Illinois Baptist
NATE ADAMS Broad shoulders that we stand on P. 2
MEREDITH FLYNN
Proverbs 31 Woman A tricky act to follow P. 11
ERIC REED Our dual citizenship
@ 100 P. 12
Map Quest
religious landscape
The ‘bro’ awakening
Young men surpass women in church attendance
USA | Are the winds of revival blowing across the nation? More specifically, is there an awakening of young people here and abroad right now?
Pastors citing increased church attendance after the shooting death of Christian political activist Charlie Kirk would say yes. Two national polls just before that event appear to agree that something more longterm is happening—especially among young men.
Barna Research Group said 43% of men reported attending church weekly in a new survey, compared to 38% of women. The increase, tracked over five of the past six years, is highest among Millennials (born 19811996) and Gen-Z (born 1997-2012).
After the Covid-19 low point, this reverses a 25-year slide. And young men are leading the way.
“Across every generation, women are trailing men in weekly church attendance,” Barna researchers wrote in their new survey. The surprising
attendance gap between men and women is bounded by young married men with children under age 18, who have the highest regular attendance (41%), while single mothers had the lowest attendance (24%). Barna blamed an erosion of trust among women caused by church scandals.
“When women see repeated examples of moral failure, abuse, or hypocrisy in church leadership, it deepens their disillusionment,” Barna CEO David Kinnaman surmised.
Single women “often feel isolated in congregations that cater to nuclear families.” Some may oppose the traditional roles of men and women in conservative denominations, which is where much of the young men’s attendance is growing.
‘Quiet Revival’
On a late summer Sunday at Pirate’s Cove Beach near San Luis Obispo, California, more than 10,000 people were baptized. The place is where the
Beautiful feet
CP special section
hen I came to IBSA as Executive Director in 2006 and began writing in The Illinois Baptist newspaper, my father, Tom Adams, had already been writing a regular column in the paper for 34 years, a standing record among Baptist papers, I’m told. With columns titled Problem Corner, Speaking Out, or simply Tom Adams, Dad offered perspective on current issues in the church and culture. With my mom’s faithful help, he then corresponded privately with thousands of Illinois Baptists over the years who either shared or occasionally objected to his point of view.
Total giving by IBSA churches as of 8/30/25
So, from the beginning of my service to the Lord through IBSA, I have known that I stood on the shoulders of my dad’s reputation. Even today, it’s not unusual for me to meet an Illinois Baptist carrying one of Dad’s columns in his or her Bible, because it helped them at a critical point in life or perhaps continues to help them today.
Dad stood on the shoulders of others too. He often described Dr. Robert Hastings, prolific writer and long-time editor of The Illinois Baptist from 1967 to 1984, as his mentor, and credited him for his own growth as a writer. Dad also had great appreciation for the editors that followed Dr. Hastings— Bill Webb, Ferrell Foster, Michael Leathers, and Dennis Dawson—each of whom provided his own shoulders.
WORD SEARCH: Lottie Moon
As IBSA’s Executive Director I have stood not only on my dad’s shoulders, but also on those of ten men who preceded me in the role. Benjamin Franklin Rodman, IBSA’s first Executive Director, served from 1907 to 1926. He was IBSA’s longest term executive until Noel Taylor exceeded his 19 years of service by a few months in 1965. This month I will match Dr. Taylor’s tenure and continue for a short while before offering my own shoulders to someone else.
I believe leaders should speak respectfully of those who came before them. Both in churches and Christian organizations, I’ve witnessed too many new leaders who act like nothing good happened before they arrived. In reality, the leaders who come before us give us both foundations on which to build, and opportunities to lead improvement or growth. It’s been my honor to know six of my ten predecessors, and I have learned from each one.
On whose shoulders are you standing? We would all do well to acknowledge our predecessors, to study their contributions and their hardships, and to express appreciation for the opportunity to build on their lives.
My dad passed away on April 1, 2006, just one month after I began serving at IBSA, and even before my family had moved to Springfield. I have often wondered what it would have been like to have received his counsel a little longer, whether in person or on the phone.
Yet I do have pages and pages of his written wisdom, not just in the original manuscripts I found in my parents’ house after my mom’s passing late last year, but in the book titled Speaking Out that The Illinois Baptist editors and I helped him publish in conjunction with the paper’s 90th anniversary in 1995.
At this year’s IBSA Annual Meeting, our family will be offering the remaining copies we have of Speaking Out to the Illinois Baptist family that Dad and I have grown to love. I’d like others to have a few pages of his wisdom and counsel in their lives too.
My planned retirement date is also April 1, one month after my 20th anniversary with IBSA, and a date chosen to honor my dad’s life, and shoulders, again. Together, we offer you 54 years of service and appreciation.
Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.
Panel to address campus ministry
Springfield A panel of campus ministry leaders will address gospel opportunities among the young adults at Illinois’ many colleges at the IBSA Annual Meeting in Springfield Nov. 4-5. The special focus is one of four highlights on the program that also celebrates the centennial anniversaries of the SBC’s Cooperative Program and Baptist Faith & Message, and the coming retirement of IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams.
The collegiate ministry discussion comes as IBSA is planning expansion through partnerships with multiple churches near college campuses.
“College towns” offer unique gospel opportunities as the younger generations living there are demonstrating increased openness to spiritual matters.
The rise of the “nones” may have ended among Gen Z (now college age) and Gen Alpha (entering high school).
“Nones” are those who claimed no religious affiliation, which jumped from 5% to 20% of the adult population in a single decade.
“I see more and more college students who are hungry for truth and clarity. They don’t want you to beat around the bush. They just want you to tell them the truth in a clear but kind way,” said Nick Volkening, planting pastor of New City Church in Champaign/Urbana. The congregation has an effective ministry to students at the University of Illinois campus.
Logan Barrus, Collegiate Leader and Pastoral Resident at New City Church, is one of the panelists at the Nov. 4 presentation. Nate Adams will moderate the discussion. Also on the platform will be:
● Noah Adams, Park City Church, Ft. Collins, Colo.
● Jonah Christiansen, Salt Church, Bloomington
● Paul Cooper, Marshall Baptist Church, Marshall
● Daniel Good, Cornerstone Church, Savoy
Kimbrough
moves to Lake Sallateeska
Search for new Streator manager to begin
Springfield | Streator Baptist Camp manager Jacob Kimbrough will become the new manager for Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, following the departure of Brock Vandever in October.
“Jacob’s leadership at Streator camp these past five years has been exemplary,” IBSA Associate Executive Director Mark Emerson said. “He was able to build upon the momentum of the revitalization of the camp and expand the number of IBSA churches that are engaging the facility each year.” Kimbrough joined IBSA in July 2020 and continued the renovations at Streator Camp initiated by Mike Young. He also advanced ministry offerings for pastors and led spiritual renewal for churches and campers in the northern part of the state. Kimbrough is joined in his work by his wife, Katie. They have a two-year-old daughter, Lila.
“Many pastors have shared that Jacob and Katie’s hosting of personal pastor retreats has been very beneficial to them and their families. We are confident that Lake Sal-
lateeska will benefit from Jacob’s leadership into its next season of effective ministry,” Emerson said. Vandever has joined Landsdowne Up, a nonprofit ministry serving East St. Louis. He will also serve Spring Valley Baptist Church in Shiloh as pastor. He is joined there by his wife, Polly, and son, Miles. Vandever served IBSA five years. Advertising for a new Streator manager will begin immediately. Both IBSA facilities had banner years with record attendance of 1,175 at IBSA summer camps, with 47 salvations reported, and have hosted more than 4,100 people from more than 240 IBSA churches this year. This is the new peak in the five rebound years after Covid forced closures in 2020. IBSA camp ministry dates back to 1941, when the Illinois WMU purchased the property that became Lake Sallateeska and gave it to the state association.
National CP giving down slightly
Springfield | Giving to the national SBC through Cooperative Program is down slightly for the fiscal year that ended September 30, and giving on the state level continues to lag behind both the 2025 goal and 2024 giving, with one quarter remaining in the IBSA fiscal year.
Total CP giving for the 2024-2025 fiscal year was $186,091,048.26, which is just over 2% below the budget goal of $190,250,000. Total designated giving for the fiscal year was almost the same as last year: 0.24% lower at $200.4 million. (Last year’s designated giving total was $200.8 million.)
In Illinois, giving at the end of third quarter (Sept. 30) was 13% below the budgeted amount. CP year-to-date was $3,903,800.52 out of a budgeted $4,556,682.99. At the current rate, a $6 million budget could fall almost $700,000 short by
the end of December.
While there is normally a yearend bump from churches making up for gaps in their CP giving, the December focus on the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions generally turns attention to that designated fund. The Lottie Moon Offering directly supports missions projects on foreign fields that are not covered in the CP-supported IMB operating budget. Cooperative Program, however, covers all SBC work starting here in Illinois and advancing the gospel to the ends of the earth.
“We are grateful for churches that prioritize giving through the Cooperative Program and the difference it makes every day, all around the world,” said SBC Executive Committee CEO Jeff Iorg. In Illinois, CP offerings are divided between state missions and
global missions at a rate of 56.5% (IBSA) and 43.5% (national SBC). Half of the national portion is designated for the International Mission Board, while the remainder funds North American missions and theological education. A sliver supports SBC operations and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Illinois Baptists gave $5,391,920 in 2024. That was 10% short of the $6.1 million budget. With frugal spending patterns, IBSA has operated within its annual income. The CP ratio for IBSA/SBC has been unchanged for more than a decade. Messengers will take up a 2026 budget at the IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 4-5 that includes expanded funding for collegiate ministries.
IB staff with Baptist Press
KIMBROUGH
A Baptist’s view of Gaza
Huckabee sees ‘reset’ for Middle East
Gaza As tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians from Gaza formed a human train returning to their war-ravaged home, President Trump declared a new beginning in terms that sounded almost biblical, and a former Baptist pastor now diplomat predicted a ‘reset’ not only for Israel, but the whole Middle East.
“After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” Trump told the Israeli Knesset Oct. 13. “Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change.”
Mike Huckabee agreed. Days before as Israel and Hamas agreed to the settlement to end hostilities and return 20 living Israeli hostages, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel credited Trump as “the strong horse” who demanded and got the agreement because, “in the Middle East, it’s the strong horse that wins.”
Now, he says, a complete reset in the region appears likely. “Look for the Abraham Accords to expand exponentially,” the former pastor said. “You could see Syria and Lebanon be some of the first partners in the next wave of Abraham Accords. These are things that if you’d have said this five years ago, ten years ago, people would have laughed in your face.” But now, Huckabee told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo, “we have a chance for an unprecedented level of realignment and genuine long-lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Israel does not want Gaza, he said, a strip of land the size of Las Vegas, because they want the security of a buffer zone. And the terrorist group Hamas will have to find a new base after the failure of their twoyear war against Israel launched October 7, 2023 with an unforgettable attack on a music festival. While Iran and Muslim splinter groups operat-
Coming on board
The following churches will be presented to join IBSA in accordance with the Constitution of the state association. Their leaders have completed paperwork to become “cooperating churches” and have provided information to the IBSA Credentials Committee on their congregation, including their adherence to the Baptist Faith and Message, planned financial support for Cooperative Program, and evidence of democratic processes in the selection of church leaders.
These churches will be presented for affirmation by messengers at the IBSA Annual Meeting:
● Anchor Church Berwyn, Berwyn
● Gospelife, Washington
● Hammer and Flame Church, Bushnell
● Iglesia De Cristo, Milan
● Metropolitan Tabernacle Community Church and Global Ministries, Lansing
● New Vision Community Church, Mt. Sterling
● River of Life Church, Urbana
● Shepherd Reformed, Joliet
● Village Baptist Church, Alexis
ing there remain a concern, “it may not be in their best interest to rise up,” Huckabee said, citing under Trump’s leadership “a unity in the Arab League that we’ve not seen. I think patience has just simply worn out with these people that want to constantly bring division, war, bloodshed, and mayhem to a place that ought to, for the first time in hundreds, if not thousands of years… advance toward both peace and a prosperity for the people,” he said.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to see it happen in the rest of the Middle East and ultimately the world?”
In the meantime, prayer continues from the Wailing Wall to Washington that the peace will hold. with quotes from USA Today and Fox Business
Pastor Joel Newton dies at 63
Joel H. Newton, 63, died October 11. Newton retired from Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria in March after serving 23 years as its pastor. During his 43 years in ministry, he was active in Baptist life, serving on the Illinois Baptist State Association Board of Directors.
During his tenure as pastor, Woodland developed a reputation for its commitment to missions. The church supported the Midwest Food Bank and multi-housing missions, partnered with a Congolese ministry to start a church to reach that people group, and taught English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for more than two decades. Mission teams from the church visited West Africa multiple times, as missions was in their DNA.
“We need to be part of what God is doing around the world,” Newton said in an interview several years ago.
from the front: young men’s revival
continued from p. 1
first wave salvations of thousands of teens and hippies occurred in 1970. This was depicted in the 2023 film The Jesus Revolution. Pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie was there—first as a teen and now in his 60s, leading a new evangelistic wave in the region. But not only there.
A fist-sized cloud was spotted on the horizon at the Asbury College revival of February 2023. Hundreds of students packed the chapel for prayer and weeping for more than two weeks. Similar outbreaks were reported in a few other spots, but not to the extent of the 1970 student awakening that birthed the Jesus People movement.
church attendance and baptisms in the weeks immediately afterward. The numbers are anecdotal, and the longterm effect remains to be seen. Also at issue, will the church make the most of the moment?
A month before Kirk died, Laurie wrote about the lasting effects of the Jesus revolution. “I preached for the first time at Pirate’s Cove,” he recalled, something unusual and even risky in 1970. While he is encouraged by growing response at his own Harvest Crusades, Laurie warns the church must train young adults to share their faith, if awakening is to spread.
Upon Newton’s retirement, IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams presented him with a plaque of appreciation. Newton served several positions with the IBSA Board including two three-year terms, the most recent of which would have expired in 2026. He served on the board’s three committees—Administrative, Resource Development, and Strategic Planning—finding his niche in planning.
The Alabama native earned a BA in history from the University of North Alabama, and a M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Newton served seven churches. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Cheryl; their daughter Emily and son Joe, and their spouses and children.
FBC Eldorado marks 175th anniversary
In 1850 a new church was founded to serve Christ in Eldorado. It’s still there in 2025, sharing the gospel with Saline County. The church marked its 175th anniversary on September 29. Deacon Tom Clore (above, right) led the celebration service, receiving a plaque marking
the achievement that was presented by IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams. The following Sunday, the church opened a new chapter as they called Ryan Beck to serve as pastor. Beck came from FBC Carrier Mills.
A group of 650 non-denominational churches claimed 27,000 immersions on a single day in June. Oceans Church pastor Mark Francey organized that event, starting first at that California beach in 2023. “They’re coming in by the thousands,” Francey said of Gen Z men. “And there’s this hunger.” Francey took the event nationwide this year, calling it Baptize America. They wore T-shirts emblazoned with the Greek word “baptizo.”
“We wanna see America experience the goodness [and] kindness of Jesus and respond to the Great Commission in Matthew 28, which is to go into all the world to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them,” Francey told CBS, a view that Southern Baptists would clearly embrace.
Francey points to the pandemic as a pivot point for this age group. “There’s something about going through a hard season that wakes people up to what really is important in life,” he said. “I think it’s the first generation that’s growing up completely inundated with technology, social media, raised on tablets.”
“Gen Z males are becoming fed up with a virtual world run by algorithms and dating apps… and are seeking something real,” Cory Marsh of independent-Baptist Southern California Seminary told Fox News. “Churches should respond to the current trend by modeling grace and truth, without elevating one above the other.”
A return to church by young men has been reported in the United Kingdom, where chapels and cathedrals
have languished for decades. The Bible Society of the UK is calling it “the Quiet Revival.”
Worship attendance by young men increased four-fold in six years, from 4% to 16%. Young women’s participation increased to 13%. The numbers may not seem dramatic, until you consider how close they were to zero.
Scripture reading and missions giving increased among the Gen-Z age group as well.
The Charlie Kirk Factor Closer to home, it is the shooting death of activist and apologist Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus as he spoke up for his conservative political and religious views that may be prompting a response in young men. Kirk’s death on Sept. 10 produced a wave of
Laurie pointed to another Barna study that showed almost half of Millennial Christians (47%) agree at least somewhat that “it is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith.”
“If we desire revival, then we need to encourage these younger generations to pick up the baton of the gospel,” Laurie wrote. “We need to pray and prepare the ground for God to move by doing our part: teaching them, mentoring them, and loving them.”
And Kinnaman advised, “The influx of new generations represents a massive opportunity for congregational leaders, but this renewed interest must be stewarded well.”
─by Eric Reed with additional info from CBS News, Fox News, and the Christian Post
Blinded by bright spots: Kelley warns of trends we’re ignoring
(Ed. note: One IBSA Annual Meeting keynote speaker has been concerned about the direction of the SBC for a long time. As a professor at New Orleans Seminary, he warned in 1983 that the denomination had plateaued. He pointed to the loss of evangelism among Methodists that led to their decline. “They never mounted a serious effort to recover…. Today, we are where the Methodists were,” he wrote recently. Kelley studies the trends and their causes, including failure of the Great Commission Resurgence and its effect on missions in North America. The following is excerpted from a column at drchuckkelley.com.)
Southern Baptists tend to confuse Bright Spots with Trendlines. Statistical reports may yield some bright spots in any given year, even when the same reports indicate that the trends across the board are downward and a matter of concern. Rejoicing in bright spots so much that you fail to recognize and respond to the indications of downward trends makes emerging problems ever more difficult to resolve.
When an organization recognizes it faces serious problems, develops plans to address those problems, and works diligently in spite of obstacles and difficulties to implement those plans, bright spots can be an encouraging sign of progress. But when bright spots become an excuse to avoid recognizing foundational problems, allowing them to get worse, and delaying the implementation of plans to overcome the problems, the
harm is greater than the benefit. The latter scenario is the one facing the [SBC]. A mission offering may be up, or baptisms may be up, but those bright spots do not indicate the SBC is healthy and growing.
Take all the basic SBC stats from this year and compare them to the same stats from 2010, when the GCR proposals were adopted, and the bright spots lose their brightness. The downward trend is unmistakable. Compare those same stats with the statistics from 1990, and the differences are even more stark. Bright Spots tell you where you are. Trendlines tell you where you are going.
What the numbers say
Here is a fast take on where the [SBC] is today…. Decline is working its way ever deeper into Southern Baptist life. A diminishing number of churches are participating in the Cooperative Program.
On any given Sunday the number of people filling a Southern Baptist pew is down by one-third (2,000,000 plus) since 2010.
The post-GCR strategy of the North American Mission Board is underperforming on an epic scale. A massive emphasis on church planting weakened, not strengthened our evangelistic outcomes. NAMB refuses to report annually the number of church planters it employs or the survival rate and continued SBC identity and partic-
ipation of the churches it starts at the five-year or ten-year marks after launch.
The average number of baptisms per church since 2010 is down dramatically, and the combined total of North American and International missionaries was down from 3,645 in 2023 as compared to 2010.
After announcing a goal in 2013 of starting 1,500 new churches a year to keep up with population growth, the actual number of new church plants reported in 2023 was 608.
Ten years after their launch, how many NAMB church plants are still functioning, still identifying as Southern Baptist, and still [support CP], the mission offerings, etc. The question is very important in order to understand the likely future of the SBC.
In years to come, will the SBC be a Convention of aging churches slowly losing their vitality over time, or are we in the process of continual renewal by steadily adding new and fully engaged SBC churches to work alongside existing churches to extend and enhance the Great Commission impact of the Southern Baptist Convention? This is not a time for Southern Baptists to get mad. It is not a time to look for a person or persons to blame. Southern Baptist leaders need to know that we can handle disappointing news and face challenges with resolve, not rage. This is a time for Southern Baptists to buckle up and get ready for some tough news, some hard choices, and the necessity of working up hill for years.
KELLEY
Mission ILLINOIS
BERWYN: We’re guest-ready
A testament to what God is doing in the hearts of our students.
Anchor Church of Berwyn launched on Sept. 28 with 128 in attendance. The worship service was lively and uplifting, in English with some Spanish songs. Berwyn is two-thirds Latino and with higher population density than Chicago itself. Pastor Bill Ibarra grew up in Berwyn, and is eager to bring the gospel home.
How missions becomes personal
IN FOCUS
A young woman from Illinois is going to the mission field. Let’s call her Loretta. That’s not her real name, but for security reasons we use a pseudonym to help protect her and her ministry partners in the North African and Middle East region.
“See You at the Pole” drew crowds early on Sept 24. National organizers say one million students participate in the annual prayer time at the flagpole. Attendance was strong soon after Charlie Kirk’s death. Charity Baptist posted from Carlinville Middle/High School with the quote above.
The 6th annual car show in the parking lot of First Baptist Church drew restored and suped-up cars and their enthusiasts. Most anything can become a gospel outreach.
“Bill and his team worked tirelessly to engage the community before launch by being present at community events and providing helpful services to those in need,” said Ryan Hall, pastor of sponsoring Anchor Church of Palos. “He has already won the hearts of those in government, and he will be a bright light in the surrounding region.”
VANDALIA: 23,328 to go
Unity Baptist Church in Vandalia packed over 23-thousand meals on a single Saturday morning. The meals were headed for needy people in Ghana with the International Disaster Emergency Service organization. A team of 56 pulled o the amazing feat. Their Facebook editor posted, “What a blessing this morning was!”
Loretta’s church is praying and seeking ways to support her during her two-year assignment. Iglesia Bautista Emanuel is a church on mission in the U.S. and abroad. Brother Ivan Ballines is the pastor who has helped make missions part of the heart of this church.
Loretta just went through orientation at the International Mission Board headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. Before she left for orientation, met with her church to discuss how they can best support their missionary while she is serving.
We talked about the role of prayer advocates and how they can keep her and missions in front of the church. We talked about how the church can stay in contact with her mother who lives in South America as a support to her while her daughter is serving on another continent.
This church has mobilized teams to her new ministry field. This helped cast the vision for her to go short-term and, who knows, maybe longer.
I got to see Loretta at IMB’s International Learning Center recently as she was completing training. To hear her talk about the training plus the fellowship of others being sent out was heartwarming. remember being there 27 years ago preparing to go to Ukraine. The support our network of SBC churches provides our missionaries is humbling—and at the same time uplifting.
The Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering become very personal when it is your beloved sister being sent. Loretta will be encouraged knowing her Illinois church supports her, but not hers only. All our churches will.
Shannon Ford is IBSA Missions Director
Uttermost
Taking the gospel to the edges
Lottie Moon was one-of-a-kind. A single woman going to a country far away where no one knew Jesus, or her, where the language was foreign, and the road to share the gospel was long and treacherous.
Not much has changed since September 1873 when Lottie left her Virginia home as a newly appointed SBC missionary and sailed to China. She arrived five weeks later and started her 39year quest to bring Christ to a nation.
What has changed is the speed for delivering the gospel.
Consider the team pictured on page 1: IMB missionary Landon Williams and Kentucky pastor Todd Meadows look over a map.
With them are Chilean pastor and home missionary Carlos Carrasco and local church leader Rodrigo Dörner, taking a boat to reach remote islands in Chile.
The men explored and prayed about opportunities to reach the harder-to-reach places and forgotten islands with the gospel, so that the people living there can hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. The gospel goes in many ways these days.
And consider the sheer numbers of SBC missionaries at work today. Our sending board has over 3,500 missionaries on fields outside North America, singles, couples, and families. The places are still foreign and challenging and some are remote. (See the story on B-4 about young missionaries reaching unreached places and peoples.)
Another change—the numbers of churches supporting the work has grown exponentially. From about 13,000 SBC churches when Lottie left for China, to 47,000 today, missions are supported by nearly four times as many members. Lottie’s funding was always in jeopardy, and her advocate Annie Armstrong typed tens of thousands of letters asking churches to help. The financial stream now is much more steady and secure.
But it still depends on faithful giving.
Consider one of the couples on the mission field today. Emilio and Hannah Marrero are featured in the guide for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Week of Prayer for International Missions.
IMB missionaries Emilio and Hannah Marrero, alongside their local team, host a group on Monday nights to discuss spiritual topics in English. QR codes on Emilio’s posters lead people to a website where they can join meetups like this one. “We’ve seen a lot of people come to Jesus through this group,” Hannah said.
CREATIVE WITNESS— This poster (right) designed by IMB missionary Emilio Marrero asks, “What good is it to gain the whole world, but lose your soul?” in the Basque language. He often finds this poster ripped down because of its provocative message.
Hannah (below, right) hosts the monthly gatherings for people to perform, connect and explore life’s big questions, like what it means to be human.
continued from p. 7
Two years ago, IMB shared the story of Henar, a woman in the Basque region of Spain who was deeply involved in New Age spirituality, searching for truth in crystals, meditation, and other alternative practices. Everything changed when she met IMB missionaries Emilio and Hannah Marrero and came to saving faith in Christ.
Not long afterward, Henar’s husband abandoned her.
The Marreros knew Henar’s suffering would be a measure of her faith. With time, it became clear.
Though Henar was crushed by her circumstances, she clung to her faith in Christ.
Just a year earlier, Henar’s husband had been instrumental in helping Hannah, a musician and singer, start a ministry hosting open
Praying for the unknown missionary
Decades ago, was struck by a simple question I heard on the radio while driving: “How should I treat a disabled person?”
“Like a person” was the eye-opening answer.
That simple truth reminds me to think of a disabled person as I would any of my friends and acquaintances. The concept applies to missionaries.
“How can you pray for a missionary you don’t know?”
Pray for them like a person we do know.
Biblical prayer is not a guessing game, nor should it be limited to a list of preset suggestions. The Holy Spirit is our prayer partner: with us, in us, for us, to help us pray (Rom. 8:26)
Our Lord knows the needs of the person we are going to talk
about before we ask. Prayer is our response to the Lord’s invitation to partner with him in blessing one another. “We know he hears us every time we ask him” (1 John 5:15). Prayer starts with God. Our responsibility is to respond to his promptings by asking questions, seeking God’s response by listening, then knocking with prayers of faith, hope and love.
When we are prompted to pray for a missionary whom we do not know, serving in a location that has a completely different culture, ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind someone we know in ministry whose circumstances could serve as an example, a template for our questions and petitions.
Also, consider praying for an unknown missionary the same way
mic nights at a local gathering spot.
The monthly events offered a place for people to perform, connect, and explore life’s big questions, like what it means to be human.
After Henar’s husband left, Hannah wasn’t sure this ministry would continue. When the business owner encouraged them to keep coming, Hannah approached Henar about emceeing.
“It was so hard for her to do the first one, but it ended up being probably one of our most hilarious and fun and Spirit-filled evenings,” Hannah said. “She has a big heart for helping people express themselves and use their giftings to tell a message.”
Using their giftings to call people to Christ—and helping others do the same—is at the core of the Marreros’ work as church planters.
“We are being creative in a way that elevates the gospel and tells the grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption, restoration,” Hannah said, “using art to pull on some heartstrings and then letting the Holy Spirit do the rest.”
(and maybe at the same time) we pray for our pastor.
Sometimes try being silent for a few moments to allow the Holy Spirit to give us ideas that are precisely what that missionary needs that day.
Listen throughout the day; when a thought comes, make it a prayer.
Following Matthew 7:7:
Ask for the mind of Christ: “Guide me as yield to you, so that, pray rightly for the person you have assigned to me.”
Seek the Spirit’s leading: “Lead
They recalled how Emilio’s art resonated deeply with Henar when she first encountered the gospel. A graphic designer and artist, his vibrant posters pair provocative images with words that strike at the heart of the culture, urging people to wake up and consider their eternity.
QR codes on the posters link to a website where people can join an online Bible study, like the one where the Marreros first connected with Henar.
Three years ago, one of their online communities led to a church plant, which has more than doubled in size.
After nearly a decade of life and ministry in the Basque region of Spain, the Marreros expressed excitement to see their work now flourishing within the context of the local church. They have no plans for slowing down.
Whether by creating art or making music, the Marreros look forward to reaching people for Christ, discipling local believers, and empowering the local church to “keep going, further, and further out.”
POP QUIZ— Missionary Amber Sroka talks with Edgar at a mission center in Brasilia that cares for indigenous people rejected by their tribes. How would you pray for her?
me to Scripture and situations that relate to the person we (that’s me and Jesus) are praying for.”
Knock by praying with faith and confident hope: “God, in every request, help me pray like Epaphras, so that our missionary, in whatever circumstance, knows what you want them to do" (Colossians 4:12).
Remember, the prayer of a righteous person has much power (James 5:16), even if we don’t know the missionary personally.
Phil Miglioratti pastored and served in Illinois until his retirement to Florida. He founded the National Pastors Prayer Network.
INSIGHT
TABLE TALK
Troublesome trenches and portable fences
There’s a story of two brothers who were inseparable growing up. Yet as they aged, their parents grieved over the growing rift they saw. Upon their death, half the estate was given to each son. The boys married and built houses on opposite sides of the property separated by a large field. They rarely saw each other. Whenever regret over the lost relationship came to mind, it was buried under perceived wrongs done by the other sibling.
Time passed, children were born, and Bob (the eldest) decided to dig a trench, thereby creating an impassable divide down the property. When Bill saw his brother’s work, he became furious, fuming and plotting revenge. He concocted a plan to build a fence alongside the trench, preventing Bob from seeing across.
Pleased with the strategy, Bill called a handyman and had building materials delivered. As he described the project and its intent, the handyman listened and replied, “I think I know what needs to be done.” Bill then drove away, regretting only that he wouldn’t witness his brother’s first expression at seeing the fence.
Meanwhile, the handyman worked and filled the neighborhood with sounds of construction. He finished the job just as Bill returned home. Walking around the house, Bill was shocked to see no evidence of a fence. Instead, right in the middle of his property was a beautiful wooden bridge spanning the trench.
“What have you done? I hired you to build a fence, not a bridge!” With full fury directed at the handyman, Bill almost missed seeing Bob crossing the bridge with tears on his face.
“I’ve watched this bridge being built all day, and I couldn’t believe that you would do something so kind to restore our relationship,” Bob
“Our separation from God is bridged by the Cross, yet it goes beyond that.”
said to his brother. “Please forgive me.”
Scripture portrays God as the ultimate bridge builder who provides a way for vertical reconciliation with himself and horizontal reconciliation with one another. Ephesians details God’s plan to reconcile, redeem, and unite all things in heaven and earth under the Headship of Christ. Just like the story of Bill and Bob where the rift required outside help to mend the relationship, so the separation between us and a holy God required his intervention.
In Ephesians 2, we’re labelled spiritually dead, unable to save ourselves. “But God!” Paul wrote in verse 4, a terrific pivot for a people who were lost, made possible by the intervention of God. By his rich mercy our Creator restores fellowship and raises us to new life in Christ. Our separation from God is bridged by the Cross, yet God’s restoring work goes beyond that.
Christ’s work not only saves individuals but also unites us into one family within the Church.
Jews and Gentiles, men and women, white and black, slave and free, all who believe have access to the Father.
Jesus’ innocent Blood was the price paid to dissolve fences and build a bridge across the divisions that separate people. In Christ we belong to God and to one another, members of a new united family of God, bound together by a common faith and a common mission.
During WWI, a group of soldiers was operating behind enemy lines when one was killed.
His teammates needed a safe place to bury him and approached a small Catholic church with
a weathered cemetery. The men found a priest inside and asked permission to bury their fallen comrade in the cemetery. The priest asked, “Was he Catholic?” Checking the dog tags, the imprint read “Christian-Protestant.”
The priest shook his head, “No, I’m sorry, he can’t be buried here.”
Devastated, yet feeling a deep obligation to their friend, they exited the church and slipped to the back corner to dig a shallow grave just outside the cemetery wall.
Early the next morning, the group swung by the grave to pay their last respects. At the fence, they were puzzled to find no evidence of a grave. They retraced their steps, but there was no grave. Just then the priest rounded the corner looking bleary-eyed and exhausted. “You’re looking for your friend,” he said. “I watched you bury him yesterday outside the cemetery. Then I went to bed and wrestled with God for half the night over what I’d said. Finally, I got up and spent the rest of the night moving the fence. Come inside the cemetery and I’ll show you where your friend is buried.”
As Christians, God has made us new creations in Christ and given us a new united community. May we faithfully testify to his love and power by moving fences and building bridges.
Jennifer Smith is a retired Coast Guard Captain and current missions leader for Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville. This essay is excerpted from her address at IBSA’s Priority Women’s Conference. The full video is available at IBSA.org/ministries/women/ priority/
January Bible Study 2026: Knowing Jesus Through the “I AM” Statements Student and Leader Guides available from Lifeway
This SBC January tradition offers an alternative to sitting home, waiting for winter to pass. These six sessions on Jesus’ famous descriptions of himself as Bread, Light, Shepherd, Way, and more help dig deeper. Suitable for a one-week study, once-a-week
BRIGHTER
DAY
An attainable example
A cornucopia of thanks
(Editor’s note: Each year our Illinois Baptist team offers a Thanksgiving prayer in the way of Chicago Tribune columnist Joan Beck who annually published her list in free verse, interspersing lines from hymns and ending in Paul’s crescendo from Romans 8.)
As we gather together to count the Lord’s blessings…405 years after the first Thanksgiving Day, we stand with pilgrims and founders and natives and immigrants, grateful for a free land and a nation that still allows us to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
We hold with gratitude our basic freedoms of speech, press, religion, and assembly as first and foremost in the unique practices of Americans and examples for the world.
We march toward our nation’s SemiQuinCentennial: the American Experiment nears half of five-hundred years— only and always by Your grace.
As Christians, we proclaim, Jesus shall reign where’er the sun doth his successive journeys run.
We are grateful that in this and every season, the name of Christ is lifted up, That our annual convention concluded peaceably, That sending missionaries remained uppermost, That the twin pillars of doctrine and missions, believing and doing, keep us advancing the gospel together.
This has been a year with some joy and much pain.
with the lord
of
We need Your healing presence: In Ukraine and Russia, In Israel and Gaza, In Sudan and Myanmar, In Southside and Chatham. In rows of crosses where children died, In national mourning and turning point moments. With hearts full to breaking, your people have said, Whatever may come, and whatever lies before me,
let me be singing when the evening comes.
We count our blessings one by one Amazing things that God has done, A-I diagnoses, omninomics, Signs of life on Martian rocks, Gen Alpha and the hope of youth, Squishmallows, And Labubu.
Lord of all to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise
“that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen.
─Eric Reed
omen at my church will gather for our annual women’s conference this month. It is a day spent in God’s Word and devoted to knowing and loving him more.
Several years ago, the theme of our conference was biblical womanhood, and you can probably guess which biblical woman was featured in one of the teaching sessions. You got her—the Proverbs 31 woman. That shrewd, industrious, nearly perfect woman we meet in the last chapter of the book devoted to wisdom.
Indeed, she is wise. You can tell in every verse written about her. She uses her time well, watches out for all in her household, and doesn’t loaf around. She’s great. But she’s a tricky act to follow if you’re mired in the throes of marriage or motherhood or just life. Maybe there’s a reason she’s not named? Is she more of an ideal than an actual example to follow? That would be one way to alleviate the guilt that can settle in after reading her chapter. Or, I would counter, you can look around and find a hundred Proverbs 31 women in your church or community.
NETWORKING
Send NETWORKING items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org
Park Avenue Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon seeks a bivocational pastor who loves God’s Word, loves his people, and loves shepherding the congregation in its next chapter. Contact Bill Hogue. Resumes may be sent to parkave@ mvpabc.net.
At that women’s conference a few years ago, the Proverbs 31 woman was handled with such care and with so many real-life examples that I started looking around and seeing her everywhere.
She’s the woman I know who is daily navigating deep grief over the premature loss of a loved one.
She’s the patient parent who rarely raises her voice, and apologizes when she does. That particular Proverbs 31 woman also freely and humbly shares her parenting wisdom, but only if you ask first.
She’s the ministry leader who listens, so carefully that people often note her eye contact and skill in asking follow-up questions. (A lost art for sure.)
She’s the woman who just brought a fifth child into her home and is walking the slow, consistent, steady walk of parenting pre-teens. They’re all around, these Proverbs 31 women, and united by one thing. It’s found at the very end of the chapter: “A woman who fears the Lord will be praised,” verse 30 says. The fear of the Lord is noticeable. It raises eyebrows and lifts spirits and spurs others on when life is difficult. So yes, let’s laud the Proverbs 31 women we know. Find them, encourage them. You won’t have to look very hard.
Meredith Flynn is a wife, mother of two, and writer living in Springfield.
Search more church openings at IBSA.org/pastor-search or scan this code.
November 4-5
IBSA Annual Meeting
First Baptist Church of Tinley Park seeks a bivocational pastor with a heart for service and passion for the gospel. This church in the Chicago suburbs wants leadership for growth and ministry. Apply to fbc.tpil@gmail.com.
First Baptist Church Of Grain Valley, Missouri seeks a Spirit-led full-time Lead Pastor. We are missionally and doctrinally aligned with the SBC, the Missouri Baptist Convention and we adhere to the BF&M 2000. Competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Visit grainvalleyfirst.com/pastor to learn more.
Mountain, Georgia, died Sept. 18.
erson was founding pastor of Lakeland Baptist Church in Carbondale, pastor of Bethel Church in Danville, and associate pastor of Westview Church in Belleville. Fulkerson and his wife, Carol Jean, were appointed as missionaries to inner-city Louisville, Kentucky. Later he served as Language Director for Atlanta Baptist Association, and he retired from the SBC Home Mission Board as Director of Refugee and Immigration Ministries.
Fulkerson was preceded in death by his wife, and survived by their two sons, and family in Illinois.
North Carolina in
moved with his family to Chicago’s northside in 1942. Queen graduated from Southern Seminary. Queen planted Uptown Baptist Church in 1976 served until 1993, when he was called as Executive Director of Chicago Metro Baptist Association (CMBA), serving ten years. Queen brought many churches into CMBA during his tenure.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Karen, four children, and eight grandchildren.
What: Messengers and guests from the nearly 900 churches that comprise IBSA meet for business, reports on SBC work in Illinois and worldwide, and inspiration.
Where: Crowne Plaza, Springfield Info: IBSAannualmeeting.org Contact: BarbTroeger@IBSA.org
November 7-8
Forged Overnight
What: A retreat to ignite a fire in young men (grades 6-12) and their leaders to become the man God is calling you to be.
Where: Lake Sallateeska Camp
When: Friday 6 –11:30 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Cost: $40 per person
Info: IBSA.org/events Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
November 7-8
AWSOM Overnight
What: Our premiere event for girls (grades 5-12) to grow as disciples and see their part in God’s Kingdom!
November 30-December 7 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering & Week of Prayer
What: Annual giving to international missions
Where: Your Church
Info: IMB.org/generosity/lottie-moonchristmas-offering
November 20-22
Streator Men’s Bible Study
What: A three-day men’s Bible study, led by Dr. Michael Taylor, into the I Am’s in the Book of John plus fellowship and fun.
Where: Streator Baptist Camp, Streator When: Thursday 1:30 p.m. – Saturday
Info: IBSA.org/events Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
MEREDITH FLYNN
William (Bill) Fulkerson, 88,
Stone
Fulk-
James Marcus (Jim) Queen 88, died Oct. 4. Born in
1937, he
Take Another Look
100 years of the Baptist Faith & Message
On the centennial of the SBC’s statement of faith, let’s explore what we believe and take time to reinforce a solid foundation.
XV. Christian & Social Order
All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.
Ex 20:3-17; Lev 6:2-5; Deut 10:12; 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zech 8:16; Matt 5:13-16,43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Rom 12–14; 1 Cor 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24; 10:23-11:1; Gal 3:26-28; Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:12-17; 1 Thess 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.
XVI. Peace and War
It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.
Is 2:4; Matt 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Rom 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Heb 12:14; James 4:1-2.
XVII. Religious Liberty
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.
Gen 1:27; 2:7; Matt 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:1920; Rom 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Gal 5:1,13; Phil 3:20; 1 Tim 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.
Our dual citizenship
Some nations allow dual citizenship. Citizens can enjoy all the rights and privileges of their nation while pledging allegiance to another nation as well, so long as they keep up their obligations (and pay taxes, I suppose). The United States does not prohibit dual citizenship, but if you want to enter the country, you must use your U.S. passport.
Christians have understood this concept since biblical times. The call of Abraham is rooted in the quest for a place to call home. No longer a resident of Ur, Abraham left for a far country, and beyond that he believed in the fulfillment of God’s promises in a land that gave him his new identity, though he had not yet seen it.
Paul was a Roman citizen, in addition to being a “Jew of the Jews.” More important, he identified as a citizen of heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Phil. 3:20-21).
For the Christian today, we are citizens of God’s Kingdom. We yearn for fulfillment of God’s promises to make heaven on earth. It is happening now within the church and through the church, but it extends beyond the church. And we have one King, Jesus the Christ, and we wait for his return.
One King, One Kingdom.
So how do we balance our citizenship on earth, specifically as U.S. citizens, when our greater allegiance is to our heavenly King? These three articles in the Baptist Faith and Message address this relationship with its inherent tension between actions of the nation and God’s standards.
The current debate over Christian nationalism makes this discussion both difficult and necessary. Our denominational statement of faith certainly supports the concept that God is bringing his will to bear in the world. And as believers, we want to see his purposes fulfilled in and through our country. But this charge is not America’s alone. Because we are also citizens of a larger Kingdom, establishing one earthly nation as God’s Kingdom would limit his global intent.
For Baptists, separation of church and state is foundational. Roger Williams, first governor of Rhode Island, was a Baptist minister. His teachings that the state should not establish an official religion influenced the constitutional writings of Thomas Jefferson a century later: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
As Baptists, we insist on freedom of religion for everyone because we also want it for ourselves.
And yet, we want our nation to honor Godly principles and encourage Godly lifestyles. In the articles on Social Order, Peace and War, and Religious Liberty, Southern Baptists take the position that we will encourage the upholding of such tenets as they foster a just society.
This article on Social Order adopted in 2000 is broader and yet more specific than earlier versions in naming the current ills of our society. It also holds up Jesus’ teachings on compassion which at times get lost in political debate.
Making it relevant:
The same is true of the article on war which, while short, calls on the church to support its government in geopolitical actions, but doing so by Jesus’ value of peace. The articles recognize that Baptists aren’t the only people in the mix, and to think we could have everything our own way would be misguided. Article 15 says, “Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause…”
Article 17 on Religious Freedom was the final word on the statement of faith, until 2000 when messengers to the convention added the Family article. As an underscore for all that was stated above it, Article 17 emphasizes the dual nature of our citizenship by advocating our protection as believers to practice our faith. “A free church in a free nation is the ideal,” the BF&M states, so the state should not interfere with our exercise of religion.
This “separation” does not mean that people of faith would not have influence on the laws, morays, culture, and societal standards of the nation. For people driven by the gospel with salvation that impacts every area of their lives starting at the heart, the natural outworking of that faith will change who we are and where we live and the rules and alliances that govern our earthly home.
We have one King, and we are citizens of his kingdom.
We also bear responsibility to represent him well in this, our temporary home. —Eric Reed