Illinois Baptist
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Foshie elected SBC entity chair
Illinoisan succeeds chair who resigned after attempted Leatherwood dismissal
Nashville, Tenn. | IBSA Health Team
Director Scott Foshie was elected chairman of the trustees of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission on September 11.
As chairman, he succeeds Kevin Smith who resigned in July after he attempted to dismiss ERLC President Brent Leatherwood without proper trustee authorization. In his ERLC tenure, Foshie has been known as a calming presence during troubled times that included the departure of Leatherwood’s predecessor, Russell Moore.
tices. And in the past two years, the ERLC has amended the bylaws to address trustee training and open the communications process between trustees and the president.
Foshie served on a work group that examined communications prac-
Foshie first began serving as a trustee for the denomination’s public policy entity when he was pastor of Steeleville Baptist Church in Steeleville, Illinois. Foshie served as a Zone Consultant in 2018 before joining the IBSA staff full time a year later. Trustees affirmed Leatherwood and the ERLC staff with an official vote during the meeting. After Smith’s failed attempt to oust Leatherwood, the panel
Ashburn Baptist Church - Orland Park
FOSHIE
Total giving by IBSA churches as of 8/31/24 $3,555,257
2024 Budget Goal to date: $3,956,360
2024 Goal: $6 Million
give local
Half of all Cooperative Program offerings forwarded to the SBC from Illinois goes to the International Mission Board (IMB) to spread the gospel worldwide. Every dollar touches the world.
Impact global
Lifeway and IMB began a new emphasis this year focusing on the unreached people groups in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The primary focus this summer was Ethiopia. This is an Orthodox priest in Addis Ababa carrying a replica of the Ark of the Covenant during their Epiphany parade.
The Illinois Baptist staff
Editor - Eric Reed
Graphic Designer - Kris Kell
Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner
Comm. Coordinator - Nic Cook
Graphics Assistant - Makayla Proctor
Team Leader - Ben Jones
The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3127 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org
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NATE ADAMS
Stumbling blocks & steppingstones
Our youngest son, Ethan, and his wife, Alyssa, just adopted a beautiful little baby girl. My wife and I happened to be visiting them when they received the long-awaited call saying that if they could book a flight that day, they could be holding their newborn baby daughter that evening.
A few hours later we were driving them to the airport, even as they continued to make phone calls from the back seat, extracting themselves from their busy lives for a few days. We dropped them off with hugs, retrieved their golden retriever to bring home with us, and waited for their call. Amazingly, a few hours later on a video call, we met our new granddaughter, Adeline.
As quick and miraculous as that day now seems, it followed a long and difficult journey. Those young parents had been through months of longing, preparation, scrutiny, expense, waiting, and multiple disappointments. One mother selected them to parent the baby she was expecting, then after several weeks withdrew and disappeared. Another included them in the birth and allowed them to hold the baby in the hospital before changing her mind and deciding to keep the child.
Pregnancy and childbirth are certainly difficult processes in the journey of parenting. For many, adoption can be a difficult journey too.
A few days after Adeline arrived, I was invited by IBSA’s Scott Foshie to meet with a group of “Pathfinders,” leaders who are trained to help our network coach pastors and consult with churches in revitalization processes. Scott introduced my time with the group by asking if I had any thoughts to share about the importance of resilience.
Though he was asking about the resilience needed by pastors and leaders to stay committed to a church revitalization process over time, my mind went immediately to our kids’ adoption journey. I recounted to the Pathfinders the multiple stumbling blocks that Ethan and Alyssa experienced over many months, and how devastating and demoralizing each one felt.
Sometimes those stumbling blocks seemed more like stone walls, but for the joy of parenting that was set before them they crawled over those walls or walked to the right or left until they found a way around them. Giving up was not an option. Forward progress toward the faith-fueled dream was always the choice. That requires resilience. Trusting any long but worthwhile process always does.
What this baby girl taught us about resilience.
The same is true with church revitalization. As supportive family members, pathfinders if you will, we were often needed to offer empathy during the painful, sometimes devastating disappointments. At the same time, we needed to gently encourage and remind our loved ones on the journey that if your heart is set on the end goal, and if you are trusting God by faith for his eventual provision, then every stumbling block can also be seen as a steppingstone along a path that God’s providence is revealing, one step at a time.
If you love a child that you don’t know yet, you stay resilient. If you love a church that isn’t where it once was, or isn’t where it needs to be yet, you stay resilient. Your faith and your Bible tell you that there will be a day when it is all worthwhile.
And on that day, the Lord allows this wonderful thing to happen. You are able to look back at all the stumbling blocks, even the ones that felt like stone walls at the time, and see only a lovingly constructed pathway of steppingstones. It’s a path that you now see led you to God’s very best for you, for your family, or for your church, because you followed him there.
Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA. org.
Continued from page 1
indicated the ERLC president would stay on with their support, despite the column he published which commended President Joe Biden for withdrawing from the presidential election.
The statement issued by trustees September 11 noted: “We affirm that in a time of deep division in our culture, from polarization in our political environment, to falling trust in institutions, to the fracturing of families, the ERLC is needed now as much as ever both to serve in the public square in a manner consistent with the earthly ministry of Jesus and to be a consistent voice that continually points people to the salvation that can only come through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Leatherwood gave trustees a list of seven questions that govern which issues the ERLC chooses to address. It includes biblical foundation for engaging the issue, historic Baptist views since the SBC’s conservative resurgence, and perceived opportunity to advance a Baptist position on the issue.
were heard pledging to bring the motion again later.
Amendments to be read, vote set
Springfield | When messengers take up business during Session 3 of the IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 13, they will be asked to approve considerable updates to the constitutions of all three Association entities—Illinois Baptist State Association, Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services, and Baptist Foundation of Illinois (IBSA, BCHFS, and BFI). Proposed changes to entity constitutions must be presented at two consecutive Annual Meetings. Messengers will be voting on proposed changes that were presented for a first reading at last year’s meeting.
The list also includes a question faced by Leatherwood in his two years heading the controversial public policy entity: “Will advocacy on this issue upset certain segments of the SBC? If yes, is it still necessary to take a position/say something?”
Efforts to abolish the ERLC were again defeated by a vote of messengers at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis in June, but opponents
Leatherwood acknowledged to trustees the conflicting views over the ERLC that threatened to abolish it. He called the convention vote unacceptable. “I say that not to the outrage artists and the grievous grifters who will never be on our side… I’m talking to the local pastor and everyday church member who need to better understand our mission and the work that we do.”
Prior to Foshie’s election, interim chair Tony Bream told the panel he hoped their statement would “assist and encourage the ERLC president and staff in speaking clearly and boldly to the issues of the day and inform the churches in a transparent way, how the ERLC makes decisions about how they address the issues.”
Leatherwood responded with gratitude “for the clear affirmation of our work by the trustees. Their encouragement renews our resolve to continue advocating for Southern Baptists in the public square.”
IB staff with additional reporting by TAB and BP
The second reading proposals can be categorized in three areas. The first, and most frequently occurring throughout all three documents, is adjustment to language used when referring to IBSA, the association of churches, and IBSA, the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that serves the churches. In order to more clearly differentiate between the two, “the Association” is the proposed wording to be used when referring to the association of churches. All instances referring to the 501(c)(3) non-profit would be changed to “IBSA the corporation.” The committee is also bringing an amendment to the second reading that ensures all instances referring to IBSA the Association would read “the Association.”
The second change to be voted on would add giving to the Mission Illinois Offering as an acceptable criterion for a church to remain in friendly cooperation with the Association. Currently, church giving to the Cooperative Program is the single criterion.
The third change, which is being introduced through an amendment to the second reading would update the BCHFS mission statement.
The Committee is also recommending first reading changes to the IBSA Constitution, BCHFS Bylaws, and BFI Bylaws. First reading changes are only for consideration and will be brought for a vote at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
These proposed changes would seek to accomplish greater clarity in two areas. The first is the relationship between the Association and autonomous, cooperating churches. The second is the separation in governance of the Association’s three entities (IBSA, BCHFS, and BFI).
The full text of first and second reading recommended changes will be made available in advance at IBSAannualmeeting.org and in the IBSA Book of Reports received by Annual Meeting messengers.
NEW TEAM — Scott Foshie (top right) is at the ERLC trustees meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, talking with Matthew Grove who represents Tennessee. Grove is an Illinois native and former member of First Baptist Church of Fairview Heights, where his parents are still active members. (Above) Foshie chats with ERLC officers.
IBSA Annual Meeting
from the front: Foshie chairs erlc
Appeal expected soon in abortion related case igious Freedom
SBC Executive Committee
IBSA loses suit over state law
Springfield | A circuit judge in Springfield has ruled against the Illinois Baptist State Association in a suit to protect IBSA from requirements to provide employees with insurance benefits that cover abortion. The ruling came more than four years after IBSA filed suit, saying the Illinois Reproductive Health Act did not violate IBSA’s religious freedom.
“The September 4 ruling discounts the beliefs of over 150,000 Illinois Baptists, as well as all Illinoisans who hold these same sacred convictions, by requiring all insurance coverage in our state to pay for abortion on demand, without a clear pathway for religious exemptions for churches or faith-based ministries,” IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams stated.
“We stand by our position that the Reproductive Health Act is inconsistent with the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act,” Adams said. “We are reviewing the ruling with our attorneys and expect to appeal the decision.”
In September 2019, the IBSA Board of Directors authorized the Association to engage in litigation in partnership with the Thomas More Society seeking relief for IBSA entities and member churches from the Reproductive Health Act. The Thomas More Society and a local attorney from an IBSA church are providing all legal services without cost to IBSA.
The Act, passed by the State Assembly that spring, required all employers in the state to provide abortion coverage as part of their employee insurance plans regulated by the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI). IBSA filed suit based on its religious beliefs in June 2020. The State Attorney General’s office countered by filing a motion of summary judgement on behalf of the IDOI.
On September 4, Sangamon County Seventh Circuit Judge Christopher G. Perrin ruled IBSA did not prove the Act “imposes a substantial burden on their religious beliefs. Given the availability of alternative insurance options that exclude abortion coverage, the Association’s argument under (the religious freedoms act) lacks the necessary proof of coercion or compulsion required to sustain their claim.”
In the ruling Perrin claimed federally managed insurance plans and plans issued by out-of-state insurers could be obtained, both of which are not regulated by the IDOI. His ruling granted summary judgement for the state.
“Illinois Baptist cooperating churches have consistently expressed their conviction that abortion is in opposition to their sincerely held religious beliefs,” Adams said. “We are deeply disappointed in the ruling.”
—Lisa Misner
Iorg pledges to ‘cut down the drama’
Trustees vote to sell SBC Building to counter losses
Nashville, Tenn. | Jeff Iorg was officially installed as the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee (EC) Sept. 16.
Among his first actions, seeking to sell the Nashville headquarters to counteract a multi-million dollar loss that follows several sexual abuse lawsuits, and set up a new department to track abusers and prevent their engagement in SBC churches.
Iorg vowed to “cut down the drama” that has characterized SBC leadership for more than five years.
“There’s no question that the Executive Committee and Southern Baptist Convention are going to be in lean years, financially. But by God’s grace and endurance, we will come out of that, and keep marching forward,” said Clint Pressley in his first message to the EC trustees as SBC President.
The EC reported Sept. 17 it has spent $12,142,533 on sexual abuse investigation expenses since Oct. 1, 2020. Chair Phillip Robertson announced the EC approved an amended operating budget of $11.8 million to meet its legal and operational expenses. The EC further authorized the president to execute a loan secured by the SBC Building in downtown Nashville and to place the building on the market.
in the SBC. A non-profit group started by some members of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force will not move forward.
“It’s time now to stop talking about what we’re going to do and take an initial step,” Iorg said. The EC will hire a director and staff to lead the department to help SBC churches prevent abuse in their churches.
Both Illinois trustees were pleased with the actions. “Yes, the EC has problems to contend with, but I feel we found the right person to lead us forward,” said Sharon Carty of Carlinville. “Dr. Iorg started his position with more than the normal amount of pressing issues, but it did not seem to bother him. Instead he approached each issue with perseverance and understanding.”
Staff retained, reorganized
Just ahead of the trustees meeting, Iorg announced he had reorganized the leadership team, ending speculation whether the previous interim EC head would leave. Jonathan Howe will stay on as VP of convention administration. He had led the communications team since 2019, before stepping
Department for abuse response
Iorg announced creation of a new department dedicated to helping churches confront sexual abuse. The move was in response to messengers this past June in Indianapolis calling for the EC to find a more permanent home for abuse response
up after the previous interim CEO Willie McLaurin resigned. “Jonathan served with distinction as our interim president,” Iorg said. “His new role capitalizes on his overall knowledge of the Executive Committee’s work and oversight of the annual convention meeting.”
Brandon Porter is being promoted to VP for Communications, including management of Baptist Press, and interim Chief Financial Officer Mike Bianchi takes the position permanently. Charles Grant will remain as associate vice president of convention partnerships but will move to the president’s office to work closely with Iorg in maintaining relationships with affinity groups and partners. He assumed responsibility for all ethnic ministry relationships when two other positions were cut a year ago to save money.
Chicago area pastor Adron Robinson of Country Club Hills served on the EC search team that preceded the search that landed Iorg. Robinson was out of the country during this meeting, but said he was impressed with how Iorg “hit the ground running.”
“He has put his extensive leadership skills to work and has guided the EC in crucial times,” Robinson said. “I look forward to him making the EC strong and more efficient in the future.”
By IB Staff with additional reporting from The Baptist Paper
PORTER GRANT HOWE
LIFTED UP — SBC President Clint Pressley leads a prayer for Jeff and Ann Iorg as Dr. Iorg is installed as SBC Executive Committee president.
Board approves property sale
Fall meeting brings encouraging words, reports
Springfield | “It can be wearisome.”
Opening the fall IBSA Board of Directors Meeting with Scripture and prayer from Galatians 6:9, Scott Douglas implored, “God help us to not be tired.”
“While there is a harvest out there, at times the soil can be very hard,” said Douglas, pastor of First Baptist Church in Fairview Heights and a member of the Board. “Don’t give up, don’t give up.”
Board members were gathered at the IBSA Building on September 10 to hear and vote on committee reports, elect new officers, and for a report from IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams. They also voted on a proposal to put a former collegiate ministry building near the University of Illinois in Urbana up for sale, and approved the proposed 2025 IBSA budget for recommendation to messengers at the IBSA Annual Meeting in Orland Park November 12-13.
Executive Director’s report
Committee President Jeff Iorg as a main speaker.
‘D-I-V-O-R-C-E’
Turns out Tammy Wynette was right: 41% of first marriages end in divorce, according to new statistics, but the number goes up after that: 60% of second marriages fail, and 73% of third marriages head for divorce court. Researcher Donald Cole of Seattle’s Gottman Institute says shifts at certain life stages account for spikes in the trend. The first hurdle is after five years. “These relationships tend to end due to escalating conflict and negative interaction patterns,” he says. The next hurdle is at 15-20 years, when couples have “drifted apart” often while raising children. “When the children get a little older or move out of the house, they begin to wonder if the marriage is still satisfying.”
—Adapted from USA Today
“Don’t grow weary in well doing well. Galatians 6:9 was my grandfather’s favorite verse,” Adams remarked during his report.
“In this day, there are cultural, generational economic pressures on the work of churches, and especially in some ways on the work of networks,” he said. “As churches encounter those pressures, they sometimes pull back from network cooperation in order to survive or persevere. And so, the encouragement that we want to give to churches is, you’re not alone. And you’ll always do better when working with other churches and other leaders doing missions together.”
He gave a brief update on the network’s 2024 goals reporting, “We’re well past the halfway point in most goals, and in many cases have exceeded the annual goals already.”
Board members received a preview of the 2024 IBSA Annual Meeting which will be held on a condensed schedule November 12-13 at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park. “There will still be five messages, and three plenary sessions, but also on Wednesday morning, we’re going to provide in each of two-time slots, ten practical ministry workshops for a total of 20 workshops,” said Adams. “So, we’re seeking to, in less time, deliver more training and leadership development value for pastors and lay leaders in the annual meeting.” The meeting will also feature SBC Executive
Looking ahead to 2025, Adams noted it will be the 100th anniversary of what he called “two pillars of Baptist Cooperation” – the Cooperative Program and the Baptist Faith and Message Continuing the word picture, he said, “The Baptist Faith and Message facilitates multi-church unity around God’s Word. The Cooperative Program facilitates multi-church cooperation in God’s mission.”
Business items
The Board authorized Adams to pursue the sale of what is “commonly referred to as the BASIC House in Urbana,” which has been used for collegiate ministry over the years. “It’s an older property, and we’ve seen it become much more expensive to maintain,” said IBSA Associate Executive Director Mark Emerson. “Those ongoing costs, combined with changes in collegiate ministry strategy, led all parties to the decision to let go of the house.”
Proceeds from the sale of the property are to be placed in an account designated for collegiate ministry or church planting use near Illinois university campuses.
It approved an overspend of up to $39,000 of the 2024 IBSA Budget, due to a higher than estimated attendance at 2024 IBSA Camps with the knowledge additional income from the camps will cover those costs.
The Board approved the 2025 IBSA Budget based on a Cooperative Program Goal of $6,000,000 and a Cooperative Program ratio of 56.5%/43.5% (IBSA/SBC).
Newly elected IBSA Board of Directors 2025 Officers are Chair - Bruce Kirk, pastor, Alpha Missionary Baptist Church, Bolingbrook (re-elected); Vice ChairPaul Cooper, pastor, Marshall Baptist Church; and Secretary – Noah Lee, pastor, Tremont Baptist Church. Members rotating off the Board were Josh Bledsoe, Andy DeWitt, Bob Dyer, Mark Goldman, Barbara Lee, Jill McNicol, LaRue Parr, and Kathy Stanford.
The Board also welcomed new member David Higgs, Associate Pastor for Worship, Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville, who was elected at the March meeting after another member stepped down.
Illinois abortion travel funds shrink
The fund that pays for out-of-state clients to travel to Illinois for abortions is running low. The Chicago Abortion Fund operated on about $160,000 annually as recently in 2019, prior to the limitations on abortions in neighboring states allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling. But the fund exploded to $8 million after the 2022 ruling. Now it’s almost gone. The fund pays for flights, hotels, childcare and the abortions. State and county governments may come up with additional travel allocations, abortion advocates said. Guttmacher Institute reports 4-in-10 Illinois abortions are for non-Illinois residents.
Sun Times
Chicago pregnancy clinic vandalized
A crisis pregnancy center in Chicago was vandalized about 3 a.m. on the morning after the Democratic National Convention closed. Security cameras recorded four vandals spray painting the front of the Aid for Women building in the Edgewater neighborhood. The center is operated by a Catholic non-profit group. The graffiti read “fake center” and “the dead babies are in Gaza.” People protesting Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza staged marches near Chicago’s United Center during the DNC.
National Catholic Reporter
2 Baptists on space station
Astronauts keep up with their Texas church
Pasadena, Texas | Providence Baptist Church has an elder making a mockery of the term “remote work.” Over the last several months Barry Wilmore has proven that long distances shouldn’t keep one from being an active church member. And we’re talking looooong distances. About 250 miles above your head.
To most of the world Wilmore is known as Butch, his Navy pilot call sign while flying A-7Es and F/A-18s from aircraft carriers. On June 5 he and fellow astronaut Suni Williams launched to the International Space Station aboard the Boeing Starliner. However, issues with the spacecraft’s thrusters have left the two stranded at the ISS until February.
Wilmore and Williams will continue to work informally as part of the crew scheduled to return in February. In the meantime, Wilmore has reunited with fellow Providence Church member Tracy Dyson, flight engineer for Expedition 71 who has been at the ISS since April. Her return was planned for September.
Wilmore has been a member of Providence for 17 years, said Pastor Tommy Dahn; Dyson and her husband George, a military chaplain, joined about a year-and-a-half ago. Much of her time since then has been spent training for her current mission, but she has stayed active any way she can, including spending a church workday leading in updating the building’s wiring.
As someone who has designed, constructed, and implemented electronics and hardware for the purpose of withstanding the unforgiving, impenetrable vacuum of space, it would stand to say she was qualified. “Tracy has spent a lot of her time in Russia training to go up in the Soyuz,” said Dahn, “so we’re still getting to know her. Her dad owned an electrical company. She came in on the workday and said our wiring was in bad shape and needed
to be fixed.”
Connectivity with their church home has remained. While Dyson still has her mission responsibilities, Wilmore’s unexpected stay has placed him in the role of an extra hand available to assist in areas like deferred maintenance on the ISS. And even though he may have some more downtime, twiddling thumbs is not in his nature.
“Barry doesn’t waste a minute,” Dahn said. “He’s a minister extraordinaire, a worker who cares about people and the elderly.”
Providence Church averages 265 in worship, so it’s crucial to have volunteers pitching in on different
ministry responsibilities. It’s just a little unusual for them to do so from space.
That includes calls from the ISS to shut-ins, like the one Wilmore made to Dahn’s mother-in-law on her 93rd birthday. After learning his stay at the ISS would be longer than expected, he signed up for the church’s newsletter. He livestreams the service and on the second Sunday at the ISS even delivered a short devotion and sang “Amazing Grace” alongside the rest of those aboard the space station.
“We had a true international choir that Sunday,” Dahn said.
—Baptist Press
NEW WORLDVIEW – On page 1, NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson looks through a window in the International Space Station. She is a member of Providence Baptist Church, along with Barry “Butch” Wilmore. (Above) Wilmore preaches while on a mission trip to the Philippines.
SUIT UP – Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on a pre-flight test.
Young revival MISSION
Can student ministries open the way for renewal in the church?
BY DANIEL KIM
ow! It sounds like your student ministry is experiencing a revival,” a youth pastor friend said to me after I shared what’s been happening in our ministry.
Our student ministry recently experienced an incredible season of growth. After facing challenges that hindered us from gathering, we were able to come together again, and the results were remarkable. We began 2022 with just seven volunteers and a handful of teens in attendance, but over time, that number grew to an amazing 53 dedicated team members. Attendance also surged. Where we once averaged around 30 students in our Sunday gatherings, we began to hit triple digits in attendance.
It was truly amazing to witness this season of growth and momentum in our ministry.
“Daniel, that’s great, but you serve a bigger
church. I don’t have the same level of support in my student ministry.” This is the response when I speak with many youth workers, where they often share that student ministry is becoming increasingly challenging and that the next generation seems harder than ever to reach.
While I can understand this perspective, I believe the trend is shifting. Revival is happening. Students are hungrier than ever to grow in their relationship with Christ. They have a deep desire to worship God and are eager to be fed with the Word of God, far more than with any secular content.
We often hear the term “revival” in discussions about Gen Z. Countless books, articles, and videos call them the “Revival Generation.”
But what exactly is revival?
“Many people think revival is a feeling where P. 8
Hello, Spirit
A season of prayer and confession that started at Asbury College in Kentucky last spring raised a larger question: Is the revival on several college campuses part of a larger renewal movement in the age group called Generation Z and those entering high school now, called Generation Alpha? If so, what’s next?
Continued from page 7
your emotions are stirred with lots of crying, and Holy Spirit goosebumps,” said Shane Pruitt, National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board. “Of course, tears may be involved. But true revival is God’s people getting serious and worshiping him above all and living out their true purpose of knowing him and making him known. Revival is God’s people awakening to their true calling.”
Pruitt is co-author of Calling Out the Called, and he speaks frequently at student ministry events. He will be a featured preacher at IBSA’s Youth Encounter November 22-23.
“Basically, the Holy Spirit empowers and inspires people to get serious about following Jesus and obeying the Scriptures,” Pruitt said.
But are they?
In February 2023, a profound spiritual awakening took place at Asbury University’s Hughes Auditorium. On February 8, during a routine chapel service, an extraordinary move of God began, leading to 16 consecutive days of revival. Much like a revival in 1970 that began there and spread to other campuses, students from across the nation experienced salvation, rededicated their lives to Christ, and gathered in worship and prayer.
This spiritual outpouring spread beyond Asbury, touching universities such as Cedarville, Lee, and Wheaton College. A Wheaton student shared with me, “Every night at 10 p.m., people gathered in our chapel auditorium, praying and worshipping all night until classes resumed the next morning.” The Asbury revival is a powerful reminder that God has not given up on the next generation.
“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” Psalm 85:5 says. Revival is a spiritual awakening that occurs within a group of people. The Bible tells us that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7). Today, we are witnessing the powerful movement of God transforming lives in this generation.
What are some practical steps we can take to cultivate a culture of revival in the current generation?
Invest in volunteer leaders
You can’t run a student ministry alone; you need a dedicated team of faithful volunteers and prayer
warriors. As pastors, it’s our responsibility to invest in the spiritual lives of our leaders so they, in turn, can disciple students (Eph 4:11-16).
In my first two years, I focused on building up our leaders. I met with two or three leaders each week over lunch or coffee, or by phone. Because these leaders were spiritually nurtured, they were able to invest in their students. As a result, God blessed us with growth in both leadership and student engagement.
Invest in worship ministry
Building a worship culture is worth the investment. I intentionally recruited college students who had a passion for worship. We were able to create a thriving, student-led worship band for our Sunday night services by mentoring student musicians.
Over time, this band grew to include more than 30 students and volunteers, regularly leading four songs each week. Through worship, students were able to engage with the gospel and respond to its message.
Invest in gospel-centered messages
As a storyteller, it’s tempting to entertain students with creative messages. However, my mission is to preach the Word. Paul’s advice to Timothy is clear: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). While stories may draw attention, it’s the truth of God’s Word that draws students closer to Jesus.
Invest in presence
The beauty of the gospel is that God initiated the first move by sending his own Son to earth. Many claim to have a heart for the lost, but too often, we find ourselves sitting at our desks, waiting for students to come to our ministry gatherings. If we want to reach them, we have to go to them. That’s why I committed to visiting local schools during lunch and after school, twice a week. I spent time with students, at lunch or at their games or shows. Six months later, I started bringing my interns and leaders with me, creating a culture where our team goes the extra mile to be present in the students’ lives.
Invest in prayer
Our ministry starts at 6 p.m. on Sundays. So, I invited our leaders to gather at 5:30 for prayer. This time of prayer proved vital.
As the leaders began praying for one another and for the students, a culture of prayer started to grow among the students as well, especially in small groups. Just as Scripture is the bread of life, prayer is the water that sustains us. Create a culture of prayer within your ministry, and watch how it transforms lives.
Invest in media
The next generation is constantly on their phones or tablets, and it’s easy for us to view media as something harmful to our Christian journey. However, I believe it’s time to re-imagine our perspective and instead use media as an opportunity to share the gospel.
With that in mind, I assigned one of our volunteers to manage our Facebook and Instagram accounts, posting three pieces of Christian content weekly.
I also tasked our production volunteer with uploading video content on a regular basis. By increasing our media presence, we’ve seen students engaging more with our ministry through these digital platforms.
The past three years of investing in young leaders and students haven’t been easy, but I can confidently say it’s been worth every moment. I’ve witnessed students publicly declare their faith, launch Christian clubs in public schools, and boldly share the gospel with non-believers—all evidences of revival.
Pouring into the next generation is challenging, but the impact is eternal—it’s truly worth it. Revival is happening all around us. We saw it in the early church in the book of Acts, and it continues even now.
Illinois.
Daniel Kim is student pastor at Gospelife Church in Wheaton and Carol Stream,
GROWING
MEET THE TEAM
Janet Sheley Mission Team Ministry Assistant
Family info: Married to Jerry, with three children between us, five grands, and a grand-kitty named Shadow.
Home: Mt. Auburn is my hometown. I currently live in Chatham, where we raised our family.
Church life: I have attended Chatham Baptist Church over 20 years. I have taught Sunday School, Awana, ESL. I’m on various committees and serve as a deacon’s wife. I have a background in banking and finance and office administration.
How I got to IBSA: I was looking for a job that gave me purpose in life. After taking care of my parents, I wanted to do more to carry out God’s work. When I was looking for a job on Indeed.com, the first job that came up was the Mission Team ministry assistant position. I felt like it was a sign from God.
My favorite person in the Bible: Job. He had lost everything, but he still believed, followed, and trusted in God.
Favorite verse: “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Hobbies: Crafts, decorating, antiquing.
Ice Cream: Caramel Collision
Favorite Movie: The Notebook
Preferred social media platform: Facebook
My secret talent: Saying the alphabet backwards
table talk
100,000 and counting
My ‘sticky’plan to celebrate Cooperative Program
(Editor’s note: October is Cooperative Program Month. Oct. 6 is a great Sunday to celebrate the remarkable effectiveness of Southern Baptists’ regular, systematic, unified funding stream for missions. Illinois’ own Sandy Wisdom-Martin has a wonderfully crafty idea for helping kids learn about CP on the first Sunday of the month, or any Sunday.)
don’t know how the topic came up, but I told someone at the office I had 100,000 craft sticks. When he asked why in the world one would own 100,000 craft sticks, I told him I got them because they were on clearance, and I work with children. I thought at some point attempting a world record might be fun.
At WMU, we always encourage participation in the Cooperative Program, and we wanted to do something fun to promote its value. The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) missions and ministries.
We started thinking, planning and dreaming. We created a Cooperative Program lesson for leaders to use with children, and we invited children across the United States to help us assemble a houseboat made of nearly 1 million craft sticks. We provided a template to create individual craft stick platforms made of 20 craft sticks each. The plan is to collect 47,000 of these to represent all 47,000 SBC churches.
SBC entities have also been invited to submit platforms.
Why build a houseboat? The
International Mission Board missionaries we will feature in November in our coordinated curriculum for all ages live on a houseboat in South America. We thought that would be an engaging connection to gain momentum as we study about the missionaries.
We will assemble the houseboat on a borrowed fireworks pontoon platform and float the craft stick houseboat in November. Why go to all this trouble? We want children (and others) to learn about the Cooperative Program and see what can happen when we work together. The Cooperative Program is bigger than all of us.
Now groups of all ages are making the platforms! We invite you to join the fun. Please tell those working with children in your church about the activity. You can also invite youth and adults to participate as well.
“We don’t care if it is your life verse... For the sake of the congregation start letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing.”
The Cooperative Program lesson, along with the template and instructions, is available at wmu.com/free-cp-lesson/. Send your craft stick platforms by Nov. 1 to WMU, 100 Missionary Ridge, Birmingham, AL 35242. Or if you will be in the Birmingham area on Oct. 3, we invite you to drop them off in person, with options to stay for a tour, meet our children’s team and more.
Oct. 6 is Cooperative Program Sunday. Start making plans now to promote that day in your church. Helpful resources can be found at sbc.net/cp. We really can do more together.
Father, thank you for this balanced Acts 1:8 funding mechanism put in place 99 years ago by visionary missions leaders. Help us do our part. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sandy WisdomMartin is executive director of National WMU, Woman’s Missionary Union.
Reporter’s notebook
ASeparation of church and…debate?
new poll of pastors’ preferences in the upcoming presidential election shows not only the divide between clergy in political terms, but also the difficulty in talking about politics, especially in church.
Half of pastors indicated a preference for former President Donald Trump, one quarter (24%) chose Vice President Kamala Harris, but another quarter (23%) refused to answer at all in the Lifeway Research survey of protestant pastors.
“Some relationships might not stand the test of a political disagreement.”
“The growing number of pastors unwilling to respond with their voting intentions shows how sensitive or divisive politics has become in some churches,” said Scott McConnell, Lifeway Research executive director. In a similar survey in the last election cycle, only 4% of pastors declined to answer.
This raises the question of politics in church: Is it possible to have a civil discussion in our
Sunday schools and small groups? The separation of church and state has become in many places a separation of church and debate.
Is this what the founders intended?
Roger Williams was the founder of Rhode Island in 1636. He named its capital Providence, because he believed God had led him and a dozen followers there. Williams also started the first Baptist church in America in that town. It’s still there. It’s called, appropriately, First Baptist Church in America.
For many years before leaving England, Williams had fought for his freedom to worship. Two beliefs were very important to Williams that are important to us Baptists today: soul competency (the belief that each individual is responsible before God for his own personal belief in Jesus Christ as Savior), and the separation of church and state. Williams’s conviction that the government should not interfere in the practice of religion made its way into Thomas Jefferson’s writings at the founding of our nation, specifically that the government should not establish any particular religion.
I can’t say whether our times are any more divisive than Williams’s or Jefferson’s, but in our time, “separation of church and state” has come to mean in the vernacular, “I just don’t talk about politics—especially at church.” That’s an incorrect definition, but with an understandable application.
We’d like to maintain our friendships. And
there are some relationships that might not stand the test of a political disagreement, even among Christian brothers and sisters. It would be a deep shame to be divided from church family members by a political issue or candidate.
So we keep quiet.
Serving an interim pastorate right now, I can honestly say, maybe it’s better for the peace of the church that we don’t discuss politics inside the church.
Talking about politics is not forbidden. And believers are needed to bring biblical truth to bear on current issues. Only endorsements are prohibited for churches claiming tax exemptions. “Separation of church and state” does not prohibit Christian engagement on the issues, if we could do it without it looking like an angry political rally.
I wish we were all mature enough to talk about the hard stuff—about morals and character and policies and preservation of life and what it means to live and behave like Jesus would in 2024.
But we’re not.
Apparently the agitated cultural ethos has so permeated the church that such discussions might not be civil. So a lot of people are simply being quiet. I guess it’s safer that way.
Eric Reed is IBSA media editor.
WELCOME
Mike Young was called as pastor of The Ridge Church in Carbondale starting Oct. 1. He previously served as pastor of New Beginnings in Streator and was instrumental in the merger of two churches to form that body. Young was also camp manager for Streator Baptist Camp and guided its revitalization across several years. With his wife, Wendi, Young served as an IMB missionary in the Czech Republic before joining IBSA.
BRIGHTER DAY
Lessons from a waiting season
Ihave a friend who is particularly good at identifying spiritual seasons in her life. With or without the benefit of hindsight, she seems to be able to “sit” in whatever season she’s currently in, while also enumerating the blessings and challenges of seasons that have passed. She told me recently of a prolonged “waiting season” she was in, when she had to trust God was at work even if she didn’t immediately see the evidence. I don’t think it was a particularly trying season, just a quiet one that lasted long enough to foster doubt if she had allowed it. In her heart, she knew God had called her to the deep purpose of living faithfully, and even to a few more pressing endeavors that were just out of reach. Thus, the waiting. I certainly can relate to waiting seasons, although I’ve not been astute enough to call it that. My waiting seasons have generally been times I’ve been too quick to give up on good, small habits. Or times when I should have relied on decades of experiencing God’s faithfulness, only to flap around wildly because I didn’t get the answer I wanted when I wanted it. Mostly, though, my waiting seasons have lacked energy. My mind and heart have taken their cues from the quiet of the season,
atrophying despite the opportunity presented by the drop in activity. But I have an inkling that waiting will mark the rest of my life, so I’d like it to count for more than just an intermission between louder seasons. With my friend’s faithful testimony ringing in my ears, here are a few ways I’m resolving to wait out a waiting season:
1. I will stay watchful. A quiet season doesn’t have to result in apathy.
2. I won’t idolize deliverance, as easy as it would be to set my mind on the next, non-waiting season.
3. I won’t go it alone. Like my friend shared her waiting season with me, I’ll look for opportunities to bear witness to God’s work.
4. I will trust the process. I’ll pray for patience and the slow growth of new fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Believing that God is author of every season, I will trust him to reveal beauty and purpose in this one.
Meredith Day Flynn is a wife and mother of two living in Springfield. She writes on the intersection of faith, family, and current culture.
Multiply Hubs
EVENTS
November 1-2
AWSOM: Girls Conference
What: Multiply IL is a collaborative space for growth and learning. This gathering will help pastors and leaders take their churches to the next level with best practices for growing, healthy, thriving churches. Explore proven strategies. Connect with passionate peers. Deepen your knowledge.
October 3 – Central West, The Journey Church, East Peoria 9 a.m.-noon
October 5 – Hispanic Chicago, Iglesia Emanuel, Aurora 9 a.m.-noon Contact: MarkMaestas@IBSA.org
October 4-5
DART Training
Where: IBSA Building, Springfield When: Friday 1-5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
What: DART (Disaster Assistance Response Training) is a cooperative effort between SEND Relief and IBDR to equip responders in providing compassionate ministry during crisis events overseas.
Cost: Free Info: IBSA.org/dr Contact: smithjen552000@yahoo.com
October 11-12
Northern Ladies Retreat
Where: Streator Baptist Camp, Streator What: An extended sabbath retreat designed for women to get away for rest, fellowship, fun, and most of all to grow in their walk with the Lord.
Cost: Friday and Saturday- $50, Saturday only- $35 Info: IBSA.org/events/northern-ladiesretreat-streator/ Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
October 21-23
Streator Men’s Bible Experience
Where: Streator Baptist Camp, Streator What: A three-day men’s Bible study into the Book of Joshua led by Dr. Michael Taylor. We’ll also have plenty of time for fellowship and fun.
Cost: $100 (includes meals, lodging) Info: IBSA.org/events/streator-mensbible-experience/ Contact: JacobKimbrough@IBSA.org
October 26
Kids Conference 2024
Where: Tabernacle Baptist Church, Decatur
What: For girls in grades 5-12 featuring solid Bible teaching, real world issues, age-appropriate breakouts, and authentic worship.
Cost: $35 per person
Info: IBSA.org/ministries/students/awsom/ Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
November 1-2
Forged: Retreat for Young Men
Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, rural Pinckneyville
What: A discipleship retreat for young men in grades 6-12 and their leaders.
Cost: $35 per person
Info: IBSA.org
Contact: TammyButler@IBSA.org
November 12-13
Thrive ’24 IBSA Annual Meeting
Where: Ashburn Baptist Church, Orland Park
What: A condensed two-day schedule with breakouts, preaching, ministry gatherings, worship, and business sessions, in the easyto-access southwest Chicago suburbs.
Cost: Free
Info: IBSAannualmeeting.org
Contact: BarbTroeger@IBSA.org
November 22-23
Youth Encounter
Where: Thelma Keller Convention Center, Effingham
What: A two-day youth evangelism weekend with Shane Pruitt, National Next Gen Director for NAMB.
Cost: $35
Info: IBSA.org/ministries/students/youthencounter/# Contact: KevinJones@IBSA.org
Send items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org
Summerville Missionary Baptist Church is seeking a pastor. The church is located at 1114 Fairfield Road in Mt. Vernon. Applicants should contact Ed Merriman at 618-315-9633 or Edmerriman9999@gmail.com.
Old Du Quoin Baptist Church seeks a bivocational Pastor. Please send resume to Pastor Search Committee, 8831 Old State Route 14, Du Quoin, IL 62832, Attn: Dale Akers
Reno Southern Baptist Church seeks a bivocational pastor. The church describes itself as small congregation in rural Illinois with an average attendance of 20 and hopes for growth. Minimum of two years of experience and education desired, but not required. Salary will be discussed upon call. Contact Richard Fones, 661 16th Avenue, Greenville IL, 62246. chaplainrick@hotmail.com
Search more church openings at IBSA.org/ pastor-search or scan this code.
Where: IBSA Building, Springfield When: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
What: Designed for all Kids Ministry leaders with insight on current, relevant topics, and the Lifeway 2025 VBS Preview. Featuring Melita Thomas, Lifeway VBS & Kids Min. Specialist, Jennie Ross, FBC O’Fallon Children’s Min. Director, and Victoria Awbrey, Special Ed. Teacher.
Cost: $10 person (Includes lunch) Info: IBSA.org/ministries/children/kidsconference/ Contact: MichaelAwbrey@IBSA.org
December 1-8
Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering
What: Southern Baptists collect an annual international mission offering to honor the late missionary to China, Lottie Moon. 100% of your gifts enable gospel transformation around the world.
Info: LottieMoon.com
see the IBSA calendar for more events. www.ibsa.org/calendar/
MEREDITH FLYNN
Shorter, sweeter
Why the new two-day format?
“It’s easier to attend for bi-vocational pastors and church volunteers.” That’s the message Corey Menken, Chair of the Committee on Order of Business, wants messengers to hear about this year’s streamlined Annual Meeting program.
Responding to feedback from messengers, the Committee and leadership of the Pastors Conference and Annual Meeting worked together to combine the gatherings into a single two-day event. The new format will deliver more opportunities for messengers and guests in a shorter timeframe.
Illinois Baptists will experience a blending of preaching, worship, and celebratory ministry reports throughout the four plenary sessions. The business sessions of the Association have been abbreviated with most occurring on Wednesday afternoon.
The greatest change is that the entirety of Wednesday morning will be dedicated to breakout sessions. Pastors and ministry leaders have the opportunity to attend two of 19 different breakouts led by national speakers like Mark Croston and Brian Croft, as well as leaders from Illinois.
And those who have the time to stay an extra day can experience a glimpse of mission and ministry in Chicagoland on Thursday morning, by joining a mini Serve Tour or prayer tour.
With more opportunities in an easier to attend schedule, the 2024 IBSA Annual Meeting promises to be a great two days.
Coming to Chicagoland
Streamlined event joins preaching, business, and missions
We’re headed back to Chicagoland for the annual gathering of Illinois Baptists. Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, one of IBSA’s newer cooperating churches, will host the 118th Annual Meeting of the Illinois Baptist State Association. The schedule for 2024 brings much of the required business action together with worship, preaching, and missions in a streamlined schedule.
Following the two-day event, November 12-13, messengers and guests are encouraged to stay over an extra day for a mini-Serve Tour in five locations and a prayer tour of church plants in Illinois’ largest mission field.
Orland Park is on the southwest side in the Chicago suburbs, with easy access from the interstate. From that perspective, it serves as a gateway to the metro area, including the city itself. The location is convenient for messengers and guests travelling from downstate.
This year’s gathering will feature five preachers, 19 breakouts for pastors and ministry leaders, a celebration marking entrance into the 100th anniversary year of both the Cooperative Program and the Baptist Faith and Message, reports from national and state missions partners, as well as shorter business sessions.
Among the featured speakers is Jeff Iorg, newly installed in a key SBC leadership role after 20 years leading Gateway Seminary. “We are really excited to give Illinois Baptists an opportunity to hear from the new SBC Executive Committee President,” said Corey Menken, Committee on Order of Business Chair. Iorg is well known in Illinois from his frequent appearances at the Midwest Leadership Summit. He also spoke at the Priority Women’s Conference.
Now he brings his leadership skills to the hub of SBC operations and to encouragement of missions support through the Cooperative Program. IBSA’s early celebration of the century mark for both CP and the Baptist Faith and Message is a preview for national observances that will peak
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Continued from page B1
at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas.
More headliners
Mark Croston, National Director of Black Church Ministries at Lifeway Christian Resources will be the featured preacher in Session 1, which begins Tuesday afternoon. Croston is author of multiple books and articles on ministry leadership. The dynamic preacher is well known to Illinois Baptists, having led breakouts at the bi-annual Midwest Leadership Summit in Springfield.
Tuesday evening marks the opening of business, with the seating of messengers and elections of IBSA President and Recording Secretary. Session 2 will feature preaching by Brian Croft of Louisville, Ky. Croft is Founder and Executive Director of Practical Shepherding. He teaches on pastoral ministry and church revitalization at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Session 3 on Wednesday afternoon will house the majority of business items, including action on IBSA committee and entity reports. The afternoon session will conclude with a message from IBSA President Michael Nave. The Lead Pastor of Cornerstone Church in Marion is serving in his second one-year term as IBSA president.
The final session on Wednesday evening will feature preaching from
Thrive ‘24
both Bruce Kirk and Jeff Iorg. Kirk currently serves as IBSA Board Chairman. He is Senior Pastor of Alpha Missionary Baptist Church in Bolingbrook, where he is leading the suburban congregation to a renewed season of community engagement and leadership development.
Music will be led by Jericho Taetz, Worship Pastor at Ashburn Baptist of Orland Park, the host church. Tommy Thompson, Lead Pastor at Ashburn and acting Pastors Conference President, said that their staff and members are excited to host a great lineup of speakers and welcome fellow Illinois Baptists to their campus in the southwest Chicago suburbs.
Breaking out
The 2024 IBSA Annual Meeting schedule also features additional missions and ministry opportunities beyond business and preaching.
Training for ministry. This year will also see the return of breakout sessions to the Annual Meeting. Instead of a morning main session, Wednesday will feature 19 breakout sessions, offering opportunities for a wide range of ministry leaders to grow and learn. The breakouts will be led by main session speakers including Brian Croft, Mark Croston, and Michael Nave, along with IBSA staff and church leaders. (See the full list on page 5.)
Especially for women. Women
What’s kolacky?
Come to the reception after the evening session on Tuesday and find out! Many of the baked goods in Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs are specialties from Eastern Europe. These tasty treats of Czech origin, from the word “kolo” meaning circle or wheel. They are filled with fruits and sometimes cheeses, but never meats. Kolacky will be a featured item at the dessert nosh, along with butter cookies and beverages, and time to visit with fellow Baptists from across Illinois.
ministry can register for a breakfast event on Wednesday morning, and Hispanic leaders have the opportunity to attend a luncheon. Wednesday will also feature the Evangelism/ Multiply lunch. This event celebrates ways God is reaching the lost through IBSA churches. It is open to any messenger or guest. Registration is required for all Wednesday gather-
Meet the speakers for the 2024 annual meeting
Brian Croft is the former Senior Pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky and is the Founder and Executive Director of Practical Shepherding, Inc. He is also Senior Fellow for the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization and an Adjunct Professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Croft has served in pastoral ministry for over 25 years, spending 17 of those years as Senior Pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church.
He has written or contributed to over 25 books to help serve pastors and church leaders on the practicalities of pastoral ministry, and trains and mentors hundreds of pastors all over the world on a weekly basis through video cohorts in partnership with the North American Mission Board. He and his wife, Cara, have four children.
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dr. Mark Croston has ministered in churches in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Virginia. He currently serves as National Director of Black Church Ministries at Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee; General Editor for the YOU Urban Bible Study curriculum; Executive Editor of Deacon Magazine; a Teaching Pastor of Christ Fellowship, Miami, Florida; and Executive Pastor of Mount
Gilead Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee. He is author or contributor to multiple books, including his most recent, Big Results: Leadership Dr. Croston has served as President and Treasurer of the National African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention; President of the Baptist General Association of Virginia; and President of the Virginia Baptist State Convention. Three years after the death of his first wife, Dr. Croston married his current wife, Brenda. This blended family has four children.
Dr. Jeff Iorg is President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. He served as president of Gateway Seminary from 2004-24, managing its relocation to Southern California, leading its rebranding, and overseeing significant institutional growth. Before his tenure at Gateway Seminary, Iorg was Executive Director of the Northwest Baptist Convention for almost 10 years, after pastorates in Oregon, Missouri, and Texas.
A native Texan, Iorg is the author of eight books focusing on biblical leadership, character development, leading through change, evangelism, and church health. He and his wife, Ann, have three children and five grandchildren.
ings and can be found at IBSAannualmeeting.org.
Chicagoland Baptists meet. Between the Tuesday afternoon and evening sessions, the Chicagoland Baptists will host their annual meeting and dinner on-site at Ashburn Baptist Church.
“We are looking forward to combining our Annual Meeting with the IBSA Annual meeting this year as it comes to Chicagoland, Nathan Carter, Chicagoland Associational Mission Strategist said. “During the dinner break on Tuesday night, Chicagoland Baptists will be having a banquet to celebrate what God has done among us this past year, look ahead to 2025, and conduct our associational business.”
Stay, pray, serve
And after the meetings end, Illinois Baptists are invited to stay over to participate in either a prayer tour or service tour on Thursday morning. The IBSA Mission team is collaborating with the Send Relief Chicago Ministry Center and the Chicagoland Baptists to provide two experiences to learn more about our Chicago mission field and the local church and ministry partners who serve there. (See more on page 5.)
There’s more information about the program, affinity ministry gatherings, and registration details at IBSAannualmeeting.org.
Bruce Kirk is Senior Pastor of Alpha Missionary Baptist Church in Bolingbrook. He spent his early years in Tennessee and Ohio, before relocating to the Chicago area in 1984. Kirk was on a trajectory of a successful career in industrial robotics when he was born again on December 28, 1989. He was baptized into the fellowship of Alpha Baptist and discipled by founding pastor, William Rorer, and began serving the church as a volunteer minister. Upon Rorer’s retirement, Kirk was installed as senior pastor of Alpha Missionary Baptist church in September of 2013. He is passionate about leading his church to reach the community and grow leaders. Pastor Kirk and his wife, Michelle, have six children and ten grandchildren.
Dr. Michael Nave is the current IBSA President and serves as lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Marion, where he has been since 2007. He was raised in Martinsville, in east-central Illinois. Nave is a graduate of Indiana State University, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has led Cornerstone to expand in reaching the unchurched and dechurched, while emphasizing gospel-center transformational preaching. Michael is married to Carol Ann, and they have five children.
19 breakouts to equip leaders
Choose two for your Wednesday morning time slots
For the Pastor
Soul care – Filling up your spiritual tank
Brian Croft
Practical, biblical wisdom for learning how to care for your own soul as a pastor, so you can thrive at caring for the souls of others.
Preparing to preach
Host: Mark Emerson
Panel: Michael Nave, Doug Munton, Derrick
Taylor
Sundays come around with amazing regularity. Life is hectic. For busy pastors, sermon prep is rarely easy. Every pastor is unique, but in this breakout you will hear a variety of practical sermon preparation techniques and ideas from a panel of respected pastors.
For the Pastor’s Wife and Women in Leadership
Help! My husband is a pastor
Judy Taylor
Many pastors’ wives look forward to this ministry role before it becomes reality and others find themselves in a reality they never dreamed would be so challenging. Find encouragement from an experienced pastor’s wife who will help you discover your unique fit and purpose as you serve Jesus and complement your husband.
Unleashing the ‘you’ God made you to be
Melody Westbrook
You are a one-of-a kind masterpiece! Lean in to your identity in Christ. God has designed you for a purpose right where you are, with the talents, strengths, abilities, personality and gifts you have.
For the Church Planter
Raising funds & resources for church planting – the nuts and bolts
Chris Conley
Most church planting is big vision on a shoestring budget. Learn practical tips from an experienced planter for finding the people, finances, and other resources you need as a new church.
Expanding your church’s missional reach by partnering with a church plant
Host: Kevin Jones
Panel: Rayden Hollis, Josh Crisp
Discover how your church can expand its missional reach and impact, whatever your its size, by creatively partnering with a church plant. Whether adopting a church planter, offering a helping hand, prayer, financial support, or being a “Sending Church,” there are many ways to be a part of what God is doing in Illinois!
For the Hispanic Church Leader
Reenfoque (Refocus – Church Revitalization & Health) – In Spanish
Nate Adams & Scott Foshie
Statistics tell us at least 80% of churches are declining or on a plateau rather than growing. This breakout will overview intentional processes for honest self-assessment and decisions that can help your church get “unstuck.”
Alcansando la proxima generacion (Reaching the next generation) – In Spanish
Graviel Hernandez and Manny Contreras
For the Hispanic church leader in America, effectively reaching the next generation poses many unique challenges. Explore those challenges with other Hispanic church leaders, and discover ways to prepare and lead your church to reach your children and grandchildren.
For the Leader in Church Health and Revitalization
Leading your church toward healthy change to reach the next generation
Paul Cooper
Many churches need to make changes, not to the message, but to the methods of how they’re trying to reach the next generation. If we’re going to reach our kids and grandkids for Jesus, we need to learn to connect with them where they are (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Explore what it might look like to let go of some of our tastes and preferences to show the next generation Jesus’ love.
Big Results Leadership
Mark Croston
Nehemiah built the walls of Jerusalem amid great opposition. Learn how to focus your faith and leadership to achieve big results.
Dealing with difficult people
Rob Peters
Every church has difficult people. It may be you! Learn to work with impatient innovators, reluctant traditionalists, and other perhaps good-hearted but challenging personalities, while continuing to lead your church forward. With patient love, understanding, and wisdom, it’s possible to lead your church to a healthier place, and bring out the unique ministry potential in everyone.
How to support your pastor in building a thriving church (for lay-leaders/members)
Rob Peters
How can church members help and encourage their pastor through needed changes in their church? Explore ways for laypeople to release preferences, tastes, traditions, and comfort for the sake of those who are far from God, and begin shifting from a mindset of expecting to be served to serving others with joy.
For the Leader of Church Ministries
Small church… big impact
Leo Endel
Based on his book, Where Do We Go From Here? - Strategic Planning for the Smaller Church, Endel overviews a simple, annual planning process that can steadily lead your church of any size from where you are to where you want to be.
Raising up leaders and staff from within Mark Maestas & Paul Westbrook
Your church’s future and best leaders may already be in your church. Discover how intentional mentoring and tools like “Leadership University” can help you develop the leaders your church needs to grow thriving ministries that will reach people and expand your church’s impact.
Breaking through barriers to Gospelcentered growth
Derrick Taylor
Each new level of spiritual growth in your church has unique obstacles to overcome. Learn what some are, and explore healthy systems that can facilitate Gospel-centered growth and breakthroughs. Learn to work with what you have to move your church to its next, Spirit-led level.
For the Leader in Missions and Evangelism
Rekindling Great Commission passion in your church
Nate Adams
Jesus’ last words before ascending into heaven are still his first priority for the church today. Learn to cast fresh vision and take practical steps in leading your church to be a Great Commission people, based on biblical unity around God’s word, and biblical cooperation in God’s history-long, world-wide mission.
Don’t be scared! Understanding Chicago Illinois’ largest mission field
Nathan Carter & Bryan Price
Chicago is really 77 neighborhoods, and each one is a nearby opportunity to make a global difference in our own backyard. The world has come to us! Let’s join Jesus on mission there.
Neighboring: Evangelism every believer can do
Daniel Nemmers
Includes ideas and personal experiences on how to help church members reach their neighbors and build an invitational and evangelistic church culture.
Big Results Sunday School
Mark Croston
For leaders biographies, visit IBSAannualmeeting.org/speaker-breakouts
Many churches have forgotten or never learned how to reach the lost and grow the church through a dynamic Sunday School. Learn how to maximize and leverage your church’s Sunday School ministry (even post-Covid!) to take your church to the next level!
Thrive ‘24
CATCH THE VISION FOR CHICAGOLAND!
Join Illinois Baptists for a mini prayer tour or serve tour after the Annual Meeting. Experience how your church can partner to help meet physical and spiritual needs in our nation’s third largest city. Learn more and register at IBSAannualmeeting.org
Prayer Tours: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
All groups will meet at 9 a.m. at Ashburn Baptist ChurchOrland Park. Load on vans and a church planter will lead a prayer tour of your registered area. All teams will wrap up with a box lunch at the Chicagoland Baptist Association. Open to all ages and families with children.
Ashburn - University of Chicago
Humboldt Park area
Rogers Park to Evanston
Austin area
United Center area
Mini Serve Tours:
Start times 9-10 a.m.
Teams will drive directly to their service locations at the assigned start time. Lunch serving projects are invited to eat lunch at their location. All others are free to have lunch on their own.
Open to all ages and families with children.
Chicagoland Baptist Association:
Arrive at 10 a.m.
Deep clean the kitchen and dormitory space.
Reborn – Overflow Coffee Ministry:
Arrive at 10 a.m.
Serve coffee alongside ministry team to clients served by Reborn Community Church.
Boxes of Blessings: Ashburn Baptist Church beginning at 9 a.m.
Organize donated items for delivery to Send Relief drop-off point.
There shall be boxes of blessing
Annual collection will help children, migrants, and church plants
Fill your boxes to the top with items our Send Chicago partners can use in their ministries and bring them to the Annual Meeting in Orland Park.
If the mission project seems familiar, it is. Previously featuring multi-colored five-gallon buckets, the collection is now called “Blessing Boxes.” The switch is because square boxes are more efficient to transport, but the goal is the same: Bless ministries with the supplies they need.
“Churches have responded so well the past two years,” said Shannon Ford, IBSA Missions Director. “We’re excited to bless some Chicago area ministries with what they need to restock their supplies as they serve needy families this fall and winter.”
The supplies list includes school supplies, diapers, wipes, hygiene items to make personal care kits, socks, half-gallon and gallon size Ziplock bags, socks, toboggan style winter hats, and gloves. (And did we mention socks! Everyone needs fresh, warm socks in the lakeshore winter.)
“We are partnering with the Send Relief ministry center in Chicago and the Chicagoland Baptist Association to provide items that their partners use to meet needs and show compassion in Christ’s name,” Ford said. Items will be distributed through the Send Relief center and partners like the Starting Point Community Church migrant ministry.
“Baptists like to collect things,” IBSA Associate Executive Director Mark Emerson once
Break Through Urban Ministries (Partner of Send Relief)
Fresh Market Pantry (7 volunteers needed to stock inventory and assist clients) Arrive at 10 a.m.
Men’s Center Lunch (10 volunteers needed to prep, cook, and serve lunch) Arrive at 9:30 a.m.
Women’s Center Lunch (10 volunteers needed to prep, cook, and serve lunch) Arrive at 9:30 a.m.
Women’s Boutique (10 volunteers needed to stock inventory and assist clients) Arrive at 10 a.m.
observed, and we’re good at it. Especially when the collection blesses children and churches and helps spread the gospel.
Check with your local Baptist Association office to pick up a box. Or bring the goods to the Annual Meeting in bags and put them in the Blessing Boxes there. IBSA staff will take care of the delivery.
An amazing century
This is a preview of the SBC’s 2025 celebration
Two big events happened in 1925. Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting in Memphis that year approved the denomination’s first statement of faith. They also created a unified system for funding global missions that has proven to be the most effective stream ever for supporting missionaries on the field advancing the gospel.
Here at the 100th anniversary of these pillars of Baptist cooperation, IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams said, “The Baptist Faith and Message facilitates multi-church unity around God’s Word. The Cooperative Program facilitates multi-church cooperation in God’s mission.”
That’s apt word picture for the two pillars that have held our denomination together and have upheld our work and for a century.
While Southern Baptists will celebrate these mainstays of our work through 2025, Baptists in Illinois get a preview at the IBSA Annual Meeting in November. Both are worth commemorating, because of their vital role in doctrinal fidelity and mission advance. We might think “everybody knows that” about both CP and BF&M, but in all honesty, they don’t.
This event is opportunity take home the message of Southern Baptists’ staying power and what’s behind it.
New churches to join IBSA
Multiple churches have expressed their desire to join the Illinois Baptist 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.
The churches will be presented for affirmation by messengers at the IBSA Annual Meeting November 12-13. They are
• College Avenue Baptist Church, Normal
• Lai Christian Church, East Moline
• Manchester Baptist Church, Manchester
• Ministerios Yahweh, Decatur*
• Redeemer Reformed, Ashley
• Redeemer Community, Minonk
• Redemption City, Rockford
• River Church, Cahokia Heights
• The Lively Stone Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago*
* to be presented pending a vote by their congregation
Thrive ‘24
Schedule highlights
Tuesday, November 12
12:00 Messenger and Guest check-in begins
3:00 Session 1
Worship
Preaching from Mark Croston FOR the Pastor prayer focus
4:45 Chicagoland Baptists
Annual Meeting and Dinner
6:30 Session 2
Worship
Credentials Committee (New and non-cooperating churches)
Election of President and Recording Secretary
Preaching from Brian Croft
Recognition of Pastor Don Sharp’s 60th anniversary
8:40 IBSA Dessert Reception
Wednesday, November 13
8:00 Minister’s Wives Breakfast; Associational Leader Breakfast
9:00 Breakout Sessions
11:45 Evangelism/Multiply Lunch; Hispanic Leaders Lunch
1:15 Session 3
Worship
Association Committee Reports
Election of Vice President and Assistant Recording Secretary Association entity reports (IBSA, BCHFS, BFI)
Preaching from Michael Nave
6:30 Session 4
Worship
Preaching from Bruce Kirk
IMB partner message
CP and BF&M 100th
Anniversary kickoff
Preaching from Jeff Iorg
Consider these nearby lodging options
Secure your lodging for the Annual Meeting. Ashburn Baptist Church is located within minutes of numerous hotels just off 159th Street and LaGrange Road, in Orland Park. All are within easy access of the dozens of restaurants and stores in this modern shopping corridor. For those coming by train, the 153rd Street Metra station is just over a mile away.
Quality Inn and Suites, Orland Park
‣ Homewood Suites, Orland Park
‣ Hampton Inn, Orland Park
‣ Hilton Garden Inn, Tinley Park
‣ Holiday Inn and Suites, Mokena
‣ Holiday Inn and Suites, Lockport
Baptist Foundation of Illinois
Serving IBSA churches and members with church loans, custodial investing, estate planning, and scholarships. Helping Illinois Baptists respond to God’s call of stewardship that and connecting them with ministry opportunities that transform the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Part of the Illinois Baptist State Association
Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services
Meeting the needs of children and families for more than 100 years, with BCHFS residential services, GraceHaven Pregnancy Resource Clinic, Angels’ Cove Maternity Home, Faith Adoption, and Pathways Counseling. Part of the Illinois Baptist State Association
Baptist Church - Orland Park