June 17, 2019 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

What I learned in prison

Baptists say, No more!

New policies for combating abuse, aiding survivors, and policing churches approved Women’s voices are heard, leadership roles considered State well represented in WMU celebrations

Denomination takes action on sexual abuse

Losing ground in Illinois

BY MEREDITH FLYNN

Springfield | Illinois lawmakers closed their Spring 2019 session with a series of decisions that dismayed conservative voters across the state. Several measures passed by the General Assembly were lauded as progressive by their proponents, while signaling precipitous moral decline to Christians.

As other states in the South and Midwest ap proved bans on abortion, Gov. J.B. Pritzker celebrated passage of the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) by calling Illinois “the most progressive state in the nation for reproductive healthcare.” Meanwhile, pro-life advocates

Illinois couple among 26 new international missionaries

grieved what they say is among the country’s most extreme abortion legislation.

RHA repeals several long-standing restrictions on abortion and declares the choice to have an abortion a “fundamental right.” In addition to that measure, lawmakers voted to legalize recreational marijuana and sports betting in Illinois.

Pritzker had campaigned on several issues of concern to conservative Christians, and Democratic majorities in both houses indicated the governor could make good on his promises sooner rather than later. But the

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 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.

Church needed here...

Location: Roselle

Focus: Residents of this suburban community

Characteristics: Nestled in DuPage and Cook counties, the village of Roselle has nearly 23,000 residents. Three miles east is the unincorporated community of Medinah, home to a world-famous golf course.

Prayer needs: Pray that God will call a church planter to the area, and that a healthy multiplying church will be planted.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 6/07/19

$2,618,596

Budget Goal: $2,623,077

Received to date in 2018: $2,508,491

2019 Goal: $6.3 Million

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

Seeker generation

“For at least some young adults, there appears to be deeper interest in spirituality in general, and in Christianity specifically.”

– Barna Research

Millennial non-Christians All older non-Christians

I have had one or more conversations about my faith perspectives or beliefs with a practicing Christian in the past year.

A Christian has tried to share his or her faith with me one or more times in the past year.

I am interested in learning more about Christianity and what it could mean for my life.

NATE ADAMS

Three Illinois girls

This month it is my privilege to officiate the wedding ceremony of our youngest son, Ethan, and his fiancée, Alyssa. They will be married in Elgin, where they first met as Judson University students six years ago, and where my wife, Beth, and I also met more than forty years ago.

Our middle son, Noah, is also married to an Alyssa, and so we will gladly navigate that potential confusion at family get togethers. They met in high school, however, here in Springfield, not long after I came to serve at IBSA.

And our oldest son, Caleb, literally met his wife, Laura, at IBSA. They were in high school at the time, though it wasn’t until a few years later that they reconnected for good. Both Laura’s mom, Melissa, and I worked at IBSA. One summer we dragged our two reluctant college students to the IBSA family picnic. They started writing letters, and now they’ve been married six years.

Especially as parents who mainly know boys, Beth and I are so grateful for these three young ladies who have become our daughters. All are devoted Christ-followers who love the Lord and are active with our sons in local Baptist churches. Each one is delightful, gifted, and unique. And we are especially blessed with the genuine friendship these six young adults have with one another—and with us.

And so, I want to say thank you. Thank you first to the Lord, of course, who sovereignly brought these three couples together in his perfect timing. But thank you also to the IBSA Board and the larger Illinois Baptist family, who more than thirteen years ago called me to bring a wife, three teenage sons, and a slightly quirky dog to serve the churches of Illinois. As I occasionally remind each of our sons, we have prayed for their future wives since before they were born. As it turns out, all of them were here in Illinois.

As we discussed wedding preparations, each of our sons and their fiancées asked me to make sure that their marriage ceremonies contained clear gospel presentations. They asked me to underscore that Christ is the center of their relationships, and that by his grace he will be the lifelong foundation of their marriages. What a privilege it is to prepare a marriage ceremony with that charge.

There were a number of challenging topics that I considered writing about this month. The Southern Baptist Convention will convene in Birmingham and face several difficult issues, including recent accusations of sex abuse in churches and even by missionaries. Leaders will seek the best paths forward for effectively helping prevent the travesty of sex abuse in churches.

Also, at the end of their May session, the Illinois legislature approved the “Reproductive Health Act” that legalizes abortion through nine months of pregnancy, requires all insurance to cover abortions, and allows nurse practitioners to perform abortions. This appalling legislation is a major setback to the pro-life movement in Illinois. The action stands in stark contrast to recent legislation in states including Missouri, Georgia, and Alabama that have sought to limit or end abortion.

So it’s a tough month for Southern Baptists in Illinois. But right in the middle of that, I get to celebrate this wedding, this testimony to the gospel message and to Christ and his church. I get to welcome this wonderful young lady into our family, and watch our son be welcomed into hers. And I get to remember that God called me here to this often tough Midwest mission field, and that his grace and provision are still evident, in at least three Illinois girls.

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

As our youngest son marries, I’m finding grace in unlikely places.

Nashville, Tenn. | Southern Baptist churches reported fewer members, worship attenders, and baptisms in 2018, according to the latest Annual Church Profile (ACP) report compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions.

Church membership declined by 192,404, down 1.28% to 14.8 million members, while average weekly worship attendance declined by 0.43% to 5.3 million worshipers. Southern Baptist congregations baptized 246,442 people in 2018, a 3% decline from the 254,122 reported in 2017. (The decrease in baptisms follows a 9.49% decline the previous year.)

Several state conventions experienced growth in baptism numbers, including Illinois, where churches celebrated 3,676 baptisms in 2018, an increase of 6.8% over the previous year.

“While this report contains news that concerns us greatly, we need to celebrate every life who was positively impacted by the gospel,” said Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.

“As we look forward,” he said, “it is time to press reset spiritually and strategically in the Southern Baptist Convention. Prioritizing and elevating the advancement of the good news of Jesus Christ into every town, city, and county in America, as well as to every person across the world, must be recaptured by every church.”

Christianity Today (CT) noted membership in Southern Baptist churches fell to its lowest point since 1987. And new data from the General Social Survey found just over half of people who were Southern Baptists at 16 still are as adults, Ryan Burge wrote for CT online.

“For much of the ’80s and ’90s, Southern Baptist kids were pretty likely to grow up to become Southern Baptist adults: Seven in ten maintained their SBC identity into adulthood in surveys conducted between 1984 and 1994,” Burge wrote.

“That has declined precipitously. In the most recent surveys conducted between 2015 and 2018, just over half of those raised Southern Baptist were still with the SBC. In other words, nearly half of Southern Baptists kids leave and never come back.”

Gains in giving

Southern Baptist congregations saw an increase of more than $82 million in overall giving in 2018. Congregations reported total mission expenditures of $1.17 billion and Great Commission Giving of $572 million.

Great Commission Giving measures all undesignated and designated gifts to Southern Baptist causes. Giving through the Cooperative Program, the SBC’s main channel to support missions and ministry, is not included in the ACP statistical summary. Those totals are available through Baptist state conventions and the SBC Executive Committee, which processes the mission gifts.

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, noted that while the ACP offers a snapshot of the Southern Baptist Convention, it does not tell the whole story.

Just over three-quarters (76%) of Southern Baptist churches participated in the 2018 ACP by reporting at least one item on the profile, while almost a quarter of churches did not report any information. In Illinois, 97% of IBSA churches completed an ACP in 2018.

– From Baptist Press, with additional reporting by Christianity Today

Walker joins Southern faculty

Illinois native Andrew Walker has been named as assistant professor of Christian ethics and apologetics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Walker, who grew up in Jacksonville, will also continue in his current role as director of research and senior fellow in Christian ethics at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

“The great challenge in coming years,” said Southern President R. Albert Mohler Jr., “is to prepare a generation of young Christians for the challenges they will face in the future….Andrew Walker brings a comprehensive theological and biblical vision and an energetic commitment to apologetics to this task.”

Walker is the co-author of the 2015 book “Marriage Is: How Marriage Transforms Society and Cultivates Human Flourishing,” and his book “God and the Transgender Debate: What Does the Bible Actually Say about Gender Identity?” won The Gospel Coalition’s Public Theology award in 2017.

Platt defends Trump prayer

After praying for President Donald Trump onstage at his church, Pastor David Platt shared his mixed feelings over the quick decision he made June 2 at McLean Bible Church. Platt took some heat online for praying publicly for Trump, and acknowledged in his letter that “some within our church, for a variety of valid reasons, are hurt that I made this decision.”

Platt said he and another pastor talked with the President backstage and “spoke the gospel in a way that I pray was clear, forthright, and compassionate.” In his prayer, Platt prayed Trump would know how much God loves him and that he sent Jesus to die for his sins, and that he would “govern and make decisions in ways that are good for justice, and good for righteousness, and good for equity, every good path.”

– Baptist Press, McLean Bible Church

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

BAPTIST STATISTICS

‘Time to press reset’

As declines continue, Floyd calls Baptists to evangelize

From the front: losing ground

Continued from page 1

amount of legislation they passed, especially in the last few days of session, seemed to surprise even lawmakers. In a post-session press release, the Pritzker administration called it “Illinois’ most sweeping and consequential legislative agenda in a generation.” Gov. Pritzker signed the bill into law June 12 in a Chicago ceremony.

Fact check:

Illinois has 40 abortion providers, 16 of those are operated by Planned Parenthood, with a higher concentration in the northern portion of the state. Missouri has 1. – Guttmacher.org

Reaction from many Christians was the opposite. As one poster summarized on IBSA’s Facebook page: “I’ve never wanted to move so badly.”

For voters with a biblical worldview, the disappointing legislative season is an opportunity to fulfill the church’s mission, said Pastor Adron Robinson. “We can no longer depend on the law to shape culture; we have to transform culture with the gospel,” said Robinson, president of IBSA and pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills.

“God has providentially placed each of us in the culture we are in to influence that culture by living out the gospel. Too many Christians are hiding their light when God has called us to let our light shine. God can use the darkness of this culture to shine the light of the gospel further than ever before.”

Opposite directions

Illinois’ expansion of abortion came amid a season of new restrictions on the practice in other states.

Lawmakers in Missouri, Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio approved bans on abortion early in pregnancy, and Alabama passed a law to allow it only to prevent a serious health risk to the mother.

As the state moves in the opposite of others around the country and in the Midwest, some pro-life advocates fear Illinois will become an “abortion oasis” for women who can’t obtain an abortion where they live. For example, an abortion provider in Granite City, Illinois said last week it will add staff and appointment slots to handle increased traffic from Missouri, where only one abortion clinic remains open.

Even before the most recent legislative action, Illinois was deemed a “middleground” state in regards to abortion by the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research organization. Guttmacher’s map, updated in January of this year, shows Illinois mostly surrounded by states labeled hostile or very hostile to abortion rights.

Most concerning to pro-lifers is that the Reproductive Health Act had many detractors outside of the General Assembly. Thousands of people showed up at the Capitol in March to protest the bill, and it stalled in committee soon afterward. But its sponsors called for renewed support and action on the bill during the final days of session.

“No words can express the disappointment and heartache pro-life Illinoisans, like myself, are feeling,” Ralph Rivera, spokesman for Illinois Right to Life Action, told the Chicago SunTimes. “The incredible grassroots efforts of Illinois citizens who worked against this bill was astounding and makes it clear that we were in the majority.”

The legislation passed this spring shows the distance between big city politics and the rest of the state, said Scott Foshie, pastor of Steeleville Baptist Church, and also should compel Christians to take the light of Jesus Christ to Chicago.

“The fact that Chicago politicians dominated the terrible decisions made last week highlights the spiritual lostness in the Chicagoland area,” Foshie said. “The Lord loves the people of Chicago, and we

Bishop bars pols from communion

Some Catholic politicians may find a chilly reception at their churches. Participation in communion in the Springfield diocese is forbidden to all Catholic legislators who voted for SB 25 expanding abortion.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield cited in particular Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton when barring errant lawmakers from receiving communion for their efforts to ensure passage of the legislation called “the most progressive in the nation” by some, and “the most extreme” by others.

Paprocki said the leaders “have obstinately persisted in promoting the abominable crime and very grave sin of abortion…. To support legislation that treats babies in the womb like property, allowing for their destruction for any reason at any time, is evil. It’s my prayer these lawmakers reconcile themselves.”

– with info from Catholic News Agency

should see this time as a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel and to lead people to know Jesus throughout that city.”

A chance to flourish

While the Reproductive Health Act took up most of the legislative air this spring, other measures made it through at the last minute. Pritzker built his proposed budget in part on revenue from marijuana legalization and gambling expansion, even before lawmakers had ironed out details in the actual bills. When legislators left Springfield, they had sent to the governor’s desk a bill that allows Illinois residents to legally possess up to 30 grams of marijuana. If signed, Illinois would be the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana. The law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. As their session went into overtime June 2, the General Assembly also opened the door to legal sports betting and casinos in Chicagoland.

Despite the disheartening session, the slate of bills passed doesn’t necessarily indicate conservatives are losing ground, said Mary Kate Knorr, executive director of Illinois Right to life. Or at least, any lost ground isn’t isolated to the current session.

“To be frank, we lost ground many years ago,” Knorr said, adding that the political tide could turn soon over the way lawmakers promoted the Reproductive Health Act. “General Assembly leadership pushed this legislation through over a holiday weekend when they thought the public wasn’t paying attention because the people of this state had already spoken on this issue. Illinois residents responded overwhelmingly in opposition to this extreme abortion legislation—and the legislature blatantly ignored them.”

Knorr predicted a “major shift in the power dynamics” in Springfield. But for those weary and wary of the current political climate, Foshie said it highlights the need for revived, revitalized churches.

“We also need to see a movement of new churches being planted all across the state,” he said. “The early church experienced similar challenges and they flourished when they trusted the Lord and shared faithfully. If we will depend on the Lord and saturate our state with the gospel, we can also see an abundant spiritual harvest in our day.”

– with additional reporting by Lisa Misner

MAID IN SPRINGFIELD – Abortion advocates dressed as “handmaids” from a dystopian TV series sat in the gallery at the Illinois State House during debate over eliminating most limits on abortion. Photos by IBSA’s Lisa Misner

ROBINSON

KNORR

A HOUSE DIVIDED – 64 Democratic representatives applauded passage of SB 25, while on the other side of the aisle, 54 who voted against abortion expansion, all Republicans, remained silent; 4 members voted “present.”

MADIGAN CULLERTON

At the 2019 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptists heard a clear call to repent of indifference toward sexual abuse and failure to care for survivors. They responded, engaging in a time of corporate lament led by President J.D. Greear, and voting to amend the SBC’s governing documents to ensure churches take appropriate, biblical action on matters related to abuse.

During the June 11-12 meeting in Birmingham, messengers also saw new roles and opportunities for women, and continued a discussion on racial reconciliation. And they celebrated the cooperative effort to take the gospel around the world, commissioning 26 new missionaries.

But mostly, the tone was somber, as messengers considered that the unthinkable has happened in our churches.

Grieved

Southern Baptists lament their failure to protect those vulnerable to abuse, and commit to care well in the future

Susan Codone’s voice barely wavered, even as she talked about unimaginable trauma. The engineering professor told her story of childhood sexual abuse to an audience in Birmingham that leaned forward to better hear her steady voice.

For the first time publicly, Codone shared she was a teenager when she was abused first by her youth minister, and then by the pastor of her church. The main point of her story, emphasized by the advocates and fellow survivors who joined her in a June 10 panel discussion, is that her personal trauma is imaginable for far too many in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Nationally, one-in-four women and one-in-six men are sexually abused before they turn 18. Almost all—90%—of child victims of abuse know the perpetrator. Those statistics are included in a 52-page report released just prior to the Southern Baptist Convention by a group charged with studying sexual abuse in SBC churches.

Weaving in stories like Codone’s, the report paints a devastating picture of the long-term effects of abuse, and its prevalence. It recognizes areas where the SBC has failed regarding sexual abuse, including a lack of training for staff and volunteers, failure to take seriously allegations of abuse, and recommending suspected abusers for new employment.

The report also acknowledges the SBC has failed by “using church autonomy improperly to avoid taking appropriate action.”

BY MEREDITH FLYNN CODONE

“Church autonomy is a precious Baptist doctrine, but it is no excuse for accountability,” Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear said in Birmingham. “We’re here today to declare that even one victim is one too many.”

In panel discussions, corporate lament, and voter action, Southern Baptists dealt with the issue of abuse in Birmingham, leaving with new resources to aid in awareness, prevention, and care for survivors.

“Our gospel is that God gave his life to create a place where people who wanted to run to him for refuge could find refuge. What greater lie could we tell about the gospel than to not be doing everything that we can to make sure our churches reflect that?” Greear asked.

“People say, ‘Well, is this a distraction from the mission?’ This is the mission.”

Convention action

A Houston Chronicle series last spring uncovered hundreds of cases of abuse perpetrated by Southern Baptist ministers and volunteers. “One of the things God is doing is shaking a sense of invulnerability,” said Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) President Russell Moore, referring to the belief that “it can’t happen in my church.”

“God is uncovering some awful things,” said Moore, whose entity sponsored the panel discussion where Codone shared her story. “But at the same time, he’s raising up amazing, encouraging things too.” Like listening to the voices of survivors, he added.

RACHAEL DENHOLLANDER Attorney, abuse survivor

“What we’re doing up here on this stage is a start, but these are words. Where the rubber is going to meet the road is what the SBC does tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that.”

Continued from page 5

The Southern Baptist Sexual Abuse Advisory Study, appointed by Greear in response to a motion made at the 2018 annual meeting, spent a year interviewing survivors, advocates, experts, and church leaders on how Southern Baptist congregations can best handle cases of abuse and exhibit care for survivors.

Their report led to the Caring Well Challenge, an 8-step process designed to equip churches to be safe for survivors and safe from abuse (see page 7). Greear is asking churches across the SBC to train and equip leaders, enhance policies and practices related to abuse, and dedicate Sunday services on May 3, 2020, to address abuse.

Churches can sign up for the Caring Well Challenge, which launches Aug. 25, at caringwell.com. A free 12-session video training resource is available on the website.

The advisory team report also led the SBC Executive Committee to recommend changes to the denomination’s governing documents.

Messengers approved an amendment to the SBC Constitution that specifies sexual abuse as grounds for discontinuing cooperation with a church. To take effect, the constitutional amendment must pass by a two-thirds majority at the 2020 SBC annual meeting in Orlando.

In Birmingham, the amendment was debated on the convention floor, with much of the conversation centering on whether the wording in the amendment is specific enough. As one messenger from Louisiana said, “I believe if we want to speak to abuse, this convention ought to speak with great clarity and not ambiguity.”

Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd explained the committee wants future Southern Baptists to be able to speak in their specific cultural moment, so the wording was crafted carefully by the committee. After several minutes of debate, messengers approved the amendment.

Messengers also voted to establish a standing committee to investigate claims of misconduct against churches related to abuse and other issues. “I was proud of how Southern Baptists handled the sexual abuse issue today,” said Paul Cooper, pastor of Marshall Missionary Baptist Church. “Anyone can and should speak against sexual abuse, but it was past time to do something about it.”

Greear and other SBC leaders were careful to note that the report and resulting action are not the final step in addressing abuse, but the first.

“The fact that we changed our Constitution and bylaws shows that as a denomination, we are standing on the truth of the Bible,” said Lindsay McDonald of First Baptist Church, Casey. “And with clarity we are communicating that through Jesus, we should be offering grace to all and a listening ear.”

Make the church a refuge

The complexities around handling abuse well were front and center in Birmingham because of a news story about a Southern Baptist church in Texas. A June 10 article in The New York Times detailed an allegation of abuse involving a former children’s minister at The Village Church. Christine Bragg, mother of the girl Matthew Tonne was arrested for molesting, says the church was more interested in protecting itself than her child.

Village Church pastor Matt Chandler joined the Baptist21 gathering of young leaders in Birmingham to address the story. “I’m not here to save face,” Chandler said during the unscheduled appearance June 11. “I’m here because I don’t want you to think we don’t need to be serious about these things.”

Without going into detail about the case, Chandler explained in general how his church handled the allegations that came to light last year, reporting immediately to authorities and asking the family to do the same. “I guarantee we’re not navigating this perfectly, but we’re doing the best we know how,” Chandler said. He urged churches to seek outside counsel on issues related to abuse.

During the panel discussion on abuse, Rachael Denhollander spoke often from the perspective of the sexual abuse survivor community, urging churches toward a better, more compassionate understanding of where they’re coming from. Denhollander, a member of Greear’s study group, was the first woman to publicly accuse gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault. She cautioned ministry leaders against the notion that survivors want to throw stones at churches.

“By and large, they love the church. They love Jesus. They love the gospel,” she said. “I have found my greatest refuge and hope in the gospel,

DANNY AKIN Southeastern Seminary

“We recognize now this is a primary component of training well ministers for our churches.”

and our desire is to see the church do this better, so that it becomes the refuge it was intended to be.”

Denhollander encouraged church leaders to utilize two strategies to facilitate a “heart shift” on dealing with abuse: First, imagine what you would say if it was another type of crime. For example, she said, if someone was robbed at your church, would you ask the victim if they had been wearing an expensive suit, if maybe they had invited the crime?

Second, she said, how would you treat this if it were a physical injury? All too often, the panelists said, we ignore the devastating effects of trauma from sexual abuse.

Abuse happens wherever there are people, said author and Bible teacher Beth Moore, also a survivor. “But what I want so much for us to reckon with honestly is our culture makes us vulnerable to it, because there is a disparity between the way we value men and women.”

Women have been sharing their stories of abuse, Moore said, but have often been met with an attitude that seeks to protect their church or their abuser. “We have a very, very serious problem because we have this built-in disesteem for women, and it’s got to change,” Moore said.

“Maybe you’re not the abuser or the abused, but you’re in a family where it’s happening rampantly….Our family is sick. How do we get well? How do we look this in the face and go ‘let’s deal with this’? And let’s deal with it together, men and women, side by side.”

Safer spaces

After he abused her, Codone’s youth minister spent “33 years of unimpeded ministry” in her home city of Birmingham, she said. In her case, the primary problem was that there was no one else to tell. There were no women in leadership in her small congregation, and the church just wasn’t equipped to handle her abuse.

Churches should have a group of people designated to care for survivors, Codone said, which is one of the recommendations included in the “Caring Well” curriculum. “Equipping a church, to me, just makes sense. It doesn’t imply that a church is not a safe place,” she said.

“To take on this particular curriculum does not imply that the church is not already doing things. What it does is equip everyone in the church to respond to trauma, and to help the survivors, who may have experienced trauma at home even, understand that the church has become a safer place to go and deal with those things.”

“Our family is sick. We need help.... And what will just kill us will be denial. We can never get healthy if we cannot be honest.”

BETH MOORE Author and Bible teacher

EN MASSE – Almost 8,200 messengers convened at the BirminghamJefferson Convention Complex June 11-12 for the first SBC annual meeting in the city since 1941.

Is your church safe?

The American church is facing an abuse crisis. Is your church doing all it can to be safe for survivors and safe from abuse?

Southern Baptists are committed to making our churches safe from abuse and a healthy environment for survivors of abuse. The Caring Well Challenge was announced at the SBC Annual Meeting in June. It is a unified call to action on the abuse crisis.

The goal is to equip churches to be safe for survivors and safe from abuse. It provides churches with an adaptable and attainable pathway to immediately enhance their efforts to prevent abuse and care for survivors.

The centerpiece of the Caring Well Challenge is your commitment to empower a Caring Well Team to lead a year-long effort to enhance how your church addresses abuse. Tools and training will be provided throughout the Caring Well Challenge to give your church the resources it needs to take each step.

There are 8 steps in the process, starting with a church’s commitment and continuing through building a team to combat abuse and care for survivors.

“The ‘Caring Well Challenge’ provides your church with a pathway to start engaging the problem of abuse,” SBC President J.D. Greear said. “This is an opportunity for you to say, ‘Yes, yes, our church is ready to do whatever it takes to confront the abuse crisis and to care for the abused.’” Greear’s study team on sexual abuse worked with LifeWay Christian Resources and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission to develop the curriculum.

“There is no quick fix for an issue as complex as church sexual abuse,” ERLC President Russell Moore said. “But this initiative is an outstanding step designed to join our churches together in a common cause.

“Over the last year, I’ve spoken with hundreds of pastors and leaders who are determined to make this issue a priority in their churches, but are looking for tools and training. That’s exactly what this challenge is designed to provide.”

Visit caringwell.com to learn more and sign up!

Notable advances

Potentially ‘messy’ meeting proves productive

Many Southern Baptists arrived in Birmingham wary of what to expect from their first annual meeting in the city since 1941.

The major topics to be addressed were set well in advance: response to sexual abuse, a call to denounce racism in SBC churches, and welcoming new leaders at several Southern Baptist entities. Less clear was how ready the city itself would be. Construction downtown and other challenges—including the loss of hundreds of hotel rooms due to water damage—set the stage for a messy meeting, at least in terms of logistics.

But when Baptists left Birmingham after their meeting, they did so having made unified statements on sexual abuse and racism, and after engaging in multiple open conversations about the roles men and women fill in ministry leadership. Like the city they met in, they took decisive steps toward improvement, while acknowledging their current trajectory is a work in progress. Just under 8,200 messengers were registered in Birmingham, including 146 from Illinois.

“I do sense that we may look back at 2019 as a milestone in a direction that Southern Baptists are choosing to go,” SBC President J.D. Greear said at a press conference immediately following the meeting. “And I believe it is a helpful one that says we are going to be people that are marked by an awareness, transparency, a willingness to own mistakes that have been made, and a desire to treat each other charitably and to make the gospel be above all in how we relate to the world.”

Send them out

Southern Baptists’ commitment to global missions was on display at a Sending Celebration in Birmingham. New missionaries lined up across the darkened stage with International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood, sharing brief testimonies of where God is sending them, and who is waiting there in need of the gospel.

They’ll go to Central Asia, where, as one missionary said, there’s great spiritual darkness, increasing humanitarian need, and a growing refugee crisis. They’ll go to reach university students who haven’t yet heard the gospel, another said.

“The commissioning and sending of our new IMB Journeymen and long-term missionaries was the highlight of this year’s meeting for me,” said Scott Foshie, pastor of Steeleville Baptist Church. “It was moving to hear their testimonies and to get to commit to pray for them as they lead people to Christ around the globe.”

Chitwood was one of four new SBC entity heads who appeared on platform. Adam Greenway delivered a report as the new president of Southwestern Seminary. New Orleans Seminary’s incoming president Jamie Dew spoke briefly. And Ronnie Floyd made his first appearance as president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.

Immediately following the convention, LifeWay announced a report on its presidential search will be made June 28.

The church must lead

Baptists in Birmingham voted on a constitutional amendment that would add ethnic discrimination to characteristics that exclude churches from fellowship with the SBC. The amendment passed without discussion and will need a two-thirds majority at next year’s annual meeting to take effect. Messengers also approved a similar amendment on sexual abuse.

“This is good and right and God-pleasing. Christ’s church must lead on these issues,” said Scott Nichols, pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Carol Stream. “Both sexual abuse and racism should be dealt with as the sins that they are. They have no place in Christ’s church.

“These sins against the dignity of humans created in the image of God harm the church’s evangelistic mission and are condemned in the Scriptures.”

COMMISSIONED – Caleb and Carina Beaty of Charis Community Church in Normal, Ill., share their testimony during IMB’s Sending Celebration. The couple will serve in as missionaries in Europe.

Be it resolved

On the annual meeting’s final day, Baptists adopted 13 resolutions clarifying the SBC’s positions on a diverse slate of issues. They approved a resolution on the evil of sexual abuse, calling for decisive action, immediate reporting, and intervention on behalf of the abused. Other resolutions:

Celebrated pro-life legislation passed by state lawmakers

Reaffirmed the doctrine of local church autonomy, while repudiating any who use it to hide the sin of sexual abuse

Called

Southern Baptists to pray for relief of religious persecution in China and North Korea

Committed to address social brokenness and injustice through gospel proclamation and advocating for the oppressed

Condemned human germline editing, which results in the destruction of human embryos.

The full text of all 13 resolutions is available at sbc.net/resolutions. The 2020 Southern Baptist Convention is June 9-10 in Orlando.

WMU shares national treasures

A day featuring 131 mission projects celebrates the legacy of women’s organization

Hundreds gathered at the headquarters of Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) June 10 for a journey through missions past and present. Displays throughout the building told the story of Baptist mission pioneers Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon, and more recent WMU legends like Alma Hunt, whose admonition to evangelist Billy Graham about a much-needed haircut was the first of several artifacts revealed during the day.

Next to the historical displays, modern missionaries shared their stories of working among people persecuted for their faith, families battling poverty, and refugees trying to find a home. The day offered 131 missions projects

and activities—a celebration of WMU’s 131 years of calling Baptists to get the gospel to people all over the world.

It’s been a couple of years since Becky Arnett attended the annual WMU missions celebration prior to the Southern Baptist Convention. The missions leader from First Baptist Church, McLeansboro, has missed hearing from missionaries, calling it a “missions drought.”

“I can’t even eat lunch,” Arnett said, referring to her program where she had circled the names of missionaries she wanted to hear. She ate lunch with fellow Illinoisans while Nik and Ruth Ripken shared about their years

of mission service with the International Mission Board. The Ripkens were also keynote speakers during the first day of WMU’s annual meeting. The people they’ve worked with over the years, Nik Ripken said, are persecuted for two reasons: coming to faith in Christ, and giving Jesus away. Persecuted people, Ruth said, see persecution as part of their role in God’s mission.

“The thing that they say to us is ‘We are holding Satan hostage in our part of the world so that those in America can be free to share their faith with others.’

“They’re seeing us totally as a partnership,” she said, “and I hope we can say to them, ‘We’re sharing our faith boldly.’”

LOTTIE’S SPECIALTY – Missions day participants make Lottie Moon’s famous teacake recipe (with some adjustments for modern kitchens). Moon used the tea cakes to minister to children in China.

HAVE BAG, WILL TRAVEL – WMU head Sandy WisdomMartin (page 9 middle) showed associational leaders meeting in Birmingham a garment bag that was given to her by her own director of missions when she was beginning her career in missions.

REGATTA – Former Illinois WMU President Jill McNicol and current President Missy Doyle (page 9 top) compete in a rain gutter regatta similar to contests used in Royal Ambassadors (RAs), a missions education program for boys.

KINDRED SPIRITS – One volunteer said she led a missions day participant to Lottie Moon’s travel trunk (above). Upon seeing it, the woman burst into tears saying, “People at my church call me Lottie Moon” because of her dedication to the annual offering collected in Moon’s name.

Also on display at the WMU Building: A bed owned by life-long missions leader Annie Armstrong, who at over six feet tall, would have struggled to fit.

Acteens mark 50th

Illinois leader key to founding

Illinois’ very own Evelyn Tully was honored at the 50th anniversary celebration for the founding of Acteens. The event was held in Birmingham ahead of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting. Tully was the first national director of the WMU’s missions organization for girls in grades 7 through 12 when it was launched in 1970.

Another Illinoisan, current WMU Executive Director Sandy Wisdom-Martin declared “the story of my life cannot be told without Acteens,” as she welcomed current and former Acteens and leaders. Five women, including Tully (third from left in photo below), were honored with Acteens Legacy Awards.

“Acteens didn’t just happen,” Wisdom-Martin said. “It took planning and preparation and prayer. It took dedicated leaders at all levels. It’s hard to imagine Acteens without the women who have paved the way for us.”

“Today I am involved in missions because my life was shaped by Acteens. I owe a debt of gratitude to those who went before us,” Wisdom-Martin told the honorees. “We will give you certificates that say

‘Acteens Legacy Award,’ but those gathered in this room and many more like us are your legacy and we are grateful for you.”

As an IMB missionary for 14 years, Laura (whose last name was withheld due to her assignment in a sensitive area in Africa) noted, “I received my call to full-time missions as an Acteen…. I learned that our Lord has a heart for all people. Acteens laid the foundation for the Lord to give me that heart and open my eyes and show me that he loves all people and desires for us to go and share with them.”

Among participants at the event, Mary Krome and her daughter Rachel traveled more than 800 miles from Wisconsin. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” said Krome, a former Acteen who became her daughter’s Acteens leader. “It has been part of my life for so long.”

Rachel, a former WMU Top Teen and National Acteens Panelist, has helped her mom teach Acteens, Girls in Action, and Mission Friends over the years. “I really think everything comes back to the cycle of missions—one person telling other people,” Rachel said. “It’s standing up for what you believe in.”

– Trennis Henderson for Baptist Press

PIONEER – Evelyn Tully (left), the first national director of Acteens, was honored at the Acteens Legacy Awards.

SOUND ADVICE – Alma Hunt once told visiting evangelist Billy Graham he needed a haircut, and that she would pay for it. The WMU Executive Director (1948-1974) sent Graham a letter and a check for $3.50, which he later returned. Illinois’ Janet Craynon (above) shared the artifacts at WMU headquarters.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

Election makes SBC history

Litton, Gardner signify shifts

Outside a networking event in Birmingham, a group of young women stood with Kathy Litton, who just hours before had won a close election for SBC office. The women laughed as they congratulated “Madame Secretary.” Litton is the first woman in history to serve as SBC registration secretary, beating incumbent Don Currence by a slim 44 votes. (Litton is pictured with other incoming officers in the photo on page 11).

Currently serving as director of planter spouse development for the North American Mission Board, Litton has given a lifetime of service to Southern Baptists at all levels of convention life, Florida pastor Jimmy Scroggins said in his speech nominating her. He acknowledged that many Baptists probably haven’t given much thought to who serves as registration secretary. “But now it has potential to become a very prominent role,” Scroggins said.

As registration secretary, Litton will serve in an ex officio role on the new standing credentials committee charged with investigating charges of misconduct by churches that would deem them not in friendly cooperation with the SBC, including matters related to sexual abuse.

“A woman’s voice—in particular, this woman’s voice, Kathy Litton’s voice—will bring much needed perspective and a measure of credibility as we recommit to a process of accountability for churches and care for victims,” Scroggins said.

Litton’s election signals a new day for women in the SBC, reflected in events focused on women’s work and ministry held throughout the Birmingham meeting. At the fifth annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast hosted by Southeastern Seminary, Illinois’ Becky Gardner spoke to women about giving to God out of the gifts he has given them. Gardner is also in a historic role, serving as the first-ever female head of trustees at a Southern Baptist seminary (Southeastern in Wake Forest, N.C.). Gardner is superintendent of Peoria Christian School.

Leadership development is to glorify God, Gardner said during a panel discussion at the breakfast. “It isn’t to get our name out there in a place of recognition, but it is an opportunity that the Lord gives us to give back to him, in the gifts and abilities he has given us.” And to encourage others to do the same, Gardner said.

She encouraged busy women to find time to spend with the Lord, reading and meditating on his Word. “He is going to multiply your time, multiply your efforts, to glorify him.”

Building tables, not fences

Gender roles in church discussed during convention

A panel discussion near the end of the SBC’s annual meeting in Birmingham might have flown under the radar because of its place on the schedule. But not its subject matter.

The Wednesday afternoon conversation on “Indispensable partners: The value of women in God’s mission” brought together women and men to discuss the doctrine of complementarianism, its role in the SBC, and a way forward that honors God and serves the church. Panelists also touched on a topic that inspired heated conversation recently online: Is it appropriate for a woman to preach during a Sunday morning worship service?

The discussion came toward the end of a convention that saw women take on new roles in SBC life (see column at left). Continuing a trend from the last several years, there were more gatherings focused specifically on leadership development for women, including the launch of the SBC Women’s Leadership Network.

On Wednesday afternoon, J.D. Greear opened the conversation by asking the panelists to define complementarianism, and whether there’s room for disagreement within the SBC on the much-debated doctrine. Southeastern Seminary President Danny Akin said basic complementarianism affirms that men and women equally bear the image of God, and God has established distinctive assignments for both.

Regarding the preaching debate, Malcolm Yarnell, professor of systematic theology at Southwestern Seminary, noted two distinct groups within the SBC, both well respected, he said. One group would say the office of pastor is limited to men, as affirmed by The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). This group, Yarnell said, would go beyond the Southern Baptist statement of faith to say the function of pastor is also limited to men, and that only qualified men should teach in the church.

The other group, Yarnell said, would say

#SBC19 Views from the Twitter-verse

“Why would the lost trust us with the care of their souls when they can’t trust us with the care of their vulnerable?”

– Roy Henry of Battle Creek, Michigan, tweeting SBC President J.D. Greear on churches’ treatment of abuse victims

“It would be good for women to know that when we speak about ‘qualified men,’ we’re actually making sure they are qualified.”

“If anyone tries to represent #SBC19 as any kind of brouhaha, don’t believe it. It has been calm, unified, uplifting. So far, SO GREAT!”

– Blogger Dave Miller of Sioux City, Iowa

a woman can address a church in a teaching role, but not in an authoritative or doctrine-defining teaching role.

Even within that disagreement and others, there is a better way to talk about differences than how we often do, panelists said. When Greear asked about their biggest concerns regarding complementarianism, author and Bible teacher Jen Wilkin cited the tone of the conversation. It should be one we have as brothers and sisters, said the director of classes and curriculum at The Village Church in Texas.

“This is a theology we can use with the primary goal of building fences or building tables,” Wilkin said, quoting a trusted pastor. Families gather around tables, she noted. The panel offered several ways church leaders can help their congregations navigate the conversation about gender roles.

First, make sure there are women in the church visible enough for people to know to go to them for counsel and wisdom. In the book of Romans, Wilkin said, Paul mentions 11 women by name. Her prayer for SBC churches, she said, would be that they too would have women Paul would know by name for their faithfulness and leadership.

Second, find places within the worship service for women to serve, including prayer or reading Scripture, said panelist Donna Gaines, wife of immediate past SBC president Steve Gaines who pastors Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis.

And third, involve them in sermon preparation. Greear said a group of women at his church receive an early draft of his message so they can advise him during the writing process.

Remember how Scripture describes your relationships with one another, the panelists urged church members. “My hope would be that we would function as the family of God,” Wilkin said, “even as we discuss these differences that we have.”

“If Christian parents bind to the idea of the culture’s model of the ‘good childhood,’ then they’re going to have their kids in every traveling baseball team, and they are not going to have them in church.”

PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL – SBC President J.D. Greear (left) moderates a panel discussion on gender roles with (left to right) Jen Wilkin, Donna Gaines, Danny Akin, Malcolm Yarnell, and Trillia Newbell

GARDNER

– Southern Seminary tweeting Seminary President Albert Mohler from the Talk CP stage

– Illinois Baptist tweeting author Jen Wilkin at the Baptist 21 lunch panel

Focus on character

Blessed are those who preach the Beatitudes

Whether in suffering or dealing with tension in life, lean into the godly character that the Holy Spirit is fashioning in your heart. That was the core challenge of the 2019 Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference June 9-10 in Birmingham.

Ten speakers focused on the Beatitudes, Jesus’ teaching from the opening of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, challenging church leaders to “kingdom character.”

Drawing on Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful,” church planter Martin Young (pictured) from near Birmingham, England told the pastors in Birmingham, Alabama that believers should show mercy to the poor, to those different than them, and to those closest to them.

“When we act mercifully, a flow begins because the kingdom of heaven is about flow. It’s an ecology.... The mercy that was extended to us extends to other people.... We find ourselves in a flow, and mercy then flows through our hearts to other people’s hearts. This is the secret of the Kingdom of Heaven,” he said.

“Mercy is the flowing of the Holy Spirit pouring out of a merciful heart and pouring into a merciful heart,” he said. “Look for these moments…and let us overcome evil by doing good.”

Being a peacemaker is not “elective,” but is a call from Christ to every believer, said Dhati Lewis, pastor of Blueprint Church, Atlanta, Ga., and vice president of NAMB’s Send Network. He spoke on Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

As a leader of a diverse church and a husband in a diverse family, he encourages believers to “run to the tension” and to be known for their vision instead of their “anti-vision.” That’s being known “more for what you’re against than what you’re for.”

“My prayer for us in the SBC is that we can give what we can, start to have peace, and that one day we would be able to really embrace the beauty and the complexity (of diversity),” he said.

Persecution is just beginning

Pastor Andrew Brunson, recently released after being imprisoned in Turkey for two years, was well qualified to speak on the Beatitude “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” He addressed both the persecution that he experienced while captive in Turkey and the persecution he believes is coming to the next generation of Christians.

“I don’t think that we’re prepared for what is coming,” Brunson said. “Especially the next generation, I fear that many of us are complacent and we’re unaware. And this means that the people in our churches are going to be blindsided by what comes. You are the ones, as pastors and leaders of churches, who have the task of preparing the next generation.

“Many of you are going to have the opportunity to stand in that line of suffering and you have to prepare yourself for that,” Brunson said.

Turning the focus to “salt and light,” Jimmy Scroggins, lead pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Fla., spoke from Matthew 5:13-16.

Scroggins encouraged believers to take responsibility for the issues of the day—sexual abuse, racial conflict, moral failure, and social media quarrels—in order to strengthen the church’s witness to the world. “When Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount, he is telling his disciples—and, by extension, he’s telling us—that the broken kingdoms of this world are not all our fault; but showing this world what the Kingdom of heaven looks like is our responsibility.”

2020 leaders

David Uth was elected president of the 2020 SBC Pastors’ Conference which will be held in Orlando, where Uth has served as pastor of FBC for 14 years. Also elected: vice president—Michael Wood, FBC, West Monroe, La.; and as treasurer—Kevin Smith, Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware.

“The Holy Spirit is not a luxury, he is a necessity. It’s like you can’t even be a Christian without the Spirit.”

“We need to stop just saying we want revival, and we’ve got to start filling the hole in our repentance which brings what we long for.”

“I might not have experienced what (the abused) experienced, but it just makes such a big difference to try to care, to try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”

New day, new officers

Newly elected Southern Baptist Convention 2019 officers (left to right):

John Yeats, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, recording secretary

Marshal Ausberry, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax, Va., first vice president

J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., SBC president

Kathy Litton, director of planter spouse development for the North American Mission Board, registration secretary

Noe Garcia, pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church, second vice president

– Robert Smith Jr. Beeson Divinity School Birmingham, Ala.

– Ed Litton Redemption Church Saraland, Ala.

– Jimmy Scroggins Family Church West Palm Beach, Fla.

IBSA team reporting by Meredith Flynn in Birmingham, Lisa Misner and Eric Reed in Springfield, designed by Kris Kell.

Photos by Meredith Flynn, Baptist Press photos on pages 6, 7, 10, 11.

Magic City Album

Illinois was represented!

1. Kathy Fullerton, formerly of Illinois, Lindsay McDonald and Makenzie Goble of Casey at the Women’s Leadership

2. Jacob Goble and Jon McDonald of Casey, and Paul Cooper of Marshall outside the Baptist21 gathering for young leaders

3. Nate and Beth Adams of Springfield, Adron Robinson of Country Club Hills, Cliff Woodman of Carlinville, and Michael Allen of Chicago

4. Disaster Relief volunteers Glen Carty of Carlinville and Rob Cleeton of Medora at the WMU celebration

5. Tammie Emerson of Sherman, Carmen Halsey of Raymond, and Tony Munoz of Effingham in the exhibit hall

If the shoe fits

Match the

SBC

leader and his shoes.

Breakfast

6. Mr. Vulcan of Red Mountain, Alabama

J.D. Greear got props last year for wearing Jordans on the platform of the SBC. On the first day of the 2019 convention, however, he sported shiny black lace-up dress shoes. His footwear inspired this game, from a photo of a panel discussion in the exhibit hall.

Ronnie Floyd Executive Committee

Paul Chitwood International Mission Board

Kevin Ezell North American Mission Board

J.D. Greear SBC President

Was I in a prison cell or at the throne?

Many times in ministry, I have been called on to do something not because I wanted to, but because I knew I should or it was in my job description. Often these “acts of obedience” make me uncomfortable, but I’ve noticed when I am obedient in these hard things, I receive a blessing and satisfaction that is many times greater than the fear. Many times, I see God at work on the frontlines. I had such an experience recently in Hillsboro, Ill.

Rob Cleeton is pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Medora and a volunteer chaplain at Graham Prison in Hillsboro. One day, he told me about the prison praise team, which is made up of more than 20 prisoners who serve various ways. They set up gear and chairs, sing and play, lead worship, and run sound and video.

Rob told me that I might be able to help them. The invitation to join Rob at the prison intrigued me, but I was fearful too. With Rob’s permission, I asked several of my minister of music friends if they would be interested. Five of them, including one who is a guard at the prison, agreed to join me.

After getting security clearance, my team planned a clinic for the prison praise team. On the day of the training, we met at the prison. We were searched, left our cell phones behind, went through three or four barriers and guard stations, and found ourselves in the center of the prison. Even though I knew they were going to let us out when we were done, I had an eerie feeling about being locked in.

When we first met the prisoners they looked exactly like I had expected. Some had gang- or crimerelated tattoos; others looked like they could lift 300 pounds. I knew that many of them were there for serious offences. But when they started playing and singing, I could tell that they were better musicians than I am. Many of them made a living playing in bands and clubs before their prison days. I was pretty unsure what we might be able to do to “help” them.

Pastor Rob told me that most of the guys in the prison ministry had a better relationship with Christ than most Christians on the outside. He also encouraged us not to worry, that the men would be grateful for our time with them. He was correct.

As I got to know the men and

Where I learned freedom in worship.

their stories, something started to change in the way I looked at them. No longer did they look like prisoners. They started to look like friends. One man looked like my father. Another one looked like me. God told me clearly that the only difference between them and me was that they broke our civil laws. But we both have broken God’s law. In God’s eyes, we are exactly the same kind of sinners, deserving of death and hell.

But we also share exactly the same good news. Jesus died to save us both from our sins, the prisoner and the pastor.

That evening, our ministers of music joined the praise band and to lead 121 prisoners in worship. In a room with only 80 chairs. The chaplain decided that because we didn’t have enough chairs, he would remove all of them. As the prisoners entered, led by the band, they started singing and praising the Lord. Through both familiar and unfamiliar songs, they sang with all their heart. When it came time for the message, they stayed engaged.

They interacted with me while I spoke, affirming with “Amen,” “Blow it up, preach!” and “Come on!”

When the service was over, I found one of my new friends in the audience and asked him why no one had complained about standing up for an hour-and-a half. His answer has fundamentally changed the way I look at worship.

“When we come together to worship,” he said, “we are not concerned by prison bars, uniforms, rules, guards, bad food, or barbed wire; we are worshiping free before the King of Kings.”

Time was suspended while they were transported before the throne in worship. It was personal worship, yet it was fueled by the corporate singing and praise of believers. The presence of the Lord did not have to be called down, because he was already there. We stepped into his presence. Worship in our Illinois Baptist churches could be like that if we confessed our sins, left our un-prayed over opinions at the door, and set our hearts and minds on Jesus.

There in the prison, we were all blessed standing in the presence of God. The prison band was blessed as they prompted the prisoners in worship. Our ministers of music were blessed by the worship and the new relationships they made. I was blessed most of all as God showed me a new picture of what worship should really be like every time we come into his presence. Thanks, Pastor Rob, for inviting us to participate in such a blessed event.

Steve Hamrick is IBSA’s director of worship and church technology.

Called to comfort

Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3–5, ESV

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”

One of the amazing things about God is that in his providence, he never wastes anything. God uses every part of our journey in life to conform us into the image of his Son (Romans 8:28-29).

Paul tells the Corinthians that God uses our afflictions as a means for his ministry in us. The Apostle reminds us that when Christians are afflicted, God comforts us. That truth is a blessing to all who face affliction: the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort has promised to minister to us in the midst of our affliction. Truly he is a good, good Father, for he never leaves us or forsakes us.

But Paul doesn’t stop there. He tells us that God’s comfort is not for us to keep to ourselves. Like all of his blessings, God intends for us to share with others that which we have received from him. We are called to comfort others with the comfort we have received from God. (Count the number of times “comfort” appears in the three verses in our focal passage.)

Someone near you is facing an affliction that you have been through. God calls you to comfort them with the comfort you received from God. You didn’t think you would make it, but God gave you strength. You felt like giving up, but God gave you endurance. You almost quit, but God gave you a future and hope. Now, share what God has given you with someone in need. You were comforted to be comforter.

Prayer Prompt: God of all comfort and mercies, thank you for always providing what we need and for always being more than enough. Help us, Father, to reflect your love by comforting others with the comfort we have received from you. Amen.

Adron Robinson pastors Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills and is president of IBSA.

ROBINSON

FBI honors center

Illinois ministry partner fights trafficking

Welcome

people

Brock Reid is the new pastor of Youngblood Baptist Church in Murrayville. He and his wife, Monet, are completing degrees at Boyce College in Louisville, Ky.

The couple’s previous ministry experience includes service with Sandy Creek Baptist Association Camps for youth and children, Sunday school leadership, and evangelistic mission trips.

With the Lord

Nominating season to open

The Nominations Committee will soon draft a slate of candidates for at least 30 elected positions in IBSA leadership. The list of openings will be posted online next month. Organizers emphasize the important role committee members play in IBSA. In addition to IBSA’s six committees, the Nominating Committee will recommend people to serve on the Association’s three boards: IBSA, the Baptist Foundation of Illinois (BFI), and Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services (BCHFS).

Please pray about those you would recommend for service. Nominating instructions will be published in the Illinois Baptist newspaper and posted online. IBSA.org/nominations

CLASSIFIED AD

Washington, D.C. | The Baptist Friendship House of New Orleans was honored in May with the FBI’s 2018 Director’s Community Leadership Award for its work to combat human trafficking.

Kay Bennett, a Send Relief missionary with the North American Mission Board, accepted the award on behalf of the Baptist Friendship House at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Baptist Friendship House is a ministry of NAMB and New Orleans Baptist Association.

“Human trafficking is the fastestgrowing criminal industry in the world, and it is all around us here in the United States,” Bennett said. “I think it’s very important that we, as Southern Baptists, look around us, assess needs, see what’s going on and reach out to help people.”

Illinois Baptist mission teams have partnered with the Baptist

Friendship House in ministries to prevent human trafficking.

The ministry center offers housing for women and children affected by trafficking or places them into safe houses. They also can help victims get into long-term treatment programs in New Orleans or provide them with transportation to other locations closer to home.

Bennett and the Baptist Friendship House have also been active in training Southern Baptists nationwide to fight human trafficking in their community.

For more information about how you or your church can get involved in the fight against human trafficking, visit sendrelief.org.

To contact members of Illinois Baptist Women’s state advisory team for human trafficking, go to IBSA.org/Women.

– From Baptist Press

Kenneth Barger, 81, died May 29. He served Murrayville Baptist Church and Emmanuel in Roodhouse, and 14 years as director of missions for Sandy Creek Baptist Association. He was known for portraying many biblical and historical figures for churches and civic organizations.

Barger married Gayle Guerin in 1959; she preceded him in death in 1998. He married Terrill Hetzer in 2003, and she survives.

Mineral Area Baptist Association in Farmington, Mo., is searching for a bivocational Director of Missions. Must be a Spirit-filled man to fulfill our vision, upholding the unity of our churches. A strong supporter of MBC & SBC, must affirm the Baptist Failth and Message (2000), be a strong administrator, a pastor to pastors, a ministry/missions strategist, and able to strongly support our camp ministry. Send resumes by July 1, 2019, to MABA, Attn: Search Committee, 5169 Flat River Rd., Farmington, MO 63640, or mabasearchcommittee@gmail.com

VITAL MINISTRY – Kay Bennett (right), executive director of the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans, accepts an award from FBI Director Christopher Wray for her organization’s efforts to fight human trafficking. FBI photo

PAIR

Here are the answers to the quiz: Floyd - D, Greear - A, Chitwood - B, Ezell - C

EVENTS

June 1-August 3

Missions Spectacular

What: Summer missions emphasis with projects for children and adults, developed by local churches and associations

Where: Locations across Illinois

Cost: $20 per person

Register for individual projects: IBSA.org/ Spectacular

Splash Summer Camps

June 17-21, Streator

June 24-28, Lake Sallateeska

July 8-12, Streator

What: Exciting Bible teaching, hands-on activities, and fun recreational experiences for campers in grades 3-12 (go to IBSA. org/Kids for details about each week)

Cost: $165 per person

Register: IBSA.org/Kids

June 24-28, July 14-19

Student Camps: Battle Ready

June 24-28, Lake Sallateeska

July 14-19, Lake Sallateeska

What: Exciting Bible teaching, hands-on activities, and fun recreational experiences for students in grades 7-12

Cost: $165 per person

Register: IBSA.org/Students

June 25-29

Super Summer

What: Training experience for students who have committed their lives to Christ and are seeking fresh ways to develop their fullest potential as Christians

Where: Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Cost: $235 per person Register:

July 8-12

Joint accounts?

QShould my husband and I combine our finances?

dave says

What: IBSA’s premier worship, music, and arts events for students who have completed grades 6-12; includes classes in piano, guitar, drums, art, movement, and more

Where: Hannibal-LaGrange University, Hannibal, Mo.

Cost: $245 per student

AIf you want a quality marriage, the answer is yes. If you want a high probably of building wealth, yes.

I read an article about how you shouldn’t rely on joint bank accounts in marriage, because half of all marriages end in divorce, and the woman needs to be independent of her husband financially, so she won’t get messed over if the marriage doesn’t last. That’s absolute baloney, and here’s why.

happen together when you’re living separate financial lives. Since then, I’ve become convinced this approach builds stronger finances and stronger marriages.

Where: Peoria

Cost: $180 per person Register: IBSA.org/ILChangers

August 10

Worship Skills Conference

What: Training focused on the worship needs of smaller churches, for choir and praise team members, vocalists, and instrumentalists

Where: Towerview, Belleville Register: IBSA.org/Worship

August 13

Training Night

What: Quality, free training in women’s and men’s ministry, worship, students, outreach, leadership development, safety, social media, and more

Where: FBC Bethalto Register: IBSA.org/TrainingNight

How and where you spend your money is always a direct result of your value systems. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, your heart will be, also.” When you plan your finances together, and you’re sharing your hopes and dreams, you’re sharing your goals for the future. You’re reaching for those together. You each have a voice, you each have a vote, and no one loses their personal identity in this. So yes, married couples should combine their finances. They should combine their checking accounts and their decision making on finances. You’ll make better, smarter decisions that way, and it instills communication in a marriage.

You know, when I first started teaching this stuff I didn’t realize that. I told couples to combine their finances, not from a relational standpoint, but because it’s impractical to run two sets of books in a household. But it’s very hard to hit the same goals and make good things

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

Marriage is grand, divorce is fifty-grand, and when you live separately you’re going to end up living…separately. Combine your finances.

Paying extra

I’d like to start paying a little extra each month on my car loan, so I can get out of debt faster. Would it be a good idea to write a separate check for this extra amount?

Q A

I think that’s a great idea! You can include the extra check in a separate envelope with the regular payment. In addition, write “principal only” in big, bold letters on the extra envelope and on the extra check. Make sure to also include the account number in the notation line at the bottom. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be much less likely to run into problems as result of someone at the bank not paying attention. Some companies use payment booklets that have a box specifically for entering any amount you want applied directly to the principal. See if this is available to you. Regardless, make sure you keep an accurate, written record of the monthly and overall amounts you’re designating as “principal only.”

A one-day youth evangelism event offering great music with Christian artists and top speakers for teens.

For more information, go to IBSA.org/YE2019

DAVE RAMSEY

Streator Baptist Camps

The American church is facing an abuse crisis. Is your church doing all it can to be safe for survivors and safe from abuse?

Categorized as ‘Bible friendly’ and ‘Bible neutral,’ the group totals 41.6 million Americans who are researching such areas as parenthood, relationships, grief and job loss. Some key findings among U.S. adults surveyed by Barna Group researchers in early 2019:

81% see the church as a key place people can go to for help.

102.7 million adults interact with the Bible, often seeking practical advice in their modern lives.

60% believe the message of the Bible has transformed their lives.

“I think our job as the church is to know the questions that our society is asking and make sure that we’re standing there to provide biblical responses that are full of grace and truth,” Plake said.