%

–

2020

Location: Peoria

Focus: Latino residents

Characteristics: There has been a notable, steady rise in the Latino population on Peoria’s south side. Latino people make up 5% of Peoria’s citizenship, and comprise the city’s youngest people group.

Prayer needs: Pray for men and women of God to be raised up for the Latino population of this significant city.

Giving by IBSA churches as of 11/23/20

$4,745,658

Budget Goal: $5,534,616

Received to date in 2019: $5,169,601

2020 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

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 627034440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

Holly, meet Ivy

It has been several years since our family celebrated Christmas with a baby in the house. And yet this year there will be two! Ezra was born in June to our son Noah and his wife, Alyssa, and then in September Ivy Ann arrived, to the joy of our son Caleb and his wife, Laura.

Ivy arrived four weeks early, on her daddy’s birthday. And at just under five pounds, she was as tiny as her name.

When I held Ivy for the first time, she barely filled my two hands. I was touched by her frailty, her vulnerability. I saw in her the beauty and the humility of nativity. And I saw the preciousness and potential of every new life, both for now and for eternity.

Ivy’s arrival just before the holidays also brought to mind the old English Christmas carol, “The Holly and the Ivy.” Yet it made me realize that I didn’t really know what that song was about, or why it is associated with Christmas, or especially what ivy’s role is in it.

Look up the words of the song and you will find that holly symbolizes Christ in many ways, though it is Christ on the cross more than Christ in the manger. Holly’s prickly leaves remind us of Jesus’ crown of thorns. Its bright red berries remind us of Jesus’ blood, shed for our salvation. And its evergreen leaves remind us of eternal life, even during winter.

But what about ivy? Well, ivy is an evergreen too, one that also grows reassuringly in winter in many an English countryside. But ivy is a vine that depends on the structure and strength of another to grow. That’s why holly and ivy often grow together. And that’s why the old carol speaks not only of our savior, but also our blessed dependency on him.

While awaiting Ivy’s arrival, my son Caleb wrote these meditations on the name of the little girl he would soon meet:

Ivy is strong and beautiful, able to flourish in remarkable and unlikely places.

It can climb to amazing heights as well as cover great and immeasurable swathes of ground.

It grows on everything and outlasts all adverse conditions that threaten to quench it.

It grows rapidly and endlessly when connected to the true vine, bearing fruit that enriches life around it.

Like love covering a multitude of sins, its graceful beauty covers even the ugliest ruins.

The holly and the ivy remind us of evergreen hopes during wintery Christmastime nights safe in a warm home.

It flowers with delightful beauty in spring, bears life-giving fruit in summer, turns gorgeously burgundy in autumn, and deepens resilient roots in winter.

It was used to decorate wedding celebrations because of the way it cleaves to that which steadfastly abides near to it.

It covers graffitied urban walls as well as reinvigorating the stately ruins of past glories.

It cleanses contamination from the air and offers shelter to life that relies on its strength.

It was chosen by a mother, admired by a father, and loved by both, then loved by countless others as it grew and grew.

The holly and the ivy grow together, encouraging us in the wintery times of our lives and reminding us of Jesus, especially at Christmas. And my new granddaughter now reminds me that I am the ivy and not the holly. I only have life and growth and purpose because of that Christmastime baby who grew up to wear a crown of thorns, and to shed his blood, so that I could live forever with him.

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

We have life and growth and purpose only because of Jesus.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

Virtual worship returns

COVID spike prompts more online ministry

Illinois | Just head of the holidays, churches are again weighing whether to stay open for in-person services as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect communities across Illinois.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker renewed some statewide restrictions after confirmed and probable cases of the virus surged across the state. Increases in testing positivity rates and hospi talizations triggered Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigations Nov. 21, closing indoor dining, theaters, and museums.

Right before Thanks giving, the mitigations also limited in-home gatherings to members of the same household.

Churches were not men tioned specifically in the mitigations. While many churches in northern Illinois have yet to reopen, the spike caused leaders in central and southern regions to revisit their coronavirus mitigation plans. Several large independent churches in central Illinois announced their closures until the end of 2020 the week before Thanksgiving. The central district of United Methodists paused in-person meetings in all churches.

Among Southern Baptists, the Illinois Baptist received reports from more than a dozen central and southern congregations about their return to online services only for 2-3 weeks, calling it a “painful decision.” Reports

of COVID outbreaks involving church staff, pastors, and family members prompted the move in several cases.

In Jacksonville, Mayor Andy Ezard asked residents to do whatever they could to slow the spread of COVID-19. The request, and the new statewide mitigations, compelled Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church to temporarily pause in-person services, PasJeremy Byrd (above) explained via Facebook Live. The decision wasn’t one he wanted to make, Byrd said on the video, but the transition to virtual worship was eased by the church’s experience last spring, he told the Illinois Baptist. “Mentally, it is tough to get back into the mindset of not gathering physically with our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Byrd said. “We’re not looking forward to it, but we are grateful for the ability to continue serving our community virtually.”

Prior to the return of statewide mitigations, Chicago and suburban Cook County were already operating under a stay-at-home advisory that encouraged residents to leave home only to go to work or school, or for essential supplies. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s nonmandatory advisory, which went into effect Nov. 16, specifies that regular church services can continue to operate at 40% capacity or a maximum of 50 people. But the advisory limits

to 10 the number of people who can gather at a house of worship for a wedding or a funeral.

Statewide, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has released guidelines for churches that encourage limiting attendance to 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower.

Long-term effects

Nationwide, churches challenged some restrictions they say are unfair to places of worship, and expressed concern that continued gathering limits will have a lasting impact on religious liberty. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito told a conservative legal group in November that the High Court allowed discrimination to stand in at least two recent cases concerning COVID-19 restrictions on churches. Speaking to the Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention Nov. 12, Alito referenced two cases: Nevada churches that were limited to 50 people while casinos could operate at 50% capacity, and a California church limited to 25% capacity or 100 people.

In both cases, the Supreme Court decided to let the restrictions stand.

“[D]eciding whether to allow this disparate treatment should not have been a very tough call,” Alito said of the Nevada case. “Take a quick look at the Constitution. You will see the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment which protects religious liberty. You will not find a craps clause or a blackjack clause or a slot machine clause.”

As some churches returned to online worship, Barna Research found about one in five adults normally defined as churchgoers say they have never attended a service—in person or online—during the pandemic. But half of those say they have watched a service online. There may be a disconnect between what people consider “watching” and “attending,” and churches may have an opportunity to develop a broader strategy for online ministry, Barna noted:

“This grey area surrounding online attendance is an urgent challenge of digital and hybrid ministry and underscores the need for more than streamed services.”

The IDPH map above is colorcoded according to COVID-19 cases and deaths by county as of Nov. 23.

CLEAN-UP CREW – As COVID-19 surges across the state, Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief continues to distribute masks, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning and hygiene products to churches. IBDR volunteers are currently working out of warehouse space donated by Jim Czerwinski, a member of Ina Missionary Baptist Church near Mt. Vernon. To request supplies, go to IBSA.org/DR.

Evangelical support for Trump mirrors 2016

The percentage of white evangelical voters supporting President Donald Trump in 2020 was very similar to 2016, when the group overwhelmingly voted for him. According to exit polling by Edison, 76% of white evangelicals voted for Trump in November. An Associated Press VoteCast survey reported 81% chose Trump, the same share of white evangelical Trump voters widely reported after the 2016 election.

Joe Biden, projected by most major outlets as the winner of the 2020 election, received 24% of the white evangelical vote according to Edison, and 18% according to VoteCast.

“The religious landscape in terms of voting has been remarkably stable,” Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, told NPR in a recent interview. “Since Reagan, we have essentially seen this: white Christian voters have

tended to support Republican candidates, and Christians of color and everyone else, including the religiously unaffiliated, have tended to support Democratic candidates.”

A Gallup report noted white evangelicals have

followed the pattern of voting for the Republican candidate in the last five presidential elections.

VoteCast reported that among Catholic voters, 42% backed Biden, himself a Catholic, while Trump got 57% of those votes. In 2016, Pew Research reported, Trump received 64% of the white Catholic vote and Hillary Clinton won 31%.

Ryan Burge, assistant political science professor at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, credits the “nones” for putting Biden ahead in the vote. The group, who considers their religion nothing in particular, comprise more than 20% of the U.S. population. They placed themselves just left of center in 2016, Burge wrote, but have moved more toward the Democratic party in the years since. Their support of Trump dropped from 46% in 2016 to 39% in 2020.

– Lisa Misner

Summit goes

online Church leadership after pandemic

Springfield | Challenges presented by the pandemic are proving to be growth opportunities for IBSA conferences and leadership events. Because of limitations on attendance in a single location, the 2021 Illinois Leadership Summit will be available online for the first time.

religious freedom

Controversial standards proposed

Teachers may be graded on support for ‘diversity’

Future Focus: Leading Your Church Beyond COVID-19 will be the theme of the event on Jan. 19-20. Guest speaker will be Dave Rhodes, a leadership expert, coach, and co-founder of Future Church Co., an organization designed to “help the church embody the movement that Jesus founded.” Rhodes is also pastor of discipleship and movement initiatives at Grace Fellowship Church in Atlanta.

DAVE RHODES

ILLINOIS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

More than 20 Illinois pastors and ministry practitioners will also lead several breakout sessions in four ministry tracks.

Held annually at the IBSA building in Springfield, the Illinois Leadership Summit has hosted more than 200 pastors and church leaders each year since 2015.

The sessions will be shown for smaller groups at hub locations across Illinois, hosted by IBSA’s zone consultants, and available online to watch live or to view afterward.

For more information or to register for the 2021 ILS, contact Aubrey Krol@IBSA.org, or visit IBSA.org/ ILS2021.

Recomended resource

Springfield | The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has proposed a new set of rules some say would require teachers to abandon their religious beliefs. The “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading” standards touch on issues such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and race-based privilege in what supporters call an effort to encourage support for diversity in school age children. But Christian and conservative leaders around the state are concerned the standards will require teachers to affirm ideas in conflict with their own religious beliefs.

“Essentially, the Board of Education putting these standards in place would guarantee a liberal bias in teaching, and would commit a civil rights violation on the basis of religion,” Bob Vanden Bosch, executive director of Concerned Christian Ministries, warned in an e-mail.

Among the goals of the proposed rules is for teachers to “ensure the diversity of their student population is equally represented” in an effort that “members of the student population feel seen, heard, and affirmed.” ISBE spokesperson Jackie Matthews told Illinois Capitol News, “Culturally responsive practices are especially important in better supporting Illinois’ LGBTQ+ youth, who disproportionately experience bullying and are more likely to attempt suicide.” Matthews further noted 52% of students in the state represent minority groups while the majority of teachers are “white and female.”

The standards say that teachers who are considered successful will “understand and value the notion that multiple lived experiences exist, that there is not one ‘correct’ way of doing or understanding something, and that what is seen as ‘correct’ is most often based on our lived experiences.” Teachers

will also be expected to examine their own motivations and worldviews, and to “explore their own intersecting identities, how they were developed, and how they impact daily experience of the world.”

Critics of the standards say they violate teachers’ rights. “Teachers who have a certain faith or religious view may be being forced to go against that view,” Ralph Rivera of the Illinois Pro-Family Institute told NPR. “For example, it states they have to affirm various student ideas or identities. So what if they disagree with that, they can’t affirm something that goes against their religious belief.”

In an article for the Illinois Family Institute, Laurie Higgins asked if it was the “proper role of lawmakers, the ISBE, or departments of education to require teachers” to affirm all “identities,” and which identities teachers would be expected to affirm. Higgins noted private school educators would also be affected by adoption of the standards.

The proposed rules were published Sept. 11 with the state board scheduled to vote on them Dec. 16. If approved, the rules will be published in the Illinois Register a second time and a 45-day public comment period will begin. Then, the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) would review them. Should the committee approve the proposed standards, they would become part of Illinois teacher preparation programs.

Vanden Bosch urged Christians to contact JCAR members to ask them to reject the proposed standards. A list of JCAR members along with their contact information is available at ilga.gov/commission/jcar/member. pdf.

– Lisa Misner

Leadership expert Will Mancini’s new book aiding post-pandemic strategy will be released in December.

– Associated Press VoteCast

Nevada clergy exempt from gay weddings

Mohler prepares for second run

Louisville, Ky. | R. Albert Mohler Jr. was to be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2020, but the annual meeting was canceled due to COVID-19. Mohler will accept the nomination again in 2021, he has announced, and recently spoke with Baptist Press about a range of issues, including unity in the SBC, a generational shift in leadership, and whether the denomination is experiencing theological liberal drift. Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

Differences in the SBC

The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of churches dedicated to the fulfillment of the mission of reaching the world for Christ, and establishing healthy churches across the United States, and training ministers for the next generation in equipping our churches for that work. And the SBC is not intended, it was never intended, to be the primary arena for determining what every single Southern Baptist church would believe about every single issue.

There’s a theological consensus that is necessary for our cooperation, and where that’s endangered it needs to be strengthened. But the SBC is a confessional denomination. And where we stand together is what we articulate in The Baptist Faith and Message and what we express together, and then we respect one another and join in fellowship with one another and eagerly try to reach the world for Jesus together.

Passing the leadership torch

We have an army of young pastors, which almost no other denomination has. We need to celebrate that fact. We need to understand they wouldn’t be here if there hadn’t been a Conservative Resurgence, they wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have healthy churches, they wouldn’t be here if we weren’t driven by the Great Commission. But now they are here, and it’s our responsibility to pass the torch and to celebrate the fact that we actually have convictional young pastors coming along who will

be taking the reins of our churches in this denomination. And that sets us in radical contrast to the mainline Protestant denominations.

But that generational shift—we don’t make a decision on whether a generational shift happens, it happens. But we do make a decision about whether it happens graciously and healthily, faithfully. We’ve got some big decisions to make there. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.

Supposed ‘liberal drift’

The idea of a liberal drift is frankly so irresponsible it’s very hard to take that seriously. You have six institutions that stand without hesitation for the inerrancy of Scripture, for the exclusivity of the gospel, for the totality of biblical truth. And not only do so officially and confessionally, but so naturally that these are not even issues of controversy on our campuses, and that’s the way it should be. And the generation that fought for and won the Conservative Resurgence should look at the seminaries, and the fact that these young pastors who are coming are thoroughly committed to these truths, and will be even more deeply grounded in these truths during the time they’re on our campuses.

Look, there are legitimate issues. I share the concern of even a group like the Conservative Baptist Network, I share their concern that we are in danger of losing a theological inheritance. But I do not agree, and Southern Baptists have shown they don’t agree, (or) that they suspect they have denominational leadership trying to move them in that direction, nor do they have institutions that are rebelling against that.

In the lengthy interview, Mohler also addressed:

• Critical Race Theory and the SBC’s stance

• the influence of social media on denominational unity and decisions

• creating a pipeline for new leaders

Seminary leader will seek SBC presidency at 2021 meeting Read

The state of Nevada added protection for same-sex marriages to its constitution in November, but also exempted clergy from participating in the ceremonies. The constitutional amendment—approved by 62.5% of voters—institutionalizes the right to same-sex marriage regardless of the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing it nationwide. “We did appreciate the protections that they were putting for pastors who would refuse to conduct same-sex marriage,” said Kevin White, executive director of the Nevada Baptist Convention, “but at the same time, we’re deeply concerned that these protections could easily be removed and place biblical pastors in legal battles that could destroy churches financially.”

High Court mulls foster care case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 4 heard oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia, a case concerning whether the city of Philadelphia violated the First Amendment by excluding Catholic Social Services from the foster care system, based on the agency’s beliefs about marriage. Reporting on the oral arguments, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission noted that Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh said if two constitutional rights are at odds—religious exercise and same-sex marriage in this case—the government should try to accommodate both sides. The City of Philadelphia has not sought reasonable accommodations, Kavanaugh said.

Religion restrictions hit record high worldwide

Government restrictions on religion in 2018 were at their highest level since Pew Research started reporting on the data in 2007. (2018 is the most recent year for which data is available.) Of 198 nations and territories studied, Pew reported, 56 have “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions. The study, which also analyzes social hostilities toward religion, found of the world’s 25 most populous countries, India, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Russia had the highest overall levels of restrictions.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

Teen girls celebrate AWSOM in unusual year

Jacksonville | Tie-dye, popcorn, friendship bracelets, pizza, karaoke, ice cream, sardines (the game, not the food), and of course, solid Bible teaching. Oh, and no sleep. In this year of social-distance, it was essential. And it was definitely AWSOM.

This was my first year as a chaperone for the teen girls’ conference IBSA hosts each November. (The acronym stands for Amazing Women Serving Our Maker.) I am so thankful for the chance to serve God here. That “here” was different for each church group, since we did not meet at the IBSA Building due to the pandemic. For us, our group of eight girls and eight ladies met in the fellowship hall of our church, Lincoln Avenue Baptist in Jacksonville. Across Illinois, 321 students and leaders checked in to the event, representing 33 churches.

We gathered around a television screen Friday evening and Saturday morning to hear from Carmen Halsey and the AWSOM team of Bible teachers, including Missy Branch, Haley Ahn, Carrie Jones, Betsy Bolick, and Savanna Wood. We joined Jonathan and Emily Martin, The Word in Worship, as they led us in singing “Speak, Oh Lord” and “Yet not I, but through Christ in me.”

My favorite part of the evening session was when Bolick and Wood, ministry partners from Small Enough Ministries, held a panel discussion of our students’ essential questions. Our girls could anonymously text questions to a phone number, and those would either be answered during the sessions or later during Bolick and Wood’s Car

Ride Conversations on the IBSA AWSOM YouTube channel. Their questions ranged from, “What word is essential to your daily vocabulary?” to “What is our purpose in life?”

I chuckled when Savanna said her hand movements are essential to her daily vocabulary. But I also felt it deeply when one of the ladies answered that our purpose is not about the next “thing” in life. Oof. Talk about speaking truth. God shows me this truth time and again. Praise God that he uses every opportunity to reach our hearts for his will.

Our essential purpose is to glorify God in our current circumstance—to make much of God in our lives. We didn’t have to hear the word “essential” to understand that. It was made clear through each speaker, song, and activity, because each part

pointed back to the essential, inerrant, word of God. Bottom line, these girls (and leaders) learned how essential the Bible is to our daily lives. May our prayer continue to be “Speak, oh Lord, and fulfill in us all your purposes for your glory…”

Leah Honnen is administrative assistant for IBSA’s Communications Team.

Churches face legal issues all the time, so they need to be prepared. And when an issue arises, churches need trusted counsel.

With over 24 years of service, at all court levels, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has seen the cultural and legal trends clearly shift against the Church.

We can help your church prepare itself for these changes.

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– Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville

– First Baptist Church, Litchfield

IN FOCUS

Keep the faith

At abbreviated Annual Meeting, churches urged to press on

Decatur | The soulful notes of a saxophone started the 114th Annual Meeting of the Illinois Baptist State Association, a familiar tune drifting through the sanctuary doors at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Holy, Holy, Holy!

Lord God Almighty.

Worship pastor Chris Gregg played the 1861 hymn—a reminder of God’s sovereignty over the earth. Over his people. Over a pandemic.

“2020 is not the year that we imagined,” said IBSA Vice President Heath Tibbetts. The pastor of First Baptist Church in Machesney Park presided over the Annual Meeting with President Sammy Simmons in quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19.

Outside, messengers had their temperatures checked before entering the building. When they greeted friends—some they hadn’t seen in months—hugs were replaced with elbow bumps. Decals on the floor reminded meeting attenders to social distance. One item in the giveaway bag was a cloth face mask.

The 2020 Illinois Baptists gathered in Decatur weren’t the first to meet during a pandemic. The 1918 Annual Meeting was postponed twice before Baptists finally met, despite the ongoing Spanish

flu pandemic. Notes from that meeting refer to the disease not by name but only as “the pestilence.”

Their pandemic had a different name, Tibbets said, but the effects and the feelings are the same.

So is the determined reliance on God displayed by Illinois Baptists then and now. “Pivot and Persevere” was the meeting’s theme, chosen to reflect the strategy shifts required in 2020 and the faithfulness of Illinois Baptists to stay on mission. But another theme emerged during the 4-hour meeting: the power of family encouragement.

The joy of being together, especially after months apart, was evident in the hallways even as attenders tried to keep their distance. It was apparent at a cookie break hosted by IBSA’s camps, where friends briefly pulled down their masks to eat and chat. And you could hear it during worship. Attendance was lower than in recent years, but the singing seemed louder. Led by an enthusiastic group of Illinois Baptist worship leaders, the crowd declared Christ’s victory over death. They sang about living hope.

Nothing has happened that is a surprise to God, Tibbetts said. “And whether we know it or not, he has prepared us for this challenge.”

Caution and confidence

At Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur, specially created floor decals reminded Annual Meeting attenders to socially distance.

Despite challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 meeting proceeded as a 4-hour, one afternoon event Nov. 4, with the theme “Pivot and Persevere.”

IBSA’s year marked by ministry pivots

In a year no one anticipated, the Illinois Baptist State Association made necessary shifts in ministry while continuing to connect with leaders and develop the next generation.

It has been a highly challenging year to do ministry, said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams in his report in Decatur. While state staff would have preferred in-person ministry to connect with churches across the state, 2020’s major vehicles were online—webinars, town halls, prayer gatherings, and leadership training.

“In spite of the weeks and months in varying degrees of shutdown,” Adams said, “by God’s grace, we can still celebrate many victories.”

Across Illinois, IBSA saw 14 new churches planted in 2020, and 60 churches are in some stage of planning or planting right now. The association also welcomed 10 new churches through affiliation. Adams reported more than 800 pastors and leaders have been engaged in leadership development in 2020, in addition to general ministry skill training delivered to more than 4,000 leaders from more than 500 churches.

In spite of the advances, Adams noted, many ministries have had to press the pause button, including IBSA’s two camp facilities that were only able to host small groups later in the year. Both camps have new managers, he said, and are ready to receive Illinois Baptists in 2021. “Please come back to camp in 2021,” he said. “We’re ready for you.”

Although most churches had to halt mission trip travel in 2020, IBSA is prepared to help churches find a place to serve next year. The association is facilitating affinity networks that help congregations know how to pray for a specific region of the world, and prepare to serve there in the future.

After a report by IBSA Board Chair Bob Dickerson, messengers in Decatur approved a 2021 IBSA budget with a Cooperative Program goal of $6.2 million. IBSA will maintain its Cooperative Program ratio of 56.5%/43.5% (IBSA/SBC), excluding shared expenses not to exceed 10% of the Cooperative Program goal, and with Cooperative Program funds received beyond the budget goal to

be distributed at a ratio of 50%/50%. Messengers also approved the Board’s recommendation to access up to an additional $400,000 in reserves as necessary to support the 2021 IBSA budget.

Dickerson encouraged Illinois Baptists with Paul’s words in Philippians 4 about relying on God’s strength in every circumstance.

“Spiritual flexibility depends on Christ’s provision, and that’s how the IBSA Board has done their work in 2020,” said the pastor of First Baptist Church in Marion. “And I hope how we do our work in the years to come, as God leads and guides us to adapt to changing circumstances without compromise of our beliefs and our mission to fulfill the Great Commission.”

Focus on revitalization

Adams noted the enthusiasm at the beginning of 2020 related to IBSA’s church revitalization efforts. Many churches found it necessary to postpone their plans in order to manage challenges related to the pandemic, he said, but IBSA believes there will be a strong renewal of interest in revitalization by pastors, churches, and associations in the coming year.

“We are poised for 2021 to be a year of comebacks.”

The association itself has also undergone a refocusing process with help from national consultants. From that work, Adams reported, IBSA has created a set of core values that will guide its service to churches in the future:

Engagement with churches

Helpfulness to churches

Excellence for churches

Advance through churches

IBSA has also drafted a statement that reflects its strategic direction: “Deliver network value that inspires each church to thrive in health, growth, and mission.” Through whatever challenges lie ahead, Adams said. “We love you, we’re here for you. We want to know you. We want to engage with you. Please call on us. That’s our heart.”

Officers and recognitions

IBSA’s four officers were reelected to serve again in 2021: President Sammy Simmons, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Benton; Vice President Heath Tibbetts, pastor of First Baptist Church, Machesney Park; Recording Secretary Sharon Carty, member of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Carlinville; and Assistant Recording Secretary Brianna Trowbridge, member of Samaria Missionary Baptist Church, Albion.

Adams recognized IBSA’s Bivocational Pastor of the Year: Robert Kirby of First Baptist Church, Tamms. The pastor’s family has recently navigated his own struggle with cancer, as well as his wife’s. In Decatur, Adams shared passages from a letter written by the person who nominated Kirby. “When people reach out to him to offer encouragement and hope, they are the ones who end up receiving it. Bro. Bobby is a living testimony of how a Christian should respond when life gets tough.”

Pastor Paul Hicks was also recognized for 50 years of service at Murdale Baptist Church in Carbondale. He is currently one of seven pastors in Illinois who has reached the ministry milestone. The 2021 IBSA Annual Meeting is Nov. 10-11 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield.

illinois baptist state association

NATE ADAMS

IBSA Vice President Heath Tibbetts presides over the 2020 Annual Meeting.

Be it resolved

Messengers to the IBSA Annual Meeting approved four measures in Decatur, including a resolution on appreciation for host church Tabernacle Baptist in Decatur, and for the GraceHaven pregnancy resource clinic launched in 2020 by Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services. Resolutions also included:

Parental Rights Bill HB 4870

WHEREAS Illinois General Assembly House Bill 4870 (HB4870) mandates the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine for all sixth-grade students in public, private, parochial, and home schools, and

WHEREAS government intervention through HB4870 may ignore the rights of parents to make decisions for their children based on religious freedom and appropriate exemptions, now therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the elected messengers do respectfully urge legislators of the State of Illinois to refuse this amendment to the Communicable Disease Prevention Act, adhering instead to the preservation of the rights of parents to make decisions for their minor children in keeping with their personal religious standards, and with their Constitutional rights of equal justice and due process.

Unity after the 2020 election

WHEREAS Scripture urges unity among believers through a spirit of humility, gentleness, patience, and love (Ephesians 4:3), and

WHEREAS cooperation of churches in the Illinois Baptist State Association is based not on political beliefs, party affiliation, or support for particular candidates in any election, but on unity in the work of elevating Jesus Christ in the church, community, and home, be it therefore RESOLVED, that the elected messengers do hereby seek to set an example of unity, showing the world we are Jesus’ disciples by the way we love each other even in our political differences.

CHILDREN’S HOME AND FAMILY SERVICES

New clinic takes a stand for life

At last year’s IBSA Annual Meeting, Denny Hydrick announced Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services was planning and praying toward a new ministry endeavor—a pregnancy resource clinic. “We believe this is a vital need and a public way to express God’s value of human life,” Hydrick said then, committing to messengers that BCHFS would stand its ground on issues of life.

“I said those words to you not knowing what 2020 was going to bring,” Hydrick said in Decatur. But despite the year’s challenges, BCHFS launched GraceHaven pregnancy resource clinic to offer testing, ultrasounds, and prenatal and parenting education. The mission is to provide resources that allow clients to choose life for their unborn children. In Illinois, Hydrick said, 116 pregnancies are terminated every day.

In his annual report, Hydrick noted BCHFS’s other ministries have also made pivots to continue to serve people in need. The agency served 1,130 people during the year through maternity care, residential services, counseling, and adoption.

Angels’ Cove Maternity Center, BCHFS’s long-standing ministry to pregnant women and their children, had to close for a few weeks earlier in the year. But the facility is open again and offering services tailored to each client, including a place to live for those who need it, prenatal care, parental education, counseling, and family care. And one Angels’ Cove client came to know Christ in 2020, Hydrick said. The agency’s Faith Adoptions service is continuing to grow, striving to place children with loving, Christian parents across the region. Since March, BCHFS has worked with five birth moms, three of whom placed their children for adoption through the agency.

Pathways Counseling had to make one of the most significant shifts, Hydrick said, pivoting to a telehealth service so counselors in 13 locations across the state can continue to offer counseling to their clients.

At the Children’s Home in Carmi, BCHFS offers residential care for teens with behavioral challenges, often interceding before legal or state involvement becomes necessary. In 2020, Children’s Home staff had to quickly shift to a homeschooling model for their residents after schools shut down due to COVID-19.

“Because we’ve been spending a lot of extra time with our kids,” Hydrick said, “we’ve seen five salvations to date from that ministry.”

BCHFS made another pivot for the annual Fall Festival, which was canceled because of the pandemic. The annual quilt auction, a popular fundraiser for the agency, went online in 2020, with even more quilts up for auction.

Throughout his report, Hydrick thanked Illinois Baptists for supporting BCHFS for more than 100 years. “It’s worth celebrating that you as Illinois Baptists give above and beyond to support a ministry that is literally saving and changing futures, and impacting generations.”

Messengers to the meeting in Decatur approved a 2021 budget of $3,877,015. BCHFS Board of Trustees officers are Chair Ron Daniels, Belle Rive Missionary Baptist Church; Vice Chair Jacob Gray, Ten Mile Missionary Baptist Church, McLeansboro; and Secretary Wes Hahn, Shiloh Baptist Church, Bridgeport.

BAPTIST

DENNY HYDRICK

1. First Baptist Petersburg pastor Rob Gallion has his temperature checked on the way into Tabernacle Baptist Church.

2. Cross Church pastor Tim Rhodus shares an elbow bump with new IBSA staffer Fran Trascritti

3. Belafae Johnson, pastor of Purposed Church in Mascoutah, closes the meeting’s first session in prayer.

4. Chris Henderson Jr. attends the Annual Meeting with his parents, Chris and Emily, of First Southern Baptist Church in Mattoon.

5. IBSA’s Carmen Halsey concludes the Annual Meeting with a prayer for pastors.

Sermons offer hope amid pandemic challenges

As a pastor who has experienced first-hand the uncertainty of 2020, Jacob Gray preached to encourage his fellow IBSA leaders.

“This was supposed to be the most special year in our church’s history,” said Gray, pastor of Ten Mile Baptist Church in McLeansboro. The congregation celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2020, and was poised to average 500 in Sunday morning worship attendance. They had voted to work with an architect on a plan for new space, and had scheduled outreaches for every month, Gray said.

This was to be “the year,” the pastor said. “And it has not been.”

The uncertainty of 2020 set the stage for Gray’s message in Decatur. Preaching the annual sermon at the IBSA Annual Meeting, Gray talked about the life of the prophet Samuel, which was also marked by uncertainty and frustration. When faced with the people of Israel rejecting his leadership, Samuel responded with a commitment to pray for them, and a strongly worded lesson on the things of God.

“What is my response as the man of God standing in the place of leading the people of God?” Gray asked. “To pray and to teach.” He urged pastors to preach the word in its entirety.

“That means when the Bible speaks about the sin of racism, you better preach it no matter how white your church is. And you better understand

something: When you’re watching thieves, and lawlessness, and violence in the cities, no matter what your makeup of your church is, you better preach that it’s sin. “Doesn’t matter if your church is a bunch of Democrats or Republicans, you better preach that abortion is murder. You better preach that the sanctity of human life matters to God, but also caring for children after they’re born matters as well. You better preach that marriage is still defined in the Scriptures as one man and one woman for life. But you ought to preach that unbiblical divorce is still wrong.

“You see our churches are not dying from a lack of preaching,” Gray said, “it is selective preaching.”

Pastors can’t make churchgoers come back to church, or vote the way they want, or even give, Gray said. “But what you can do is pray and proclaim. Pray and proclaim.”

‘An incredible moment’

At some level, everyone wants to get back to normal, said Heath Tibbetts. To see church attendance back up to pre-pandemic levels. To eat inside a restaurant. But going back to the way church was before the pandemic? “I don’t think I want it,” said the pastor of First Baptist Church in Machesney Park.

In a message focused on leaders grappling with current challenges, Tibbetts preached from 2 Corinthians

4:16-17, reminding IBSA leaders of Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church to persevere—together. Tibbetts reminded leaders of the support IBSA offers, urging them to call on the state association. He also encouraged them to lead from the current moment, instead of one they’d prefer.

“Do not use earthly metrics to measure how your church is doing right now,” Tibbetts said. “The average church right now is at 37% of their January 2020 attendance.” While metrics may appear like the church is wasting away, the lessons of the last few months are a reason to be thankful, he said.

“I’m not thankful for it, but I can be thankful in it,” Tibbetts said. He

urged church leaders to plan now for their next opportunity to reach people with the gospel. “Our IBSA churches can and will persevere for the future, if we pivot now. Take this moment. This is an incredible moment.”

Tibbetts delivered the President’s message in Decatur on behalf of Sammy Simmons, who quarantined out of an abundance of caution after possible exposure to COVID-19. Simmons, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton, was elected to a second term as IBSA President. He opened the meeting with a video message.

“God is still on his throne,” he said. “You and I can still trust him, and his mission for our lives is still there. And his mission goes forward.”

Morrow announces new video stewardship study for churches

Reporting to messengers in Decatur, the Baptist Foundation of Illinois (BFI) announced a new curriculum on Biblical Financial Management, and its accreditation with a national Christian financial organization.

BFI has earned accreditation from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), Executive Director Doug Morrow said, which “recognizes BFI’s commitment to transparency and excellence as a ministry and servant of the church.” The ECFA has seven standards of responsible stewardship, all drawn from the Bible, which each ministry it accredits is required to uphold. Through Nov. 1, BFI has distributed $327,460 in gift endowments and has earned more than $1 million for its clients.

Morrow also announced a new video series on Biblical Financial Management, along with a workbook for families and churches. Describing the materials, Morrow said, “They will cover topics ranging from budgeting and margin creation to how to create a legacy plan and wealth transfer at

the end of our lives here on earth. In short, this resource is designed to provide the church with an essential tool to help their congregations become excellent in the areas of stewardship and generosity.”

Each week, one new module will be released and sent at no cost to churches and individuals who register. To download the workbook and budget template and to receive the videos, visit baptist foundationil.org.

Through the Church Legacy Program, Morrow shared BFI helped 28 Illinois Baptist congregations create legacy funds before closing that “provide ongoing support for missions and ministry in the church’s name, ensuring that the good work God has done will not be forgotten, will be honored, and continues to help expand his kingdom.”

BFI also awarded nearly $80,000 in scholarships to Illinois students in 2020. Applications for the 2021-22 academic year begin Jan. 1, 2021.

Discussing the overall mission of the Foundation, Morrow said, “We engage in this conversation about generosity and stewardship because it truly matters. As followers of Jesus, we are most like God when we give as he gave, when we sacrifice for others as an echo of God’s great sacrifice for us, and when our faith is placed in him—our eternal provider—rather than in something as temporary as resources here on the earth.”

In business, messengers approved the 2021 operational budget of $359,390 and Board of Trustees officers: Chair David Grove, First Baptist Church, Fairview Heights; Vice Chair Newlin Wollaston, Mt. Carmel Children of God, Chicago; and Secretary David Chumley, First Baptist Church, O’Fallon.

baptist foundation of Illinois

DOUG MORROW

JACOB GRAY

– Illinois Baptist team coverage by Meredith Flynn, Lisa Misner, Kris Kell, Leah Honnen, and Eric Reed.

CALLED TO WORSHIP – Musicians from Tabernacle Baptist Church and fellow IBSA congregations lead during the 2020 IBSA Annual Meeting.

Here for the long haul

Illinois missionaries stay committed to difficult African field

BY MEREDITH FLYNN

Uganda | When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the world, residents of remote islands in Lake Victoria got the latest news from the village loudspeaker. One pastor seized the opportunity to preach over that loudspeaker twice a week, to around 700 people within earshot.

A Muslim man who heard the sermons told the pastor not to come back to him with the gospel again. But the pastor kept preaching, and the man kept listening. Eventually, he came back.

“I want your God,” he said. “I want your Jesus.”

James and Sonya Herron have served with the International Mission Board in Uganda for 11 years. They have seen 15 churches start on seven islands. They have seen unbelievers like the Muslim man transformed by the gospel. The Herrons and their fellow Christians on the islands preach one true God in a land of many “little gods,” James said.

“Africans, they know there’s a God,” he said. Spiritual concepts like good and evil are woven into the culture. They’re open to the gospel. “The thing is to get people to turn from their old ways, and to fully engulf and fully receive and allow Christ to change their lives.”

‘This is where God sent us’

As members of First Baptist Church in O’Fallon, the Herrons went on mission trips to Africa for years before relocating full-time to Uganda. James served on IBSA’s church planting team, helping facilitate new AfricanAmerican and African congregations in Metro East Illinois.

They moved to Uganda in 2010 to help start new churches and disciple believers. Over more than a decade, they have facilitated medical clinics, Vacation Bible School, training programs for farmers, and more initiatives to point people to the gospel.

P. 12

James and Sonya Herron moved from Illinois to Uganda to work with people on the islands of Lake Victoria. The couple, pictured with daughter Madison (foreground) and “unofficial” daughter Babra (right), help plant new churches and facilitate ministries including food distribution (top photo) and medical clinics. They spent the second half of 2020 in Illinois on a scheduled stateside assignment, but will return to Uganda in January to continue sharing Jesus on the islands.

MAKING DISCIPLES

Continued from page 11

The Herrons spent their first five years in Uganda sleeping in tents. (They now live on a compound with their daughter, Madison.) They had their first stateside assignment back in the U.S. in 2014, and when they got back to Uganda, people were surprised to see them.

“They were happy, but they were surprised we had come back to them,” James said. Life is hard in the region. Island self-esteem is low. The average income of most people they work with is less than $300 a year. Life is less expensive on the islands, but the people they serve are considered expendable, underserved by the government and everyone else.

“We told them this is where God sent us,” James said, “and we’ll be here until he moves us.”

Spiritually, Sonya said, it’s easy for their people to accept that there is another God active in the world, but they may take Jesus and add him to their other beliefs. “Even those in the church, those who say they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, for many of them it is what we consider hedging your bets,” she said.

“You have to untease the true and living God from what they believe and what they understand about the power and the importance of gods in their lives.”

The Herrons have found a hearing for the gospel on the islands, including among Muslims. They’re even welcome to share in local schools, Sonya said. The believers they work with are quick to

share Jesus with others, but the larger challenge is helping them shore up what they believe and why they believe it. Toward that end, James teaches The Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptists’ statement of faith.

The lessons are helping believers refute false teaching, he said. Herron recounted how a Ugandan church member recently encountered a false teacher. The church member was able to point out that the Scripture the teacher was using was being taken out of context. “I believe that we’re seeing people making drastic changes in their presentation of the gospel and what they’re preaching,” Herron said. In one three-month period this year, five Muslim men came to know the Lord.

Their desire is for people to love Jesus to the point that when they see inconsistencies between the gospel and their traditional beliefs, James said, they abandon the tradition and hold onto Christ.

Fishers of men

The isolated islands have not been immune from COVID-19 and restrictions to prevent its spread. Officials instituted a shutdown immediately following the first case in the country, resulting in even more difficult circumstances for many, Sonya said. Not only were families of six or eight confined to a small hut, but they were unable to shop for food on their way home from work as they normally would. In a culture where you use your daily wage to buy food for that evening, people were hungry. The Herrons had access to funds to provide emergency food for some of the pastors and churches. In one congregation, everyone took smaller portions so that the food would stretch farther. “To me, that’s the church being the church,” James said.

The couple has been back in Illinois on stateside assignment since the summer but will return to Uganda in January. In their absence, the work has continued through local pastors and the work of Austin Lee, an IMB Journeyman also from FBC O’Fallon.

When they get back, James said, they will pick back up on training from The Baptist Faith and Message. They will continue to disciple new believers who may leave their islands one day. After all, James said, fishermen follow the fish.

“As long as they are carrying Christ with them, that’s what we want to happen.”

MISSION PARTNERS – 1. Dewayne Taylor (right), pastor of Dorrisville Baptist Church in Harrisburg, helps train leaders on Bwema Island. Taylor and his church partner with the Herrons in Uganda for children’s ministry (2), medical clinics, and men’s and women’s discipleship. 3. Women prepare lunch at a Baptist church in the islands. 4. Ugandan Christians preach on Bugaya Island during a medical clinic. 5. A fisherman works on Lake Victoria.

RESOURCE

Encouraging words for frightening times

We can lean into the new year without fear

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…”

The familiar words of Psalm 23 reveal important truths that can help us find comfort in fearful times. And to be sure, we’ve known fearful times recently. COVID-19, harsh reminders of racism, police brutality, protests turned to riots and looting, overt divisiveness in the nation’s political structures—all are suggestive of the valleys of life. And for church leaders tasked with shepherding a congregation, the pressure of present difficulties can seem overwhelming.

Walking through the valley of the shadow of death is inevitable. It’s not a pleasant truth, but critical for us nonetheless. The same way we enjoy the serenity of life’s hilltops, we must also expect frequent treks through life’s treacherous valleys. It is in those inescapable valleys that we find potential sources for fear.

The mistake we tend to make, however, is thinking we can circumvent the valley, that we can avoid the sources of fear. We forget that together with all of the wonderful promises of God is the promise that “in this world you shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). This is a difficult reality, but it leads to the second truth.

Fear is a choice. The psalmist emphatically declared, “I will fear no evil.” He is determined that while in the valley, he will not succumb to fear.

In an age dominated by social media, reality television, and the opinion-driven nature of cable network news, we have access to content that constantly reminds us just how deep in the valley we are. What if we chose to limit our time on the numerous media outlets available to us? Might we experience less fear?

Consider the words of Paul in Philippians 4:8: “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things

are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Sometimes we choose fear by choosing to entertain the sources of our fears. This we can control.

Lastly, finding comfort in fearful times requires that we trust God in spite of our fears. The turmoil we have experienced over the past several months has revealed, in my own congregation, the mistaken tendency to diversify faith, to trust God and CDC guidelines, to trust God and the economy, or to trust God and the promises made by our political leaders.

But this is not the sentiment of the psalmist. David, the proposed author of Psalm 23, was a man of valor and a skilled warrior, with an army of loyal soldiers standing ready, awaiting his command. But David did not find comfort in the resources at his disposal. Ultimately, what gave him impetus to refuse fear was his sole confidence in an ever present, all powerful God. Note the strong and certain affirmation, “for thou art with me.”

Faith in God’s abiding presence is the only true remedy for fear. And when we embrace this truth, there is an unfailing source of comfort available to each of us that comes from knowing that no matter what difficulties we face, there is no need to fear because we are not alone. God is with us.

Bryan Price is pastor of Love Fellowship Baptist Church in Romeoville and an IBSA zone consultant in Chicagoland.

meet the team

Fran Trascritti

Administrative Director of Leadership Development

Family: My wife, Teresa, and I have four children and 10 grandchildren.

Previous Illinois experience: I developed friendships with several church leaders as a Church Partner for LifeWay Christian Resources. And as a pastor in Cincinatti, I had the opportunity to grow and develop through the Midwest Leadership Summit and traveled to Springfield to attend this wonderful event.

Favorite thing about church as a kid: Not a thing. I was raised in a Catholic church, was religious in many ways, but I had no relationship with Jesus until I became an adult.

Favorite thing about church now: The chance to be a part of God’s work in reaching and teaching people. I love to see changed lives!

Favorite sports team: Go Reds!

Favorite movie: The Martian is a wonderful story of survival through the toughest of circumstances.

Favorite book: Lincoln by Gore Vidal

Favorite Old Testament prophet: Daniel. He lived above reproach, spoke truth to a hostile world, and gave God’s people hope about the present and the future.

Favorite Scripture: Ephesians 4:15

IBSA webinars offer easy access to new training

Church Helps

Created to aid churches during the pandemic, Church Helps offers guidance on current topics for leaders

Pastor Plus

On-the-job training and fresh insights for pastors and leaders

Leading to the Next Level

Equipping leaders in all areas of influence—relationships, marketplace, and

the local church

ReVision Revitalization

Helping pastors prepare to lead change and revitalization

Register for webinars at IBSA.org/leadershipdevelopment

The Learning curve

Cold-Case Christianity

J. Warner Wallace

This apologetics book by a former atheist and cold-case homicide detective deals with a lot of the best evidence and argumentation put out by Christian apologists, philosophers, and historians. It’s a pageturner even though the material is highly technical.

Gospel-Centered Kids Ministry

Brian Dembowczyk

We need to share the gospel with the young people we teach. I lead ministries to our children and youth, and look for books to help me share God’s word and apply it to their lives.

Something Needs to Change

David

Platt

The author takes us along on an eye-opening and tiring trek of the Himalayas. The culture he finds at the end of his journey—with evidence of demonic control, a high rate of suicide, and little hope of income—shows him that our current approach to reaching these people has to radically change.

The Bible Toolbox

Bryan

We’ve been doing a walk through the Old Testament on Sunday evenings. I picked up a copy of “The Bible Toolbox” at the Midwest Leadership Summit in January and little did I know at the time how valuable and pertinent it would be to my preparation and our study.

Learning from 1918’s quiet Christmas

They called the holiday of December 1918 “the peace Christmas.” A truce had been declared. With the armistice announced, the shooting had stopped at 11 a.m. on November 11. Although the agreements to end The Great War were not yet signed, the world sighed relief that the confrontation that consumed Europe and 18 million war dead was ended. The prisoner of war camps were opened, and back home, wives and fathers and sisters and mothers hoped their valiant surviving men would be home by Christmas. Until the telegrams arrived.

Here on the home front, another war was still raging—the Spanish Influenza. The first wave swept the country starting in March and subsided a bit in the summer, only to be reborn in August. The second wave peaked a few weeks before Christmas. A Knoxville newspaper reported its last flu victim that year was a prominent merchant who died December 15. But flu still raged in pockets, especially in rural areas, it was reported. And Christmas promised to be somber, with plenty of loss to be grieved.

Until what we call World War 1, Christmas had been celebrated as a raucous event. Almost unknown as anything but a religious occasion until late Victorian times, in a few decades the holiday season became a brief but jubilant eruption at year’s end. Fueled by alcohol, the celebrations more resembled Mardi Gras debauchery than holy day observance.

Then the prohibition movement emerged. And with the U.S.

entry into the fight against Germany and her allies, the celebrations of 1916 and 1917 were scaled back. By 1918, many would have wondered if there would be much Christmas at all.

Life greatly reduced by war and the expense in goods and men was compounded by the pan-

identified the deadly flu in their 1918 record, Christmas would be quiet.

Some observers of the time say that’s when Christmas moved from the streets to the home— and to the church. Ironically the shopping season was announced in October, rather than the few days just before the holiday, because of concerns that supply lines would prevent timely deliveries. Trees arrived in market squares a couple of weeks early, stretching the evergreen season inside houses.

And with the invention of commercial radio a couple of years off, there was little to do but eat a modest dinner, open a few small gifts, pray for troops and loved ones absent, and consider the tumult of the year soon concluding.

demic. Losses on faraway battlefields pressed in all the more as the influenza at home demanded trips to the local graveyard.

Large crowds were discouraged after parades in St. Louis and Philadelphia were identified as “super-spreader events” (our words, not theirs). Congress signed a wartime prohibition one week after the November 11 truce, and many Americans were joining Baptists in eschewing alcohol as a beverage. And telegrams said the boys were still needed to preserve the peace in Europe. They would not make it home for the holidays.

In the grim uncertainty following round two of “the pestilence,” as Illinois Baptists

Throw in some Netflix binging, and many of us may do the same homestyle holiday this year.

The question is whether, as a nation, we will be more likely to keep Christ at the center of Christmas when there’s a lot less folderol to obscure his place.

The Sundays in December and Christmas Eve are among my favorite worship services. I love to plan them, preach them, sing them, attend them. I love to share the gospel with the part-time members and the adult children whose parents coerce them to attend during their visit home.

But I’ll have to find other ways to celebrate while we’re mostly at home for the holidays. I can honestly say, there will be nothing to take my eyes off Jesus this Christmas.

2020 may be the year we all find what so many are searching for—the real meaning of Christmas. In the quiet not found in parades and stores and airports and crowded dining rooms, we might be silent long enough to hear from the Prince of Peace.

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.

– Micah 5:4-5a

A war and a pandemic produced a subtle, but spiritual celebration. The circumstance seems familiar.

“Still no sheep... but I did find some VBS leftovers.”

– Bill Haas, pastor, Athensville Baptist Church

– Ashley Covell, ministry leader, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Sterling

– David Park, pastor and church planter, Gracepoint ChicagoHyde Park

Eric Reed is editor of IBSA media.

Cribb and Channing Crisler

– J.D. Branson, pastor, First Missionary Baptist Church, Flat Rock

Ten Mile Baptist Church celebrates 200 years

McLeansboro | Ten Mile Baptist Church marked its milestone anniversary Oct. 11 with horse and buggy rides, special music, and a historical drama written by church member Gayle Bradley. The church, pastored by Jacob Gray, also held an outdoor worship service after which children lined up to ring a bell that has been at church since 1897. They rang the bell 200 times, one for each year of the congregation’s history.

Guidance for a struggling son the counselor

Our college-age son is making major decisions we don’t agree with, including dropping out of school. He’s technically an adult, but we’re worried the things he’s doing are going to negatively affect his life. How can we maintain healthy boundaries and also help him?

AThankfully, statistics show us that Millennials choosing to drop out of school and purposefully underperform are the exception rather than the norm. Most young adults are working hard to provide for themselves whether they choose college or not.

The “failure to launch” stereotype of the disengaged Millennial basement dweller is too common to label an urban myth, but has been greatly exaggerated. I am assuming your son is single without children, which in his situation makes every problem less complicated for everyone, especially as you repeatedly ask yourself whether you’re helping or enabling him.

especially when we disagree with their choices, is most important, and should never be considered enabling. He must never sense you are withholding your love, even while you are withholding money or struggling to enforce healthy boundaries.

dave says

Refinance in Baby Step 2? Q

MARK McCORMICK

This difficult balancing act is hard to imagine possible apart from God’s intervention. Your conversation with your son should remain open, and reflect the grace God has shown you. If the conversation remains ongoing you will have the opportunity to ask some really important questions, such as whether he might be depressed, whether God feels distant, if he’s feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and how you can pray for him. Based on his answers, together as a family you may help him seek counseling and Christian mentorship.

My husband and I are on Baby Step 2, and we’ve paid off about $30,000 in consumer debt since March. We were wondering if we should refinance our mortgage. Our current rate is 4.875%, with 28 years remaining on the loan. We found a 15-year refinance at 2.5%, which would raise our monthly payments about $200, but we can handle that. We have $150,000 in equity in our home and about $207,000 left on the loan. What do you think?

AYou two have done a great job! I’m so proud of what you’ve accomplished and that you’re looking to the future.

Which comes first?

Sometimes our adult children need our assistance to help set them on their feet again. God does that for me most days. It isn’t enabling to help him financially (if you are able) in his pursuit of growth. For example, you could offer to assist with job training, school, or work supplies. Helping becomes enabling when you teach him you are responsible for the consequences of his poor choices.

This is not the time to underestimate the importance of maintaining your relationship with your son. Maintaining a close relationship with our children,

Watching his friends and former classmates succeed may be the psychological push that eventually gets him off the couch. No one of any age enjoys feeling left behind. However, people with serious depression, grief, or anxiety often have difficulty discerning God’s encouragement to move, grow, and to enjoy life. Your relationship with your son and his relationship with God can help him focus on his future and discern God’s will for his life.

Mark McCormick is director of clinic operations for Illinois Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services. Send questions for Mark to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Baby Step 2 wouldn’t be affected, except that your monthly mortgage payment will go up a little. I wouldn’t pay the refinance costs out of pocket, though. I’d roll them into the loan. You’d be saving more than 2% by locking in this crazy-low interest rate, and you’re knocking the whole thing down to a 15-year loan. It’s definitely worth the extra $200 a month. Think about it this way. You’re going to be saving more than $4,000 a year with the interest rate reduction. You’re not going to see it in cash flow because of the $200 increase in monthly payments, but over the scope of the loan, you’re going to be charged between $4,000 and $4,500 less per year for interest. All that money is going toward paying back the closing costs and reducing the principal built into the move from 28 years to 15 years. Yes, you should do this!

Q A

I just saved up my $1,000 beginner emergency fund, and I’m looking at paying off my car and credit card debt by the end of January. Before I started your plan, I took out a $7,500 student loan. I still have a year of school left, which will cost about $10,000. Should I save up for my final year before attacking my student loan debt, so I don’t have to take out another one, or go ahead and begin paying it off?

Well, it doesn’t make much sense to pay off the current student loan, then turn around and take out another one. Your first goal—after you get the credit cards and car paid off—should be saving cash to finish school. Once you’ve done that, start paying off the student loan.

Long story short, you’ve got to stop borrowing money. The idea of saving up to pay for things should be the default setting in your brain. Otherwise, you’re going to spend the rest of your life with car payments and other debt hanging around your neck. That’s not being responsible with your money, and it will keep you from saving for stuff that matters and becoming wealthy.

Stop. Borrowing. Money. I hope I haven’t been unclear.

Financial advisor Dave Ramsey is a prolific author and radio host.

DAVE RAMSEY

The goal for this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is $175 million.

ILLINOIS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

November 29-December 7

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering & Week of Prayer

Info: IMB.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering

January 11, 14

Tax Seminars

What: Valuable tax info for current and retired ministers, treasurers, and other church leaders

Where: Jan. 11: Gateway Association; Jan. 14: Online Information: LindaDarden@IBSA.org

January 17

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Resources: ERLC.com

January 19-20

Illinois Leadership Summit

What: Learn with and from fellow Illinois Baptists at a summit focused on how lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic can reshape your ministry for a strong new season.

Where: Online and regional satellite locations

Information: IBSA.org/ils2021

Edge Online Courses

What: Become a sharper leader right where you live and serve. Multi-week courses are instructor-led, fully online, and highly interactive.

When: New courses start Feb. 1

Info: IBSA.org/ibsa-online-courses

February 20

Church Technology Conference

What: Training you won’t find anywhere else, with a focus on using technology for outreach and worship.

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Info: BenJones@IBSA.org

CLASSIFIED AD

FBC Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, is seeking an Associate Pastor of Worship and Outreach. Visit fbclsl.org/job-opportunities for more information.

neTworking

CLASSIFIED AD

Worship and Media Pastor

Miner Baptist Church

Sikeston, Missouri

Send resumé to jbarnhart@minerbaptist.org.

Find more information on ministry positions at IBSA.org/connect Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

Bethel Baptist Church in Vandalia seeks a full-time associate pastor of youth and young adults. This is a new position in our church that includes youth ministry, college ministry, and young adult ministry. More information can be found at bethelvandalia.org, and resumés may be sent to bethelbaptistvandalia@ gmail.com.

THE NEW REALITY

Uncertainty or instability?

Is this the season of uncertainty or of instability? Perhaps both, but pastor Carey Nieuwhof says they are distinctly different realities, and they demand different responses.

“Uncertainty is one thing,” Nieuwhof writes. “It removes your ability to see what’s ahead and around....Instability means that the present circumstances are volatile and unsteady. They just keep changing all the time.”

First Missionary Baptist Church of Albion seeks a full-time pastor. Submit resumés to FBC.Alb.Pastor. Search@gmail.com. Contact search committee chairman Bill Kinsey at (618) 599-9204 with questions.

River Terrace Church in Chillicothe seeks a bivocational pastor. Parsonage available if desired. Please contact William L. Carter at wlc1129@yahoo. com or (309) 369-4153.

To expand on his concept, perhaps we should think of these two versions of reality as fraternal twins: they share a lot of genetic material, they have the same origins, but they are not identical. We might also say that there is an internal quality to uncertainty, as it is partly within the leader to be sure or unsure of next steps. Instability, however, is more external, in the circumstances themselves rather than our response to them.

Nieuwhof advises, “Leading through uncertainty—in this case, prolonged uncertainty—requires a whole new skill set. If you want to position yourself to lead well in the midst of uncertainty, develop your agility and flexibility. These two attributes will help you respond as things continue to change.”

Development of these two skills will produce external change, but they first must be working in the leader, and then the organization.

Ask these questions: Am I agile? If so, what is the evidence? Is my organization willing and able to be flexible?

In contrast, leading through instability involves particularly external response: What will we do to shore up the ministry? To find out, Nieuwhof says look for success, because success builds on success.

“One of the best ways to lead through instability is to pour more resources into what’s gaining traction and removing resources from what isn’t,” he writes. The pastor points to online services as one area to explore. Some churches have had success with online worship, while others have found themselves strapped for resources to do both online and in-person worship— and doing neither very well.

“In an unstable environment, when you find momentum, fuel it. And keep experimenting.”

– Eric Reed

“The best way to create future momentum is to pour resources into anything that’s producing current momentum.”

– Carey Nieuwhof