Illinois Baptist
Healing
How help comes from hurts Highlights from Priority 2026 ● P. 7 in focus
ERLC PRESIDENT
Trustees elect Lenow
Foshie concludes as trustee chair
Nashville, Tenn. | Evan Lenow was elected President and CEO of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) April 13. The unanimous vote by the ERLC Board of Trustees culminates a years-long effort to secure leadership that may stabilize support for the denomination’s voice in the public square.
“We are overjoyed that he has answered God’s call to use his keen intellect and shepherd’s heart to lead the ERLC,” said IBSA Executive Director and outgoing ERLC Chair Scott Foshie
Foshie has led efforts to clarify communications between the ERLC trustees and its paid leadership, and to assure that the incoming president addresses issues on which Southern Baptists have broad consensus.
Lenow is a Mississippi College professor, writer, and ethicist who in the month since his nomination garnered endorsements from some of the top leaders who sought to abolish the ERLC over the past two years.
“Evan Lenow is a man of substance and conviction and long Southern Baptist pedigree who will serve well in this
SCOTT FOSHIE
All about kids
Our view of summer P. 3
SBC PREVIEW Defining moments
Mohler urges pastor bylaw P. 5
MEREDITH FLYNN
Posting verses Faith-builders at eye level P. 13
Good counsel from the Priority Now podcast team P. 9
LENOW
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GLOBAL
PRAYER POINTS
U.S. walk on hold.
Chicago pastor Corey Brooks suspended his walk across America for heel surgery. Brooks, who is raising $25 million to complete his Southside community center, walked more than 190 days of his planned year-long journey.
Baptize the World May 24.
A California church that reported 28,000 baptisms by 600 churches in 1,000 U.S. locations on Pentecost Sunday last year is going global. “Unity among churches and their working together are attractive to the non-churched. Seeing the Kingdom expand and the Church grow is why we do what we do,” said organizer Mark Francey of Oceans Church. They’re praying for 100,000 baptisms.
No ‘quiet revival’?
Reports of a resurgence of young people in UK churches is refuted by sociologists who say survey methods were faulty. They also claim the Church of England is not doomed, that Britons are interested in religion, though they do not attend services.
Christian death toll rises in Nigeria.
Fulani terrorists killed eight more believers in an April attack. Open Doors USA reports of 4,849 Christians killed worldwide in 2025, 3,490 were Nigerians.
India priest spared.
The Supreme Court of India halted prosecution of a Catholic priest who told his congregation Christianity is the only way to heaven. Meantime, the U.S. has designated India a “country of particular concern” for rising persecution of Christians. 900 violent acts were reported last year.
Australian freedoms tracked.
While U.S. has First Amendment protection for religious freedoms, there’s little safefguarding down under. A new group is tracking violations. “We’ve been losing these freedoms for many, many years— for decades—and we need to make a stand,” Australian Christian Freedom Index’s Warrick Marsh said. He called freedom to share the gospel “the most important freedom.”
Fox News, Christian Post, The Conversation
“We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.”
─ Psalm 78:4
God is reaching a new generation of Christ followers. All over Illinois, thousands upon thousands of children, youth, and adults are seeking the truth.
The question is not “Is God working to reach the next generation?” The real question is “Will Illinois Baptists join God in his work to reach the next generation?”
As I continue spending time with you, I am encouraged by the deepening hunger God has placed in us because he wants to raise up another faithful generation of Illinois Baptists. Here are a few ways you might consider joining God in this exciting season.
Summer students’ outreach
Whether you call it Vacation Bible School, Adventure Week, Kids’ Quest, or something else, aligning your church for a day to a week around sharing the gospel with kids and teens is a win. Not only are you able to plant gospel seeds in young people, but God will also use this time to refocus your church’s culture around the gospel. By crafting an intentional follow-up plan to reach out to families afterward, you’ll also reach out to parents, grandparents, siblings, and others with the gospel.
Encourage young campers
SCOTT FOSHIE
Camp is a tremendous way to introduce children and youth to Jesus and to help them grow. Consider sending kids already attending your church to your local association’s week of camp. If your association doesn’t provide one, there are multiple options available on our website at IBSA.org/camps.
If your camp week follows your VBS, be sure to provide good invitations to camp during your VBS week so kids can have the opportunity to know about it and register.
Another great way to give children and youth the opportunity to hear the gospel is to send them to camp, even if they aren’t actively attending your church yet. Pray about providing scholarships for camp for kids that aren’t a part of your church yet. In the weeks following camp, be sure to intentionally contact and visit the families you blessed with the camp experience.
Also, consider serving as an adult volunteer at camp. Audra and I have some of our best memories with our kids serving at Lake Sallateeska while I pastored in Southern Illinois. We still love volunteering for camp today. Serving at camp is a great way to get the adults of your church on mission, and you can serve in a variety of ways.
Spruce up Next Gen spaces
If you walk through your preschool, children, and youth areas and it seems dated, faded, or musty, imag-
“Your mother asked me to give you this... It’s a tie.”
ine how first-time guests are going to see it. Simple redecorating, improving flooring, updating toys and equipment, and improving lighting are all ways to show young families that their children matter to your church.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had kids and youth on Sundays, consider prayer walking the Next Generation space in your building and recommitting your church to join God in raising up a new generation of
Illinois Baptists.
Your IBSA team is ready to assist you with ideas and resources when you reach out. By taking a series of small, intentional steps of obedience, God can help your church build a Holy Spirit-driven movement reaching children, youth, and families for Christ.
Why can’t it be this summer?
Contact Scott Foshie at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.
FIND FOSHIE ONLINE
Journey along with Scott as he hears from Illinois Baptists.Follow at Facebook.com/scott.foshie.1
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$1,312,274
2026 Budget Goal to date: $1,489,255
2026 Goal: $6 Million Your church can give by using this QR code to digitally submit or mail your CP missions offering.
WHERE’S FOSHIE? RICHMOND, VA.– IMB President Paul Chitwood hosted recently installed state convention executive directors at the International Mission Board headquarters in Richmond. Pictured are Mark Dance (Arkansas), Wes Fowler (Missouri), Chitwood, Mikey Mewborn, (Montana), Foshie, and Ed Emmerling (Michigan).
From the front: Foshie wraps up ERLC chairmanship with presidential election
Continued from P. 1
strategic leadership role in the SBC. Let’s pray for him,” Southern Seminary President Al Mohler posted after his nomination was announced March 30.
Mohler questioned the viability of the entity ahead of the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting. His comments were instrumental in bringing a vote to defund the ERLC. A month after the convention in Dallas, with its second vote to abolish the beleaguered entity, President Brent Leaderwood resigned.
Mohler said prior to Lenow’s election, “I look forward to serving with him in a new day for the ERLC.”
SBC Presidential candidate Willy Rice brought the motion in Dallas to abolish the ERLC because of the record of positions its presidents took in the Leatherwood and Russell Moore eras. Lenow’s nomination drew a different response.
“I congratulate Dr. Evan Lenow on his nomination to lead our ERLC and look forward to getting to know him and hear his vision. He deserves our prayers and support,” Rice said.
Rice said his opposition was intended to get the attention of the ERLC Trustees, who soon leaned into replacing Leatherwood. “It should be noted that such a hopeful moment would not be upon us if many concerned Southern Baptists hadn’t spoken out and insisted upon reform,” Rice said. “Many were labeled divisive for expressing their frustrations, but their willingness to speak has brought about this moment of change.”
The possibility of a third vote on abolishing the ERLC seems greatly reduced with Lenow’s election. The ERLC Trustees announced two measures earlier this year to give direction to the ERLC’s work—keeping it biblical and within the theological
bounds of the Baptist Faith and Message (2000), and to make resourcing churches a high priority.
“May God grant us an ERLC that represents a return to a convictional, prophetic voice in the public square and a responsive, edifying voice within our convention,” Rice posted.
With the Lenow’s election at the special meeting, IBSA Executive Director Scott Foshie completed service as ERLC Trustee Chair. He led the board two years after previous chair Kevin Smith left following a controversial attempt to fire Leatherwood. Foshie facilitated board reforms that will reduce isolationist tendencies in its top leader. Foshie was especially pleased with the choice of Lenow.
“His biblically rooted ethics resources are trusted by our seminaries, and many local churches have benefited from his faithful preaching and helpful consultations,” Foshie said.
Since 2012, Lenow has served as a research fellow in Christian Ethics for the ERLC. He is the author of Ethics as Worship: The Pursuit of Moral Dis-
cipleship (co-authored with Mark D. Liederbach, 2021), Biblically Sound: Embracing Doctrine for Life (2014), and Biblically Correct: Engaging Culture with Truth (2013).
Lenow holds a Ph.D. in Theological Studies with a concentration in Christian Ethics from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), an M.Div. in Advanced Biblical Studies from SEBTS, and a bachelor’s in communication from Mississippi College. He is married to Melanie and they have four children.
Lenow is well known among Southern Baptist leaders. Illinois native Andrew Walker, an ethicist and professor at Southern Seminary, offered his congratulations.
“Evan has a long track record of excellence and strong convictions in ethics. (I assign his ethics textbook, Ethics as Worship, in my survey class),” Walker said. “Let’s all pray for his success as well as the organization’s.”
Messengers at the Orlando convention will likely hear conciliatory comments from the platform, with a
PASSING THE TRUST– IBSA Executive Director Scott Foshie (left) stands with new ERLC President Evan Lenow on the day of his unanimous election to the post. Foshie handed chairmanship of the trustee board to vice-chair Heather Sells. His trustee term concludes with the SBC Annual Meeting in June.
report from Lenow and possibly Gary Hollingsworth, who spent much of the last year rebuilding relationships with pastors and churches in his brief tenure as ERLC interim president.
Rice described what he hopes for in a new strategy for the ERLC. “I pray for an ERLC that represents Southern Baptists without apology or embarrassment and becomes a source of strength and unity,” Rice said. “We can all pray for better days ahead.”
Foshie is home again
Foshie completes eight years as an ERLC trustee that began in 2018 while he was pastor of Steeleville Baptist Church. He assumed the chairmanship in a tumultuous period, and two years later has relinquished the role to Heather Sells, former trustees vicechair, who recently retired as a journalist with the Christian Broadcasting Network.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Illinois Baptists in this way. The eight years have passed quickly! I can say more confidently than ever that the ERLC is a worthy, needed ministry,” Foshie said.
“I have witnessed the trustees and staff doing yeoman’s work to listen to Southern Baptists and ensure they have a trusted, effective ERLC, serving churches and representing us in the public square. I pray that the next season of the ERLC’s ministry will be its most effective yet.”
—Eric Reed
Seminaries: SEBTS president named, SWBTS sanctions end
Pace succeeds Akin Dockery shares good report
Wake Forest, N.C. | Trustees of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) voted unanimously April 21 to install Scott Pace as the entity’s seventh president. He will officially succeed Danny Akin on July 31.
Board Chair Carlos Goodrich pointed to Pace’s “love for the local church” and “heart for equipping pastors, missionaries and ministry leaders” during his time as provost as indications the incoming president will carry on the school’s identity as “the Great Commission Seminary.”
Pace has taught at the seminary since 2018 while serving in numerous leadership roles, including three years as provost. That is part of more than 20 years of full-time and interim pastoral ministry experience alongside 17 years of academic and administrative experience.
“I have seen up close and personal how God has prepared him for this important assignment,” Akin
said. “He has a keen mind and a servant’s heart that inspires others to trust him. And he walks with Jesus, and that inspires people to follow him. Southeastern will have a promising future under his leadership.”
Fort Worth | Sanctions placed on Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in 2023 by the school’s national accrediting agency will be recommended for removal, President David Dockery said. “Many have worked tirelessly and prayed fervently to bring institutional health and stability to Southwestern,” Dockery said. “I am delighted to tell you that through the wise decisions of the Southwestern Board, the dedicated work of many, the encouragement, support, and the prayers of numerous others, Southwestern has moved to that place of institutional stability and health.
A team from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges visited the campus and met with leaders in early April. Sanctions were put in place following a 2022 financial audit “revealed deep financial vulnerabilities, including large deficits that threatened the seminary’s longterm stability,” Dockery said.
Baptist Press
Mohler urges third amendment attempt Says
Louisville, Ky. | One SBC presidential candidate has sided with Southern Seminary President Al Mohler in his call for another vote to clarify the pastorate as a male-only office at the convention next month.
Three years ago, when the issue first came up, Mohler said the committee that drafted the Baptist Faith & Message (2000) thought the definition of pastor was clear. But after three years of argument over the eligibility of women for certain pastoral roles, Mohler says confusion threatens the future of the convention—and messengers in Orlando should take action.
“I think we’ve reached a breaking point,” Mohler said in an April 16 YouTube video. “I’m hearing from pastors and Baptist leaders all over, just saying, you know, we have got to move forward. I still believe that the most effective way to deal with this is with a bylaw amendment, such as was proposed to the SBC and received clear support but not enough to reach the bylaw majority requirement.”
Named for the pastor who first proposed
a constitution revision in 2023, the Law amendment to limit the “pastor” office and title to men only was brought forward again in 2025 by Pastor Juan Sanchez. It failed both times to get two-thirds majority support—drawing 61% favorable vote in Dallas.
Florida pastor Willy Rice, whose nomination for SBC president is expected in June, advocated a study group last year. He is calling for it again. “The SBC meeting in Orlando should approve a task force appointed by the next president to write a report on the understanding of the office of pastor and the meaning and use of the term as defined by the New Testament, historic Baptist practices, and the articulation in our Baptist Faith and Message,” Rice said. “Such a report would carry recommendations to be presented to the next annual meeting of our convention in the summer of 2027.”
Votes in two successive years would still be required, should an amendment be proposed. Rice said the convention needs “convictional consensus.”
“I’ve spoken to many who voted against the
Arkansas pastor to lead Lifeway
Nashville, Tenn. | A pastor who grew up under the ministry of Ronnie Floyd and served as his son’s executive pastor will become the President of Lifeway Christian Resources on June 1. Ryan Blackwell succeeds 10th president Ben Mandrell, who left last year for Bellevue Baptist Church in metro Memphis.
Blackwell was elected by Lifeway trustees April 22. “I’m deeply humbled and grateful to be given this opportunity by the trustees. Lifeway has a long and faithful history of serving churches, and I’m honored to step into this role at such a pivotal time,” Blackwell said.
“I love the local church and believe deeply in its mission. My heart is to serve pastors and church leaders by helping provide biblically faithful resources that strengthen discipleship and advance the gospel,” he said.
Blackwell, 42, comes to Lifeway from his role as executive pastor and teaching pastor at Cross Church in Springdale, Arkansas, where he has served since 2020. During his tenure, Blackwell provided leadership development, strategic planning, and organizational alignment as the church grew from 7,000 to more than 11,000 in weekly attendance and expanded to a fourth campus. A native of Arkansas, Blackwell grew up at Cross Church and previously served as its pastor of young adults.
Blackwell served as senior pastor at First Baptist Church of San Francisco for nearly a decade, leading the revitalization of this historic congregation from 2010-19. He also served in Oklahoma.
During Mandrell’s five-year tenure, the Tampico, Ill. native oversaw a dramatic shift in Southern Baptists’ publishing house that began with the shuttering of all brick-and-mortar stores just before he assumed the role. He navigated plummeting sales during Covid, sold the downtown Nashville headquarters, transitioned to a largely remote staff, and relocated offices to relatively small rented space in the suburbs. Mandrell led redesign of many Lifeway
FAMILY PORTRAIT – Ryan and Rachel Blackwell with their three children, Brady, Allie, and Mae, and their dog Rocky.
–Lifeway photo
products with unchurched people and non-Bible Belt Baptists in mind, based on his own experiences as a pastor in Colorado. Ultimately revenues on the new model rebounded.
Mandrell said on his podcast “The Glass House” that his departure from Lifeway was less from his own dissatisfaction, but from his wife, Lynley’s inability to find a place in the Lifeway organization. Published reports said Mandrell made more than $500,000 per year.
Lifeway Executive Vice President Joe Walker served as interim president since July 2025. ─Baptist Press, with additional reporting by Illinois Baptist
bylaw amendment even though they are professed complementarians,” Rice said. “The most common reason given was that they feared draconian enforcement of the bylaw to target all women serving in some type of vocational ministry. For some, it was a straw man argument. But for others it was a sincere concern.”
The other expected presidential nominee, South Carolina pastor Josh Powell, says he is complementarian and that he voted for the Law Amendment. If another such amendment came up in Orlando, he would vote for it again, Powell told the Baptist Review podcast. However, “we have kinda already dealt with this in some ways,” Powell said, pointing to a 2023 study group that affirmed the responsibilities of the Credentials Committee in enforcing churches “friendly cooperation” with SBC. He supported Mohler’s comments on x.com
That committee has handled the dismissal of eight churches with women in senior pastor or teaching pastor roles.
Illinoisans to serve
Nashville, Tenn. | SBC President Clint Pressley announced his appointments to the 2026 Committee on Committees to serve ahead of the Annual Meeting in Orlando. The list includes two people from Illinois.
The committee is composed of 68 members, two from each of the 34 states and regions qualified for representation.
Committee on Committees members representing Illinois are Victoria Awbrey of Tremont Baptist Church. She is married to IBSA Leadership Development Director Michael Awbrey, and has served two years with the registration and credentials teams. Also appointed is Nathan Carter, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Chicago. Carter is Associational Mission Strategist for Chicagoland Baptists local association.
The Committee on Committees is tasked with nominating members to serve on the 2026-27 Committee on Nominations. The committee’s slate of nominees is scheduled to be presented to messengers during the Tuesday morning session, June 9.
Also serving in Orlando will be IBSA Information, Technology, and Properties Director Drew Heironimus, who coordinates messenger registration, along with IT teams from other state conventions. His daughter, Marissa, will be assisting in registration again this year.
RICE
MOHLER
POWELL
2026 SBC Orlando
Memorial cross placed for victims
Chatham | Signs in the village still declare “Chatham Strong” one year after the tragic deaths of four children and a teenage camp counselor at an afterschool program. Red ribbons that faded in the sunlight have been replaced by sign versions of the ribbon logo as the central Illinois community vows never to forget. Now a 10-foot cross is a permanent marker.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, because it wasn’t just the day or the week after the tragedy happened,”
Dan Beazley said at a service where a memorial cross was placed outside Chatham Baptist Church. “This is still going on with you guys. You guys never forgot. When the cameras were turned off, this community stepped up at a level I’ve never seen before.”
It was on April 28, 2025, that a Jeep drove through the fenced play area at the YNOT center, then through the metal gymnasium. It was later determined that the driver suffered a medical episode
that caused her to steer through a freshly plowed cornfield and hit the building. She was cleared of criminal wrongdoing, although the families filed suit against the driver and the center almost a year later.
Chatham Church engaged the response starting on the afternoon of the tragedy. The church, just across the street from the site, served as the reunification center. The other children attending the afterschool program were moved to the church, where parents were directed to find them. Pastor Ahron Cooney and others ministered to the shocked families.
“The church and deacons really stepped up to minister, and not just on the day it happened,” Cooney said. In the year since, Cooney said the church also reached out to the owners and staff of the YNOT center. “Our women’s ministry director led a Griefshare course, where some extended family members of victims participated.”
For Chatham Church and Cooney, just four months into his senior pastorate at the time, the tragedy has proven to be a defining moment. “It’s helped me to remain more outward focused, more community focused,” Cooney said. “I think our church has done a better job since then of paying attention to the needs of the community. I’ve grown and the church has grown because of the need to minister.”
For the town, healing continues. Civic leaders joined church and community members at the service where the cross was placed permanently in the ground. A marker acknowledges the loss of Alma Buhnerkempe, 7; Kathryn Corley, 7; Ainsley Johnson, 8; Bradley Lund, 8; and counselor Rylee Britton, 18.
“People are welcome to come, to leave flowers, to pray,” Cooney said.
Beazley, from Michigan, delivers crosses to the sites of mass tragedies and natural disasters. He was on scene a year ago and returned for this event installing the 10-foot cross built by a local team. “Chatham is a beacon of light,” Beazley said outside the church, “not only in this area, not only in the state, but across the country.” ─with additional reporting by WCIA
Bombing was no accident: Russia strikes Baptist church
Ukraine | Russia’s deadly strike on a Baptist church in Zaporizhzhia during an April 16 prayer meeting was a targeted atrocity against Christianity and benevolence, religious freedom advocates associated with the church told Baptist Press.
At least one person was killed and at least eight others were injured when Russia launched a bomb on The House of the Gospel Church of about 300 members that had served the community for years, the Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S. said in a public statement when rescue workers were still on the scene.
“This is a deliberate attack on people of faith,” the embassy said, “those who gathered peacefully to pray.”
“The images of destruction in Ukraine and the reports of loss of life and injury give me grief,” said Shannon Ford, IBSA Mission Director and former International Mission Board (IMB) missionary to Ukraine. “I feel spiritually and emotionally connected, but I will never feel the sorrow like my Ukrainian friends whose lives are impacted.”
“Father, please let them have peace,” he prayed in a Facebook post. Ford and his wife, Katie, served 23 years with IMB, including 18 years in
Kyiv, Ukraine. He has served at IBSA since March 2022, arriving in Springfield at the time the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
Mission Eurasia (ME), a gospel-based humanitarian group with offices in Franklin, Tenn., has a close relationship with the congregation, ME’s Kate Akers said. “Sadly, churches like this are often targeted, especially when they are serving their communities in times of crisis.”
Documentary filmmaker Colby
Barrett said the church strike “wasn’t an accident” nor “an isolated incident.” Barrett is producing “Ukraine Freedom Project” and keeps ties with Christian communities there.
“These churches are not just places of worship, they’re lifelines for their communities, providing humanitarian aid and a sense of hope,” Barrett told Baptist Press. “And that’s exactly why they’re being targeted. Putin isn’t just trying to destroy buildings; he’s trying to strip communities of
the faith and support systems that keep them standing. But Ukrainians are strong. Their faith runs deep. And they’ll prevail.”
Russia reportedly struck the church with a KAB-1500L laser-guided, precision bomb designed for accuracy, Barrett said. He mentioned Russia’s earlier attack on a megachurch he attends in Kyiv.
The church built this 4,500-person worship hall. In their opening worship ceremonies in September, hundreds of pastors from across Ukraine were in the complex. “Russia sent two Shahed drones at this church complex,” Barret said. “Both of those Shaheds narrowly missed” killing pastors attending the conference.
“But nobody was hurt. Feels like a miracle of God, but the cool thing here is that morning, they held their services like normal with a huge turnout,” Barrett said. “And 200 people came forward to get baptized the morning of the attack… The resiliency and faith of these folks is just mind blowing.”
Russia has killed at least 58 priests and pastors and damaged or destroyed more than 700 churches across Ukraine, Barrett said.
Diana Chandler, BP
priority 2026 IN FOCUS
Scars heal
BY LISA MISNER
Across Illinois | “You bring the flame, God; we brought the sacrifice,” Carmen Halsey-Menghini prayed in the opening session of Priority 2026, IBSA’s annual women’s conference. She challenged women in churches across Illinois to step into people’s pain, see them as individuals, and use lived experience to bring hope where it is most needed.
Speaking to the more than 700 women gathered at multiple sites across the state, the IBSA Leadership Development Director and leader of women’s ministry framed the April 24-25 event around the theme “Beautiful Scars: From Pain to Purpose.”
Based on 2 Corinthians 1:4, she said suffering is both a shared human experience and a pathway for ministry.
“Our job is to close the gap between us, the church, and whoever God has put in our pathway,” she said. “People are desperate for a friend who is willing to step in and say, ‘I’m here, and I’ll walk this with you.’”
The conference shifted to a multisite model after last year’s statewide gathering was moved on short notice when the downtown Springfield location was damaged. Halsey-Menghini said the decision to scatter was intentional for cultivating new leaders and deeper local connections. “We
can’t set the table big enough for everyone God is bringing if we all stay together and don’t scatter,” she said. “We’re a sending church, whether we like it or not.”
Drawing on leadership lessons from pastor and author John Maxwell, Halsey-Menghini emphasized the importance of relational connection over position or authority. “When I take the stage, my job is to close the gap between me and the audience,” she said, paraphrasing Maxwell. “I show up as a friend sharing what’s helped me in hopes it might help you, too.”
The gap is when someone is overwhelmed by circumstances—illness, loss, addiction, or disappointment—and no longer knows how to move forward.
“That’s where hope tends to fade,” she said. “And that’s exactly where God has placed the church.”
said. “But we have to be healed before we try to leverage that scar, or we can make a bigger mess.”
She shared a recent story of recognizing a man panhandling near her office as someone connected to her church’s past. Familiarity can dull compassion unless effort is made to truly see people. “In that moment, a name was put with a face,” she said. “He didn’t just need help. He needed someone to remind him of who he
Throughout her remarks, Halsey-Menghini returned to the idea that scars—emotional, spiritual, or physical—are not liabilities but tools for empathy and service.
“The scar you’re wearing gives you eyes to see pain someone else might miss,” she
Halsey-Menghini also pointed to immigrants, refugees, and others who have lost status, stability, or identity through forces beyond their control.
“They’re saying, ‘I don’t care what you give me— will you just see me?’ That’s something the church can do that nobody else can.”
The message concluded with a call to engage our communities intentionally.
“Don’t go home the same,” she said.
“Ask yourself, ‘Am I leveraging my scars? Am I willing to step into someone else’s pain?’ Because nobody should be closing that gap second to the church.”
But restoring hurting people requires our presence and compassion
Written in the scars
Boesch says there’s healing purpose there
f I reach down to my thigh, I can feel what feels like a bullet wound,” veteran missionary Tina Boesch told women attending Priority 2026. “And that would be a great story, wouldn’t it, if I actually had a bullet wound? I don’t.”
The injury, caused by a metal radiator pipe that punctured her leg as she rushed for a bus, resulted in weeks of daily medical visits in a post-Soviet hospital system that lacked pain medication. Yet Boesch said the experience became a formative moment in her understanding of ministry.
Boesch, who served 19 years with the International Mission Board in Central Asia, recounted the experience from her first solo stay overseas at age 19. The serious leg injury in Bratislava, Slovakia, left her alone and dependent on strangers for help.
“That wound ended up being an open door for ministry,” she said. “It wasn’t ministry that I could have orchestrated. It was only something that the Lord could do in his own time and his own way.”
Now the manager of the Bible Study Team at Lifeway, where she has worked for six years, Boesch used her personal story as a lens for understanding the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, the focus of the conference theme, “Beautiful Scars: From Pain to Purpose.”
“This is the most vulnerable of all Paul’s letters,” she said, describing a relationship she called “strained” between Paul and the Corinthian church he founded. According to Boesch, Paul faced criticism, slander, and misunderstanding
Hope Good Cornerstone, Savoy
This is my first Priority Conference, and I am really enjoying just being surrounded by a group of women who are willing to just talk about what God’s doing in their lives… the scars that have healed.
from the very believers he loved.
“They’re saying things like, ‘His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing,’” she said. “We’re talking about the Apostle Paul, and this is a church he planted.”
Despite personal suffering—including what Paul refers to as his “thorn in the flesh”—Boesch said Paul chose to respond with love rather than withdrawal or defensiveness.
“He leans into vulnerability and love,” she said. “Pain never disqualifies you from ministry.”
Turning hurts to helps
“I think it is impossible to grow through life without acquiring scars—physical and emotional, and sometimes spiritual as well,” Boesch told the Illinois Baptist in an interview before the conference. Yet she was careful to note that scars represent something profoundly different from wounds.
“A wound isn’t healed yet, but a scar is actually a sign of healing. It is a witness to a moment when you were wounded, but it is no longer painful in the same way,” she said. That distinction shaped the heart of her message.
Boesch believes ministry flows most faithfully from places where God has already brought healing. “It can be really dangerous to reach out to people to comfort them while we ourselves are still not healed,” she explained. “But when God does accomplish something in our lives through pain and suffering, it can be a powerful opportunity.”
Once healing has taken place, scars become a testimony of God’s faithfulness and a bridge to serve others.
Laura Hicks Sinnissippi Association
This is my fifth year at Priority. The relationships that I have made [will] be everlasting, and I’m very blessed for that.
Boesch emphasized that meaningful ministry does not always mean having the perfect words. Sometimes, simply showing up can be enough. “The ministry of presence is very, very real for people who are hurting,” she said. That presence—quiet, faithful, and compassionate—often speaks louder than advice or solutions.
At the Priority Conference, Boesch helped women see how God moves them from pain to purpose. “Every one of us will experience painful things,” she said, “but the Lord will work them for our good—and also for the good of others.” She pointed to the biblical call to comfort others as we ourselves have been comforted, reminding women their stories matter and can be used for God’s glory.
“So often women assume they do not have much to offer in the kingdom because they think, ‘I’m not enough,’” she shared. “I’m not strong enough. I’m not well-spoken enough. I don’t have enough time… whatever it is.” Rather, she said women need to see “it isn’t about their own strengths and giftedness. It’s about the Spirit’s work in them through Jesus Christ.”
Her deepest hope for the women who attended Priority was simple yet profound: “That our life has purpose.” Women are not only blessed by God, Boesch said, but called to be a blessing. “When God saves us, blesses us, calls us… We have this incredible purpose to be a blessing to others.”
In addition to her work at Lifeway, Boesch has a new book coming out next year, The Language of Blessing: Discovering and Sharing the Gift of Life in God’s Presence. Her first book was Given: The Forgotten Meaning and Practice of Blessing.
Starla Dunn Prince Avenue, Hannibal, Mo.
I love coming to Priority. Every year I leave encouraged by so many things that God is doing… the Holy Spirit telling me something that I should be, could be, would be doing, and then I have the tools to do it with.
Emily torrenga Calvary, Monticello
What they shared today was wounds may not be beautiful, but scars are, because we see God at work and God is healing. Priority is awesome.
IBSA’s premier women’s conference met in 16 locations this year. Host churches for three regional sites were:
1. Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur (Central Illinois),
2. Grace Missionary Baptist Church in
3. and Bethel Baptist Church in Troy (Metro East).
Along with three keynote messages, each regional site held more than 20 breakout sessions. The conference was simulcast to 13 local churches.
illinois baptist women
New team offers good counsel
Priority Now podcast returns with advice on comparisons
o you ever look in the mirror and think ‘I’m not good enough?’ If so, you’re certainly not alone.
“I know women that, say that they’re too much, I always mess things up, God must be disappointed in me,” explained Amy Donathan during the podcast Priority Now. “We take the lies that we have, that we’ve believed, and we not only react from them in our relationships with people here, but in how we see God.”
Donathan is one of three certified therapists on the podcast. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Christian Life Coach.
Donathan shared how she’s suffered from thinking she’s not good enough. Her parents divorced when she was young and only saw her father sporadically.
“In my brain, my little girl brain, I’m not wanted,” Donathan shared. “And a lot of children that I work with in my therapy practice that have divorced parents are like, What did I do wrong? I’m not good enough. If I was better…”
Even 40 years later after getting married she can still find herself believing she’s not enough or wanted, like recently when her husband’s parents were visiting.
“He was cleaning the bathroom,” Donathan said. “In my brain, I was like, ‘He’ll clean the bathroom for his mom, but he won’t clean the bathroom for me. I’m not good enough for him to clean the bathroom for. He doesn’t love me enough. He cares more about what his mom thinks than what I think.’
“God weaves our stories together, so that bad part of your life, is still a stanza in that poem. Without that, your poem wouldn’t be complete.”
Donathan will be joined by Leslie Davis who is a Counseling Ministry Director and Carla Powderly who specializes in grief and loss.
Another story Donathan shared was about a conference she attended and how eye opening it was.
“We had a cross sitting up front and then we had name tags like ‘Hi, my name is.’ Everyone had to write the lies that they believed about themselves on that name tag,” Donathan explained. “And then they took it up and they put it on the cross.
“I thought maybe three people would do it, but everybody did it.” Some people put three or four lies they have believed about themselves. “It was so sad to read because one older lady put ‘I’m so stupid.’
Many women are not able to step out into what God has planned because of fear.
“The cross was covered,” Powderly repeated. The cross made a statement, she said. “The cross covered
“I know he loves me dearly, but I said, ‘Oh, you’ll clean the bathroom for your mom but won’t clean the bathroom for me?’ He turned around and said, ‘I don’t care how the bathroom looks when my mom gets here, but you do.’”
Proverbs 23:7 in part says for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “If you keep believing those lies over and over again, and you keep telling yourself that that’s who you are, then that’s how you live,” Donathan said.
It doesn’t matter, our past or what others think of us, God will use our whole life; the good, the bad, and the ugly for his glory.
“We’re God’s workmanship. In Greek that word is poema and it means poem, and so it’s a work of art, so we are a work of art…” Donathan explained.
“God weaves our stories together, so that bad part of your life, is still a stanza in that poem.”
it all. I mean, that’s the freedom that you’re talking about.”
“In Philippians 2:13, it says that God will work in us toward his will and work for his good pleasure,” Donathan responded, “so doing this is not a solo journey.
“God isn’t waiting for you to lay all the lies down and work to have that freedom. He’s saying, I am here, just lay them down, and I will walk with you to help you.”
The full podcast digs in even deeper on overcoming the lies we believe about ourselves.
Priority Now Podcast is available on the Illinois Baptist’s YouTube, Podbean, and major podcast distributors.
─Kayla Houchin
Markham (Chicago area),
Someone you should know: Marian Blankenship
Trombone player—and a whole lot more
Decatur | Marian Blankenship knows how to tell a good story. And at age 92, she has a lot of good stories to tell. Still active, she teaches a Sunday school class and until recently played the trombone in her church’s praise band.
Marian grew up in the central Illinois village of Heyworth, where her father farmed and taught agriculture. “He taught veterans who came back from the war,” she said.
He also held a seminary a degree, as her parents had prepared to go to Africa as agricultural missionaries. But the Great Depression engulfed the nation and dried up their support. “So, he ministered here,” Marian said. “He taught Ag and preached. My Daddy was a preacher, and then I married a preacher. She was married to her husband, Dennis, for nearly 65 years. “He dated all the other girls, except me,” she said with a mischievous smile. “I like to say he saved the
Dennis pastored churches in Beecher City, Farmer City, Gillespie, Girard, Heyworth, Lincoln, and Springfield. After his retirement, he served as senior adult pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur where Marian is still a member. Looking back on their years together, she said, “What a wonderful ministry we had, and all in Illinois.
She lost her beloved Dennis when he died in 2018 at 87. They raised three daughters and one son who all live nearby and check in on her often. She also has numerous grand- and great-grandchildren.
“We have a close-knit, very close-knit family” is how Marian describes them. “We love to get together and work and play together and worship together. And I’m so thankful for my wonderful family.”
Marian began playing both the piano and trombone at age 8. “My folks, they liked the tone of it rather than a shrill tone” of other horns. “It was more of a soft, muted tone.” That made practicing at home more accept-
Still, the horn was cumbersome to carry.
“On the school bus, when I was trying to get down the aisle, I was hitting all the kids on the
Her family is musical too. Marian saw to it that all four of her children learned to play a musical instrument. Now, she’s trying to find a family member to pass her trombone on to.
“I talked to one of the little boys,” she recalled. “I said, ‘When I am ready to give up my horn, would you like to play the trom-
bone?’ He’s just seven, so it might be a while yet.”
Marian teaches the Rachel class, a Sunday school class for women in their 90s. She’s been told it’s the oldest age group class in the church’s history. Her assistant, who is 88, is allowed in the class despite her young age. The class has five members, although it did have 10. Marian said some have “passed away while a couple of them are in nursing homes. But being our age, you know, dying is our promotion to heaven.”
Ministry partners
During his years in ministry, Dennis was a bivocational pastor “because he wanted to mingle with the people and get acquainted with them,” she said. Dennis drove a school bus for 10 years.
The Blankenships worked together in the ambulance service he organized in Gillespie. Dennis was the driver, and Marian trained to become an EMT. “It was a ministry,” she said. “I had prayer with them when I was there as an EMT behind the driver. Sometimes they would just relax when you would show them that you were a Christian, that the Lord loved them.”
Their first ambulance was a converted hearse. “Can you imagine going and picking people up that are ill in a hearse?” Marian laughed.
Marian said she thanks the Lord for Guide-
Stone’s Mission:Dignity. “It just always amazes me how they would help me right when I needed it,” she said, noting it has helped her pay medical and home repair bills. The ministry provides financial assistance to retirement-aged Southern Baptist ministers, workers, and widows. It’s funded by Southern Baptists.
On her first Christmas without Dennis, she was home alone when a delivery person came to her door with a package. “I said I didn’t order anything, but it was from Mission Dignity,” Marian said with tears in her eyes. “Inside was a knot blanket that the ladies on staff had done. There was a card that was so comforting, telling me ‘You’re still remembered and we’re praying for you.’” I cried.
Today Marian looks forward to daily phone calls from grandchildren, asking prayer. “They want me to pray with them about joys and the problems that they have in their life every night. It’s blessing that they have a desire for prayer and that I can pray with them.”
The trombone-playing prayer-warrior pastor’s wife is still ministering every way she can.
Marian’s advice to pastor’s wives:
Your house is a fishbowl, but don’t be discouraged. “I always got dressed as soon as I woke up in the morning. I never knew who was going to be at the door, because our house was open to people.”
It takes a team, so minister right along with your husband. “Support your husband in prayer and work with him. That’s so important to both of you.”
Stay close to the Lord. “Psalm 28:7-8 says ‘The Lord is my strength. He is my shield.’ That means he’s my protector and my heart trusts in him. \When I get out of bed in the morning, I say thank you. Then it says, ‘I’m happy with him, and I’m singing.’ I love that because it includes music.”
IN FOCUS
Preaching to Generation Alpha
Instead of simplifying for students, I now make sermons harder—and smarter.
If you ask me what my favorite class in seminary was, I would say preaching class. My professor equipped me with solid theories, helpful structures, and multiple methods of delivery. I remember coming home with pages of notes, eager to put my exegesis into practice in a 35-minute youth sermon.
But the reality was humbling: 20% of the students were asleep, the rest looked confused, and hardly anyone took anything home.
That moment hit me hard—I realized I needed to change how I preached. Seminary gave me the tools, but it didn’t teach me how to connect with these students. Effective communication with the next generation, especially Gen Alpha, has required some changes in my methods.
Structure and biblical storytelling
Here’s what I would have said a couple of years ago: Preaching to Gen Alpha involved shortening traditional three-point sermons and adding more illustrations. I was a strong advocate of breaking down complex theological concepts into small, digestible portions with frequent recaps to make sure attention was maintained. The emphasis was on sermons that ran under 20 minutes, with greater use of props and visual aids, along with interactive elements like call-and-response to keep young minds engaged.
I structured messages around simple, linear progressions with clear
transitions, repeated key phrases for memory, and concluded with simple, actionable applications. It was an effort to reduce biblical truths to bite-sized morsels that would not overwhelm their presumably short attention spans, but with sufficient depth to honor Scripture’s complexity.
Here’s what I do now: Gen Alpha doesn’t require dumbed-down treatment of Scripture: they require experiential biblical immersion.
They’ve grown up taking in complicated storylines through various media at the same time. They’re capable of following detailed plots, nuanced character arcs, and sophisticated themes when they’re presented honestly.
I now preach through extended biblical narratives, allowing the natural drama and tension of Scripture to unfold over a number of weeks. When I preach through the life of David, for instance, I do not summarize his life. I delve into the psychological complexity of his relationship with Saul, the political intrigue of ancient Israel, and the raw humanity of the psalms he penned during his years in the wilderness.
Gen Alpha is attracted to the rough, unvarnished honesty of biblical characters. They don’t need whitewashed Sunday school images of Moses or Paul. They identify with the actual doubts, struggles, and transformations these individuals experienced. When I’m preaching on Peter’s denial, I tap into the shame,
the fear, and the overwhelming sting of betrayal these adolescents are familiar with from social dynamics in their own lives. The beauty of the gospel is not lost in complication, it is revealed in it.
Method and style of delivery
Here’s what I would have said a few years ago: Effective preaching to Gen Alpha meant high energy presentation with dramatic gestures, shifting vocal pitches, and constant movement across the platform. I was a firm believer in theatrical presentation, multimedia integration, and performative elements that could compete with their entertainment intake.
The focus was on being dynamic
enough to hold their attention in an overstimulated world. I employed video clips, sound effects, and elaborate stage designs to create “wow moments” that would cut through their digital noise. The plan was to out-perform how they took in their ordinary content, with production values and presentation proficiency that matched what they viewed on their screens.
Here’s what I do now: Gen Alpha has highly attuned authenticity detectors. They immediately detect and dismiss performative preaching that seems forced or manufactured. These young people have been exposed to top-tier content creation their entire lives. They can distinguish between genuine passion and artificial enthusiasm.
I now preach with conversational integrity, allowing for natural pauses of reflection, embracing the moments of vulnerability, and trusting the Holy Spirit works through authentic human connection more than performance polish. When I’m wrestling with a difficult passage or owning my own wrestling with faith, Gen Alpha leans in instead of tunes out.
They respond to preachers who admit doubt, share their own struggles, and demonstrate that Christianity is a process, not a product. When I recently preached on doubt, I didn’t offer easy answers. I shared my own midnight wrestling with God and invited them into the beautiful, terrifying mystery of faith. The
FRONT LINES– Look for more teaching tips from Daniel Kim at IBSA.org/ resource/ effective-preaching-to-students/
altar was filled with young people who had never come forward beneath my more polished, answergiving sermons.
The most powerful shift has been embracing silence and space in sermons. Gen Alpha, despite stereotypes about attention spans, craves contemplative moments. They require time to process, to connect, and to allow Scripture to settle into their hearts. Some of my most impactful messages now include extended moments of reflection, prayer, and response rather than constant verbal input.
Biblical application and relevance
Here’s what I would have said a few years ago: To make Scripture relevant to Gen Alpha, search for modern parallels and contemporary applications for ancient texts. I was all about drawing the lines between biblical situations and their current experience. For example, I compared David and Goliath to confronting bullies, or the Israelites’ wilderness journey to finding their way through lostness in middle school transitions.
The emphasis was on practical lessons that would help students navigate their present predicaments. I would recap sermons with action points, weekly memory verses, and clear instructions on how to apply biblical principles to their daily lives. The concept was to reduce age-old wisdom to their modern-day context.
Here’s what I do now: Gen Alpha doesn’t need Scripture made relevant: They need to discover their relevance to Scripture.
These students are facing unprecedented global crises, social revolution, and technological upheaval. They don’t need the Bible dumbed down; they need to see themselves
as part of God’s ongoing story of redemption and transformation. Instead of telling them how biblical characters are like them, I help them to envision how they are called to be like biblical characters. When I preach about Esther, I don’t just preach about courage amid opposition. I call them to look at the “such a time as this” moments in their own generation. They are facing climate change, social justice, mental health epidemics, and global connectivity challenges that require the same kind of divine call and courage Esther demonstrated.
Gen Alpha reacts powerfully to being invited into God’s mission rather than being explained how God’s mission applies to their problems. When I preach on the early church in Acts, I don’t just draw parallels; I cast vision for how they might be part of a similar spiritual awakening in their own world. These students want to be world-changers, not just world-understanders.
and emotionally accessible. I opted for low-pressure invitations that were direct, often using phrases like “If you want to ask Jesus into your heart” or “If you’re ready to make this decision...” It was all about making salvation clear to understand and respond to, with immediate affirmation and simple next steps.
I structured invitations around emotional peaks in the sermon, had soft background music, and offered comfortable environments where young people would not be embarrassed or stand out. The principle was removing obstacles and making response as non-threatening as possible without diluting a real commitment.
The shift from application-focused to identity-focused preaching has been revolutionary. Instead of “How does this help me?” they’re being taught to ask, “Who is God calling me to be?” and “What is my role in God’s kingdom work?” This generation doesn’t just want to hear about biblical heroes; they want to be them.
Gospel invitation and response
Here’s what I would have said a few years ago: Altar invitations for Gen Alpha needed to be clear, simple,
Here’s what I do now: Gen Alpha needs to hear about the radical, costly nature of following Christ. These students have grown up with instant everything and easy options, yet they also deeply desire purpose and meaning beyond their comfortable lives. They don’t need the gospel dumbed down: they need to hear about its life-transforming power and difficult call.
I now declare the entire weight of discipleship—the sacrifice, the cost, the daily dying to self that genuine faith demands. When Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him, I no longer mitigate those words or spiritualize them away. Gen Alpha responds powerfully to challenges that demand everything rather than appeals that demand nothing.
They’re living in a world of fake authenticity and shallow commitments. When they hear the radical
I now declare the entire weight of discipleship that faith demands.
call of Christ—to love enemies, serve the least, die for others, and live counter-culturally—they know something worth dying for. My altar calls now focus on surrender rather than decision, transformation rather than transaction.
The biggest change has been emphasizing long-term discipleship over short-term decision. Gen Alpha is aware that genuine transformation happens through process, community, and long-term commitment. They do not desire a one-and-done prayer that solves all their problems. They desire a lifelong journey that gives purpose to their life. When I’m inviting them to follow Christ, I’m inviting them into a revolution, not a religion.
These teenagers don’t need Christianity revamped to be applicable to their world; they need to discover their God-given charge to transform the world by Christ’s strength. As preachers, our greatest opportunity is not in catering to their perceived limitations, but in calling them to receive the full force and joy of what it is to be disciples of Jesus in their generation.
Daniel Kim is Associate Pastor for student ministries at Gospelife Church in Carol Stream.
MEET THE TEAM
Chris Nolin Northern Region Consultant
Family 411: I’m married to Nancy. We have two adult sons, one daughter-in-law, no grandkids yet.
Home: Originally from Seffner Fla., we now live in Sterling, Ill..
Education: B.A. from University of South Florida, M. Div. from Southwestern Seminary, D. Min. from Luther Rice Seminary.
Prior to IBSA: I served as Associational Mission Strategist for Sinnissippi Baptist Association
My salvation story: My father was in the military and was stationed in Japan. The pastor invited my dad to come to an IMB mission church. I was saved there. In fact, our entire family was saved in that mission church.
Verse: “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 CSB).
Bible person: Nehemiah. I appreciate his humility in allowing God to a work in and through him.
Hobbies: Reading, fishing, spending time in nature
Illinois discovery: Starved Rock State Park
Food fave: Anything dark chocolate
Author: Eric Metaxas
INSIGHT
Post-it on your heart
everal months ago, I wrote Isaiah 26:3 on a yellow Post-it note and stuck it on my desk next to my laptop.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (ESV).
At the time (and still, if I’m honest), I was overwhelmed by a big project at work. I felt unequal to the task ahead of me. So, when I came across that verse from Isaiah, I felt compelled to write it where it would be in front of my eyes whenever I sat at my desk.
As I aimed to fix my eyes on whatever task was in front of me at the moment, that yellow sticky note reminded to first fix my mind on the Lord.
A few months later, I found out that friends of ours who are walking through a deep season of loss have claimed that same verse. Isaiah 26:3 was ever before them as they relied on God to sustain them through grief. My work stress is tiny in comparison, but the truth claimed and the comfort provided are the same: the Lord, perfectly trustworthy, will keep those in peace whose minds are stayed on him.
It’s the staying of the mind that is the biggest challenge for me. That yellow note is helpful, ever before my eyes, but fixing those eyes on Jesus amid stress and busyness and pain and sin is hard. As soon as I think I’ve got my mind stayed on him, something comes along to knock my glance away from the Lord and onto the next task.
Or that small offense I’m having trouble surrendering.
Or the thing making me grumpy with my children.
Or the underlying worry that whatever I’m undertaking will not, in fact, succeed. I could be spinning and spinning toward a task that will wind up fruitless.
on my desk to a more consistent practice of meditating on it?
The answer, at least in the short term, may be more sticky notes. A group of women at our church recently began a study of the Book of Proverbs. The first nine chapters are a deep dive into the difference between wisdom and folly, with Solomon urging his readers to heed the calling of wisdom and walk down her path, instead of the wider path of folly that ultimately leads to death.
Get wisdom, he says plainly in Proverbs 4:5, and once it’s yours, he says again and again, keep it close. Wear it. Tie it around your neck and write it on the tablet of your heart (3:3). Guard it as you would your own eye; tie it to your fingers; and, again, write it on your heart (7:2-3).
It is too easy to fix my mind on those things. God’s Word is a far more worthy anchor, for sure, but how do I move beyond a sticky note
Maybe writing God’s Word on my heart starts with writing it on a Post-it. Perhaps wearing it around my neck begins with getting His wisdom in front of my eyes as often as possible. Think about how many times we could interact with Scripture during a regular day:
A note on your steering wheel: “Your word is a lamp for my feet and
a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).
A card slipped into the back of your phone case: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
On your computer screen at work: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
Taped to the dishwasher: “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7).
Near your alarm clock: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are protected” (Proverbs 18:10).
The verses we choose to meditate on might reflect a particular struggle or season. Or, God might impress certain words on our hearts for our own encouragement or so we can share them with others who need to hear His wisdom. Whatever pieces of his Word we set before our eyes, we can be sure they will not return void (Isaiah 55:11).
That’s a promise worth clinging to, worthy of wearing around our neck, tying to our fingers, and writing on the tablet of our heart.
Meredith Flynn is a wife, mother, administrator, writer, and Christ follower living in Springfield.
reporter’s notebook
What should we make of AI?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has quietly pushed its way to the front of the ever-growing line of “another change I didn’t ask for.” The technologists promise a silver bullet, but I’ve had the uneasy feeling we humans might end up on the receiving end.
So, I’ve straddled the fence— unwilling to hand over the keys to my brain—watching from a safe distance to see if AI would become something I was forced to deal with or something genuinely helpful.
That changed during my recent participation in the Baptist Communicators Association Workshop in Mobile, Ala., where I left ready to join the AI revolution. Here are three reasons you might consider joining me.
1. Resistance is not an option. Artificial intelligence appeared in only a few breakouts or keynotes but surfaced in nearly every conversation. Whether the topic was writing, graphic design, photo and video editing, social media, management, or marketing, AI kept coming up.
That tracks with a larger trend. According to a 2025 Gallup poll, nearly half of workplace leaders now use AI more than double the figure from 2023. Because the
business world is rapidly adopting it, you’re likely using AI casually, without even noticing.
Search engines routinely offer AI summaries before traditional links. About 65% of U.S. adults ages 25–59 use voice assistants such as Siri or Alexa almost daily.
In small ways or large, AI is already maneuvering itself into everyday life. Assuming you’re not participating in its advance simply leaves you more susceptible to AI shaping, rather than serving you.
2. More pop, less slop. The Alabama Baptist Foundation of communicators leader Mitchell Bruce addressed the elephant in the room: “AI slop.” Generative tools are notorious for cheerful, generic copy, strange-looking images, or outright errors. “Hallucinations,” where AI invents facts or sources, remain a legitimate concern.
Each new model improves. Hallucinations are becoming rarer, and quality continues to rise. The key is treating AI like a coworker, not a shortcut.
Bruce advises that AI needs to be onboarded and managed, like a real employee. Give it a clear job description. Feed it information that reflects your values, tone, and guardrails. Offer detailed
instructions. Then review the work, provide feedback, and refine the process. When guided well, AI can produce amazing results─like any new colleague learning the ropes.
3. Selling your soul is not required. The greatest danger of over-adopting AI is allowing it to replace humanity. Jobs are at stake, but more-so our creativity, companionship, and moral responsibility. Left unchecked, AI can become a hollow substitute for relationships or a mimic of creativity rather than an expression of God-given image bearing.
These risks are real, especially with lazy adoption. The answer is thoughtful guardrails and clear policies, for your church or organization, but also for your personal and family life. Resources such as the ERLC’s “The Work of Our Hands: Christian Ministry in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” can help. For Christians, one truth must remain central: humans alone are image bearers of God. AI has no soul and is not guided by the Spirit. Because of that, humans must remain firmly in the loop, responsible for what is created, accountable for accuracy, and vigilant about ethics.
Ben Jones is IBSA Communications Team Leader.
IB team hailed
The IBSA Communications Team garnered multiple awards at the Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) Workshop held in Mobile, Alabama. The competition recognizes professional excellence among BCA members who span Southern Baptist life, including national SBC entities, Baptist state conventions, entities and universities, and state Baptist newspapers.
The 2025 team, comprised of Ben Jones, Eric Reed, Lisa Misner, and Nic Cook, brought home 11 awards, including “first place” for feature writing, news writing, design, columns, and video. The Illinois Baptist received first place for the series “BF&M at 100” and Wilmer Fields Aware for for “Ukraine: 3 years on.”
Lisa Misner served as BCA Awards Chair, recruiting judges, managing hundreds of award entries, and organizing the April 14 ceremony. (She recused herself from individual awards).
Thank you, Illinois Baptist readers, for your support of our work. We hope you are pleased.
with the lord
Janice Marks Fuller, 88, died March 29 in Salem. She was the widow of C. Ray Fuller, who served as director of missions at Three Rivers Baptist Association from 1981-2001. The Fullers served churches in Illinois and Texas until their retirement. They were married 58 years before his death in 2016.
Fuller enjoyed writing and performing skits at church, most recently at her home in Bibleville, Texas, where she performed as the character Hattie Horsecollar.
She is survived by her two children, Brian and Denice, and their families. Memorials may be made to BCHFS in Carmi.
James A. Horschler, 79, died March 16, due to a chronic illness. He joined the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam Conflict, and met and married Vallierie Pettingell at the Serviceman’s Center in Newport, R.I. The couple returned to Illinois, where he worked for Caterpillar for 30 years. Horschler completed a Doctor of Theology and served churches in a variety of positions in his ministry. He pastored three churches including FBC Newark. In addition to his wife of 59 years, he is survived by three children, six grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.
William Francis Smith, 94, died March 21. “Bro.
Bill” pastored two churches in his ministry career, Milton Baptist Church for three years, and Hillview Baptist Church for 51 years. Smith, a Korean War veteran, also taught in the North Greene School District. He shared ministry with his wife, Donna, until her death in 2024. They were married 73 years, an achievement as remarkable as their five decades serving one church. Smith is survived by two daughters, three sons, and their families, totaling 11 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.
EVENTS
June 7-10
SBC Annual Meeting
What: Four days of worship, preaching, missions, and SBC business. 200 gatherings during the week.
Where: Convention Center, Orlando Info: sbcannualmeeting.net/
July 20-26
Go Chicago
What: Student missions in the Windy City. Where: Ashburn Baptist Church, Orland Park
Who: Students 12-18
Info: Watch for more details coming soon!
June 16-20
Super Summer
What: Camp helps students grow to their fullest potential. “One Body. One Mission.” is based on Ephesians 4:15-16.
Where: Greenville College, Greenville
Cost: Students: $250 (add $20 after May 25).
Adults: $150 (add $20 after May 25). Info: IBSA.org/supersummer Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
July 31-August 1
Level Up Guy Camp
What: Retreat for dads, sons, granddads and mentors, bring your guys.
Where: Lake Sallateeska
Cost: $75 for men, 18 and under free
Contact: JacobKimbrough@IBSA.org
August 21-22
Priority: Hispanic Women
What: Leadership development Conference Where: Lake Geneva, Wis.
Email: CarmenHalsey-Menghini@IBSA.org
August 22
Tech Conference: All Regions
What: Specialized training for pastors, tech/ worship leaders, volunteers.
Where: IBSA Building, Springfield
Cost: $20
Email: CarmenHalsey-Menghini@IBSA.org
August 28-29
Disaster Relief Training
What: Courses vary but may include childcare and chaplaincy, flood recovery, chainsaw, and incident management.
Where: Lake Sallateeska Camp
Cost: Current members, free. New members or expired badges, $50.
Info: IBSA.org/events
Contact: JanetSheley@IBSA.org
Maryville | Tom Hufty has been in ministry for 51 years, 15 of those most recently spent at First Baptist Church of Maryville. FBC threw a retirement celebration on Sunday, March 1 during all three services to say thank-you for Hufty’s leadership and dedication.
by uprooting them from Hannibal, Mo. The couple served at Hannibal-LaGrange College when Hufty was asked to serve as interim pastor after the murder of pastor Fred Winters.
“Today the celebration is for Tom, but it’s really about Tom having abided in Christ, and Christ having done all these things through Tom over the last 51 years and beyond,” Nate Block, executive pastor at FBC, said during the celebration. “And so, we love Tom, we love Rhonda, and we love what God has been doing in him and it’s a great reminder to abide in Christ.”
The Huftys were surprised in 2009 when God changed their plans
Winters served as senior pastor at FBC Maryville for 22 years, watching the church grow from 30 to more than 1,500 in attendance. During a Sunday morning worship service in 2009, Winters was shot by a mentally ill man he had been counseling. What started as hesitation from Hufty on accepting the interim position after such a tragedy blossomed into love, passion, and leadership for the church. About a year after Winter’s death, Hufty was called unanimously as senior pastor.
“God blessed Rhonda and me over 15 years ago when he changed the direction of our lives…” Hufty wrote on Facebook. “We will forever be grateful to him for allowing us to be part of this great church and for the privilege of rubbing shoulders with its even greater people.”
Cloyd finishes as Wabash AMS
Fairfield | Brent Cloyd retired March 31 as Associational Mission Strategist for Greater Wabash Baptist Association. He served the local network of 22 churches since 2015. “When people have asked me… I have always bragged that we are the best association in Illinois,” Cloyd wrote in his final newsletter. “Our churches differ from one another in many ways, yet we have a tremendous spirit of cooperation. Our churches are generous. If there is a special financial need such as the support of our Disaster Relief ministry, or our annual youth camp, or improvements on our buildings, our churches have graciously responded.”
Prior to his tenure at GWBA, Cloyd served as pastor of churches in Missouri and Illinois for 34 years. He pastored seven churches in
NetworkiNg
Summit Ave. Baptist Church seeks a bivocational pastor, a seminary graduate who agrees with the Baptist Faith & Message (as amended in 2023). This is a loving congregation located on the west side of Decatur. Send resume to Chris Granda, gdprvd4me@yahoo.com.
Illinois. Currently Cloyd is serving as interim pastor of Calvary Church in Effingham. His wife, Jeanette, is active in IBSA women’s ministry leadership. The Cloyds, with their son, Brock, are familiar faces at state network events, serving on numerous teams and committees.
Cloyd has always been supportive of the network. “We are Baptist churches so we have autonomy and yet we know the value of abiding with one another,” he said.
Jay Loucks serves as interim AMS.
Email IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org
Calvary Baptist Church of Effingham seeks a full-time pastor. Visit calvarybaptisteffingham.org for more information. And send resume and sermon videos to the attention of the Pastor Search Committee at Calvarybaptisteff@gmail.com.
Mission ILLINOIS
Our church might be small, but we love and teach big!
Patoka: Blessing baskets
The Easter Basket brigade from Patoka First Baptist Church engaged a mission that could work just as well for moms at Mother’s Day. The Mission Journey Kids and Youth went on mission at Fayette County Hospital. They assembled and delivered Easter baskets to patients in the hospital and long-term care.
“What a privilege to watch these kids greet patients,” PFBC posted on Facebook. “They even sang Happy Birthday to one of the residents.”
The baskets included resurrection eggs, jelly-bean salvation poem, and other goodies. Mothers might also like lotions, soaps, and chocolates.
Streator: Shelter in the storm
“All
you could see was smiling faces, people praising God, and good times in the midst of chaos.”
Sheltering in the basement at Streator Baptist Camp as a severe squall moved through the area turned into a singalong for about 100 students at IBSA’s D-Now Weekend.
“It could have been unnerving and scary for the students being in the basement of an old farmhouse, but they took it upon themselves to start leading,” said Jeff Marquardt, interim student pastor at Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria. The basement quickly rang out with “How Great Thou Art” and other familiar songs.
Camp Manager Anthony Heathcoat watched the skies while students huddled downstairs. The sun broke out the next day and the rest of the weekend went on as planned.
Marion: Rolling up
“Kingdom Builders is at it again,” Cornerstone Church in Marion posted after a ministry building project. The skilled volunteers built a ramp for a boy in April.
The team frequently serves their community with construction projects, air filter changes, minor plumbing and electrical jobs, yard cleanup, handicap ramps, and more.
“We love to see it when people use their talents to love on and bless other people,” the church reported.
“…Serve
one another through love.”
Galatians 5:13