Messenger Spring 2021

Issue No. 31 | Spring 2021

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CONTENTS No. 31 • Spring 2021

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The Confirmation Journey Pastor Chris Vaught walks through action steps of confirming your calling.

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Called For His Purpose

Women’s Ministries Executive Director, Vicki Smith, and several women leaders, speak about ther calling in ministry.

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Can We Do This Better?

Restructure Task Force Chairman, Josh Carpenter gives an update on the progress of the General Baptist restructure.

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On the Cover:

The Galilea #2 church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Pictured is Pastor Miguel Ramirez (left), Pastor Óscar Barriantos (center), and Interim Executive Director Danny Dunivan (right).

Called to Plant

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National Missions Director Vince Daniel shares how the calling to plant speaks to the deepest part of your soul.

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CONTENTS 5 Our Calling 6 The Confirmation Journey 10 Vocation is for More Than Pastors 13 Called to Plan 1 8 Called for His Purpose

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23 Called in the World 31 My Calling 34 Being Called to Join God on Mission 37 Called to Stay 45 Called as a Mission Team Lead 47 Can We Do This Better?

49 General Baptists, Refocusing Our Future

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The General Baptist Messenger is published by General Baptist Ministries (General Baptist Council of Associations, Inc), under the direction of an editorial team composed of the denominational leadership team, and the Interim Executive Director.

CONTACT GENERAL BAPTIST MINISTRIES: 100 Stinson Drive | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573.785.7746 Send mailing list updates attention: info@gbmessenger.org VIEW THE MESSENGER ONLINE AT WWW.GBMESSENGER.ORG

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EDITORIAL TEAM:

Danny Dunivan Mark Powell Linda McDonough Vince Daniel Vicki Smith LAYOUT & DESIGN:

Stinson Press - Kenrick Nobles General Baptist Ministries

OUR CALLING

General Baptist Ministries sends out a weekly email update called GB News (if you are not receiving it you can sign up for it at www.generalbaptist.com). As part of that weekly update, I provide a note on my interactions with General Baptist churches. Since becoming the Interim Executive Director on August 1, I have visited more than 30 churches. Each week I am struck by the diversity among us. Each church has its own personality. One weekend I visited two different churches a short distance from one another that are both making tremendous kingdom impact, and they were on opposite sides of the traditional/contemporary spectrum. Unfortunately, some believe that some of our differences are negative forces tearing at the fabric of our identity. However, I would argue that it is those differences that lead us to fulfilling who God has called us to be for our communities and for our time. Though we are different, I have marveled to see the hearts of our churches and leaders as they focus on joining God in his mission to bring the Good News to the world. This missional focus is at the heart of who we are as General Baptists.

The foundational historical moment that led to the beginnings of our movement has often been cast as a theological break. The affirmation of the doctrine of general atonement was indeed important, but the primary concern was one of ministry effectiveness rather than mere theological correctness. Stinson broke from the other Baptists in southern Indiana because he was concerned with being able reach those far from God with the gospel (the complete story is for another time).

However, my point is that the needs of the community were the driving factors for our origins. Some faithful people saw God at work, and they were bold enough to do what was necessary to answer God’s call.

General Baptists are still responding to God’s call today! This issue of the Messenger displays some of that faithfulness.

Vince Daniel, Director of National Missions, shares about being called to plant churches.

In a preview of the theme of this year’s Mission and Ministry Summit in Owensboro, Kentucky, I share on the

theme of being “Called.”

Christiana Massey, Director of Faith Home in Honduras, shares about her journey to responding to God’s calling to missions.

Director of Women’s Ministries Vicki Smith shares the callings of several General Baptist women who are making an impact in their churches and in their communities.

Charity Julian from Oakland City University shares how missions is an important part of her calling.

Interviews with two long-term General Baptist pastors Byron Beck and Barry Cullen, showcase the faithfulness of God as individuals respond to his call to spend years in the same community.

The truth that ministry is something all God’s people are called to is highlighted in an article from Oakland City University about students who major in areas other than Christian Studies.

God’s calling among General Baptists stretches around the world. In an article showcasing some of our national workers, we hear about God’s call on the life of Dr. Sharon Castro and Miguel Rodriguez in Honduras, Joyce Porcadilla-Rubia in the Philippines, and Dr. Prakash Pamu in India.

The article from Chris Vaught, lead pastor of Connection Point Church in Jackson, Missouri, and one of our keynote speakers for the 2021 Mission and Ministry Summit, shares about how to walk alongside others as they answer the call of God upon their lives.

Finally, Josh Carpenter, the chair of the the Restructure Task Force (RTF), provides an update on the efforts to position General Baptist Ministries for fulfilling our calling into the next generation.

I hope that in these pages you will find encouragement and challenge as God calls you to join him in his redemptive mission to the world.

Grace and peace, Dr. Daniel Dunivan, interim executive director

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othing can fully prepare a person for the range of emotions felt when God places a call upon his or her life. Each call is unique and specific to the individual and comes from a personal encounter with God. The call given will carry a specific purpose concerning how God has chosen to use the believer in fulfilling a role in His Kingdom plan.

One can only imagine how Jeremiah felt when God spoke these words to him, “I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born.

I appointed you a prophet to the nations” ( Jer 1:5).

The call was specific, and Jeremiah could not doubt what his role was to be. The Apostle Paul had a similar conviction. In writing to Timothy, he encouraged believers to be prayerful and to lead a quiet life so that

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they would have opportunities to be a witness for the Gospel of Jesus. Paul states, “For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle...” (1 Tim 2:71 ).

Theologian Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones believed six traits accompany the call of God upon one’s life.

The first, and perhaps most foundational, being an inner compulsion. He explained that the call instills irresistible inner coercion that becomes dominant in one’s life. To a class of seminary students, Charles Spurgeon would say, “If you can do anything else do it. If you can stay out of the ministry, stay out of the ministry.” Why would he give such a statement? Because if the student had an authentic conviction that they were called to the ministry, no other vocation could tempt them to quit.

witnesses the matter shall be established.”

God never calls someone to affirm the calling in isolation but in the care and accountability of other believers. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that followers of Jesus recognize someone who is wrestling with the call of God then come alongside them with the support and direction necessary.

Let’s turn to the Scriptures and identify four action steps we can take to walk along with a Christ-follower on the confirmation journey.

Action Step: Reassure that God knows what He is doing.

THE CONFIRMATION JOURNEY

By Chris Vaught

Now comes the dilemma. Joy, gratitude, and excitement often accompany the call of God in a person’s heart. Yet, so does fear, insecurity, and doubt.

At the moment the call is given, a spiritual war ensues.

A battle within the soul rages between the indwelling Spirit of God and one’s own fallen human nature. Like Moses, one may doubt giftedness and value. Moses asked, “Who am I?” and proceeded to tell God why he wasn’t the right choice (Exodus 3), or such as Isaiah, one becomes keenly aware of their spiritual inadequacies and sinfulness (Isaiah 6).

Thankfully, in His wisdom and understanding, God established a principle to aid in solidifying the call of God in the heart of the one He has chosen.

Deuteronomy 19:15 says, “by the mouth of two or three

In the early stages, there is often a need for simple reassurance that God may be setting him or her apart for a specific Kingdom purpose. Like a mother Eagle who adds thorns to her nest making her eaglets uncomfortable when it’s time for them to leave the nest, God often unsettles the heart when He is calling a person to leave the comfortable and familiar and to leap in faith into the great unknown.

This was the Apostle Paul’s experience. Known at the time as Saul of Tarsus, he was struck to the ground on the road to Damascus as he encountered the resurrected Christ. The call was given, and the battle in the soul began. Blinded by the encounter, Saul makes his way to a God-ordained encounter with Ananias. As Ananias enters the room where Saul sat in the darkness, he places his hands on Saul’s shoulders and says to him, “Brother Saul...”(Acts 9:17). How powerful were the words of reassurance that he was indeed accepted by Christ into the family!

Now, what Ananais did next is crucial. He didn’t tell Saul what his calling was, he simply encouraged him in the LORD and allowed the Holy Spirit to settle the matter in Saul’s soul.

Action Step: Give Support, Not Confirmation.

The temptation is to try and ease the fears and answer all the questions for the one wrestling with the call. Don’t give in to that temptation. Jacob wrestled all night with the angel. Had the match

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ended too soon, Jacob would not have experienced his full transformation into Israel. Wrestling may be uncomfortable to watch in someone’s life, but it is necessary.

Remember, only God can place a calling upon a life. The late Dr. Adrian Rogers stated, “If I can talk you into something, someone else can talk you out of it.”

The call is unique to the person. Everyone called into ministry for Christ does not have the same calling. Paul explained this to the church in Corinth and wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Cor 3:6).

I was just a teenager when I sensed the call of God upon my life for pastoral ministry. I went to two men of God that I highly respected for words of wisdom. Both men, the Rev. Roy Loney and the Rev. Roger Wright, each in their way, encouraged me in alignment with the words of 2 Peter 1:10, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;” (NKJV).

Dr. Lloyd-Jones said, “Preachers are born, not

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made. This is absolute. You will never teach a man to be a preacher if he is not already one.” Only God has the right to convince a person of his or her unique calling.

Action Step: Encourage Further Devotion After Ananias’ encounter with Saul, the Bible gives us little detail for the next three years of his life other than he went to Arabia. It was there that he stated he was taught the Gospel by a revelation of Jesus Christ Himself (Galatians 1:11-12, 17-18).

Paul learned an invaluable truth: The call is not to something, but to someone! Many have made the mistake of confusing the call with a career, instead of a life of devotion to Christ Himself. If a person gets this wrong, he or she ends up looking more like a Pharisee protecting personal status and traditions than a disciple devoted to the purpose of Jesus. In Acts Chapter 13, when the Holy Spirit called Saul to become the great missionary and church planter we know as Paul, he was living out his devotion with other believers praying, fasting, and worshipping Christ.

Action Step: Offer Opportunities to Serve When Saul came back to Damascus following his three years of seminary in the desert with the Holy Spirit, he immediately looked for opportunities to serve in his calling. He did not have a position or title; he simply had the burden of his calling. Acts 9:20 tells us that he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues.

Week after week, Saul shared how Jesus was indeed the Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament Scriptures. The Pharisee was now the preacher. Even when his life was threatened, Paul’s call was not quenched.

Opportunities to serve were crucial for me at the time I was wrestling with the call. The men at Leigh’s Chapel General Baptist Church, led by Pastor Wright, approached me with the simple task of helping direct parking on Homecoming Sunday. Now, nearly thirty years later, I still can recall the feeling of affirmation I felt as a teenager getting to serve on such a special day.

The other opportunity that the Holy Spirit used for me came at the church pastored by Rev. Loney. Once

he knew that I sensed God’s call, he invited me to do a short devotion every Sunday evening at the beginning of the worship service. Surely the LORD had mercy upon the ears of those sweet people sitting in the pews as they smiled and nodded at my attempts to exegete the Scriptures.

I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world! However, we must remember that the church is not a building, but a people. The Church is ecclesia, the called-out assembly of individual men and women with unique callings to serve. May we become so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that as He calls certain ones from among our assembly for specific purposes that we will come alongside them with prayer, fasting, and encouragement like the Church in Antioch did the night Saul and Barnabas were called. * All Scriptures referenced are from the Christian Standard Version (CSB) unless otherwise noted.

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VOCATION IS FOR MORE THAN PASTORS Oakland City University

Why should a student not intending to become a pastor pursue a degree at a Christian university?

One word . . . vocation!

A vocation is different from a career in that a vocation comes from a sense of larger purpose and in response to a calling. As Christians, all of our activities should be in response to the call of God. A calling to ministry is not exclusive to pastors or missionaries. In scripture, the word ministry has at its root the idea of Christian service. A minister is one who serves others in the name of God. Such a definition of ministry means that it is for all Christians, rather than for a specific few. As Martin Luther said, “All Christians are called to the ministry at their baptism.” Being called and being ministers of the gospel is part of the basic equipment of being a follower of Jesus. Scripture reminds us that all of our activity should be done as for the Lord. Whatever our career choices, our work is to be carried out as work for God.

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We should take our lives in the workplace as an opportunity to serve God and witness to the good news, making God present in whatever situation and whatever circumstance we encounter. Teachers, counselors, business owners, scientists, lawyers, accountants, data analysts, computer programmers, office administrators, law enforcement officers, and individuals in hundreds of other jobs are ministers of the gospel, even if they are not pastors. While a career in one of these areas is rarely officially connected to the church, Christians are called by God to carry their calling into all areas of life. All of the work of the people of God is about vocation!

Since its charter in 1885, Oakland City University has been known for training students for ministry. Training for pastoral ministry was an essential reason that the institution was founded. However, even in the early days of the school, programs besides those to prepare

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pastors were offered to provide quality education for other vocations. For example, OCU is wellknown as a place for training educators, and it has been since the early 20th century. Today, the undergraduate programs at OCU are offered in many areas including business administration, early childhood education, biology, human resources, communications, history, marketing, English, mathematics, operations management, and physical education. Graduate programs are also offered in education and in business. All of this is in addition to the undergraduate and graduate programs offered in the Chapman School of Religious Studies and the Chapman Seminary.

Students who are looking to pursue one of these kinds of programs in college should explore the option of taking the program at a Christian university. Some important aspects of vocational training are only available from a Christian institution. We believe that a university must educate the whole person to prepare students for the ministry in whatever their vocation. Other institutions may prepare students for careers. A Christian university like OCU prepares students for more. We prepare students to fulfill their God-given calling. As a result, all aspects of the student’s preparation are addressed, including their preparation for service to others. Even as students are pursuing degrees in areas like psychology, criminal justice, accounting, or elementary education, they are also doing so in a Christian environment. They are learning about Christian beliefs and ethics. They are challenged to think about calling as well as career preparation. They are encouraged to seek God’s truth in all of life’s questions. In short, a degree at Oakland City University is about preparing the whole person for ministry in whatever their vocation.

For more information about the programs and degrees offered at Oakland City University, visit www.oak.edu

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CALLED TO PL ANT

By Vince Daniel, Director of National Missions

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t was a Tuesday. I had been fighting the call to preach for nearly a year. I moved states. I blamed my wife. I couldn’t keep a job. I was running, and it was obvious to everyone but me. But that night, that Tuesday night, in Mountain Home, Arkansas, God spoke so clearly through an evangelist. He had just marched around the entire church. He was stomping and wiping sweat from his face and the pages of his Bible.

Then he stopped right at the pew I was sitting at, looked at me and asked a question I didn’t have a real answer to: “Why aren’t you preaching?”

And everything changed. I fell to the floor in repentance to God for running, and at the end of the night I stood and proclaimed, “If God wants me to preach, I will preach!” Within two days, I received my first call to fill in at a church about an hour from our home. Within six weeks I was a full-time pastor at a church in Melbourne, Arkansas, where my ministry started.

I know this article is titled “A Call to Plant,” but I need to assure you that I know what it means to be called, to have something speak so deeply to your soul that there is nothing else you can imagine doing.

It was eight years after that initial call that I felt it again. My family and I were in an established church that was growing and doing well. We had been the pastor for 3 years, and God had done

I knew God had called us, but I wasn’t sure of what all He had placed in us to complete the task.

That may be where some of you are right now. You sense that God is moving in a radical way in your heart to plant or do something different, but your just not sure. I want to lay out what we call some non-negotiables in church planting.

After each one will be some definers for each attribute.

1. Visioning capacity

some amazing things while we were there. But I was struggling, not with my ministry or my marriage. Both were thriving! I was struggling with an ache in my heart for an area that was dear to me. We had driven through north central Arkansas a few weeks earlier, and God, as only he can do, broke my heart. I couldn’t sleep or find peace. As a result, we resigned at the church. It didn’t make sense to those that knew us.

In fact, it didn’t make sense to us.

We had resources, facilities, people and opportunity. But God called, and we had to listen. In the next year, we learned a lot in regard to planting a church (I am not being completely honest. We didn’t know a thing!). With $1200, a used sound board, and borrowed chairs from every church that would send any, we opened Real Life Church.

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Can you see what WILL BE there? This quality is THE required element to planting a church. The people you reach will follow it. Your ministry will be focused and effective because of it. It is so critical. Just to be fair, it is also the portion that makes you sound just a little crazy to those around you. I can remember painting a wall in our first building and the person painting with me said, “I can’t wait till we have 40 people here on a Sunday.” I didn’t know how to respond to the statement, because I already knew that God was about to show up in a mighty way. You have to see what God is going to do. Here are some things to help you know…

• being a person who projects into the future beyond the present • developing a theme which highlights the vision and philosophy of ministry • persuasively selling the vision to the people • approaching challenges as

opportunities rather than obstacles • coping effectively with non-visioning elements • not erecting artificial walls or limits either overtly or subconsciously • establishing a clear church identity related to the theme and vision • believing in God’s capacity to do great things

2. Intrinsically motivated I’ve heard that integrity can be defined as, “who you are when no one is watching.” I tend to use the word GRIT. There are no teams to start, you will not have a staff. Are you able to get after it so that the above-mentioned Vision gets accomplished? Before facing Goliath, David asked, “Is there not a cause?” We know God gave the victory, but David had an intrinsic motivation to fight for his cause. Do you?

• have a desire to do well and a commitment to excellence

• have stick-to-itiveness and persistence • have initiative and aggressiveness without the negative connotations • have a willingness to work long and hard • have the qualities of a self-starter with a willingness to build from nothing • have a high energy and vitality level; physical stamina

3. Creates ownership of ministry When casting vision, the vision must be compelling so that people want to go with you. When they come with you, you must create in them the knowledge that this is as much their mission as it is yours. People will also invest (time, talent and treasure) in what they have a part in. Church planters don’t just point the way, they lead the charge. Who will you take with you?

• helping people to “buy in” and feel responsible for the growth and success of the church

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• gaining commitment of the people to the vision • establishing a congregational identity • avoiding stereotyping of congregation by imposing unrealistic goals for which it cannot claim ownership

4. Relates to the unchurched Jesus came to save those that are lost. Our commission in the gospel is to go, evangelize, and disciple. You must have the ability to be comfortable with the lost in order to reach them. I know for me, this took some homework. All of my relationships were with church people. It is incredibly hard to lead someone to Jesus that has known Him since childhood. Can you get outside your walls?

• communicating in a style that is understood by the unchurched • understanding the “psychology” or mentality of the unchurched

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• moving and functioning in the “personal space” of the unchurched without fear • quickly getting to know the unchurched on a personal level • breaking through the barriers erected by the unchurched • handling crises faced by the unchurched

5. Spousal cooperation This one may seem like a no-brainer. “Pastor Vince, Where the Lord leads, my spouse will follow!”

I am sure your spouse loves you and wants the best for the ministry God has called you to, but have a real conversation about the loneliness of planting a church.

You will need your spouse in this season in ways that you cannot imagine. Your spouse will be your sounding board, your defender, and at times the only one that believes in you. Make sure they are on board.

• having an explicit agreement regarding each

partner’s respective role and involvement in ministry • having explicit rules regarding the use of home as an office • evaluating the consequences of ministry demands upon the children • functioning as a team through individual and collective action • having a strategy for dealing with strangers • modeling wholesome family life before church and community • agreeing upon and sharing the ministry vision • deliberately planning and protecting private family life

I hope that these points are informational, but more than that I pray something ignites in your heart to step out, to ask the next question, to hear the Call to Plant.

Maybe you’ve seen others and thought, “I can’t do it.” Or you’ve been burdened about an area and thought, “It doesn’t need another church.” These are common lies the enemy tells every planter or person seeking to step into the adventure of planting. Well, you are capable of more than you know, and if there are people that do not know Jesus the local church is still Plan A.

GENERAL BAPTIST INVESTMENT FUND I N T R O D U C E S

TRENT HOLCOMB Trent will assume the position of President for GBIF with the retirement of Steve Naff. Trent has served on the GBIF board for 8 years. He graduated from Arkansas State University with a finance degree in 1991. He has owned and operated his own independent insurance agency in Piggott, Arkansas since July 1997. He and Michelle have been married almost 30 years and they have 2 children Abigail and Benjamin. Trent and Michelle were members of Piggott First General Baptist Church for several years. Trent served as a deacon, was part of their praise and worship team and they were in charge of the SR High Youth for several years. God is currently opening new doors and directions in their lives.

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CALLE D FOR

HIS PURPOSE

By Vicki Smith,Women’s Ministries Executive Director

“Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” - 2 Timothy 1:9 Merriam-Webster defines the word calling as “a strong impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence”. I sometimes have felt that the phrase “I feel called to do it” has been used flippantly and many times without real thought. I do not know how many times a woman has come to me and said, “I really feel called to do this” and maybe 6 months later says that she does not feel called in that area anymore.

I guess we could spend countless hours discussing what it truly means to be called. Calling for each of us is different and it comes in different forms. And yes, God does move us from one service area or “calling” to another. There is a passage of scripture that in my mind sums it all up. Isaiah 6:8 “Here I am Lord, Send Me”.

I ran across a quote by the author Emilie Barnes that says “Instead of thinking of the will of God why not think of it as I will. God, I will do whatever you desire me to do.”

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will of God. Some have stepped out of the box and have or are serving in some areas that have made them true pioneers in the denomination. Others have served in very traditional ways, while still others are unsung heroes serving quietly behind the scenes but faithfully answering God with “I will”. They cover a broad spectrum of ages and live in varying demographic areas.

Their experiences are varied. Some I have known for a long time and are close friends. Some are colleagues that I have served alongside at some time or another.

Some I have known only for a short time, but I am so thankful that God caused our paths to cross.

In 1911 Asenath Brewster responded to God with “I will”. To date over 100 women have answered with “I will” and have gone to serve on one of our General Baptist mission fields. Over one-fourth of those going as a single woman.

I hope that as you read about these seven women you will be as touched by their testimonies and as blessed as I am by their faithfulness. I also pray that you will be inspired to search for the “I WILL” in your life.

Amanda Ball-Knight

Pauletta Yarbrough

Amanda is the founder of “She’s Seeking Jesus Ministries” while fulfilling the duties of pastor’s wife, mom, and foster mom. Amanda refers to herself as just another ordinary girl from a small town. She has a passion to follow Jesus and to share His love with all that she encounters. She has been in ministry for two decades and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Theology and Psychology. Her husband is Rev. Joe Knight, and he pastors First GB Church in Madisonville, Kentucky. At age 16 Amanda felt God’s calling on her life and she has pursued that calling to lead women to find their God-given purpose. Amanda currently serves on the Women’s Ministries board and facilitates a local group of women entitled “Connection, Coffee and Conversation”. Amanda is also the author of several books. Thank you, Amanda, for answering God’s call.

Pauletta is a native of Kentucky and cannot remember a time when she was not in church. She accepted Jesus as her savior when he was nine years old and at the age of thirteen began to recognize God’s calling on her life. At that time, she dedicated her life in service to Him. She states that camp Allen had a huge impact on her life. She and her husband Curt have pastored several churches in their ministry career.

Upon feeling the calling of missions in her life she has made a total of fifteen trips to Honduras. She laughingly says that she has done everything in churches except for preaching. Pauletta is currently leading worship at redeeming Love GB Church in Clay, Kentuckyy. Her favorite scripture is Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” and her prayer is 1 Chronicles 4:10. Her life is a testimony to these verses.

Carol Lawrence Carol and her husband Dennis of 37 years live in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Carol has worked with General Baptist ministries for 18 years and is a member of Fellowship GB church in Poplar Bluff. When she sensed God calling her to service, she really could not imagine what that meant. Over the years Carol has tried to say yes to whatever He asks of her. Carol’s real passion is sharing God’s word. She shares that she is happiest when she is studying and can share with others what God has revealed to her through scripture. Carol has a gift of teaching and has used and continues to use that gift in leading women’s Bible studies at Fellowship.

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Lisa Vaught Lisa and her husband Dr. Chris Vaught currently serve at Connection Point Church in Jackson, Missouri. where Chris is pastor. Lisa remembers as a young child playing a song by Cleatus Bowman entitled “I’ll Serve You”, many times listening to it as she fell asleep. She knew then that God was calling her to service. She shares “He knew I would live that face-planting event, so He made sure I had His promise of sufficient grace etched on my heart, so I’d get up and serve Him with the rest of my life”. Lisa shares her gift by writing Sunday school lessons for Stinson Press. Her passion is women’s ministries where she leads Bible studies and organizes church and community events.

Just recently she has stepped out in faith and has launched a community-wide Christian book club desiring to impact women during the winter season.

Bonus Video Content!

Watch one of Lisa’s presentations.

Find this, and all Messenger Bonus Videos, on the General Baptist Vimeo Channel. https://vimeo.com/526138575

Tammy Scheller

EddiMarie Julian

Tammy and husband Doug of over 41 years live in Princeton, Indiana where she pastors the Enon GB church. She has served in that capacity for 13 ½ years.

God began speaking a calling to her in 1997. After 3 years of prayer, searching scriptures, and seeking counsel, God clarified that calling was a call to preach.

She enrolled in seminary in 2000 and graduated in 2005. God has taken her life-long love for the church and the gifts that He has given her in communication and has given her great joy in serving Him. In 2007 she began her pastorate at Enon. During her time there she has served as lead pastor, co-pastor, and now as parttime pastor. Tammy is dedicated to her calling and will continue to preach as long as God continues to call her to serve in that way.

EddiMarie was born and grew up in southern Indiana. She does not ever remember a time that she did not know Jesus. At the age of 9, she accepted Jesus as her savior. Several years later a missionary from Africa came to her church and she felt certain at that time that she would end up as a missionary in Africa.

She laughingly says that within weeks she realized that her Africa was spelled California. EddiMarie has served faithfully at Herald GB in Modesto, California where she is currently minister of music. She has always been a willing servant and has served in any capacity needed. Over the years she has served on denomination committees and presently serves on the board of trustees for Oakland City University. Her newest role will be that of Women’s Ministries region director for the California region.

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Mindy Pinckney Mindy describes herself as a small-town girl from Ava, Missouri. Mindy and her husband Tanner are the parents of three children where she teaches at Ava School District as well as Associate Pastor at Life Church. She labels herself as a teacher and preacher and says she does not know how you can separate the two. On October 1, 2009, she answered the call to preach. She describes it as being scary, unexpected, and unaccepted. But God is good. Over the past 10 years, she has remained true to that calling. Her passion is to help others “do life through Christ”. She shares, tongue in cheek, that she thought she was to be the next Beth Moore. But God had other plans.

Her eyes have been opened to a disconnected generation that needs the gospel. She desires to follow God’s calling to spread the gospel to those around her.

Bonus Video Content!

Watch Mindy bring a message from the virtual Women’s conference.

Find this, and all Messenger Bonus Videos, on the General Baptist Vimeo Channel. https://vimeo.com/526240090

There are hundreds of women serving in our General Baptist churches. They are all servants in the true sense of the word. As you know it would be impossible to name all of them, so I have chosen to highlight just a few of these extraordinary women of God. Take just a few minutes of your prayer time to

thank God for those women in your churches that have contributed hours to the ministry. You might even consider thanking them personally. They have remained true to their calling and have without a doubt answered with “I WILL”.

2021

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WOMEN’S MINISTRY

In 1998 God planted a v ision in the hearts of General Bapt ist to begin t he minist r y we k n o w a s Fa i t h H o m e .

I n Fe b r u a r y o f 1 9 9 9 Fa i t h H o m e r e c e i v e d t heir f irst children. In t he past 22 years hundreds of children have benef ited from t h e Fa i t h H o m e M i n i s t r y.

Wo m e n ' s M i n i s t r i e s h a v e c h o s e n Fa i t h Home as t he banner cause for 2021. Child sponsorships, education costs which include t uit ion, unifor ms and supplies as well as healt h expenses are a few of t he needs t hat we hope to be able to help w it h.

In 2021 all monies generated from the follow ing w ill go to suppor t t he Banner Cause: • Wo r l d D a y o f P r a y e r • Summit Of fer ing • Inside Out Of fer ing • A senat h Brewster Chr ist mas Of fer ing

Banner Cause

FAITH HOME, HONDURAS

GE NERAL BA PT I ST N ATIO NA L YO U TH CO NF E RE NCE

JUNE 11-13, 2021 LAKE WILLIAMSON CHRISTIAN CENTER CARLINVILLE, ILLINOIS

Host

Jeff Roth

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Worship

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G

od is a work in the lives of His people. We have a collection of His work in the lives of people in the pages of the Bible. We have assembled in this Messenger further evidence that God continues to call people to particular places of service. This article reminds us that it is not only here in the United States that He is at work in the lives of His followers but around the world as well. International Missions asked four of our many faithful co-laborers to share their story of International Missions calling for this Messenger. The first two of these come from Honduras where missionary Rodney Walls gathered, translated, and edited the callings of Pastor Miguel Ramirez and Dr. Sharon Castro. The others come from the Philippines and India with General Baptist Bible College President Dr. Joyce C. Porcadilla-Rubia sharing her calling and Pastor Dr. Prakash Pamu in India.

CALLED IN THE WORLD

Pastor Miguel Ramirez with Dr. Rodney Walls The depth of success of mission work rests in the development and equipping of nationals. The mission of making disciples for Christ in Honduras has been greatly blessed with a host of Hondurans who serves Christ as General Baptists. Our General Baptist movement today would not be where it is without the sacrificial service of Pastor Miguel Ángel Ramirez Padilla. Foremost, Miguel is a pastor and has a pastor’s heart.

“In January 1996, the Lord called me to His vineyard as a pastor. This was a new experience for me and my family. I did not know how to do it, but I prayed to the Lord, and He began to move the lives of the people in the community of Canchias, Comayagua, where I was born. It was very nice to see the spiritual movement in the church as my family and I worked with the ladies, gentlemen, young people, and children.

“One day in January 2005, I was praying in the early morning and God spoke to my spirit and said, ‘tell the church that you are not a permanent pastor in this place. I’ll take you somewhere else.’ That night I said exactly what God told me to the church. The brothers of the church were saddened by the news, as they were accustomed to our work as pastors.

“While in Canchias (my birthplace), I met an American missionary, Marvin Hech, and his wife Benjamina. They moved to Santa Cruz de Yojoa. While I lived in Yojoa, they visited me and on one of their visits, they talked to me about Faith Home. Brother Marvin knew David Kelle and his wife Marta. He told me that Faith Home needed a pastor. I was already praying, but I didn’t know where the Lord was going to take me. After three months of praying, Marvin (my friend) talked to me again about Faith Home, so I understood that it was God’s will for me to move somewhere else.

“Then I got a call from brother David Kelle, and I met with brother David. I was hesitant to apply because

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 23

I have five children, and I thought it impossible. But Brother David hired me. My family and I were a little sad because we had to leave Yojoa Church, but also excited to be able to come and serve at Faith Home.”

On June 1, 2005, Miguel and his family began working at Faith Home. He and his wife Eduarda served as house parents, and he was campus pastor until 2018 when he transitioned to the lead instructor in the recently re-opened Honduras Bible Institute (HBI). Miguel and his family continue to minister at Faith Home in a variety of capacities along with his responsibilities to the Church Planting ministry. Miguel is also the president of the pastor’s association and provides leadership and guidance to all our churches and pastors. He has two theological degrees, but most importantly, Miguel is a strong man of faith and a willing servant to do whatever the LORD leads him to be. Today, the church ministry is thriving and that is due in part to Miguel’s willingness to serve God as a General Baptist.

Dr. Sharon Castro with Teresa Walls

As a child, I always thought that I would be a lawyer or teacher, but never a doctor.

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The development of the medical ministry in Honduras since 2016 has been nothing short of amazing to see how God has opened doors and blessed in so many ways. One of the greatest blessings to date is Dr. Sharon who began ministering here in June of 2017. She is a good doctor with a caring heart that goes above and beyond, but most importantly she is a strong Christian woman of deep faith. She could work in other places, but she feels called to minister here.

Her journey is a spiritual journey of obediently following the Lord’s leading. She wrote, “It was not in my plans to be a doctor. As a child, I always thought that I would be a lawyer or teacher, but never a doctor.

But, when God has a purpose for you, if you let Him and give Him the keys to your life, God will guide you down the best path and let you know that dreams can be fulfilled.

“My family and I did not have the economic means for me to be able to study and to have an expensive university career to be a doctor. However, once again God intervened on my behalf. My mother, full of faith

(left) Pastor Miguel leads weekly Bible study and prayer. (below) Dr. Sharon ministers at Mission Bautista General, both spiritually and physically. (bottom) Dr. Sharon and Teresa hold the Sanitary License for the Clinica Misiòn Bautista in preparation for opening. (opposite page top) Pastor Miguel performing a baptism in the ocean.

and empty pockets, believed that God would provide for my studies. She worked very hard to give me this opportunity and God did not abandon us along the way.

“One morning as I was getting ready for college God spoke to me through Psalm 32.8. ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.’ This helped me to believe once again that God would be with me on this journey.

“There are so many things I could tell you about how beautiful it is to serve God and to be a doctor for Mision Bautista General. It is not just a job. It is an opportunity that God has given to me to share the message of salvation and hope to all the people that I see. It is good to see how God has worked for the children of Faith Home, and I know that they are under the care of the Almighty God. It is a blessing for me to be here!”

Dr. Sharon and I are excited to see how God is going to use the medical ministry to change lives. As God opened the door for Sharon to be a doctor, God opened the door for her to be a doctor here! May God continue to use Dr. Sharon and this ministry to touch the lives of many.

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My Calling by Dr. Joyce Porcadilla-Rubia A couple of months after my college graduation, I found myself at the Registrar’s office of the law school I was prepared to attend. I always wanted to become a lawyer. Well, it was my Dad who wanted me to become one. I don’t know what happened but just as I was ready to hand in all my documents, I suddenly had cold feet about it. I told the Registrar that I would just come back on another day. I went home told my dad about it. He was a little upset, but I told him that I might just look for a job and maybe wait for another year before going to law school.

I landed a job in the corporate world. It was like my dream job that entailed office work and a lot of traveling, adventure, exploring. I had the best days of my life as a young professional then. Perks and benefits, salaries, daily allowances were unimaginable and irresistible. I had the time of my life. Promotion came one after the other. And yes, because I had most of the things I wanted to experience in life, I somehow forgot my dream to become a lawyer.

It was in April 2004, our GBIM Director that time, Jack Eberhardt, came to the Philippines for a visit. We had a casual conversation about the nature of my job.

He asked me, “Is that what you want to do for the rest of your life, sell candy bars?” I was quite offended by the question. I was working in the country’s leading snack food company, but my job wasn’t in the actual selling.

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He further asked me if I wanted to do something for Jesus, which in my mind I thought I was already doing something for Jesus.

In August 2004, I was on board a plane to the US. I was traveling to the unknown not knowing what I was getting myself into. I gave up my career, left my family and friends and the comfort of my life to pursue my master’s degree in the US. Some people thought that I was not giving up my good life because I was going to the states for a better life. There were days that I would think whether giving up my life in the Philippines was worth it all. But I persevered and finished my studies.

I was so excited to come home in December 2005, not expecting that I would end up at the General Baptist Bible College. This was not my dream. Never in my

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I would have never imagined that even though I had to give up the comforts of my life… God has allowed me to discover the secret of contentment.

28 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

wildest imagination did I ever think that I would be here. It took me a while to be convinced that this is where God wants me to be. I had to start from scratch. I was shocked during the first few months and even in the early years to know the atmosphere, environment, and culture was a lot different from what I expected.

Before my first term ended in December 2010, I spoke to my dad telling him that I might not sign up for another term at GBBC. I felt I needed to step up for our family. My brother was in his first year of medical school, and it was financially demanding. My dad was also having some health concerns. I just wanted to take care of him, let him rest, and not work anymore. But a few weeks later my dad was rushed to the hospital and his health started to deteriorate, which led to his sudden demise on January 30, 2011. At the ICU, when all the monitors went to zero, all I could hear was God speaking to me telling me, “You are not going anywhere, Joyce. Do you want to take care of your dad?

Here, let me take care of him.”

At that very moment, God gave me peace and let me understand my calling. God gave me a vision.

He gave me a humble heart. He gave me the wisdom to discern things. He gave me the perseverance to survive all those, and he gave me courage, boldness, and the political will to make necessary changes.

There was much resistance at first. The process was never easy, but by God’s daily sufficient grace, love and mercy, He allowed me to endure. Changes then happened. There are still constant transitions, but at least there’s movement. There’s growth. There’s a positive transformation. He also allowed me to grow and develop myself, enhance my skills. He even allowed me to see the world and be a leader where I can serve people, love people, and make an impact in the lives of so many people of all ages from all walks of life not just here in the Philippines but around the world.

Now I realize that God was preparing me through everything that God allowed me to experience in the corporate world, everything that I experienced in the States, including my experiences as a missionary kid growing up on Saipan and a pastor’s kid. All these were God’s ways of preparing me to be where He wants me

to be so that I can appreciate and enjoy the life that he has prepared me to live, and that is a life of contentment here at GBBC. I would have never imagined that even though I had to give up the comforts of my life, even though I lost my dad, even though I had to experience so much hurt, even though I had to sacrifice and let go of my desires, God has allowed me to discover the secret of contentment.

It has been 15 years now since God called me here at GBBC. I don’t know how long He wants me here, and I don’t have a clue as to what lies tomorrow but I know who holds my future. In gratitude and obedience I can say, where he leads me, I will follow.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (New International Version)

“If He gives me healing and life I will live for Him and serve Him.”

This is My Story by Dr. Prakash Pamu This is my story about how I was called by God to do the present ministry for the Lord Jesus Christ through General Baptists.

I was an Indian Government veterinary doctor who became a servant of the Lord by His calling. “Preach the Gospel to the poor” (Luke 4:18) and the Great Commission (Mark 16:15) are the two bible verses that inspired and motivated me and my family to do this ministry.

I did a master’s in veterinary science, and then while working for the government I became sick with cerebral malaria coupled with jaundice in 1997. I was so sick that all my family, the doctors, and even myself thought I might die.

On the hospital bed, I prayed to the Lord Almighty, “If He gives me healing and life I will live for Him and serve Him.” The Lord healed me miraculously.

Though I was working for the government, I used to assist Pastor Raj (my father-in-law and founder of the India Association) in the ministry. Preaching and helping the poor whenever I got the opportunity. During that time, I received a Master of Divinity (M.Div.). All the expenses for the M.Div. were met by General Baptist International under the leadership of Rev. Jack Eberhardt. It was an opportunity to study and learn the word of God. I am grateful for all the General Baptists who helped us through their generosity. God was at work preparing us for His ministry.

In 2005 when pastor Raj was called to be with the

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 29

Lord, Rev. Jack came to India and offered our family the chance to continue the ministry work under one condition—I would need to resign from my job. In reality, it was a big decision. I would give up a secure job (until 60 years of age), with a good salary, and a good pension until my death, that my wife would then assume until her death. I had a great job, social status, and good financial security, but Christ’s love called us to do His work. At that time our family decided to sacrifice the riches of this world to inherit the heavenly riches. We made a decision. I resigned from my job, and accepted God’s call, and committed to doing His ministry.

I was born and brought up in a village where many poor people were living around us. I made this decision because I had a passion to help the poor and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not me, really; our Lord Jesus called me and placed me here in this ministry on behalf of the General Baptists. I believe it is a God-given opportunity to serve Him. Here I should mention and remember the very kind-hearted Mrs. Mrudubhashini, wife of pastor Raj and my mother-in-law, who has Christ-like love and a compassionate heart toward the poor and needy. She also motivated me and my wife Jemima to continue the General Baptist ministry by serving the poor and

reaching the lost.

To conclude, I am a postman delivering the medicine sent by God with the generous and sacrificial help of our General Baptist family to reach the lost and to heal the people from their spiritual sickness.

We thank all our General Baptist saints for providing us this wonderful opportunity. We are serving Jesus Christ by doing little things to make a difference in the lives of people and win them for Christ by reaching and serving the people in their need.

Furthermore, we praise and thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His work in our lives. I humbly request that you please continue to pray for this blessed ministry.

Four compelling stories of God’s gracious calling on the lives of people that He would choose to use in significant ways—in ways that would result in a significant increase in the population of heaven.

But these are just the tip of the iceberg of the many hundreds that He has called in Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Guam, Saipan, Philippines, Japan, India, and West Africa. Hundreds of faithful Christfollowers have simply said “Yes” to the call of God on their lives.

Pastor Prakash presents a Bible to one of the young women congregants.

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MY CALLING

By Christina Massey, Mission Lead at Faith Home in Honduras

I

grew up in a Christian home with loving parents and two beautiful sisters. I am so very thankful for my family and the things that they instilled in me throughout my life. They always encouraged me to be myself, while giving me advice and loving me unconditionally. My family is a huge part of my calling.

I was grounded in all the basics of church and being a Christian, and was saved at a young age. It wasn’t, however, until I was an adult that I truly understood and developed a relationship with God. From that relationship, I have embarked on an incredible journey with God. A calling to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission, taking God’s love to the ends of the earth.

A calling that drew me to Honduras.

Reflections from my journals....

September 2002: My first mission trip was to Choluteca, Honduras. I realized quickly, that I was out of my comfort zone, things don’t always go as planned and I had to totally and completely depend on God to do anything there. I thought that I went to ‘help people,’ but the things God taught me that week through the Hondurans and my teammates impacted the path of my future more than even I realized at the time. My prayer at the end of the week was “Lord, help me to not be satisfied with my comfortable life any longer. Use me to reach others for you.”

September 2003: I hadn’t intended to go back to Honduras. Through a chain of events and against many odds, I ended up going. It was during that trip, I prayed for the first time ‘Lord, show me how to best serve you.

I surrender all. Here I am, send me.” (I was praying for direction in my life as to where to best serve.)

Captions

“Lord, help me to not be satisfied with my comfortable life any longer. Use me to reach others for you.”

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 31

2004-2011: Several more mission trips and repeated opportunities to see God’s miracles, make incredible friends and be a part of His movement in Honduras. Each trip taught me more about God, made me love the Hondurans even more and left me less satisfied with my ‘comfortable life.’

One journal entry reveals “I love it here. I love the culture and the enthusiasm with which they worship. I could stay here forever.”

In my journal, I also wrote about how blessed I am and how I want to use those blessings for God’s glory.

“Lord, I put my life in your hands. I give it all to you.

Show me your will and I will follow.”

February 2010: As I sat praying in front of the team house at Faith Home in Honduras, looking up at the surrounding mountainside, I once again prayed ‘Here I am Lord, send me.’ I clearly heard Him say to me ‘If you really are willing to go where I send you, then get ready. Sell your house and get things in order.

Get ready to go.”

I’d like to say that I ran home, sold my house and immediately followed God to where He was leading me, but I didn’t. Instead, I began a quest to seek God deeper, ‘find myself,’ and try to figure out (on my own) where I belonged and what that meant. I spent countless hours alone with God where He poured into my heart who He was and what it was to truly worship Him. There were so many opportunities to help people around me that I kept pretty busy and justified that it was enough.

During the course of 2011, I finally acknowledged that God was calling me to Honduras. I sought more

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information on mission opportunities and began to ponder the possibilities of what that would look like. But I still wasn’t quite ready to let go of my ‘comfortable life,’ my family, my friends, my church….MY life.

In September 2011, as we worshipped with the Hondurans at a new church plant site in Pimienta, I was overwhelmed. No more empty words to God, no more compromising…just obey God’s calling. Total surrender.

When I accepted God’s call to Honduras, the rest just fell into place in a whirlwind. I cried the tears of goodbye and embraced the excitement of hellos in the process of leaving my old life behind and walking into the unknown God had before me.

Journal entry 2011: “I know it won’t be easy, but I also know that no cost is too great if I’m following God’s voice. He will take care of me and everyone I leave behind. I am excited to see how God is using the children of Faith Home to reach their own country for Him. They will be the hands, feet, and heart of God to their country.”

I moved to Faith Home Honduras in 2012. The past nine years have been nothing like I had imagined, but more than I could have ever hoped for. I’ve learned that my ‘calling’ was not just to be a missionary or the administrator of Faith Home or anything that comes with a title. My calling was actually pretty simple all along… “Follow Christ.” Wherever He leads, I will go.

Whatever He says, I will do.

The day to day operations of Faith Home are part of what I do, but the real ‘calling’ is letting God have

(clockwise top to bottom) • A photo of the front gate at Faith Home.

• (pictured left to right) David Kelle, Christina Massey and baby Isaias, Teresa Walls, Rodney Walls.

• Pastor Miguel preaches to the children of Faith Home.

control of it all, whether it be the daily decisions, how to respond to the person before me, looking into the eyes of the children to know how to best help them, or how to lead a Bible study in Spanish. Some days are filled with simply just ‘doing life together’ along with the Hondurans and allowing God to flow through the ordinary moments to create extraordinary opportunities to see HIM move in hearts and minds. Each day brings new challenges and unexpected moments, but as long as I stay ‘plugged in’ to the ONE who is in control I am constantly amazed at God’s sovereign hand.

I am so thankful for God calling me to Honduras and all of its blessings: • Blessings to be a part of the Faith Home family and to be surrounded by God’s beauty in the people (as well as the landscape).

• Blessings to see God do amazing things in the lives of the children and youth at Faith Home daily.

• Blessings to walk through the valleys with the children and young adults and see God bring them up with hope of a future in Him. • Blessings to see God bring to fruition the visions of General Baptists as the youth rise up to be Godly men and women.

• A bonus blessing to have the miracle of my son Isaias that God brought into my life to remind me of His faithfulness and fill my home with joy. At five years old he already loves the ministry as well, and has a heart to help others.

Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings…and for calling me.

Bonus Video Content!

Watch as Christina talks more about her calling and path to Faith Home.

Find this, and all Messenger Bonus Videos, on the General Baptist Vimeo Channel. https://vimeo.com/526218827

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 33

Where does mission come from? I am not asking about where we get the idea to do missions like those we undertake in other countries through International Missions or when we plant a new church in a community in the United States through National Missions. I am talking about the larger idea of mission, the very reason the church exists.

The word mission comes from the Latin word meaning “to send.” Literally, a mission is a sending.

Scripture uses this idea of sending over and over.

The entire life of the church is wrapped up in God’s commission sending us to go and make disciples for our Lord. However, scripture is also very clear that this sending of the church, in other words, the church’s mission does not start with the church.

Before it is ever a commission to the church, the mission is God’s mission. Before mission was ever related to the activities of the church, it was an

34 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

attribute of God. God is a missionary God. In fact, the gift of the Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit are a result of the very nature of God as missionary. Mission is the movement of God toward the world, and the church is an instrument of that mission. In his classic book on missiology, David Bosch says, “There is church because there is mission, not vice versa. To participate in mission is to participate in the movement of God’s love toward people, since God is a fountain of sending love.”

Therefore, the short answer to the question about the source of mission is that mission comes from God. God is the one who determines it. It is God’s mission before we ever think about it. We do not go under our own authority. We have nothing to do except in concert with what God is doing. We have no ministry apart from God’s ministry. We have no message apart from God’s message. The church has no reason to exist apart from what God

BEING CALLED

TO JOIN GOD

ON MISSION

By Danny Dunivan, Interim Executive Director & Moderator of the 2021 Mission and Ministry Summit

is doing through us as he sends us into the world to fulfill his command. Mission is God’s, but thanks be to God we get to go along for the ride!

The nature of mission leads us to the undeniable truth that God never sends us where God is not already working. We never enter a place where God has not going ahead of us. Remember it is first his mission. That is what we mean by saying that we are called. We are called to join God. God is already present inviting us to come along! Like Jesus walking on the water calling Peter out of the boat to come walk on the waves, God calls us to join him in his mission in the world. He beckons to us to step out of the boat. I find it ironic that the calling of the church is also the sending of the church. They are one and the same, because the God who sends is already present and active calling us to join him in the place where he sends us on mission. Amazingly, along the way we find that the

mission God invites us to join leads us to be who we were born to be! It is for his glory, but it is also for our good!

At this year’s Mission and Ministry Summit in Owensboro, Kentucky, on July 26-28, we will focus on the theme “Called.” We will be challenged to fulfill our calling to join God in what he is doing in the world in our families, in our communities, and around the world. At this event you will be challenged to fulfill God’s call by keynote speakers and breakout sessions. This year’s Summit will also feature an important business session where we will be making decisions about God’s calling on General Baptists into the next generation.

I hope that you will begin to pray for our Summit gathering now, and you will make plans to join us in Owensboro this summer!

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 35

MISSION & MINISTRY

SUMMIT 2021

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CALLED TO STAY An Interview with Barry Cullen & Byron Beck

T

he average tenure of a pastor in the United States is less than 6 years. In some extraordinary cases, a pastor stays at a single church for all or much of their ministry. Such stability in ministry is not always possible or ideal, but those cases where a pastor spends 30 or 40 years in the same congregation should be celebrated for the commitment to a particular people and a particular calling. Furthermore, these pastors who are called to stay in one congregation for so long have much to teach other pastors about consistency, faithfulness, and intentional freshness in ministry. Byron Beck has been Senior Pastor of Fellowship General Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, since 1987. Barry Cullen has been Pastor of the Providence General Baptist Church in Providence, Kentucky, since 1988. These pastors have seen many changes through their ministry lives.

Interim Executive Director Danny Dunivan interviewed them to allow them to talk about their callings and how they have been able to maintain ministry in the same congregations for so many years.

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 37

Danny: Tell us about your original sense of calling to ministry. At what moment did you realize you were called to ministry as a pastor?

to be a leader, an administrator, a counselor, sometimes an arbitrator, and someone who visits and cares for his people.

Barry: I first felt the call to ministry when I was about 14. I was attending church camp, and I believed that the Lord wanted me to preach. I shared with some of the leaders about how the Lord was dealing with me. They prayed for me and encouraged me to go back home and talk to my pastor. However, by the time Sunday arrived I had convinced myself that I was too young for God to use as a preacher and I never mentioned it to my pastor. I was leading music at my home church, and I convinced myself that I was doing enough.

Several years later, at the age of 19, God began to deal with me once again, and I became very burdened.

I spoke to a pastor whose opinion I greatly valued. He urged me to follow God’s leading and the next Sunday I announced my calling.

Byron: My definition has changed over the years.

In my early ministry it was defined as “preaching, Bible teaching, evangelism, counseling and relational encouraging.” Today, in a larger church with multiple staff, my ministry has shifted from “a farmer to a rancher.” In the past, I DID EVERYTHING MYSELF. If I did not do it, it did not get done. Today, I have to equip and delegate. My more important role is leadership. My ministry has always been shaped by my spiritual gifts and passions, but I am increasingly functioning as an equipper-overseer.

Byron: Calling to ministry for me, was somewhat “undefined” at first. It began to stir in me about one year after my conversion. I was a senior in high school. I was being discipled through a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit in the McLeansboro First General Baptist Church in McLeansboro, Illinois, and, at the same time, a vibrant high school youth ministry in Carmi, Illinois.

I was watching others do ministry and was gradually being invited to serve by people around me. There were two people in particular who saw something in me and encouraged me to listen for God’s voice and His will for my life. It eventually became a slow-growing-butunmistakable-calling to serve Jesus with all of my life— and, the more I moved into my calling and acted on it, the more it was confirmed for me.

Danny: How would you define the work of a pastor?

Barry: Primarily, I think it is serving as a shepherd to the people God has called you to serve. It is much more than preaching, although that is a big part of it. You are

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Danny: Have any books (besides the Bible) had a major impact on your ministry?

Barry: Early in my ministry I received a book that, I believe, International Missions sent to our churches called Touch the World Through Prayer by Wesley Duewell. It helped me to understand the power of prayer and how individually and collectively we could reach our communities, and even our world, if we took advantage of it.

Comeback Churches by Ed Stetzer also had an impact on me later in my ministry. I was serving at an older church that had plateaued and even declined. I read the stories of the 300 churches that he profiled in his book. Many of those pastors faced several of the things that I was dealing with, yet they were able to turn their churches around to become vibrant, growing churches. This gave me hope and also insight to help me lead our church to make a “comeback!”

Byron: I have been shaped by the following authors and their books: C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, J. Edwin Orr, Chuck Colson, Robert Coleman, David Seamands, Lee Strobel and Pete Scazzero. Two ministry related books that I really like are Jeff Henderson’s FOR and Larry Osborne’s Sticky Teams.

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 39

G E N E R A L

B A P T I S T

INVESTMENT FUND

n a s o L e l b a l i Ava TO EXPAND

t y r i M i n s r u Yo GENERAL BAPTIST INVESTMENT FUND, Inc.

100 Stinson Drive • Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

573-785-7746

Barbara Williams , TREASURER Trent Holcomb, PRESIDENT & CEO

SECURITY SINCE 1974

Danny: What Christian leaders/pastors do you read, listen to, or follow now?

Danny: How is pastoring today different from when you began in ministry?

Barry: I like Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer. I also like to read a lot of Carey Nieuwhof’s material; he stretches my thinking quite a bit. I also like some of Steven Furtick’s books, especially Sun Stand Still.

Barry: I began pastoring in 1980. Primarily I would preach and visit the sick or those shut-in. In the last few years, it has involved a lot more administration.

We’ve been able to add additional staff, which has really helped our church. I’m in more of an overseer position now than I used to be. However, I’ve surrounded myself with some really good staff, and that’s actually made the transition easy.

Since last March, when COVID hit, we had to start doing more virtual ministry. We had already been streaming our services for a while, so we were somewhat prepared. It’s still difficult to not be able to be with all of our congregation “in person.”

Byron: Sadly, and ironically (and I don’t know what this says about me), but I have been drawn to pastors/ speakers over the years who have ended up experiencing ministry-complicating problems. In each example, I learned a lot from them before their ministries became controversial: Bill Hybels, John Ortberg, David Seamands, Tony Campolo, Mark Driscoll, Rob Bell, and Ravi Zacharias. All of these men were used by God to shape my preaching, my ministry and my life— and all of them have ended up with varying layers of questions around their ministry. Ugh! Perhaps I should also add that NO author/pastor/teacher is perfect, and if everyone had to be squeaky-clean before God could use them, then we ALL would be invalidated! Over the years I have learned to use a “spiritual filter” while reading any book or listening to any speaker.

Recently, I have been listening to the ministries of Frank Turek, Stephen C. Meyer, Tim Mackie, John Mark Comer, R.C. Sproul and Andy Stanley. All are effective communicators in their own way.

Byron: Besides the difference of solo-ministry to staff ministry, the biggest difference has to do with the changing cultural climate. When I started my ministry in the 1970’s a pastor’s job was respected in the community by believers and unbelievers. Back then the surrounding culture accepted the Biblical world-view as generally true, even if it did not practice it. Obviously, today is very different.

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 41

Danny: What advice would you give to a younger pastor just starting out in ministry? Any warnings or encouragements about starting out?

Barry: I would encourage them to try to take advantage of all the educational opportunities they can.

They will be thankful for that, in time. Also, don’t forget your family. I speak as someone with experience on this because I thought I was going to lose mine. Sometimes you can get so involved in ministry that you lose sight of the ones who love you the most.

Byron: If you are beginning your ministry in an established church, I would suggest that your first assignment is to truly learn to love your people — before you try to change them (and/or everything around them). Change comes more easily in an environment built upon love, respect and trust. Secondly, be patient.

Everything does not have to change in the first year.

Third, constantly pray with and for your people.

Develop a consistent pray plan. Fourth, learn from others. Find an older pastoral mentor, meet regularly, and learn everything you can from them (everything that schooling did not teach you).

Danny: What measures have you taken over the years to avoid some of the things that shipwreck pastors?

Barry: I try not to put myself in situations where it might be easy to fall. If we ruin our reputation, we will lose the ability to minister. I try to stay transparent before my congregation. They need to know that pastors are human and we cope with many of the things they face. It is also good to have friends who will hold your accountable.

Byron: I have always sought to keep priorities in order: (1) Keep my relationship with Jesus real and fresh, (2) The health of my family is more important than my church ministry (honestly, there have been times I lost focus and obsessed with church ministry…apologies to my family). I have intentionally limited nights at church

42 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

(although emergencies and special seasons interfere).

(3) I also do not eat meals or travel in a car alone with a woman who is not my wife, daughter or relative.

Internal/mental/spiritual boundaries (as well as the external ones) are also key. We must not give ourselves permission to imagine ourselves with anyone other than our spouse. (4) Accountability friendships.

Danny How do you keep your preaching fresh?

What are your sermon preparation patterns?

Barry: I always try to look for ideas for sermons as I read Christian books, listen to other preachers, and try to stay aware of experiences that my church members may be struggling with in their daily lives where they might need help or encouragement.

I like to know what I’m going to preach on, at least, by the middle of the week. If I’m doing a series, I know several days before that. I try to break my text down to an outline form and then I do research on each of my points using commentaries, word studies, etc. At this point, I try to add illustrations that help reinforce my message and make it applicable to my congregation.

Byron: I am always reading and listening to other great preachers for inspiration and help. If you cannot or will not be a life-long-learner, you will not endure. You are not smart enough or spiritual enough “by yourself.”

When I listen to another speaker, I continually ask and study: “Why did this message speak to me?”

PREPARATION PATTERNS: a) I almost always preach sermon series, so I discover in prayer what I am going to preach. The series may run from two weeks to three months. b) Lay out related Bible texts for each sermon — whether textual or topical. c) Develop main points for each sermon. d) Search for high-impact illustrations — stories, quotes, etc. e) One week out I begin to put my thoughts into manuscript. f) Along with the manuscript I think visually about sermon slides (Keynote or PowerPoint) that will accompany the verbal message. Because I am a visual learner, this step is very important. I ask: “How can the slide visually enhance what the

hearer experiences?” I seek for appropriate pictures to accompany words on the slide. g) I complete the sermon by Thursday noon. Although the sermon is in manuscript form, I rehearse it multiple times to avoid feeling tied to the manuscript. (We record the online version of the sermon on Thursday afternoon). h) I will rehearse and tweak it (more or less) before Sunday. i) I get up at 3:25 a.m. every Sunday to pray, mull over and continue to rehearse the sermon. By now, the manuscript is in the background. The sermon is “in me.”

Danny: Can you talk about how you practice spiritual disciplines?

Barry: One of the first things that comes to mind is Bible study. I try to make it my practice every day to read God’s Word. I have tried to read the Bible through each year for several years now, and it always amazes me that I always find something new that I haven’t noticed before.

Prayer is also one of my spiritual disciplines. I think Satan often tries to make me think that I’m too busy to pray. One of my goals is to have a stronger prayer life.

I have gotten to the point now, if someone on social media, etc. asks me to pray for them, I try to stop what I’m doing and pray immediately lest, I get busy and I forget. Prayer can be hard work, but it’s worth it!

Through prayer, God healed my wife whom the doctors believed had no hope to live! I know it works.

There have been times in my life where I have been led to fast. I’ve gone without food a few days or sometimes I’ve just done without something for a while to discipline my body and spend more time seeking the Lord.

Byron: Daily commitment and variety of style. I read Scripture, sometimes use devotionals, incorporate videos, books, etc. Prayer is key for connection.

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 43

other people’s problems home with me. Prayer helps me stay sane.

Danny: Can you explain a time when you felt pushed beyond your capabilities as a leader? How did you overcome this difficulty?

Danny: The work of being a pastor outside of the pulpit can come with a heavy load as you carry the concerns of your people. How has this impacted you? How have you remained healthy in the face of it?

Barry: Dealing with the burdens of my congregation has often been difficult. I remember helping a husband and his young children deal with the unexpected death of his wife and their mother. She was a great Christian and very active in our church. I felt like my heart was actually hurting, as I tried to love and minister to them.

When someone in their family asked me, “Why did God allow this to happen?’, the best answer that I could give them was, “I don’t know.” I have come to understand that you don’t have to have all the answers if you point people to the Answer, who is Jesus!

Through all of this, I have tried to keep my sense of humor. I have found that laughter, if appropriate, can make it easier to cope with difficult situations.

For many years, I didn’t do a very good job of balancing the needs of my family with those of the congregation. For the last few years, I’ve have been more cognizant of not neglecting my family for ministry.

I try to take my vacation time now, whereas I often did not in the past. I have learned to say no to certain things when I sense ministry beginning to encroach on my family time.

Byron: Keeping ministry and life in balance is important. God has given me the ability to not carry

44 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

Barry: There was a time in my ministry where I tried to lead worship, print the church bulletins, preach, and do a lot of other things in the church without asking for help. I believed it was simpler to do this than to take the time to find someone and train them to do it.

This often led to a lot of stress. Worry and stress are a couple of things that hinder me spiritually. As I alluded to earlier, we started to add staff at our church. When I surrounded myself with gifted people in the areas of maintaining an office, worship, and children and young peoples’ ministries I had more time and less stress to do what God called me to do.

Byron: Our church has experienced its share of traumatic moments (a pretty wide variety of wild struggles) over the past 33 years. No doubt about it — my wife has been my most important supporter through all of these. She has given me great advice and helped me maintain perspective. She has allowed me to vent.

She has corrected me when I needed it. I cannot thank her or praise her enough for how she has kept me grounded through all of our trials. She has been my perfect teammate!

CALLED AS A MISSION TEAM LEAD

By Charity Julian

My first experience with missions was at a very young age. Dad was pastoring the Oak Grove General Baptist Church in Oakland City, Indiana. Once a month, our Wednesday Night children’s group participated in a program called Guild, which later was renamed Youth for Missions. We learned about all the various missionaries serving our denomination. We were taught about the countries the missionaries served and researched the differences between the numerous cultures being encountered on the mission fields. It was interesting to discover what the missionaries were accomplishing, and the variety of talents being used for the Kingdom of God. We studied nurses providing medical care to people with little exposure to healthcare. We read about educators teaching at the General Baptist Bible College in the Philippines and nurturing individuals providing a good home environment for orphans in Jamaica. I was amazed by how God equipped ordinary people with talents that could be used for his glory.

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Missions continue to impact my life as an adult. I went on my first mission trip during the summer of 2011. To say the least, it was a lifechanging event. While on that trip, God laid on my heart a desire to lead mission trips, so that others could encounter the same experience I had. It is amazing how your perspective is transformed through involvement with new cultures and surroundings. When you are removed from the comforts of your hometown, you are faced with language barriers and cultural differences that oftentimes leave you feeling inadequate. During those times God reveals how much we need him, not just on mission trips, but every day of our lives.

A few years ago, one of our teams chose to do a Vacation Bible School at Bethel General Baptist in Honduras. As with anything in life when you begin a new project, things do not always go as planned. First, I had never led a VBS in a cross-cultural setting. One of the major obstacles in a project like this is the language barrier. This hurdle seemed like an insurmountable task, but God placed knowledgeable people in our path and provided the tools to overcome this challenge. Next, we prepared snacks and craft material for about 60 children. All these arrangements were in keeping with our initial budget. A week before we left, we found out 100 more children would be in attendance. The team prayed about our “wonderful” problem and God provided for every need.

Honestly, there have been times I did not want to leave family and journey on another mission trip. There have been times when I feared for the health and safety of others. I have often dreaded riding on a bus due to issues with car sickness. I have even felt overwhelmed by the jobs we have signed up to do, but God has given responsibilities like these to all of us at some point in life. When all these doubts and fears enter my mind, I find peace in knowing God always provides for his laborers. He does not always call the equipped to serve, but he always equips those he calls.

46 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

CAN WE DO THIS BETTER? An RTF Update by Josh Carpenter “Can we do this better?” This is the question that every effective organization will continually be asking. If what we do is important enough to warrant our time and resources, we should seek to do it in the most effective way possible.

Several months ago, General Baptist leaders asked this question and received an honest answer, “Yes we can.” We can organize ourselves more effectively. We can resource ourselves in more prosperous ways.

We can connect better. We can strengthen one another as individuals and churches

to more effectively fulfill our mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can do better.

I’ve had the privilege to serve on the Restructure Task Force over these several months and be involved in days of conversation, debate, and prayer inspired by the notion that we can do better. There have been days that I have left meetings inspired, days I have left discouraged, and days I have just left with a headache. These are the questions that have roamed my thoughts as we have worked through this process?

IS IT WORTH IT? Every process of change requires sacrifice. The greatest sacrifice is having to let go of something that you know for something that you don’t. It’s scary stepping into an unknown future hoping that you’ve made the right decisions and not being sure where everything is going to land. So, why take the risk? Why pay the price for an unknown result? The answer goes back to our beginning. If it’s worth doing at all, it’s worth doing our best. In the case of the church and an association of churches, like General Baptists, that means reaching more with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If the changes the RTF have proposed lead to one more church being planted, to one more country being reached, or one more soul being saved, it’s worth it. That’s what better looks like for us!

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IS THIS THE BEST WAY FORWARD? I don’t know. Will it work? Absolutely. I believe it will work well and it will make us more effective in fulfilling our mission. However, my hope is not in a new organization, new systems, or new plans.

My hope for the future effective ministry of General Baptists is in Jesus Christ and the people he calls his church.

I believe in General Baptist people that have experienced the saving power of Jesus and want others to know his love. I know you. I have been raised by you, taught and trained by you, and have served you my entire adult life. I know what we are capable of doing when we come together around the cause of Christ. This new organizational structure allows us to do our work better than we have ever before, but only because it will be filled with Jesus saved, Holy Spirit-filled, General Baptist believers who want to see lost people saved. That’s what better looks like for us!

WHO WILL THIS HELP? I am a pastor at heart. So, when I make decisions, I see people first. How will these changes affect people’s lives, direct them toward greater missional effectiveness, and give them opportunities for kingdom service that are not available now? It’s easy to ask this question as it relates to the people in the room, but in this process, it occurred to me that these decisions will have a much greater impact on the generation that follows.

The people I began to see as we discussed, debated, and prayed were my kids, your kids, the curly-headed little girl who runs to hug me every Sunday, the faces that fill the snapshots of NYC, and the little ones riding a bus to a church on Wednesday night

48 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

that hasn’t yet heard about Jesus. Are we preparing a better way for them?

If you have had the opportunity to review the proposed structure changes you might find things that you like and things that you don’t. What I like most is the availability for leadership development and opportunities to serve at different levels of responsibility.

I dream of the day when we will select regional, national, and international leaders for our movement from a crop of experienced, educated, and passionate leaders that were developed within our own family and systems. That’s what better looks like for us!

Can we do better? Not only do I believe we can, I believe we must.

GENERAL BAPTISTS REFOCUSING OUR FUTURE By the Restructure Task Force

In April 2019, the Executive Council of the Council of Associations (the functional board of directors for the organization), created a task force to study possible restructure of all General Baptist ministries.

The group was asked to evaluate the current structure of the Council of Associations, to develop a system and strategy to move us forward and to make recommendations to the Executive Council to implement a new system.

MOVING TOWAR D R ES TR UC TUR E O F GENERAL BAPTIST MINISTRIES EVALUATION AND RESULTING VALUES As part of the evaluation process, the Restructure Task Force (RTF) held several meetings between August 2019 and January 2020. In that time, initial data was collected and reviewed. A series of listening sessions were also held in February and March 2020 to gain additional feedback from across the movement. The data was joined with previously gathered information and the outcomes of the conversations of the RTF to develop a list of perceived issues and values to be addressed through the restructuring process.

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 49

The RTF, therefore, focused on the following values in the development of a new structure: • Empowered Leadership—Clear understanding of who is empowered to lead.

• A Clear and Flexible Structure—A structure that is clear to communicate and easy to adjust over time as circumstances demand.

• Missional Accountability—The ability to point every we do back to the mission and vision of the organization.

• Cultural Adaptability—The understanding that what we do must be able to adapt to different regional cultures to be an effective national and global movement.

THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE To address the perceived issues and values, the RTF proposed a new structure to the Executive Council in October 2020. The new structure is designed to provide a flow of leadership, implementation, partnership, and accountability. These four circles become a cycle through which the organization functions effectively.

The operations would then be implemented through vice presidents of departments that align around the organization’s mission. In response to the needs of struggling congregations, Congregational Ministries is refocused, given a more specific role, and given a new name of Church Revitalization. To reflect the nature of our movement’s reach around the world, International Missions will also be retitled Global Missions.

The Institutional Ministries (e.g., GBIF, Oakland City University, Stinson Press) that exist to aid, assist, and support the core ministries of the organization will have the same relationship in the new structure.

Women’s Ministries will become an Institutional Leadership Ministry rather than be classified as a Support Ministry.

PROPOSED SYSTEM CORE MINISTRIES

REGIONAL MINISTRIES

GLOBAL MISSIONS

Leadership RTF Graphic 2  PROPOSED SYSTEM

Y

CHURCH REVITILIZATION

RTF Graphic 3  PRESIDENT

YSTEM

the s of cture, ystem be a clear ship, ion, and

NATIONAL MISSIONS

ACCOUNTABILITY

LEADERSHIP

VICE PRES. REGIONAL MINISTRIES

PARTNERSHIP

IMPLEMENTATION

RTF Graphic 1 

The first circle in the proposed system is Leadership. The restructure of the current leadership model is designed to accomplish the goals of empowered leadership, missional accountability, and a clear and flexible structure. The title of Executive Director is changed to President, to clarify the leadership and authority of the office. The President would be the organization’s visionary leader empowered as the chief decision-making authority for all day-to-day operations.

50 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

VICE PRES. NATIONAL MISSIONS

VICE PRES. GLOBAL MISSIONS

VICE PRES. CHURCH REVITILIZATION

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

The second circle is Implementation. To accomplish the goals of empowered leadership and cultural adaptability, a new level of support staff is proposed in a regional ministry model (regions will be explained below under Partnership). The proposed additions will allow for ministry to be implemented at a grassroots level rather than solely out of a national office. The multiple support staff in each region would be specialists and champions of the organization’s missional areas.

These specialists would be supervised by a coordinator in each region who implements the organization’s strategic plan developed by and in coordination with the departmental vice presidents. All of the regional coordinators would be report directly to a newly created position of Vice President for Regional Ministries.

The third circle is Partnership. The regional ministries divide the movement into regions to accomplish cultural adaptability and provide a clear and flexible structure. The RTF has suggested that we begin with seven (7) total regions—five (5) in the United States and two (2) international.

Implementation PROPOSED SYSTEM

VICE PRES. REGIONAL MINISTRIES

NATIONAL MISSIONS COORDINATOR

X7

REGIONAL MINISTRIES COORDINATOR

X7

GLOBAL MISSIONS COORDINATOR

X7

CHURCH REVITILIZATION COORDINATOR

The fourth and final circle of the new structure is Accountability. The restructure of the current governing model can accomplish the goals of empowered leadership, missional accountability, and a clear and flexible structure. The proposal includes a fourteen (14) person Board of Overseers who keep the President accountable, approve the operating budget, and evaluate and approve the annual strategic plan.

Each region would elect two (2) overseers for four (4) year terms offset every two (2) years. Overseers would be selected by partner churches at newly established Accountability regional Summit meetings.

PROPOSED SYSTEM

X7 OVERSEERS

RTF Graphic 4 

REGIONAL OVERSEER

The various regions will allow for better communication for a global movement through not only regional support services but also regional Summit meetings. Churches would be placed into these regions based upon geography for services and support. The RTF has intentionally not touched the workings of the local associations. The regions will exist without reference to associations. For example, some associations are less regional and could potentially have churches in multiple regions. The exact divisions of the regions would be left to the President and a Board of Overseers to determine to provide the most effective services to Implementation each region.

PROPOSED SYSTEM VICE PRES. REGIONAL MINISTRIES

VICE PRES. NATIONAL MISSIONS

REGIONAL MINISTRIES COORDINATOR

VICE PRES. GLOBAL MISSIONS

VICE PRES. CHURCH REVITILIZATION

X7 NATIONAL MISSIONS COORDINATOR

X7 GLOBAL MISSIONS COORDINATOR

RTF Graphic 5  Partnership PROPOSED SYSTEM

CHURCH REVITILIZATION COORDINATOR

X7

RTF Graphic 6  REGIONAL DIVISION

LOCAL CHURCH

X7

LOCAL CHURCH

X7

REGIONAL MINISTRY STAFF

LOCAL CHURCH

X7

REGIONAL OVERSEER

X2

REGIONAL OVERSEER

X2

X2 REGIONAL OVERSEER

X2

REGIONAL OVERSEER

REGIONAL OVERSEER

X2

X2 REGIONAL OVERSEER

X2

RTF Graphic 7 

The Actions of the Executive Council and the Council of Associations When the RTF made its report to the Executive Council in October, the Executive Council took action to begin moving toward the new proposed structure.

The following actions were taken by unanimous vote: • Per the Council of Associations Bylaws, Article 6, the Executive Council directed the Personnel Committee to temporarily consolidate the Congregational Ministries department into the office of the Executive Director. This action allows the Executive Director to begin transitioning resources from the Congregational Ministries department into the more specific Church Revitalization department and to absorb some of the other duties into the office of the Executive Director.

• Per the C/A Bylaws, Article 6, the Executive Council recommended that the Council of Associations establish a Regional Ministries department and a Church Revitalization department to be approved at the next meeting of the General Association in July 2021.

General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021 | 51

• The Executive Council instructed the RTF to bring recommended changes to the constitutions and bylaws of the Council of Associations and the General Association to the May meeting of the Council of Associations to fulfill the proposed model.

At the November meeting of the Council of Associations, the RTF also made a presentation of its findings. The Council of Associations took the following actions by unanimous vote: • The Council of Associations established a Regional Ministries department and a Church Revitalization department to be approved at the July 2021 meeting of the General Association.

• The Council of Associations endorsed the Executive Council’s instructions to the RTF to bring recommended changes to the constitutions and bylaws of the Council of Associations and the General Association to the May meeting of the Council of Associations to fulfill the proposed model.

Next Steps The RTF has begun work to complete the task of revising the constitutions and bylaws of the two bodies and will be prepared to make the recommendations for those changes to the Council of Associations in May. The RTF also plans to present the documents to the Executive Council at its March meeting and to present the documents to the larger General Baptist family for input before the Council of Associations’ meeting in May.

Please be in prayer for General Baptists as we move through these transitions!

The following items are planned for the agenda of the General Association meeting in July 2021 for approval: • Permanent creation of the Regional Ministries department and the Church Revitalization department.

• Approval of changes to the constitution and bylaws of the Council of Associations.

• A first vote on approval of the changes to the Constitution and Bylaws of the General Association (those changes would not become final until a second vote at the 2022 General Association meeting).

As opportunities arise for you to provide input on the reorganization, you are encouraged to participate.

Please be in prayer for General Baptists as we move through these transitions!

www. generalbaptist.com/restructure

For more information and to keep up to date with these transitions visit www.GeneralBaptist.com/Restructure 52 | General Baptist Messenger Spring 2021

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