March 2, 2020 Illinois Baptist

Some people have a special gift— and don’t know it.

ERLC probe sparks debate

Over

Nashville, Tenn. | The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee took action on several issues during its February meeting, including a polarizing program for the 2020 SBC Pastors’ Conference and a new 5-year vision plan.

No action garnered as much attention, though, as the EC’s vote to examine past and current activities of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). In announcing the probe, the EC cited “ongoing concerns” from its own members, state leaders, and other Baptists that the ERLC is not adequately fulfilling its Convention-approved ministry assignments.

The ERLC Executive Committee strongly opposed the probe, calling it “unwarranted, divisive, and disrespectful,” in an open letter posted Feb. 20 on ERLC.com. The ERLC officers said messengers at the SBC annual meeting should have an opportunity to say whether they agree with the EC’s decision. “Until then, we are instructing Dr. Moore and the ERLC not to comply with it until messengers have an opportunity to signal their belief that such a task force is appropriate and legitimate.”

NATE ADAMS

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

why parents choose a church

Children’s program is the primary reason for church choice:

– Barna

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

– Barna, Jan. 2020

Understanding the world where we live and serve

Church needed here...

Location: Belmont Cragin

Focus: Latino residents, which make up 81% of the population

Characteristics: Home to 80,000 people, Belmont Cragin has dropped in employment and increased in crime, violence, and gangs.

Prayer needs: Engagement with community.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 2/21/20

$741,459

Budget Goal: $848,077

Received to date in 2019: $864,380

2020 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3119 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. E-mail us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff.

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every 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.

The church planters among us

Years ago while I was working in Christian publishing, I was also a Sunday school teacher, and a young deacon. I had also been a youth minister, and a worship leader. But I did not have Bible college or seminary education.

So I was a little intimidated when I learned that the new couple in our young adult Sunday school class both had seminary degrees, and the husband, Tim, also had a doctorate and taught at the nearby Wheaton Graduate School. Though I had grown up in a pastor’s home and studied the Bible quite a bit, I soon found myself turning to him whenever there was a tough question in class.

Finally one day, Tim took me aside and reassured me that my preparation and teaching were solid, that he could sense the Spirit’s work in my leadership of the class, and that I had every reason to trust my own biblical knowledge and interpretation and not defer to him so often.

In fact, he said, he wondered if I might be interested in talking with him about the possibility of starting a new church in a nearby community. Tim was a professor of evangelism, and his studies had shown him that new church plants are especially effective at reaching unbelieving or unchurched people.

By offering a church in a new location, with a more informal and contemporary style, Tim was confident we could see people come to faith in Christ that no other church was reaching. But he didn’t feel he could do it alone. His young family and demanding full-time job left little extra time in his schedule, and he said he knew it was the same for me. But together, and with help from other part-timers, he thought we could do it.

I won’t try to share here all the details of the church plant that grew out of that conversation, other than to say that a couple of years later about 200 regular attenders were worshiping in a school gym, meeting for Bible study in a dozen homes, and baptizing new believers in a hotel swimming pool.

But here’s my main point. There are church planters among us.

They are in our churches. They are Sunday school teachers and deacons. They are businessmen and farmers and educators and entrepreneurs. Few have formal Bible college or seminary education, though today that is more possible than ever. But they are students of the Bible, they have unique skill sets from their own vocations and experiences, and they care about people who are far from God.

If there are “church planters among us,” then why are more of them not out there taking the gospel to the lost and churchless communities of our state? For the most part, I believe it is simply because no one is inviting them to do so.

It probably would have never occurred to me as a young Sunday school teacher and deacon that I could help lead a church plant that would reach hundreds of people and introduce them to Jesus. But then someone told me I could. He invited me to join him in doing so. And I’ll never be the same.

At this time of year, many churches focus on North American missions, and on the missionary task of planting churches. Leaders in this area consistently tell us that the greatest limitation they face is not money, strategy, or opportunity. It is the shortage of church planters. I think I know where they are. They are among us. Let’s tell them what we see in them, challenge them to answer the call, and join them in the mission.

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

Let’s tell them what we see in them— ability and opportunity.

“Even though children may be small, they carry big weight when it comes to family decisions about where to worship.”

Research

State abortion rate up 8%

Springfield | The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) released state abortion statistics for 2018 which showed an increase of over 3,000 procedures in 2017. According to IDPH, 42,441 abortions were performed, 3,112 more than the previous year. A total of 3,578 of the patients reported they were married Illinois residents.

Some attribute the nearly 8% increase to former Gov. Bruce Rauner (R), who signed Illinois House Bill 40 into law in September 2017. That provided abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients through taxpayer funded abortions.

The number performed on out-of-state residents was 5,688, compared to 5,528 in 2017, representing an increase of almost 3%. Many expect the numbers to grow as the state legislature continues to enact progressive abortion laws, while lawmakers in surrounding states tighten theirs. The Reproductive Health Act, passed in June 2019, allows abortions at any time during pregnancy and is expected to attract many out-stateresidents seeking abortions.

Cook County reported the most abortions with 23,189.

Parental notification law at risk

The Illinois requirement that minors receive a parent’s permission prior to an abortion is a likely target in the current legislative session. Senate Bill 1594, a repeal of the Parental Abortion Notice Act, was filed in April 2019 by Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) and was a given a first reading during the spring session. While it failed to go further last year, pro-life advocates caution the discussion is being renewed.

The original notification law was passed in 1995 but held up in courts until 2013. According to Eric Scheidler, executive director of Pro-Life Action League, abortions in the state decreased by 35% after its implementation. He told the Mauck & Baker podcast, Lawyers for Jesus, “[abortion proponents] are trying to water it down so it won’t really have any impact…. They want to undermine the whole concept of parental rights.”

capitol watch

Bill could require HPV vaccines without consent

A bill requiring incoming middle school students to receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is making its way through the state legislature. House Bill 4870, sponsored by Reps. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) and Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), was filed Feb. 11. The bill had its first reading and was assigned to the Rules Committee Feb. 18.

Some contend the HPV vaccine is hazardous to their children’s health. Others argue such a bill would further chip away at parental rights. The requirement would apply to all students prior to entering sixth grade, regardless of public or private school attendance or homeschool status.

Meanwhile Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) introduced Senate Bill 3668, which would repeal religious and medical exemptions for school immunizations and authorize students 14 and older to be vaccinated without parental consent. Currently, the Illinois Department of Public Health requires 12 vaccines for school children. SB 3668 has been referred to the Assignments Committee.

Evanston debates suicide

An assisted-suicide statement under consideration in Evanston could serve as a model for a statewide law, according to Rep. Robyn Gabel. The 18th District Democrat indicated her support for the local resolution and for a similar bill at the state level. According Evanston Now, Gabel said she would be in a “far stronger position” advocating for such a bill “if I can show that my hometown supports me.”

The city’s Health and Human Service Committee voted Feb. 3 to send a “death with dignity” resolution to the full city council. Resident Larry Biondi, who has cerebral palsy, spoke from his wheelchair using a text-reading computer. If such legislation were legalized, he warned, there would be no safeguards to protect disabled persons from abusive application of the measure.

– Compiled by Lisa Misner

PARTNERS FOR LIFE – Marshall Baptist Church joined with Wabash Valley Right to Life for the third year to post a billboard celebrating life. “We wanted, in a spirit of love, to promote life,” said Pastor Paul Cooper. “...Babies are a gift we can cherish. Sometimes [pro-life] imagery can be really strong, and we wanted to be sensitive to that and not make people feel condemned.” Marshall, Ill., is

located close to the Illinois-Indiana border near Terre Haute.

Stetzer to chair Resolutions Committee

SBC President J.D. Greear has appointed Wheaton College’s Ed Stetzer to chair the 2020 SBC Resolutions Committee. Formerly head of LifeWay Research, Stetzer is executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton and dean of the School of Missions, Ministry, and Leadership. Stetzer blogs for Christianity Today and often addresses social justice issues.

“Resolutions offer the messengers an opportunity to express their collective opinion on the issues that matter to them,” Stetzer told Baptist Press. “My hope is that in Orlando, Southern Baptists can pass statements that bring us together, make clear what we believe, and reflect broad consensus.”

More candidates for SBC office announced

Three pastors have been added to the list of nominees for offices to be elected at the SBC annual meeting in Orlando. Dusty Durbin, pastor of Big Level Baptist Church in Wiggins, Miss., will be nominated to serve as second vice president.

“My passion coincides with the reason the Southern Baptist Convention exists, the Great Commission,” he told Baptist Press. “Also, I believe that by serving, if elected, I would be able to represent well the untold number of faithful pastors of normative Southern Baptist churches who lead their churches to champion and generously support the work of the Southern Baptist Convention through the Cooperative Program and our strong missions entities.”

California pastor Stephen Feinstein was previously announced as a candidate for second VP. No candidates have been announced for first VP.

Garrett Kell, pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., will be nominated to serve as president of the 2021 SBC Pastors’ Conference, joining previously announced candidate Matt Henslee of New Mexico. Chad Keck, pastor of First Baptist Church Kettering in Dayton, Ohio, will be nominated as Pastors’ Conference vice president.

African American missionary celebrated

Southern Baptists will remember the legacy of the first Baptist missionary overseas on an annual day dedicated to him. George Liele (1750-1820) was an emancipated slave who became a church planter in Georgia before going to Jamaica as the first American missionary overseas.

During their February 2020 meeting, the SBC Executive Committee voted to approve the first Sunday in February as the annual George Liele Church Planting, Evangelism, and Missions Day, set to begin in 2021.

– From Baptist Press

From the front: executive committee acts on ERLC, pastors’ conference

Continued from page 1

The EC’s officers responded to the letter by reiterating earlier statements that the task force is not an attempt to remove ERLC President Russell Moore or direct the ERLC’s staff. Noting the task force motion “passed unanimously among the (EC) officers, unanimously in subcommittee, and by an overwhelming majority,” EC officers emphasized the board’s responsibility to promote the Cooperative Program.

“When we continue to hear a growing number of reports that churches are either planning to decrease or withhold Cooperative Program gifts and are given specific reasons that relate to a Southern Baptist entity, we have a responsibility that we are granted under the bylaws of the SBC to consider those reports,” the officers said.

Leading up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Moore was a vocal critic of thencandidate Donald Trump. Moore apologized shortly after the election to those who felt he had criticized all who voted for Trump. But some churches, including Prestonwood Baptist in Plano, Texas, temporarily escrowed Cooperative Program giving because of the ERLC’s positions on certain issues.

In 2017, the EC appointed an ad-hoc committee to study the effect of churches escrowing or discontinuing their CP giving. Later that year, the committee reported that fewer than two out of every 1,000 SBC churches had diverted funds during the previous year. The 14 churches that were confirmed by the committee to have done so were estimated to have diverted a total of about $1.5 million away from the Cooperative Program, Baptist Press reported.

In their response to the EC probe, the ERLC Executive Committee noted the earlier study and said “the entire premise of evaluating the ERLC effect on CP giving is flawed unless one also investigates how many churches have increased their giving because of their enthusiastic support of the work of the ERLC.”

Illinois has two representatives on the EC and one on the ERLC Board of Trustees. Adron Robinson and Sharon Carty of the EC and Scott Foshie of the ERLC board released a joint statement following the entities’ exchange of words.

“We want to assure our Baptist family in Illinois that the three of us have great trust, love, and respect for one another as we serve our respective trustee boards of the ERLC and SBC Executive Committee,” they said. “We are working together, along with other SBC-elected trustees from Illinois, to ensure that all your entities, including the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, serve with both integrity and excellence.

“There are many great servants doing the Lord’s work at the ERLC and at our other SBC agencies. We do not want to see anyone falsely accused, but we take our objective oversight responsibility seriously and will always work as agents of truth.”

Conference pending 40 days of prayer

In other action in Nashville, the EC voted to make meeting space available to

the 2020 SBC Pastors’ Conference only if conference president David Uth agrees to amend the program.

The EC’s recommendation didn’t specify which changes need to be made, but several of the slated speakers and musical guests had raised questions among some Southern Baptists. Most notably, the inclusion of Hosanna Wong drew critique because the San Francisco spoken word artist is listed as a teaching pastor on her website. Wong is not a Southern Baptist, nor are two of the conference’s best-known scheduled speakers, Wayne Cordeiro and Jim Cymbala.

The EC originally gave Uth, pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, a deadline of Feb. 24, but extended it to March 30 after Uth asked for 40 days to pray and fast with his church.

Texas church disfellowshipped

As recommended by the SBC Credentials Committee, the EC voted to disfellowship Ranchland Heights Baptist Church in Midland, Texas, whose senior pastor Phillip Rutledge is a registered sex offender.

The church is the first disfellowshipped since messengers to the 2019 SBC annual meeting revised the function of the Credentials Committee, allowing it to receive reports of suspected departures from SBC polity, doctrine, or practice, and make recommendations regarding the possible disfellowship of churches from the SBC.

Floyd shares Vision 2025

Under the new plan introduced by EC President and CEO Ronnie Floyd, Southern Baptists would work to add 500 full-time International Mission Board missionaries by 2025, add 6,000 new SBC churches, encourage those called to ministry to engage in their calling; reverse a decline in baptism and discipleship among 12- to 17-year-olds, and surpass $500 million in Cooperative Program giving.

Currently, SBC churches give around $197 million through the Cooperative Program annually. The number of churches in the SBC actually decreased slightly in 2018 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), but the decline followed almost 20 years of growth in which the SBC added churches each year. Recent increases were mostly in the 250-500 range, while the new goal calls for at least 1,000 new churches each year.

The EC will recommend Vision 2025 to messengers at the SBC annual meeting June 9-10 in Orlando.

– Illinois Baptist, with additional reporting from Baptist Press

FLOYD MOORE STETZER

New Baptist group launched

Network seeks second Conservative Resurgence

Bossier City, La. | A group described as “grassroots” Southern Baptists has announced the formation of the Conservative Baptist Network to address concerns about the direction of the denomination. The group will hold its first meeting June 8 in Orlando.

“We are concerned about the current road our Southern Baptist family is traveling. It is a road that is twisting what God’s word is saying about things like human sexuality, biblical racial reconciliation, and socialistic justice,” spokesperson Brad Jurkovich said in a news release announcing the group’s formation.

Jurkovich, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bossier City, La., is the only person publicly identified as part of the group’s leadership. He declined to share names of other leaders, though he said it was “really local pastor-driven.” He told his church Feb. 16 that 2,500 churches joined the network during its first two days, according to Baptist journalist Bob Allen.

Among the network’s supporters is Chuck Kelley, who retired in 2019 after 23 years as president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Kelley expressed similar concerns ahead of his retirement in a sermon called “Baptist Blues.”

In its press release, the network noted “a significant number of Southern Baptists are concerned about the apparent emphasis on social justice, Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and the redefining of biblical gender roles.” Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, two sociological frameworks with roots in neo-Marxism, were at the center of a controversial resolution adopted at the SBC annual meeting in 2019. Some leaders have called for it to be rescinded at this year’s meeting.

During a radio interview on The Todd Starnes Show, Jurkovich was asked if it is time for a second Conservative Resurgence. “Absolutely,” he told Starnes. When asked by Baptist Press, Jurkovich would neither confirm nor deny whether former Southwestern Seminary president Paige Patterson, a prominent leader in the original Southern Baptist Conservative Resurgence that began in the late 1970s, is involved in the network’s leadership.

The network’s formal launch event is scheduled for June 8, the evening before the opening session of the 2020 SBC annual meeting in Orlando. Preaching, worship, encouragement, a vision statement, and denomination-related challenges are slated for the event, Jurkovich said.

SBC leaders respond

In response to potential division the network’s founding could cause, Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd released a statement Feb. 14.

“The Southern Baptist Convention is at her best when churches are partnering together for mission and standing on the inerrant, infallible, sufficient word of God,” said

Floyd, who assumed the role in May 2019.

“Regardless of our secondary affiliations or networks, we must continue to uphold The Baptist Faith and Message, cooperating with one another for the purpose of seeing every person reached for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state and every nation.”

SBC President J.D. Greear appeared to reference the network in an address during the Executive Committee’s February meeting, as reported by the North Carolina Biblical Recorder newspaper. “Don’t launch a network that says it’s about the recovery of conservative theology or the mission when it’s really not,” Greear said Feb. 18. “I’ve seen where this kind of uncharitable, narrow, four degrees of separation leads, and it’s not where most Southern Baptists want to go.”

Southern Seminary President Al Mohler tweeted, “The real network of Southern Baptists is called the Southern Baptist Convention. It’s going to meet June 9-10 in Orlando. I look forward to joining you there.”

Mohler has been announced as a candidate for SBC president, along with Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention. The Conservative Baptist Network has announced no plans to endorse a current candidate nor enter a nominee for elected offices of the SBC.

the briefing

Wheaton students win in court

Wheaton College students returned to Chicago’s Millennium Park last week to share the gospel for the first time since they were told to stop preaching there in December 2018. A judge’s ruling Feb. 20 temporarily bars Chicago from restricting speech in the park (home of the famous Bean sculpture), despite rules that restrict speeches and handing out written communication to one corner. Judge John Robert Blakey granted a preliminary injunction against the park’s rules, and set a status hearing for March 4.

The students filed suit last fall, stemming from a 2018 incident in which they were told to stop distributing literature and preaching in the park. John Mauck, an attorney representing the students, said the recent ruling “benefits anyone who wishes to exercise their First Amendment rights in a traditional public forum, regardless of the political, religious, or ideological content of their message.”

High Court to hear religious liberty dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court will again weigh in on whether some organizations are exempt from certain laws based on their religious convictions. The high court announced in February it will hear an appeal from Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia, whose foster care contract with the city ended in 2018 after officials learned the agency wouldn’t endorse samesex couples as foster parents. The charity filed suit, claiming that to do so would be in conflict with the Catholic church’s teaching on marriage. Catholic Social Services lost in a lower court, but the Supreme Court will hear its appeal during its next session, which starts in October.

Dating in divided times

On a podcast for young Baptist leaders, Mohler said he hadn’t meant his tweet to be “snarky,” but rather was pointing out that the one meeting that matters is the SBC annual meeting. “I didn’t say if you’ve got a problem with x, y, or z, don’t come,” Mohler told leaders of the B21 network. “I said come to Orlando in June of 2020, and if you don’t come to that room, the other rooms in the SBC don’t matter.”

Mohler also said he knows of no leaders in the SBC who are trying to “liberalize” the denomination, but that the culture at large is certainly moving in that direction. “It’s going to take keener theological thinking,” he said. “It’s going to take more acute biblical thinking to avoid being sucked into the vortex of this larger culture.”

A majority of U.S. adults say they won’t date someone who disagrees with their view of President Donald Trump. White evangelicals agree, but to a slightly lesser degree—55%, according to a survey by the American Enterprise Institute as reported by Christianity

Today

The survey also measured which issues are most important for dating couples. A majority of white evangelicals said it would be “impossible” or “very difficult” to date someone who disagreed with them on religious liberty or abortion.

– Chicago Tribune, Christian Post, NBC News, Christianity Today

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

– From Baptist Press, with additional reporting by the Illinois Baptist

JURKOVICH

AT ISSUE – The newly formed Conservative Baptist Network opposes a resolution on Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality adopted at the 2019 SBC annual meeting in Birmingham.

Illinois perspectives

On ERLC study task force

During the 90’s, I was honored to serve as Illinois trustee on the CLC [Christian Life Commission], which became ERLC during my tenure.

From the days of Foy Valentine, the organization has been controversial and withdrawal of financial support was threatened. It comes with the territory.

Every year, as he finished his SBC annual report, Dr. Valentine drawled, “Thanks for my annual call.”

– Duane Faulkenberry, Herrin, on Facebook

I served as the Illinois trustee for eight years and was there when Dr. Moore was elected. I was honored to serve, and to elect Dr. Moore. That said, I have become concerned about the direction of the ERLC and support the EC task force in their work. If the ERLC is doing nothing wrong and has nothing to hide, they will be vindicated and should work with the task force to that end....If they lead young pastors into muddy theological waters, their activities need to be halted.

– Curtis Starner, Blackstone, on Facebook

I reached out to the members of the @SBCExecComm to express my concerns over the formation of the @ERLC task force....Our interactions have been respectful, and the tone has been warm and kind....Reach out with the questions you’ve got. You might not like the answers, but it’s your responsibility to speak up. If you really care, show up in Orlando for #SBC20. You have to be in the room. Decisions are made by those who show up.

reporter’s notebook

Philosophical cracks are showing

The growing fractures underlying evangelicalism run beneath Southern Baptists as well. And in today’s political and cultural environment, they appear to be widening. If a task force appointed by the SBC Executive Committee to study actions of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is the flash point, then the Orlando Convention could witness the broader collision of ideologies.

The stage was set with the announcement of Al Mohler’s candidacy for SBC president. Election of the Southern Seminary president might signal the tipping point toward Reform theology in the SBC, if not for the unexpected candidacy of Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention, on a “traditionalist” platform. “I believe that we need a clear change in direction in order to fulfill our God-given mission and reverse our present course of decline in every key measurement of Great Commission advance,” Adams stated. “After waging a decades-long battle for the Bible, we are in danger of losing the war we were founded to fight.”

A new coalition of Baptists, announced in February, raised the possibility of a second Conservative Resurgence. Is the denomination “woke”—or too-woke? The adjective, adapted from current culture, implies more

practicums,

STEP

than awareness of social needs and issues. In this usage, it could be seen as bowing to cultural pressure relating to women, gender issues, immigration, and more. Interpreted as a liberal bent, this is one complaint the ERLC probe is likely to explore.

Overlaying all of that is the numinous of the election year. SBC President J.D. Greear has stated there will not be a repeat of the 2018 convention appearance by Vice President Mike Pence or the implied endorsement of Republican politics at the SBC’s annual meeting. Not everyone in SBC life agrees with Greear’s “hands-off politics” philosophy. It’s worth remembering that Pence got more than one standing ovation from the Baptist faithful in Phoenix.

Add to that Greear’s appointment of Ed Stetzer who frequently blogs his Christian response to social issues. He will chair the Resolutions Committee, the panel whose statements on politics and culture have produced the most argument on the convention floor in recent years.

And let’s not forget the objections to the Pastors’ Conference line-up, which, at this point, includes three non-Southern Baptists, one of them a woman “spoken word artist.”

Looking ahead to Orlando, one reporter was advised, “Pack your flak jacket.”

THE DOOR YOU OPEN TODAY DETERMINES THE DOORS THAT WILL OPEN TO YOU TOMORROW. At Judson, we understand the importance of providing you with opportunities — for knowledge, experiences, spiritual growth, and preparation in your chosen field of study. Over 90% of our students intern in area businesses. Opportunity is knocking. Open the door to Judson.

– Eric Reed

– Rayden Hollis, Edwardsville, on Twitter

IN FOCUS

‘This is my story’

Churches celebrate baptism and new life, as Annual Church Profiles testify to continuing challenges

BY MEREDITH FLYNN

One weekend every month, leaders at Vale Church move a mobile baptistry into the lobby of the church’s Bloomington building. “Baptism weekend,” held the fourth weekend of most months, is a time of church-wide celebration, said adult ministries pastor Nolan Recker

“Personal is powerful,” Recker said, and the church’s baptism weekends highlight personal stories of life transformation. Baptism candidates pre-record brief testimonies that are played in the auditorium prior to their baptism. As the testimony ends, worshipers see live footage of the baptism happening in the lobby. When the person comes out of the water, Recker said, the symbol of new life is accompanied by worship music and cheering from the congregation.

Personal is powerful.

Vale is one of many IBSA churches celebrating new spiritual life on a regular basis through the practice of baptism. The Bloomington church baptized 125 people last year, more than doubling the total from the previous year.

Across Illinois, 3,553 people were baptized in IBSA churches last year, according to Annual Church Profile reports submitted by churches. The total is down 3.3% from 2018, but that year saw an increase of more than 200 baptisms after several years of decline. The Illinois numbers mirror recent trends in the Southern Baptist Convention, which has also reported multiple years of baptism declines.

Victory in Jesus

Mike Masters was baptized at Vale Church last year, along with his wife, Sarah. The Bloomington church celebrated 125 baptisms in 2019, including 8-year-old Annabelle Gehrt (page 8).

Photos submitted by Vale Church Page 1: Allie Hugghins is baptized by Tim Drury, associate pastor at FBC Bethalto, surrounded by her mom, Holly, sister, Ashley, and dad, Ben

Photo by David Weigand

P. 8

Continued from page

“Last year, our statewide baptism total came from about 53% of the reporting churches,” said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams, meaning 47% of IBSA churches didn’t report any baptisms. “Many of those zero-baptizing churches are wonderful fellowships of believers, and of course some are in very small communities.

“But just as both diet and exercise are vital to our health as individuals, church health requires a steady diet of worship and Bible study within a fellowship, and also the exercise of service, missions, and evangelism out in the community and beyond. We would love to help more churches discover new ways of sharing the gospel and seeing new believers baptized.”

Recker said his church is always trying to improve how they celebrate baptism, including considering how they could incorporate spontaneous baptisms. On a recent baptism weekend, the church baptized 11 people, one of which was unplanned.

Of Vale’s baptisms last year, around 50 came through a discipleship initiative called Rooted. The program, created by Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif., is focused on commissioning Christians for ministry. The majority of people who have gone through Rooted at Vale were already in a small

group, giving regularly, attending faithfully, and serving, Recker said. But the initiative has also had a 20% baptism rate at Vale. Participants already believed in Jesus, Recker said, but many were compelled to intentionally walk with him through baptism.

At First Baptist Church in Bethalto, Allie Hugghins recognized baptism as the first step of obedience after accepting Christ as her savior. Surrounded by her parents and younger sister, the

Top IBSA churches in total baptisms

sixth grader was baptized Dec. 8, 2019 (see photo on page 1).

Hugghins made the decision to follow Jesus at Youth Encounter, an annual evangelistic outreach sponsored by IBSA and local churches. In a video her church made to celebrate her baptism, she explained how the worship music she heard at Youth Encounter led her to a decision.

“I knew I needed to repent, and I needed his forgiveness.”

Challenging days

The Annual Church Profile reports submitted by IBSA churches show that many congregations celebrated professions of faith like Allie’s in 2019. The metric was one of the highlights of the most recent ACP reports, which show professions of faith increased 2.3% over the previous year. Also on the rise: church membership among IBSA congregations, and morning worship attendance, which increased 1.5% to 67,851 attenders.

Giving through the Cooperative Program increased 3.6% over the previous year, and the annual Mission Illinois Offering was up 10.5%.

Top IBSA churches in baptisms per resident member

Continued from page 8

“These are challenging days, not just for Baptists in Illinois, but for Christians in American culture,” Adams said. “That’s why we’ve been challenging churches to renew the ‘pioneering spirit’ that first brought the gospel and Baptist churches to Illinois more than 200 years ago.”

Two years ago, IBSA introduced the Pioneering Spirit Challenge to encourage churches toward new passion for evangelism, church planting, giving, and leadership development. Around 250 IBSA churches committed to go new places for church planting, engage new people with the gospel, make new sacrifices in missions giving, and develop new leaders in the next generations of ministers and missionaries.

“The 2019 bounce backs in church membership, worship attendance, and missions giving are encouraging indicators that churches are rekindling that pioneering spirit,” Adams said.

He also noted, though, that the multi-year trends point to continued challenges. And while national SBC statistics from 2019 ACP reports won’t be released until later this spring, the 2018 numbers showed declines in baptisms, church membership, and average worship attendance.

“Even though several statewide numbers were up in 2019 compared to 2018, the 10-year and 15-year trends in most categories tell us that many churches are still in need of revitalization, especially if they are to grow strong enough to start the many new churches that are needed in our state,” Adams said.

“Many churches are recognizing that need and asking for help, and IBSA is already investing heavily in the spiritual assessment, coaching, and change processes that can help churches reverse those long-term trends.”

In response to the needs evident from ACP reports and the Association’s annual Church Needs Survey (see column at right), IBSA has made church revitalization a key priority for 2020. For more information about resources and strategies, contact IBSA’s Revitalization Team at (217) 391-3122.

Cooperative Program

When your church gives, 56.5% works in Illinois. And 43.5% goes to SBC missions worldwide.

Education Executive Committee, SBC Operating Budget Ethics/Religious Liberty Comm.

Illinois churches rate their ministry needs

The annual survey of IBSA churches about their ministry needs shows many congregations face the same issues: reaching students and young adults, growth in evangelism and leadership, and revitalization. The online poll, conducted in October and November 2019, had the highest response rate of the past five years, with 504 participants. Here are some highlights:

65% rated reaching college/young adults as either 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale, while 55% said they need help reaching students. Young adults were also the most needed target group for church planting in their area, according to 75% of respondents. Other age groups rated less than 50%.

Revitalization is needed: 44% said it’s “needed now,” while an additional 23% said revitalization is “urgently needed.” Not as many were convinced their church is ready for revitalization, with 45% saying a limiting factor is “lack of readiness or openness to change.” 48% cited “vision, strategy, and planning” needs from a list of items related to church administration and organization.

67%

5-in-10 respondents said they need ministry assistance with evangelism, leadership development, revitalization, and discipleship. Ranked by 4-in-10 or less were missions mobilization, worship and technology, Sunday school/small groups, church planting, prayer ministry, and VBS.

of those surveyed said CHURCH REVITALIZATION is needed.

9-in-10 are mostly satisfied with the current Cooperative Program split of 56.5% funding work in Illinois, while 43.5% is forward to the national SBC for missions and education. 60% said keep the current ratio, while 30% said increase the percentage that stays in Illinois.

John Yi met Jesus at a new church. Now, he plants churches for immigrants in Illinois, with your support through CP.

See John’s story and the whole video series at IBSA.org/CP

MISSION Generation Go

Young missionaries join call to take the gospel across North America

San Diego | Southern California sounded like a vacation spot to Ebbie Davis at first, not a location for serious mission work. Besides, the seminary degree she was working on at the time focused on international church planting, not North America.

But as she looked at an opportunity to serve in San Diego through the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) GenSend program, a friend asked some questions about what her time there would entail.

“I said I’d be working with a church plant there,” said Davis (center in photo above), “and learning how to live my life on mission and do ministry in the context of the city.”

Her friend pointed out that it sounded exactly like the aim of her degree program at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Davis realized it might be a perfect fit.

GenSend is NAMB’s missions development program that enables college-age students, age 18 to 25, to serve in a NAMB Send City for 6-8 weeks and learn how to live their lives on mission. They come alongside missionaries in church planting and compassion ministry for an in-depth missions experience.

As one of NAMB’s Send Cities, Chicago has regularly hosted GenSend missionaries who serve with church planters working to reach the metropolitan area of more than 10 million people.

P.

Tireless Advocate

Annie Armstrong used her voice to speak up for people in need, in her home city of Baltimore and around the world. An avid letter writer, Armstrong challenged churches and leaders to sacrificially support the missionaries who had dedicated their lives to sharing the gospel. She is the namesake of Southern Baptists’ annual offering for North American missions, which has collected more than $1 billion to date.

AnnieArmstrong.com

ANNIE

Week of Prayer for North American Missions

Go to AnnieArmstrong.com for specific prayer requests from this year’s featured missionaries.

Day 1

In Seattle’s “Metaphysical Belt,” Dave and Mary Elliff are growing a church in a neighborhood known for New Age and Eastern religion.

Day 2

J.D. and Andreina Fasolino moved from Venezuela to plant an Hispanic church in Toronto, one of the world’s most diverse cities.

Day 3

Church planters Kirk and Karen Kirkland are preparing to start their third congregation in Cincinatti.

Day 4

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Jonathan and Yesenia Santiago are addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Day 5

Rob and Annabeth Wilton are part of a growing network of church planters working to make a lasting impact in Pittsburgh.

Day 6

The GenSend student missionary program gives young adults like Ebbie Davis an opportunity to work alongside a church plant or compassion ministry.

Day 7

In Denver, Mojic and Munkho Baldandorj are reaching the city’s growing Mongolian population.

Day 8

In a culture that is increasingly polarized, the gospel has the power to unite people in Jesus Christ.

Find specific prayer requests at AnnieArmstrong.com/about/week-of-prayer.

Continued from page 11

In North America, approximately 75% of residents are not born-again believers, which means more than 272 million people are without Christ. While NAMB helps churches plant churches everywhere for everyone, the urban centers of the continent not only have higher population density, but those in cities are also frequently more secular than other regions of the United States and Canada.

“Our Send Cities are 32 of the highest populated areas with the greatest need for the gospel,” said Jeremy Aylett, NAMB’s Send City Missionary in San Diego. “Millions of people, for example, live here in San Diego, and the reach of this city extends around the world.”

At the moment, one of the biggest challenges for church planting in North America stems from not having enough qualified missionaries who can serve. GenSend affords many young people the opportunity to reshape their view of what it means to be a missionary.

Many leave the program with a plan to leverage their lives for the sake of the gospel, even if that does not mean becoming a pastor or church planter.

The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provides funding that makes GenSend possible. Students spend their summers serving on the field and can focus on building relationships, sharing the gospel, and connecting people they meet with a local church—all without the burden of how they are going to pay for their expenses.

“They don’t have to worry about the logistics of living in the city,” Davis explained. “They only have to worry about, ‘Who can I talk to next to tell them about Jesus?’”

As a result of serving through GenSend, Davis sensed God redirecting her plans from living overseas to living in San Diego. Now, she serves with The Hill Church in La Mesa, Calif., and as a City Coach with GenSend, is helping to reach a population that is less than 15% evangelical.

Part of her desire grew out of learning that, oftentimes, the nations have moved to North America’s urban centers. Davis met a young Muslim lady named Susan and had the chance

YOUR GIFTS AT WORK

to build a relationship with her during her time with GenSend.

“She was from Saudi Arabia, and I was in her living room in San Diego, drinking tea and eating dates and talking about who my God is,” Davis said.

In her role as City Coach, she introduces new GenSend student missionaries to a neighborhood in her city where 100 different languages are spoken within a 10-block radius. Once they are there, Davis instructs them simply to start having conversations with the people they meet.

Davis is certainly not alone as a former GenSend missionary who made the transition to live on mission in North America’s urban centers. Roughly one-third of GenSend students move to cities with the goal of living on mission once they arrive.

“GenSend is not just about one summer,” said Aylett. “It’s about long-term development. We want to see college-age people develop into future church planters, future children’s directors, and future worship leaders.”

Wherever GenSend student missionaries go following their season of service, one thing is certain—they will be equipped to take the gospel with them and share it as they are going.

The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provides half of NAMB’s annual budget. Money given to the offering is used on the field for training, support, and care for missionaries, and for evangelism resources.

For more information about the 2020 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering & Week of Prayer, go to AnnieArmstrong.com.

Money given through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering supports thousands of missionaries in church planting and compassion ministries across North America.

$5 $25 $85 $175 $500 $1,200 $1,400

Bus fare for missionary to travel in their community

Meal with an unreached person

Subscriptions for training resources

Laundromat fees for a family of four

Food and supplies for a neighborhood outreach event

Bibles, gospel tracts, discipleship materials

Monthly rent for worship facility

– From the North American Mission Board

RESOURCE

Coming back for s’more

What happens at camp can be life changing. It was for me.

Unlike several of my coworkers, I did not receive the Lord at camp. Yet, thinking back through my time attending summer camp as a student and leading camps for the past 30 years, most of the major spiritual decisions in my life happened in a camp context.

I can show you the exact spot in the conference room at Streator Baptist Camp where, as a church planter, I was overwhelmed and broken, and Gene Wilson (IBSA Executive Director at that time) placed his hands on me and basically said, “Let me take that burden from you.” I left that spot changed.

God still uses camps to change lives!

I attended several associational meetings last fall and noted that the most passionate ministry reports still revolve around the subject of camp. At IBSA, we are celebrating four years of double-digit growth in camp attendance. This past sum mer, 84 children and students made professions of faith. But for those still questioning the spiritual significance of these places, let me offer the following apologetic.

Camp is a place where we can “come away.” Jesus challenged his disciples in Mark 6, “Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while.” His answer to the stresses of ministry was to go to a place where the ministry could be placed on hold while they rested and recovered. Camp is a place where people can come away from stresses so they can refocus, refuel, and restore.

Camp is a place where we can “come together.” Nothing seems to draw a group together more than spending time together in a retreat setting. This past fall, many of our churches participated in weekend retreats where they came together around God’s word and his mission. If your church seems splintered at the moment, consider using camp to get back on the same page. Camp is a place where we can “come Making a comeback seems to be more of a sports metaphor than a camp benefit, but many who participated in camp last year came home different. Many received Christ, others repented and rededicated, and those who were weak found strength to get back to the life that God had planned for them. Is a comeback in order? You might want to consider going to an IBSA camp. So that’s my story. As a young church planter who was struggling to keep going, God used an IBSA camp to offer me the opportunity of coming away, coming together, and coming back to the mission that God had chosen for me. How about joining me this year at camp?

Mark Emerson is IBSA’s associate executive director.

The Learning curve

George Liele’s Life and Legacy: An Unsung Hero

David T. Shannon, Julia Frazier White, & Deborah Van Broekhoven

George Liele was the first American missionary, and an abolitionist who planted churches, started schools, and left an incredible legacy that still bears fruit today.

A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness

Gene Edwards

Recommended reading for every young or second-chair leader. This book challenges its readers to evaluate the condition of their own hearts, and it calls them to trust the Lord’s timing and sovereignty.

Risen Motherhood Podcast

Camp week is often the highlight of the year and a life-changing experience. Make this year the year to take kids, youth, and adults to camp. Go to IBSA.org/kids for options for children and students. Adults are needed as counselors and helpers for their church groups.

Find 20 more ways to make the warm weather months fun and faith-filled in the Spring 2020 issue of Resource magazine, online at Resource.IBSA.org. E-mail Communications@IBSA.org to sign up for a subscription.

A wonderful resource for any mom. The team at Risen Motherhood reminds listeners to have a gospel focus in all aspects of life and motherhood.

– Brianna Trowbridge, ministry leader, Samaria Missionary Baptist Church, Albion

– Rayden Hollis, lead pastor, Red Hill Church, Edwardsville

– Adron Robinson, senior pastor, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Country Club Hills

meet the team

Brad Lovin

Administrative Director of Mobilization, Missions Director

Family: Married to Leslie; four children: Paul (10), Kate (8), Josie (4), and Owen (2)

Moved to Illinois: In 2019, from North Carolina

Favorite thing about church as a kid: Sitting with my grandmother

Favorite thing about church now: The opportunity to be in a community with other believers who work together to advance the Great Commission

Favorite sports team: North Carolina Tarheels

Favorite movie: Braveheart

Favorite book: Gospel of Mark

Favorite Old Testament prophet: Elijah

Favorite Scripture: Philippians 3:7-14

Ben Jones

Leadership Development Director

Family: Married to Emily; two children: Will (18) and Luke (11)

Illinois experience: Born and raised in West Frankfort; called into ministry at Ten Mile Baptist in McLeansboro, where he later served as discipleship pastor from 2014 to 2020

Favorite thing about church as a kid: Friendships. As a young child, it was seeing my good friends at church; then as a teen, it was having other believers who were trying to navigate the same struggles with the same faith.

Favorite thing about church now: Being part of the lives of others as they grow in their faith, whether that’s seeing them understand God’s word in new ways, or seeing God stretch their vision of his kingdom as they serve in missions.

Favorite sports team: Liberty University Flames

Favorite movie: Lord of the Rings trilogy

Favorite book: The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

Favorite Old Testament prophets: Moses and Jeremiah

Favorite Scripture: Colossians 3:3

The problem with self-care

The toy company Mattel released a Self-Care Barbie last month. This original influencer of young girls is now instructing them how to care for themselves through play, so they can be emotionally healthy as they grow into adulthood. According to the press release, “Barbie knows to be one’s best is to give yourself the best care.” This version of Barbie teaches girls to get in touch with their feelings. She also encourages meditation.

Barbie has always reflected the trends of her time, and SelfCare Barbie is no different. The self-care movement has picked up steam over the last few years, fueled by social media’s nearconstant calls to rest, relax, and unplug from life’s pressures. Online, moms share how they get away from their family obligations with a cup of coffee or a piece of chocolate. Hashtags like #selfcareSunday normalize setting aside time to pamper yourself, turn off your brain, or do nothing at all. There are thousands of websites with instructions on the “best” self-care practices.

God created the Sabbath for a reason. We need balance, including rest, and humans cannot push ourselves forward indefinitely. Making time to relax is not inherently bad, but the current selfcare movement often puts one thing at the center of our minds: us. We’re lulled into believing that life is all about our personal wants, desires, and needs through the gently persistent, meditative call of self-care. But God does not call us to a life of self-care. We

can better understand what he wants for us by breaking down some popular mantras of the movement:

“You can’t love others unless you love yourself Christ calls each of us to love our neighbor as ourselves, but that does not mean we must love ourselves first. Even more, we are commanded to love ourselves in the Bible. Humans are innately driven by self-preservation. It’s in our sin nature, so there was never a reason for us to be told to love ourselves in the first place. Instead, Jesus says the most important commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). We are not called to love ourselves

first, or even second! We are called to love God with every part of our being first, then others. Period.

“You do you.” Authenticity can be a good thing, but anymore it has become an excuse to sin. When people say, “This is me,” as a way of accepting themselves, the implication is that they cannot change because of their current condition. When others reply, “you do you,” they are giving the first group permission to do whatever they feel.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” So, how do we know if our individual feelings are correct? Go to the Bible. We can acknowledge which emotions are valid by comparing them to God’s good, well-grounded word. If I choose to stay stuck in my feelings by focusing on who I am, I am constantly fighting to make myself acceptable and seeking that acceptance from the world. But I don’t need their acceptance. I need to rest in God’s guidance and do as he says.

“You are enough.” If I was enough, I wouldn’t need saving. I wouldn’t need the body of Christ. I wouldn’t need Jesus. And I wouldn’t need self-care. Instead of trying to let myself be enough, I should rest in the fact that God’s power is perfected through my weakness. Jeremiah 31:25 says, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

I will never be enough. But where I am weak, God is strong. I cannot satisfy myself, but rather God satisfies me. He is enough.

These mantras have the appearance of truth. They seem right and correct, while allowing people to live the lives they choose. The innate flaw in all of these statements, though, is that I am able to truly rest when I look to myself for comfort. But God says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

God’s care is so much better than any self-care I can muster. We can fully trust him with our care. Yes, take the time to recharge, replenish, and rest…in God. Focus on him. Don’t get lost in yourself along the way.

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

“After

We’re lulled into believing that life is all about what we need.

I take this other call, I’d like to explore why you feel so unappreciated in the church.”

“Breathe with me” Barbie: one of four dolls in the ‘self-care’ line

the counselor

Parenting in public

QWe don’t have “Mommy wars” in our church, but there are obvious parenting differences that become apparent whenever families get together. The rambunctious kids get louder, and the quiet kids retreat to the room where the grown-ups are sometimes studying the Bible. Any ideas how to navigate our differences graciously?

ABefore opening our doors to a Bible study group, we have priorities to discuss, and boundaries to set. Here are some things to consider in the developmental stage: Who will be attending the group? What is the numberone purpose of the group? What are the secondary purposes of the group, in descending order?

neTworking people

Find more information on ministry positions at IBSA.org/connect

Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

Friendship Southern Baptist Church in Charleston seeks a full-time pastor. We are especially interested in a person with demonstrated abilities as a preacher, teacher, and administrator. Send letter of application, resumé, and three professional references to friendshipbaptist church2019@yahoo.com. Contact Alma Isbell at (217) 232-8002 for more information.

Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago is seeking a senior pastor of humility and wisdom, with 5+ years of urban and cross cultural ministry, and 3+ years pastoral experience in the SBC. Qualified individuals should send a cover letter, resumé, and three professional references to info@ubcreal.org.

Welcome

Brainard Avenue Baptist Church in Countryside has called Eric Brown as pastor. A native of Chicagoland, Brown previously served churches in Alabama and New Jersey. He is currently working on a doctoral degree from Southern Seminary, and is a graduate of Bob Jones University. He and his wife, Clarissa, have three sons.

With the Lord

Sylvia Jackson died February 8 at the age of 76. Her husband, Lloyd, was the founding pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur. After his death in 2013, she remained an active member of the church, where she served as music coordinator and youth advisor, among other ministry roles. She is survived by her daughter, Margaret, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

dave says

MARK McCORMICK

If the primary focus of the group is fellowship and an outreach to Christian and nonChristian neighbors, then children should be welcomed. In this less structured, more flexible environment, the gospel is shared and the biblical encouragement to “exercise hospitality” (Romans 12:13) comes to life.

The group should meet in a home large enough to accommodate separate activities, held in at least three separate spaces. Children should always have trusted adult supervision when away from the adult groups. Children love to have a variety of projects to choose from—this too should be well planned with built-in flexibility. Plan to have at least two supervised children’s groups based on age and interests.

I would encourage considering a child-free environment when the primary focus of your group is spiritual growth and biblical maturity. Creating an environment where adults feel safe sharing their personal stories is key to building meaningful long-term Christian friendships. The struggles couples and single adults face should not be overheard or interrupted by children.

The successful community groups I have attended limited attendance to adults only, for the above reasons. Some churches have activities one night a week, at the church, for children in middle school and high school. Scheduling your community group that night may be a peacemaking solution. In this scenario, if small children attend the community group with their parents, one adult-supervised children’s group is all that’s necessary.

If you start by determining the main purpose of your group, you’ll be able to better navigate the challenges inherent in gathering any group of people, regardless of age!

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

Tighten up!

QI’m beginning to think we got in over our heads with our house. My wife and I make about $125,000 a year combined, but we’ve never been able to put anything aside for an emergency fund. Our mortgage payment is 35% of our take home pay each month. We have two young children, so we eat out a lot, but we have no debt other than our house. Do you think we should refinance our home?

AYou two are making good money, and you’re debt-free except for your home. You can’t tighten up your budget enough to save up an emergency fund? Stay out of restaurants, dude! There’s no law stating you have to eat out a lot just because there are kids in the house. I mean, you’ve got no emergency fund. That’s a pretty basic thing.

You guys need to get on a written, detailed plan, and start hitting your goals. I’m talking about a strict, monthly budget. Now, I’ll admit your mortgage payment isn’t exactly what I would’ve signed you up for. Your house payments, or rent, should be no more than 25% of your monthly take home pay. But your house payment isn’t what’s holding you two back. What’s holding you two back is the fact that you haven’t been willing to tighten up the finances in other areas of your life to offset biting off more than you could chew in terms of a home.

No, I wouldn’t refinance. You’re fairly close where the mortgage payments are concerned, so I think you can make it through this by looking at ways to increase your income and selling stuff you don’t need to build an emergency fund. You two have been smarter than some, but you’re really going to have to buckle down and rearrange your priorities to make this happen!

DAVE RAMSEY

Cash out my Roth IRA?

QI have around $15,000 in a Roth IRA. I just recently started studying your advice, and I was wondering if it would be a good idea to cash it out and put the money toward debt.

AI teach people to stop investing temporarily while they attack their debt. So, I wouldn’t add anything to it at this point, but the worst thing you could do is cash it out. If you do, taxes and penalties will steal a huge chunk of that cash. The only time I take money out of a retirement account to pay off debt is to avoid bankruptcy or foreclosure.

Start working the Baby Steps from the beginning. Baby Step 1 is saving up $1,000 for a starter emergency fund. Baby Step 2 is paying off all debts from smallest to largest, except for your home, using the debt snowball method. This will free up a ton of money! Then you’re ready for Baby Step 3, which is increasing your beginner emergency fund to a fully-loaded emergency fund of three to six months of expenses.

Now you’re ready for Baby Step 4, which is 15% of your income going into retirement!

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

TRAINING NIGHT

3/17 Journey, East Peoria

3/31 Emmanuel, Carlinville

Choose from 10 breakout sessions at these regional training events held across Illinois. More dates and locations coming soon.

EVENTS

March 1-8

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering & Week of Prayer

Info: AnnieArmstrong.com

March 7, 14, 28

VBS Clinics

Where: March 7: FBC Marion and Broadview Missionary Baptist; March 14: Logan Street, Mt. Vernon and Northside, Dixon; March 28: Chatham Baptist Info: TammyButler@IBSA.org

March 17, 31

Training Night

What: Free, quality church leadership training in topics including discipleship, missions, age-graded ministries, worship, and more

Where: March 17: Journey, East Peoria; March 31: Emmanuel, Carlinville Info: TammyButler@IBSA.org

March 21

What: Make missions come alive for kids in grades 1-6 with hands-on service projects.

Where: Mt. Vernon, Sterling, Fairfield, Harrisburg, Herrin, Machesney Park, Streator, Olney, Pleasant Hill, Collinsville Register: IBSA.org/events/childrens-mission-day

April 17-18, May 8-9

Young missionaries will serve first responders, nursing home residents, local schools, and families across the state. Choose from more than 50 projects at sites across Illinois.

Disaster Relief Training

What: Training weekends for new and experienced volunteers and chaplains

Where: April 17-18: Emmanuel, Carlinville; May 8-9: Streator Baptist Camp Register: DebbieMuller@IBSA.org

April 24-25

Priority Women’s Conference

What: Don’t miss the women’s event of the year! Enjoy of time of spiritual renewal and fellowship, and learn about ministry opportunities and training resources.

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield Register: IBSA.org/Priority

THE NEW REALITY

Diverse churches ‘embrace tension’

Multiethnic churches are on the rise, according to sociologist Michael Emerson. The University of Illinois-Chicago professor said preliminary research shows: 16% of U.S. congregations are multiracial, up from 6% in 1998.

Around one-in-five American churchgoers attend a church in which less than 80% of participants are of the same race or ethnicity, a Baylor University study found in 2018.

Also more prevalent: black clergy leading multiethnic congregations. In 1998, Emerson said, 4% of clergy heading up multiracial churches were black. By 2019, the number increased to 18%. Hispanic leaders increased from 3% to 7%, and Asian Americans from 3% to 4% White clergy lead 70% of multiethnic churches, down from 87%

Mark DeYmaz co-founded Mosaix Global Network in 2004 to help leaders as they navigate challenges inherent in the process of establishing a healthy multiracial church.

“We embrace the tension and that’s very different than the normative church, which is trying to make everybody comfortable.”

The road isn’t easy for leaders working to desegregate what Martin Luther King Jr. famously called the “most segregated hour in America.” Pastors like Corey Hodges must navigate how to address national racial tensions like the controversy over NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem. Hodges pastors The Point Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Salt Lake City. His church life has been “stressful,” he told Religion News Service. “I’m OK with that because that pain is a part of the growth.”

– Religion News Service, Baylor University

“The way you get comfortable in a healthy multiethnic church is to realize that you go, ‘Man, I’m uncomfortable here.’