Messenger Fall 2019

w w w. G e n e r a l B a p t i s t . c o m

•

•

Messenger J erus ale m

J u d e a & Sa m a r ia

G en e ral B ap ti st

Fall 2019

En d s o f th e Earth

CUSTOM T-SHIRTS 12 S h i rt M i n .

S T A R T I N G

A T

$8.00 ea 1 color ink & Print location STINSON PRESS PRINTING & PUBLISHING

*Mention this ad when ordering to receive this special pricing.

Unified GIVING ... . doing together what we cannot do alone

U N I T E D S TAT E S • H O N D U R A S • J A M A I C A • I N D I A • P H I L I P P I N E S • S A I PA N • G U A M • M E X I C O • N I G E R

Since 1823, General Baptists have been growing our ministry here in the United States, continually trying to reach new people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since 1911, we have been sending missionaries overseas, to go where many of us will never go, to reach people groups many of us will never meet.

This global ministry is only made possible through generous financial support from General Baptist churches and individuals. The Unified Giving Fund was created to organize this support and give where it was most needed. We can plant new churches because of Unified Giving. We can send missionaries to new countries because of Unified Giving. We can aid in relief efforts because of Unified Giving.

And people are being won to Christ because of YOUR gifts to Unified Giving.

General Baptist Ministries 100 Stinson Dr. | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573.785.7746 | www.GeneralBaptist.com

Messenger General Baptist

Fall 2019

Table of Contents 6 The Next Chapter - Clint Cook 10 Turnaround 11 Back to Basics 14 The Power of Small Church Outreach 17 Roadblocks to Rural Church Turnaround 19 All Nations Update 20 Turnaround Through Restart 22 Responding to God’s Call 24 Throw Out the Clutter 26 Summit Recap

The Next Chapter

28 GBBC Praise Team 30 2020 Summit Keynote Speakers 32 2020 Summit Information 34 Yeoman’s Update 36 Ed Stevens Offering 2019 38 New Missionaries for GBIM 40 Why Women’s Ministries?

42 Asenath Brewster Christmas Offering 2019 46 Trending Now

Back to Basics

The Power of Small Church Outreach

6 11 14

4 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

Messenger General Baptist

22 24

The General Baptist Messenger is published by General Baptist Ministries (General Baptist Council of Associations, inc),

Personal Turnaround

100 Stinson dr, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 under the direction of an editorial team composed of the denominational leadership team, and Executive Director, Clint Cook

editorial team: Franklin Dumond Mark Powell Linda McDonough Vicki Smith

layout & design:

Throw Out the Clutter

Stinson Press - Kenrick Nobles General Baptist Ministries

We Would Love to Hear from You! The Messenger

100 Stinson dr.

Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573.785.7746 Send mailing list updates attention: info@gbmessenger.org

Find Us Online

The Messenger is viewable online @ www.gbmessenger.org

Turnaround Through Restart

20

Full Tablet Support @ General Baptist Ministries @ GeneralBaptist

@ GeneralBaptist General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 5

THE NEXT CHAPTER

by Clint Cook, Executive Director

This past July, General Baptists recognized and celebrated the 150th setting of our annual gathering called The Summit in Collinsville, Illinois. The theme, “Defining Moments,” not only recognized defining moments from our history, but also celebrated what God is currently doing among our churches today.

Today our network of General Baptist congregations have the most diverse gathering of cultures and nationalities than have ever existed in our history. Not only do we hail from the United States, but from Central America, the Mariana Islands, and the continents of Asia and Africa. These defining moments truly give us reason to celebrate!

The faithfulness of God to General Baptists reminds me of other defining moments found In God’s Word. One such moment is found in Joshua chapter 1.

Joshua 1:1–7 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

I will not leave you or forsake you.

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

Go d creates m o m ents fo r m ovem ents .

At the time of this passage, the Israelites’ 400 years of slavery had ended. Their 40 years of wandering in the desert was behind them. It was now time to look at what was ahead, time for another defining moment. If there is one thing we can discover from this passage, it is that God is the author, the creator, of defining moments.

Defining moments are not when a man or woman rises

6 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

to an occasion. The future of God’s people did not rest in the hands of Joshua. Their future rested in the hands of God. This whole passage can be summed up in this one statement: God creates moments for movements. This is vitally important for General Baptists to hear.

God was telling Joshua that defining moments lay ahead. This was why God told Joshua the people had to move. The entire course of the Israelites would change after this conversation. A brand new chapter was being written.

God Introduces this defining moment to Joshua by revealing a new generation of leadership. God started with the simple statement: “Moses my servant is dead.” He did not recite a list of Moses’ attributes, such as: • Raised in Pharaoh’s home as a Royal.

• Spoke to God through a burning bush.

• Successful Snake handler.

• Communicator/Instrumental in bringing about the plagues on nation of Egypt.

• Delivered God’s people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea. • Practiced the Keto diet before Keto was ever popular.

• Set up the Tabernacle and instituted the Priesthood.

• Accomplished author - wrote the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible.

Are we creating enviro n m ents in which natu ral lead ers can co m e to th e fo refro nt?

No, God edited the obituary down to simply, “Moses is dead”. While we may be surprised by such a short synopsis, God had a specific reason for it. He was saying to Joshua, “You are ready, Joshua. Moses has prepared you well.”

As I think about our local General Baptist churches, I wonder if we are preparing our leaders well? Are we sharing the urgent need for young leaders to surrender to God’s call upon their lives? Are we modeling basic

leadership principles for them to follow? Are we creating environments in which natural leaders can come to the forefront?

Many leaders find the hardest thing to do is to let go of control. But a true leader knows how to pour into others, how to lead other leaders. Moses raised Joshua up to be a leader. Are we pouring into our people, expecting leaders to emerge? Are we placing our ministry and lay leaders in positions in which they can succeed so they can help guarantee the future success of the local church? For our movement, in order to guarantee more defining moments, we must invest in new and existing leaders.

A second way God introduced this defining moment was with a command to claim new, uncharted territory.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. (Joshua 1:3-4) At the 2014 Summit, I shared a vision God had placed upon my heart that He wanted us to increase our ministries into more nations than the few nations where we were currently present. At that time, we had churches In Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, India, the Philippines, and on the islands of Guam & Saipan.

How thankful I am that General Baptists have indeed expanded into unknown territory. We are now active in the country of Niger in Africa! In addition to Niger, we are exploring fields in Antigua and Barbuda in partnership with the Jamaica Association, and looking into ministry opportunities in the country of Kuwait in partnership with Calvary Grace Association and Jessey Vemula in

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 7

India. We also have a newly-graduated Filipino General Baptist Bible College student who has followed God’s call to Japan to plant a General Baptist church, and there are prospective fields on the Pacific islands of Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand that are also being explored.

If God has opened doors for us like this in the last five years, where will we be in five more years? The only way we will find out is if we understand our assignment.

God gave Joshua a clear explanation of his new assignment -- conquer the inhabitants of Canaan and take possession of the land. To do this, Joshua would need to, 6 Be strong and courageous . . . (Joshua 1:6) Like Joshua, General Baptists must understand our assignment in these new lands we are exploring. While Joshua’s command was to conquer, our command is to love, and have the courage to love. Love as Jesus loved -- always.

7 [Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (I Corinthians 13:7) As General Baptists step up and look over the edge of new opportunities God has laid before us, I hope we will realize that God doesn’t want to just be a part of General Baptist history; He wants to be a part of General Baptists’ future too! We must pour into our young people and raise up leaders who will continue the work after we are gone. We must look for new ways to fulfill the Great Commission by opening and exploring new ministry opportunities around the block and around the world.

We must stay committed to making the gospel message available to all people by having the courage to love as Jesus loved.

Won’t you join me in this prayer: “Father, how thankful we are for the defining moments of General Baptists in the past and those you will provide in the days ahead. Create a stirring within the hearts of our youth and young adults to step into leadership positions within our local churches and global ministries. Guide us in identifying and exploring new territory to claim for You. Open and close the doors to the fields where You want General Baptists to establish ministries. Help each and every General Baptist man, woman and child have the courage to love those around them -- not as the world would have us love, but as Jesus loves -- always.” This is my prayer. I hope it is yours too.

8 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

Did you know that Congregational Ministries maintains an office in Poplar Bluff, Missouri in the General Baptist Ministries building?

Did you know that our staff is available to help you? Please contact us at 573-785-7746 (M-F, Switchboard open 8 a.m.—4 p.m. Central Time) or use our office e-mail cmofc@generalbaptist.com • Carol Lawrence, A D M IN IST R AT IV E ASSIS TA N T F O R CH URC H A ND PAS TOR • Todd Luke, ADM INIS T R AT IV E ASS ISTA N T F O R CO N F E R E NCES A ND EVENT S • Dr. Franklin R. Dumond, D IR E C T OR O F CON G R E GAT IONA L MINIS TRIES

REL ATIONS

Congregational Ministries has the mandate to “function as a response system to the congregations… to plan and offer systematic responses to the congregations.”

Did you know we exist to serve you? Let us help!

May we help you to establish new ministries? By piggy-backing on our existing conferences and events local churches find they are able to establish or strengthen youth ministry through participation in the National Youth Conference hosted every June.

Many churches have vital Sr. Citizen’s Ministries because they started traveling together to the Sr. Adult Retreat (now called Camp Meeting Days) every September in Branson, Missouri.

May we help you rediscover old ministries that still work? Like Vacation Bible School or Sunday School?

For more information visit with us in the Exhibit Hall or connect with our Director at Franklin.Dumond@GeneralBaptist.com or go to www.Turnaround2020.net General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 9

Turnaround has become a fact of life for General Baptists in the United States.

Longtime leader and General Baptist spokesman Dr. James Murray captured that element several years ago when he reminded us “There’s a fresh wind blowing.”

In his last years he served as our Executive Director. Often he returned from traveling around the denomination with the report “You know there are some bright spots out there among us!”

Turnaround has several dimensions and many expressions. One of the most important is in the arena of evangelism. Recently an analysis of Church Growth Reports indicated a higher percentage of churches reporting conversions and baptisms than has been the case in previous years. These Church Growth Reports always lag behind since they report early in one calendar year what happened in the previous calendar year. Right now we are compiling data from 2018 and the trend lines remain encouraging.

For several years now we have provided resources, organized workshops and engaged in one-on-one coaching to help churches in need of Turnaround. Within these pages we once again provide some resources, tell some stories, and profile some activity to help encourage Turnaround.

The verdict is still out for some of these efforts. Many churches in our movement find themselves in low or declining population areas where growth is slow. Others find themselves in geographic isolation with facilities located on what used to be the main road before Interstate Highways changed the rural landscape.

Turnaround takes on several aspects and General Baptist churches continue to adapt and innovate to better reach their communities. Since we really believe that Jesus died for all we want to insure that all can hear the Good News.

Turnaround also takes on personal dimensions so in our profile we also suggest some personal efforts that can lead to personal spiritual growth and personal turnaround.

So in these next pages there’s a snapshot of some Turnaround efforts. They are particularly pointed to our rural churches since up to 70% of all General Baptist churches are located in rural, village or small town settings.

There are many more stories out there of adaptation and innovation that have produced Turnaround. Could we share your story? If so please contact us through our website www.GeneralBaptist.com.

10 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

RURAL CHURCH TURNAROUND

T

ahlequah, Oklahoma is a thriving county seat town of nearly 20,000 people. It is the home of the main campus of Northeastern State University where about 10,000 students are enrolled in one of its three regional campuses. Tahlequah is also the capital of the Cherokee Nation, an American Indian tribe, that boasts more than 500,000 citizens nationwide with a tribal complex that employs about 11,000 people in its 14 county region with an annual budget of $600 million. Tahlequah is also home to its elected Chief of Police, Nate King, who has served in that position since 2013.

But travel Highway 62 east to South Welling Road and follow it up the mountain and 14 miles from that thriving county seat town you will find the remnants of Welling, Oklahoma. Not too many years ago Welling boasted a general store, post office, a few other businesses, a rural school and a General Baptist Church. A few of the old store fronts remain. The Post Office has been relocated to a small building on down the road. The old school building sits up the hill but classes have not been held there since school consolidation in the late 1960s.

Nevertheless the Welling General Baptist Church, organized in 1911 remains and has recently shown signs of new life. In 1914, men, women and children of the church began construction of what continues to be Welling General Baptist Church. An active part of Cherokee Home Association, the Welling Church even hosted the General Association of General Baptists in 1933.

While the coal burning stove is no longer in the sanctuary, the native rock façade is still present on the original building and evidence of growth is apparent in the different expansions over the decades. Seventeen Pastors have served over the 105 years of the church’s existence.

Tahlequah is also home to Nate King who was first elected Chief of Police in 2013. As an active member of the Blue Springs General Baptist Church, he served in a variety of leadership roles there in partnership with Pastor Robert Hunt. Then he felt a call into ministry in 2015 and began preaching to the youth at Blue Springs along with associational gatherings.

Nate had grown up within the Cherokee Home Association and was no stranger to the members of its churches. His late father, John King Jr., had served as a pastor within the association for thirteen years.

His mother, Geneva King, was and is still active as a Sunday School Teacher and now the Sunday School Superintendent at Blue Springs General Baptist Church.

Late maternal grandparents Frank and Rose Dumond were constants at Blue Springs General Baptist Church and within the association along with Great Uncle and

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 11

Aunt, Sheriff Norman Fisher and Jeannie Fisher Licensed Minister Nate King came to the Welling General Baptist Church as a guest speaker in September, 2017. The pulpit had been empty for a few months since the retirement of Pastor Charles Duvall due to failing health.

In October that year Nate was named the Interim Pastor for the Welling Church. At that time there were two regular Sunday School Classes, a men’s and women’s, and an as-needed class for young children. The average attendance of those classes was approximately 20 with an average worship attendance reported that year of 35.

While there was a strong core of faithful members attending, like so many other rural churches in America, the “next generation” was missing. The lack of middleaged adults, young adults, teens and children raised serious concerns for the church’s long term viability.

Two Sundays after naming Nate Interim Pastor, Brother Charles Duvall left this earth to be with the Lord. Over 50 years of pastoral service passed when Charles went home. If not for the dedicated and faithful members of the congregation the church may have very well crumbled at this loss.

The first-time bi-vocational pastor was not prepared for such a task. Of course, when one really begins to think about such things, how many in the Bible were themselves “prepared” for what our God had in store for them? Welling General Baptist had suffered losses before and each and every time the faithful congregation came together to keep the church alive and this instance was no different.

Pastor Nate began doing what he had seen done his whole life from his father and other pastors like Clayton Sellers, Leon Jamison, Charles Duvall, Robert Hunt and so many others.

•Preach the gospel, • O p e n t h e a l t a r, a n d •Invite people to church.

But how do you invite people to church when the church is not visible from the paved road? How do you reach people in the community when there is no community center? The approach has been a simple one. Invite people and learn simplistic directions to the church. The goal is to get them here one time, just once, and let the Holy Spirit latch onto them. We all have family and friends who are not saved, not to mention the countless acquaintances and strangers we come in contact with each and every day.

12 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

In a c o m m un it y w it h ou t a com im po r t ant fo r t h e Chu rch to

This is a life or death situation and should be treated with equivalent magnitude.

Word of mouth is the primary mode used in reaching those people. Social media has been started, but is not yet being utilized to the full potential. In a community without a community center it is so vitally important for the Church to be the community. Getting back to having God as the center of our community is really the key regardless of the community in question. While we have several who are commuting to get to Welling, the majority of the core group live within five miles of the Church.

Each and every Sunday without fail, regardless of how unsure Nate was about his message, he received divine

mm u n it y ce nt er i t i s so vi tally be t h e c ommun i ty.

has recently informed the Church he feels called into the ministry and has been delivering the message to the teens since he started the Youth Group. Daniel and Cara recently put on a Back to School Youth Lock-in and had 30 teenagers attend.

In a community without a community center it is so vitally important for the Church to be the community.

The church has gone from two regular Sunday School Classes to five regular Sunday School classes and has added a Wednesday night service for teenagers. Sunday School attendance has gone from 20 to 35 and worship attendance has gone from 35 to 65 and it is not uncommon to have 75 in attendance for worship. Classes allow for a deeper study of God’s word each Sunday. Classes are offered for men, women, couples, young adult/teens, and two children’s classes. These small groups allow people to find where they fit best. This comfort assists in more regular attendance.

The church as also added new AV equipment and implemented some contemporary music into its praise and worship.

The church has recently celebrated two baptisms and seven new members. It cannot be overemphasized that the key to this resurgence is the presence of the Lord and the faithfulness of the people who make up the congregation at Welling General Baptist Church.

These days the congregation commutes to church by car rather than by foot or horseback like they did in 1911. They fill the parking lot and take advantage of the spacious educational/fellowship building added a few years ago.

When the building is full of people, this quaint country church brings life back into the community even though the geographic community of Welling has long since disappeared.

confirmation. Specifically, the late Sister Francine Rozell, who was battling cancer, began singing specials again and each one went hand in hand with the prepared message.

This helped return an atmosphere of celebration to the worship services Pastor Nate’s children, Daniel (then age 19) and Cara (then age 16), were attending a church in Tahlequah to be part of a youth group. A few months into the work at Welling they came to him and let him know they felt called to come to Welling to start a youth group.

For months, Daniel, Cara and Nate met with only an occasional friend attending. Now the Wednesday youth meetings regularly see about 20 teens participating. Daniel

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 13

The Power of Small Church Outreach Leverage Your Advantages to Reach Your Communit y

By Kevin Harney

I

had the joy of serving in a small church restart while in seminary and through the first few years of my full-time ministry. New Hope Church was a group of around 100 Jesus followers meeting in the cafeteria of a local middle school. They had a passion to reach out with the love and message of the Savior.

Some years later I was called as the lead pastor of a country church outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. Though the church was comprised of around 200 people, they functioned like a church of fewer than 100 since three extended families made up over half the congregation. I fell in love with this committed and caring gathering of believers.

I love small church. I have the privilege of working with thousands of pastors who lead churches of a dozen, 50, 100 or 200 followers of Jesus. Each of these congregations is unique, with its own story, strengths and challenges; but all of them have amazing potential for expanding the work of God’s kingdom and reaching people who need to know that God loves them.

The first small church I served has closed its doors and concluded its ministry. This church has left a beautiful legacy on the lives of many people, including me. The second has grown to be a regional church that has seen hundreds of people come to faith in Jesus. This church is still thriving, giving witness to Jesus and touching lives.

Here are three lessons I learned from both churches that I believe will encourage and help small church leaders in a wide variety of settings.

1. Reaching a Tipping Point

Changing the culture of a church can be difficult and take a long time. But, in a smaller church, you can reach a tipping point with some strategic training and targeted mentoring. A fairly small group can infuse an evangelistic vision and culture in a church. For example, in a church of 50 people, a dozen folks who are on the same page and seeking the same vision can change the culture. I church of 90 needs only 15 or 20 key people to be ignited for the

14 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

gospel to start moving the whole church outward.

If you are in a church with fewer than 100 people (and most churches are), you can target a small core group of people who believe the Bible and have the heart of Jesus.

Start with your board and some strategic influences. Begin to infuse the four key elements needed to move a church from being inwardly to outwardly focused: inspiration, accountability, learning and planning. Impart these four essentials every 30 days, do it relentlessly and commit to continue until Jesus returns or you go to see him. You can find a free six-year curriculum (in both English and Spanish) on the Organic Outreach International website: OrganicOutreach.com. (Go to the resources tab, clink on Organic Influence Team Resources then on OIT Agendas Year 1.)

Here is one of the beautiful things about a small church.

To reach a tipping point and start an outreach movement, a relatively small group can propel your church into new places of faithfulness, gospel impact and world change.

Remember, Jesus launched his movement with a small group. When I served a small church in West Michigan, it too us about 18 months of relentless infusion of outreach into key influencers to reach that tipping point. That congregation is still consumed with a passion for the lost in their community, and people come to faith in Jesus regularly in that congregation. When the heartbeat of Jesus beats in a local church, things change and the gospel is unleashed.

2. I Am Noticed, Loved and Missed

Every one of us needs to be needed and longs to be noticed. In a world that is becoming more digitally connected but less intimate, the human heart wants deeply to belong. In a small church, every person is seen, noticed and hopefully loved.

Don’t get me wrong—I see lots of value in a larger church, but one of the weaknesses is that lots of people can come and go and not be noticed or missed. When a Christian is not present in worship or engaged in the life

of a church for months and no one notices, this can send the wrong message: I am not important.

In a small church, this rarely happens. When every person is noticed, they have a sense of being important.

When someone does not show up and a couple of people call or text them later that day, that human connection says, “You matter.” When every person is needed or the work of the church won’t get doe, everybody has a sense that their contribution is essential.

Small churches can leverage this life-on-life connection.

Pastor, board members and attendees of small churches do well to let other people know they are missed when they can’t make it to a small group, potluck, service day or worship service. Most people don’t feel bad or guilty when someone says, “We missed you.” They feel loved and important. If you are part of a small church, make sure no one can every say, “I was not a church for three weeks and no one even noticed.”

3. A Belonging Before Believing Culture

One of the greatest things people need is a sense of home, family, belonging. Those who are still far from Jesus and searching for something more often need to be welcomed into the church and embraced before they take that final step of faith. They need to be accepted, loved, valued and embraced as part of the church community, even if they do not yet understand what we believe. They need to be loved by God’s people on their way to loving the Savior.

Small churches are uniquely prepared to create this kind of atmosphere. Christian congregations dot our communities that are loving, gracious, caring families.

There are also people all around our communities who are lonely, yearning for belonging and seeking a place where they will be embraced. The Divine Matchmaker wants to connect these people to a small church like yours. God is

looking for churches that will open their hearts, arms, and lives to these people.

We need to take a posture of inviting people to come just as they are. Let’s not place our doctrinal standards, dress codes, lifestyle criteria or any other obstacle in the way of these people. Let’s invite them to belong to the family of the church as they move toward being part of the family of God through faith in Jesus.

Yes, this will be messy. Of course, you will need to use wisdom and set boundaries. Our church does not have nonbelievers teach children’s classes, for obvious reasons.

In the second small church I served, I watched a young couple with two little girls become part of the church family for over here years before they placed their faith in Jesus. The two little girls embraced the Savior first.

Then mom, and final dad. But, the dad was a helper in the youth group the whole time he was walking toward Jesus. He was not teaching the Bible, but he was part of the community.

Every church has strengths, but small churches have some distinct advantages when it comes to outreach. I would encourage you to leverage this with passion and diligence as you reach your community with the grace, love and good news of Jesus.

Kevin Harney is the lead pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California and the founder and visionary leader of Organic Outreach Ministries International. For more: OutreachMagazine. com/Kevin-Harney

The Power of Small Church Outreach

by Kevin Harney appeared in Outreach Magazine, July/August 2019. Copyright 2019 by Outreach Inc. Used by permission.

All rights reserved.

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 15

WHYGB

Theo log ic al Connections

A home-grown religious movement had its beginnings in the 1820s in Evansville, Indiana.

General Baptists came into existence because of the revival preaching of Elder Benoni Stinson. He boldly and frequently proclaimed the good news of the gospel that “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man” with the result that “whosoever will may be saved”. This preaching from texts found in the New Testament books of Hebrews and Romans resulted in the planting of new churches, a networking with other like-minded groups, and the birthing of a national organization in 1870.

But why General Baptist? The name is actually a summary of the core theology of the movement reflecting belief in a general atonement that anyone who is willing to trust Jesus as Savior may be saved. This theological name stood in contrast to those groups of the 19th century who advocated a particular or limited atonement for in their theology only a few, not the many, could be saved.

Though the term “atonement” is not in the General Baptist Statements of Faith, few terms are more important to our historical identity. The “general” in General Baptist is derived from our position on atonement. Atonement can mean the compensation, the restitution paid, or expiation given by God through Jesus Christ for our sin. Atonement can describe the actions of Jesus to secure our salvation, and thus the redemptive work of Jesus can be described as the atonement.

Many Protestants continue to disagree over whether atonement is general (i.e., for all) or particular (i.e., only for those who are “elect”). General Baptists argue that the atonement is for all, but the benefits of the atonement “can be received only through repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Statement of Faith IV). Because we believe in a general atonement we are naturally evangelistic and intentionally missionary.

How else will our world hear the Good News?

For more information visit: www.GeneralBaptist.com.

16 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

RA U R TO S K LOC B D ROA

L

UR T H RC CHU

N

UN ARO

1.

resilience. Small churches, especially small rural churches, are often tough churches. Many of them have hung on for years with a handful of people. While this is a positive it can give members a false hope and it may exclude new folks who want to be part of the fellowship. In this setting it is easy to fall into the trap of doing what has always been done because it has always been done that way rather than doing what has always been done because it is still effective. move around the roadblock: In a safe setting honestly ask “Why do we do what we do?” and follow up with “What should we be doing and when should we start?”

2.

staffing. Pastors in smaller rural churches may tend to be younger without much experience or veteran pastors who are working part time in retirement. Frequent turnover in pastoral leadership generally inhibits turnaround. move around the roadblock: Revitalization probably will not happen in a couple of years. Help your pastor gain the training needed to lead turnaround. Work with your pastor to insure long-term, productive ministry.

3.

lack of teamwork & team development. In a smaller setting key volunteers generally work solo rather than in team settings. Often there simply are not enough bodies to form a team. Turnaround then is restricted by long term service by the same volunteers. These volunteers often serve from a sense of duty or obligation that leads to burn out. move around the roadblock: Consider term limits so folks can step aside honorably. Find a way to share or rotate responsibilities. Recruit intentionally to involve more people in ministry.

4.

facility & location. Rural churches are by definition located in rural areas. Often these are out-of-the-way places where no one just drives by. It is not uncommon that dust, clutter and decay characterize the facility. move around the roadblock: Invest in road signs that can be seen. Include street address and directions on every church communication. Highlight your classic building. Organize a workday to deal with the dust and clutter that will not be attractive to guests.

5.

rural demographics. Population shift is an issue for urban churches when neighborhoods change. Rural communities sometimes face the same factors of population shift and neighborhood change. Many rural areas face declining populations with little economic opportunity and multi-generational poverty. move around the roadblock: Even in small population areas a huge percentage of the population will be unchurched or de-churched. Focus on these groups as if you were a cross cultural missionary who had to reach a previously unreached people group. What do they need? How can we help? When can we learn their names?

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 17

D

Did you know that formal organization in a local church is so important that three New Testament books address these issues?

In the 21st century organization is just as important. Whether a church meets in a store-front rented location or occupies a multi-million dollar facility every church must be able to navigate the banking system, clarify property tax status, satisfy IRS requirements, protect properties and vehicles with insurance and pay the pastor.

None of these happen by themselves but they can happen properly when church leaders organize to meet legal, business and cultural expectations.

Need assistance with organizing documents? Through the work of our Director, Dr. Franklin R. Dumond, Congregational Ministries has developed resources specifically designed to meet the needs of General Baptist churches.

Need assistance with organizing documents? Then ask for the Organizational Planning Packet.

LOOKING FOR HELP ORGANIZING FOR:

•B uildin g Use Po l i ci es • Bud get Devel o p m en t • Emp l oyee Per fo r m a n ce Evalu at io n All you have to do is ask! We have a wealth of resources available in print, by download or through one-on-one or group consultation.

Visit with us in the Exhibit Hall or connect directly with our Director at: Franklin.Dumond@GeneralBaptist.com

18 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

All Nations Update Pastor Pete Lapaz continues to lead the work of All Nations General Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Pastor Pete was won to faith in Christ as a teenager in The Philippines. Under the guidance of Missionary Cecil Green he prepared for pastoral ministry through the General Baptist Bible College in Davao City, The Philippines.

Pastor Pete and his family immigrated to the United States and after several years of ministry ‘sort-of’ retired to Jacksonville, Florida. When he confirmed there was no General Baptist church in that metropolitan area, Pastor Pete set about establishing a church that envisions planting several other churches in the years ahead.

True to their name, All Nations, even in its infancy, has come to be a church home for folks from several ethnic backgrounds. At their August 18 service they counted 75 attending the church with Ukrainians, Italians, Guatemalans, Irish, Filipinos and of course a few ‘regular’ Americans part of the mix.

Although they continue to meet in rented quarters at the Holiday Inn, a building fund has been established, and this fledgling church has begun to support missionary outreach through General Baptist Unified Giving and by sponsoring two students at the General Baptist Bible College in The Philippines.

Earlier this summer a beach front praise and worship service celebrated two more baptisms and recently several have professed their faith in Christ or rededicated themselves to His cause.

In a recent report Pastor Pete wrote: “The congregation is wholeheartedly grateful of your non-stop financial support…we received the financial aid [National Missions Sunday Offering] from the Headquarters through Ms. Linda McDonough…May the Lord give double portion of blessings to all GB churches that give and support the program/work of the GB all over the world. Please convey our heartfelt thanks to all of them… the work here is great, challenging, and exciting. Aside from God’s intervention, without prayers and your financial support, the ministry would not happen.

Thank you for believing in me as your co-worker in the Lord.”

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 19

T U R N A R OU N D T H R O U G H R E S TA R T Pleasant Union General Baptist of Hopkins County, Kentucky

Not many folks visit the village of Beulah, Kentucky these days. A small cluster of homes can be identified with driveways near the intersection of Kentucky Highways 70 and 109. Just at the intersection stands a brick church with an attractive white annex. The Pleasant Union General Baptist Church existed in this location for a long number of years until March 2017 when the remaining members sadly determined to close the church and convey their property and assets to the Long Creek Association in which they held membership.

Some years earlier, when the church was the center of the community a young boy attended a fall outreach event sponsored by the church. In 1975, Pat Baxter rode a hay filled trailer on the church’s annual Hay Ride. He wasn’t a believer and had no thought of ministry at that young age. He was part of a family that was rather transient so their residence in Beulah did not last long.

Later he was converted and found himself engaged in ministry as an ordained minister of Long Creek Association of General Baptists. He felt the urge to start a new work in one of the overlooked communities in his area but nothing had developed and doors had not opened until March, 2017. When the officers of the Pleasant Union Church turned over their real estate and assets to Long Creek Association, Rev. Pat Baxter, the boy who had attended a hay ride once, was not only one of the trustees of the association he was also the association clerk.

So the church closed in March but in just a few months Pastor Baxter was ready to re-start Pleasant Union General Baptist Church of Hopkins County, Kentucky.

Re-start is never an easy proposition especially so when the pastor lives 35 miles away and the community is so under-churched that families have become accustomed to not participating in traditional church services. “We (Pastor Pat, his wife Janet and teenage son Robert) started with a vision and a desire of outreach in the community. We discovered early on that a traditional church setting was not going to work in this area.”

The Baxters resumed worship services at the church facility and began to reconnect with the community. An estimated 70% of the community maintains no church connection. As they began to get acquainted with the area they discovered that the geographic isolation and economics classified the area as a Food Desert.

While Food Deserts are more commonly identified in the inner cities of our large metropolitan areas, the United States Department of Agriculture estimates that approximately 2.3 million people live in low-income, rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket. These rural Food Deserts much like their urban counterparts are often populated by folks without advanced education and many times multi-generational poverty is present. At the same time not everyone living in a food desert is poor.

20 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

Just a few months into the re-start project Pastor Baxter received a call from the Tri State Food Bank based in Evansville, Indiana. They had identified a Food Desert in southern Hopkins County and needed a local partner to set up a mobile food pantry.

So in September 2017 the first truckload of food arrived and was distributed. A regular schedule of distribution has since been set up so that every other month this much needed assistance is offered to the families from the area who qualify by residence and income level to receive their boxes of food.

Now when the Food Pantry is open the church not only hosts the distribution but also provides a meal for those 50-75 families who participate. About 125 people are served at every meal.

These acts of kindness and gifts of love have resulted in a greater openness to spiritual conversations and requests for prayers from these mostly unchurched folks. “Some of these folks who were shy and backward, too proud to ask for help, now have the confidence to stand up and speak,” the pastor reported.

In addition to these food distribution events, the church also hosts other festival type community celebrations. This year the community was invited to a July 4th celebration and a Fall Festival in September. Bouncy houses are always popular! Corn Hole can be an indoor event when it is too hot to play outside.

It takes time to gain the trust and friendship of people and over time Pastor Pat expects “God has something greater”.

The ministry of the re-start church has resulted in several conversions and baptisms. Unfortunately many of those reached by the church migrate to find jobs but they leave with a new connection to the Lord that will guide them in the future. Another result of this re-start effort has been Robert Baxter’s call into the Ministry at the age of 18. He has just entered college at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green wanting to be a guidance counselor.

Despite the struggles and uncertainty of this re-start project Pastor Pat sums it up well when he says, “We are looking forward to what God has in store for us in the future.”

General Baptist churches, both urban and rural, are constantly engaging in new ministries housed in established facilities. If your church is experimenting with one or more of these nontraditional ways to connect with your community please let us know so we can tell your story.

Contact Us through our website www.GeneralBaptist.com.

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 21

Personal Turnaround: Responding to God’s Call

22 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

By Cody Morgeson

My name is Cody Morgeson! I am 18 years old from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. I graduated from Neelyville High School in May of 2019. I grew up in Walnut Grove Church and loved every part of it, specifically the friendships I made there. In 2013, Walnut Grove closed, and our family made the decision to start attending Fellowship Church in Poplar Bluff. There I discovered I had a calling on my life, and once that happened every time the doors were open I was there. If an event was starting early, I was there. If an event went until midnight, you better believe I was there.

My worship Pastor, Justin Benefiel, said: “You have to stop chasing after this calling, you won’t find it, it will find you.” So I took a step back, sat down, and spent time in prayer. It was then my calling became clear. I instantly began researching ways to learn more and gain wisdom and understanding.

My first opportunity was an internship at Fellowship, and it was there I formed a strong foundation of my theology and beliefs. Throughout the course of this internship, I had many opportunities, and one of them was attending Summit. There I saw Carl Nichols walking towards me, and I knew that I needed to talk to him. I listened to that feeling and asked Carl about LeadNow, and he instantly connected me to Ashleigh.

In a whirlwind of events, two weeks later I walked into Relevant Church in Locust Grove, Georgia for the first time and started this new 10 month journey. I am nine hours from home, walking blindly into this experience. I am ready for what God is going to do in and through me over the course of these next ten months.

Here in LeadNow I’ve been under some of the best leadership between Pastor Carl, Ashleigh, and my Next Steps coach Jamie. I’ve experienced so much growth in just the first week, from relationships to understanding what it takes to be an effective leader. I’m excited for further growth and to see what God has in store.

Q: What do you hope to take back to your church after going through LeadNow? A: I am just looking forward to going back and teaching everyone everything from mission, vision, values, and culture.

Q: What are some areas that you need to grow over these next ten months?

A: I want to grow in my ability to lead overall. I’m looking forward to walking through the leadership pipeline and completing the competencies so I can learn how to build trust with a team, resolve conflict, and identify emerging leaders.

Q: Cody, what made you decide to do LeadNow? A: I talked to Carl and Ashleigh at the GB Summit, and I really felt like God was calling me to step into this. There were a few other opportunities I could have taken, but now that I am at Relevant, I know that I’m supposed to be here.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in the program?

A: I am pumped about being a fly on the wall and learning how to build a discipleship program. Relevant is working hard at that, and I am honored to be a part!

Q: What is one thing that you hope to get out of LeadNow? A: I would love to walk out of LeadNow more equipped to step into full time ministry one day. There is a lot I don’t understand yet, and I’m looking forward to gaining an understanding.

Q: Within the first week of LeadNow, what was your biggest takeaway?

A: That sometimes we are called out of our comfort zone because growth is on the other side. I have learned so much about myself and others in only one week. I know these next ten months are going to be incredible.

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 23

: Personal Turnaround

By: Amanda Ball-Knight contact or booking email :

O

ver the last month or so I have spent some time decluttering my house. You know, getting rid of all the unnecessary stuff that piles up over time and becomes a permanent fixture of dust collection.

We all have it…a junk drawer in the kitchen that won’t close, a closet that when you open the door everything in it explodes out into a big pile on the floor, a drop station where you pitch your armloads of junk when you come in the house, and that stuff sitting in the corner you just haven’t gotten around to putting away. Let’s not forget to mention the broken things lying around that we planned to fix and they honestly should have been thrown out months ago, projects that are only half done or you still haven’t started, and don’t forget about those clothes that you are going to one day fit back in.

I have even been working on a technology declutter. You know all those emails that fill up your inbox (and you never actually open or read them) I unsubscribed from all of those. I even deleted several apps on my phone that I don’t use or that I waste my time playing.

All of this unnecessary stuff in my house and on my devices was taking away from my life, or should I say taking over my life? Either way, it was in the way, it was holding me back. It needed to go. And go, it did! It has been liberating donating, trashing, and even selling items I no longer need; items that bring no meaning or purpose

24 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

amandaballknight@gmail.com

to my life journey. And for my devices not to be beeping and constantly dinging with messages that were not important.

As I was doing all of this, God began to speak to me.

It seems I heard Him say, “As awesome as it is that you are decluttering your house, you should also consider decluttering your Spiritual life.”

Wait…what? Declutter my Spiritual life? I began praying and reading my Bible and God just poured over me.

Our Spiritual life is so important; it’s our dwelling, it’s our home, it’s our safe place. And we clutter it up with so much junk! It gets dusty, overcrowded, and unorganized.

Our Spiritual life gets tainted with sin, overcrowded with things that hold us back. Too many times we won’t get rid of all the ‘things,’ it’s like we are holding on to them for later or just in case. Then because we won’t let go and declutter all that junk in our Spiritual walk, we begin to trip over it, stumble, and often give up.

I began to inventory my Spiritual life, my walk with Jesus. I didn’t want anything to hold me back, trip me up, or take up His space. I never want to turn around and be far from God. I sat down with God and began talking with Him. How could I

reorganize my thoughts, live out my purpose, and get rid of the junk?

I had to practice what I preach, and that meant sincere and total surrender to Christ. It meant recognizing that God created me on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose. I have to remove the clutter to live out that purpose.

Material possessions often have more control over us than we would like to think.

When we start the decluttering process we get overwhelmed, distracted, and never finish. We want to hold on to all the clutter just in case we may need it later. Sometimes we have so much stuff sitting in the way that it begins to affect our time and we use the excuse, “I don’t have enough time.” When actually we have just wasted our time on the useless clutter. That’s just what we do in our Spiritual declutter. I mean, how many times have you started a Bible reading plan or a scheduled prayer time, only to quit three days later? We begin with a fire and it burns out quickly, we get distracted, or we don’t have enough time.

Manytimes, we replace our relationship with Christ with ministry or works. If we are actively working with a ministry or doing good deeds, we feel we have strengthened our relationship with God, but that’s not how it works.

Jesus reminds us that the key to spiritual power and growth is time alone with God. In Matthew 14:23 (KJV), it says, “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”

Jesus knew the importance (and he modeled it for us to follow) of time alone with the Father. The only way to have a thriving relationship with someone is to spend time with them. And Jesus knew that, so He spent time alone with God. Many Christians struggle with learning how to have a meaningful daily time with God. We naturally want to be surrounded by people, so being alone with God is intimidating.

Just as the disciples talked out loud with Jesus and told Him their concerns, their needs, confessed to Him, and shared their joyful moments, we too need to be willing to talk with God in that manner.

Our relationship with Christ has to be more than just a grocery list of

wants. When we think of time alone with God, we often only think of us talking to Him, but it is vital that we are silent and listening in part of that time. We have to be receptive to God’s Spirit speaking to us.

We have to learn to listen.

As we develop that relationship with God, He will begin to remove that clutter which is holding us back.

We will be able to unload those burdens, unpack those boxes, throw out the trash, wipe the dust out of the corners of our heart, and feel a sense of heaviness gone.

So as the seasons begin to change and Summer turns to Fall, take this new season to declutter your Spiritual life, to surrender fully to Christ, because you do not want to turn around and be far from the Master.

There is a season for all things … and this is your season to turn around and be closer to God. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 25

RE V ISI T ING SUMMI T 2019

$25,000 Check Presented by Womens Minis

Practical Training

900 General Baptists Gathered for t

26 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

stries

MEANINGFUL WORSHIP

their 150th Annual Meeting

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 27

General Baptist Bible College Praise Team “It was an honor to serve and reconnect” – Pastor Phil Warren, Westside Church “Having the team from the Philippines helped broaden our church’s perspective to think more globally. It’s incredible to see other General Baptists from across the world worshipping the same God we do.”

– Pastor Tyler Feller, McLeansboro First General Baptist Church “Strong Tower Church was immensely blessed by the GBBC praise band. Their willingness to serve and give of themselves drew our church into a powerful moment of worship and connection to God. As a church it was our “ S tro n g To w er C hurc privilege h was immen to sely be part of their story. As much as it was our b l e s sed b y t he GBBC hope praisetoban d. be a blessing to them they were as much or more a Th e i r wi lli ng ne ss t oblessing serve an to d give us.” o f t h emselv e s drew –o uLandon r ch urchSartin, in to Worship Pastor, Strong Tower Church a p o w erf ul mo m e nt o f worsh ip an d c o n n e ct i o n t o Go d. As a ch urch it was our p r i v i l e g e t o b e pa rt of th eir story. A s m uc h as i t wa s o ur hope to be a blessin g t o th e m t hey w e re a s much or more a b l e s si ng t o us. ” – Landon Sartin, Worship Pastor, Strong Tower Church

“It was an ho no r to s e r ve an d r e c o n n e c t ” – Pastor Phil Warren, Westside Church

“Having the te am f r o m the P h i l i p p i n e s he l p e d b r o ad e n o u r c hu r c h’ s p e r s p e c tive to think mo r e g l o b a l ly . I t ’ s inc r e d ib l e to s e e o the r G e ne r a l B a p t i s t s f r o m ac r o s s the w o r l d w o r s h i p p i n g t h e s ame G o d w e d o . ” – Pastor Tyler Feller, McLeansboro First General Baptist Church 28 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

G E N E R A L

B A P T I S T

INVESTMENT FUND 45 Y EA R S

1974

2019

DOUBLE SAPPHIRE ANNIVERSARY

45

MILLION AS SETS

NEW MONEY ONLY: $25,000 & ABOVE 90 DAY INTEREST PENALTY FOR EARLY WITHDRAWAL

TWO YEARS

THREE YEARS

4.50%

5.00%

OTHER CD OPTIONS WITH MINIMUM DEPOSIT $ 100 DEMAND

ONE YEAR

TWO YEARS

THREE YEARS

FIVE YEARS

2.50%

3.00%

3.05%

3.10%

3.25%

GENERAL BAPTIST INVESTMENT FUND, Inc.

100 Stinson Drive • Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

573-785-7746 Barbara Williams,  Steve Naff,   

NEW OR RENOVATED C h u r c h e s , Pa r s o na g e S , & C h u r c h T r a n s p o r tat i o n

MEET OUR

2020 SUMMIT

KE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR G E N E R A L A S S O C I AT I O N OF GENER AL BAPTISTS L E A D PA S TO R REAL LIFE CHURCH

PA S T O R C L I N T COOK

PA S T O R G A R Y BALDUS L E A D PA S TO R NE W WA L K CHUR CH

# G B S U 30 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

YNOTERS

L E A D PA S TO R T HEC H U R C H AT

PA S T O R A L E X H I M A YA

PA S T O R T R OY GRAMLING L E A D PA S TO R POTENTIAL CHURCH

U M M I T General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 31

Registration Opens January 2

ND

, 2020

Register Online @ www.gbsummit.org Contact General Baptist Ministries at 573.785 .7746 for more information

J U LY 2 0 – 2 2 , 2 02 0

O R L A N DO , F LO R I DA

MISSION & MINISTRY

SUMMIT

We are pleased to announce we have contracted for a rooming block at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. The facilities at the Caribe feature all suite rooms along with two-bedroom villas perfect for larger families or even multiple couples to share. From Single King Suites, to Double Queen Suites, to the feature-packed Two-Bedroom Villas, The Caribe is the perfect host property for the Mission & Ministry Summit!

• Our group rate is $119 for the Standard Single King Suites and Double Queen Suites and is available July 20-22, 2020 (plus 3 days pre and post).

• Our group rate for the Two-Bedroom Villas is $219 which include a full kitchen, living and dining room, one double queen bedroom, one king bedroom, two full baths, plus stacked washer and dryers. This is really perfect for families turning the trip down for the Summit into a vacation!

• Cut off date for reservations is June 25, 2020.

• SPECIAL NOTES: • All Suite rates are based on single/double occupancy. Villa rates are based on up to four adults.

Additional charges for additional adults.

• The Hotel Fee, normally $25, has been waived for our rooming block.

• There is an additional charge for parking.

It is very important that you book your hotel rooms either directly through the online link provided at http://www.gbsummit.org/housing/ or by phone with the hotel. Third-party booking agents/sites will not have accesss to our rooming block nor our negotiated reduced rates and fee concessions. This is called "booking around the block" and can cause financial problems for the General Association. We guarantee a number of rooms will be booked by our attendees and staff. This allows us to negotiate reduced rooming rates versus the general public as well as concessions that enable the Summit to be held at the host facility on better economical terms. If we do not deliver on the guaranteed number of sleeping rooms, we are held financially responsible for the difference.

Please reserve only the rooms you or your group will need. Over booking forces other attendees to find hotel rooms away from the conference center. When rooms are released after the cutoff date, it can cost the General Association additional fees to honor the minimum contract for rooms.

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 33

Y E O M A N S WE HAVE ARRIVED! In the summer of 2012, the late Dr. James Murray spoke at our Mission & Ministry Summit in Springfield, MO. While speaking, he continually said, “Don’t quit. Don’t you quit. Don’t you dare quit!” Those of you who were in attendance may remember that as well as I do. It was a special day and a special opportunity to hear him speak, and it was a message filled with encouragement to keep going, and to not give up.

As our flight touched down in West Africa about two weeks ago, I could hear those words over and over again in my head. To be honest, over the past year, there had been numerous times I wanted to quit. With all the health issues that came up in my life, most of which were very unexpected, there were many days where I just said to myself, “I can’t do this. I can’t move to remote West Africa and live like this.” I wanted to quit.

In every one of those instances, the Lord would gently remind me, “Kris, you are right. You can’t do this. I can.

Make yourself available, and I’ll do the work in and through you.”

One of the greatest things I’ve learned over the past year of waiting to get to Africa has been to stop trying to do things I simply cannot do, and to let God work in and through me. There are many things I cannot do, but He can do all things. I’ve known that for many years, but I wasn’t fully living it. The Lord used the past year to teach me some hard lessons, but I am better because of them all. This isn’t work that I am doing. It is work

34 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

U P D AT E that He is doing through me, and I am so grateful the Lord is working in my life and showing me to fully and completely trust in and lean on Him, in all things. So, in taking Dr. Murray’s advice, we didn’t quit, and the Lord has answered our prayers - we are in Africa!

We are praying and trusting that we will be here for many years, with your prayers and support. That is our plan, but as the Lord has shown us in the past 12 months, our plans can change in an instant. One thing is certain, though, He knows how long He will have us here, and we can rest assured that He has everything under control. So, while we are here, whether it’s 2 years or 20 years, we work!

If we can offer one piece of advice to you today, it would be, don’t quit. Follow where the Lord is leading you, push on, and He will sustain you. There is no safer place to be than at the center of God’s will for your life.

O u r C om i ng s a n d G oi ng s As you can imagine, we have been quite busy getting our new home set up and trying to learn our way around the city, over the past two weeks. We’ve had quite a few experiences so far, from being cut off in traffic by goats and camels, to finding our way to the “pluck and kill” chicken market near our home. Our biggest grocery store surprise last week was finding 10 pieces of skinless, boneless chicken (just like home!), but for the hefty price of $40.00! Hence, the need to find the “pluck and kill market.”

Other activities that have taken place: We have had a short orientation with SIM personnel, as we prepare to begin part-time work at Sahel Academy in about two weeks. We have ordered our furniture (which is being handmade). We have held our first meeting with a Nigerien believer regarding plans to plant our first church. Emily and Eden have made many new friends over the past week, many of whom will be in school with them at Sahel Academy.

P r ay e r R e qu e st s Thank you for praying for us as we departed the US for Africa on July 14. We had a great trip over to our new home! Please continue to keep the following requests in your prayers: • Continue to pray as we adjust to the new culture and climate of West Africa, and for good health and strength for us all.

• We will continue learning French, starting today!

Please pray for us and for our teacher, that we will learn quickly and that our time will be beneficial and effective in the language-learning process.

• Continue to pray for God to guide us to the location for our first church plant.

• Pray for Emily and Eden has they prepare to start school on August 13.

As always, thank you so much for remembering us in your prayers. They are felt daily!

Our Contact Info (please note, all packages and letters can take several weeks to several months to arrive, and usually all packages are opened and inspected before delivery):

Kris, Nicole, Emily & Eden Yeomans c/o SIM Niger BP 10065 Niamey, Niger, West Africa.

Phone number in Niger: +227 98.60.54.39 Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 35

ed stevens offering 2019

Hispanic

Outreach

By Mark Powell, Director of International Ministries

36 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

G

eneral Baptists growth in Mexico has seen its ups and downs. In the 1990s General Baptist Missions (national and international) began Project Tex-Mex with the establishment of a church in El Paso, Texas. The project was short lived but resulted in several church plants in Juarez, Mexico.

Between 2008 and 2011 Juarez saw war break out between rival drug cartels which essentially brought an end to General Baptist activities in Juarez except for Pastor Pedro and Elida Quezada who continued to cross the border from El Paso where they resided to minister at the Agua Viva church in Juarez. Without Pedro and Elida, General Baptist work in Mexico would have died with the more than 10,000 who were killed in Juarez during the cartel war.

A little further south in the city of Chihuahua Pastor Joel and wife Cici also faithfully ministered the gospel during these years. The marriage of Pedro and Elida’s daughter brought another church into the fold pastored

by Felix now the in-laws of Pedro and Elida.

With some law and order restored in Juarez, General Baptist teams began to return to the cities of Juarez and Chihuahua but progress has been slow. GBIM raised funds to purchase an additional lot adjacent the church where Pedro and Elida pastor (Agua Viva Church) and plans are underway to establish an adult training center.

Teams and funds will be needed to help move this project forward.

In 2015 Pastor Rene Rodriguez introduced his daughter Eylin, then living in Tijuana, Mexico to GBIM director Mark Powell. Pastor Rene leads General Baptist ministries in southern California through the activities of the Sheffield Association of General Baptists and has produced many Christian leaders and church plants through the effective use of Bible Institute. The partnership with GBIM resulted in the establishment of two Bible Institutes in Tijuana and Tecate, North Baja California.

Several churches in the area quickly aligned with General Baptists, and soon churches were joining with General Baptists from Tijuana to Chiapas (extreme north to south).

Currently there are five Bible Institutes in Mexico and very real potential for a new Bible Institute in Guatemala. Pastor Rene Rodriguez recently shared with GBIM director Mark Powell the possibility of connecting immediately with 13 Guatemalan churches through existing contacts in Southern California. The missing element is funds, which we believe General Baptist people will graciously provide for us through the Ed Stevens offering.

We also have begun a new Bible Institute in Honduras (HBI) under the leadership of Dr. Rodney Walls and Pastor Miguel Ramirez. Beginning HBI produced almost instant results with one student leading the revitalization of Emmanuel Church near El Porvener and the planting of a new church in Nueva Plan.

With all of this in mind, the 2019 Ed Stevens Offering has four primary goals:

1. Raise funds to ensure the continued health of 2.

3.

4.

the current six Bible Institutes in Mexico and Honduras.

Provide needed funds to continue expansion in Mexico and into Guatemala.

Provide funding for the Nueva Plan project in Honduras and the Agua Viva project in Mexico.

Allow GBIM the opportunity to assist future Hispanic outreach in Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala and possibly southern California.

Your church could designate any Sunday as a Sunday to participate in the 2019 Ed Stevens offering.

Please help us provide a future for the ongoing success God has given us in these Hispanic countries and pray for many souls to touched with the gospel of Jesus Christ. All gifts for this offering simply need to be designated “2019 Ed Stevens Offering.”

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 37

New AMissionaries P P O I N T E D General Baptist International Missions is pleased to announce the appointment of two new missionary families to Honduras and the Philippines.

The Brantley family (Schuyler, Cathy, Jeremiah and Allie) have been appointed to serve at the Matigsalug Bible Institute (MBI) in the Philippines. While living at MBI their primary assignment will be to mobilize student teams for evangelism and community health care training. The administration of MBI will remain completely in the hands of Filipino leadership, with the Brantley’s serving alongside MBI faculty and staff to engage students in evangelistic outreaches and community health evangelism.

Robin Lowery has been appointed to serve along Christina Massey and Dr. Rodney and Teresa Walls in Honduras. She will wear several hats as a missionary to Honduras but will primarily serve Faith Home as an educational facilitator and consultant.

38 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

The Brantley’s are from the small town of Marion in western Kentucky. They have been married for 18 years and have been blessed with two children, Jeremiah and Allie, who are homeschooled. Since the time of their marriage, they have been members of Cave Springs General Baptist Church. During this time they have been involved in many areas of the ministry including teaching young adult Sunday school as a couple, directing Bible school, and helping with the youth group.

Schuyler answered the call to ministry three years ago and was the pastor of a small country church for two years. In addition to his pastoral experience, he also has general construction experience that will be helpful in the field.

Cathy, a nurse for the past 14 years, has vast experience from newborn to geriatric care. Cathy has felt the call to mission service to help provide medical care to underprivileged individuals for about four years.

God has since provided the opportunity for the Brantley’s to use their talents in the Philippines doing Community Health Evangelism to the tribal people in and around the Sinuda, Bukidnon region where MBI is located. Schuyler stated, “We feel a call to this area in response to the Joshua Report that shows that this region is still primarily unreached by the gospel.”

As a family, they plan to reach out to the people of the tribal regions of the Philippines and present the gospel of Jesus Christ while helping meet the immediate physical needs of the people. For More information email: brantley@generalbaptist.com

The Brantley Family: Schuyler, Cathy, Jeremiah and Allie

Robin received a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and is certified to teach special education. Robin states, “God has given me a love for children of all ages.” Her church home is McLeansboro First General Baptist Church. She is active in the church’s children and youth ministries.

Robin is passionate about sharing Jesus, especially with children adding, “When I first visited Honduras in April of 2017, I immediately fell in love with the ministry God is providing at Faith Home.”

“The more you learn about the country of Honduras, the more you realize what an amazing gift Faith Home is to the children who are there. Faith Home not only provides for the basic needs of the children but gives them so much more. They have the love of a family, quality healthcare, education and more importantly, they experience the love of Christ. Faith Home gives the children a wonderful life and better opportunities for their future.”

Children who come to Faith Home have received little to no education. Robin is excited to be part of the team at Faith Home and the opportunity to bring early stimulation classes and implement an educational program that is individualized to support the students who need extra tutoring.

Robin Lowery

“I am blessed to be a part of giving the children at Faith Home a firm educational foundation. Please consider joining me in this ministry through your prayers and support.”

Robin looks to this passage of scripture as she begins her ministry in Honduras, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

- Proverbs 22:6 For more information email: robin.lowery@generalbaptist.com

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 39

Inspiring & empowering women to find their God-potential

Why Women’s Ministries?

Vicki Smith-Director of Women’s Ministries

Quite frequently I am asked the question “Why Women’s Ministries?” When I was first asked the question, I had not been the director of the ministry for very long. I struggled to come up with some profound explanation that was going to inspire all who heard it to start a women’s ministry group in their church.

However, I then realized that the best approach was to just share my heart and my passion for the ministry.

If you have been following the transformation of the ministry in the last few months you know that the ministry, through the direction of the board and staff, has returned to the original mission of the organization. We had spent the last few years worrying about the method and neglected the mission of the organization and that was to support missions nationally and internationally. It was at that moment that we began to see the ministry turn around. Women all over the denomination united in their support to see that the mission was accomplished, and the God given passion was fulfilled.

So “W hy Women’s Ministries?”:

1. Women’s Ministries is a support organization that was founded on missions.

2. Women’s Ministries partners with International and National Missions to provide extra financial support through fundraising and Love Gift contributions.

3. Makes available leadership training for local groups as well as local group support.

4. Staff members are always available to visit churches as well as provide information regarding missions and our missionaries.

5. Disperses information and support through social media in the form of Boundless and gbwomen.org.

6. A national organization can accomplish more using a central hub.

There is no master plan for a women’s ministry group. No two groups are going to look the same. The one thread that binds us all together is a passion for missions and a desire to support missions financially as well as personal support for our missionaries and church planters who are serving in the United States as well as on foreign fields. Simply stated: We can accomplish so much more if we work together.

My prayer is that you will seriously consider what part God wants you to play and what responsibility He desires for you to take. That direction and passion will come if you ask for it. We have the command in Matthew 28:19-20.

What part will the women in your church play? Perhaps God is calling you to be the catalyst to get a women’s ministry started. Maybe you have an active women’s group, but you have left the missions focus out of it. God only blesses when we give out. Exciting things can happen when we allow God to lead. Don’t miss out on that opportunity!

40 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

Outreach continues to change yet it remains essential to the long term and short term survival and health of the local church.

Outreach methods of the past proved very effective.

They helped us get where we are today.

Times, however, continue to change so the age-old message must be re-framed and communicated in a way that allows people to hear and respond.

Did you know that in many rural communities 70-80% of the population is unchurched?

The logic of the Scripture is undeniable: “How shall they hear unless someone tells them?”

What if we could learn from others so that we avoid mistakes while also repeating tried and true methods?

Congregational Ministries continues to offer coaching connections to do just that. We can connect you to regional coaches who will help step you through processes that have worked in other similar settings.

General Baptist Ministries, through the Turnaround 2020 Initiative, has produced plan books, resource guides and helpful, hands-on material to assist turnaround with the goal of substantial increases in weekly attendance over a 3-5 year window.

Connect with our Director at Franklin.Dumond@GeneralBaptist.com or go to www.Turnaround2020.net

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 41

H I S PA N I C O U T R E A C H

Currently the countries of Honduras and Mexico have a combined population of over 139 million people with Spanish being the predominant language spoken.

That does not include the large Hispanic population that now inhabit the United States. The needs are many and the opportunities are endless.

Pastor Rene Rodriguez has a vision to double the Mexico ministry within the next year. Further expansion to Guatemala is within our reach. HBI in Honduras has strengthened the ministry there with the training of pastors and church leaders.

The ABC Offering will financially support the Hispanic outreach as we share the Gospel and bring light and hope to this group of people.

Send your ABC offering to: General Baptist Women’s Ministries 100 Stinson Drive Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

42 | General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019

G o a l f o r

2 019

A s e n a t h B r e w s t e r C h r i s t m a s O f f e r i n g Vicki Smith Director of Women’s Ministries

While serving as a General Baptist missionary in Honduras one of my favorite areas to visit was the community of El Banano. El Banano as the name implies is in the middle of a banana plantation. As you turn off the highway and travel on a very dry, dusty road that has several roads very similar intersecting with the main road, all leading to remote areas of the plantation. I don’t know how many people live in the community of El Banano, but I do remember being amazed on occasions of doing food distribution or canvasing for a medical team how many small houses are in that area. Most in the village work for the plantation. Harvesting stalks of bananas by hand and hanging them on the conveyor belt that runs through the rows. Life is simple in El Banano and the days are long, filled with hard work. I first became acquainted with the community after meeting Isabel. Isabel worked in the women’s coop one day a week and helped with some of our ministry needs. When you touched Isabel’s hands you felt the calluses, a direct result of the hard-manual labor that she was accustomed to. Life was hard in El Banano.

I wish many times that I had written a book entitled “The Lessons That I Learned from the Mission Field”, because you see there were many. In fact, I learned far more than I taught, and I received far more than I gave. If you stay on the main road leading into El Banano you will come to an intersection of sorts and on the left side of the road sits the El Banano General Baptist Church. I remember the first time I visited that church. My eyes filled with tears as I saw the General Baptist name and logo and gave thanks for a church that was a direct result of General Baptist International Missions. I first learned about true worship at El Banano. As is the custom worship services begin when

$6000

they feel everyone is there and they end when they feel that the Holy Spirit has ceased to move. The first to arrive is the core group of the church and they begin sweeping, opening windows, arranging chairs, turning on fans and making the building ready. Everyone is greeted with a hug.

Almost all that come go immediately to the altar and pray for the service as well as prepare themselves spiritually. The building is a modest block building and the benches are boards sitting on cement blocks. But oh, the pride that they have in their church. It is their oasis of sorts where they can come and worship. The place where they can truly feel God’s presence. The place to find support and fellowship with other believers.

Currently we have several churches in the country of Honduras, Mexico and soon to be Guatemala. All needing a permanent home for their congregation. Right now, a church can be constructed for $6000. Not very much money by our standards. The focus this year for the Women’s Ministries ABC Offering is Hispanic Outreach.

Our goal is to raise $6000 to build a church. Now dream with me for a minute. If out of the 800 General Baptist Churches each church just received an offering for $100, we could easily provide a church building for 13 congregations and pastors that have no permanent church building. If 200 of our churches would have an offering of $30, we would reach our goal. Or if 20 churches would have an offering of $300. We have reached our goal. Perhaps God will convict a church to raise the funds to build a church on their own.

The possibilities are Boundless!

We are asking that the ABC Offering be collected on Sunday December 1st or Sunday December 8th. Prayerfully consider what part your women’s group or church can play in this outreach. We truly “Can Do Together What We Cannot Do Alone”.

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 43

Unified GIVING ... . doing together what we cannot do alone The early Church knew while not all were called to travel the known world preaching the Gospel, all were expected to financially and spiritually support the work of those who were, as well as give toward emergency relief.

Paul mentions on numerous occasions the help he receives from the established churches and the offerings he delivers to the poor. (Romans 15:23-24, Galatians 2:10, Philippians 4:16) People from all over would come together in support of a few, so that the Gospel could branch out to even more places.

Unified Giving allows us to follow the example of the first believers and gather our resources to send and support more missionaries than ever before to all corners of the world, and to provide relief to the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, and the disaster-stricken.

It enables us to do greater things together than what we can do alone.

General Baptist Ministries 100 Stinson Dr. | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573.785.7746 | www.GeneralBaptist.com

“General Baptist Ministries exists to maximize Kingdom impact by starting, equipping and inspiring local churches to accomplish the Great Commission.”

WHYGB

Tho se Old Den omi n ati o n s T HREE REAS ONS F OR BE LONGING:

1. Doing together what we cannot do alone.

No one church can accomplish individually what we accomplish collectively.

Can one church singlehandedly…

• Supervise the gathering of 42 churches in India?

• Undertake the management of an orphanage in Honduras?

• Plant a series of fast-growing, high-impact churches to reach thousands with the gospel?

• Guide the revitalization of hundreds of existing churches?

While no one church can undertake all these ministries singlehandedly, we do together what we cannot do alone!

2. We are not alone in the struggle. As part of a network of churches we are exposed to the help and encouragement needed to be more effective in our local ministries.

Broad connections among and between General Baptists from different parts of the nation and different parts of the world provide a synergy of effort and a keen reassurance that we are not alone in the struggle.

3. A denomination offers services and programs.

• Conferences and events offered at very modest costs and in convenient locations.

• Consultation services customized to our denominational settings.

• Missionary presence to assist local ministries to more effectively reach the world.

• Church Planter connections to impact the course of our nation.

• Construction and expansion loans.

For more information visit: www.GeneralBaptist.com.

General Baptist Messenger Fall 2019 | 45

Trending Now Wednesday Night Still a Church Night for Most Congregations:

What Activities Does Your Church Typically Have on Wednesday Nights?

Among U.S. Protestant Pastors

By Aaron Earls - Lifeway Research

What began as midweek prayer meetings in the 18th century have become an accepted part of the congregational life in the vast majority of Protestant churches in America.

Nine in 10 Protestant pastors say they have some type of activity on Wednesday night, according to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Only 10% say they have no regular events on Wednesday evening.

“Church leaders frequently discuss the difficulty of getting people to participate in church activities multiple days each week,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. “Yet the vast majority of churches are still open and active on Wednesday nights.”

Hispanic New Church works compared to Church plants of all ethnicities ALL CHURCH PL ANTS

$50K $43,514

$33,904

$24,639

$25K

$19,435 $15,409 $12,863

$11,281

$11,683 $9,273

0

YE AR 1

YE AR 2

YE AR 3

YE AR 4

$7,910

YE AR 5

Note: This does not include funds given by church members. Rough estimates were accepted

53% Student Ministry Gathering 48% Children’s Activities 45% Prayer Meeting 39% Choir or Worship Team Rehersal 33% Worship Service 10 % None 8% Other Note: Respondents could select all that apply.

New Hispanic Churches Often Do More With Less

Average total Dollars received from outside sources, by year

HISPANIC NE W CHURCH WORKS

58% Adult Small Group Bible Study

By Aaron Earls - Lifeway Research

31%

New Hispanic church works in the U.S. see similar patterns of attendance growth and conversions as other church plants despite having a fraction of the financial support and training, as well as facing additional complications from the immigration status of members and leaders.

“Evangelical groups who are starting new churches are starting Hispanic churches,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.

The Nashville-based research firm surveyed leaders from more than 200 new Hispanic church works from 14 Protestant denominations and discovered most of the pastors and members were born outside of the U.S. The study was sponsored by the Send Institute at Wheaton College’s Billy Graham Center, and funded by 12 denominations.

Read the full report online at www.LifeWayResearch.com Source: Lifeway Research One LifeWay Plaza | Nashville, TN 37234-0192

Two-thirds of Churchgoers Say Denying Self is Essential to Serving Christ

By Carol Pipes - Lifeway Research

A majority of Protestant churchgoers believe making sacrificial decisions to serve Christ is essential to their faith, and most try to avoid situations that might lead to immoral thoughts or actions.

The 2019 Discipleship Pathway Assessment study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found two-thirds (66%) of Protestant churchgoers agree with the statement: “A Christian must learn to deny himself or herself to serve Christ,” with 38% strongly agreeing.

What Activities Does Your Church Typically Have on Wednesday Nights?

Among U.S. Protestant churchgoers

Agree

Neither

Disagree

A Christian must learn to deny himself/herself in order to serve Christ.

66%

18%

16%

I try to avoid situations in which I might be tempted to think or do immoral things.

77%

15%

8%

I live as if I exist to praise and glorify God.

66%

24%

10%

Note: 5% other, 14% not sure. Respondents could select all that applied.

Research Finds Churchgoers Demonstrate Deep Faith but Have Room to Grow

By Carol Pipes - Lifeway Research

When it comes to trusting God, Protestant churchgoers exercise a great deal of faith in their daily lives—whether in difficult circumstances or when the unexplainable happens.

The 2019 Discipleship Pathway Assessment study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found 7 in 10 (72%) Protestant churchgoers disagree with the statement: “During difficult circumstances, I sometimes doubt that God loves me and will provide for my life,” with 50% strongly disagreeing.

Only 5% of Protestant churchgoers strongly agree they doubt God’s faithfulness in difficult circumstances, while 13% somewhat agree and 10% neither agree nor disagree.

Read the full report online at www.LifeWayResearch.com Source: Lifeway Research One LifeWay Plaza | Nashville, TN 37234-0192

@generalbaptist #gbministries

Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest trends and research about the American religious beliefs.

general baptist

non - profit org

u . s . postage

pa i d

m e s s e n g e r

p op l a r b l u ff , mo

General Baptist Ministries 100 Stinson Drive Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

O N E

D A Y

permit no 164

W O R K S H O P !

SMALL CHURCH ESSENTIALS

Feat u ri ng

Karl Vat e rs

WHEN: S AT UR DAY, OCTOB E R 19, 2019 T I M E : 9A M WHERE: M A IN ST R E E T GE N E R A L B A PT IST – 5 PO IN T 6 2 3 E M A IN ST • B OON V ILLE , IN 47601

Cost: $25.00/congregation.

What? Not per person. That’s right bring ‘em all for one price!

Sponsored by Freedom Association.

De a d li ne to reg i ster: October 4, 2019!

Q u e s t i o n s : Email Pastor Ken Slater at kls.mt.o@hotmail.com On October 19th the Freedom Association, of General Baptists, will be hosting a seminar lead by Karl Vaters. With about 30 years of small congregational ministry under his belt, Karl is a veteran pastor. The last 20 years he has served at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California. The author of two books, Small Church Essentials and The Grasshopper Myth, and founder of NewSmallChurch.com, Karl hopes to encourage, connect and equip innovative small congregations and their leaders.