May 27, 2019 Illinois Baptist

Right

to

New abortion laws aim for high court review. But will it work?

America | State legislatures in the South and Midwest have adopted a series of laws limiting abortion this year, including the nation’s most restrictive abortion law in Alabama. Meanwhile, some Illinois lawmakers continued to push what has been called the country’s most extreme abortion bill, which would legalize abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.

The Alabama law, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey May 15, makes it a felony for a person to perform an abortion in the state. There is an exception in the case of a serious health risk to the mother, but not for rape or incest. The bill faces legal challenges, but its sponsors are hopeful it will reach a conservative U.S. Supreme Court and result in the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The National Right to Life Committee estimates more than 60 million abortions have been performed in the U.S. since 1973.

Church needed here...

Location: Paxton

Focus: Building relationships in this rural community

Characteristics: Around 800 people attend church on Sunday in Paxton while 3,800 do not. We need a church plant that will engage the community with the gospel.

Prayer needs: Pray for a Bible study to be started soon. Pray about how God would have you and your church to be involved in this central Illinois mission field.

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

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

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

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every three weeks by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

NATE ADAMS

Write it down

If you are a long-time reader of the Illinois Baptist, you probably remember reading something by my father, Tom Adams. Through columns like “Problem Corner,” “Speaking Out,” and simply “Tom Adams,” Dad for 34 years shared practical, biblical perspectives and sometimes personal opinions on a number of contemporary issues. Former IB editor Dennis Dawson once told me that his research had convinced him that Tom Adams had the longest continuously running column series in the history of Baptist papers.

Dad’s columns were so practical and insightful in their content, and yet so down-to-earth in their style, that many readers probably assumed they were effortless on his part. Yet when I visited my mother recently, she showed me two large boxes of books on writing from Dad’s library. In addition to dictionaries, thesauruses, and grammar guides, there were titles like Success with Words, Writing A to Z, and Writing Like the Pros

Dad worked hard on his writing craft because he knew it gave him his largest audience and most lasting influence. It’s not uncommon for me today to walk into a church and have someone pull one of his columns out of their Bible, and tell me how much his writing meant to them, and still does.

But you don’t need a published column for your words to have reach, or lasting influence. For one thing, blogs and social media can give almost anyone a public platform for their words. Local newspapers or community or church newsletters often welcome local writers, and a simple family Christmas letter can touch most the people closest to us. I’ve even seen thoughtfully written birthday, sympathy, or thank-you cards move people to tears.

Thoughtful words, carefully chosen and delivered with sincerity and love, can have a wonderful, powerful, lasting effect, whether on one person or thousands. I receive at least a hundred e-mails a day, but recently someone wrote me one that stopped me in my tracks and made me think about a very important situation very differently. It has begun a very positive understanding and change in my relationship with that person. That’s the power of thoughtful words, carefully chosen, and delivered with sincerity and love.

So as summer approaches this year, let me encourage you to take some of your quiet time, perhaps some early morning or late evening time on the front porch or the back deck, or even some of your vacation time, and sit down with a pen and pad of paper. What are the most important things you have to say, things that matter, and that are closest to your heart? Who are the most important people in your life, or the people with whom you have the most influence, or who most need to hear your thoughts?

Could you call them on the phone, or even wait until the next time you see them? Maybe. But spoken words are not always heard clearly, and do not always survive the test of time.

Written words, carefully chosen, can have a special clarity, power, and endurance. I think that’s why God has so miraculously assembled, preserved, and inspired his written Word for us, and why John 1 describes Jesus as the Word made flesh to dwell among us.

– Reflects the most recent data from a 4-year study by Barna Research

Maybe you don’t see yourself as a writer. As my dad’s stack of books reminds me, we can all improve our writing. But what’s most important is that your words come from the deepest and best parts of who you are, and that they are conveyed in sincerity and love to those who need them most. That’s how God writes. That’s how Tom Adams wrote. Your best thoughts matter too. Write them down.

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

Thoughtful words have a wonderful, powerful, lasting effect.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

“True religious freedom means that all citizens must have freedom of conscience, which means being able to believe and practice the core commitments and values of your faith.”

From the front: Alabama restricts, as Illinois lawmakers push to expand abortion

Continued from page 1

challenges the earlier ruling itself, Mary Kate Knorr told the Illinois Baptist. Knorr is executive director of Illinois Right to Life, headquartered in Springfield.

“By voting into law a bill that goes directly against the Roe vs. Wade ruling (which Alabama’s law does, in this case), they’re creating an opportunity for this legislation to be litigated—potentially as far as the Supreme Court,” Knorr said. “Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but this is certainly a direct challenge of the ruling, no doubt.”

Too extreme?

The Alabama bill is among the most recent in a slate of laws passed by states attempting to challenge Roe vs. Wade. “Fetal heartbeat” legislation, which prohibits abortion once a heartbeat can be detected, passed in Missouri May 17, following similar measures in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio earlier this year. So far, no state’s fetal heartbeat bill has gone into effect.

No legislation created headlines like the Alabama bill, which dominated national news and incited reactions from Hollywood, Washington, and televangelist Pat Robertson. The host of “The 700 Club” called the bill “extreme.”

“They want to challenge Roe vs. Wade,” Robertson said May 15, “but my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court, because I think this one will lose.”

The bill’s most divisive element seems to be its lack of exceptions for rape and incest (which the Missouri measure also excludes). Columnist and “Meet the Press” pundit Eugene Robinson called the law a “political misfire” for pro-lifers, in part because it gives supporters of abortion rights a much-needed focus.

But many say the bill’s sponsors—and pro-life lawmakers in other states—are well aware of the challenges their laws will face in court. “They also know they will probably lose,” wrote Emma Green for The Atlantic.

“If Georgia’s so-called heartbeat bill or Alabama’s abortion ban were to end up before the high court, they might offer a dramatic opportunity for the Court to undo 46 years of jurisprudence on abortion,” Green wrote. “Or perhaps one of these bills will provide an opening: a chance to limit abortion, little by little, until one day it has been banned in all but name.”

‘The people have spoken’

In Illinois, legislators are working to move the state’s abortion laws in the opposite direction. The Springfield State Journal-Register reported abortion rights support-

ers rallied at the Capitol May 15 as lawmakers demanded action on the state’s pending Reproductive Health Act, which would repeal several existing restrictions on abortion. Dozens of women in red “handmaid” costumes (from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel “The Handmaid’s Tale) stood with sponsors Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) and Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake).

The law stalled in committee this spring, following a March 20 pro-life rally and march that shut down the Capitol and signaled that life advocates were willing to speak up against expanded abortion in Illinois. According to the Thomas More Society’s analysis of the Reproductive Health Act, it would: allow abortions for any reason whatsoever throughout all nine months of pregnancy; require health insurance policies to include coverage for all abortions, with no exemptions, even for churches and other religious organizations; and jeopardize enforcement of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 (which is the subject of a separate bill designed to repeal it).

“More than 18,000 Illinois residents filed witness slips in opposition to these bills when they were scheduled for a hearing in committee,” Knorr said. “That’s absolutely unheard of. It’s very clear that the people of Illinois have spoken on this issue, and they do not want legislators to pass this extreme abortion legislation.”

She encouraged pro-life advocates to continue to reach out to their state representatives and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to communicate that Illinoisans don’t want legislation that would repeal parental notice and the state’s late-term abortion bill. “Pro-lifers need to continue to reiterate these points over and over again until these bills are put to rest for good.”

– Illinois Baptist team, with info from ERLC.com

“This is progress toward the day we long for, when abortion is unimaginable because the humanity of the child is undeniable. Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This means we must advocate for policies that protect and promote the dignity and worth of both women and the unborn.”

– Chelsea Patterson Sobolik, policy director for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

“I think any long-fuse movement for social and moral reform has to strike a balance between purity and pragmatism. And I think Alabama gets that balance wrong.”

– Rich Lowry, editor of National Review

“Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.”

– Kay Ivey, governor of Alabama

CAPITOL PROTEST – Alabama’s near total ban on abortions has galvanized support for abortion rights. Supporters rallied in many states May 21 under the banner #Stop TheBans. “Handmaids” like those seen in the photo above have become symbolic of women’s and abortion rights, and are present at protests around the country, including Washington, D.C.

Lifenews.com

KNORR

MacDonald’s sermons pulled

Three months after firing Pastor James MacDonald, Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicagoland removed his sermons from their online channels. The church also won’t move forward with plans to distribute MacDonald’s “Walk in the Word” digitally, Christianity Today reported.

In April, Harvest was terminated from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, a national accrediting agency, for violations including mismanagement of MacDonald’s discretionary account.

Meanwhile, Chicago radio personality Erich “Mancow” Muller has filed a complaint with the Wilmette police alleging MacDonald wanted to hire a hitman in 2015 to kill MacDonald’s son-in-law and dispose of the body. Muller, a member of Harvest who revealed other ethics complaints against MacDonald, says he’s afraid of his former pastor.

Arthur’s same-sex wedding

When Arthur the aardvark’s teacher got married in the PBS show’s 22nd season premiere May 13, the biggest news wasn’t that the teacher, a rat, married an aardvark, but that Mr. Ratburn married a chocolate shop owner named Patrick.

That a children’s show tackled a topic like gay marriage isn’t surprising, BreakPoint writer G. Shane Morris noted, but the cultural milieu also doesn’t let Christian parents off the hook. “…Though my tax dollars may be funding public indoctrination and the defilement of childhood entertainment,” Morris wrote, “my real investment is in teaching my sons and daughter the truth.”

Within 24 hours of its airing, more than 13,000 people had signed an online petition protesting the episode. The Alabama Public TV network refused to air the episode.

Texas serves ‘Chick-Fil-A’

A so-called “Save Chick-Fil-A” bill was approved May 22 by Texas lawmakers. The legislation prohibits government entities from acting against businesses and people because of their associations with religious organizations. The San Antonio airport denied space to Chick-Fil-A based on its support for traditional marriage. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law.

– Christianity Today, WORLD, BreakPoint, USA Today

capitol watch

6-in-10 Illinoisans support legal pot

Several bills still pending as legislative session nears end

Springfield | With one week left in the General Assembly’s spring session, several bills of interest to Christian voters are still on the table, including a measure that would legalize recreational marijuana use in Illinois.

SB 7, sponsored by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), allows marijuana use for people 21 and older and recommends that it be taxed and regulated as alcohol is.

The bill is being amended to allow possession of 30 ounces of marijuana by citizens and 15 ounces by non-citizens. It would allow adults to grow up to five cannabis plants at home in secure rooms, although Steans told Politico the bill’s final language would likely only allow medical marijuana users to grow their own plants—a concession to law enforcement.

The bill would also expunge the records of more than 800,000 people who have previously been arrested for possession of marijuana.

Proponents of legalization continued to use the last few days of session to muster votes. SB 7 has gained support from members of the Legislative Black Caucus with the promise of the expungement provision, which some believe would address disparities in the enforcement of drug laws.

“The proposal that I’ve seen has some really good language in it and now it’s just the part of fine-tuning and making sure that advocates remain in support and removing as much opposition as you can,” Sen. Kimberly Lightford, (D-Maywood), the joint chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, told the Chicago Sun-Times. Part of the finetuning includes making sure minorities have a stake in the recreational marijuana business.

Gay rights advocates Equality Illinois also announced its support of the bill, citing data that says LGBTQ people use cannabis at more than double the rates of others. “The criminalization of cannabis therefore disproportionately harms the LGBTQ community,” said CEO Brian C. Johnson.

A poll of registered Illinois voters conducted April 29-May 1 by Global Strategy Group for Think Big Illinois found 60% of people support legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana just like alcohol, while 35% are opposed. Support was slightly higher in Chicago than downstate, the Chicago SunTimes reported. A different poll in early May, however, found only 41% of people support legalization.

Among those who have expressed their opposition are law enforcement groups, religious leaders, the Illinois president of the NAACP, and a group of state representatives who signed onto a resolution asking fellow lawmakers to slow down on the push to legalize the drug.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised during his campaign to legalize marijuana if elected.

Status: At press time, SB 7 is in the Senate Executive Committee, where it had a hearing May 15.

Other bills to watch

Makes clergy mandated reporters

SB 1778, sponsored by Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-Deerfield), would amend the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to remove the former list of mandated reporters and replace it with a wider list of categories that includes clergy. “This legislation limits the ministry of pastors and churches,” said Bob Vanden Bosch, executive director of Concerned Christian Americans. “Families who are turned in to DCFS (the Department of Children and Family Services) will not be likely to respond by coming back to the church.”

Status: The bill passed in the Senate April 10, and at press time is awaiting a third reading and vote in the House.

Increases criminal penalties on church violence

HB 38, sponsored by Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan), would amend the 2012 Criminal Code to strengthen penalties against people committing acts of violence during a worship service. The bill is receiving bipartisan support but is being held up in the Senate’s legal review process.

Status: HB 38 passed unanimously in the House April 4, and at press time is with the Senate Criminal Law Committee.

– Lisa Misner, with reporting by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and POLITICO

Pastor arrested

Charged with ‘grooming’

Thompsonville | John J. Robinson, 55, was arrested May 20 for one count of grooming, defined as using an online service or electronic storage device to seduce, solicit, or lure a child into committing a sexual act. Grooming is a class 4 felony.

Robinson is principal of Thompsonville High School and has served bivocationally as pastor of First Baptist Church there since 2009. He resigned as principal May 20, School Superintendent of CUSD 174 Brock Harris told WSIL-TV. The station reported Robinson is being held in the Franklin County Jail on $20,000 bond, and that detectives are still investigating the case.

Thompsonville is a village of around 500 people, located 20 miles northeast of Marion.

– WSIL-TV

MACDONALD

Texas church dedicates new building

In aftermath of fatal shootings, ‘evil did not win’

Sutherland Springs, Texas | “Though there was tragedy, God brings roses out of the ashes,” said Pastor Frank Pomeroy during a May 19 dedication service for his church’s new building. On Nov. 5, 2017, a gunman entered a worship service at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs and took 26 lives, including Pomeroy’s 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle.

“He brings glory through those who are called according to his purpose even when we don’t understand everything that is happening,” Pomeroy said.

The North American Mission Board (NAMB) funded construction of the new building, which includes a worship center, education space, and a kitchen and fellowship hall, with gifts made through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program and through donations.

The building also includes a memorial to victims and a cornerstone that states what has been the congregation’s theme since the attack: “Evil did not win.”

Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear addressed attendees and shared how the hope of the gospel carries Christians through the most difficult of circumstances. “What makes the Christian message distinctive is not that it keeps us from tragedy, but what it does for us in the midst of tragedy,” said Greear, pastor of The

Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area. “God can use the worst that his enemy has and turn it for good.”

Sherri Pomeroy, Frank’s wife, shared the story of Karla Holcombe, who died along with seven other members of her family, including an unborn child. The church did not own the property where the new building rests prior to the tragedy, but Holcombe often walked around and prayed over the empty lot in faith that the church would one day own the land.

“This land was given to First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs without a penny of the budget…being spent,” Sherri said to applause. “[Karla’s faith] is the kind of faith that this church was built upon.”

– Baptist Press

Dew nominated

Chitwood in D.C.

Washington, D.C. | International Mission Board (IMB) President Paul Chitwood (second from left) met with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell May 16 about the plight of refugees around the world. Chitwood and John Brady, IMB’s vice president of global engagement, shared about recent encounters with refugees in South America and Africa.

“Our intent is to keep a dialogue open with influencers who can help ensure the safety of our global workers sharing hope,” Chitwood told Baptist Press, “and to discuss any way we can offer support to those people seeking hope and peace around the world.”

According to Baptist Global Response, a primary ministry partner of IMB, there are an estimated 60 to 65 million displaced persons in the world today.

– Baptist Press

New Orleans | The presidential search team for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary announced May 20 that James K. “Jamie” Dew Jr. will be nominated to lead the institution. Dew is currently vice president for undergraduate studies and distance learning at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. The search committee will present him to the full trustee board for a vote on June 5.

Dew earned undergraduate degrees from Louisburg College in Louisburg, N.C., and Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Ga., and a master of divinity degree in pastoral ministry and a Ph.D. in theological studies from Southeastern Seminary. In July, he will graduate with a second Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham in Birmingham, UK, focused on the philosophy of the mind and philosophy of religion.

He and his wife, Tara, have been married for 18 years and are the parents of two sets of twins, Natalie and Nathan (11) and Samantha and Samuel (8). If elected, Dew will succeed President Chuck Kelley, who announced his retirement last fall.

– Baptist Press

2019 SBC in Birmingham

Candidates named

For convention offices

With less than a month before Baptists convene for their 2019 annual meeting, several candidates have announced their intent to run for denominational office. J.D. Greear will be nominated for a second oneyear term as SBC president, Pennsylvania pastor K. Marshall Williams said in April.

“In these troublesome and turbulent times, we need a pastor-preacher-prophet that will stand in the gap and lead with confident, consistent, convictional, Christo-centric, courageous courtesy,” said Williams, pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

Noe Garcia, senior pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church, will be nominated to serve as the SBC’s second vice president. Garcia has led the Arizona church since 2016. He is a member of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s Leadership Council and the SBC Executive Committee’s Convention Advancement Advisory Council. He also served on the 20172018 SBC Evangelism Task Force.

Candidates for first vice president are yet to be announced.

Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Director John L. Yeats will be nominated for a 23rd term as recording secretary. First elected to the post in 1997, Yeats designed the process currently used for the flow of information from the convention floor to the platform and distribution to the Committee on Order of Business.

Yeats will face Eddie Eaton, pastor of FuquayVarina Baptist Church in North Carolina. Eaton is “a proven leader,” “Kingdom minded,” and “administratively gifted,” Florida pastor Mike Orr told Baptist Press in relaying his intent to nominate Eaton.

Don Currence will be nominated for a third term as registration secretary. Prior to his service as registration secretary, Currence assisted late SBC registration secretary Jim Wells with the registration process for 12 years. He has served on the staff of First Baptist Church, Ozark, Mo., for 26 years.

David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, will be nominated for president of the 2020 Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference. “David is a pastor’s pastor, a spiritual statesman, and is universally respected in his state and across our convention,” Georgia pastor James Merritt said in a May 17 announcement to Baptist Press.

For more information the SBC annual meeting, Pastors’ Conference, and other meetings in Birmingham, go to sbcannualmeeting.net.

– Baptist Press

MISSION

Spring harvest

Hundreds baptized across Illinois in ‘One GRAND Month’

BY MEREDITH FLYNN PAT PAJAK

Pat Pajak gestures to a small piece of paper filled with neat script. Each line is the name of a different IBSA pastor or church that has called him to report baptisms in the month of April. On one car ride alone in the middle of the month, he talked to three leaders who were celebrating people who had come to faith in Christ and followed their decisions with baptism.

One GRAND Month, marked in churches around the state in April, was, in a

word, grand. Churches reported more than 700 baptisms during the month, and Pajak is still getting reports. And churches are still baptizing. Several pastors have said the April emphasis on evangelism resulted in professions of faith and people wanting to be baptized.

“How in the world are we going to reach 8.5 million people?” Pajak knows the question is overwhelming, especially when estimates say the state has around a hundred times more people who don’t know Christ than Southern Baptists.

P. 8

Buried with Christ, raised up to walk

Romanian Baptist Church of Chicago and Pastor Adrian Neiconi (center) celebrated baptisms in April, joining a statewide, month-long focus on evangelism. More than 700 people were baptized in April, including 271 on Easter Sunday alone.

Photos on pages 7-9 courtesy of Facebook or submitted by churches

If One GRAND Month did anything, he says, it alerted church members to the fact that people all around them are living without a relationship with Christ. “It’s a daunting task if you allow Satan to convince you that it can’t be done. You just say, ‘Let’s give up. Let’s not try.’”

But hundreds of churches took up the challenge in April, baptizing 271 people on Easter Sunday and 443 the rest of the month, for a total of 714. Pajak notes that if IBSA churches baptized 700 people every month for a year, it would more than double the number of baptisms reported last year.

“It has alerted people to the necessity of sharing their faith, and that it’s not just the pastor. He’s one guy in a whole town. Think about what happens if 35 or 40 people decide, ‘You know what, I can do that.’

“It’s the only way we’re going to reach 8.5 million people in Illinois.”

Change of venue, change of hearts

On their first Sunday in a new building, Grace Church in Metropolis baptized two people in a donated cattle trough. A young man sitting in the congregation heard the invitation to respond to the gospel and did so. He was baptized two weeks later, along with four others.

“We had a big ole day,” said Pastor Chris Sielbeck, who started the church two years ago in the front room of his home.

Grace met at the Union Baptist Association office for more than a year, and had been praying about a building when Sielbeck began to focus on a place he passed every Sunday. On a day off from his job with the U.S. Postal Service, the pastor began to research the building he thought would be perfect for a church. A local CPA owned the building, and Sielbeck dropped in to ask whether the owner would consider allowing a church to meet there.

“We’re a small church, we don’t have any money, and I need it for free,” Sielbeck pitched. “And he said, ‘I can do that.’” The church baptized two people their first morning in the building, and one the next week. Plus five more on the first Sunday in May.

When Sielbeck went to a farm supply store to purchase a $300 trough for the baptism, he ran into a sales representative for the manufacturer in the parking lot. The rep followed him inside, where he gave Grace a generous gift. Standing at the register, Sielbeck remembered, the man said, “I’m going to buy that for that church.”

‘Jesus steps in’

At Marshall Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Paul Cooper baptized nine people in April. And five more on the first Sunday in May.

“It’s not normal for us,” said Cooper, whose church moved into a former Walmart building two years ago. “I think we had 15 baptisms for the year last year, and last year was higher than most years. Having 14 in basically a one-month period is pretty amazing.”

Marshall is the last stop on Interstate 70 before you cross into Indiana. There aren’t a lot of younger adults in the community, Marshall said, but several of the people baptized at his church

Continued on page 9

Pastor Brian McWethy (right) asked church members at Grace Fellowship in Amboy to pray for one person and look for opportunities to have a gospel conversation with them. The “Who’s Your One?” strategy is a current initiative of the Southern Baptist Convention to encourage evangelism in churches across the country.

After the service, a woman stood outside McWethy’s office door and tearfully asked, “Can I be my ‘one’?” Amy Burtelow (left) prayed to receive Christ and was baptized in May, two years after her son and daughter were baptized at Grace Fellowship.

NEW LIFE, TOGETHER – Ranae Clements (left) and Michael Mattingly (right) were baptized on Easter Sunday at Marshall Missionary Baptist Church. The then-engaged couple was married a few weeks later by Marshall pastor Paul Cooper.

Continued from page 8

the last few weeks are in their 20s. Michael Mattingly and Ranae Clements were baptized Easter Sunday. The engaged couple shared video of their baptisms on social media, celebrating their life transformation with family and friends.

Just weeks prior, Clements was a Christian who had moved away from the church and Mattingly doubted the existence of God. She attended a conference where her faith was reignited, and she also met a member of the Marshall church. Mattingly agreed to attend the church with his fiancé to be supportive. He arrived at church on the Sunday Cooper was set to preach “Jesus steps into your doubts.”

“My whole sermon was about how it’s okay to have doubts,” Cooper said. “God will speak into that, and Jesus will show up.”

When he gave the invitation at the end of the service, the pastor asked people who had prayed to receive Christ to raise their hands. Mattingly’s was one of the hands raised. A few weeks later, on Easter, he and Clements were baptized.

“There’s a sense of anticipation in the church,” Cooper said. “God’s doing things, and God’s reaching people, and people just want to share that. A lot of our new people have gotten really excited, and then they share it, and it keeps kind of multiplying right now.”

After he baptized Mattingly, Cooper asked if he wanted to say anything. The young man responded simply.

“Jesus is Lord.”

WATCHFUL EYES – Jeff Furlow (left) professed faith in Christ at Grace Church in Metropolis on Easter Sunday, and was baptized two weeks later as his young son inspected the baptistry. Net Community Church in Staunton (above) and Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills (far left) also celebrated baptisms during One GRAND Month.

GRAND keeps going

Pastor Matt Embry’s invitation to repent and be baptized resulted in 25 baptisms May 12 at Mosaic Church in Highland. Church leaders had pre-planned the baptism service, but didn’t know how many would come forward, Embry said. “I told the staff I’d be thrilled if one or two responded.”

The next Sunday, 13 more people responded to the invitation. “Many testimonies of ‘playing the game for so long but finally totally surrendering their lives,’” Embry reported. “Praise God.”

Photo at right: Donna Munie was baptized May 12 by Mosaic Church elder Bill Book. “She’s been saved for over 30 years but

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IN FOCUS

Improving ordination

More careful interview process needed to protect churches

The ordination process of Southern Baptist churches is a weak spot when it comes to protecting congregations from sexual predators, according to a report released May 9.

The report, “Above Reproach: A Study of the Ordination Practices of SBC Churches,” was conducted by Jason A. Lowe, an associational mission strategist in Kentucky, in response to a Feb. 10 Houston Chronicle report on sexual abuse among Southern Baptist churches.

New guidance for an ancient practice

“Christian leadership is of too great an importance for us not to include the larger body of Christ in the examination and affirmation of new pastors,” Leo Endel writes in a new document on ordination.

While Southern Baptist churches make their own choices about ordaining pastors and leaders, Endel encourages a broader process as a way of more carefully selecting, screening, and setting apart pastors for service.

“Southern Baptist churches are autonomous and establish their own policies regarding ordination,” said Endel, executive director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention.

“Ordination is therefore an act of the local congregation and not of the denomination. Sister churches and the denomination assist each other in this process at the direction and request of the local church.”

Ordination Process includes a thorough examination of the biblical foundation for ordination, a local church’s “due diligence,” screening and interviewing processes, and sample ordination services.

This booklet is available to Illinois churches through IBSA’s Church Resources team. Contact TammyButler@IBSA.org. 3085

Ordination Process

Best practices for screening and interviewing candidates

Lowe began polling pastors and other Baptist leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention on Feb. 20, two days after SBC President J.D. Greear presented 10 calls to action from the Sexual Abuse Presidential Advisory Study, one of which was to enhance the ordination screening process.

IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams said the survey is helpful because it inquired about familiar aspects of ordination, but also some that are less often considered. “For example, it asked about various types of background checks as part of the ordination process, and also about how ordination councils can provide follow-up and accountability,” Adams said.

The screening process is a “sacred responsibility” that needs to be taken seriously, Greear said at a February meeting of Baptist newspaper editors. He explained that ordination candidates should have no hint of sexual abuse or cover up in their past. Greear asked why background checks are often more rigorous for children’s ministry volunteers than for people being ordained to lead.

Ordination, a process that sets a person aside for ministerial service, is left up to each individual Southern Baptist congregation in keeping with the SBC’s policy of church autonomy. Churches may review a person’s salvation experience, pastoral call, qualifications, and potentially his experience or seminary training to determine if he’s an appropriate candidate, according to the SBC’s website, sbc.net.

But Lowe wrote in his article that up until now, no one had a good snapshot of what was actually happening across the

SBC when it came to ordination practices. “Very little study” has been done on this topic, he said.

“No one knows how thoroughly candidates for ordination are being examined,” wrote Lowe, who serves as associational mission strategist for the Pike Association of Southern Baptists in southeastern Kentucky, as well as executive pastor for First Baptist Church of Pikeville.

“No one knows how many ordination councils require candidates to complete a background check,” he wrote. “No one knows how many ordination councils examine a candidate’s sexual purity.”

In late February and early March, Lowe gathered 555 survey responses. He compiled his findings in a 42-page report and noted five significant points of interest:

1. SBC ordination practices have significant room for improvement. In addition to Greear, other SBC leaders had spoken out about weaknesses in the ordination process ahead of Lowe’s report.

R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote on his blog in February that “lackadaisical ordination will produce doctrinally dubious and morally corrupt pastors.” That kind of trend “must end and churches must take responsibility for those men they ordain for ministry,” he wrote.

Thom Rainer, former president of Lifeway Christian Resources, also wrote that because of the weak process, “we ‘bless’ new pastoral candidates who may not be ready for ministry at the least, and who are sexual predators at worst.”

Lowe said his report confirmed their observations. “While there are some encouraging trends, [Southern Baptist] churches need to improve our current ordination practices in a number of ways,” he said.

For example, only 30.2% of ordained ministers were required to have a background check and only 29.4% were asked about their sexual purity. Also, in roughly 60% of cases, the ordination service was publicized before screening took place and the screening council happened on the same day as the service.

LOWE

“Ordination is too important and consequential to be handled casually or quickly,” Adams said. “I would start by inviting local associational leadership into the process, and developing a plan for the ordination that allows sufficient time, and that can be thorough and involve as many ordained men as reasonable.” He also suggested churches obtain a guide or checklist of ordination best practices that would include steps of preparation for the candidate and the ordination council.

2. Discussions regarding a candidate’s sexual purity are sparse, but on the rise. Even though sexual purity is not discussed most of the time, the report found that there has been a “significant uptick (40.5%) since 2010.”

During the ordination process, Adams said, questions of an extremely personal nature should be tempered with a sense of appropriateness, respect for the candidate’s privacy, and recognition that past mistakes and especially pre-conversion behavior are not necessarily disqualifiers.

“That being said,” he added, “in today’s world especially, ordination councils—and pastor search teams too, for that matter—are wise to include in their processes background checks, reference checks, and secondary reference checks, and even a loving line of questioning about personal purity.”

Pat Pajak, IBSA’s associate executive director of evangelism, suggested a standard questionnaire about sexual purity and other moral issues could be helpful for ordination councils.

3. SBC ordination practices are changing in both positive and negative ways. Lowe’s survey garnered information on ordinations spanning every decade since the 1960s, and across the years, a number of trends emerged. Some were positive—for instance, more churches are requiring theological training, and more are conducting background checks and asking candidates about sexual purity.

But on the other hand, the role of the ordination council seems to be decreasing in importance. Screening periods have gotten shorter as a whole, and councils involve fewer ordained pastors.

Pajak recommended councils seek help from others. “Few church members may feel qualified to ask theological questions,” he said. “That is why the practice of church councils inviting associational mission strategists and other pastors to sit in on the questioning is necessary, but unfortunately, rarely done.”

Adams suggested every Baptist ordination council should have at least one, and hopefully several, members who have studied The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (Southern Baptists’ statement of faith) thoroughly enough to question the candidate through its articles. “That’s why it can be valuable to have multiple pastors involved in ordination processes, as well as local association or state

convention staff that are usually available to help when needed.”

4. Ordaining churches in more populated areas set higher standards for their ordination candidates. The report data showed urban and suburban churches handling the process differently than churches in less-populated areas. City churches more often check on candidates both before and after ordination and require training more often. Rural churches are more likely to publicize the ordination service before a candidate is approved, then conduct the screening on the same day as the service.

Joe Lawson is associational mission strategist in Rehoboth and Louisville Baptist Associations. He agreed with Lowe that interview questions are important, but said they should be part of a longer-term mentoring relationship that starts well before the ordination process. “By the time a person is ordained, they have very likely been in a position of leadership teaching children, youth, and/or coed adults in church. They have also preached,” Lawson said. “A candidate desiring to pursue a call to ministry should have a pastor/mentor who will ask the questions about debt, sexual purity, and other behaviors, i.e. drugs and alcohol. It is easy to hide and not be transparent about the sin in our lives. Yet, leadership demands that we hold each other accountable.”

5. Larger churches are more thorough in their examination of ordination candidates. Churches with a larger membership are more likely to cover more topics during the screening process, require a background check, and require training.

Lawson cautioned against creating too rigid a barrier between ordination and theological education, though. “Personally, I am a little concerned we could establish a hierarchy of clergy and lose the power of the Spirit of God and the call of God in people’s lives,” he said. “Many of our churches are served by folks who are well-read, articulate, and theologically sound, but not formally educated. They are effective pastors serving in small places.”

Lowe didn’t make any specific recommendations for improvements, but he wrote that he shared the findings “with the hope of generating productive conversations among Southern Baptists as we seek ways to improve our ordination practices in the days ahead.”

“Ordination by local churches is one of the grassroots practices that has for generations allowed Baptist churches to recognize and develop leaders, accelerate proclamation of the gospel, and establish new churches more rapidly and expansively than other groups,” Adams said. “That’s why it’s imperative that ordination by local churches be administered responsibly and thoroughly, whether its result is to qualify or to disqualify.”

– Grace Thornton, with additional reporting by the Illinois Baptist

Grilled, not toasted

Two things surprised me about my ordination: the interview was not nearly as painful as I anticipated, and it was scheduled 90 minutes prior to the evening service where I was to be set apart for God’s use.

What if I fail the test? I thought. My mother drove 10 hours to attend the service. And there’s an ice cream social afterward. What will happen to all that ice cream if I give the wrong answers?

I passed.

A dozen of the church’s finest gathered in the church library and asked me to share my testimony and my calling. (As I had recently written at length about that for my seminary application, the telling of it was easy and lasted about 40 minutes of the hour they reserved for the meeting.) Had I read The Baptist Faith & Message? (I had. In fact, the previous pastor had required it as part of a church membership class.) Did I disagree with any basic Baptist doctrines? (I did not.)

Their vote was unanimous. Half an hour later the church body approved. It seemed right that my little local congregation was doing the ordaining; after all, they knew me. I had served as their youth minister for two years.

I still remember a few prayers of those men as they laid hands on my head and whispered over me. Then came their wives and other members of the church. The praying lasted longer than the quizzing as the line to affirm God’s call wound around the inside walls of the sanctuary and Norma Lassiter played hymn after hymn on the Hammond.

Those men were serious, and they took their responsibility seriously. I recall with appreciation those who signed my ordination certificate: Leslie Rooks and Stephen Young and Marion Oldham and Luther Barker and more.

Anyone ordained in a Southern Baptist church might tell a similar story. They might also tell this one, as a friend described his own ordaining council: “I expected to be grilled, and instead I was toasted”—as if they had raised a glass in his honor.

In retrospect, I respect those men and the process. But times have changed and the call for more stringent screening is appropriate. The questions I have asked in ordaining councils have gotten tougher across the years, and yes, even a bit embarrassing, but it’s necessary. And ordaining councils would be well advised to bring directors of missions and pastors, a theologian, and men who aren’t so close to the candidate into the process to beef it up.

For the safety and wellbeing of the church, the pastorate, and the faith, we need to do more grilling and less toasting.

– Eric Reed

LAWSON

Fewer than 1/3 of ordination candidates were required to have a background check.

devotional

What kind of influence are you?

In the golden age of piracy, a pirate captain had power, authority, and a wide-brimmed hat that set him apart as commander of his ship. His crew agreed to follow their captain wherever the seas took them.

While the captain had legitimate power to move the ship onward, the ship’s quartermaster had a different kind of influence. Often placed second in command, the quartermaster’s primary job was to take care of both the needs and the discipline of the crew. He interacted with his fellow pirates on a daily basis and had the responsibility of keeping up morale and making sure the crew was effective in their daily duties. His influence, though not official, also allowed him to have authority over the crew. And if the captain became despotic, the quartermaster could use his influence to assume power and lead a mutiny.

Pirates don’t pastor churches, but pastors and church leaders do wield different types of influence. Each can be used wisely for the edification of the church and the glory of God.

1. Legitimate influence. This is formal authority, like the captain, the President of the United States, a police officer, and yes, a pastor. A person with legitimate influence occupies an official position and because of that, has authority. Biblical examples of this kind of influence include King Saul and King David, both anointed king by God’s prophet Samuel.

2. Referent influence. Like the quartermaster who understands and cares about the needs of the crew, referent influence is based on affection, trust, integrity, and dependability. While the culture’s referent influence comes from Hollywood actors and star athletes, referent influence in ministry often comes from missionaries, ministry leaders, and again, the pastor. He may start with legitimate influence, but to be most effective long-term, a pastor must develop referent influence.

3. Reward influence. This type of influence is based on the ability to offer rewards or incentives to motivate. A general example of this is an employer/ manager or a military superior.

In ministry, a pastor can utilize reward influence.

Paul’s commendations at the end of his letter to the Romans showcase the value of reward influence. He extends warm greetings to several fellow believers by name, and then addresses the whole church. “The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you…” (Romans 16:19).

4. Coercive influence. Averse to reward influence, coercive influence is based on the ability to punish, discipline, or penalize. This kind of influence also comes from an employer or superior. The same authority that can promote you can also fire you. Pastors also have this kind of influence, though it should only be used on rare occasions.

5. Expert influence. This influence is based on knowledge,

special skills, or insight that others do not have. Examples of expert influence include doctors, lawyers, teachers, and scientists. Pastors and other full-time ministers and experienced Bible teachers can become experts in their ministries. They follow trends, know what works and what doesn’t, and have experience dealing with a variety of issues and challenges.

6. Informational influence. Though not an expert, someone with informational influence possesses the ability to attain and distribute information, and usually to effect change. This influence stems from personal connections. Political leaders and people in sales are prime examples. Similarly, pastors, elders, and denominational workers can use their connections as a way to influence people around them, for the glory of God.

God is the ultimate source of pastoral influence, and we as leaders are completely dependent upon him. However, we are called by God and affirmed by our congregations, and we should be moving our people toward God’s agenda.

In other words, we want people to do what God wants them to do. Most of us influence and lead with our own intuitive style, but understanding different kinds of influence—seen both now and in a biblical context—can help us be more intentional based on the challenges and needs of our specific ministries.

Bryan Price pastors Love Fellowship Baptist Church in Romeoville.

Paternity test

Read: John 8:31-59

In April, a young man claiming to be a missing Aurora boy was found wandering the streets in a Kentucky town. Timothy Pitzen had disappeared eight years earlier at age six. His mother had left a note saying the boy was safe before she killed herself. A test using DNA from Pitzen’s father showed the young man wasn’t Pitzen, but 23-yearold Brian Michael Rini. He had just been released from prison in Ohio and decided to masquerade as the lost boy.

Many people, like Rini, say they are someone they aren’t. In fact, it happens in church. They talk like Christians, they sing like Christians, they even act like Christians for an hour or two on Sunday. But a closer examination will reveal they are actually imposters.

In a confrontation with Jesus recorded in John 8, some Jewish leaders made claims about their spiritual paternity, but Jesus administered a test to clarify who is truly a child of God. Here’s the test:

Word: The word of God abides in the child of God (v. 31). Abide means “to remain,” and the true Christian stays in the word. He is not “in” for the weekend and “out” for the rest of the week. God’s offspring need constant contact with their Father in order to live and to grow.

Work: The actions of the disciple must reflect the one they follow (v. 39). Jesus told the Jews if they were Abraham’s children, they would engage the works of Abraham, not their own wicked agenda. Since belief determines behavior, what we practice on a daily basis demonstrates what we truly believe.

Will: Jesus made a promise, but the choice is up to the disciple. Will we keep his word (v. 51)? The true child of God will embrace God’s word and hold tightly to what he says through the highs and lows of life.

That’s the test of spiritual paternity.

Prayer Prompt: God, help me examine my heart in light of your word; for your word is truth. May I turn from sin and seek your face, for you alone are able to transform my heart and make me your true child.

Adron Robinson pastors Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills and is president of IBSA.

After much debate, the deacons voted to monitor attendance with their own version of facial recognition technology.

Pirates aren’t pastors, but they can teach church leaders about wise stewardship.

people

Pat’s Playbook

Slog along?

QIt took over two years for me to preach through 1 Samuel. Some people loved it, but a vocal few disliked such a long period in one book. I want to take on 2 Samuel, but the naysayers have me wondering.

AExpository preaching on any book in the Bible is an excellent way to help a congregation get a better understanding of Scripture, especially if you are able to point out practical life applications in your teaching. However, you might consider presenting an entire book as a “once-a-month” special study. People who are interested will attend and invite others, and you’ll have Sunday mornings to address current issues and other doctrinal matters that the congregation may also need. You will accomplish both things without feeling tied down to just one particular book.

Offer both classes

QOur church has always valued having every Bible study class using the same LifeWay curriculum. But we have one teacher that wants to do his own thing.

ALifeWay Bible study material encourages “open classes” that anyone can attend on any week and not feel like they have missed weeks of previous study. The material is excellent, and you could make it a policy that all teachers use the curriculum that is provided.

For the teacher who wants to do his own thing, consider a different format. Perhaps he could teach a discipleship class, often referred to as a “closed class,” which requires individual training books or materials. Regular weekly attendance is also more necessary in this kind of class. Explain the difference between the two types of learning settings, and that the church benefits when every teacher is on the same page.

Pat Pajak is IBSA’s associate executive director for evangelism. Send questions for Pat to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Welcome

Winstanley Baptist Church in Fairview Heights has called Timothy Gibson as pastor. Gibson comes to Winstanley from First Baptist Church, Oxford, Miss., where he served as pastor of education. He also has served churches in Missouri and Louisiana, and has taught in Christian academies and colleges. He is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Reformed Theological Seminary, and the University of Mississippi. He and his wife, Brooke, have two sons, Whitman and Chamblin, and are in the process of adopting a young girl from India.

With the Lord

David Tim Wills died at home May 1 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was 73. Wills became pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Elgin in 1977, and served there until his retirement in 2003. He also taught at Judson University and was committed to local and global missions. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Joyce; children Tamara (Solomon Barket) Wills, Stephanie (Kermit) Eby, and Christopher (Heather) Wills; five grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Ralph D. Elam, 95, died May 5 in Hillsboro. Elam served as a pastor since 1962, including at Walshville Baptist Church, which is now pastored by his son, Rudy. He also worked 25 years

CLASSIFIED AD

Illinois Family Institute is looking to hire a winsome and articulate Christian from central Illinois to lobby at the Capitol in Springfield for pro-life/pro-family values. Interested candidates should e-mail a cover letter and resume to s.david@ illinoisfamily.org.

CLASSIFIED AD

Sandy Baptist Church, Hillsboro, MO, a rural church with opportunities for growth, near metro St. Louis, is seeking a full-time senior pastor. Parsonage. Send resumes to: Pastor Search Team, Sandy Baptist Church, 9331 Sandy Church Rd, Hillsboro, MO 63050 or e-mail resumes to: ildakennon@sbcglobal.net. Resumes will be accepted through June 28, 2019.

J.D. Branson began serving as pastor of Flat Rock Missionary Baptist Church January 1. He previously spent eight years as the bivocational pastor of Duncanville Missionary Baptist Church, while also working as a fire chief for Marathon Petroleum Corporation. He continues to serve as fire chief for the local department in Flat Rock. Branson and his wife, Amy, have two sons.

for Hano Business Forms in Mt. Olive, Ill., retiring in 1989. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Retha; children Catherine E. (Alan) Titsworth, Nora (Melvin) Fenton, and Rudy (Susan) Elam; 17 grandchildren; and 36 great- and great-great grandchildren.

William B. Tomberlin died May 20 at the age of 91. He served as an attorney in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years and after his retirement attended Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Tomberlin pastored churches in Eldorado, Nine Mile, and McLeansboro. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, JoAnn; children Larry (Valerie) Tomberlin, Victor E. (Laura) Tomberlin, and Judith (Stacey) Crawford; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and one brother, James Tomberlin.

PAT PAJAK

Splash Summer Camps

June 17-21, Streator

June 10-14, Streator

June 16-20, Lake Sallateeska

June 24-28, Lake Sallateeska

July 8-12, Streator

What: Exciting Bible teaching, hands-on activities, and fun recreational experiences for campers in grades 3-12

Cost: $165 per person

Register and details: IBSA.org/Kids

June 8-12

SBC Pastors’ Conference and Annual Meeting

What: Annual gathering of Southern Baptists, beginning with day-long Crossover missions emphasis June 8

Where: Birmingham, Ala.

Info: sbcannualmeeting.net

June 14-15

June 25-29

Super Summer

What: Training experience for students who have committed their lives to Christ and are seeking fresh ways to develop their fullest potential as Christians

Where: Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Cost: $235 per person

Register: IBSA.org/Students

July 8-12

Summer Worship University

What: IBSA’s premier worship, music, and arts events for students who have completed grades 6-12; includes classes in piano, guitar, drums, art, movement, and more

Where: Hannibal-LaGrange University, Hannibal, Mo.

Cost: $245 per student

Register: IBSA.org/Students

June 1-August 3

What: Summer missions emphasis with projects for children and adults, developed by local churches and associations

Where: Locations across Illinois

What: Weekend of fun, fellowship, and superheroes

Where: Lake Sallateeska and Streator

Cost: $40 per person

Register: IBSA.org/Kids

Student Battle Ready Camp

June 24-28, Lake Sallateeska

July 14-19, Lake Sallateeska

What: Bible teaching, and fun recreational experiences for students in grades 7-12

Cost: $165 per person

Register: IBSA.org/Students

Cost: $20 per person

Register for individual projects: IBSA.org/Spectacular

July 13-20

Illinois Changers

What: Hands-on missions for students who have completed grades 6-12

Where: Peoria

Cost: $180 per person

Register: IBSA.org/ILChangers

dave says

You always need an emergency fund

I’ll be retiring in the next couple of years. When I leave my job, we will have a yearly income of $65,000 through my pension. I don’t think we need an emergency fund with such a dependable, steady income stream like that, but my wife disagrees. She says she would feel safer if we had money set aside just for the unexpected. What do you think we should do?

A good pension can feel pretty solid, but nothing’s perfect. Nothing lasts forever. There’s always the possibility of lost income or large, unexpected expenses. What if one of you has a major medical event? Life can bite you at any time, and sometimes it will take a big financial chunk out of you. You need an emergency fund!

I recommend an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. Put it in a good money market account with check writing privileges and a decent interest rate. That way, your money will work for you a little bit. With a solid pension like you’re talking about, you could probably lean toward the three-month side, if you wanted. Honestly though, I’d save up six months of expenses—just in case.

Trust me, a fully funded emergency fund will make you both feel better. Plus, it can turn a disaster into nothing more than an inconvenience!

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

Above and beyond

QThe school system I work for puts 12% of my pay into a public teacher retirement fund, and they match this amount. I’ve seen where you tell people to put 15% of their income toward retirement. If that’s the case, should I put 3% into another retirement fund? I have no debt and very little in terms of expenses. Or, what would you think about the idea of opening another retirement account at a full 15% of what I make?

I wouldn’t go as far as to pour an additional 15% into a different retirement plan, but I would consider putting maybe 8-10% into a Roth IRA. I want you to have some money that’s separate from the school system account, just in case things go south with their retirement fund.

It sounds like you’ve got a pretty good pension plan, but you never know what might happen. I’m not predicting bad things, but at the same time there’s no way I’d lean on the school system fund as my one and only source of retirement income. You should never put all your financial eggs in one basket!

DAVE RAMSEY

Vacation daze

is the average number of paid vacation days for American workers on the job five years, BUT

23% of U.S. workers report no paid time off or holidays. Most of them are part-timers who receive no benefits.

days is the average in most European countries.

days is the new requirement for some EU employers.

Summer outreach: On the sunny side

Have you ever left home for a sporting event only to forget your sunglasses? A Cincinnati church told Sermon Central they show up at sporting events with boxes of shades. Many attendees are grateful they don’t have to hold a hand up to shield their eyes for several hours. You can purchase large quantities of sunglasses for as little as a quarter a pair. And be sure to attach a small welcome note from the church.

The Summer issue of IBSA’s Resource magazine includes more outreachactivities for the season. This publication is sent free of charge to IBSA church leaders. Subscribe at Communications@IBSA.org. Or read it online at Resource. IBSA.org.

IT’S A SNAP! Prayer scooting

fresh ideas

Intentional vacations

It’s summertime, and that means family vacation! The danger in vacation is that we tend to check out of every part of life—and that’s not helpful for Christians. Here are a few ways to keep Christ at the center of your time away.

1. Build time with Jesus into your day. Read through a Bible book with your family, or talk about what you’re studying individu ally. For kids, take along some Bible videos or search for a kid-focused devotional to watch together.

2. Pray together (not just over your food). Ask each person to share one thing they are struggling with in their relationship with God, and one way they are doing well. Don’t critique or lecture, just pray with them for what is on their hearts. And don’t forget to share yours too. Kids need to hear that parents struggle, but they take it to Jesus.

3. Visit a church! Find a Bible-teaching church in the area where you’re vacationing and attend worship there. Teach your children that gathering with the people of God is not something we do because we know and love the people, but because we know and love Jesus.

4. Plan a one-hour outreach. Share Jesus on the beach; take a homeless person to lunch; create encouraging notes to give to waiters, gas station attendants, or hotel hosts.

5. Secretly pay for someone’s meal. Leave a note that says, “Enjoy your lunch today on us! We are praying for you.” Then pray for them!

Anxiety rises As church membership falls

A recent Gallup Poll found only 50% of Americans self-reported as members of a church, synagogue, or mosque in 2018. That’s a sharp drop from around 70% in 1999, a number that had stayed fairly steady in prior decades. The decline matches up with the nation’s “steep increase” of “nones,” or people who don’t identify with any religion, according to Gallup.

Today, people expect transparency, so that’s perhaps part of the reason “none” is a more frequent answer, said Scott McConnell of LifeWay Research. People are more willing to admit they have no religious preference. But, “the Gallup study shows the declines in church membership have also occurred among those with a religious preference,” McConnell said. “This is evidence that church membership has declined in value. In some cases, it is due to churches putting less emphasis on becoming a member, and in other cases it is the churchgoers who fail to see its value in practice.”

As church membership declines, worry, stress and anger increase. Those numbers hit all-time highs in 2018, with Americans’ Negative Experience Index at 35 – three percentage points higher than it had ever been. Younger Americans are more likely to feel that anxiety.

That’s no surprise to Ronnie Floyd, president of the SBC Executive Committee. “A closer look at the data tells us the people who have the highest levels of stress, worry, and anger are the same younger generations who are leaving the church.”

“This news should cause us as pastors, churches, and believers to look closely at what we are doing and make sure we are about the business of declaring the gospel of Jesus and doing it with love and compassion,” said Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board.

Pastor Mike Whittymore of Redemption Church posted this photo of the Lime rental scooters at the Belleville Metro Link station, “if you’re looking for a way to pray over homes and streets for Everyone Hears.” Currently around 20 churches are participating in the IBSA evangelism and church planting initiative.

Autumn Wall and her husband are planting a church in Indianapolis. She is coauthor with her mother, Diana Davis, of “Across the Street and Around the World: Ideas to Spark Missional Focus” (New Hope Publishers).

with the truth of the gospel.”

– Grace Thornton for Baptist Press

“We will see a cultural shift back toward Jesus when we see individual believers engaging friends and family members

– Gusto HR blog

AUTUMN WALL