The Spirit’s words of encouragement and warning to early churches have relevance for congregations now, preachers said during the IBSA Pastors Conference Nov. 2-3. Convening for the first time since 2019, the gathering featured six preachers teaching sequentially through the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. A combination of “comfort and command” marks the letters to […]
Mandrell shares message of encouragement and calling
Lifeway President Ben Mandrell brought a message of encouragement in the midst of challenging times to Illinois leaders at the IBSA Annual Meeting. “You likely have no idea where God is going to take you in your ministry,” said the Illinois native Wednesday evening, Nov. 3 from the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in […]
WRAP-UP: Illinois meeting celebrates churches thriving in challenging season
Donna Samuels feeds hungry people in St. Louis five times a week. The ministry leader from New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in East St. Louis received some valuable help from Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers, who have partnered with her over the past two years to provide for communities in need. “They have become like […]
News Stories
Build Back Better bill passes House, ERLC expresses concerns
The House of Representatives passed legislation Nov. 19 known as the Build Back Better bill, a key piece of President Biden’s legislative agenda. The legislation passed in a near party-line vote of 220-213. It now goes to the Senate for debate. Supporters say the bill funds updates for infrastructure, addresses climate change initiatives, and expands […]
SBC Executive Committee meets, receives update from legal team
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee met online Wednesday morning (Nov. 10). Members filled a Committee on Nominations vacancy and received updates on the progress of the Sexual Abuse Task Force, legal counsel for the EC and subcommittee appointments. “The investigation getting off to a smooth start is important,” Slade said about the initial work […]
Illinois General Assembly repeals parental notification
The Illinois General Assembly removed what was essentially the last effective means of regulating abortion when it repealed the Parental Notice Act. Proponents had failed to repeal the requirement in the spring legislative session, but brought it back on short notice in the fall veto session. House Bill 370 (HB 370), the Youth Health and […]
Messengers address social issues
The IBSA Resolutions and Christian Life Committee presented four resolutions to messengers for a vote at the November 3-4 IBSA Annual Meeting. Each passed with no discussion. They covered a range of topics pertinent to today’s culture including the Equality Act, sufficiency of Scripture for racial reconciliation, church’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and 50th […]
Encouraging Words
Personal resurrection
Matthew 28 takes us to the first Sunday morning after the crucifixion. Two days prior, the disciples and friends of Jesus had witnessed his brutal execution and saw his body placed in the tomb. Many of them had restructured their lives in order to follow Jesus. They had found pride in being a part of […]
Serving the crucified Christ
Filled with hate, ignorant of truth, lacking in faith, and void of righteousness, the Jews had plotted to kill Jesus. Rome took ownership of their plot and made a statement of their authority in the act of crucifixion. In the course of less than 24 hours, Jesus was arrested, accused, lied about, cursed, and beaten. […]
Leaders
Fishing season: 8 hooks for effective pastor search
One outcome of the Covid season appears to be an increase in pastors changing churches, and churches starting pastor searches. Call it “pent-up demand.” In many fields, people waited during the closures forced by the pandemic before making major purchases, changing jobs, or relocating. Even in the best of situations, churches will need to call […]