May 18, 2015 Illinois Baptist

Volume 109, No. 7

IB Insider

BIG pic: Shaken, but still singing page 3

L i b e r t y &

Carson withdraws from SBC Pastors’ Conference page 4

‘This is Your Life’ celebration for long-time

DOM page 12

Dave Says: Sell the cars! page 15

Top 5 Christian blogs page 16

News and updates

Throughout the week:

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www.IBSA.org

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Washington, D C | As the U S Supreme Court prepared to hear oral arguments April 28 in the case of Obergefell v Hodges, much of the conversation swirled around the ultimate outcome: Will the Court decide this summer that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right?

But during the arguments and in subsequent analysis, a new issue emerged, mostly due to an exchange between Justice Samuel Alito and Solicitor General Donald B Verrilli

If the Court legalizes same-sex marriage, will religious institutions for example, Christian schools stand to

lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same-sex unions?

Verrilli’s response that “it’s certainly going to be an issue” set off warning bells for Christians, churches, schools and other religious organizations that before had been merely waiting for the Court to likely decide in favor of same-sex marriage

Instead, the focus shifted from the Fourteenth Amendment and equal protection under the law, to the First Amendment and freedom of religion The Court is expected to issue its decision in June, making the Southern Baptist Convention’s focus on prayer

marriage ruling becomes a religious freedom issue

for spiritual awakening in America all the more timely

“Unfortunately, the defense of marriage in our culture has now turned into a defense of religious freedom,” said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams “I pray for a miracle in the Supreme Court’s decision in June, for if that doesn’t happen churches will find themselves in a precarious new position

“Even churches that have not been actively engaged in the defense of marriage issue must now be vigilant in defending their freedoms of speech and religious expression ”

Continued on page 7

Leadership in focus at Priority Conference

By Lisa Sergent

Decatur, Ill | “You’ve got to minister outside the four walls of your church,” Carmen Halsey told women gathered in Decatur for IBSA’s Priority Women’s Resource Conference

“When we meet a need, we earn the right to share the gospel We’ve got to be women who are willing to speak and share our stories Leadership development involves every one of us ”

Leadership was the focus of the April 24-25 meeting, formerly known as the Women’s Missions Celebration More than 430 women representing 108 churches came to Decatur for plenary sessions and breakouts designed to give them tools to put to use in their own churches and communities

LOVE IN ACTION – Kimberly Sowell urges women to learn to love people like Jesus did

IB Team Report

Threat moves Platt simulcast

David Platt’s Secret Church event

April 24 was moved to an undisclosed location due to a threatening phone call made that day to The Church at Brook Hills, which was set to host the multi-hour teaching simulcast Platt, president of the International Mission Board, said the security threat was a small taste of what “our brothers and sisters in Christ experience in other countries,” The Alabama Baptist reported More than 2,400 groups around the world, including churches and small groups, have participated in Secret Church 2015

‘Desperate days’ need prayer

T pastor Jack Graham called for exinary and uncommon prayer during ay 7 National Day of Prayer gatherWashington, D C “We are facing a crisis in America These are desperate days,” said Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church and honorary chairperson of the National Day Of Prayer Task Force “Uncommon times call for uncommon prayer, and so we cry out to God We cry out to God ”

Youth support anti-ISIS measures

Does young equal pacifist? Not nec ily, according to a Harvard Univer poll of young Americans Nearly 60 of respondents approve of sendin ground troops to fight the Islamic Sta in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) And almo 60% disapprove of how the Obama ministration has handled ISIS’ rise

Still, only 23% of young people support preemptive attacks on potentially hostile nations, reports Arjun Kapur of the Harvard Political Review “ISIS may represent a unique case seen as deserving of all military options, including ground troops ”

Southern declines Midwest campus

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, based in Louisville, Ky , has revoked its acceptance of the gift of a Christian university campus in Wisconsin that would have been used as a satellite campus for its unergraduate arm, Boyce College In a statement on Southern’s website, President Albert Mohler cited lack of a feasible financial model and differences in academic programs as reasons why the seminary declined the gift

Mohler told trustees in April that Southern “is no less committed to work in partnership with the state conventions in the upper Midwest to try to do everything possible to encourage church planting, theological education and every other good work ”

Post-ruling marriage event planned

The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission announced this month it will host a church equipping event in Austin, Texas, following the Supreme Court’s decision on samesex marriage “The Gospel and SameSex Marriage: Equipping the Church for a Post-Marriage Culture,” is scheduled to be held at Austin Stone Community Church July 29 The event will also be available via free simulcast

Churches rally to meet needs after Baltimore riots

Baltimore | Southern Baptist pastors are among those trying to spread hope and healing after violence broke out in Baltimore late last month And Christians outside the city including a mission team from Chicago who visited Baltimore last year are praying for peace, reconciliation, and spiritual awakening

Hundreds of people were arrested during protests over the death of 25-year-old African American Freddie Gray, who died April 19 from injuries sustained while in police custody During rioting that broke out April 27, at least 20 police officers were injured and cars and buildings were burned Gray’s death has since been ruled a homicide, and six police officers have been charged

In the wake of the riots, Maryland’s governor declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard The Orioles played an eerie afternoon game closed to fans, in fear that more riots could break out

Things have calmed down since then, said Bob Mackey, executive director of the Baltimore Baptist Association, because starting the day after the riots, “everybody who lives in the city had to keep living in the city,” he said

As life moved on, a group of pastors met to pray together and then went out into the city to help with the clean-up effort Church planter Brad O’Brien was one of the pastors in the group; his church, Jesus Our Redeemer, is four miles from a CVS Pharmacy that burned during the rioting

“We know that if the gospel can resurrect our dead hearts then it can bring hope to this community,” O’Brien told a writer for the North American Mission Board “Our hope is not in our mayor, not in our police chief or the governor Our hope is in Christ alone ”

Praying from Chicago

Doug Nguyen was thinking about Baltimore just before the rioting started The missions chairman of Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago visited the city last summer during the Southern Baptist Convention, and worked with Pastor Ryan Palmer and Seventh Metro Baptist Church during the annual Crossover evangelism outreach

Seventh Metro has historical import for Southern Baptists; it’s the church where missions pioneer Annie Armstrong was baptized

Pastor Palmer was in Chicago the Sunday before the rioting started as part of a vision tour for those interested in helping plant churches in the city

CHARM CITY WITNESSES – In this Baptist Press photo, Uptown Baptist members Doug Nguyen (far left), Darnice Herra (middle), and Marla Allen (far right) share the gospel in Baltimore during the Crossover effort prior to last year ’s Southern Baptist Convention At right, Baltimore pastors and friends pray over recent events in the city

Nguyen said they spent the day with Palmer, catching up and hearing about what was going on in Baltimore

Rioting broke out on Monday

“We’re all praying for them right now, for churches to really step up and be the salt and light in that community,” Nguyen said The Seventh Metro neighborhood is not unlike their own in Uptown Chicago In fact, the North Avenue they walked along there is similar to Chicago’s own North Avenue on the west side

It’s an impoverished area, Nguyen said, with obvious signs of homelessness and addiction Churches in communities like Seventh Metro’s (and Uptown’s) “depend on a lot of laborers in order to disciple the people around the neighborhood,” Nguyen said.

“There are a lot of ministry opportunities there, to help build the church You’ve got young leadership, you’ve got evangelistic opportunities similar to what we were doing out in the streets (during Crossover) ”

As the protests settled down, Palmer told Baptist Press God had protected his church, located near one of the riot zones

“Literally, the violence was a few blocks west and a few blocks east In both cases, you could see the steeple of our church from the locations, but they did not come into our block They have not come into our block yet We’re giving God praise and thanks for that ”

A way forward

Even amidst the upheaval, Bob Mackey said it was encouraging for him as a director of missions to watch God’s people partner with others in the community to respond in positive ways He told the Illinois Baptist churches in the area were planning community block parties, “just to have some fun back in the city In Jesus’ name, if you will ”

After the rioting, Disaster Relief volunteers provided meals for first responders, and Baptists worked together to supply groceries and other basics to areas where stores weren’t immediately accessible

As the city moves forward, churches must respond to its complex needs, African American pastor and church planting strategist Michael Crawford told Baptist Press He gave a four-point plan for healing in Baltimore, based on listening, understanding what goes on in inner city schools, providing healthy food sources, and prayer Communication and relationships are key, he said, adding that African Americans need a safe place to be heard “The reason we are stuck is because we can’t talk about it We get offended and then we do not hear,” he said “The real work is listening, getting offended, offering forgiveness, and then reconciling together That’s real!”

– By Meredith Flynn, with reporting from Baptist Press

– Jesus, when you looked at Jerusalem, you wept Give us that same revelation for Baltimore, Ferguson, and our own community Teach us to pray with confidence that lasting reconciliation is only from and at the foot of the cross

The BIG Picture In Nepal, church keeps singing

Kathmandu | When journalist Susie Rain (name changed) visited a small Nepali congregation after a catastrophic earthquake, they were singing the same song as one week before, when the walls in their meeting room began to shake Rain, a writer for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, described the worship service:

Twenty-five voices gain momentum, clapping hands, dancing and raising their faces to heaven in song, “Still I will love You and spread Your love to the people ” Spontaneously, the congregation breaks into prayer This is the exact spot the song was interrupted a week ago, on April 25, by a 7 8-magnitude earthquake

In the days after the quake, the death toll continued to rise, eventually topping 8,000 Thousands more were injured A second quake May 12 killed dozens and injured almost 2,000

In Kathmandu after the first quake, the church Rain visited celebrated the Lord’s Supper, even during an aftershock Their dishes had been destroyed the week before “They improvised with a bowl and spoon,” Rain posted on Facebook “Wish you could have been there with me You would have had tears in your eyes, too ”

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ONE WEEK LATER – After their Lord’s Supper implements were destroyed in the April 25 earthquake, church attenders in Nepal used a dinner plate for bread and a bowl and spoon for the grape juice IMB Photo

Nate Adams

A Midwest call to Columbus A

few years ago I transitioned from a publishing career in the Chicago suburbs to a new role at the North American Mission Board near Atlanta For our young family, the move required a number of minor adjustments, from snowy winters to no winters, from bluegrass to Bermuda grass, and from bad traffic to worse Other transitions were far more significant, like the transition from smaller churches to much larger churches, and from the realities of the evangelical Christian publishing world to those of the Southern Baptist denominational world

In many of those new arenas, I found that I looked at things differently than my new friends and coworkers I had different life experiences than most of them. As a result, I often found myself expressing a minority opinion

Of course this may have been partly because I was initially the only non-Southerner on our executive team After a few months, Randy from New York joined us It was then that the rest of the guys started affectionately calling both o “NAMB Yankees ”

The nice thing about our new team was that we respected each other enou tiently listen to one another ’s different tives “That’s not how megachurch think,” one of my new colleagues wou say, and I would have to admit I didn’t have a lot of experience in that world But then later I would hear myself saying something like,

“That may work in the Bible belt, but it wouldn’t make any sense in Chicago ”

Somehow, in the midst of that verbal sparring, we saw the “wisdom of many counselors” emerge Our multiple perspectives gave us a more complete view of reality, and of the diversity of the SBC churches we served As a result, I think we made better decisions, and became better leaders

It’s the wonderful value and synergy that can come from multiple perspectives that leads me to challenge all of us that possibly can to travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the Southern Baptist Convention next month The Southern Baptist Convention needs Midwest perspective

Many of the folks that attend the SBC each year are from the larger and more numerous churches in the South We need that perspective Many are there because they serve at a national SBC entity or on an SBC board or committee We need those perspectives too ut there is something unique about being thern Baptists in the North, and in the west, that makes our perspective equally

ere

needed, and valuable Many important insights come from average people, in average churches

Last January, when we hosted more than a thousand leaders from 10 Baptist state conventions here in Springfield, I heard over and over from national SBC conference leaders how impressed they were with our people “Your folks are so devoted to ministry, and so eager to learn We don’t see this kind of enthusiasm and dedication everywhere We are so encouraged by what we see here in the Midwest ”

I’m encouraged by what I see in the Midwest too, and by our unique perspective on ministry and Great Commission causes We have a lot to offer to the national SBC dialogue In fact, I think a stronger Midwest perspective might have led to some different, perhaps better, decisions over the past few years And with the 2015 SBC in Columbus and the 2016 SBC in St Louis, we now have two years in a row when our strong participation can be more practical and affordable

IBSA will be hosting a reception for Illinois Baptists at the Columbus SBC on Monday night, June 15, around 9:00 p m when the evening session of the Pastors’ Conference closes Watch for details on IBSA org and on pages 8-9 in this issue of the Illinois Baptist

I hope to see you there The Southern Baptist Convention needs our Midwest perspective.

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

Reporter’s Notebook SOUND OFF

Carson decision picks prayer over preference

Pray for these requests and pass them along to your pastor or prayer leader:

– Unrest in Baltimore, page 2

– Marriage & the Supreme Court, page 7

– Illinois Baptist Women’s Meeting, page 11

Prayer prompts are provided by Phil Miglioratti, IBSA’s prayer consultant Contact him at philNPPN@gmail com

The upcoming annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention has officially had its first controversy: Republican presidential candidate Dr Ben Carson, scheduled to speak during the Pastors’ Conference in Columbus, Ohio, withdrew from the event after reaching a mutual decision with conference leadership Carson is no longer in the line-up, said Pastors’ Conference President Willy Rice, because his appearance “could create an unnecessary distraction” for both the candidate and the SBC

The

ILLINOIS

Editor • Managing Editor

BAPTIST Staff

Eric Reed

Meredith Flynn

Lisa Sergent

Kris Kell

For questions about subscript ons, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3110 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA org

The Ill no s Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches E-mai us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA org to tell us about anniversar es special events and new min stry staff

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and publ shed

Prior to Rice’s announcement, young leaders’ group Baptist 21 and other voices in the blogosphere had raised concerns about Carson’s denominational affiliation (Seventhday Adventist), and how inviting a political candidate to speak might appear like an endorsement of him or his party

The change is significant for two reasons: First, the voices that initially raised concerns were mostly young (though certainly not all) That the counsel of young leaders was heeded signifies that, increasingly, the next generation has a place at the SBC table

Second, and perhaps more important, is the reason Rice gave for his decision:

“I have watched over the last year as our Southern Baptist President, Dr Ronnie Floyd, has worked as tirelessly as any person I have ever seen to call our convention to clear agreement, visible unity and extraordinary prayer He has worked too hard and too much is at stake for us to be

sidetracked from that worthy call ”

He didn’t agree with those who disagreed with the Carson invitation, Rice continued, but “for the sake of unity,” Carson and the Pastors’ Conference decided to forego his appearance

At last year ’s annual meeting in Baltimore, an unexpected opening in the business schedule allowed time for an impromptu prayer meeting But because the business sessions (especially those in the morning, like this one) are rather sparsely attended, many Baptists weren’t in the convention hall

Since then, Floyd has said over and over that this year ’s meeting will be about prayer The schedule has been tweaked to allow for an entire evening session devoted to it, led by 11 pastors Basically, he has put us on notice about the focused, extraordinary prayer to which we’ll be called

It seems Floyd’s message of “clear agreement” and “visible union” (borrowed from 18th century preacher Jonathan Edwards), has hit its mark in the midst of a bit of controversy, no less.

As Rice posted on his blog after the Carson debate, “Some will applaud this decision and others will be disappointed, but it is my sincere hope that all of us will join together to humble ourselves and cry out to God for genuine spiritual awakening ”

Lord, let it be so In a packed convention hall in Columbus

Politics & the Pastors’ Conference

It was announced late last month that presidential candidate and previously scheduled Pastors’ Conference speaker Ben Carson would not appear at the event in Columbus, Ohio, this June

“This was a welcome outcome to what had the potential to be a serious snafu for the SBC Whatever the organizers’ intentions, Baptist21 has this exactly right hosting any political candidate carries a tacit implication of endorsement ”

–

Thomas S. Kidd, Baylor University, on washingtonpost com

“Younger pastors are grappling with the reality that Christian moral convictions do not reflect the majority culture’s values Their reticence to hear a political pundit like Carson, even when they would largely agree with his beliefs, is rooted in a desire to be faithful to Christ in American culture as prophets, not partisans ”

Trevin Wax, LifeWay Christian Resources, on religionnews com

“Pastor Rice has reminded us that we must not withdraw from the arena of politics Certainly I agree I am merely asking for us to engage in politics in a way that makes it perfectly clear that our theology drives our politics rather than our politics driving our theology ”

– Bart Barber, pastor of FBC Farmersville, Texas, on sbcvoices com

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor ”

Apostle Paul, Romans 12:10 (NASB)

is something unique bout being Southern Baptists in the Midwest that makes our perspective needed and valuable

Nepal: A time for prayer and action

As soon as I heard about the earthquake in Nepal, I immediately thought of the people I met and the faces I saw just over a year ago, when I was walking on trails and mountains in the area where the quake hit

As I thought of the massive physical need that was already there on top of the massive spiritual need, and realized that an earthquake of this magnitude would have devastating effects across the region, I was drawn immediately to my knees I cried out to God for his mercy and his might to be made known among the people in that area

I’m also compelled to challenge you to think about how you can respond to this news I encourage you, first and foremost, to pray God has ordained prayer as a means by which we participate with him in what he’s doing in the world So pray Pray like it matters:

• Plead for God to show mercy and grace to the Nepali people Plead for the church in Nepal, in the middle of the challenges that surround them, to be salt and light

• Pray for those who are without Christ, that the hope of Christ would become clear to them in these days

• Pray for the massive physical needs of both believers and unbelievers

• Pray for wisdom in the efforts to provide long-term relief to individuals and families that desperately need it

I also challenge you to think through how you can use your resources to help the situation in Nepal Baptist Global Response, the Southern Baptist humanitarian organization that partners with IMB, is working to find how we can best address short-term relief needs with long-term relief goals

Finally, as we think about the needs of the world in a broader way, I realize this is a challenging and difficult time to actually go to Nepal But this event might be a wake-up call to realize in a fresh way that there are urgent physical and spiritual needs around the world

Think through this question: “How can I live my life here to get the gospel there?” Maybe that means being more open to going on a short-term trip It may mean developing relationships in other parts of the world so when something like this happens, you can draw on them for the spread of the gospel

Don’t just watch the news. Respond to the news according to the leadership of God’s Spirit in your life, that God’s glory might be made known amid some of the darkest and most difficult places in the world

David Platt is president of the International Mission Board This column is excerpted from BPNews net

“If I dig any deeper into the sermon text, I’ll have to change denominations, worship music, and the names of 3 of my children ”

πA slice of life

Should colleges only provide funding or meeting space to student organizations that allow gay and lesbian students to be in leadership roles?

5%

38%

When we first heard that Bruce Jenner was in multi-year gender reassignment, I thought the doubtable story must be some tabloid concoction Then when the legitimate news outlets reported it as true, I knew I wasn’t ready for this Whenever the thought crossed my mind, my jaw dropped Literally A boyhood hero was becoming a girl More or less I wondered, Am I ready for this?

When the adult son of a character in a popular book series showed up at his mother ’s house in a tasteful sweater and skirt set and set the small town on its collective ear I thought, That’s fiction

When a female Sunday school teacher told me about the man who attended the ladies class in women’s clothes and calling himself Jackie*, I thought, That’s Chicago

Then recently a pastor showed me a photo of bearded fellow and said, “When we were in college, we used to sing together and lead revivals This is Shane Shane used to be Sharon ” I thought, That’s it It’s here And I’m not ready

In a February meeting with Baptist editors, Russell Moore, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said the issue of ministry to transgender people has arrived on the church doorstep, but not at the sanctuary or the church office. Instead, it’s showing up first in the youth department Moore men-

tioned assisting a church that had a transgender teenager attend their youth meetings

While everyone else is concerned about same-sex marriage issues, I’ve added transgender teens to the checklist Issues similar to those faced by a few public schools could be headed to church:

• If a boy presents himself as a girl, can he use the girls’ room?

• If there are any gender-segregated classes left in the world, which one is the transgender teen to attend?

• Is this the end of the overnight lock-in, the Acteens slumber party, or the RA’s camp out?

• And the deeper issue: How do we tell a genuinely hurting, confused person who is desperately seeking acceptance that God doesn’t make mistakes boys are boys and girls are girls with enough compassion that we don’t drive them from the only hope they have?

At one time, it was enough to know three forms of “trans” transvestite (wearing clothes of the opposite sex), transgender (identifying psychologically with the opposite sex), and transsexual (having hormone treatment and surgery for gender reassignment) But the sexual identity landscape has gotten more complicated And teens especially are trying a variety of labels, if they choose any label at all.

How can we help?

Yes, there is clear biblical teaching to be shared, starting in Genesis: God made people male and female (1:27) We are all made in God’s image, but we have distinct assignments (2:2123) Paul’s criticisms of the culture in which he lived included the abandonment of one’s own sexual role for that of the opposite sex (Rom 1:2628, 1 Cor 6:9)

And yes, there are practical issues to consider: Will “questioning” or “trans” youth be allowed to crossdress at church, even in limited ways such as wearing earrings and nail polish? The Old Testament forbade wearing the other sex’s clothing (Deut 22:5) And there’s that restroom question

But more to the point, can such a struggling person be loved and made welcome without endorsing their behavior, or confusing other adolescents whose stage of life is already confused enough?

The Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution on transgender identity in June 2014 The resolution urges churches to “extend love and compassion to those whose sexual self-understanding is shaped by a distressing conflict between their biological sex and their gender identity ” Further it encourages churches to “welcome them to our churches and, as they repent and believe in Christ, receive them into church member-

ship (2 Cor 5:18–20; Gal 5:14),” all the while opposing public and government efforts “to validate transgender identity as morally praiseworthy (Isa 5:20) ”

Messengers to IBSA’s 2014 Annual Meeting adopted the same resolution six months later

How can the church love struggling people without endorsing their behavior?

Perhaps these examples teach us something: That Chicago Sunday school class took Jackie in for a year until he emerged one Sunday in a suit and tie and went to the men’s class under his birth name, Willie And Shane’s Christian friend, a pastor, maintains a Facebook friendship as a reminder of how much we all need the gospel Ministry in the face of sexual pain and confusion, now including the needs of transgender people, will be required of all church leaders eventually Also required is the call for faithfulness to biblical truth without driving hurting people from the only hope they have in Jesus Christ

I hope we’re ready for this

Eric Reed is editor of the Illinois Baptist

* This class’s story was told in our May 26, 2014, issue You can read it online at http://ibonline IBSA org

Table Talk: Theology, ministry, and things that matter Bruce, gender, & the church: Are we ready for this?

Huckabee joins race

Hope, Ark | Former Arkansas Governor and Southern Baptist pastor Mike Huckabee announced May 5 he will run for President of the United States Huckabee, who also ran in 2008, joins an already crowded Republican field: retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Senator and fellow Southern Baptist Ted Cruz, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who attends a Southern Baptist church but retains formal affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church

America “has lost our way morally,” Huckabee said while announcing his candidacy “We witnessed the slaughter of over 55 million babies in the name of choice, and we are now threatening the foundation of religious liberty by criminalizing Christianity and demanding that we abandon biblical principles of natural marriage ”

Prior to his political career, Huckabee pastored churches in Pine Bluff and Texarkana, and served two years as president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention – From Baptist Press, BPNews net

Right of conscience

A group of bi-partisan legislators has written a letter opposing Illinois Senate Bill 1564, which would require physicians who refuse to perform certain procedures such as abortion to refer their patients to doctors who will perform the procedures

According to the April 24 letter, provisions in the bill would force “objecting physicians and providers to assist and participate in the very treatments precluded by their conscientious or religious objections ”

The bill was passed in the Senate April 22 and remains in committee in the House

Pot punishment

The Illinois Senate’s criminal law committee approved a bill this month that would make possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana punishable with a $55-125 fine, rather than the current practice of treating it as a misdemeanor (In some municipalities, police can issue a ticket for marijuana possession )

Rep Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), the bill’s sponsor, says “it would help prevent discrimination of enforcement based on race,” reports WAND-TV

The bill, already approved by the State House, will now move on to the full Senate

State-funded abortions

State House Bill 4130, which would amend the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, remains in committee awaiting a third reading before it can go to the full House If passed by the House and Senate, state worker insurance plans would be required to cover the cost of abortions using Illinois tax-payer funds

Gambling expansion

Lawmakers are moving toward a potential Chicago-owned casino, The State Journal-Register reports, but Gov Rauner and Chicago leaders differ over where the revenue would go Rep Bob Rita (D-Blue Island) is promoting legislation that would “put a state-owned casino in Chicago and split the revenue evenly between the city and the state ”

– Sources: Americans United for Life, Chicago Tribune, The State Journal-Register, WAND-TV

Marriage decision

Continued from page 1

Obergefell v Hodges centers around a surviving spouse in a same-sex marriage who wanted his name listed on his partner ’s death certificate The couple was from Ohio, but their marriage had been performed in Maryland. The issue involves whether a state where a same-sex marriage is not legal must recognize a marriage performed in another state The Supreme Court subsequently joined three other lawsuits from Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee in one case

Framed as a Fourteenth Amendment issue, the case asks two questions: 1 Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex, and 2 Does the Amendment require a state to recognize marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out of state?

But Justice Alito’s question to Solicitor General Verrilli echoed a concern churches have expressed since the marriage debate began Verrilli’s answer “confirms with candor the threat we have long seen coming,” said Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

In inquiring about how same-sex marriage could affect religious liberty, Justice Alito referenced a 1983 case in which Bob Jones University was denied tax exempt status because it barred interracial marriage and interracial dating among its students Will the same happen for schools that oppose same-sex marriage, Alito asked?

Verrilli said he couldn’t answer without more specifics, “but it’s certainly going to be an issue ”

In a presentation on religious liberty following the Court arguments, Washington University law professor John Inazu agreed it will indeed be an issue He referenced a brief filed by a same-sex marriage supporter Douglas Laycock that nonetheless outlined religious liberty concerns In the brief, Laycock, a University of Virginia law professor, posed these questions:

• Will clergy have to provide marriage counseling to same-sex couples?

• Will religious colleges be required to provide married student housing for same-sex couples?

• Will churches be required to employ people in same-sex marriages?

• Will religious organizations have to provide spousal fringe benefits for same-sex spouses?

• Will religious social service agencies have to place children for adoption with same-sex couples?

In addition, Laycock says, other organizations could be sued for refusing their facilities or services, including religious colleges, camps and retreats, day care centers, counseling centers, meeting halls, and adoption agencies

Following the oral arguments, Russell Moore and Andrew Walker of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission summed up the religious liberty issue this way:

“The Founders warned us that the power to tax is the power to destroy The Solicitor General is signaling that at least this Administration is quite open to destroying those who hold a view of marriage held by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox, evangelical Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, many Sikhs and Buddhists It was even a position held by the President himself until his most recent ideological evolution ”

Some observers have said the impact on churches of the Court’s ruling likely in favor of same-sex marriage will depend on how the decision is written and how many justices vote in favor of it A split decision, it would appear, would give the government less authority to limit the liberty of local congregations

Evangelical ‘winnowing’

At a May 11 meeting in Peoria, IBSA church leaders talked about how churches can respond to the changing marriage culture, and specifically how bylaws and membership policies can protect their right to practice their convictions

“Some of our leaders have raised the concern [about same-sex marriage], and wanted to know more about how can churches protect themselves, and what are the issues as they stand now in the state of Illinois and the Supreme Court,” said Joe Gardner, an IBSA zone consultant in Metro Peoria

As they wait for a decision for the Court, Gardner says leaders in his area are concerned about whether they will be required to allow groups that endorse same-sex marriage to use their

State of the Unions

Same-sex marriage is legal

Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned

Source: PewForum org

church facilities, and how to protect themselves against lawsuits that could come with the Court’s decision Personally, he’s concerned about how the verdict will affect Christian schools, since his wife is superintendent of one in Peoria

Of churches in his area, he said, “I would say we are committed to standing firm on the Scripture, and biblical teaching on marriage and home But we don’t know what kind of challenges [will result from that stand] So, we’re just waiting to see what kind of challenges will present themselves when we take that stand

Because, he said, as churches, “We don’t really have a choice, do we?”

During the last several years, and increasingly more recently, churches and pastors are asking themselves that very question Where do we stand on this? And will we stay there, even when it gets difficult?

Professor Denny Burk of Boyce College said same-sex marriage “will cause a winnowing of our ranks, and we are about to find out who will willing to follow Jesus when it gets hard ”

In a blog post on the day of the Supreme Court arguments, Burk referenced a recent CNN article about how religiously affiliated people now think

about same-sex marriage According to data from the Public Religion Research Institute in the CNN story, a majority within many religious groups favor same-sex marriage, including Jews (77%) and Catholics (60%) A higher percentage of those groups favor same-sex marriage than the share of all Americans: 54%

Smaller percentages of black Protestants (38%) and white evangelicals (28%) favor same-sex marriage, but young people even Christians are more likely to accept it According to the PRRI research, 43% of Millennial white evangelicals are in favor of same-sex marriage “That last number is the one that should stand out,” Burk wrote

Even before the Court makes its decision known, many congregations are wondering how to handle less conservative views in the pews, particularly on the issue of marriage and particularly among young people. The shift makes for a “watershed moment” for Christianity, Burk said

“As popular opinion and legal precedent move decisively in favor of gay marriage, those who call themselves Christians have a choice They can either join the revolution or they can follow Jesus ”

– Ask the Holy Spirit to raise up authentic prophets to speak truth to our culture and to teach the Church how to pray and serve and love in the midst of a growing disregard for biblical truth

AT THE COURTHOUSE – In an Instagram video in front of the Supreme Court, Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, called Christians to pray April 28 as justices prepared to hear oral arguments in Obergefell v Hodges

SBC ANNUAL MEETING 2015

Let’s all go to Columbus

Columbus, Ohio | Missions, evangelism, and cultural impact will highlight the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention June 16-17, which also will emphasize prayer “extraordinary prayer ”

In his year as SBC President, Ronnie Floyd has positioned the Columbus meeting as an opportunity for Baptists to pray together The annual meeting’s theme is “Great Awakening: Clear Agreement, Visible Union, Extraordinary Prayer,” based on Romans 13:11 Floyd told Baptist Press he hopes Southern Baptists of all ages and ethnicities will attend and “rise to this moment in our nation calling out to God for the next Great Awakening in our nation ”

“We’ve got to understand that we need everybody,” said Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas “I know historically and biblically there is no great movement of God that ever occurs that is not first preceded by the extraordinary prayer of God’s people ”

The prayer focus will culminate in a Tuesday evening Call to Prayer to be streamed on SBC net “We will join together in the same room and around the world via technology for this one epic night of prayer,” Floyd blogged last month “Plan now to adjust your dinner or fellowship to before this session or gather with friends after the session itself Please let NOTHING keep you from this extraordinary night of prayer together ”

Floyd also will host a discussion Wednesday afternoon on preparing churches for the future of marriage in America Panelists include two SBC pastors, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore, Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler, and Rosaria Butterfield, author of “The Secret Thoughts of an Unchurched Convert: An English Professor ’s Journey into Christian Faith ” Butterfield’s testimony includes her journey to faith from a same-sex lifestyle

On the Saturday before the Convention convenes, more than 140 projects and activities are planned for the annual Crossover evangelism outreach (Some projects begin as early as June 7 )

For more information, go to namb net/crossover or crossovercolumbus org Collegiate groups are invited to participate in For Columbus June 7-17; for more information, go to forcolumbus org

Sending Celebration

The North American and International Mission Boards will hold a joint missionary commissioning service during the Wednesday morning session of the Southern Baptist Convention Along with celebrating the missionaries about to embark for their mission fields, the service also will celebrate the churches that are sending them

“The mission fields we serve are unique and need to be approached differently; but the people we want to

reach are growing more similar all the time,” said NAMB President Kevin Ezell “The Sending Celebration is another example of the greater collaboration between IMB and NAMB ”

Musicians Shane & Shane will lead worship during the celebration

Movies, meals, and an app

LifeWay Christian Resources will offer free screenings of two upcoming movies

Columbus

“War Room,” the newest film from Alex and Stephen Kendrick, will be shown June 15 at 9 p m in the convention center “Woodlawn,” a true story about spiritual awakening among high scho football players, will screen June 16 at 9 p m in the convention center

LifeWay’s The Gospel Project will host a light breakfast and panel discussion on different preaching styles and philosophies The June 16 meeting begins at 6:30 a m and features Pastors H B Charles (Florida), J D Greear (North Carolina), Chip Henderson (Mississippi), and LifeWay VP Ed Stetzer Register at Gospel Project com/SBC15

The SBC Men’s Breakfast is June 17 at 6:30, sponsored by the North American Mission Board and LifeWay Speakers include Greear, Matt Carter (Texas) and Michael Catt (Georgia), along with LifeWay and

2015 Southern Baptist Convention | Columbus, Ohio

NAMB personnel

The SBC’s two mission agencies will co-host the fifth annual Send North America Luncheon June 15 at the convention center Ezell and International Mission Board President David Platt will discuss how the mission boards’ closer cooperation will serve Southern Baptists Free tickets are available at snaluncheon com Baptist21 will host its annual lunch and panel discussion on June 16 immediately after the morning session Panelists, including Platt, Moore, Mohler and Charles, will discuss the most pressing issues facing the church Register at baptistntyone com

Messengers can once again schedule their SBC activities with help from an app available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices Search

“SBC Annual Meetings” in the app store Along with up-to-date chedule and speaker inmation, the app also includes a map of the exhibit hall, local restaurant list, PDF versions of the book of reports, daily bulletins, and SBC Life, and a list of area churches

SBC messengers can register online at sbcannualmeeting net Each messenger will receive an eight-digit registration code to present at the annual meeting’s Express registration lane Childcare for kids in grades 1-6 will be provided, as will hands-on mission opportunities for teens Pre-registration is required at sbcannualmeeting net under the “Children/Youth” tab

Fast and pray for the meeting

By Ronnie Floyd

I humbly call on each of our Southern Baptist churches and congregations to set aside one day between now and June 16 to pray and fast for our upcoming Southern Baptist Convention

So much is at stake How do we not pray and fast?

You can still participate if you are unable to fast from food due to physical limitations Choose to abstain from something you love, like the Internet, television, etc Draw aside for a few minutes during the day when you would normally eat (or participate in the activity you’re fasting from), get in His Word and call out to God

Please join us in praying and fasting over these requests and others that God may lead you to before June 16:

- Lead us Lord, to intercede in prayer and fasting with a mighty conviction that the hour is critical in America; we must pray intensely and responsibly

- Holy Spirit, wake us up! Wake up our pastors and leaders

Revive our churches

- Lord, we ask you for the next Great Awakening in the United States, as spiritual awakening is our greatest need

- God, pour out Your Spirit upon Tuesday night’s National Call to Prayer gathering in Columbus for all Southern Baptists, using it as a catalyst for the next Great Awakening in America and to reach the world for Christ

- Lord, may the city of Columbus, Ohio, be impacted the week before the convention by evangelism and ministry, specifically Saturday, June 13, through Crossover Columbus

I am pleading with Southern Baptists to pray and fast for our upcoming time together In reality, the call is for so much more

Ronnie Floyd is president of the Southern Baptist Convention This column is excerpted from BPNews net; read the full version at www IBSA org/iBextra

‘He Must Increase’ at Pastors’ Conference

“In ministry, we get distracted by so many things,” Willy Rice, president of the 2015 SBC Pastors’ Conference, told Baptist Press “And some of those are good things” like methodologies, leadership, strategies and worship styles

“ But at the end of the day, what we need most of all is this movement which focuses upon Christ His glory, the mission to make Him known among the nations and in our own country.”

The theme of the Pastors’ Conference June 14-15 in Columbus is “He Must Increase ” Eleven pastors and leaders will preach during the event’s four sessions including Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore, pastor and author Paul David Tripp, Florida pastor H B Charles, and James MacDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in

Chicagoland International Mission Board President David Platt will close the conference Monday evening

Travis Cottrell, who leads worship for Beth Moore’s Living Proof Live events, will lead worship during the conference, as will Vertical Church Band from Harvest Bible Chapel The worship band from Rice’s church, Calvary Baptist in Clearwater, Fla , will lead during the Sunday evening session

The Pastors’ Conference, which is free for all attenders, will collect an offering for Stowe Mission, an inner city outreach of the Metro Columbus Baptist Association

Childcare for kids up to 12 years old is provided during all sessions For more information and a schedule, go to www sbcpc net

Also meeting in Ohio

Several affinity groups and networks will gather around the Pastors’ Conference and Convention:

Associational Leaders

The Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders will meet June 14-15 at the Hilton Columbus Downtown Executive Committee President Frank Page and Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler are among the featured speakers Register at registerohio 2015 org

AVANCE 2015

Hispanic Southern Baptists will meet June 14 at the convention center for their annual conference, Avance SBC President Ronnie Floyd is the featured speaker On June 15, the National Hispanic Baptist Fellowship will host its National Day of Prayer in the convention’s prayer room

Chinese Baptist Fellowship

The fellowship will host a dinner June 16 (location TBA), and also a booth in the SBC exhibit hall

Running for SBC office

During the SBC’s Tuesday business session, Ronnie Floyd will be nominated for a second term as the Convention’s president Floyd, pastor of multi-campus Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, will be nominated by North Carolina pastor J D Greear

Keck Yeats

“He really believes a move of God is possible in our generation,” Greear wrote in an April statement about the nomination “And he makes me believe it a true and essential message for every generation, but one especially pressing in our own ”

– Chad Keck, pastor of First Baptist Church, Kettering, Ohio, will be nominated for second vice president

– John Yeats will be nominated in Columbus for a 19th term as recording

secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention. Yeats has served as executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention since 2011

John Meador, pastor of First Baptist Church, Euless, Texas, will be nominated for president of the 2016 SBC Pastors’ Conference

Convention messengers also will elect a first vice president and registration secretary

Native American Fellowship

This June 15 meeting at the convention center will focus on reaching urban Native American populations Speakers include Ken Weathersby, SBC Executive Committee, and Tim Chavis, chair of the Multi-Ethnic Advisory Council

Filipino Southern Baptists

A vision to plant 100 new Filipino churches in North America in the next five years is the focus of the Filipino Fellowship meeting June 15-16 The Monday evening session will be held at a local church (location TBA), and Tuesday’s meeting begins at 2:30 p m at the Hilton Columbus Downtown

Ministers’ Wives

“Radiant” is the theme of three gatherings for women at the convention center: a Pastors’ Wives’ Conference June 15; Ministers’ Wives Luncheon June 16; and a Women’s Expo area, open prior to each event Author and blogger Angie Smith will speak at the Ministers’ Wives Luncheon

African American Fellowship

The National African American Fellowship’s annual worship service is 10 a m on June 14 at New Antioch Bible Fellowship in Reynoldsburg

The business session is June 15 at 4 p m in the convention center

Southern Baptist Evangelists

The Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists (COSBE) will meet June 12-15 at the Hilton Columbus Downtown Their meeting will include an evangelistic festival at a local park Saturday evening

Messianic Fellowship

On June 14, the Messianic Fellowship will meet at a local restaurant (location TBA) at 1 p m for their annual meeting Illinois Baptist Ric Worshill is fellowship president

Woman’s Missionary Union

WMU will meet June 14-15 at FBC, Grove City Featured speakers include military chaplain Michael Coleman, Baptist Convention of New England Executive Director Terry Dorsett, and missionaries from Africa and Southeast Asia

IBSA Reception

Where: Greater Columbus Convention Center Rooms C210-C212, Level Two

When: Tuesday, June 16, following the evening session

Tripp

Meador

Moore

MacDonald Charles

Cottrell Platt

CAC director honored with leadership award

Chet

St Louis | Chet Cantrell, director of the Christian Activity Center in East St Louis was recognized May 7 with a 2015 Leadership Award from FOCUS St Louis

The “What’s Right with the Region” Awards are given “to individuals who demonstrate remarkable and courageous community leadership, have meaningful impact on the community, and encourage strong community leadership in others,” according to the FOCUS website

As CAC Director since 1988, Cantrell has led the ministry center to make great strides in leadership development, educational training and spiritual mentoring for kids in povertyand crime-stricken East St Louis

“While it is true our kids are afraid of the physical dangers,” Cantrell says in a new promotional video for the center, “on a deeper level, they are actually more afraid that their lives will evolve like the landscape around them ”

That landscape is littered with untended places, debris, and a sense that things are falling apart, he continues “Kids need to see something that’s different than that ”

The CAC provides a full afterschool program for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade, including tutoring, college prep, fine arts training, Bible study, hot meals, and much more And the results are evident: While less than 11% of kids in East St Louis graduate high school, the CAC has a 97% graduation rate The average GPA for CAC students is a point higher than that of other students in the district.

And while East St Louis has a 60% citywide juvenile crime rate, the CAC’s is only 3%

“We live in a city where the deck is stacked against kids finishing high school,” Cantrell says in the video, “and sometimes kids don’t see the need or have the encouragement, so we try to provide both things for them ”

The ministry is all about serving East St. Louis’ most vulnerable, he says Or, like CAC student Maliyah puts it, “They really love us like we are their own kids ”

Cantrell is currently leading the CAC through an expansion project that will turn four city blocks into a community park with gardens, athletic fields, and a performing arts stage

The Illinois Baptist State Association is a ministry partner with the CAC in bringing the gospel to East St Louis. IBSA churches have taken Cantrell and the kids of the CAC to heart, serving in the after-school program, building relationships through field trips and special projects, and volunteering to help with renovation projects Through mis-

sions giving through Cooperative Program and the Mission Illinois Offering, IBSA churches contribute financially to the operation of this vital inner city ministry

For more about the CAC, go to www cacesl org, or click on the QR code to watch the promo video

Cantrell’s mission is to serve his city’s ‘most vulnerable’

MAKING A DIFFERENCE – Christian Activity Center Director Chet Cantrell (right) receives the “What’s Right with the Region” Leadership Award from Mark Lindgren, Board president for FOCUS St Louis

Women’s Resource Conference

Continued from page 1

“We’re part of a local body that God has put together,” said Halsey, IBSA’s director of Women’s Ministry and Missions “Why would we want to be trained and equipped if we’re not going to do ministry?”

During the two-day conference, Illinois leaders and national speakers made clear the main message of the meeting: Leadership requires action

More than a mist

Kimberly Sowell, founder of Kingdom Heart Ministries, told the women that leadership means meeting needs. Addressing them during a large-group session in Decatur, Sowell shared the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10 In the parable, the priest and the Levite chose to continue down the road to do the things deemed important by them, she recounted Only the Samaritan man chose to help the beaten man and see to his wellbeing

Like the priest and the Levite, Sowell said, we get caught up in our religious duties and can get our priorities out of order “Whatever we choose to do is most important to us ”

When prioritizing our lives, Sowell noted, “There are certain things we should all be involved in; coming into the house of God, worshipping God and studying God’s Word so we can get filled up with the power of the Holy Spirit so it will power us up to go out into this world and be living water ”

However, she cautioned, “Let it not be said of us that in our exuberance we drown out the sounds of the cries for help ”

Following God’s leadership even as he transforms us was also a key discussion point at the conference

“We are not called to stay the same,” said speaker and author Rachel Lovingood “We are to be informed, we are to be transformed…We are called to be intentional and practical with our lives ”

Reading from James 4:13-17, Lovingood sprayed her travel-size can of hairspray into the air to demonstrate the temporary nature of a fine mist and said, “If I’m obsessed with controlling my own life, it’s just a mist and will have no impact If I’m willing to give up my own life and invest where God chooses, then the impact can be immeasurable ”

This is only done through a reliance on Christ, she said “We are doing the best we can sometimes, but we’re doing it by our own strength We need to rely on Him ”

Focus on missions

To kick off the Decatur meeting, Halsey and others spoke on needs in Illinois and abroad, and how organizations like Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) can help engage women in missions Clella Lee brought greetings from National WMU, headquartered in Birmingham, Ala , and Jill McNicol was re-elected president of Illinois’ state chapter Mc-

faith in women’s lives “You’ll be ready for tomorrow if you’re OK with God interrupting your normal,” McDaniel said “God’s interruptions are never convenient ”

She said women have got to stop asking themselves “what if” questions and follow God “We have so much faith that we’re not going to go backwards But, we have so much fear that we’re not going to go forward ”

Recounting the Bible story of Gideon, McDaniel said, “God raised Gideon up to be a judge, but not before Gideon back-talked God and showed a lack of faith ” Just as he eventually accepted his assignment, “If we’re going to be ready for tomorrow, then we’ve got to accept the assignment that we’ve been sent,” McDaniel said “In your ordinary life you have room for an extraordinary God Where in your life is He at work in a way that can only be explained by Him?”

Quotable

“Often we give God the leftovers How about we think the way Christ thinks? How about we go about doing the Father ’s will?”

–

Jacqueline Scott, Illinois WMU Lead Team

“Ephesians 2:12 tells us we are equipped for the purpose of doing ministry If we don’t go home and do anything with this [training and equipping], we have wasted Scripture ”

Nicol is a member of First Baptist Church in Patoka

Women also elected members of WMU’s lead team, who will serve in a variety of roles throughout the year to organize missions opportunities for children, teens and adults in Illinois

Early Saturday morning, some meeting attenders participated in a 5K Run/Walk for Missions Around 30 walkers and runners assembled in Decatur for the inaugural event

Going home changed

In the meeting’s final session, pastor ’s wife and International Mission Board global missions catalyst Lori McDaniel emphasized the importance of

Called to lead, called to serve

I am a leader That’s hard to acknowledge, having lived a quiet faith for so long

April was an important mile marker for me It was one year ago that I attended my first Illinois Baptist Women’s Conference A friend and I decided to check it out together That’s when I was introduced to WMU, and when I first heard Carmen Halsey speak She spoke on leadership, and I recall her speaking of the change needed if we were to be relevant in today’s world

As someone who grew up in a traditional church setting, where women

held few leadership positions, that piqued my interest Raising up leaders in our churches was the message that I heard at that first conference Even though Carmen was still settling into her new role as the state Women’s Ministry Director, I felt like God was already working in and through her

This year, I saw and heard the same underlying theme: Leadership That’s not so unusual for most conferences, but it is for women’s conferences (unless you’re in the business world ) Leadership in churches is usually de-

“Are you going home changed?” Halsey asked the women at the end of the conference

“Tomorrow begins today,” she said “We have a personal choice to make whether we are going to live our lives with intention or let someone else decide it for us ”

Pray

through

the news

– Give thanks for Holy Spirit-gifted women who step out to serve and step up to lead

– Petition the Lord for strong and wise women who will mentor others

fined as a man’s role But what I took away from the conference was not a call to undermine men or bow up against them, but to complement their leadership by serving

But what does it look like to serve?

This is something I struggle with

One of the speakers, Kimberly Sowell, defined it this way, “If you are struggling with vulnerability or fear, how do you overcome it? You learn to love people like Jesus If you get involved in other people’s lives it is messy business A lot of people are too broken to come to us, so we’ve got to go where they are ”

In his Gospel, Matthew uses different words to explain this kind of service

“Whoever wants to be great among you

– Carmen Halsey, IBSA Director of Women’s Ministry and Missions

“This is our safe place, but there are a whole lot of people that need to be sitting (here) beside us It’s not enough to give them a drink of water, a meal, or a coat We need to give them a drink of the living water and a piece of the bread of life ”

– Jill McNicol, Illinois WMU President

must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many”

(Matthew 20:26-28)

How is this possible without stepping out and leading in some capacity? How can we be a light to the world if the world never sees or hears us? In the midst of brokenness and messiness, we’re called to serve others

Because I’m a leader, and so are you

Andrea Hammond is a ministry assistant for IBSA’s Church Communications team and a pastor ’ s wife and mom of four from Virden

Sowell McDaniel Lovingood

LINKED – Speaker Rachel Lovingood asked women at the meeting to stand arm-in-arm to demonstrate unity "There is no telling what can happen in the state of Illinois if we start getting together,” she said

PEOPLE & CHURCHES

New Faces

Richard Hill is the new director of missions for Macoupin Baptist Association

He previously pastored IBSA churches in Gillespie, Louisville and Lovington, and has served on the IBSA Board of Directors He and his wife, Kay, have three children and 13 grandchildren

Ron Trotter, who previously served as director of missions for Greater Wabash Baptist Association, is the new pastor of Logan Street Baptist Church in Mt Vernon Trotter previously pastored Wayne City Baptist and led Goshen Trail Association as DOM He and his wife, René, have three adult children

Daniel Johnson is the new pastor of Charity Baptist Church in Carlinville

Daniel has served as a pastor in Central and Rehoboth Baptist Associations for the past 21 years, and as a church planter for the past four He and his wife, Julie, have four children

Ministry Positions

Calvary Baptist Church, Hillsboro, seeks a full- or part-time youth minister to work with grades 6-12

The church has an average Sunday morning attendance of 175 Send resume and references to: Calvary Baptist Church Personnel Committee, 1001 Rountree St., Hillsboro, IL 62049

First Baptist Church, Brownstown, seeks a bivocational music director Send resumes to P O Box 153, Brownstown, IL 62418, or to Pastor Olen Evans at olenmevans@ gmail com

Resources

Free: 12-foot, padded white oak pew Contact Roland Manor Baptist Church, Washington, at (309) 6946493

Monitors: IBSA is selling 19-inch, flat panel computer monitors for $50 each Contact Drew Heironimus at (217) 391-3112

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Winnwood Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo , seeks a senior pastor For further information, go to www.winnwood.org.

Charles Boling, this is your life!

Marion | A vintage TV show recently set the stage for an evening to celebrate one of Illinois’ longest-tenured directors of missions. Charles Boling, who serves as DOM for Williamson County Baptist Association headquartered in Marion, will retire this fall at the end of the current associational year

Friends and family gathered at First Baptist Church, Marion, in April for what the local newspaper called a “roast in Boling’s honor ” Speakers including IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams and former IBSA zone strategy director and southern Illinois DOM Jerry Day, took to the stage to celebrate Boling’s ministry and legacy He has led the association for 27 years

“It made for a tremendous event, and we really appreciated it,” Boling said of the reunion, which also brought his children and grandchildren to Marion He had spoken to his daughter that very afternoon, thinking she was at home in South Carolina. What he didn’t know was that she was in Illinois for the surprise Boling, who will turn 84 by the time he retires, has called Illinois home for most of the last 46 years He met members of First Baptist Church,

Pinckneyville, on a trip to the Holy Land in 1967, and they called him to pastor their church two years later

Boling pastored First Baptist for 18 years before returning to the church he had previously led in South Carolina. He thought he was going back home, he said, but his love for Illinois led him back a couple of years later when Williamson Association approached him about a job He “retired” once before, in 1996 when the association needed a building Boling stayed on as DOM, but took a pay cut to help fund the building The association will finish pay-

ing off the loan this summer before he officially leaves his post

As he looks toward retirement, Boling and his wife, Betty, will stay in southern Illinois, where they’re members of Second Baptist, Marion Through his years as a DOM, he said, he’s probably been “the worst member they have in attendance,” so he plans to go to one church his for a while

Looking back on the call to come to Illinois all those years ago, Boling said, “I didn’t know whether I’d go that far away or not, but I did, and I’ve been happy ”

Happy 100th

Pinckneyville | Beaucoup Baptist Church celebrated its centennial anniversary the weekend of April 12 with a gospel concert, community clean-up project, and Sunday service that recognized several long-time members and attenders

Ruby Hepp, a member of the church since 1938, was given a quilt made by the ladies of Beaucoup, said Pastor Mark Lee In honor of Harold Helvey, who has attended the church longer than anyone, a Bible was placed on the communion table

Faye Ramsey, 92, received a plaque as Beaucoup’s oldest member present at the celebration IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams also was on hand to present a plaque of appreciation to Lee and the church

APPRECIATION – Retiring director of missions Charles Boling and his wife, Betty, (both seated) were celebrated in April by family and friends, including IBSA’s Nate Adams and Pat Pajak

For campus ministers, student leaders, pastors, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders

MERCI, BEAUCOUP – Members and guests at the Pinckneyville church’s anniversary celebration posed for a photo in the sanctuary

W e ’ r e s e r i o u s a b o u t I l l i n o i s . t h e 1 , 0 0 0

e ’ r e s e r i o u s a b o u t m i s s i o n s .

S o u t h e r n B a p t i s t s i n I l l i n o i s g i v e :

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t h e s e p e o p l e a r e d i f f e r e n t , ” A b n e r s a i d “ E s p e c i a l l y D o m i n i c w h a t h e h a d w i t h J e s u s w a s d i f f e r e n t t h a n w h a t I h a d e x p e r i e n c e d ” A f t e r a w h i l e o f m a k i n g e x c u s e s f o r w h y h e d i d n ’ t h a v e t h e s a m e j o y h e s a w i n o t h e r s , h e a t t e n d e d a c o l l e g i a t e r e t r e a t p r o v i d e d t h r o u g h t h e C o o p e r a t i v e P r o g r a m . T h a t ’s w h e r e t h e g o s p e l f i n a l l y t o o k r o o t A b n e r w a s b a p t i z e d b y M e n a r d a t C o r n e r s t o n e C h u r c h i n M a r i o n ( w h i c h w a s l e d b y c u r r e n t I B S A c h u r c h p l a n t i n g s t r a t e g i s t E d d i e P u l l e n ) a n d a l m o s t a y e a ra n dah a l f l a t e r, s t a r t e d w o r k i n g i n a n i nt e r i m r o l e a s B C M d i r e c t o r i n C a r b o n d a l e a f t e r M e n a r d m o v e d t o a d i f f e r e n t j o b . T h e p o s i t i o n e v e n t u a l l y b e c a m e p e r m a n e n t , a n d A b n e r s e r v e d t h e r e u n t i l h e m o v e d w i t h h i s f a mi l y t o S p r i n g f i e l d i n 2 0 1 2 . H e s e r v e d a s I B S A ’s C o l l e g i a t e E v a ng e l i s m S t r a t e g i s t , w o r k i n g w i t h c a m p u s m i n i s t e r s a r o u n d t h e s t a t e . A n d , o c c a s i o n a l l y , s h a r i n g w h y C P i s i m p o r t a n t t o h i m . “ I ’ v e s e e n t h e r e a l i t y t h a t c h u r c h e s c a n d o m o r e t o a d v a n c e t h e g o s p e l i f t h e y w o r k t o g e t h e r ” B e c a u s e o f C P, I m e t J e s u s i n c o l l e g e

W h e n C h a s e A b n e r s p e a k s t o c h u r c h e s a b o u t w h a t h e d o e s f o r t h e I l l i n o i s B a p t i s t S t a t e A s s o c i at i o n , h e s t a r t s w i t h a t h a n ky o u “ I ’ m y o u r b r o t h e r b e c a u s e y o u w e r e g i v i n g a n d p r a y i n g f o r m i ni s t r i e s l i k e B C M ’s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d ” “ B C M ” i s B a p t i s t C o l l e g i a t e M i n i s t r y , a n d a n e t w o r k o f t h e m a r o u n d t h e s t a t e a r e s u p p o r t e d b y g i v i n g t h r o u g h t h e C o o p e r a t i v e P r o g r a m . A b n e r ’s p e r s o n a l t e s t im o n y s t a r t s t h e r e “ I t e l l m y s t o r y b e c a u s e I t h i n k i t ’s i m p o r t a n t f o r [ c h u r c h e s ] t o b e r e m i n d e d t h a t G o d i s w o r k i n g t h r o u g h c o o p e r a t i v e m i s s i o n s , a n d i t ’s n i c e t o h a v e a f l e s ha n db l o o d r e m i n d e r ” A s a g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t a t S o u t he r n I l l i n o i s U n i v e r s i t y i n C a r b o nd a l e ,

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LEADERS AND LIFE

Ladies who lunch (with purpose)

Question: What’s an easy way to introduce a friend to your God and your church?

Answer: Invite her to a purposeful ladies’ luncheon

Can sharing Christ get any easier than that?

I admit it Almost any ladies’ church group enjoys a luncheon It’s great fellowship and quite a fulfilling project Many churches are planning a spring luncheon right now But when you add the stated purpose of outreach to your luncheon, you give it an eternal purpose

Try some of these simple tweaks to morph your current ladies’ luncheon event into a life-changing outreach strategy:

Make it enticing When each detail of every luncheon is consistently topquality, “as unto the Lord,” members are proud to invite unchurched guests

Beautiful décor High-energy atmosphere Well-planned timing Engaging speaker Yummy food Chocolate dessert

Announce dates. When any church member has the luncheon date on her calendar far ahead of time, she can more easily invite guests Select the day and time to fit your community Our quarterly luncheons were on a weekday, with a one-hour timetable so women could come on their lunch break

Provide tickets. Whether there is a cost or not, a printed ticket provides value A woman can present it as a gift to her guest

Create friendly peer pressure to remind members to bring unchurched friends. For example: Only those who bring new guests are seated at the best tables

Train greeters, table hostesses and church members to intentionally welcome guests, include them in conver-

sation and introduce them to friends Consistently invite guests back for Sunday worship The atmosphere becomes “it’s not about us” as members see God at work drawing women to Him

Ask the speaker to unapologetically weave Gods plan of salvation into her talk and point to His impact on daily life

Gather contact info with a door prize form (Just one door prize, please ) Ask for name, e-mail, and phone, and use checkboxes to indicate member or guest, interest in becoming a Christian, and a checkbox to request church information

A follow-up team acts quickly. Each guest receives a “thank you” email or call before Sunday, with an invitation to worship and a link to the church’s website Those who want to know Christ receive immediate follow-up

A purposeful ladies’ luncheon provides a comfortable venue for a woman to bring unchurched friends to know God She could bring an employee, boss or co-worker She may invite her hairstylist, city council representative, neighbor or classmate

She may reserve an entire table for her playgroup moms, book club, PTO officers, yacht club, or bowling team You get the picture!

“I can do that!” you say And so will other women in your church

As Luke 14:23 states, “Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full ”

For more detailed tips for planning ladies’ luncheons, see the free downloadable booklet at www diana davis org

© Diana Davis is an author, columnist and minister ’ s wife

Difference in debts

Q: My wife and I are on Baby Step 3 of your plan (See Dave’s plan at www dave ramsey com/new/baby-steps/ ) We’re also saving up to buy a car with cash We’re about $3,000 away from our goal, but now my wife wants to go ahead and finance the rest She has started wondering what the difference is in borrowing to buy a car and borrowing to buy a house

A: This is a good question It sounds like you guys have made good progress, but now one of you is running out of steam That’s okay Getting out of debt and staying out of debt can be a tough road

For one thing, cars go down in value The second thing is I don’t like debt of any kind I don’t really like borrowing for a house even, but I tolerate it as long as you use a 15-year,

fixed rate mortgage with payments that are no more than a fourth of your take-home pay I mean, it’s a much larger purchase You can get a great car for $15,000 to $20,000 dollars Depending on where you live, a good home can cost you 10 times that or more

Training Oppor tunities Training Oppor tunities

May 29-30: Collegiate Ministry

Resource Conference for college ministry leaders and key students

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Register: www IBSA org/college

May 29-30: Men of Valor Weekend for guys in grades 7-12

Where: Lake Sallateeska

Cost: $30 per person

Contact: Scott Slone, (618) 303-2130

June 6: Baptist Children’s Home Golf Tournament at Edgewood, Auburn

Contact: kensteward@bchfs com

June 6: Missions Spectacular

What: Projects for the whole family in six locations

When: 9 a m to 4:30 p m

Cost: $10 kids under 12; $15 others Web: www IBSA org/missions

June 12-13, 19-20: Father/Son Camps

Who: Dads and sons of all ages

Where: June 12-13, Streator Baptist Camp; June 19-20, Lake Sallateeska

Cost: $75 per adult (free for sons 16 and under)

Web: www IBSA org/kids

June 15-19, 21-25: IBSA Children’s Camps for kids in grades 3-6

Where: Lake Sallateeska

Cost: $135 per person

Web: www IBSA org/kids

June 23-27: Super Summer

What: Discipleship week for students who have completed grades 6-12

Where: Greenville College

Cost: $199 until June 1; $229 June 2-17

Web: www.IBSA.org/students

July 6-10, 20-24: IBSA Children’s Camps for kids in grades 3-6

Where: July 6-10, Lake Sallateeska; July 20-24, Streator Baptist Camp

Cost: $135 per person

Web: www IBSA org/kids

July 11: Church Planting Rendezvous

What: Effective ways to assist your church in praying, partnering or planting new churches in Illinois

Where: Woodlawn Baptist, Peoria

When: 9 a m to 3 p m

Contact: RachelCarter@IBSA org

July 13-17: Summer Worship University

What: Music and worship training for students in grades 6-12

Where: Hannibal-LaGrange University, Hannibal, Mo

Cost: $199 per person

Web: www IBSA org/worship

Week One – June 15-19 Lake Sallateeska

Week Two – June 21-25 Lake Sallateeska

Week Three – July 6-10 Lake Sallateeska

Week Four – July 20-24 Streator

For more information contact Cathy Waters (217) 391-3124 or visit www.IBSA.org/kids.

you can’t learn to delay pleasure

That’s the bottom line Personal finance is about controlling the person you see when you look in the mirror

Every one of us has that little fouryear-old kid inside, a little kid whose name is Immaturity, and he or she wants what they want right now What your wife is asking is a normal request, but it’s also a sign that we all have to address that little kid that’s inside us once in a while and tell that kid no!

Sell the cars!

Still, the best way to build wealth and have a high-quality financial life is to not be in debt. You’re never going to win with money in the long term if

Q: My wife and I have $2,000 in savings, and the only debt we have is our house and two cars I work in the oil and gas industry and make about $180,000 a year, but things are pretty volatile right now We’re upside down on both vehicles, and we owe $39,000 on one and about $48,000 on the other Under the circumstances, should we go ahead and build a fully funded emergency fund or work on paying off the cars?

A: Are you kidding me? Sell the cars! You need to go to Kelly Blue Book’s website right now, and find out what your cars are really worth Then, put them on the market as a private sale

You’ll get thousands more selling them that way than you will at a dealership You’ll have to talk to a local credit union or bank for a small loan to cover the difference, plus a little bit more so you guys can get a couple of little beaters to drive for a while

But you’ve got close to $100,000 in car debt hanging over your heads That’s a disaster! I want you to take a moment and think about how things would be without these stinking car payments Your lives would change completely!

Hopefully, you’ll be able to keep your job But this car debt is the scariest thing I’ve heard in a long time, even with your great income Get rid of those things now!

Dave Ramsey is a prolific author and radio host

DAVE Says Financial advice from Dave Ramsey

“Personal finance is about controlling the person you see when you look in the mirror.”

logger

he-bone steaks

all-time favorite ys Debbie Muller ptist Church in t for a community ock party this

Ingredients

Pork steaks

One bottle BBQ sauce, your choice

One can lemon-lime soda

To prepare: Grill the pork steaks until cooked

Put them in a Dutch oven, and pour in BBQ sauce and soda Simmer for one hour on stovetop or grill, until meat is very tender Optional: Shred and serve on sandwiches

Trending

Faith movies falling off the radar?

2014 was a banner year for Christian films, even dubbed “The Year of the Bible” by some But the box office is lagging for this year ’s slate of faith-themed films

Of the four movies released this year that fit into web tracker Box Office Mojo’s ‘Christian films’ category, only one “Do You Believe?” has been widely released Sure, it’s early, but by this time last year, “Son of God,” “God’s Not Dead,” and “Heaven Is For Real” already were playing to large audiences and raking in millions at theaters

A recent LifeWay Research survey found 40% of all Americans have seen a Christian movie in the past year, with young people, African-Americans, evangelicals, and weekly churchgoers more likely to do so

“Great movies hinge on great stories and the Bible is filled with great stories,” said LifeWay Research President Ed Stetzer “These numbers show that many Americans are watching, and perhaps this will encourage more and better films ”

G a m e n i g h t

Looking for an outreach/fellowship/mission trip fundraising idea for the summer? Consider a trivia night like the one FBC Pinckneyville held in April The southern Illinois church chose a Sunday evening and a theme: So You Think You Know FBCP? (The game night coincided with the church’s celebration of its 150th anniversary this summer ) Teams also competed in a round of Bible trivia

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE

Clip and save in a prayer journal, your Bible, or stick on the fridge

Missionaries:

Charles & Candi Campbell

Serving in: Springfield, where Charles directs IBSA’s church planting efforts in southern Illinois The Campbells are leaders at Delta Church and have three daughters: Carrie, Madeline, and Hailey

Pray: For laborers for the harvest from our established churches, patience and boldness for church planters, and that people will be open and receptive to the gospel

Chart Toppers

Top Christian blogs

1. New Advent, various authors

www newadvent org

2 Religious & Ethics Newsweekly, various authors

www pbs org/wnet/religionandethics

3 A Holy Experience, Ann Voskamp

www aholyexperience com

4 Dr. Albert Mohler

www albertmohler com

5. CNN Belief Blog, various authors http://religion blogs cnn com

THE NECESSITY OF COURAGE

“ we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition ”

– 1 Thess 2:2b HCSB

In the early months of 1940, amidst the uncertainty of France’s future and the threat of Nazi Germany, Britain withdrew its troops from Europe. The return of more than 330,000 troops made it one of the most massive retreats in military history The British people celebrated, but Winston Churchill, speaking to the House of Commons, said, “Wars are not won by evacuations!”

When I think of courage, I recall men like David, Daniel, Elijah and Stephen They deliberately chose to take action in spite of the threats against them These days in our nation call for us to be people of great courage Protecting the unborn, preserving God’s design for marriage, and proclaiming Jesus as the only way to God does not put us on the world’s list of most favored people

God’s Word is clear The spirit of this world is hostile to the Spirit of Christ I have heard that the opposite of courage is not cowardice but conformity James wrote, “Friendship with the world is hostility toward God” (4:4) Let us, with courage and resolve, continue to be light and salt

PRAYER PROMPT: Lord, when I am afraid or uncertain or weary, I will trust in you

Odis Weaver is pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Plainfield and is currently serving as president of IBSA Pastors are invited to join the online “IBSA Pastors’ Prayer Room” by e-mailing oweaver7307@gmail com