ILLINOIS Recovery begins Ministry after tragedy P. 6
NATE ADAMS Saddle up!
Head for the mountains P. 2
BF&M @ 100 The Church Blessings by the dozen P. 16
Foshie,
Nashville, Tenn. | The latest debate about the future of the SBC’s public policy and D.C. lobbying entity began with what seemed to be an off-thecuff critique by Southern Seminary President Al Mohler on a podcast, but it has drawn in 11 former presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Board chair and trustees of the beleaguered Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
Board chair Scott Foshie and 10 ex-presidents are standing up for the ERLC, one ex-president wants to defund it, after Mohler said he has “grave doubts” about its “utility.”
The field of battle could move from internet posts and open letters to SBC members to the floor of the SBC
Annual Meeting in Dallas in June.
Al Mohler lobbed the first volley on a Baptist 21 podcast April 30. Mohler said his critique about the ERLC was not only about “the current moment,” but he added, “It would be wrong for me to lead any such effort” to abolish or defund the ERLC.
Foshie countered on May 8: “For over 100 years, the (ERLC) has played a pivotal role in shaping culture and equipping pastors by bringing a distinctively Baptist voice to the public square,” Foshie said. “The board of trustees is steadfast in its commitment to advancing the future of the invaluable service the ERLC provides to its Convention of churches.”
Total giving by IBSA churches as of 4/31/25 $1,722,577
2025 Budget Goal to date: $2,189,720 2025 Goal: $6.1 Million give local
Turning points
“The very time has come when this entire Convention should commit itself, with a unity of purpose and consecration never known before, to the common task of enlistment of our people and the working out of this plan. We need to see that any other course means only chaos and ruin.”
M. E. Dodd, whose “Commission on Future Program” urged creation of the Cooperative Program in 1925.
Between summits
Those who know me or who have been reading this column for a while know that I am on a bit of a quest to climb as many of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains as possible. My oldest son, Caleb, and I have summited 37 “fourteeners” together, some with other family members. My wife, Beth, would be quick to tell you she’s been to the top of six of them with us.
On some of these more challenging hikes, it’s even possible to climb more than one fourteener in a day. Peaks are often joined by a ridge called a saddle. From the first fourteener summit I can descend several hundred feet down the saddle and then climb on up to the second summit.
The saddle is one of my favorite places to hike. Suspended between two giant mountains, my view is framed by majesty to the left and right. Looking out between them, it feels like I can see the entire world.
A saddle between summits is also a place to exercise great caution. The ridge is often narrow, with only one safe path and with steep, potentially deadly drop-offs in either direction. Saddles can also be windy, requiring both balance and focus. Still, there are few views of the world more inspiring than a saddle between two summits.
As a family of autonomous yet cooperating Baptist churches, we too travel a saddle between two summits. One of those summits is the biblical unity that is expressed doctrinally in our simple but profound statement of faith called The Baptist Faith and Message. The other summit is the missional cooperation that is expressed tangibly in our Cooperative Program commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission, together.
given to advance the gospel through CP since its founding 100 years ago.
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Last month in Memphis, Tennessee, I attended a national gathering celebrating the 100th Anniversary of these summits. Both were established on May 13, 1925 by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention that met there in Memphis. Since then, The Baptist Faith and Message has been rarely but faithfully updated to apply the Bible’s truth to pressing issues of the day. And since then, the Cooperative Program has provided the channel for faithful Baptists to invest more than $20 billion dollars in taking the gospel to the world.
This place called ‘the saddle’ will test us.
My great grandparents were among the first to benefit from the clarity of The Baptist Faith and Message, and to give to worldwide missions through the Cooperative Program. Now my grandchildren are starting to learn about the Bible, and about missions. And whether your Baptist heritage is multi-generational or just beginning, we stand in this saddle together.
For our generation, we are faced with the question of whether we will continue to stand firm and balanced in both biblical unity and missional cooperation.
It’s from this saddle that we can see the importance and beauty of both summits. If we compromise biblical unity on the core doctrines of our biblical faith simply to invite others into the mission, we risk diluting the gospel message or making disciples that are shallow or even biblically errant.
Yet if we focus too narrowly on secondary issues that are open to honest and varied biblical interpretation, we risk division into smaller and smaller doctrinal camps, and missional cooperation will suffer. Fewer people will hear the gospel in fewer places.
While traveling this saddle together means walking a narrow path carefully and with balance, and while the tempting winds of compromise or division may blow, right here between the two summits of biblical unity and missional cooperation is where we belong. It’s here that God gives us the best view possible of a lost world, and then it’s there he bids us go, together.
Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.
NATE ADAMS
Continued from page 1
ERLC President Brent Leatherwood responded the ERLC is gaining ground in Washington. “Our focus is on the work Southern Baptists have assigned to us,” he said. “We are gaining ground with our allies on the Hill to finally and permanently defund Planned Parenthood. We’re taking aim at banning pornography. At every opportunity, we’re equipping our churches to stand
firm against the pervasive transgender ideology that so defines the spirit of the age.”
On May 24, ten former SBC presidents joined in support of the ERLC, issuing an open letter urging its preservation.
“Our opinions about the past decade of work at the ERLC are as diverse as those of the broader body of Southern Baptists,” the letter said. “Some of us have been enthusiastic supporters of the ERLC. Some of us have been vocal critics. However, we remain unconvinced by the case for discontinuing the ERLC. And just as our diverse coalition can find unity in opposing the abolishment of the ERLC, we hope that the messenger body can unify to oppose any such motion, too.”
How we got here
The latest back-and-forth follows at least three consecutive SBC Annual Meetings with attempts to close or defund the ERLC. Last year, a motion to abolish the ERLC failed to gain the first of two required majority votes.
The following month then-trustee chair Kevin Smith announced Leatherwood’s removal, but the entity retracted that announcement a day later when it was learned Smith had acted without trustees’ approval. Smith resigned, and Foshie, a former Illinois pastor and current employee of the Illinois Baptist State Association, was later elected as chair. He has served as an ERLC trustee since 2018, when he was pastor of Steelville Baptist Church.
Such attempts at shuttering the ERLC and its predecessor organizations are nothing new. In the 1960s and 1970s, for example, the Christian
Life Commission fended off multiple efforts to close or defund it. One new aspect of this year’s discussion is that an SBC entity leader has questioned the ERLC in a public forum.
On the Baptist 21 podcast, Mohler gave two reasons for his concerns about the ERLC, noting, “I love Brent Leatherwood, and so this is not all about him as president. It is about the viability of a particular Commission at a particular time.”
First, as Baptist Press reporterd, Mohler said it is a “risky proposition” to have “an entity that is assigned to represent the SBC in a formal sense on so many of the hottest issues of the day.” It “makes perfect sense” for hierarchical denominations like the Roman Catholic Church to have an “official representative” in Washington. But “for the SBC, it’s always a bit more difficult.” Mohler conceded that “there are clear Baptist principles, biblical principles we want to advertise as loudly to the world as we can.” But “the question is how do we best do that.”
Mohler also suggested a “commission” might not be as useful to the SBC as its “boards” and “institutions.” He claimed “that commissions are different than the boards and the institutions, primarily because they have a particular function. And you know, we have eliminated most of the commissions, and it’s largely because other entities and the churches themselves and the state conventions have taken up this task.”
Foshie said the ERLC’s current work is vital to the Convention’s churches. “The ERLC has been actively engaging with pastors and state convention leaders across the country, listening to their invaluable insights as they navigate complex issues within their ministries,” he said. “This commitment to meaningful dialogue isn’t just a one-time effort— it’s an ongoing mission that will continue in the years ahead. This Baptist institution gets real work done on issues that Southern Baptists care about.”
As successor to Russell Moore, the ERLC president who resigned in 2021 after several years of conflict with top SBC leaders over their treatment of sexual abuse survivors, and faltering support from Baptist pastors and congregations for his criticism of immigration policies during the first Trump Administration, Leatherwood has tried to reconfigure ERLC work largely around pro-life issues.
“The ERLC has stood in the gap towards faithful engagement in the public square, bolstered by research and wisdom from leading Southern Baptist ethicists,” Leatherwood said. “There has never been a greater need for the ERLC, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to serve Southern Baptists at such a pivotal time.”
Point, counterpoint
Former ERLC President Richard Land also advocated for the Commission’s continued existence in a May 7 essay published by Baptist Press.
“As we prepare for our annual meeting next
month, it appears that messengers will once again be asked whether they want an established, Convention-approved voice that speaks up on complex issues of life and religious liberty in our nation’s capital and helps our churches navigate the ethical conundrums of our day,” Land wrote.
“In short: do we still need the ERLC? In a word: yes!” Land said. “It would be a terrible mistake for the Convention to shutter the ERLC, whatever mechanism they may use to accomplish such an end.”
Former SBC President Jack Graham posted on X, “No, I do not support the ERLC and believe the organization has been the single most divisive entity of the SBC since the days of Russell Moore. I believe it should be defunded. I’m sure this is the reason I was not asked to sign this letter… I’ve been clear on this for a decade.”
Graham’s church, Prestonwood in the Dallas metroplex, withheld its Cooperative Program funding for two years during Moore’s leadership of the ERLC, but restored it after an internal probe by Prestonwood members.
In late May, another pastor, Willy Rice of Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, Florida, one-time candidate for SBC president, told a church leaders website that the ERLC has lost touch with everyday Baptists. Rice raised an allegation from Moore’s time concerning funding from non-SBC sources with a non-SBC agenda. And he said the current administration has not restored his confidence with its current opposition to federal funding of Planned Parenthood.
Foshie pointed that some opposition to the ERLC comes from outside the SBC. He told the website, in part, “I hope the SBC annual meeting in Dallas will be more about a return to Baptist cooperation and improving our entity ministry assignments rather than tearing them down. The same people who want to abolish the ERLC will come after other entities next, and have already signaled their intention to do so. Southern Baptists have supported an ethics and public policy arm for over a hundred years, and now more than ever we need an effective, responsive ERLC.”
Current SBC President Clint Pressley, who is running for a second one-year term and who will moderate the meeting where motions to defund the ERLC could be brought, has declined to take a position on the ERLC.
— IB Staff with reporting by Baptist Press, The Baptist Paper, and Church Leaders
LAND
FOSHIE
MOHLER
BRENT LEATHERWOOD AT NEW ORLEANS CONVENTION
cooperative program
CP founding marked in Memphis ceremony
Adams, SBC leaders sign Centennial resolution
Memphis, Tenn. | Nearly 180 guests representing state conventions, Southern Baptist entities, and current SBC officers gathered May 13 in Memphis to celebrate 100 years of the Cooperative Program. The centennial celebration, held just yards from the site of the 1925 Convention where the Cooperative Program (CP) was approved by messengers, featured worship in song, giving thanks for Southern Baptists who have sacrificially given through the decades, and the signing of a resolution of commitment of renewed support for the CP.
IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams was one of 32 signers of the Resolution on Cooperation. “It was a rare and historic privilege to represent Illinois Baptists today, and to join leaders from across the Southern Baptist Convention in renewing our commitment to the Great Commission purpose of the Cooperative Program,” Adams said.
The celebration, organized by South Carolina Baptists Executive Director Tony Wolfe, had a sharp focus on the “voluntary spirit” and “great commission interdependence on the grace of God” that has marked the best of a century of cooperation. “(It) is still evident among us after 100 years,” Wolfe stated.
“Into that percolating maelstrom of denominational uncertainty, solutions were needed.”
The Cooperative Program was their solution. Sensing the urgent need to take the gospel to a now conceptionally smaller post-World War I globe, and seeing the potential in a unified effort after the ambitious 75 Million campaign, messengers adopted the new unified giving plan at Ellis Auditoriumon May 13, 1925.
The “heroic spirit” shown by messengers then and by churches since have led to many successes, Iorg recounted.
Then and now
“The successes of our future depend upon the heroic spirit shown by our people at this time.” In 1925, when those words were shared by Southern Baptist leaders gathered in Memphis for their annual convention, Cooperative Program “successes” were in no way guaranteed.
Southern Baptist education and missions entities were deep in debt. Funding was entirely dependent on inconsistent direct appeals to churches from hired entity agents. And theological squabbles and polarization among churches and personalities distracted and eroded trust in the Convention.
“The 1920s really were a hard time to be a Southern Baptist,” Executive Committee President and CEO Jeff Iorg said, comparing then and now.
The most obvious is that the voluntary, sacrificial giving of autonomous SBC churches in the first 100 years of CP has resulted in over $20 billion given to Southern Baptist work.
“We have sent missionaries, started churches, strengthened churches, and produced seminary trained leaders by the thousands,” Iorg said. “We have built universities, foundations, hospitals, schools, retirement centers, children’s homes, conference centers, and camps. We have developed ministries like Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, collegiate ministries, student ministries, children ministries, and mission trips. We have created a world-class disaster response network, along with the largest Christian publishing and ministry-based financial services company in the world. We’ve catalyzed entire national denominations, some billion members strong, and in the midst of all of that, become a much more multicultural movement ourselves.”
While he celebrated the astounding successes of the past and acknowl-
edged the challenges of the present, Iorg ultimately cast a vision for the future. “Brothers and sisters, we stand today in awe, in awe of what God has done through a people who reject topdown control in favor of bottom-up cooperation,” he stated. “We will continue to see God do even more than we can ask to think as we choose cooperation as our operational strategy”
Finally, he urged Southern Baptists to renew the commitment of local churches to give “the gold standard” of 10% to the Cooperative Program. “Some will scoff, claiming meeting this challenge is impossible. They said the same thing in 1925.”
Prayers and pens
Representatives from the International Mission Board, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, SBC Executive Committee, National Hispanic Baptist Network, Guidestone Financial Services, and Southern Seminary also brought prayers for different facets of SBC work and ministries.
Each stood behind the podium of M.E. Dodd, former pastor of First Baptist Church Shreveport, Louisiana, who brought to messengers the 1925 motion to adopt the Cooperative Program.
The centerpiece of the ceremony was the signing of a Resolution on Cooperation. Leaders streamed across the platform, leaning over the historic podium to sign their names to the resolution.
The declaration acknowledges gratitude to God for his favor and to past Southern Baptists for the remarkable gospel ministry accomplished over 100 years. And the document resolves renewed commitment to CP at all levels of SBC life.
Two versions were signed. One document will be archived, the other will be displayed in the exhibit hall at the SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas in June.
100 YEARS IN THE MAKING — (Left) Attendees from across the Convention pack in tight for a group photo to commemorate the historic celebration of cooperation in Memphis May 13.
(Lower left) Beth and Nate Adams (center) catch up with long-time friends in SBC ministry, Sandy Wisdom-Martin and Leo Endel, following the ceremony.
(Below) One of 32 signers, Nate Adams adds his signature to the Resolution on Cooperation. The pulpit used for decades by 1925 CP advocate M.E. Dodd bears a plaque reading “We Would See Jesus.”
The resolution will be submitted to the 2025 SBC Resolutions Committee for review and potentially be reported out to messengers for consideration. If the committee reports it out and the messengers adopt it, then the resolution will be posted online for others who want to sign it.
Not one hundred, but millions
Throughout the prayers, the historical pictures shown on displays in the moments leading up to the event, and the words shared, there was a subtle reminder that the celebration of the past and the vision for the future is not programs. In 1925, M.E. Dodd called it a “unity of purpose.” In 2025, Jeff Iorg referred to it as the “resolve to live on mission.”
“Yes, we celebrated 100 years and more than $20 billion of sacrificial missions giving,” Adams summarized after the ceremony. “But more than that, we celebrated the salvation of millions who heard the gospel in part because generations of Baptists from across our convention chose to cooperate.”
—Ben Jones in Memphis
Baptisms up, membership down
SBC drops to size during Nixon administration
Nashville, Tenn. | The Southern Baptist Convention baptized more new members in 2024 than in any of the previous seven years but still saw an 18th consecutive year of overall membership decline.
The 12,722,266 members of Southern Baptist congregations mark a 2% decline from 2023, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Research in cooperation with Baptist state conventions. However, more than a quarter of a million baptisms (250,643) represent a more than 10% jump over 2023 and the most since 2017.
Additionally, congregations affiliated with the SBC experienced growth in total worship attendance and small group or Sunday School participation. In 2024, an average of more than 4.3 million people worshiped weekly in a Southern Baptist congregation, and more than 2.5 million participated in a small group Bible study each week. Both of those were up more than 5% compared to 2023.
“Southern Baptists love to focus on evangelism, and these ACP numbers
Hunt trial postponed
back that up,” said Jeff Iorg, President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. “We rejoice that God is using Southern Baptist churches to reach people with the gospel. We celebrate the upward trends in baptisms that we haven’t seen in the past 30 years. These ACP results help us see that God is at work among Southern Baptists.”
The Convention has 30 fewer churches, dropping from 46,906 in 2023 to 46,876 in 2024. This decline includes those that closed and those that still exist but are no longer affiliated with the SBC. Church-type missions also declined, dropping from 2,474 to 2,321.
Undesignated receipts fell by less than 5%, totaling more than $9.5 billion. Mission expenditures through Southern Baptist avenues remained almost flat at $791 million, a less than 1% percent decline from 2023.
People shifts
From 2023 to 2024, Southern Baptist congregations lost 259,824 members. The 2% decrease is similar to the 1.8%
Nashville, Tenn. | The jury trial in a defamation suit by former North American Mission Board (NAMB) Vice President Johnny Hunt against the Southern Baptist Convention has been cancelled—for now. The trial was set to begin June 17, the week following the SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas, but Judge William Campbell wrote that his decision was “due to the parties’ pending motions to reconsider.”
The judge issued a summary judgment last month dismissing all but one count in the lawsuit. That lone count concerned a 2022 social media post by then-SBC President Bart Barber about the allegations against Hunt, a former SBC president, prominent Georgia pastor and NAMB employee. Hunt was seeking more than $100 million, claiming lost salary and speaking engagements, reputational harm, and emotional distress.
The case stemmed from Guidepost Solutions’ report in May 2022, which was the result of an independent investigation requested by messengers at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting to look into allegations of mishandling cases of sexual abuse within the Convention. An incident involving Hunt and a younger pastor’s wife was discovered during Guidepost’s investigation and included in its report.
The district court judge ruled a month ago, “The issues the Report highlights—allegations of sexual abuse involving clergy members and how allegations of such abuse were handled—are matters of public import.” He also wrote that a jury could not find “that Guidepost failed to act with reasonable care” in its investigation and that Hunt had failed to provide evidence of “mental and emotional injuries.”
The court will set a new trial date and pretrial filing deadlines by a separate order.
Baptist Press
decline the previous year, both less than the at least 2.9% drops each of the previous three years, 2020-2022. At 12,722,266 members, the Southern Baptist Convention is smaller than it has been since 1974.
“Newcomers to the entrances of churches definitely help,” Scott McConnell of Lifeway Research said, “but membership will continue to decline as long as the exits remain active.”
For the first time in about 35 years, the SBC saw four consecutive years of growth in baptisms. Not only have baptisms climbed out of pandemic levels, but the 2024 numbers also
the briefing
Counselor charged
Edwardsville | A contract mental health counselor for two counseling services in Metro East St. Louis has been charged with five counts related to sexual exploitation of a minor. Matthew S. Cuppett of Collinsville was charged May 5. One count of grooming and two counts of exploitation of a minor under age 17 are felony charges. Two additional counts of exploitation of a child are misdemeanors. The alleged victim is a 13-year-old, with incidents occurring over a seven-month period ending in February.
Cuppett, 33, is a professional counselor licensed in Illinois and Missouri. He served as a contract worker with Pathways Counseling since January 2023, and with Metro East Counseling.
Pathways Counseling is a ministry of the Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services of Illinois (BCHFS). Cuppett was placed on administrative leave in March when the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) notified BCHFS of an investigation involving Cuppett.
BCHFS Executive Director Kevin Carrothers said Cuppett had no contact with clients of their residential facilities. Cuppett counseled in Pathways Counseling offices in Maryville, Swansea, and Vandalia.
“All of us at BCHFS are disheartened to hear of these charges,” Carrothers said. “We will be praying for all parties involved, and we will continue to monitor the situation. We will be available to any families who may have concerns.”
Collinsville Police led the investigation after complaints by parents that their son reported inappropriate activities by Cuppett at a sleepover. The Alton Telegraph reports Cuppett admitted to investigators his attraction to children, and that illicit photographs were found on his phone. Cuppett was jailed in Madison County.
IB Staff
topped the last pre-pandemic year of 2019. Churches also added 173,156 other new members, which is similar to pre-pandemic numbers. Of the 41 state conventions, 31 reported increased baptisms compared to the previous year, including the Illinois Baptist State Association.
“Growth in baptisms continues to exceed trendlines before the pandemic,” McConnell said. “The slow return of pre-COVID worship attendees is largely over. Churches’ new attendees are now mostly new believers and those transferring from other churches.”
Excerpted from Lifeway Research
HLGU opposes mandate
Hannibal, Mo. | Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) is asking the U.S. Department of Education to be excluded from a Biden-era regulation requiring schools co-sign financial responsibility agreements. Without a religious exemption from the Program Participation Agreements (PPAs), HLGU plans to file a lawsuit to safeguard its religious freedoms.
The unprecedented “co-signature mandate” interferes with the autonomy of religious institutions, forcing them either to assume unprecedented financial liabilities or else relinquish their right to appoint trustees according to their religious doctrines.
“Demanding that Missouri Baptist churches give up their religious rights or face financial ruin is contrary to the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” said Jon Whitehead, counsel for HLGU. “This regulation threatens the religious autonomy of Baptist, Catholic, and other denominational institutions, and undermines longstanding principles of nonprofit governance.”
Due to the Department’s refusal to process HLGU’s PPA amendment without MBC’s co-signature, HLGU has already lost access to over $500,000 in Prison Pell Grant funds for eligible students, with anticipated future losses estimated at approximately $250,000 per semester. Moreover, failure to secure a renewed PPA by 2026 would prevent HLGU from participating in Title IV programs entirely.
HLGU President Robert Matz said, “The Co-Signature Mandate is discriminatory and unconstitutional. We urge the Department to align its actions with recent Executive Orders prioritizing religious liberty and deregulation, protecting institutions like HLGU that play a vital role in their religious communities.”
Missouri Pathway
Churches bring help and hope
Fatal accident elicits loving response to tragedy
Chatham | The red ribbons tied to light poles and mailboxes are a little tattered, after a month of sun and rain and tears. The village reminded to stay “Chatham Strong” holds onto these symbols of hope, despite the weathering of time.
It was on April 28 that a jeep drove through the fenced play area at an afterschool program, then through the metal gymnasium. Four girls died. Two seven-year-olds, an eightyear-old, and a high school senior who worked with the children were struck down. Even before the town entered into shock, nearby churches moved into action.
Chatham Baptist Church is located across the street from the YNOT program. YNOT stands for “youth need other things,” started 20 years ago to offer afterschool alternatives. The church opened its doors and the children from the center were brought there to await their parents’ arrival.
became a place of weeping and relief. Pastor Ahron Cooney called in his predecessor, Milton Bost, and they consoled families, including one that suffered the loss of a child.
Later Cooney remarked of the village’s response, “It was amazing to see the Chatham Baptist Church family and community rallied together and show love and compassion in such a terrible situation.”
Josh Parsons pastors Springfield’s Western Oaks Baptist Church which has some students in the affected school district. He and family pastor Andy Peterson spent the next day visiting those students in their homes.
This reunification center quickly
Homeowner #61
“As we drove from one meeting to another, I recounted to Andy the string of deaths involving young people in our area over the past year,” Parsons wrote for the Illinois Baptist online. “After the visits, the tears, and the prayers, we remarked how hard it is for adults to process the death of children—much
less how hard it is for children to process the deaths of their peers. We saw the pain in Wes’s eyes as he discussed his senior classmate, Rylee, who died in the accident.”
“When we ask ‘why?’ answers rarely come. But when we ask ‘what now?’ God will eventually show us,” Parsons said.
In a close-knit town of 14,000, everybody knows somebody who was directly affected. Several members of our IBSA team live in Chatham and have students in the schools.
The Presbyterian church two blocks from the crash site offered grief counseling sessions for students for the next several days.
On Friday after the Monday trag-
Churches and volunteers minister after tornadoes sweep Southern Illinois
Marion | As Disaster Relief volunteers worked at the site of a damaged house in Marion, a neighbor walked up. Dustin told his story.
When he saw the swirling wall of debris headed toward them, he grabbed his daughter and fled their home, barefoot. With no safe place to go, Dustin lay on the ground next to a playhouse, holding onto the structure while covering his daughter. The tornado rushed over them, lifting them off the ground while he held on. When it passed, Dustin was left with only a scratch on his hand, but his house was scattered across the field and nearby pond.
On the work orders for Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief, Dustin became homeowner #61.
IBDR volunteers arrived soon after the string of tornadoes that raked Missouri and Kentucky killing 28 also dropped funnels in Illinois on May 16. In
Marion, churches were on duty as shelters and feeding centers, reaching out to their displaced neighbors. Cornerstone Church served as a hub, helping facilitate the work of Marion’s First Baptist, Second Baptist, and Cana Baptist churches.
“The devastation is amazing,” said Jason Thrash, Cornerstone Care Pastor. “Unless you see it, it’s hard to imagine.”
Numerous houses were destroyed along a 16mile path through Williamson, Saline, and Gallatin counties. “The worst destruction happened south of Marion. There the tornado was almost one-anda-half miles wide,” IBDR State Director Arnold Ramage said. “Both Saturday and Sunday we had about 60 volunteers from numerous southern Illinois churches show up to help.” On Monday, DR crews amassed at Cornerstone as a staging area for
edy, the YNOT afterschool program reopened. Cooney was invited to come see the children again. He brought with him a great sack of handcrafted teddy bears. They were made by the sewing ministry of Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in nearby Jacksonville—calico hugs to express the love of Jesus, even when the questions can’t be answered.
— Eric Reed in Chatham
recovery response lasting more than a week.
“It’s been great to see so many volunteers willing to do whatever they can do to help,” Thrash said. “Our Renew Second Hand Store came up with the idea of offering free laundry service. They did 107 loads of wash, dry, and fold for people without power.”
IBDR provided a shower unit. North American Lutheran Church Disaster Response offered 100 cleaning kits, 100 health care kits, along with Bibles and gift cards. IBDR and church volunteers distributed those to people affected by the storm.
Facebook posts showed the storm touched numerous church families. “I am proud to be the pastor of Cana Baptist Church,” Steven Lindsay wrote. The tornado narrowly missed the church just southeast of Marion near Creal Springs, but members quickly reached out.
Ken Sharp, Care Minister at First Marion, said multiple families in their church were affected. One home was standing but “moved off the foundation so much that it will need to be rebuilt,” while another church family’s home was destroyed.
“I received a call from a pastor in Granite City,” Ramage said. “They received damage from the same tornado that impacted St. Louis.” Assessors reviewed the area and IBDR recovery crews were also assigned in the Metro East.
To learn more or to give directly to the work of IBDR, go to IBSA.org/dr.
NOW HOMELESS—Dustin (right) tells his survival story to IBDR State Director Arnold Ramage.
FLORAL MEMORIAL—The fence outside Glenwood High School becomes a gallery of graduate portraits every spring. This year, one of them is a tribute of flowers and ribbons for the lost classmate.
4 Tall Women
These women stand head-andshoulders above the crowds. Whatever their height, they rose to the challenge as the “All-Illinois teaching team” at the Priority Women’s Conference that so excited organizer Carmen Halsey-Menghini.
This was the first year that she slated four keynote speakers all from Illinois. Some of these women were schooled in leadership through their engagement with Illinois Baptist Women. Others are products of SBC seminaries, Disaster Relief, and military service. All are strong examples of what God does with people who are willing to be used in his service.
As the main speakers in four large worship sessions, they took the women on a journey through Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. They are (left to right)—
Lindsay Lewis Bowen—married to Andrew and mother of two girls, they serve Bethel Church in Troy. Lindsay holds a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Seminary and is a marketing manager for Harvest House publishers.
Melissa Pryer—married to Jared and mother of two girls. They live in Southern Illinois. Melissa is a project manager. She enjoys encouraging relationships with ministers’ wives.
Alyssa Caudill—lives in Carmi with her pastor-husband, Drake, and their four children. Alyssa holds a Master of Divinity from Southern Seminary and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Christian Leadership.
Jennifer Smith—is a Jacksonville native, former ship’s captain in the U. S. Coast Guard, and holds five degrees from bachelor’s to Ph.D. She is active as a Disaster Relief chaplain and leads frequent mission trips.
Excerpts of their teaching begin on page 9. And look for videos from the Priority Conference at IBSA.org/ministries/women/priority/.
IN FOCUS
Uplifting words
Priority speakers rise to the challenge
IBSA TEAM REPORT
The setting for this year’s Priority conference may have been different than planned, but the scene was much the same: Signs outside saying “Hooray! You’re here!” Hugs in the foyer. Mini-reunions among friends. Most important was the anticipation of God’s work.
“I kept telling the women, it’s as if God brought us back to somewhere we had already been, but we’ve come back different, we’ve changed since we were last there,” IBSA Leadership Development Director Carmen Halsey-Menghini said.
Getting to the conference in Decatur was a scramble. The Springfield hotel that was the planned site for IBSA’s large annual women’s gathering was closed for a month after damage to its sprinkler system, so Tabernacle Baptist Church graciously offered to host the two-day meeting of about 500 women.
“The women loved worshiping in the church. The group fit but felt more connected.” Meeting there and in multiple remote locations across the state “returned us to our pre-pandemic plan,” the lead organizer said.
Gray skies couldn’t put a damper on Priority. Around 500 women representing more than 90 churches came together and worshipped, praised, prayed, listened, talked, and reflected. At the end of the two-day conference, they took their newfound knowledge back to their homes, churches, and workplaces.
Clear vision
Continued from page 7
“Kim and I have been feeling God’s going to work in a huge way this weekend,” Pauletta Foltz said as she arrived. She and Kim Wernsman are members of Crossroads Church in Centralia.
Wernsman expressed her appreciation for the Priority team’s quick pivot. “I’m sure it was very hard, but it would have been very sad not to have had Priority.”
This year’s event registered fewer in-person attendees, but an increased number of simulcast participants. There were 11 simulcast host churches this year, compared to seven in 2024.
With attendance from more than 90 churches, “there’s a certain synergy with the exhibitors and technology changes that brings things together,” Halsey-Menghini said. “Now people aren’t as scared of simulcasting as they were. Ultimately, by taking Priority smaller, it’s making it larger.”
Cheryl Reindl, a member of Chatham Baptist Church, called Priority “Truly an amazing weekend! Many of us, myself included, were in need of some intentional, quiet time with Jesus—and he met us there in powerful ways. [The move] created a sense of warmth, intimacy, and a deeper connection with Jesus that touched every heart.”
Affirmations
Amanda McDaniel of Crossroads Church in Centralia attended the pre-conference, a writer’s workshop. “I’ve felt a lot of affirmation about things about I’ve been ignoring because of fear,” she said through tears. “God’s been calling me to be a writer since I was growing up and I didn’t want to leave my small town,” she said.
McDaniel writes for herself and one of her favorite topics is her late grandmother who loved crocheting. She also enjoys writing devotions. When McDaniel arrived at the conference, she was handed a crocheted doily as a table favor and the topic was devotions. It was led by Michelle Hicks, Lifeway’s manager of magazines/devotional publishing.
For some it was their first time to attend Priority. Marilyn Heyen said work responsibilities kept her away in the past. She was excited to see what she had been missing. “I don’t think you’re ever too old to grasp something new,” said Heyen who attended the “40 Prayers for My Prodigal” breakout
THE EXPERIENCE —
1. Purple insulated cooler bags contained journals, highlighters, sticky notes, and goodies for attendees.
2. The exhibit hall is popular. It features vendors, including WorldCrafts, a compassion ministry of national WMU, which develops sustainable fair-trade businesses among impoverished people around the world.
3. Attendees were greeted warmly on arrival.
4. Women enjoyed participating in times of praise and worship led by Melissa Milbourn, Worship and Media Minister of Marshall Baptist Church.
5. April Tennyson, a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, Benton, taught one of 50 breakout sessions.
session. “Sometimes one of the things that comes back to light is that you are not responsible and everyone is unique,” she said.
There were several young mothers in attendance who were thankful for the opportunity Priority gave them to spend time with other Christian moms. Jenny Griffin of Patoka First Baptist Church said she found value in “being with like-minded individuals telling you what you’re doing with your children is right, when the world isn’t” saying that.
First-time attender Kaylin Cotler came with the Centralia group. Cotler said she was “looking for things to instill” in her young son, Memphis. And Lindsay Cole said, “I want to get in touch with Christ and be the best woman and mother he wants me to be.”
Fresh insights
After a roller-coaster experience for Priority 2025, Halsey-Menghini came away with glimpses of God’s intent. Attenders “have a renewed sense of urgency to jumpstart discipleship in their personal lives, embracing who they are now and engage their communities. Our hope is to reignite our intentionality toward compassion ministries in our communities, positioning the church as the lighthouse.”
Whether members of your church attended Priority or not, Halsey-Menghini invites women’s leaders to text PRIORITY25 to 33777 and complete a free assessment of your women’s ministry. Lisa Misner in Decatur
‘Together’ in Ephesians: Priority platforms team teaching on unity
Melissa Pryer
Unity requires grace and humility as God crafts unique parts into a complex whole.
What can unite people who are distinctly different from one another? The only thing that can bring groups together and keep them together is the gospel. So, we are those who believe we’re all “in Christ” for the praise of his glory. So why is it significant to be “in him”? Why does Paul use this term over and over in his writings?
If we look at who we were before Christ, Paul says in Ephesians 2 that we were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship, foreigners to the covenant of promise. We were distinctly not “in him” and distinctly “in the world”—but who are we now?
We are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people, members of his household. We are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit. Anyone now “in Christ” is considered family.
Look at the word together. It literally means “to gather.” The goal of unity is to join unique parts together to form a unified complex whole. But does God ask us to strive for unity or uniformity? Is it possible that we would say unity, but in our minds, we actually mean uniformity?
Uniformity can seem easy. Uniformity provides rules to follow and boxes to check. There’s something comfortable about knowing the specific standard and being able to measure it, but that’s not what God calls us to. He calls us to unity: Joining together for unity requires grace and humility, as he crafts unique parts into a complex whole.
Alyssa Caudill
Unity doesn’t mean you being something you’re not. It’s embracing who God made you to be.
Three times in Ephesians 3 we see this word mystery. Then Paul tells them this is what the mystery is: the Gentiles whom Paul was called to preach to are fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Rome as a nation became a big melting pot
because they had this insatiable thirst to conquer. They would conquer people and assimilate them in. They would take from other cultures what they found beneficial to their own, and they would add it in. These cultures were allowed to keep their own heritage so long as it didn’t cause issues.
The Jews are converted, guess what they’re still holding on to? Their past heritage, them being God’s people. As Gentiles are converted, guess what they don’t care about? The Jews’ heritage. Put that together and you have some big differences going on within the church.
But Jew, Greek, all are fellow heirs. Paul says they are members of the same body. He totally makes up a new Greek word here: soma. They’re not just members of the same body; this is a brand new body. In Jesus they are all saved. They are redeemed the exact same way.
What a beautiful thing is this mystery—this new church made up of all these different people from all these different backgrounds reveals the manifold wisdom of God.
Unity doesn’t mean you become something you’re not. And we see this now. Unity happens when there is an ever-increasing embracing of who God made you to be.
Jennifer Smith
The uniform of Christ’s Kingdom is to be clothed in love, which binds us together.
I saw a girl wearing a uniform yesterday, a nice crisp, clean sports uniform, walking with that little swagger of an athlete because she was clothed in the uniform of her team. And I thought back to my military days when I would put on my Coast Guard uniform and stand a little straighter and walk a little taller.
Have you have worn a uniform of some kind? Policeman, fireman, nurse, doctor. If so, you know what I’m talking about. Being clothed in that uniform causes us to take on the greater identity and the character behind that organization that the uniform represents.
The uniform of Christ’s Kingdom is to be clothed in love, which binds us together in unity. Christian unity is not an option. There’s one body, one spirit, one Lord. Jesus abolished the wall that separates us, and he paid a high price so we could be bound together by a common faith, a common loyalty, and
a common mission. We witness to the lost world around us by how we treat one another.
Jesus came to destroy the hostility that divided the Jews and the Gentiles. He came to destroy the hostility that divides church member from church member. Today, our world is filled with division and strife between races, between nations, between religions, between the rich and the poor, the educated and uneducated, the male and the female. Whenever we feel inferior or if we feel superior, it brings division, and division weakens us. Being united in Christ allows the very power of God and the very presence of God to come. It brings us near to God and near to one another. We don’t have to look alike or think alike, but we must keep eyes on that same goal. Four centuries ago, St. Augustine famously summed it up, In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.
Lindsay Lewis Bowen
If the foundation of love erodes under the church’s feet, then any chance of being united really goes with it.
One of the biggest schemes the devil is to try to separate us. He’s going to tell you to identify with anything that is not your identity in Christ. He’s going to pit you against your brothers and sisters and have you take sides. And this happens in big ways: “This is a millennial. This is a boomer. This is a Republican. This is a Democrat. He’s part of the 1%. Black, white, male, female.” We know those. But think about the small ways. We create clubs and decide which people are our people based on the dumbest stuff I’ve ever heard: Parenting style, traditional families, working moms, stay-at-home moms, homeschooling, public schooling, private schooling, homesteading… We’ve created a Russian nesting doll of exclusive memberships and tiny clubs until it’s just us. It’s like being in a hall of mirrors.
We’re not called to live this way. We must embrace the diversity of thought and ability and perspective and skills that God has provided for the church and for her mission—so that we can be strong, so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil, so that we can walk as lights in this world.
The victory has been won. And as we leave this weekend, we must not let Ephesians remain words on a page. It must become our life. Let’s walk after Jesus and stand in his victory alone.
“Spiritual
Halsey-Menghini
Development Director
BREAKING SIN BONDAGES:
• Identifying your enemies
• Repenting after salvation
• Conquering the flesh
• Breaking the power of sin
ARMOR OF GOD:
• Belt of Truth | recognizing & resisting lies
• Breastplate of Righteousness | knowing the difference between the gift of righteousness and practical righteousness
• Gospel Shoes of Peace | walking in your God-given footware
• Shield of Faith | recognizing when & how to raise your shield
• Helmet of Salvation | understanding your headgear
• Sword of the Spirit | what it is & how to use it
MISSION
‘Perfect trip’
Illinois returns the favor to Hoosier neighbors
BY LISA MISNER
Evansville, Ind. | “It is a perfect mission trip for people,” Michael Lancaster said. It’s perfect as a first-time exposure to mission trips, and because it offers so many “different projects.”
The community engagement pastor at Reborn Community Church in Chicago, Lancaster offered the construction project he was working on for a local church as an example. “I’m doing construction,” he said. “I’m not a construction worker, but it’s been a lot of fun… putting the deck together.”
Two summers ago, Serve Tour came to Chicagoland bringing almost 1,000 volunteers from 11 states. The teams participated in over 20 community projects and saw at least 62 salvation decisions. The May 2-3 Indiana event gave Illinois Baptists the opportunity to participate in another large community mission project close to home.
This was Lancaster’s second Serve Tour. Reborn Community Church, which brought a group of 30, was a host location in 2023. “This year we came to help our Evansville brothers and sisters,” he said.
Another returning participant from Serve Tour Chicago was Mike Young, pastor of Ridge Church in Carbondale. His church brought 12 volunteers who helped with a block party.
“For many people [in the group], this is their first mission opportunity they’ve done outside of their city,” Young said. “This is a new experience for them, and we’re excited about that.”
Serve Tour
They came from 29 Illinois Baptist churches spanning from Metropolis all the way up to Chicago, bringing 220 members with them, ages 1 to 89.
They traveled just across the state line for two days of Send Relief Serve Tour mission projects in Indiana. Serve Tour is an excellent introduction to mission trips for first-timers.
Chris Merritt found himself working at a church undergoing the revitalization process. More than 100 years old, the church has been struggling to reach young families. Merritt, a pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur, helped refresh the nursery and clean the building.
“We are putting new flooring and new paint into their nursery area,” Merritt said. “They’re going to have a nursery next Sunday that is completely revitalized, completely fresh, and ready for God to deliver some new children and some new life into their church.”
Playgrounds and parks
Rob Gallion is pastor of Petersburg First Baptist Church. He joined with a local church in helping refurbish an elementary school playground. “The church is seeking to develop a greater partnership with this school which is just a few minutes down the road,” Gallion said. “We were able to come in and just be a light to the school and help the church build some bridges and make some connections with the school that way.”
Eldorado First Baptist Church member Pam Harbison joined a group from Atlanta, Ga. at a community park. “We replaced a basketball goal and put up a new goal and painted the post,” she said. “We painted a building that had a lot of graffiti on it and refreshed that.” They also completed other painting projects and cleared a walking path.
IBSA Director of Missions Shannon Ford was in Evansville working with Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who were there to bolster teams needing additional workers. “The flexibility and willingness to pitch in wherever needed reflects how this team of volunteers says yes to missions,” he said.
Ford spent a day building raised plant beds at a school. “One of the students was happy to see us cleaning out the old greenhouse. He told me had been wanting to grow things which gave me a chance to plant some gospel seeds in his heart.”
First, but not last
“It is my first, but it won’t be my last” Serve Tour, said Mike Kathalynas, a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton. He was assigned to a neighborhood clean-up project. “I like all the folks coming together, the Christians from across the country, coming together on one common goal into the community and seeing who we can touch and touching lives through Jesus Christ.”
North American Mission Board’s Send Relief Serve Tour was held in partnership with the Southwestern Indiana Baptist Association and State Convention of Baptists in Indiana.
In all, 65 churches and more than 750 people from across the country were part of Serve Tour’s 41 projects in Evansville. At least 1,170 gospel conversations were repoted, with 36 salvation decisions. And Illinois Baptists were a big part of it.
With 30 years of mission trip experience, Nelda Smothers wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. “This is a wonderful way to help churches in a given area, but it’s also a good way of getting a whole community to look at the church,” the member of Metropolis First Baptist Church said.
Smothers believes the Serve Tour model is a good first-time mission experience. “I think in the shortterm, something with people that you know and not expensive has many good points to it. I highly recommend it.”
Harbison said she was happy when she saw kids playing on the refreshed basketball court after the team finished.
Continued from page 11
GROWING
MEET THE TEAM
Josh Bledsoe Church Health Director
Home: I grew up in Effingham, and currently live in Monticello
Family: My wife, Holly, and I have three sons, ages 19, 16, and 13.
Education: B. A. in music ed. from Eastern Illinois University, M. A. in Theological Studies and pursuing D. Min. in Church Revitalization at Midwestern Seminary
Prior to IBSA: Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Monticello
My faith backstory: During a worship service at FBC Effingham, I realized my parents had something I didn’t, and I needed it. At the invitation, I sprinted to speak with the pastor. I’m sure my parents were concerned that I was running to the front of the sanctuary.
Verse: “A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart” (Luke 6:45).
Favorite Bible person: I love Paul for his passion and boldness in declaring the gospel regardless of the situation.
Illinois discovery: I love hiking in Giant City State Park during the fall
Hobby: Disc golf and family time.
Author: Ted Dekker
Desert island download: “Listen to Our Hearts.” I sing and play it on the guitar as part of my personal worship time.
A quote I say often: “You’re killing me, Smalls” from the movie, The Sandlot. As a father of three boys, two who love baseball, this quote comes up a lot.
table talk
Watching for Baptist smoke
What we hope for as our own conclave approaches
While the world waited in St. Peter’s Square, watching a nondescript stove pipe protruding from the roof of the Vatican, I was recalling the smoke jokes at the church I have served as interim pastor. At the same time, that congregation was waiting for a report from their pastor search committee. And I also thought about our own Baptist conclave in June.
In Rome, three rounds of black smoke from the vent indicated the super-majority of the 133 cardinals locked inside had not agreed on a single candidate in their latest round of voting. Then, finally, the pipe coughed out white vapor, signaling a new pope. It was relatively quick, and the Chicago native’s selection was a big surprise.
In the case of the church I served as interim pastor, the call process lasted not days or months, but almost two years. A congregation known for its harmonious operations took a long time to reach agreement on a candidate.
Several factors converged: The resume piles have gotten shorter, the wait has gotten longer. Our own search sherpas at IBSA tell us the number of applicants is one-third what it was less than a decade ago. So, a congregation must learn to wait. In the interim, a church’s issues in relationship and theology surface. Waiting becomes opportunity to address those matters, lest a search team
hurriedly bring a new pastor to lead a fractured fellowship. Waiting and watching has its value.
Isn’t that what’s happening as we turn our faces toward Dallas?
There’s a lot of watching and
waiting, and in the meantime, issues of doctrine and fellowship rise to the surface. Internet scuttle tells us the matter of women in pastoral leadership was not resolved with adjustment to the Baptist Faith and Message stating the office of pastor/elder/ overseer is reserved for men. An open letter to Southern Baptists has outlined a plan for bringing the Law Amendment to the SBC Constitution back to the floor for a vote on a schedule shorter than the three years ostensibly required for introduction and super-majority approval votes in two consecutive annual meetings.
And the recent comment-andrebuttal about the effectiveness of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission seems to indicate that a vote on defunding the SBC’s public policy wing is becoming an annual agenda item.
“Let’s
hope the controversies aren’t bigger in Texas”
And once again, as questions are raised about the operations of some SBC entities, motions aimed at mandating transparency through more-revealing financial reporting appear likely—despite the history of such motions being ruled out of order or referred to the trustees of the entity under the magnifying glass.
Debate on these important issues is to be expected, but the arguing, name calling, and sideswiping common to social media has no place in denominational life. The sniping of internet hallways and various factions’ parking lots has moved out front. “I didn’t know people could be so nasty,” I have heard some leaders say as they finished years in national leadership.
Like that vote in Rome, we’re looking for a signal
The root of bitterness Hebrews warned us about is in full bloom above ground. We have only to look at the latest report on SBC membership, now in decline for 18 years, to see its impact. In Dallas we will celebrate the centennial anniversaries of our twin pillars of Baptist theology and missional funding, the Baptist Faith and Message, and the Cooperative Program. But we will also see if we can reach a lasting peace on these two or three issues that are perennially unsettled. I will confess, this is the time when I am usually concerned about the outcome of the convention, when afterward I will say, “Wow, look what God did.” I hope it’s true this year. I will be looking for a few puffs of white smoke to signal positive conclusions have been reached on these issues at our SBC conclave.
We’re looking at you, Dallas.
Eric Reed is editor of the Illinois Baptist.
people
James Ramseyer is the new pastor serving New Beginnings Baptist Church in Streator. Both Ramseyer and his wife, Lydia, are natives of Pontiac. He was saved while serving as a Marine in Okinawa. After a decade in Quantico, Virginia, they returned to the Midwest with their three young sons.
Joe Burtis is serving Saline Ridge Missionary Baptist Church in Harrisburg as bivocational pastor. He served as interim pastor in October, and was called as pastor in January. He is also a teacher at Harrisburg High School. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from Northwestern Theological seminary. Burtis is married to Kelly. They have four children.
Richard Nations has retired as associational mission strategist for Sandy Creek Baptist Association, Murrayville. He served two years. Before that he served at the Thousand Hills Baptist Association, Kirksville, Missouri and the Baptist Convention of Iowa. Nations plans to continue as a freelance writer for Christian publications.
Kristopher K. Kell of Springfield died May 23 at home after a two-year battle with cancer. Kell is remembered as a loving husband, devoted father and son, good friend, and gifted artist. He served two decades as graphic designer for the Illinois Baptist State Association.
“While Kris hasn’t been able to work at IBSA for a couple of years now, he was in many ways the visual illustrator and one of the primary storytellers of IBSA life for well over 20 years,” IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams said. “Quiet and unassuming, yet creative, clever, and hard-working, he served IBSA’s mission so well through his various roles, from graphic designer
In memoriam: Kris Kell, 48, artist
to production manager.”
Kell’s creative work was honored numerous times by his peers in Christian publishing. He was the winner of many awards for excellence in design, including the Illinois Baptist newspaper and Mission Illinois Offering campaigns which were recognized often by the Evangelical Press Association and Baptist Communicators Association. His work through many media inspired Illinois Baptists in pursuit of gospel advance in our state. Kell told many stories about his three daughters. He reveled in being a “girl dad” and took
great pleasure in their accomplishments. He coached their soccer teams, and he was known giving every young player a nickname to bolster her confidence. He rooted for Manchester City in Premiere League and spoke knowledgably on all things related to soccer and the World Cup.
Kell was a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and a member of Grace Church. A Springfield native, he is survived by his wife, Melissa, daughters Alexa, Sophia, and Olivia, his mother, two sisters and a brother and their families, and a host of friends.
SHAPING LIVES THAT SHAPE THE WORLD!
A fate worse than death BRIGHTER DAY
Iwas around 12 years old the first time I got a glimpse of my own mortality. I had a migraine at school, realizing something was wrong when I could read only half of every question on the science test I was taking. Even after the vision disturbance and the terrible headache to follow had subsided, my pediatrician thought it best to check everything out. So that evening, my parents drove me to the hospital for a CAT scan, with totally normal results.
But for about three hours, I was aware something could be very wrong. And because I was 12 with a dramatic flair, I thought of the whole thing as a brush with death. Mostly, I remember the great relief I felt when the technician gave us the all-clear.
Since then, there have been a few other moments I felt rescued from physical danger. You’ve had them too. We walk away from car accidents, get encouraging test results, celebrate new life when babies are born safely. Sometimes, more often than not even, we’re delivered from our greatest fears.
The woman in John 8:2-11 is facing a terrible threat. She is moments away from certain death when Jesus steps in. The rocks may already be in the hands of her accusers. And she likely had enough context of the world and her place in it to know no one is going to save her.
EVENTS
June 24-28
Super Summer
Where: Hannibal-LaGrange University
When: Starts Tuesday at 6 p.m., concludes Saturday at noon. What: A fresh learning experience for students who’ve completed grades 6-12 to develop their fullest potential as Christians
Cost: $270 per student
Info: IBSA.org/supersummer
Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
July 18-19
Level Up Guy Camp
Where: Streator Baptist Camp
When: Friday 3 p.m. - Saturday 5 p.m.
What: A one-night retreat to develop relationships with each other and the Lord. For dads and sons, grandads and grandsons, mentors and mentees, and men and their friends.
Cost: $75 for adults, free for 18 and under Info: IBSA.org/events
Contact: JacobKimbrough@IBSA.org
July 21-27
Go Chicago
Where: Ashburn Baptist Church, Orland Park
When: Monday 2 p.m. - Sunday after church
What: Go Chicago is an immersive student mission experience where you will be involved in church planting, missions, and inner-city ministry. For students who’ve completed 5th grade through college.
Cost: $275 per student in IBSA churches, $350 per student in non-IBSA churches
Info: IBSA.org/gochicago
Contact: KevinJones@IBSA.org
But then, Jesus does. Saving her first from death, and then from something even worse.
“Where are your accusers,” he asks. “Is anyone still here to condemn you?” He makes it clear he’s not there to do that either. There is no condemnation for her, so she can go and sin no more.
If I had been her, the physical rescue would have been the story I told. The immediate impact of moving from death to life would have been what I remembered first. But of course, Jesus saved her from something much worse.
The second part of the rescue is the better place to focus our hearts as we consider how he has saved all those who believe in him. Jesus, thank you for your power to save. Remind us where we headed before you intervened. Let that part of the rescue be the story we share, and the reason for the hope we have.
Meredith Flynn is a wife, mother of two, and writer living in Springfield. She and her family are active members of Delta Church.
NETWORKING
Send NETWORKING items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org
Schram City Baptist Church seeks a bivocational pastor for a congregation of 15 in attendance, mostly senior adults and children. The church continues to reach children, teaching the Bible and providing a friendly worship environment for them. Schram City has a population of 650, and adjoins Hillsboro for a combined population over 6,500. The demographics indicate a significant unchurched population. Inquires and resumes may be sent to Beth Bailie jdabbailie@gmail.com.
First Baptist Church of Brookport seeks a fulltime or bivocational pastor. This SBC church is located in Southern Illinois. It averages 65-75 on Sunday morning. The current pastor is retiring after 20 years’ service. Send resume to 700 Pell Road, Brookport IL 62910. Attn: Pastor Search Committee.
Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Medora seeks a full-time or bivocational pastor. The church is a multi-generational congregation located 40 miles north of the St. Louis Metro East area. The candidate would have a passion for community outreach, seminary or Bible college background, and agree with Baptist Faith and Message (2000) Submit resume to pastorsearch.mtpbc@gmail.com.
Cost: Current members are free. New members or those with expired badges cost $50.
Info: IBSA.org/dr
Contact: JanetSheley@IBSA.org
All Church Training
September 11: Wayne City BC, Wayne City (6-8 p.m.)
September 16: Friendship BC, Plainfield (6-8 p.m.)
September 18: TBA, Metropolis (6-8 p.m.)
September 25: Emmanuel BC, Sterling (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.)
What: A tune-up for your core ministries. Pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers will receive training to lead a healthy, growing church.
Cost: Free
Info: IBSA.org/events
Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
September 13
Illinois Mission Day
What: Join in showing the love of Jesus in Illinois communities. Participate in ready-made, half-day outreach and service projects for the whole family. Illinois, it’s OUR mission! Where: Various locations
Cost: No Cost Info: MissionIllinois.org
September 14-21
Mission Illinois Offering
What: Week of prayer and giving for state missions. Your MIO giving stays 100% here, and supports work in Illinois. Where: Your Church Info: MissionIllinois.org
Martinsville First Baptist Church is seeking a full-time Pastor. We are looking for a man with a shepherd’s heart. Must affirm and adhere to Baptist Faith and Message (2000) and meet biblical qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. Send resume to MFBCpastorsearch@yahoo.com or Martinsville FBC, PO Box 357, Martinsville, IL 62442.
Search more church openings at IBSA.org/pastor-search or scan this code.
Nominees sought
The Nominations Committee will soon draft a slate of candidates for at least 30 elected positions in IBSA leadership. In addition to IBSA’s six committees, the Nominating Committee will recommend people to serve on the Association’s three boards: IBSA, Baptist Foundation of Illinois (BFI), and Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services (BCHFS). The deadline to receive nominations is August 1. Forms are posted at IBSA. org/about/organization. Contact BarbTroeger@IBSA.org or 217-391-3107.
MEREDITH FLYNN
Take Another Look
100 years of the Baptist Faith & Message
On the centennial of the SBC’s statement of faith, let’s explore what we believe and take time to reinforce a solid foundation.
Live,
local, and late-breaking
Article 6 in the Baptist Faith and Message is the only one that has been amended since the Convention adopted the full revision in 2000. The change left some wondering, “How did that happen?” and “Is that allowed?”
The revision came by a motion from the floor at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Even the messenger who brought the motion said later he expected it to be referred to the Executive Committee for study and subsequent action, but instead it was brought for a vote in rapid order.
The Article 6 revision was directly related to a matter already on the floor, amending the SBC Constitution to strengthen the language on maleonly pastors. This small adjustment in the BF&M seemed to be an expression of the will of the Convention that came without amending the Constitution: “…the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”
The revision made two important distinctions: the office of pastor is for men only, and the definition of pastor was clarified to include three biblical words that sometimes have been viewed as separate offices. By the Baptist Faith and Message (as amended in 2023), “pastor” equals “elder” equals “overseer.” That last word is translated as “bishop” in some versions of the Bible and in some denominations that have bishops. By implication, that puts these positions on a level field, and all of them may only be held by men. While the Convention may debate further reinforcements of “male-only” language within the SBC Constitution, the widely accepted statement of faith has already spoken on the issue.
Why ‘local’ is important
The story is told of a Texas pastor who phoned the state convention office one day. The new receptionist answered, “Baptist Headquarters, how may I direct your call?”
“Young lady,” he rumbled, “That is not ‘Baptist Headquarters.’ I am standing in ‘Baptist Headquarters!’ I am calling from First Baptist Church!”
IV. The Church
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon. While both
His point was made. Ours is a grassroots denomination. Southern Baptist governance is from the pew upward. The next time he phoned, the call was answered, “Baptist Building”—a very important distinction.
accepted as members in a Baptist church.
This article is our clearest official declaration of the denomination’s ecclesial distinctives: As the Body of Christ, the church is an organism, not an organization. And the local church is autonomous, self-governing, and operated by democratic processes. The local congregation is, so to speak, headquarters.
The local church may voluntarily associate with other churches in shared mission endeavors, but no larger hierarchical organization can make demands on the local church.
Admittedly this concept has been challenged in recent years by requirements for local churches to address issues of sexual abuse, racism, and women in a lead pastor role, but a church’s decision to comply in order to remain in “friendly cooperation” with the national Convention is strictly voluntary.
As for governance by “democratic processes,” decision-by-business-meeting wherein most every member speaks up on most every issue has shifted somewhat. Not as many churches have monthly business meetings. And more churches rely on pastoral staff or other designated leaders to handle more of their business.
Operating a non-profit has become complicated with rules and regulations and insurance and facilities maintenance and financial reports and HR policies, and the list goes on. But so long as the members elect their leaders, be they pastors, elders, or deacons, the democratic nature of congregational government is preserved—and with it, eligibility for association with the SBC network of churches.
In this article, the Baptist distinctive of a regenerate membership is identified as a core belief. Only those who have been saved and made a public profession of their faith by baptism are
men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
Matt 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:1114; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Eph 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Phil 1:1; Col 1:18; 1 Tim 2:9- 14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Heb 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Rev 2-3; 21:2-3.
**This article was amended June 14, 2023, by action of the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention**
In an essay on Article 6 (Baptist Press, 2002), Church History Professor Gregory Wills of Southern Seminary pointed out that the doctrine on the church comes from God. “Baptists in the past generally held that the doctrine of the church was a revealed doctrine. Many still do.
“Others are returning to this conviction,” Wills wrote. “Ecclesiology, in its fundamental aspects, is a matter of revelation.” In other words, the church, as we understand it and seek to practice it, is not a human contrivance. God planned the church.
Doesn’t that elevate the role of the church in the world and in our lives? Church, which was once the center of community life and the hub of family activity, is still God’s Plan A for reaching the world, for bringing his people together to advance the gospel, and, along with marriage, the living example of covenant relationship.
Church attendance was on the slide before the Covid pandemic, but now even “regular” church goers are present with fellow believers only a couple of times a month. It’s the centrality of the church in our earthly lives and our heavenly purpose that Article 6 espouses. And it’s that rightful place for the church we must restore.
Finally, the article makes clear that the whole Church (often called the capital “C” church) is the body of believers in all places, across all times, who will gather at the throne to worship Jesus Christ our Savior for all eternity. In that sense, worship by the church in the local context is but a preview of the glory to come.
A lesson in Ralph Neighbor’s “Survival Kit for New Christians” points out an important fact. And a pastor who used that kit in a new members’ class demonstrated it this way. He gave each participant a sheet of aluminum foil. “Shape this into something that represents the church,” he said.
Several made crosses or folded the sheet into a book shape to represent a Bible. One made four walls and asked for a second sheet to make a roof. Then the pastor took a sheet. From the underside, he shaped the foil around his thumb several times. It looked like a row of eggs in a carton.
“The church is not a building,” he said. “It’s people.”
That was a clarifying object lesson for those who thought of “church” as a place they “go” or an activity set to music on a Sunday morning.
“It’s not classes or singing or even sermons from Scripture,” the pastor said. “The church is believers in Jesus. The church is people.”
