May 1, 2024 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

Indy Preview

SBC is coming in June: 6 candidate profiles, meeting schedule, tourist sites

Indy convention has large slate of candidates, as it did last time southern

An unusually large field of candidates for Southern Baptist Convention President promises multiple ballots with the customary announcement, “Take ballot number four and only ballot number four…”

Six candidates announced for the denomination’s top elected post, matching the number who ran in 2008, a convention that was also held in Indianapolis.

The field has more pastors from churches that would be closer to the average size in the SBC, rather than megachurch pastors. Three lead churches with more than 1,000 average attendance for Sunday morning worship services. Two of the candidates have run for the presidency previously.

The field is

▶ David Allen, Sunnyvale, Texas

▶ Bruce Frank, Asheville, N.C.

▶ Mike Keahbone, Lawton, Okla.

▶ Jared Moore, Crossville, Tenn.

▶ Clint Pressley, Charlotte, N.C.

▶ Dan Spencer, Sevierville, Tenn.

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Comm. Coordinator - Nic Cook

Graphics Assistant - Makayla Proctor

The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3127 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 month 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 BIG Baptist family album

Welcome to IBSA

Anchor Church in the Chicago suburb of Palos Heights joined IBSA at the 2023 Annual Meeting. The church was founded by Ryan Hall, who formerly served with Crossroads Carol Stream (now Gospelife Church). The church’s approach to ministry is “about all disciples using their God-given spiritual gifts to provide mutual ministry in the context of the vibrant and strong local church.”

Pray the news

A ruling is expected from the U.S. Supreme Court in June on the legality of distributing a widely used abortion pill by mail. IBSA ministry partner Alliance Defending Freedom argued against the pill in March.

NATE ADAMS

My CP Story

Team Leader - Ben Jones Share your CP Story. Send us up to 400 words or a two-minute video.

IMB missionaries are aided by volunteers on mission trips. In a jungle village in Peru, Dr. Heidi Haun of Rome, Georgia provides free medical care, while others from the team share the gospel.

Total giving by IBSA churches as of 3/31/24 $1,498,012

2024 budget goal to date: $1,403,617 2024 Goal: $6 Million

While in college, I served a nearby Baptist church as its youth minister. One night during a church business meeting, someone asked what this line was in the church budget called “Cooperative Program,” and whether it could be cut back to free up money for some other things.

A respected deacon and businessman in the church named Don stood up and patiently explained that the Cooperative Program was perhaps the most important part of our budget.

He said that, when combined with the gifts from other churches like ours, the Cooperative Program sends and supports thousands of missionaries around the world. Each year it helps plant hundreds of new Baptist churches across America. It helps prepare thousands of future pastors and leaders through six world-class seminaries. And part of what we give through the CP, he reminded us, stays in our own home state to help churches like ours train our leaders, find resources, solve problems, go to camp, search for pastors and staff, and start new Illinois churches.

“On any given day,” he said, “no matter what is happening in our own spiritual lives or in the ministry of our church, we know that our gifts through the Cooperative Program are helping carry the gospel throughout the world, 24/7.”

As you might expect that church chose to keep its commitment to the Cooperative Program strong. And I then came to understand on a more personal level that not only had CP made seminary affordable for my dad to become a pastor, but it also made my dad’s role as an Associational Missionary possible. It was because of him that I started serving that church, for a summer that ended up lasting six years.

A few years later, I worked through our Association to help start a new church on the other side of our town, and the Cooperative Program helped make that possible. From its first public worship service, that church plant was larger than our sponsoring church. And from the very beginning, our new church tithed 10% through the Cooperative Program.

Once we had called a full-time pastor, I had the opportunity to join the staff of the North American Mission Board, helping start thousands of new churches in the years I was there. My specific role was mission mobilization and media. Our staff also helped thousands of lay people like me engage in all kinds of volunteer missions, from Disaster Relief to World Changers, and from Campers on Mission to the Mission Service Corps. CP made all that possible.

Now I serve churches through the Illinois Baptist State Association, where we help plant 10-20 new churches each year, and where we assist more than 900 churches to be healthy, to develop their leaders, and to be on mission in their communities and beyond.

Whether we’re talking about that church where I first served as youth minister or the church I serve today, by itself any one of our churches could maybe pay part of one person’s salary to do ministry or missions beyond its community. But by partnering with other churches, each church that gives through the Cooperative Program today is still making possible all the things Deacon Don said it did over 40 years ago. And it hasn’t missed a day.

I guess I have now become that guy who stands up when needed and says the Cooperative Program is the most important line in our church budget. I hope Deacon Don would be pleased. I believe the Lord is. And that is my CP Story. What’s yours?

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

from the front: full circle

Continued from page 1

Two of the candidates are expressly opposed to the “Law Amendment” to the SBC constitution, which would add the male-only definition of pastor to the denomination’s governing documents. All candidates favor further actions to prevent sexual abuse in SBC churches. Half the candidates lead churches that contribute less than the national percentage average to the Cooperative Program.

See the candidates’ statistics, platform positions, and opinions in a side-by-side comparison on page 8.

Déjà vu Indy

The last time the SBC Annual Meeting was held is Indianapolis was in 2008. The election for SBC President also had a slate of six candidates. Johnny Hunt won on the first ballot with 52.94% of the vote. That was a surprising quick finish for a sizable field.

Hunt, a megachurch pastor from Woodstock, Georgia, was the most recognizable name in a convention that drew 5,856 for the election. Ironically that meeting was also held in Indianapolis. (And fifteen years later Hunt resigned from a vice-president’s post with the North American Mission Board over claims of sexual abuse.)

The 2008 convention in Indianapolis also produced a motion to establish a database for tracking sexual abuse. Now, 16 years after that motion, an

independent non-profit organization proposed as the successor to the SBC Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) is planning to operate such a database outside the SBC itself.

One of the 2024 candidates for SBC President is a member of the new non-profit organization. Oklahoma pastor Mike Keahbone served on ARITF and its predecessor, the Sexual Abuse Task Force, which investigated abuse claims uncovered by Guidepost Solutions in 2022.

In 2008, 7,277 messengers registered in Indy, although fewer were present for the presidential vote. Baptist Press reported heavy rains dampened attendance.

Last year in New Orleans, 12,737 messengers registered, and more than 20,000 people attended the convention. The 2024 convention is expected to draw about the same number of messengers. —IB staff

Illinois Baptist honored by peers

BCA awards 6 first places, 2 grand prizes

Richmond | The Illinois Baptist team was cited for excellence in journalism and design at the 2024 Baptist Communicators Association awards held in Richmond, Virginia April 23-25. The annual gathering of journalists and media specialists from SBC entities recognizes achievements for a wide range of publications and multimedia.

The IBSA team received first place nods for Editorial, “Asbury’s Tik-Tok Revival” (Eric Reed); Feature writing, “Behind the Curtain” (Ben Jones); IBSA.org redesign (Nic Cook); Newspaper design (Kris Kell); Newswriting, “Protecting Kids” (Lisa Misner); Newswriting Package, “SBC Convention Coverage” (Team).

In addition, Jones’s article was recognized with the Frank Burkhalter Award for exceptional

achievement in newswriting. And the Team received the Leonard Holloway Award for “Ballot Boxing,” coverage of the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Groza succeeds Iorg at Gateway

Onterio Calif. | Gateway Baptist Seminary Vice President Adam Groza was elected to succeed outgoing President Jeff Iorg in a meeting of trustees April 16. The unanimous vote comes one month ahead of Iorg’s departure to lead the SBC Executive Committee. Iorg had planned to retire after 20 years as Gateway’s president.

Groza is a Pasadena, California native. He joined the seminary administration as Vice President for Enrollment, coming from Southwestern in Fort Worth.

“I came back to California in 2010 to be part of Gateway Seminary because I believe raising ministry leaders in the western United States is a necessity for Southern Baptists,” Groza said. “I still believe in this mission, and I am humbled to be entrusted with this responsibility.”

Trustees approved Groza’s nomination of Kristen Ferguson as Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services. She has been employed by the seminary since 2016. Ferguson currently serves as chair of the SBC’s Committee on Resolutions and is a research fellow for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. She is the author of three books and several articles. Her most recent book, “Excellence in Online Education,” focuses on fostering Christian community in a virtual environment.

—excerpted from Baptist Press

Title IX regs threaten women’s sports

A new set of Title IX regulations will eventually cripple women’s sports, critics say, as rules which will likely allow transgender men to compete as women soon take effect. Regulations about sports participation “is still ongoing,” said the U.S. Department of Education, but any measure allowing schools to prevent biological males from participating in athletics against females is noticeably absent from the draft version.

“The Biden administration’s radical redefinition of sex turns back the clock on equal opportunity for women, threatens student safety and privacy, and undermines fairness in women’s sports,” said Rachel Rouleau, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom.

“It is a slap in the face to women and girls who have fought long and hard for equal opportunities,” she said, which is why Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) plans to take action to defend female athletes, as well as school districts, teachers, and students who will be gravely harmed by this unlawful government overreach.”

The final regulations become active on Aug. 1. ADF is a ministry partner with IBSA.

Court allows ‘care’ ban

The U. S. Supreme Court has allowed Idaho to enforce a ban on transgender treatments for minors while a lawsuit is under consideration, but puberty blockers can continue for the two minors involved in the case in the meantime. “…It must be recognized, that while couched in the language of ‘gender-affirming care,’ these medical and surgical procedures do great, permanent harm to children,” said Miles Mullin, vice president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. The Idaho law was previously on track to take effect this past January but was blocked by the court challenge by the teenage plaintiffs—two biological boys who view themselves as girls—and their parents.

Idaho is among five states that have criminalized so-called “gender-affirming” medical treatment for minors, including Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and North Dakota. Such treatments are banned, though not criminalized, in 19 additional states.

—from Baptist Press

1,000+ march on Capitol

Lawmakers draw attention to pending ‘human rights’ bill

More than 1,000 people attended the Illinois Right to Life March in Springfield April 17. Among them was a former gubernatorial candidate who called recently passed House Bill 4867 a “death bill.” Jesse Sullivan, who ran in the Republican primary for governor in 2022, criticized House Bill 4867, which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to include “reproductive health decisions” as a human right.

“The first human right is to life and we know anything that goes against that is a falsehood and ultimately of the devil,” said Sullivan. “If you are going to say, ‘you’re going to kill young babies in the womb,’ and you’re going to start forcing people to abide by that and live by that, we as taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for people to kill young children.”

crowd to email legislators to vote no on HB4867, which has now arrived in the Illinois Senate. Opponents say if enacted, pregnancy care centers would not be allowed to hire only individuals who oppose abortion.

Several legislators, including state Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley), were in attendance. Syverson left the microphone and chanted with the crowd the word “life.” Sullivan called on Illinois Republicans to not be like “Stephan Douglas.” In the 1800s, Douglas accused Abraham Lincoln of being an abolitionist while Lincoln accused Douglas of wanting to nationalize slavery.

State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, is a sponsor of the bill, and said the bill gives Illinoisans the freedom to consider and make whatever reproductive health decisions they wish without the fear of discrimination or retaliation in the context of housing, employment, public accommodations, education and financial credit.

“The Dobbs decision two years ago held that the Constitution doesn’t confer a right to abortion and returned the authority to regulate reproductive decisions to the states,” said Moeller on the House floor April 16. “Various existing laws are now being reexamined in light of this changing constitutional jurisprudence and new needs are emerging.”

Moeller was questioned on the House floor by state Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Harrisburg). Windhorst voted ‘no’ on the bill.

“It’s my understanding that organizations that have a religious affiliation would be exempt under the definition of a religious organization,” said Moeller. “If a crisis pregnancy center fell under that designation, then they would be exempt. If not, then they would not be.”

Speakers at the Right to Life March urged the

“We have people in the Republican party saying, ‘No this needs to be a states’ rights issue,’ taking the role of Stephen Douglas … when really we need to be in the role of Abraham Lincoln. Slavery is wrong and abortion is wrong and the killing and murdering of children is wrong. We have to be bold in proclaiming that truth and that’s why I am here today,” said Sullivan.

Speakers at the rally said if the bill is enacted, Christian schools would not be allowed to hire only those teachers who share and willingly communicate the school’s beliefs about the sanctity of human life.

Senate Bill 3492, a similar measure to HB4867, would amend the Illinois Human Rights Act and awaits to be assigned to committee.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), an IBSA ministry partner, urged Illinoisans to file “witness slips” ahead of a scheduled March 21 House Committee meeting on the bill. That hearing was postponed, requiring a second filing of witness slips to register opposition to the bill. ADF often pursues religious freedom cases on behalf Christian organizations, such as this case, to protect them as employers from forced compliance in hiring practices in violation of their religious beliefs.

—Catrina Petersen, Illinois reporter for The Center Square

southern baptist convention

SBC President speaks on 3 controversies

Urges CP support, promises ballot vote on ‘Law’ amendment

Springfield | The highlight of the event may have been having a photo made with the outgoing President of the Southern Baptist Convention, dressed in his Texas flag shirt and cowboy hat, standing next to a cardboard cutout of a cow like those he raises back home in Farmersville. More likely it was the opportunity to hear Bart Barber address the issues facing the convention going into its annual meeting in Indianapolis in June.

“I just want to scandalize you today by telling you the President of the Southern Baptist Convention is Baptist, very Baptist, so excessively Baptist,” Barber said to chuckles from the crowd. He was pointing to the autonomous nature of the local Baptist church, and addressed the three big issues he expects messengers to take up at the SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis in June.

“I don’t get to decide what we do about any of those things,” he said. Yet his influence over the

convention after a troubled season is felt, and his humble leadership was acknowledged by the Illinois pastors and leaders who met with Barber at the IBSA Building in April.

There were an abundance of lighter moments. Barber grew up as a St. Louis Cardinals fan in northern Arkansas. IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams presented Barber a souvenir Cards jersey with the number 65. Barber is the 65th President of the SBC.

In the gathering, Barber addressed the importance of the Cooperative Program as its 100th anniversary approaches in 2025. He participated in a question-and-answer session, and named as three top issues response to sexual abuse, calls for financial transparency in SBC entities, and the pending vote on the Law Amendment which would clarify the definitions of men and women in ministry.

convention schedule

8:45

9:00

9:20

“The complementarian-egalitarianism question has been settled in the Southern Baptist Convention,” Barber said, citing the nearly identical votes to dismiss two churches with women pastors—one a normative size church and the other a megachurch—in 2023. “Complementarian says men and women are gifted for service, gifted by God, equally redeemed, but they have different roles in the church particularly related to proclamation and governance,” he said.

The (Mike) Law Amendment to the SBC Constitution defining “pastor” as a male-only office will come up for a second vote at the 2024 Annual Meeting. The voice vote in 2023 will be followed by a ballot vote in

P. 6

The big issues

▶ The “Law Amendment”—second vote on the amendment to the SBC Constitution reserving the office of pastor to men only.

▶ Sexual abuse tracking next steps—a nonprofit organization for tracking abuse claims that would operate outside the SBC has been created. At issue is how it will be funded and whether it will be recommended to SBC churches.

▶ Dismissal of four churches—congregations dismissed by the SBC Executive Committee in February for questions of abuse claims and pastoral qualifications have the right to appeal to messengers, if they choose to.

▶ Cooperation study—a study group appointed by President Bart Barber in 2023 will address issues related to lack of “friendly cooperation,” the reason cited for dismissing churches from SBC membership.

▶ Great Commission Resurgence study—a study group report is due on the effectiveness of reorganization of the denomination in 2012.

▶ Moments to watch: Incoming SBC Executive Committee President/CEO Jeff Iorg will bring his first report to the convention one month after taking office. His successor as President of Gateway Seminary will also make his first platform appearance.

“Everybody should just keep their powder dry and see how it all turns out.”

SBC President Bart Barber, in a session of more than ninety minutes capping his time in Springfield, responded to questions submitted by Illinois pastors and church leaders. Barber’s aim was to clarify without over-simplifying the complexities.

IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams moderated the discussion that proved to be part talk show, part sermon, part explanation, and good-spirited fun at the same time.

Continued from page 5

Indianapolis, Barber stated. “We will mark a ballot and turn it in,” he promised. Some groups, including the National African American Fellowship, were critical that a ballot vote was not held in New Orleans last year.

“I don’t think we have to have a constitutional amendment to decide (the definition of pastor) for us,” Barber said. “I think the Baptist Faith and Message is clear already, and is more clear than this amendment.”

Barber is concerned that amendment makes the definition of pastor less clear, because it expands the meaning to “different kinds” of pastors. It also expands Article 3 in the SBC Constitution related to “friendly cooperation.”

Barber appointed a study group on “cooperation” and its role in defining or dismissing a church from the denomination based on its “friendly cooperation.” A report from that group is expected in Indianapolis. The Credentials Committee recommended to the SBC Executive Committee the dismissal of four churches in 2023 and four more this year.

As for churches that have threatened to leave the SBC based on approval or failure of the Law Amendment, Barber said they should wait to see the actions the convention takes after the vote. “Everybody should just keep their powder dry and see how it all turns out,” he summarized.

The next 100

The tenor of Barber’s talks was candid, which those in attendance appreciated. It was also uplifting for a brother from Texas to make the trip to Illinois to share a word prior to our next big meeting together in neighboring Indiana. “We’re going to send more messengers than usual,” Adams said. He urged Illinois pastors to encourage their church members’ attendance at the convention as well.

“Heaven is working to bind us together,” Barber said, “so we can serve together, so we can glorify God together, that’s encouraging to me.”

Part of Barber’s visit to Illinois was to encourage churches in their Cooperative Program giving ahead of CP’s 100th anniversary in 2025. He talked about the morality, beauty, goodness, and ethical

nature of shared support for missions.

“In the Cooperative Program, we as church leaders get an opportunity to model and practice without hypocrisy what we ask the members of our churches to do,” Barber said.

With a doctorate in history, Barber was able to tell stories from the beginning of the modern missions movement at the Haystack Revival in 1806, and the muddled election of 1902 as support for his concept of cooperation.

First century churches were his primary example, churches that had “a vision that was bigger than just their thing. These were churches that had just gotten started. They were struggling to survive…. They had every reason to care only about what they had going on in their difficult place. But God caused them to love beyond the borders of their church, and it led them to cooperate and to overcome.”

▶ Video highlights will be posted online at IllinoisBaptist.org.

GOOD DISCUSSION — Pastors weighed the issues among themselves during breaks (above) and posed questions to Bart Barber. IBSA board chair Bruce Kirk shook hands with Barber, as did everyone who wanted a souvenir photo.

Warm welcome for Texan

Springfield | SBC President Bart Barber and his assessment of current issues in the denomination were both well received during the Texas pastor’s visit to Illinois. Coming to the Midwest one more time before the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting convenes in Indianapolis in June, Barber spent about four hours on April 16 meeting pastors and church leaders and answering questions about the big issues. Mostly, he conveyed the tone he hopes will prevail in the Annual Meeting.

“Baptist people are hard to work with,” Barber said, “and some will tell you they are hard to work for.” He laughed a little as he said it. But the rancher urged pastors to be a reconciling people. “Be the kind of people who is willing to go to a person and work something out,” he said, preaching a bit from Matthew 18.

“Heaven is working to bind us together, so we can serve together, so we can glorify God together, that’s encouraging to me,” Barber said. “Heaven backing you, pastor, but Jesus said, ‘I will be by your side.’”

IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams described the timing of Barber’s visit as providential. Adams had invited him before the 2023

convention in New Orleans. “Let’s see how the election turns out,” he joked, before winning a second one-year term. Now, less than two months ahead of his last convention wielding the gavel, Barber’s assessment of the issues appeared well timed. And helpful.

“I’ve really been struck by Dr. Barber’s humility, his desire to see the SBC following the Lord more closely,” said Daniel Good, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Savoy. As a younger pastor, Good was encouraged by explanation of the Cooperative Program as it turns 100 in 2025, and the importance of local churches like his own.

His wife, Hope, agreed. “I think it’s good to provide education on the Cooperative Program, how it’s not just about Illinois… I don’t think many younger people really know about it.”

For many who drove distances to hear Barber, it was his observations on the pending “Law Amendment” on the qualifications for pastor that drew their interest.

“He really helped clarify the issues,” said David Van Bebber, pastor of Meadowbrook Church in Auburn. “I appreciated his spirit, but also his

compassion for all the people of out convention. As the pastor of a smaller church, he gives people a sense he cares that their voices are being heard.”

“He’s a servant, that’s clear,” said IBSA Board President Bruce Kirk of Alpha Church in Bolingbook. That’s going to be important in Indianapolis.”

“I think the issues are real. said Bryan Price, an IBSA Zone Consultant in Chicagoland and pastor of Love Fellowship in Romeoville. “The

Big votes coming, key reports due

The 2024 SBC Annual Meeting promises several attempts at clarification of the denomination’s defining beliefs on ‘cooperation’ and the role of pastor. Messengers may also hear an honest assessment of a 2012 reorganization plan more recently called into question by leaders including Chuck Kelley, retired president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

The SBC’s Cooperation Group announced April 19 that it would release its recommendations May 1. The group’s chairman, Texas pastor Jared Wellman, said the release date should allow for ample discussion of the recommendations before the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting.

The Cooperation study is one of two reports due from panels appointed by SBC President Bart Barber. The other is on the effectiveness of the Conservative Resurgence, a move 12 years ago to streamline several SBC entities and align their program assignments with evangelism, church planting, and missions. The ‘resurgence’ defunded local associations in northern and frontier territories, and coincided with a decade-long decline in SBC membership and baptisms, and waning percentage giving through Cooperative Program by local churches.

The Cooperation group was formed in response to a motion from a messenger to the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans calling for the study of what it means for churches to be “in friendly cooperation on questions of faith and practice.”

The dismissal of churches for mishandling abuse

claims or for having women as pastors has fallen under the “friendly cooperation” provision in the SBC constitution. The study seeks clarification of that definition.

“We are thankful for the prayers and support for us as we studied and developed these recommendations,” Wellman said. “Though this release comes later than we initially planned, we are grateful that it still provides over 40 days for messengers to engage with, understand, and respond to the recommendations.”

The recommendations will be the culmination of Stage 2 of the group’s announced 4-stage process. Stage 3 will be the refinement stage, followed by

people of my church may not think about it a lot, but I do and the pastors I work with do. I don’t think these issues are something we can brush by.”

“Even in our differences, the Lord will lead us in Indianapolis,” Carlton Binkley, pastor of Tabernacle Church in Decatur, said. “As for Bart Barber, he is a down to earth brother that loves the Lord, and loves people… I really appreciate how he has led us as President.”

the resolution stage in June.

Wellman announced that the group will release a series of articles on its website May 6.

“These articles will offer deeper insights that we have been able to glean into the nature of cooperation within our community,” he said, adding that group members will also appear in online discussions to help messengers process the recommendations before attending the annual meeting in June.

With the presentations of recommendations from the two groups for messengers’ approval, the remaining big-ticket item at the 2024 Annual Meeting is a second vote on the “Law Amendment” to the SBC constitution, making the pastoral office male-only. At the April 16 IBSA event with Illinois church leaders, Barber said he thinks the amendment is unnecessary, as the SBC stance on the qualifications for pastor as stated in the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) is clear.

More mic time

Under Barber’s gavel, the 2023 annual meeting set records for the number of messengers recognized at the microphones and the number of motions they proposed. Barber advocates national meetings like the church business meetings back home, where as many messengers as possible can participate in the discussion.

Barber added an additional session to the 2024 meeting schedule to accommodate more input from the floor.

—with reporting from Baptist Press and IB staff

6 candidates vie for SBC President

David Allen Vocation: Leads the Adrian Rogers Center for Biblical Preaching at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis Church: FBC Sunnyvale, Texas

Average morning worship: 430

CP giving: $21,366 (1.2%)

Baptisms: 14

Platform: 1) Strengthen long-term Convention focus on evangelism, missions, and preaching. 2) Support passage of the Mike Law Amendment at the 2024 SBC in Indianapolis. 3) Seek to restore an eroding trust among many Southern Baptists by calling for transparency at every level.

Key Quote: “…I believe abuse is dealt with and defeated ultimately at the local church level. The local church is where accountability begins. The SBC should do all that is reasonably possible to provide information and training to church leaders regarding all aspects of abuse prevention and survivor care. We need heavenly wisdom to help us to work together to address the issue with biblical principles, genuine compassion, a financially prudent plan, sound legal strategies, and a methodologically wise blueprint for action.”

“If once great civilizations can decay, die, and lie in ruins, once great denominations can too. Some may believe our SBC has become too tangled to unravel. I don’t believe that. The bathwater may be dirty, but there is a baby in it.”

To be nominated by: Texas pastor Danny Forshee

Jared Moore

Vocation: Senior pastor

Church: Homesteads Baptist Church, Crossville, Tenn.

Average morning worship: 113

CP giving: $19,266 (5.6%)

Baptisms: 3

Platform: To implement: 1) the Law Amendment, 2) financial transparency, 3) biblical ethics which includes abortion abolition and same-sex attraction/desire is a sin, 4) reaching rural communities, and 5) biblically faithful leadership.

Key quote: “Southern Baptists should be the leading prophetic voice for biblical ethics in America and beyond. The greatest moral issue in the United States is abortion, the murder of over one million babies every year…. The mother who gets an abortion must be held accountable. That’s the only way you’re going to end abortion, so that’s something I want to argue for.”

“Any Southern Baptist pastor who claims there is ‘systemic abuse’ in the SBC, needs to publicly confess how much abuse the churches he has pastored have participated in. You don’t get to claim there is ‘systemic abuse’ and exempt yourself and your churches.”

“Throughout human history, when a nation comes to Christ, it flourishes. But then, subsequent generations that are flourishing because of their grandparents, forget the Lord, and lead the nation into debauchery, and eventually, death. Nations then either repent or perish forever.”

To be nominated by: Oklahoma pastor Dusty Deevers

Baptisms: 384

Bruce Frank

Vocation: Lead pastor

Church: Biltmore Baptist Church, with eight campuses around Asheville, N.C.

Average morning worship: 7,331 (all campuses)

CP giving: $235,000 (1.62%)

Platform: 1) A focus on the Great Commission. 2) A tenacity with Sexual Abuse Reform. 3) A renewed commitment an uncompromising and cooperative complementarianism. 4) An emphasis on church revitalization.

Key Quote: “I think the good work done by Adrian Rogers and the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 committee is sufficient and practiced in well over 99% of SBC churches… “Southern Baptists are clear about their complementarian convictions and must remain so. But we don’t need to take measures which do more to divide than guide. We can and should affirm complementarianism without restructuring the basis of our cooperation.

“80+% of Southern Baptist churches are plateaued or declining. That can change! We are already starting to see churches previously declining become vibrant again through coaching and resourcing for pastors. Our state and local associations are set up perfectly to assist plateaued congregations in making disciples and impacting their communities with the gospel.”

To be nominated by: Tennessee pastor John Mark Harrison

Clint Pressley

Vocation: Senior pastor

Church: Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C.

Average morning worship: 2,632

CP giving: $232,089 (2.4%)

Baptisms: 69

Platform: Pressley shared his thoughts on running for the SBC presidency in a recent video sharing about these three topics: clarity, cooperation, and courage. Regarding clarity, he said, “I’m thankful for the Law Amendment that I think actually gives some real clarity on how to apply the Baptist Faith and Message.” Having attended and taught at SBC seminaries, seen Southern Baptist missionaries at work, along with pastoring and planting churches, he stated, “I believe that’s what we do best as Southern Baptist, that we cooperate together.” Pressley said it’s going to take courage for Southern Baptist’s to stand for the Bible and say, “this is what we believe” to cooperate together in today’s world.

Key quote: “I wouldn’t run for SBC president if I didn’t think there was hope. The vast majority of our pastors and laypeople love the Gospel, hate abuse, believe in inerrancy, want a male only clergy, and are ready to get to the mission. “I don’t deny we have problems. I just deny hopelessness.”

“I think we need to be clear in what we believe. I think we need to be cooperating. I think we need to make sure we are able to stand courage.”

To be nominated by: North Carolina pastor Chris Justice

Mike Keahbone

Vocation: Senior pastor

Church: FBC in Lawton, Okla.

Average morning worship: 623

CP giving: $102,483 (6.06%) budgeted.

Baptisms: 54

Platform: Two crucial issues:

1) The biblical qualifications of a pastor/the role of women; the Law Amendment. (He does not support the amendment). “I believe that our constitution and statement of faith are already more than sufficient in guarding the biblical qualifications of pastors and elders.”

2) Sex abuse reform (Keahbone is a member of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force).

Key Quote: “When a pastor or a victim is going through this [abuse], this is the worst crisis they have ever had to endure. And so, I think it was necessary for us to look at the system and make sure that there wasn’t any kind of systematic process that created this…or helped promote this in any way, shape, or form.

“I don’t look at the dollars as… wasted. I think it was necessary for us to see where we were at and what was going on. I praise God that, so far, it looks like there wasn’t a systematic process that made all these things happen. But what it hasn’t addressed is the definite abuse that we’re seeing in lots of churches all over the country.”

“Part of my vision is to explore and find ways to make the annual meeting more accessible to many of our messengers who are unable to attend because of distance and cost. If we are truly better together, more of us need to be there.”

To be nominated by: California pastor Victor Chayasirisobhon

Dan Spencer

Vocation: Pastor

Church: First Baptist Church in Sevierville, Tenn.

Average morning worship: 1,486

CP giving: $542,915 (9.09%)

Baptisms: 64

Platform: The Tennessee Baptist & Reflector reported, “Spencer loves the Southern Baptist Convention for two primary reasons—the autonomy of the local church and the spirit of cooperation.”

“I understand there are differences between our brothers and sisters in the Southern Baptist Convention, but we have always found a way to come together, to deal with issues as they arise, and to refocus on what we do best together: preaching the gospel, sending missionaries, training pastors, and standing for truth. It is the Cooperative Program that has made us so effective for so long, and that is really my platform.

“I am so thankful for what God has done for the last 100 years through CP. I’m looking forward to celebrating the CP Centennial at the 2025 annual meeting in Dallas. I would like to lead all Southern Baptists to recommit to a unity of purpose through our cooperative giving.”

Key Quote: “I look forward to joining with new EC President Jeff Iorg in building on the best of our past, working through our present challenges, and pressing toward the bright future God has for us. We have proven before how united we can be. I believe we can do it again.”

To be nominated by: Tennessee pastor Chris Kendall

While in Indy...

When you’re not raising your ballot at the Convention Center, try some of these fun activities in the Circle City.

Speed Racer

Bummer. The museum is closed for renovations, but you can take the tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. Admission is free on non-event days. Consider the golf cart tour! A very slow version of the winning laps. IMSMuseum.org

Monument Circle

This memorial to Sailors and Soldiers is one of downtown Indy’s most famous sites. It’s not “The Bean,” but it’s a good place to visit.

Hello, Dali

The Indianapolis Museum of Art (Galleries at Newfield) features an exhibition of Salavador Dali’s paintings through March 2025. Ticket prices range from $20-29. Book in half-hour starting times. The museum features multiple art exhibits, plus homes and gardens. Disovernewfields.org.

Animals, animals, animals

Need we say more? The Indianapolis Zoo in near downtown and loads of fun. Admission is $28.75 for adults, but discounts are available for certain days. Indyzoo.com

Especially for kids

The Children’s Museum is a hands-on fun time, exploring art, science, history, and sports. And, bragging rights are deserved, it’s the world’s largest children’s museum. Plan-ahead pricing will save 20% off the ticket prices of $24 for youth, $29 for adults.

Young Lincoln

Not in Indianapolis, but a trip a little south will tell the tale of young Abe, before he arrived in Illinois. His boyhood cabin home until age 14 bears the imprint of his stepmother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Many credit her for instilling the fine qualities we appreciate in our Illinois “native” son. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial at Gentry is part of the National Parks Service.

Number 23

Another president claims Indiana as home. Tour the Victorian-era residence of Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. See the family’s collection of toys and Christmas decorations from the 1870s. $16 for adults. bhpsite.org

IBSA

We can’t promise Hoosier pie (also called Sugar Cream, Indiana’s unofficial state pie) but the desserts will be tasty. Come visit with your IBSA family Tuesday, at 8:30 p.m. in meeting room 143

BFI scholarship recipients named for 2024

Seminary Awards

Shayne Alcantara Liberty, Pekin

Danielle Bilderback Christ Church NWI, Michigan City, Indiana

Josiah Blan

Baptist Foundation of Illinois (BFI) awarded 42 scholarships in April, 18 for seminary students and 24 for undergraduates. The total amount of scholarship support for 2024 is $86,200. In the past 10 years, BFI has awarded 392 scholarships to Illinois Baptist students totaling $817,575.

Daniel Kim Gospelife, Carol Stream

Livingstone Lee Bethel, Mt Prospect

David Marus Embassy, Palatine

Hurstbourne, Louisville, Kentucky

Bennett Boyle Immanuel, Chicago

Hanyi Chen Urban Voice, Chicago

Matthew Davis Second, Marion

Gerald Higdon First, Orion

Abigail Morgan Charis Community, Bloomington

Ryan Mulvaney Immanuel, Benton

Nancy Nolin Emmanuel, Sterling

Jennifer Pacer Gospelife, Carol Stream

Marcus Schomberg Red Hill, Edwardsville

Lai Thang Chicago Chin, Chicago

Barb Troeger

Together Church N. Grand, Springfield

Sam Winkleman Rooted Community, Lebanon

Undergraduate Awards

Audrey Bosse Calvary, Alton

Lizabeth Conkle First, Metropolis

Rachelle Cox Joppa Missionary, Joppa

Allison Dennison Dorrisville, Harrisburg

Heath Ellis Logan Street, Mt. Vernon

Anna Forbes Bethel, Troy

Toby Gallion First, Petersburg

Savanna Hulbert Panther Fork, Texico

Miles Kaufmann Delta, Springfield

Jeremiah Kay Immanuel, Benton

Kiersten Kennedy Pleasant Hill, Mt. Vernon

Rachel Lands First, Harrisburg

Mitchell Mannhard West Gate, Trenton

Reid Martin First, Metropolis

David Nelson Salt Church, Normal

Isabelle Patterson Tabernacle, Decatur

Katherine Pittman Second, Mt. Vernon

Kaleigh Rea Bethel, Troy

Addison Seidel Northside, Grayville

Emily Smith First, O’Fallon

Molly Wielgus Unity, Granite City

Kimberly Williams Anna Heights, Anna

Luke Winkleman First, Harrisburg

Stephanie Yeh Beloved Community, Chicago

If you are looking for a relevant education based on a Biblical worldview, HLGU is where you belong. Advancing your education in an environment that feels like home is what makes us different than other schools. This is where you belong.

When you come to HLGU, there are a wide variety of ways to get connected. From classes and activities to clubs, you can find a way to get involved that suits you. This is where you belong.

Small campus. Big impact. You’ll have the opportunity to pursue God’s will for your life and career. Professors will equip you with the knowledge to embrace your career. Staff members will empower you to fulfill God’s calling on your life. Build a community with your fellow students where everyone grows in their relationship with each other and Jesus. This is where you belong.

Reaching ‘unclean’ MISSION

Illinois missionary joins God in pursuit of neglected peoples in Uganda

BY KRISTEN SOSEBEE

Sonya Herron stood beneath a small tent among a group of lepers, and others from the village, and shared the gospel with boldness. She called people to walk in the light as Jesus is the Light and challenged them to be fully committed to Christ. Afterward, an older man, missing one leg, came forward on crutches. He declared his allegiance to Christ in front of the entire group and put his faith in Jesus. The man, who suffers from leprosy, is one of almost 50 lepers in the village.

“You don’t hear much about these people, people with leprosy, because they are more hidden, and they are more neglected and forgotten,” Herron said.

Leprosy is endemic in Uganda, and there

have been cases reported in 40% of the districts. Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease that affects the skin, peripheral nerves, upper respiratory tract, and eyes. The disease significantly challenges public health and community well-being.

When Nathan, the night guard at the Herrons’ compound, learned about this community of lepers who had no access to healthcare, he sought the Herrons for help. Sonya and her husband, James, serve as IMB missionaries in Uganda and know Nathan well. Nathan was moved with compassion and knew the Herrons would not pass up an opportunity to show God’s love to a neglected, vulnerable population.

“That was not the area that we initially saw, P. 12

Illinois’s own Sonya Herron (in red), IMB missionary in Uganda, and a local believer, Nathan, greet an elderly woman suffering from leprosy. When Nathan heard about the leper community, he was moved with compassion for them and asked the Herrons to help them. Nathan has worked for the Herrons as a night guard at their compound for the last ten years.

—IMB Photo

Touched

or we came here to work with,” Herron said, “but if you’re willing, you can always find opportunities to join God where He is at work, and where people have needs that you had not even thought of, a new mission field and no one else has thought of them.”

Sonya and James, who are from O’Fallon, Illinois, moved to Uganda more than a decade ago in pursuit of those shunned by the rest of the world. Their ministry focuses on people who live on the islands of Lake Victoria, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world.

They regularly visit a community of outcasts on one of these islands— people who have no other place to go, lawbreakers, refugees, and others in desperate circumstances.

They have no electricity, no running water, and, until the Herrons came, no one who cared about them. But the Herrons have pursued them with the love of Christ.

Helping the lepers became another opportunity to join God at work in pursuit of those routinely ostracized and forgotten by the world. Poverty and hunger have grown in Uganda in recent years, and the Herrons, with help from churches and people in their community, started food distributions to

Kristen Sosebee writes for the International Mission Board. Continued from page 11

provide for people on the island.

When Nathan asked for help for the lepers, they expanded the food distribution to include them, too.

They made their first visit to the leper community when a short-term volunteer team from a church in the U.S. came to work alongside them. It was almost Christmas, and the team brought along gifts of clothes, shoes, food and books. They also provided simple healthcare resources and hosted a time of fellowship, singing and dancing. All who came heard the gospel of love, acceptance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

“We want to be a presence in that community in terms of not just giving things, but actually helping people to understand the gospel,” Herron said.

As more people in the village come to faith, Herron emphasized that discipleship is critical. In Uganda, the gospel is not always clearly expressed or understood, and blending religious beliefs remains a barrier to the truth of Jesus Christ.

Alongside ministry partners from her city, Sonya started a weekly Bible study in the leper community with continued outreach to meet their physical and health needs.

Anybody who wants to come is

HOUSE The leper community met in a church building until their numbers grew too large. Now, they usually meet under a tree, but on this day, they set up a tent for their meeting. On page one, an older man came to faith in Christ after hearing IMB missionary Sonya Herron share the gospel. He came to the front on crutches because he suffers from leprosy and is missing a leg. He declared his allegiance to Christ in front of the entire group.

invited. While they focus on reaching people with leprosy, they have found it impossible not to embrace the entire village.

Since Sonya’s involvement, many people in the village have turned from Islam because of what is happening in the leper community. Forgotten and neglected people are discovering their worth and accep-

tance in Christ.

“We want to try to love them and just see how God can use us to really take His Word to these people,” Herron said. “Nobody thinks about them, but now they have found acceptance and that’s what we want.”

Churches face legal issues all the time, so they need to be prepared. And when an issue arises, churches need trusted counsel.

With over 24 years of service, at all court levels, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has seen the cultural and legal trends clearly shift against the Church.

We

your

prepare itself for these

MEETING

GROWING

MEET THE TEAM

Linda Darden Leadership Development Team Ministry Assistant

Hometown: Fairview Heights

Family: Married to Jerry 49 years. We have 3 children and 9 grandchildren. I love hosting “Camp Grandma” for a special week every summer, making memories for us all.

Before IBSA: As a pastor’s wife, one of my favorites was doing multihousing ministries in Clarksville, Indiana. Since Jerry’s retirement from New Hope Waverly, we are active at FBC Raymond. I continue to serve in Sunday School and VBS.

I came to IBSA: Because of Sandy Wisdom-Martin. I met her at a state VBS training and asked if I could help with missions. They were packing suitcases for Bulgaria mission trips, so I drove an hour to Springfield when needed. Soon I needed to work full time, and God provided it here.

My salvation: I attended church since before I was born. I knew the facts about Jesus, but it wasn’t until I was 26 that I accepted him as my Savior.

Verse: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15).

Favorite Bible person: Ruth who was obedient when she didn’t know how her story would end.

Hobby: Sewing

Podcast: Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Christian neuroscientist on getting control over physical, mental, and emotional health.

Superhero: Captain America’s girlfriend, Agent Peggy Carter. She can beat up the bad guy and always be a lady.

A quote I say often: “This too shall pass, but maybe not soon.”

table talk

When silence is deafening

As a Baptist who pastored in Catholic New Orleans for a decade, I came away with an appreciation for Lent. I have never given up chocolate. But some years I have shortened my screen time. Most years I add a devotional practice—a special Bible study or focused prayer topic.

This year God shut all that down.

The first day of the 50 preceding Easter coincided with Valentine’s Day this year. That day I had a relatively minor outpatient procedure that promised a couple of weeks off my feet, out of the pulpit in my interim pastorate, and working from home. That short break soon turned into several weeks of complications and nasty reactions that eventually put me in the hospital, as too many doctors tried to deduce the cause and staged a series of scientific experiments.

On a spiritual level, my world shrank to silence.

I haven’t experienced that often, but it has happened before. As a pastor seeking direction for a congregation, and most notably during my wife’s cancer journey, there were times when God’s answers on a particular need seemed a long time coming. But, I may say, this was my first encounter with total silence.

Maybe it was the drugs. From

Ash Wednesday to Good Friday, I felt God had dropped a small dome over me. No sound coming in, and as best I could tell, no prayer making it out. Huddled in this zone of silence, my vision was too blurry to read and I couldn’t form a cogent string of thoughts to direct Godward. I remember several days where my only movement was to sit by the window in the early hours, waiting for the nurse to dispense my next eligible dose and hoping the black sky would assume a tinge of gray. And whispering, “Lord, help me.”

I don’t want to expand this beyond proportion. I was only in the hospital a week. Concerned people visited, the medical community was diligent, and friends in several churches assured me of their prayers. But for a long while, God seemed distant. I was missing the usual sense of his engagement. As my “help me’s” settled back from the brass ceiling, the silence was deafening.

Some have called this the “heavens as brass” phenomenon. The term comes from God’s warning to the Hebrews that disobedience would disrupt their communication with him. “And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron,” Yahweh said through Moses before the nation was to enter the promise land (Deut. 23:28 KJV).

“Now,

Since then, the term has expanded to any period when God seems silent. Disobedience is not the only cause, more recent observers would point out.

There’s illness or some other impediment. I was keen enough to realize that the good friends who visited, the nurses who dropped by from other floors, and Christian caregivers who shared meds and faith were his way of speaking in the season when I couldn’t hear. Even in the zone of silence, the love of God is never in doubt.

A silent season will cultivate in us the desire to listen more carefully. In rattle and bang of earthquake and storm, Elijah did not hear from God. Not until the prophet himself grew quiet did God utter a still, small voice at the mouth of cave. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” takes deeper meaning when it’s the first thing you hear after an extended period of hearing nothing.

Silence has the effect of focusing our listening. Silence whets hunger in the heart for a fresh word from God. Silence stirs willingness to receive a word we might not have received before.

“You’re sick. Hush up and get well. Take better care of yourself.”

“You’re disobedient. Stop it and behave.”

“You’re running. Turn around and go back.”

“You’re impatient. Give me time. I’m working on it.”

These are all words from God we might not seek, but we need to hear.

On Good Friday, the season of silence ended. God lifted the brass dome. Back at church revisiting the words of Jesus from the Cross, I was reminded of the Son’s endurance of the Father’s silence—until Resurrection Morning, when all communication was restored.

Eric Reed is IBSA media editor.

the congregation will expect all your sermons to finish in 30 seconds, flat!”

Reverse mentoring builds us all for the pastor

Church planting is filled with highs and lows, joys and frustrations. In every challenge planters face, there are opportunities for God to use his people. Here are two common challenges.

1. Church planters are underfunded. Anyone who is in church leadership knows that finances and budgets are rarely what we would like them to be. When it comes to church planting, budgets can be even more difficult.

Most people who join a church plant are new Christians or don’t know very much about what it means to be part of God’s family. They are still learning that being a follower of Jesus means he’s king of their finances. It takes time for them to start giving to the church they’re involved in. Many church planters are struggling financially, often relying on free health care or food assistance to support their families.

This is an opportunity for established churches to partner with church plants. This happens in the New Testament. When Paul knew of a need, he made it known to the other churches and they responded by sharing their resources. They wanted to con-

tinue the mission of Jesus outside of their own churches.

Partnering with a church plant could be as simple as sending a gift card, calling to check in on them, praying for them, or financially committing to their ministry monthly and making them a mission of your church. It’s a way of showing we care about the whole church and not just our church.

2. Sometimes there’s tension between church planting and established churches in the way that they look at each other. Church planters may think established churches and pastors don’t have much to offer them in terms of insight. On the other hand, established churches sometimes see new churches as competition or unnecessary.

Some of the most common things I hear said are, “Why do we need another church?” and “They’re drawing people away from other churches.” The reality is that church plants are growing by lost people getting saved. We need to plant as many new

churches as we can and get them connected to as many established churches as we can.

The opportunity is for partnership and friendship. Church plant ers need to be in relationship with leaders who know what it looks like on the other side of the “new thing” that God is doing. They need to learn about structures that support continued growth as well as the potential pitfalls they will encounter.

Every established church and leader can also benefit from a rela tionship with a church planter and his congregation. It can be like when a person becomes a parent, or grandparent for the first time.

Kids are full of wonder and excitement and it’s contagious. Grandkids have a special way of keeping people young and active. Kids are never boring. A relationship with a church planter can remind established leaders of the joy of a God who hasn’t quit doing new things. When we start partnering in new things God is doing in other places, it sparks new energy is us. It starts to make us younger again.

Kevin Jones is IBSA Church Planting Director.

Herod Springs Baptist Church ordained pastor Rick Cluck in March with more than 50 family, friends, and church members present. Eleven pastors and deacons joined in prayer and laying on of hands. Rick and Amy live in Morrisonville and drive to far downstate Pope County on weekends to

Jason Lane was called to serve as pastor of Lighthouse Community Baptist Church in Nashville in March. Lane comes from Florida and has served as a fulltime pastor for 27 years. Lane earned a BS in Ministry Leadership from Moody Bible Institute and an MA in Christian Ministry from Liberty University. He and his wife, Lizzy, have four children—two adults and two school age.

Our many mothers BRIGHTER DAY

My mom celebrated a milestone birthday recently, and to mark the occasion, my sister and I spent a few chilly spring days with her in Chicago. The constant drizzle and occasional sleet didn’t slow us down—much—but my mom is currently plagued by a bad knee, exacerbated by the pickleball lessons my parents took up a few months ago. So, we walked a little less than we normally would have on a city vacation, and when we did stroll, I carried my mom’s backpack.

This isn’t surprising, unless you know my mom. She doesn’t stop often in real life, much less on vacation (because “we can rest once we get home”). Still, letting us bear a little of her burden allowed us to keep traveling, and preserved her strength for the rest of the trip.

It also was the tiniest of paybacks for all the times she’s carried my burdens over the years. Backpacks and moving boxes. Major life decisions. Mistakes made out of immaturity or inexperience. Childhood fears and grown-up anxiety. The mothers in our lives, who are not only biological, carry the weight of our struggles, doubts, and failures. They’re also there for the good things, choosing to invest sacrificially in those who are following in their steps. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, May and June give us good opportunities to think about the people in our churches and lives that have willingly served a parental function, whether they’re our actual parents or not. Much is said about the older generation’s responsibility to pass the torch; this season is a chance for those of us in middle adulthood to offer a bit of payback with a thank-you, a gesture of kindness, a moment spent dwelling on God’s provision of faithful mothers and fathers.

My childhood Sunday school teacher was Mrs. Proctor. Other than the felt board she used to tell Bible stories, I don’t remember much from her lessons. When I think about Mrs. Proctor, what I remember is that she was always there. Week after week, for years on end. She invested in our small class, choosing to walk alongside as we grew in our knowledge of the Lord, pointing us to Jesus every step of the way.

This season is an opportunity to celebrate the mothers and fathers and Mrs. Proctors in our lives. Let’s lift the burden a bit so we can keep traveling together.

Meredith Day Flynn is a wife and mother of two living in Springfield. She writes on the intersection of faith, family, and current culture.

EVENTS

Ignite Evangelism Conference

May 5-6 – Campground Church, Mt. Vernon May 19-20 – Alpha Church, Bolingbrook What: Learn to share faith effectively. Help your church reach lost friends, family, and people in your community for Christ.

Cost: Free Info: IBSA.org/ministries/evangelism/ Contact: ScottHarris@IBSA.org

May 7

Ignite Evangelism Conference

Where: Friendship Baptist Church, Plainfield What: : One night only, led by Matt Queen. Help your church reach lost friends, family, and people in your community for Christ.

Cost: Free! Includes dinner and resources. Register: IBSA.org/events/30167/

Info: IBSA.org/ministries/evangelism/ Contact: EmilyJones@IBSA.org

May 15

Hyfi Curriculum Preview

What: Designed specifically for churches navigating a changing cultural landscape, Hyfi equips you with engaging resources to nurture the faith journeys of children and students.

Cost: Free Register: vimeo.com/event/4162873

Info: IBSA.org/events/hyfi-curriculum-preview

Contact: MichaelAwbrey@IBSA.org

May 17-18

Disaster Relief Training

Where: Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville

What: Practical training in chaplaincy, flood recovery, feeding, chainsaw, childcare, communications, more.

Cost: Current members are free. New members or those with expired badges pay $50, which includes trainings for three years, badge, and background check.

Info: IBSA.org/ministries/disaster-relief/ Contact: IBDRdirector@gmail.com

NeTworkiNg

Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

The Ridge Church in Carbondale is seeking a lead pastor to follow a pastor who retired after 25 years. With newer facilities and university town location, there is plenty of opportunity for the gospel here. Submit resume and three references to pastorsearch@ontheridge.org, or write to Pastor Search Committee, The Ridge Church, 7350 Old Hwy 13, Carbondale, IL 62901

Martinsville First Baptist Church seeks a bi-vocational pastor. The church seeks an energetic candidate to work with a motivated congregation to grow programs for all ages. Send resume to MFBCpastorsearch@yahoo. com.

Multiply Hubs

What: Multiply IL is a collaborative space for growth and learning. This gathering will help pastors and leaders take their churches to the next level with best practices for growing, healthy, thriving churches. Explore proven strategies. Connect with passionate peers. Deepen your knowledge.

May 1 – Metro East, Calvary, Edwardsville a.m.

May 9 – Chicago Region, TBA a.m.

May 14 – East Central, Calvary, Monticello a.m.

May 16 – West Central, Grace, Peoria a.m.

May 21 – South, Logan Street, Mount Vernon p.m.

May 22 – South, Logan Street B.C, Mount Vernon a.m.

June 1 – Hispanic, Chicago, Iglesin Nuevo Pacto, Countryside a.m.

Cost: Free

Info: IBSA.org/multiply-illinois-hubs/ Contact: AubreyShelby@IBSA.org

June 7-8

Silver Saints Summer Camp

Where: Streator Baptist Camp, Streator What: Overnight adventure for adults 55+ to experience Church Camp for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. Experience old time worship. Shannon Ford will preach.

Cost: $50 per student

Info: IBSA.org/events/silver-saints-overnight-camp/ Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org or JacobKimbrough@IBSA.org

June 25-29

Super Summer

Where: Hannibal LaGrange University

What: Training for students to live an active life as a Christfollower at home, school, their community, their country, and the world.

Cost: $250 per student

Info: IBSA.org/events/super-summer/ Contact: AubreyShelby@IBSA.org

the IBSA calendar for more events. https://www.ibsa.org/calendar/

Search more church openings at IBSA.org/pastor-search or scan this code.

A new Gallup poll shows that the number of adults in the U.S. claiming no religious affiliation has risen only slightly since 2020.

MEREDITH FLYNN

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SERVANTS TOGETHER

PROUD TO PARTNER WITH ILLINOIS BAPTISTS IN KNOW SOMEONE CONSIDERING MINISTRY? HERE’S WHY NOBTS IS THE PLACE FOR THEM!