February 27, 2017 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

5 hills worth dying on Nathan Carter’s test for church leaders Table Talk P. 13

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News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association

FEBRUARY 27, 2017 Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325

Vol. 111 No. 03

SPECIAL REPORT on evangelism trends in Illinois • PLUS our top baptizing churches P. 7-10

CAPITOL WATCH

Pro-life centers file suit

Protect your church

Also, House mulls expanding abortion coverage

from spiritual vulnerability

BY MEREDITH FLYNN Springfield | Multiple pregnancy resource centers are suing Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner over a new law they say prohibits free speech and requires them to voice a message about abortion that is directly contrary to their mission. Pro-life advocates also are watching a pending bill that would expand abortion coverage for those on Medicaid and state workers’ health insurance plans.

On Feb. 9, 18 pregnancy resource centers filed for an injunction to avoid being forced to comply with an amendment to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act that was approved by the Illinois General Assembly last year and went into effect January 1.

The amendment requires pregnancy centers and pro-life physicians to discuss abortion as a legal treatment option, to talk about its “benefits,” and, if asked, to refer clients to abortion providers, said Attorney Thomas Olp of the Thomas More Society, RAUNER one of the legal organizations working with pregnancy care centers to fight enforcement of the new law.

For the centers, Olp said, “It’s an interfering by the government with their ability to communicate feely about an important moral issue.” The law also constitutes “viewpoint discrimination,” he added, in that it only regulates the speech of people with a particular viewpoint.

P. 3

Nate Adams P. 2 SBC NEWS

Mosque support raises ire Gaines on ERLC, IMB issues P. 5

MISSIONS

Last-chance conversion An ‘Annie Armstrong’ story P. 11

IBSA

Meet the team P. 14

2 IBSA.org

Illinois Baptist

NATE ADAMS

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists “We live in a dangerous world and affirm the crucial role of government in protecting us from harm and in setting the terms on refugee admissions. However, compassion and security can coexist, as they have for decades.”

– More than 500 evangelical leaders, in a letter concerning President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on immigration

They’re coming to America The U.S. admitted 85,000 refugees in the 2016 fiscal year, with nearly all of them coming from 10 nations:

Democratic Republic of Congo Syria Burma Iraq Somalia Bhutan Iran Afghanistan Ukraine Eritrea

19% 15% 15% 12% 11% 7% 4% 3% 3% 2%

Of the refugees admitted to the U.S. last year, 63% were religious majorities in their home countries, while the remaining 37% entered the U.S. as religious minorities. The largest share of those religious minorities—61%—are Christians.

– Pew Research, Feb. 2017

the cooperative program Giving by IBSA churches as of 2/17/17

$681,897

Budget Goal: $848,077 Received to date in 2016: $702,344 2017 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff Editor - Eric Reed Graphic Designer - Kris Kell Contributing Editor - Lisa Sergent Editorial Contributor - Meredith Flynn

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 three weeks by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

Protect your church

E

ach year, we Baptist state executive directors gather with leaders from the national Southern Baptist Convention.

We discuss issues of common concern, and exchange both updates and ideas for future ministry and cooperation.

During our time together this year, a couple of the retiring executive directors were asked to speak briefly on “things I wish I had known before I started in this role.” Of course, some of the observations were humorous. But one serious observation resonated deeply with me, and with others.

This western state leader, a returning international missionary, said, “One thing that surprised me was how much time I needed to invest, and how important it is, to help existing churches navigate pastoral leadership changes.”

He then referred to churches that had been “lost” to the Southern Baptist family, or that had closed entirely, when they had not done a careful or wise job selecting their next pastor. In some cases the property had been lost; in others the church had abandoned its Baptist convictions; and in still others churches had deteriorated quickly from a couple of hundred of members to just a handful.

I wish I could say these things don’t happen in Illinois—and they don’t happen frequently—but this fellow executive director’s comments brought to my mind even current examples of churches that are in peril here in Illinois. Most I would have never imagined to be vulnerable to losing their Baptist witness, or the church property for which previous generations have sacrificed. But all it takes is one unhealthy or wrongly motivated leader, invited in by one careless or compromising search and selection process.

What can churches do to protect themselves and their legacy? Two primary things come to mind.

First, whenever your church faces a pastoral leadership transition, invite experienced help from your local or state association. There are proven processes that can be employed, and predictable pitfalls that can be avoided, and you have access to experienced leaders who have been through multiple searches, with multiple churches. Of course, your autonomous church can choose which resources to use, and customize any process to your unique situation. But please take advantage of these free resources that are available to help you make a wise and Spirit-led selection.

Second, there are steps your church can take now, even if you are not facing a pastoral transition, to protect both the assets and the Baptist witness of your church. Your church governance documents, and especially the deed to your property itself, can help ensure that your church sustains its Baptist witness, even if it somehow becomes susceptible to an unhealthy leadership situation.

Once my fellow executive director shared his observation about the vulnerability of churches during leadership transitions, I was surprised how many examples started flowing between the rest of us. One executive director said that his state convention had lost 12 churches during the past year.

Another told of messy lawsuits entangling a couple of churches in his state, because an unscrupulous leader was seeking to profit personally from the sale of a church property.

So while this isn’t a particularly uplifting topic to write about, I came back from these conversations committed to doing so. Please make sure your church protects both its Baptist doctrinal commitment and its property and assets from the sometimes unpredictable times and people who would take them in another direction. And please call on us at IBSA to help. As my friend reminded us, protecting the doctrinal integrity and lasting witness of our churches is one of the most important things we do.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Congregations are especially vulnerable during leadership change.

IBSA.org

February 27, 2017

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NEWS From the front: pending house bill also opposed

landmark decisions

Continued from page 1 Olp said the government has to have a compelling interest in order to enforce such a law, and the view of the Thomas More Society is that it doesn’t, because information about abortion is readily available. Therefore, the government doesn’t have to compel people to talk about it.

Pregnancy resource centers have already felt the effects of the measure, Olp said.

“Some of them have decided not to do sonograms because that’s a medical procedure that clearly is covered by the new law.” Hope Life Center in Sterling, one of the centers represented by the Thomas More Society in a separate lawsuit filed Feb. 2, suspended its medical services at the beginning of the year.

Debbie Case, the center’s executive director, posted on its website about the change in operations.

WINDY CITY RALLY – Chicago’s annual pro-life demonstration drew 6,000 people to downtown streets on January 15.

“We see any compliance with this law as morally abhorrent and have determined to obey God rather than man,” Case said. “The law is unclear on what the penalties are for non-compliance (and even what constitutes compliance), but it’s reasonable to expect that if a complaint is filed against our organization we will be fined $10,000 per violation and (even more troubling) our medical personnel will be subject to the scrutiny of the state licensing board and may even lose their licenses.”

Last December, several pro-life health care providers won an injunction against enforcement of the law. Olp said they hope for a hearing and decision on the current case within a month; an injunction would stay the law until resolution of the lawsuit, which could take another year or so, he said.

Because the pregnancy centers are not willing to comply with the law, they won’t be able to continue to operate if the lawsuit

isn’t resolved in their favor, Olp said. Which is exactly what proponents of the bill want, he added.

“It’s a pro-abortion law that wants to stymie and eliminate pregnancy resources centers’ message to women who are considering abortion.”

There are more than 90 pregnancy resource centers across Illinois.

Action urged on HB 40 Lawmakers could vote any time on Illinois House Bill 40, which would allow taxpayer dollars to be used to pay for abortions. If approved, the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), would provide abortions for women covered by Medicaid for any reason at any point in their pregnancy. The bill also would allow abortions to be covered under state workers’ health insurance plans.

Current state law only allows Medicaid coverage for “medically necessary” abortions or those in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.

Emily Troscinski, executive director of Illinois Right to Life, estimates that if HB 40 is approved, it could increase the number of abortions in Illinois by 12,000 a year.

The bill also makes wider, more sweeping provisions about abortion: • Allows abortion to remain legal in Illinois should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe vs. Wade, and • Removes language from Illinois law that states “the unborn child is a human being from the time of conception…and is entitled to the right to life from conception.”

“We have to ask ourselves what kind of cultural narrative this is creating in Illinois,” Troscinski said. An unborn child is considered a person in homicide laws, she explained, but now some are pushing to take that provision out when it refers to abortion.

Rep. Sheri Jesiel (R-Winthrop Harbor) told the State Journal-Register she takes “great exception to the section that removes the personhood of a baby.” Jesiel is a member of the Human Services Committee, which approved HB 40 by a 7-5 vote on Feb. 8.

The bill currently is awaiting a full vote by the Illinois House of Representatives. Illinois Right to Life is encouraging people to contact their state representatives and urge them to vote “no” on the bill.

‘Roe’ repented Katy, Texas | Norma McCorvey, better known to the world as “Jane Roe,” died Feb. 19 at age 69. McCorvey was 22 years old when she became the center of the U.S. abortion debate, and the decision by the Supreme Court to legalize it nationwide.

McCorvey later became a ChrisMCCORVEY tian and spent the rest of her life fighting to get Roe v. Wade overturned. In 1995, a prolife group moved in next door to the abortion center where she was working. The group’s founder, a Free Methodist pastor, built a relationship with McCorvey and eventually baptized her.

When McCorvey was 55, she filed an affidavit to reopen the case. “It is my participation in this case that began the tragedy,” she wrote in the affidavit, “and it is with great hope that I now seek to end the tragedy I began.”

– Info from World magazine

Mo. governor to fight abortion ‘sanctuary’ Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has pledged to lead a fight to repeal a bill passed by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen essentially making St. Louis a “sanctuary city” for abortion, with critics contending it threatens the religious freedom of citizens and institutions opposing it. Known as Board Bill 203, it places pregnancy and reproductive health—including the decision to abort a child— alongside already protected classes such as race, gender, religion and disability in St. Louis’ anti-discrimination ordinance.

According to LifeNews.com, GREITENS Missouri Right to Life has warned the bill could force landlords to rent property to abortion providers or abortion advocacy groups and to punish employers, including religious organizations, who refuse to hire someone who publicly supports abortion. “We must protect people of faith and we must protect the unborn,” Greitens told the Missouri Baptist newspaper, The Pathway.

“We must win this and I am proud to lead the fight on this issue.”

– Info from Baptist Press

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easter

Lent’s evangelical appeal

ibsa events

Renewing the church

God’s glory is focus of conference for pastors

Among Americans who observe Lent

A new survey by LifeWay Research found 28% of Americans who observe Lent have evangelical beliefs. Catholics are most likely to observe the 40-day season focused on personal devotion that precedes Easter, but LifeWay Research’s Scott McConnell said Lent has appeal for evangelicals too, if not for the broader population. The survey found 76% of Americans say they don’t typically observe Lent.

“Lent is not about having your best life now,” McConnell said. “Those who observe it believe they are giving up things they want in order to focus on what God wants. There’s little popular appeal in that.”

Of those who do observe Lent, giving up a favorite food or beverage tops the list of ways to mark the season. On a regional note, in the Midwest, Lent observers are more likely to use the season to pray more (52%) than those in the Northeast (29%) or South (35%).

Faith themes hit multiplex Easter usually brings new life to the box office, at least in the form of movies that seek to appeal to Christians.

Two films set to be released this spring fit that bill.

“The Case for Christ,” based on journalist Lee Strobel’s 1998 book about his search for spiritual truth, hits theaters April 7. “In the end, it’s our hope that everyone who sees it will take their own faith journey,” Strobel told USA Today.

“The Shack,” out March 3, promises more controversy, especially for some Christian audiences.

The film, based on a 2007 novel by William Paul Young, features three characters who portray the members of the Trinity, including two women.

– LifeWay Research, USA Today

Get breaking news in The Briefing online, posted every Tuesday at www.ib2news.org.

Springfield | Pastors are invited to a one-day retreat this spring focused on bringing new life to churches in new of renewal. IBSA’s Church Revitalization Retreat will be held at the association’s two camp facilities: Lake Sallateeska in Pinckneyville on March 31, and Streator Baptist camp on April 1.

Mark Clifton, senior director of church replanting at the North American Mission Board, will lead pastors in a study of how the church can reclaim its glory. Clifton, author of the book “Reclaiming Glory,” will share his most recent church revitalization experience at Wornall Road Baptist Church in Kansas City. Following Clifton’s presentation, the retreat will include a Q&A with pastors who have led their churches through revitalization.

“Any church can experience revitalization if the congregation answers this one question: ‘What will bring God glory?’” said Sylvan Knobloch, IBSA’s director of church health. “Answering this question will guide the church to experience renewal.

“The Church Revitalization Retreat will focus on how we can lead our people to explore what it means for our congregation to glorify God.” Each retreat begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 4 p.m. The events are free for pastors; meals are included. For more information, contact Knobloch at SylvanKnobloch@ IBSA.org or (217) 391-3133.

Uniquely designed for ministry Ministers’ wives to ‘discover their influence’ at annual retreat Springfield | It’s a job that doesn’t really come under the busyness of life. Together we will with a clear job description, said IBSA’s Car- discover our God-given influence and learn men Halsey. practical ways to enhance and live out that “Most women wearing the title of ‘minis- influence.” ter’s wife’ have never completed orientation Diane Nix, a speaker and minister’s wife for the role,” said Halsey, director of wom- from New Orleans, will lead the retreat. en’s ministry and missions and a minister’s “Diane’s passion is walking alongside an wife herself. “Although there are individual to help them see that God’s commonalities to the role, the grace is enough and that he has a work that God has planned to specific plan for their life,” Halsey do through a minister’s wife said. “She will teach us about the has been choreographed just spiritual disciplines and how we for her. But she has to recogshould be using them in our pernize and believe that.” sonal lives to leave feelings of deOn March 24-25, Halsey’s feat behind, and step forward livteam will lead IBSA ministers’ ing life worthy of our calling.” wives to do just that. The annual The cost is $20 for meals and conNIX Ministers’ Wives’ Retreat at the ference only; $55 for meals, conferIBSA Building in Springfield will ence, and double-occupancy hotel explore the theme “Discovering Your God- lodging; and $95 for meals, conference, Given Influence.” and a private room. The retreat hotel is the “This year’s retreat will focus on the min- Hampton Inn located directly across from ister’s wife as an individual—her design, her IBSA. For more information and to register, gifts, and her strengths,” Halsey said. “Each go to IBSA.org/women. woman has influence, but sometimes it hides

IBSA.org

February 27, 2017

SBC News

Gaines addresses controversy Platt apologizes, Texas megachurch withholds funds Controversies involving the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the International Mission Board (IMB), and the Trump administration arose at an annual meeting of SBC state convention executive directors and Southern Baptist newspaper editors in mid-February.

While SBC President Steve Gaines addressed the issues and IMB’s David Platt offered an apology of sorts at the metro Los Angeles meeting, Texas pastor Jack Graham announced his church will escrow it’s million-dollar Cooperative Program offering over concerns about the Convention’s direction.

ment [favoring government permission for the construction of the mosque] if he knew the ramifications.”

The ERLC was previous criticized by some SBC pastors for joining the mosque case based on first amendment rights. ERLC President Russell Moore was also criticized for anti-Trump remarks during the election. Gaines said he hopes there would be less divisive talk coming out of the ERLC. In a question-and-answer session Gaines (pictured at the Ontario, Calif. meeting), told editors he voted for Trump as president because of his pro-life stance. “Overall I’m pleased with the appointments; they are better than what we could have had [with HillApology for mosque support ary Clinton],” Gaines said. The pastor of the “I apologize to Southern Baptists for how Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church also distracting and divisive this has been,” Platt agreed with Supreme Court nominee Neil said when he met later with Baptist Gorsuch’s view to interpret the Constistate paper editors. tution “the way it was written, not “I can say with full confidence rewrite it.” that in the days ahead, IMB will “A lot of people like me chose have a process in place to keep the candidate who was more us focused on our primary misfriendly to pro-life [causes] and sion: partnering with churches marriage between one man and to empower limitless missionone woman,” Gaines said. “I do ary teams for evangelizing, disnot support many of the things cipling, planting and multiplying Trump has said, especially what he GAINES healthy churches, and training leadhas said about women. But he was ers among unreached peoples and the best choice that we had [in this places for the glory of God.” election].”

The apology occurred amid ongoing discussion of an amicus curiae (“friend of the Prestonwood escrows CP court”) brief supporting the Islamic Society Texas megachurch Prestonwood Baptist’s of Basking Ridge, New Jersey (ISBR) in its decision to escrow gifts previously forwarded religious discrimination lawsuit against a lo- through the Cooperative Program was ancal planning board. nounced Feb. 16. Mike Buster, executive In December, U.S. district Judge Michael pastor for the Plano, Texas, church, wrote Shipp ruled the Planning Board of Bernards that the action was taken because of “various Township, N.J., violated federal law when it significant positions taken by the leadership required ISBR to include more than twice as of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commismuch parking in its site plan for a proposed sion that do not reflect the beliefs and values mosque as it required for Christian and Jew- of many in the Southern Baptist Convenish worship places. tion,” and that it’s a temporary move.

In his ruling, Shipp acknowledged the amThe decision impacts $1 million the icus brief, stating it “supports” the ISBR’s ar- 41,000-member congregation would othguments that unlawful religious discrimina- erwise contribute through the Cooperative tion occurred.

Program.

Platt added, “I am grieved how the amicus But Graham subsequently described to the brief in the recent mosque case has been so (Louisiana) Baptist Message an “uneasiness” divisive and distracting. And my purpose in among church leaders about the “disconnect bringing it up here is not to debate religious between some of our denominational leaders liberty, but to simply say that I really do want and our churches.”

IMB to be focused on [its] mission state“I’m not angry at the SBC, and neither ment.” are our people,” Graham said, “and I’m not Tennessee pastor Dean Haun resigned as working to start a movement to fire anyone. an IMB trustee in November because he said We’re just concerned about the direction of joining the brief did not comport with IMB’s the Southern Baptist Convention, and feel mission and could be viewed as an improper the need to make some changes in the way alliance with followers of a religion that de- we give.” nies the gospel.

Moore told Baptist Press, “I love and reGaines said he believes IMB President spect Jack Graham and Prestonwood Baptist Platt would possibly think twice before the Church. This is a faithful church with gifted mission board enters such a case. “You may leaders and a long history of vibrant ministry not agree with his theology but he has no working and witnessing for Christ.” arrogance whatsoever in his heart. I really – Reporting by Baptist Press, Georgia Christian Index, don’t think he would have signed the docuand Louisiana Baptist Message

Culture Watch

Pastors may counsel against homosexuality Federal Judge Ronald Guzman ruled Feb. 16 pastors are not subject to the Illinois’ Youth Mental Health Protection Act that went into effect Jan. 1, 2016. The Act reads, “No person or entity may, in the conduct of trade or commerce, use or employ any deception, fraud…in offering conversion therapy services in a manner that represents homosexuality as a mental disease, disorder, or illness.”

According to the Chicago law firm, Mauck & Baker, LLC, the plaintiffs, a group of five Illinois pastors and two church associations, argued the ambiguous language threatened their ability to counsel homosexual conduct is a sin, because counseling is considered part of the duties for which they are compensated. The court ruled the law does not apply to pastors because such counseling is not in trade or commerce, saying, “the ordinary meaning of these terms [trade or commerce] does not suggest they apply to private religious counseling.”

School restroom challenge dropped The girls’ room will be for girls, now that the Trump administration said it will not challenge a current policy that requires students nationwide to use bathrooms that correspond to their biological gender, rather than their gender identity.

More than a dozen states filed suit last year after the Obama administration introduced guidelines to expand facility access for transgender students. A Texas judge issued an injunction, but the Obama administration appealed the decision and argued that the injunction ought to only affect the states involved in the lawsuit. On Feb. 10, Trump’s Justice Department announced they would not challenge the injunction; two weeks later Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters the administration will release “further guidance” on the issue.

Florist will take liberty case to highest court The Washington Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling Feb. 16 convicting Barronelle Stutzman of violating the federal and state civil rights of Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed when she refused to design floral arrangements for their same-sex wedding nearly four years ago. The Southern Baptist grandmother remains liable for the plaintiffs’ attorney fees and damages but will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

– Press release from Mauck & Baker, LLC, The New York Times, Baptist Press

Get breaking news in The Briefing online, posted every Tuesday at www.ib2news.org.

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Illinois Baptist

sound off

reporter’s notebook

Should congress ‘fix’ the Johnson Amendment?

YES: “As a minister who has experienced intimidation

from the IRS firsthand, I know just how important it is to ensure that our churches and nonprofit organizations are allowed the same fundamental rights as every citizen of this great nation.”

– Rep. Jody Hice, Ga., co-sponsor of the legislation and former Southern Baptist pastor (Baptist Press 2/3/17)

NO: “Politicizing churches does them no favors. The promised repeal is an attack on the integrity of both our charitable organizations and campaign finance system.”

– Amanda Tyler, Baptist Joint Committee (Huffington Post 2/2/17)

YES: “The First Amendment of our Bill of Rights,

the first right granted expressively and clearly by our founding fathers was the right to the free exercise of religion, and I think it’s important to note that it’s not just somewhere in the Bill of Rights, it’s at the beginning, the first right to be protected.”

– Jordan Sekulow, American Center for Law & Justice (VOA News 2/8/17)

NO: “Muslims would have to be included. How com-

fortable would those conservatives now campaigning for repeal of the Johnson law be if some imams began preaching death to America and endorsing Muslim candidates for political office?”

– Conservative columnist Cal Thomas opposing repeal (Washington Times 2/6/17)

Free speech for churches The old adage says there are three things throughout his campaign and most recentyou should never talk about in polite com- ly at the National Prayer Breakfast Feb. 2. pany—money, religion, and politics. We al- “[Thomas] Jefferson asked, can the liberties ready break two of those three rules every of a nation be secure when we have removed Sunday in church. Are we ready to break the a conviction that these liberties are the gift third—politics? of God,” Trump said. “Among those freeThe Free Speech Fairness Act was intro- doms is the right to worship according to our duced the U.S. Senate and House own beliefs. That is why I will get rid of Representatives Feb. 1. The of and totally destroy the Johnson bill doesn’t repeal the JohnAmendment and allow our represon Amendment, which limits sentatives of faith to speak freely chuch involvement in politics, and without fear of retribution. but offers what Alliance DeI will do that, remember.” fending Freedom calls a “relief The question is, are churchvalve”—“as you carry out the es ready for this? The pastor of mission of your church, you would the small church I grew up in was have the right to speak freely on all not shy about sharing his political JOHNSON matters of life, including candidates views. He shared from the pulpit and elections.” Most importantly it who he was voting for in the presimaintains the prohibition against churches dential election, and told congregants they and other 501(c)(3) organizations from do- could vote for whomever they wanted, just go nating money to candidates and political vote. I remember as a middle-schooler being campaigns. shocked, not so much by his action, but by The Johnson Amendment became part of the person he was voting for on election day. the U.S. tax code in 1954 when then Senator His candidate lost, there was no outcry in the Lyndon Johnson successfully restricted tax- church, and the IRS never came knocking on exempt organizations, including churches, our church doors. from endorsing or opposing political candiNot all pastors and congregants want to dates under penalty of losing their tax-ex- discuss politics within the church walls, empt status. but, if passed, the Free Speech Fairness Act President Donald Trump discussed elimi- would give those who want to the freedom to nating the amendment numerous times do so.

– Lisa Sergent

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February 27, 2017

IN FOCUS

Raising baptism As rates continue to decline, can evangelism as a lifestyle make a comeback—and make the difference?

BY MEREDITH FLYNN Illinois | Until recently, the man who accepted Christ at Cross Church a few weeks ago was a skeptic. He was moral and hard-working, said Pastor Tim Rhodus, but he just didn’t buy into Christianity. But a few weeks ago, he came to a point of personal faith.

“It wasn’t an evangelistic message in that guy’s case,” Rhodus said. “It was two-and-a-half years of authentic living in front of him, [so] that he saw it was real.”

At Rhodus’ church, which has campuses in Carlinville, Staunton, and Hettick, evangelism is a way of life—of living, actually. Cross Church offers evangelism training a few times a year where participants learn tools to share their faith, but mostly, they’re encouraged to reflect Christ in their everyday lives.

“It’s not a gimmick or a program,” Rhodus said.

“It’s normal people choosing to reflect Jesus in their normal lives. And then God uses that to draw people to himself.

“All you have to do is just not be afraid to have the conversation.”

According to a 2016 survey by LifeWay Research, 79% of unchurched Americans say they don’t mind if their friends talk to them about their faith. But only about one-third of unchurched people say they’d go to a worship service if a friend invited them.

As people grow less and less connected with the church as an institution, the numbers show that churches are finding it more difficult to reach people with the gospel. IBSA churches baptized 3,953 people in 2016, a decrease of 10% from the P. 8

Chilly Jordan In the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, Pastor Sammy Simmons of Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton baptizes Don Cruz, a deacon at his church.

On page 1 Simmons baptizes Pastor Adron Robinson of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills while Pastor Brian McWethy of Grace Fellowship in Amboy looks on. They were on a tour of Israel led by IBSA’s Pat Pajak.

More photos from Israel and a story will be featured in the March 20 issue of the Illinois Baptist.

– photos by Lindsay McDonald

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Illinois Baptist

Stirring the waters

Continued from page 7 previous year. And 352 churches reported no baptisms for the year.

“This is the lead strategic concern we should have as we try to help churches,” IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams said of the decline in baptisms.

While possible solutions abound, Rhodus and other leaders have seen people come to Christ through lifestyle-oriented evangelism, a method which has gotten a bad rap when used an excuse to not have difficult conversations.

But Rhodus explained Cross Church’s philosophy this way: If you’re a mom, you don’t have to fake being a mom. You are a mom wherever you go. You talk openly about it, you’re proud of it. It’s who you are.

“How we try to teach it here is that following Christ ought to be just as authentic.”

From local associations across Illinois, these churches celebrated significant increases in baptisms from 2015 to 2016 Pelley Road Christian Fellowship Rockford | North Central Transformation Church From 7 to 9 Lake Villa | Lake County Trinity Baptist Church From 3 to 11 Lyndon | Sinnissippi

From 0 to 6 River Terrace Baptist Church Edelstein | Metro Peoria

From 0 to 10

Westview Baptist Church Shorewood | Three Rivers

Agape Bible Fellowship Park Forest | Chicago Metro

From 1 to 71

Iglesia Bautista Betel Berwyn | Fox Valley

From 0 to 14

From 8 to 19

First Baptist Church Joy | Quad Cities

Vale Church Bloomington | East Central

From 0 to 8

From 73 to 86

Southtower Community Baptist Church Dawson | Heartland

Tabernacle Baptist Church Decatur | Central Association

From 30 to 34

From 7 to 19

Strong Tower Baptist Church Flora | Louisville

Charity Southern Baptist Church Greenfield | Sandy Creek

From 0 to 7

From 0 to 4

First Baptist Church Pleasant Hill | Bay Creek

Marshall Missionary Baptist Church Marshall | Westfield

From 20 to 30

From 8 to 23

Charity Baptist Church Carlinville | Macoupin

Hidalgo Baptist Church Hidalgo | Palestine

From 1 to 11

From 0 to 8

Metro Community Church Edwardsville | Gateway

Keenes Missionary Baptist Church Keenes | Greater Wabash

From 69 to 101 Bayle City Baptist Church Ramsey | Rehoboth

From 9 to 28

From 5 to 10

Logan Street Baptist Church Mt. Vernon | Salem South

New Life Community Baptist Church East St. Louis | Metro East

From 2 to 13

From 27 to 95

First Southern Baptist Church Flora | Kaskaskia Whittington Baptist Church From 1 to 7 Whittington | Franklin First Baptist Church Steeleville Baptist Church From 6 to 25 Tamms | Clear Creek Steeleville | Nine Mile From 0 to 7

From 14 to 28

More talk and more action The decline in baptisms isn’t just a problem in Illinois. Nationally, baptisms in Southern Baptist churches fell 3.3% in 2016 from the previous year, and the total has fallen eight of the last 10 years, according to data from LifeWay Christian Resources. In an informal Twitter survey last summer, LifeWay President Thom Rainer asked why many churches are less evangelistic than they once were. The top response: “Christians have no sense of urgency to reach lost people.”

Tim Rhodus agrees. “If people aren’t coming to Christ, we should be broken-hearted,” he said. “If there’s a budget crisis (at the church), we call a timeout and have big meetings about budget crises. We don’t have big meetings [if] nobody got baptized in a while, because nobody wants to own that.”

But owning up to the evangelism crisis is exactly what Christians are called to do, said Levi Hart, pastor of Ignite Church in Breese.

His church baptized 16 people last year while meeting in a bar in Hart’s hometown. “We’ve got some excited people,” Hart said of his congregation, and they’re excited about making disciples.

Hart pointed to Jesus’ example in the New Testament. “His absolute focus was bringing people to himself.” After Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, he told his disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me

Cornerstone Community Marion | Williamson

Ten Mile Baptist Church McLeansboro | Goshen Trail

From 26 to 43

McKinley Avenue Baptist Church Harrisburg | Saline

From 8 to 18

First Baptist Church Vienna | Union

From 35 to 47

From 6 to 15

Walnut Grove Baptist Church Harrisburg | Big Saline

From 6 to 15

Top IBSA churches in total baptisms

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 (t) (t)

Church Baptisms Metro Community Church, Edwardsville 101 New Life Community Baptist Church, East St. Louis 95 Vale Church, Bloomington 86 Vietnamese Baptist Church of Chicago 83 First Baptist Church, Maryville 73 Agape Bible Fellowship, Park Forest 71 First Baptist Church, O’Fallon 61 Another Chance Church, Chicago 56 Broadview Missionary Baptist Church 49 Cornerstone Community Church, Marion 47 Redemption Church, Johnston City 45 Ten Mile Baptist Church, McLeansboro 43 Harmony Community Church, Chicago 37 Proviso Missionary Baptist Church, Maywood 35 Tabernacle Baptist Church, Decatur 34 First Baptist Church, Fieldon 31 First Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill 30 Immanuel Baptist Church, Benton 30 Calvary Baptist Church, Sparta 30

20 (t) (t) (t) 24 (t) 26 27 28 29 (t) 31 32 (t) (t) 35 (t) 37 (t) (t)

Mars Hill Baptist Church, Chicago Steeleville Baptist Church Freedom Baptist Church, Rockford Bayle City Baptist Church, Ramsey Cross Church, Carlinville Life Church Eastland, Metropolis Crossroads Community Church, Carol Stream Whittington Baptist Church Marshall Missionary Baptist Church Centennial Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago New Hope Church, Effingham Westview Baptist Church, Swansea Holy Bible Missionary Baptist Church, Harvey Mosaic Church, Highland First Baptist Church, Marion Iglesia Bautista Betel, Berwyn Southtower Community Baptist Church, Dawson Raymond Baptist Church First Baptist Church, Columbia McKinley Avenue Baptist Church, Harrisburg

28 28 28 28 27 27 26 25 23 22 22 21 20 20 20 19 19 18 18 18

40 41 (t) (t) 44 (t) (t) (t) (t) (t) 50 (t) (t) (t) (t) (t) (t) (t) (t)

Emmanuel Baptist Church, Carlinville St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, Harvey Bethel Baptist Church, Vandalia Ignite Church, Breese Walnut Grove Baptist Church, Harrisburg Springbrook Community Church, Plainfield Dahlgren Baptist Church First Baptist Church, Metropolis First Baptist Church, Vienna The Church at DuPage, Glen Ellyn Bread of Life Baptist Church, Chicago Iglesia Bautista Emanuel, Aurora Bethel Baptist Church, Troy First Baptist Church, Fairview Heights Christ Church, Michigan City, Ind. First Baptist Church, DuQuoin First Baptist Church, Galatia Westview Baptist Church, Shorewood University Baptist Church, Charleston

17 16 16 16 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 (t) = tie

IBSA.org

February 27, 2017

Diagnostic questions To kindle revival in leaders

If you’re a church leader, you’re responsible for modeling evangelism for your congregation. Maybe asking these questions will challenge you to be more evangelistic: 1. Am I broken over lostness? Paul was willing to be accursed so others might be saved (Rom 9:3). That kind of burden results in evangelistic leaders.

2. Was I more evangelistic earlier in my spiritual journey?

Our evangelistic fire often burns most brightly during the first months after our conversion. The problem is that most of us are far from those days—and too far from that fire.

3. What keeps me from doing evangelism today? Honest evaluation is a good start toward improvement.

COME TO THE WATER – Brian McWethy, an IBSA zone consultant and pastor of Grace Fellowship, Amboy, baptizes his daughter Brianna in the Jordan River during a recent tour of Israel.

and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34).

“I think it starts with (church) leadership being in that place as well,” Hart said. “‘Bringing people to Jesus is my food, it’s my sustenance, it’s the way I will spiritually thrive.’”

Gospel conversations Even with an evangelism method focused on living out one’s faith naturally, it can be difficult to know what to talk about when the opportunity arises. Hart encourages people to start with their own story.

“Our testimony should be the easiest story we know how to tell,” he said. “It should be like the back of our hand.” And not just the moment we were saved, Hart said, but how God led us to that moment, and what he’s done in our lives since then.

And sometimes, an evangelistic encounter starts with a simple question, said Associate Executive Director Pat Pajak, who directs IBSA’s evangelism efforts.

“My wife and I have always made it a practice when we go out to dinner to say to the waitress, ‘Hey we’re going to pray for our meal in just a minute. How can we pray for you today?’” That’s one way to do lifestyle evangelism, which Pajak also calls “conversational evangelism.”

“You start a conversation with someone and you make it plain that you are a Christian and that you have a concern for that person. It’s the way I live my life publicly before somebody else so that they say, ‘There’s something that they have that I want in my life.’”

While evangelism tools and training resources can be helpful, when an opportunity is presented to share the gospel, a memorized presentation isn’t required, Pajak said.

“I’ve used part of the Roman Road, along with the F.A.I.T.H. presentation, a few things I learned from Evangelism Explosion, and some Continuous Witness Training. In other words, you don’t need a canned approach that’s been carefully memorized, but Continued on page 10

4. What are the names of the nonbelievers for whom I am praying regularly? Your prayer life is a starting place to determine your evangelistic passion.

5. What intentional connections am I making with nonbelievers? It’s so easy for church leaders to get cocooned in the church world that we must intentionally choose to connect with unbelievers.

6. How many genuine friendships with nonbelievers do I have? We won’t reach nonbelievers if we don’t really know any of them.

7. When was the last time I personally shared the gospel with someone? A mentor once challenged me to tell the good news to somebody at least once a week. That’s a good start.

8. Have I limited my evangelism to talking only with nonbelievers who come to me? It happens to most of us— we proclaim the gospel from the pulpit or in our office, and we fail to initiate evangelism in the street.

9. Do my church members and friends know my conversion story? Many church members don’t know the testimony of their closest friends in the church. If we don’t even tell our story to other believers, we’re not likely to tell it to the lost world.

10. Will I intentionally tell somebody about Jesus today?

Your answer to this question will determine what you do with this post.

Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Southeastern Seminary.

You can connect with him on Twitter @Clawlessjr and on Facebook at facebook.com/CLawless.

Top IBSA churches in total baptisms per member

Per Church Baptisms member 1 Christian Center of Hope, Danville 10 2.00 2 Agape Bible Fellowship, Park Forest 71 1.08 3 Westview Baptist Church, Shorewood 14 1.00 4 Transformation Church, Lake Villa 11 1.00 5 The Community in Maywood 4 1.00 6 The Resurrection Church, Granite City 8 0.80 7 Vietnamese Baptist Church of Chicago 83 0.79 8 Bridge Church, Lebanon 10 0.67 8 Another Chance Church, Chicago 56 0.62 9 Hidalgo Baptist Church 8 0.50 10 Redemption Church, Johnston City 45 0.48 11 All Nations Baptist Mission, Urbana 3 0.43 12 Iglesia Bautista El Calvario, Elgin 7 0.41 13 Jackson Creek Fellowship, Manhattan 12 0.40 14 Net Community Church, Staunton 11 0.39 15 Trinity Baptist Church, Lyndon 6 0.38 16 Red Hill Church, Glen Carbon 8 0.32 17 The Church at DuPage, Glen Ellyn 15 0.31

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

First Baptist Church, Mounds 10 First Baptist Church, Fieldon 31 Holy Bible Missionary Church, Harvey 20 Highview Missionary Church, Harrisburg 6 Iglesia Bautista Betel, Berwyn 19 New Triedstone Missionary, Riverdale 2 Redeeming Grace Chapel, Kankakee 6 Rehoboth Evangelistic, Olympia Fields 12 First New Mt. Olive Missionary, Chicago 2 Greater Tabernacle Missionary, Chicago 12 New Tabernacle of Faith, Chicago 7 Unity Baptist Church, Makanda 6 Strong Tower Baptist Church, Flora 7 Refreshing Springs Congregational, Chicago 4 University Baptist Church, Charleston 14 Bement Baptist Church 8 Grace Fellowship Amboy 12 Good Hope Missionary, Chicago 7 Iglesia Bautista Piedra Angular, Aurora 7 First Baptist Church, Ewing 5

0.31 0.31 0.31 0.30 0.29 0.29 0.27 0.27 0.25 0.24 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.22 0.22 0.21 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20

38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56

Bayle City Baptist Church, Ramsey Cornerstone Community Church, Marion Southtower Community, Dawson Manito Baptist Church Pelley Road Christian Fellowship, Rockford St. James Baptist Church, Hillsboro Journey Church of Kankakee County First Baptist Church, Christopher First Baptist Church, Crystal Lake Nilwood Baptist Church Raymond Baptist Church Harmony Community Church, Chicago S.I. Country Church, Makanda Spring Valley Baptist Church, Shiloh New Song Ministries, Zion Ten Mile Baptist Church, McLeansboro First Baptist Church, Hamilton Freedom Baptist Church, Rockford The Word in Marion

28 47 19 7 9 5 4 11 11 5 18 37 2 6 7 43 6 28 9

0.20 0.19 0.19 0.19 0.19 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15

9

10 IBSA.org

Illinois Baptist

How to set your church on fire

Hint: It’s not how we used to do it In a post-Christian era, the average person isn’t drawn to church by good music or preaching, says Pastor Levi Hart of Ignite Church, a new congregation in Breese. And according to a 2016 LifeWay Research survey, many aren’t drawn to church at all, at least on Sunday mornings. Twothirds (66%) of unchurched Americans said they would be unlikely or extremely unlikely to attend a worship service if someone they knew invited them.

Continued from page 9 rather a desire to help those who’ve never heard the story of why Jesus died and rose from the dead, and how he can change their life for all eternity.”

At Cross Church, Tim Rhodus encourages his church members to live evangelistically by authentically, accurately representing Christ. “You be you,” he advises them. “Let Jesus be himself in and through you. And then all the other things fall into place.”

After all, the man who recently came to faith at Cross Church was drawn by watching the Christians around him live authentically.

“Increasing baptisms is more about the spiritual temperature in the room,” Rhodus said, “and whether the people are good reflections of [Christ] from Monday to Saturday.”

Our ultimate purpose A 2012 LifeWay Research survey found that while 80% of people who attend church at least once a month believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, 61% had not told someone how to become a Christian in the previous six months. And 48% hadn’t invited anyone to church in the same time period.

While a pastor isn’t solely responsible for reinvigorating evangelism in his church, he does have an integral part to play, Pajak said. He gave an example of pastor who’s able to stand before his church on Sunday morning as a couple walks down the aisle who he personally led to Christ. As pastors are engaged in evangelism and modeling it before their congregations, it sends a message to their congregation.

“Can you imagine what would happen if we had a couple of thousand people in our churches spread out all across Illinois who took this thing seriously—the Great Commission—and really began to share their faith with friends and neighbors and co-workers and family members? What a difference that could make evangelistically, and in baptisms in our churches,” Pajak said.

Rhodus, whose church has grown from 90 people to more than 600 in his 17-year tenure, said the authenticity he thinks is so crucial to reaching people with the gospel starts at the top. Like the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

A church follows its pastor’s example, Rhodus said, and churches that see lives transformed by the gospel are led by pastors who radiate that.

Before he planted Ignite Church in Breese, Levi Hart reconnected with a high school friend whom he started discipling. The man is now the discipleship director for Ignite.

“He is all about discipleship,” Hart said. “He wants to see people not just get saved, but discipled and grown up (in their faith).”

That example brings him great joy, Hart said, because the mission of making disciples is a Christian’s ultimate purpose, and therefore the thing that brings the most fulfillment. When pastors and leaders communicate that to their congregations, the excitement is contagious.

“I really think it comes down to this very simple, basic thing,” Hart said. “Each one of us living our life on mission, and that being not just taught, but lived out.”

That presents a different challenge than 25 years ago, when, Hart said, more people were willing to check out a church based on its worship service.

It’s not that people aren’t willing to talk about spiritual things, according to the LifeWay study. Of those surveyed, a large majority (79%) said they don’t mind if their friends talk about their faith. But they may prefer to see it lived out at a community-minded event or project, rather than in a worship service.

When they are invited to church, a personal touch works best for most people. Half of unchurched Americans say a personal invitation from a friend or family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. Other methods, such as a church member knocking on the door (21%), a TV commercial (23%), postcard (23%) or Facebook ad (18%), are less effective.

Extremely likely to attend

Likely to attend

Unikely to attend

Extremely unikely to attend

– LifeWay Research, July 2016

Church Revitalization Conference March 31

March 11

Lake Sallateeska Featured speaker

Hands-on mission projects and worship experience for kids at more than a dozen sites around the state Cost is $15 per person, includes T-shirt, lunch, and some ministry supplies

Mark Clifton NAMB

April 1

Streator Baptist Camp A free one-day seminar especially for pastors and church leaders who want to bring new life to their churches For more information e-mail SylvanKnobloch@IBSA.org or call (217) 391-3113.

IBSA.org/Church_Health

IBSA.org

February 27, 2017

11

MISSION With over 269 million lost people, North America and its major cities are among the most spiritually dark places in the world. The North American Mission Board’s Annie Armstrong Easter Offering changes lives forever by empowering missionaries to bring the gospel to the lost.

Go to anniearmstrong.com for more resources for this year’s Offering and Week of Prayer, including:

New church, new purpose Canadian pastor rediscovers joy leading church plant

BY JIM BURTON

Videos about people who have met Christ through the ministry of missionaries and churches like Resonate Church in Ellensburg, Washington.

Mission study materials for adults, teens, and children, and missions-focused sermon helps.

Editor’s note: The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and Week of Prayer supports missionaries serving through the North American Mission Board, including Garth and Patty Leno in Canada. This year’s Week of Prayer is March 5-12.

Windsor, Ontario | John D’Antonio’s family knew that his four-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, would soon be over. Many of his Italian-Canadian family and friends had gathered in his Windsor hospital room to say goodbye to the 30-year-old father and husband.

Just before John’s diagnosis four years earlier, his family had moved next door to Garth and Patty Leno (pictured above with their daughter, Jamie). Leno was the pastor of one of Windsor’s largest churches, and John’s mother, Italian immigrant Elena, was a faithful member. On this most difficult of days, the family called Leno.

Leno arrived at the Windsor hospital around 11 p.m. and entered a packed hospital room. The family had requested a reduction in morphine so that John could communicate with them. John’s wife, Mary Anne, gave permission for Leno to be alone with her husband.

“Could I just have the room with John for a few minutes, please,” Leno had asked.

John couldn’t talk and he was having

The stories of missionaries

like Dan and Amanda Coleman (above), who, as New Englanders themselves, planted Kennebec Community Church in Maine to reach people in one of the country’s least-religious regions.

Annie Armstrong Offering posters and planning guide.

Bulletin inserts about each Week of Prayer missionary, prayer guides in six languages, and a downloadable prayer reminder bookmark.

trouble breathing.

“John, if you can hear me just squeeze my fingers,” Leno said, then felt pressure from John’s weakened hands.

“John, I’m not going to waste any time because there is no time to waste. I just want to talk to you about heaven.”

Leno then explained the gospel, God’s grace toward us, the plan of salvation, and that it’s available to any man or woman at any stage of life.

“Do you believe this?”

John squeezed Leno’s hand.

“Can I pray with you and for you to trust in Christ alone for your salvation?”

John again squeezed Leno’s hand.

When Leno said “Amen,” the room was full again. One by one, family and friends had slipped quietly back into the room, standing behind him. They heard John’s declaration of faith through the prayer.

When he was serving as the senior pastor of a large church in the city, Leno could have dispatched any one of his 20 staff members to the hospital that night. Now, as the pastor of a Canadian National Baptist Convention church plant called The Gathering, he has only two additional staff.

“One of the most delightful things that has happened to me is that I’ve rediscovered what shepherding is all about,” Leno said of The Gathering. “When you are planting Continued on page 12

– AnnieArmstrong.com

12 IBSA.org

Illinois Baptist

‘GATHERING’ PLACE – Pastor Garth Leno (right) baptizes a new believer at a church plant in Windsor, Ontario.

Continued from page 11 a church and making disciples, you get to see lifechange happen up close. I wouldn’t change that for anything. Church planting has helped me rediscover what it means to be a shepherd and really take care of the flock.”

‘How can we help?’

Garth and his wife, Patty, spent more than 30 years serving churches in a denomination that began to alter important doctrinal positions and has seen no net gains in Canadian churches in many years. Then, during a three-month sabbatical, struggles within the church erupted that eventually led to Leno’s departure.

He could have turned in any number of directions. The child of an alcoholic mother and a “weekend drunk” father, he grew up feeling rejected and lonely. Despite his genetic predisposition for alcoholism, he joined other teenagers as a high school student and began getting drunk on weekends.

“The shadows grew very long and I lost my way,” Leno said.

After high school, he met a girl from a Christian home. As he spent time with the family, he saw parents who were “rock-solid believers in Jesus,” and he knew they had something he wanted. After 13 months, the girl’s mother explained the plan of salvation.

“That afternoon I trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior,” Leno said of his 1976 decision.

More than 35 years later, he found himself in yet another lonely place. He never expected that church planting would be so difficult and isolating.

With his wife, Garth started a Saturday night Bible study mostly with people who were “disillusioned with church.” What started in their home in September 2013 soon moved to a local golf clubhouse, and before long they had outgrown the place.

“Maybe we should start a church,” Leno joked one evening. He did not expect the overwhelming response. Everyone agreed they should. Someone said, “Whenever you are ready, we are ready.”

When their close friends made that offer, Patty began sobbing as wounds from their last church were still fresh. “Seriously—planting a church was the last thing we wanted to do,” Garth said. “But it was obviously the first thing that God had in mind for us.”

Leno had no job leads—secular or ministerial—when he met Wayne Parker, pastor of Merriman Road Baptist Church in Garden City, Michigan, just across the Detroit River from Windsor, the southernmost city in Canada. Parker is the North American Mission Board (NAMB) Send Detroit City Missionary. Parker knew about Leno’s Bible study, and had one question, “How can we help you?”

Leno wasn’t sure what help Parker could offer, but he was quite sure he didn’t want to associate with another denomination. Yet Leno also connected with Andrew Lamme, the Canadian National Baptist Convention’s lead church planting catalyst for Southern Ontario. Multiple telephone calls of encouragement to the Lenos soon followed, along with e-mails, and offers of help, something they rarely received in more than 30 years with the other denomination. He also began to receive valuable resources, training, and mentoring through NAMB’s Send North America initiative and other Southern Baptist church planters.

With counsel from Parker, Lamme and others, and through an affiliation with Canadian convention, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) funds soon helped Leno and his following of “disengaged and disenfranchised” people secure and renovate a warehouse for The Gathering. The Gathering is also part of Send Detroit, NAMB’s church planting strategy for the metro area surrounding the city.

Soaking it all in Leno now knows that The Gathering was an atypical church plant as the core group had already gathered. Though he has a lifetime of pastoral experience, he’s now an enthusiastic student of church planting, even working toward a master’s degree in church planting at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. “I’m learning as much as I can about church planting,” Leno said. “I’m like a sponge.”

He’s learning about creating an invitational culture, sparking evangelism, transformational discipleship, hosting summer camps, and mobilizing mission teams to help The Gathering conduct the camps.

“We’re talking about intentionally engaging this city with the gospel,” Leno said.

God is doing something so special among his weekly 220 attendees that one senior pastor from a large sending church in Tennessee said, “I’d like to take some of The Gathering back home.”

Starting a Baptist church may have been foreign to Leno several years ago, but his church is on board now, particularly with missions giving. In its first year, The Gathering collected $9,350 for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions. The second year resulted in more than $13,000 given to North American missions through the offering.

The Gathering is now assisting other church plants and plans to sponsor one soon in a nearby town. The shepherd loves his flock and wants his church to be a church planting church.

Meanwhile, he enjoys the changes God has allowed him to experience through church planting.

“I have become much more kingdom-focused,” Leno said. “I’ve become much more gospel centered. Discipleship is key. Prayer has become more valuable to me. It’s a more important tool in the toolkit than it has ever been before.”

– Story and photos from the North American Mission Board

IBSA.org

February 27, 2017

table talk

5 centuries later, 5 beliefs still matter At our church we have a questionnaire that anyone who desires to be an elder has to fill out. One of the questions is, “What are the five solas of the Reformation and would you be willing to be burned alive at the stake for holding these?” We strongly believe these rallying cries of the Reformation are still just as needed today as they were 500 years ago.

Before returning to Germany and facing his eventual martyrdom at the hands of the Nazis, theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived for a time in the United States. His assessment of the religious scene here was “Protestantism without Reformation.” This critique still largely holds true. We may not be Roman Catholic, but might some of the same problems that precipitated the Reformation in 16th century Europe be present in 21st century evangelicalism? I am afraid so.

The five solas provide a helpful grid for assessing the American church’s current spiritual climate and guide us in how to pray and work for revival.

Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) I think there are many churches who say on paper that they believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient Word of God. But in practice, you cannot tell. Scripture does not saturate their worship services.

The sermon is cut short and full of stories and tips instead of exposition and proclamation of the whole counsel of God. The Word is not trusted to grow the church, but rather we look to and lean on techniques and tricks. Science is respected over Scripture, psychology prized over theology, experience trusted over exegesis. And many church-goers today are as biblically illiterate as they were in the Middle Ages.

Sola Fide (faith alone) If we gave Southern Baptist church-goers a test with this true or false question—“People get into heaven by doing good”—I imagine a majority would know enough to say FALSE. But that doesn’t mean they could pass an essay question on what justification by faith entails.

We may have simply lowered the bar or tried to lighten the law, but we still are preaching a form of works-righteousness when we major on what people need to do…to end sex-trafficking, get out of debt, have healthy families…

‘Alone’ is a good word—in tandem with belief. instead of what Christ has done to free us from sin, forgive us our debts, and adopt us into his family. The truth is that you actually have to be perfect to get into heaven, and thus our only hope is having Jesus’ perfect record given to us as a gift, received by faith.

Sola Gratia (grace alone) We like grace—when it is seen as an assist for our slam dunk. The polls are heart-rending that show the number of Christians who think that the quote “God helps those who help themselves” comes from the Bible. Do we really believe our salvation is wholly of grace? If so, we could never allow our Christianity to be a badge of pride that makes us feel superior to or live in fear of the big, bad world.

Solus Christus (Christ alone) We may say that we believe Jesus is the only way to God, but do our actions back that up? We live in a highly pluralistic society. Do we really believe that the nice Hindu family living down the street is destined for hell apart from faith in Christ? Do we believe it enough

to lovingly and sacrificially share with them the gospel of what Christ has uniquely done?

Our lack of evangelism betrays our lack of belief in the exclusivity of Christ. Furthermore, so much of our faith talk is vague spirituality that does not really need the virgin birth, perfect life, substitutionary death, victorious resurrection, and imminent return of the historical God-man Jesus Christ. We spout meaningless Oprah-esque mumbo-jumbo and it is no wonder that our kids start to think Christianity is not that distinct from the other religions and philosophies of their friends.

Soli Deo Gloria (the glory of God alone) Ministry can so easily become about our name or brand. We like to take the credit for our successes. Plus, there is a pervasive mancenteredness in our culture which has seeped into our churches. We are not in awe of God, but obsessed with our felt needs. Therefore, we fundamentally view God as there to serve us instead of the other way around. We have not been struck by the utter weightiness of the triune God, but are pathetically shallow and flit easily from this fad to that fad.

In our consumeristic context where everyone is bombarded with endless options all the time, the solas can at first seem like a straightjacket. But they truly represent our only hope. We are in desperate need of a fresh vision of God’s glory, in the face of Jesus Christ, as a result of his grace, perceived by faith, in the pages of the Bible.

Nathan Carter is pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Chicago.

Luther: action hero His story has all the markings of a summer blockbuster: thunder, lightning, daring escapes, an imprisonment (of sorts) in a German castle. But Martin Luther, born in 1483, was supposed to have been a lawyer and lived a much quieter, less adventurous life.

As a young teen, Luther was sent to school to study the law. His life changed dramatically in 1505 as he was traveling through a thunderstorm and a bolt of lightning struck too close for comfort. In desperation, Luther promised to become a monk.

He was ordained as a priest in 1507, but after 10 years of monastic life and increasing disillusionment with church practices, he sent a letter to leaders protesting the sale of indulgences, or pardons for sin. He included in the letter 95 Theses on faith, grace, sin, redemption, and religious authority. Those concepts, which sparked the Protestant Reformation, will celebrate their 500th anniversary this October 31, the date of Luther’s letter to church leaders.

This 3” tall toy from Playmobil is a big seller in Germany this year.

Of the Scripture passages believed to have inspired Luther’s transformation, it is Romans 1:17 that theologian R.C. Sproul said “turned the lights on for Luther” because it details a righteousness given by God to those who would receive it by faith, rather than to those who could earn it.

In 1523, his life took another unexpected turn when a group of nuns asked for his help to escape their convent. He did so, sneaking them out in fish barrels.

One of the sisters, Katherine Von Bora, eventually became Luther’s wife and the mother of his six children. (Von Bora must have been an unlikely partner for Luther; he once said that upon hearing of his choice, his close friends said, “For heaven’s sake, not this one.”)

Luther’s battles with established religion continued throughout his life, leading to his excommunication from the Catholic church after he refused to recant the Reformation’s ideals. Labeled a heretic and an outlaw, he was put in protective custody at Wartburg Castle.

There, he translated the New Testament into German.

In the end, Luther left a legacy even larger than the life he led.

– Meredith Flynn, with info from Christianity Today, Ligonier Ministries, and Britannica.com

13

14 IBSA.org

Illinois Baptist

Encouragement is aim of Korean pastors’ group

meet the team Meet: Scott Foshie

Family: I have been married to Audra for 15 years. Our children are Lydia, 10; Levi, 8; and Liz, 5.

Illinois history: We have been blessed to serve at Steeleville Baptist for two years.

Before that, I was an associate pastor in Tennessee for 15 years.

Favorite thing about church as a kid: My parents wanted to make sure we had a church experience that showed us God’s love and led us to Jesus. My siblings and I enjoyed Sunday school, and we were active in children’s and youth choirs, along with other fun ways to serve the Lord.

LUNCH BUNCH – The Illinois Southern Baptist Korean Pastors’ Fellowship meets every month to spur one another on to greater effectiveness in ministry, and to share a meal.

Wheaton | Fellowship, encouragement, and a meal together.

That’s what on the agenda at monthly meetings of Illinois’ Korean Southern Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship.

“While most of the member churches are located in Chicagoland, the fellowship exists to encourage the 20-plus Korean Southern Baptist churches and their leaders throughout Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin for greater kingdom impact and effectiveness,” said John Yi, a

Favorite thing about church now: It is amazing to enjoy loving God, listening for his invitation to join him in his work, and obeying him. When we do, lives are always changed, especially mine.

Memorable IBSA moment: I’ve really enjoyed serving on the IBSA VBS travel team that trains and encourages VBS leaders around the state. Jack Lucas does an outstanding job leading that team, and it has been exciting to see and know all the great church leaders that God has placed around this state.

Favorite sports teams: St. Louis Cardinals and Tennessee Volunteers

Favorite Scriptures: John 15:5 and Acts 2:21b

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

With the Lord

Dennis Penrod died February 7 at the age of 56. The son of longtime Illinois director of missions and pastor Delbert Penrod and his wife, Barbara, Dennis was a member and deacon at Payson Southern Baptist Church and moderator for the Bay Creek Association.

Along with his parents, he is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kim; two sons, Kevin and Kyle; two grandchildren; brother, Douglas; sister, Leanna; and several nieces and nephews.

Zone Consultant, Zone 9 He also serves as pastor of Steeleville Baptist Church.

Illinois highlights: Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield and Giant City State Park

people

pastor and IBSA church planting catalyst in Chicagoland.

Their February meeting (pictured above) was hosted by The Lord’s Church in Naperville, followed by lunch at a Chinese restaurant in nearby Wheaton.

Andrew Kim, pastor of Korean Baptist Church in Schaumburg, is the fellowship’s current president. For more information about the group, contact Kim at andi1129@yahoo.com or (847) 310-0160.

Needed: Scholarship application evaluators

The Baptist Foundation of Illinois is in need of volunteers to read and evaluate scholarship applications for the 2017-18 school year. The group will meet at Chatham Baptist Church on Saturday, March 4, 8 a.m to 3 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are provided.

For readers coming from farther than two hours away, BFI will provide hotel lodging on Friday, March 3. For more information, contact Rob Gallion, Scholarship Committee chairman, at pastorrobfbcpetersburg@gmail.com, (217) 632-2488, or (217) 801-8350.

Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services seeks a couple without children to serve as relief houseparents in Carmi. The couple will work four days per week between two boys’ cottages, providing relief for primary houseparent couples. An apartment is available for days off.

Full-time job with benefits. Contact melinda.bratcher@bchfs.com, and go to bchfs.com for information about the agency.

Church of the Cross in Mahomet is seeking a bivocational discipleship coordinator to support and facilitate a culture of disciple-making. E-mail pastor@churchofthecrossmahomet. org or call (217) 586-6764 for more information. Resumés must be submitted by March 24.

Raymond Belcher died February 1 at the age of 90. He served as pastor of IBSA churches in Wayne City and Lebanon, as well as New Haven Baptist in Evansville, Ind. Belcher, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, also worked as a school teacher and courtroom clerk.

He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Margaret; two sons, David and Don; one sister; and one aunt.

Walter Welch died January 30 at the age of 96, after a brief battle with cancer. Welch, who was associate pastor of Eastview Baptist Church in Springfield, was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a retired mechanic who also served several churches in central Illinois.

He married Zoah Kincaid in 1951 and she preceded him in death on March 1, 2003. He married Janet Cain in 2006 and she survives.

Welch also is survived by his son, John; step-daughter, Sherri; three granddaughters; nine great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; and one great-great-great grandson.

Strasburg Baptist Church is seeking a part-time or bivocational pastor with at least two years of ministry experience. Contact Carol Menter at (217) 875-7450 or menterc46@ yahoo.com.

IBSA.org

February 27, 2017

EVENTS March 2-3

Pastor and Chaplain Training Conference What: Training in crisis management and communication for pastors and endorsed chaplains Where: IBSA Building, Springfield; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thurs., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri. Cost: $40 per person Info: IBSA.org/dr Register: DebbieMuller@IBSA.org, (217) 391-3126

VBS Clinics March 4: South—FBC Marion March 18: Mid-South—Pleasant Hill, Mt. Vernon April 1: North—Broadview Missionary What: Training for this summer’s “Galactic Starveyors” curriculum; 8 a.m. to noon Register: IBSA.org/kids

March 5-12

Disaster Relief Training What: Classes in food prep, mudout, childcare, chaplaincy, and more Where: March 31-April 1: Pasfield Southern, Springfield; April 21-22: Streator Baptist Camp Cost: $40 new volunteers, $10 badge renewals, $10 yearly training, $10 overnight stay Info: IBSA.org/dr

March 31, April 1

Revitalizing the Church What: A one-day seminar for pastors and leaders who want to bring new life to their churches Where: March 31: Lake Sallateeska; April 1: Streator Baptist Camp Contact: SylvanKnobloch@IBSA.org

April 3-4

Resilient Call Retreat What: Training for pastors on building solid relationships Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp Contact: SylvanKnobloch@IBSA.org

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Info: anniearmstrong.com

April 9

March 11

Cooperative Program Sunday

What: Hands-on mission projects for kids at multiple sites around the state Cost: $15 per person Register: IBSA.org/kids

Info: cpmissions.net Contact: LisaSergent@IBSA.org

Children’s Ministry Day

dave says

March 31-April 1, April 21-22

Consider this house?

Q

My husband and I have been debt-free, except for our mortgage, for a few years now. Recently, we’ve been thinking about moving back to our home state to be closer to family. We’ve found a home we’re interested in, but it has a large utility tower on the property not far from the house. Should we still consider this home?

A

The downsides are simple.

One, you’ve got to look at the stupid thing every time you’re sitting on your patio. Two, when you get ready to sell it, everyone who looks at the house is going to have the same concerns you have. It’s not going to appreciate in value, and you’re going to have trouble selling it when the time comes.

If you’re willing to put up with those two things, you might get a steal of a deal on this place because no one else may want this house. And when I say a steal, I’m talking around 40% off the appraisal. To me personally, it

DAVE RAMSEY

would be enough of an eyesore that I probably wouldn’t buy.

Again, that’s just a personal opinion.

Keep in mind that if you go through with this, when you get ready to sell it you’re going to lose out on any money you gained in the buy. Someone is going to do the same thing to you. I’m not completely killing the deal, but I definitely wouldn’t buy it to live in. As a rental? Maybe, if I were going to keep it forever. Because people will always rent. But honestly, I wouldn’t want to put up with the hassle in either scenario.

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

Forum

Teaching on “discovering your God-given influence” by pastor’s wife Diane Nix

For information and registration visit

IBSA.org/Women

Climate Change & the Christian What’s True, What’s False, What’s Our Responsibility?

E. Calvin Beisner, Ph.D. Founder & National Spokesman, The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation www.cornwallalliance.org

April 26th  Arlington Heights April 27th  Orland Park April 28th  Peoria

IBSA Annual Women’s Conference Tabernacle Baptist Church, Decatur

April 28-29, 2017 Cost is $25 per person (IBSA-affiliated churches)

IBSA.org/Women

What others say about Dr. Beisner “… an excellent speaker who … held my 200-person Bible class spellbound for an hour!”

— Dr. Wayne Grudem, Scottsdale Bible Church “I’ve known two people in my life whose knowledge I would describe as encyclopedic.

You’re one of them!”

— Dr. R. Fowler White, Dean of Faculty, Knox Theological Seminary “The people loved his lectures, with many … wishing that he could have spoken more.”

— Rev. Phil Kayser, Providential History Festival, Omaha, NE

Contact Us: 708-781-9328 | www.illinoisfamily.org

15

16 IBSA.org

Illinois Baptist

ilead The key to successful outreach

Church needed here...

Location: Tuscola

Focus: New families on the north side of this central Illinois community Characteristics: Douglas County, where Tuscola is located, currently has no Southern Baptist congregation. But the community is growing as a result of people moving in from nearby Champaign.

Prayer needs: Pray that those who have shown spiritual interest would become followers of Christ and would be catalysts in reaching their families. Pray also for a church planter to sense a calling to Tuscola.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

inspirations

devotional

pinterest.com/illinoisBaptist

Get your kicks ZOOM-ZOOM: Car shows are all the rage in Illinois. Red Hill Church in Edwardsville participated in a big auto show in their community last summer.

A tent raised amid old Chevys is a great place to offer bottled water, car talk, and an invitation to church.

Association e

US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 325 Peoria, IL PRSRT STD.

Consider the contrasts in the course of Joseph’s life:

FREE: Look for 20 summertime outreach ideas in the next issue of Resource, a magazine for IBSA church leaders.

Resource The Summer issue will arrive in church mailboxes soon. To order individual Gospel subscriptions, free to IBSA Seeds Growing an evangelistic church church members, contact A heart Communications@IBSA.org.

3 flavors Read the online version at http://resource.IBSA.org.

Equipping church leaders | Summer 2017

Camps

At Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp

June 18-22 Grades 3-6 June 26-30 Grades 3-6

At Streator Baptist Camp

June 12-16 Grades 3-6 July 10-14 July 17-21

Grades 3-12 Grades 3-12

For more information see page 24.

To register go to

www.IBSA.org/Kids.

for lost people Q&A with Pat Pajak

of evangelism

by Doug Munton

Summer Worship University July 10-14, Hannibal LaGrange See page 25

iConnect August 31, IBSA, Springfield See page 27

20 Summer outreach ideas • 13

Camps galore and more training • 23

Meet the IBSA team • 29

Illinois Baptist State Association | Events & Services | May through August

illinois religious landscape

Who believes the Bible?

26% 31% 34% 9%

Triumph through tribulation

of adults in Illinois say the Bible is the Word of God and should be taken literally say it’s the Word of God, but not everything should be taken literally say it’s not the Word of God say it’s “other” or they “don’t know” – Pew Research

favored son coat of many colors dreamer freedom servitude sexual temptation false accusation more dreams forgotten royal summons prison reunion incessant adversity man’s evil hopeless situations

jealous brothers envious privilege murderous thoughts enslavement diligent service godly purity merciful imprisonment rising hope patient suffering God’s truth prominence reconciliation faithful perseverance God’s goodness God’s abiding presence

The life of Joseph is one of ups and downs much like our own. Unforeseen circumstances, unfair treatment, and dashed hopes occur.

They cause us to ask, “Why?” They compel us to seek God. They tempt us to despair and spiral downward. How can we endure? Will we prevail? When will the trials cease?

Joseph teaches us to look beyond our circumstances to the one in charge of all things. We see him trusting God in the midst of adversity through his faithful and diligent service. We learn from him how to honor God by fleeing temptation no matter how enticing.

Joseph affirms the truth for us that God never abandons his people. God is always at work in our lives to accomplish his plans.

“The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man….But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him…[B]ecause the LORD was with him, and the LORD made everything that he did successful” (Genesis 39:2, 21, 23).

PRAYER PROMPT: Father God, give us your confidence when we feel abandoned and hopeless. Help us look beyond the moment to your glorious future. Amen.

Kevin Carrothers serves as pastor of Rochester FBC and president of IBSA.

If you’ve ever a big event, you know how it feels when it’s over. All the work and energy and trial and error that went into planning and executing the project can be exhausting, and when it’s finally over, all that energy seems to fly out the window too.

But for church leaders, the end of an outreach event is only the beginning.

This is heavy on my heart as we enter Vacation Bible School season, and I’m LUCAS reminded how crucial a church’s follow-up process is to their overall VBS strategy. That’s why I advise churches to recruit a follow-up director. His or her only job is to connect people from VBS or any other outreach with other people and opportunities at the church.

Encourage the director to have their follow-up strategy before the first person ever walks in the door, including: Effective registration. The followup director will likely work with other VBS leaders to accomplish this. The truth is, you can’t follow up with someone you can’t find. Make sure you have the full name and contact information for every person who attends your VBS. It’s important to know these things not only for follow-up, but in case you need to get in touch during VBS with someone related to the child.

Follow-up teams. Ask the director to recruit pairs or small groups of people who can make personal visits to families. The church I previously served sent our deacons two-by-two to follow up after VBS. We found inperson visits to be most effective, but some of our teams felt more comfortable making a call first to set up a time to visit.

Connection points. When our follow-up teams made their visits, they made it a point to take something that would forge a connection with the family. For example, one year the children decorated frames during VBS and we attached a calendar of church events for the deacons to deliver.

Above all, remember that a follow-up strategy doesn’t have to be complicated; it just needs to allow you to make significant contacts with people who otherwise may only encounter your church through one event. The goal of any VBS or outreach effort should be to connect unchurched people with the church for the purpose of expanding God’s kingdom. We can’t do that if we don’t follow up.

Jack Lucas is IBSA’s director of next generation ministry.