Jones leads Communications

Illinois native Ben Jones was promoted to Team Leader for IBSA Communications in December. He has served two years as Leadership Development Director, and before that was an IBSA Zone Consultant.

Jones is a native of West Frankfort. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Liberty University, and both Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to IBSA, Jones taught Theology and Greek Grammar at Liberty. He pastored Summersville Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, and served as Pastor of Discipleship and Education at Ten Mile Baptist Church in McLeansboro.

“Serving Illinois Baptists as part of the IBSA team has been a joy,” Jones said. “I am excited to take on the challenge of this new role where I get to work with an amazing team to tell the stories of Christ at work in his churches!” Jones and his wife, Emily, have two sons, Will and Luke. They are members of Western Oaks Baptist Church in Springfield.

Pitman heads Send Network

Las Vegas pastor Vance Pitman will lead the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) church planting efforts as the new president of Send Network. “I’ve been part of Send Network since its inception, but I’ve been part of it on the field as a church planter, a pastor, and a Sending Church. Now I get to be part of it from a different vantage point,” Pitman said.

Pitman founded Hope Church in 2000. Under his leadership, Hope has played a part in planting more than 70 new churches and sent out more than 300 members to help.

“I want to take what the Lord has allowed us to be able to do at Hope Church and help be part of raising up the next generation church planters and pastors across North America,” Pitman said.

Pitman will begin March 1. He succeeds Dhati Lewis who left to start BLVD, a church planting project focusing on young leaders in the urban context.

– excerpted from Baptist Press

Compassion nets salvations

In the first nine months of 2021, the state generated $78,292,379 in taxes from sports betting alone. Gambling is big business in Illinois, and it’s about to get bigger. But not everyone is pleased with the expansion.

Illinois pastor and long-time gambling opponent Tom Rains said he “understands where the state and cities are coming from” by enacting new forms of gambling to fund their budgets. But “it’s not the right way to do it. Adding another piece of legislation allowing additional gambling will not help residents of Illinois, it will hurt them.”

When Rains and his family moved to the Quincy area 25 years ago, he likened it to Bedford Falls in the film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “Since gaming has come in, we see it evolving into Pottersville,” Rains said. “It’s not only my sentiment, but when I talk to other pastors, they see it too.”

HB 3136 will allow in-person-only bets on the final score of Illinois college games. Bets cannot be based on an individual athlete’s performance. The bill is provisional, meaning it takes effect immediately and runs through July 1, 2023.

Rains said he doesn’t have an answer to the gambling problems in the state, but “I know nothing that’s positive on the subject and I view what it does on a regular basis.”

Former Illinois pastor and now Send Relief national project director Sammy Simmons posted a joyous message on Facebook as the New Year began:

“37,000 new lives in Christ! Send Relief saw 37,000+ people put their faith in Christ in 2021 as a result of compassion projects. Compassion ministry opens doors to the gospel & expands the kingdom. Amen!”

Send Relief is the compassion ministries arm of the North American Mission Board. It includes Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, which coordinates state conventions’ response to natural disasters. Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief is a partner.