We’re headed back to Chicagoland for the annual gathering of Illinois Baptists. Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, one of IBSA’s newer cooperating churches, will host the 118th Annual Meeting of the Illinois Baptist State Association. The schedule for 2024 brings much of the required business action together with worship, preaching, and missions in a […]
IBDR volunteers in Ga. with more on the way, how you can pray
Updated Oct. 2 | Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) volunteers are on the ground in Augusta, Ga. where Hurricane Helene barreled through as a tropical storm Sept. 27. A feeding team arrived Saturday (Sept. 29) and is serving with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (MBDR). Since their arrival Saturday evening through noon Wednesday, Sept. 26, the […]
IBDR volunteers to serve Hurricane Helene survivors in Augusta, Ga.
Updated at 1 p.m. September 28 | Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) feeding and shower/laundry volunteers have been activated to serve in Augusta, Ga., in partnership with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (MBDR) in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. A feeding team left from Illinois on Friday (Sept. 27) morning to meet up and pre-stage with […]
Missions starts at home for newest IMB missionaries
Charlottesville, Va. | Lottie Moon’s home church hosted the International Mission Board’s Sept. 25 Sending Celebration. Rob Pochek, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Park Street in Charlottesville, told the 57 newly appointed missionaries, their families and friends that he couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to send them off to the nations than […]
Illinois Disaster Relief preparing to serve after Hurricane Helene
Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) mass feeding teams are on “Go” status to coordinate with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Teams will depart Thursday (Sept. 26) or Friday (Sept. 27) with the specifics to be determined by the storm’s track. At 11 a.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported, “Helene […]
IBSA Annual Meeting program announced
When Illinois Baptists convene for the 118th IBSA Annual Meeting, they will experience a condensed, but action-packed event that combines preaching, worship, conference-style training, ministry and affinity groups, and business sessions, across a shorter timeframe. This year’s gathering November 12-13 in Orland Park will feature five preachers, 19 breakouts for pastors and ministry leaders, a […]
SBC EC votes to sell Nashville building, create abuse response department
“There’s no question that the Executive Committee and Southern Baptist Convention are going to be in lean years, financially. But by God’s grace and endurance, we will come out of that, and keep marching forward,” said Clint Pressley, foreshadowing what was to come in his first message to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee […]
‘Blessing’ collection targets Chicagoland
Orland Park | When messengers from Illinois Baptist churches gather for the IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 12-13, they will be encouraged to bring supplies for a variety of Chicago area ministries. If the mission project seems familiar, it is. Previously featuring multi-colored five-gallon buckets, the collection is now called “Blessing Boxes.” The switch is because […]
News Stories
IBSA Annual Meeting: Amendments to be read, vote set
Springfield | When messengers take up business during Session 3 of the IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 13, they will be asked to approve considerable updates to the constitutions of all three Association entities—Illinois Baptist State Association, Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services, and Baptist Foundation of Illinois (IBSA, BCHFS, and BFI). Proposed changes to entity […]
Send Relief, SBDR wrap up mass feeding as relief efforts continue in Francine aftermath
Mass care feeding wrapped up this week as Send Relief and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) prepared and served nearly 40,000 meals in the aftermath of Hurricane Francine’s landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 storm on Sept. 11. A team of Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) volunteers was responsible for helping prepare more than […]
Iorg reorganizes EC heads
Nashville, Tenn. | New President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee Jeff Iorg has reorganized the leadership team, ending speculation whether the previous interim EC head would leave. Jonathan Howe will stay on as VP of convention administration. He had led the communications team since 2019, before stepping up after the previous interim CEO […]
Pregnancy clinic vandalized
A crisis pregnancy center in Chicago was vandalized about 3 a.m. on the morning after the Democratic National Convention closed. Security cameras recorded four vandals spray painting the front of the Aid for Women building in the Edgewater neighborhood. The center is operated by a Catholic non-profit group. The graffiti read “fake center” and “the […]