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Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

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Disaster Relief volunteers return to Taylorville four months after tornado

April 4, 2019 By Andrew Woodrow

Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) is back in Taylorville to help with ongoing clean-up after an EF-3 tornado last December. Storms across central Illinois on Dec. 1, 2018, spawned a record high number of tornadoes, affecting several communities, including the city of Taylorville. Disaster Relief teams mobilized to Taylorville soon afterward, with assessors working to […]

Illinois abortion bill stalled

April 2, 2019 By Andrew Woodrow

IL. abortion bill stalled A bill to expand abortion practices in Illinois is stalled in committee, due in part to a large pro-life rally at the Capitol rotunda. A March 20 pro-life rally and march at the Illinois Capitol protested The Reproductive Health Act, SB 1942 and HB 2495, which would repeal the 1975 Illinois Abortion Law, the […]

For kids, missions engagement starts now

March 27, 2019 By Andrew Woodrow

Hundreds of young volunteers scattered across Illinois March 9 for a day of hands-on mission projects. IBSA’s annual Children’s Mission Day sent kids around the state to serve by baking cookies for first responders, visiting with residents at assisted living facilities, helping at local food banks, and dozens more projects. At Chatham Baptist Church, nearly […]

Illinois abortion bill called ‘more extreme’ than New York

March 5, 2019 By Andrew Woodrow

IL bill ‘more extreme’ than NY While the state of New York approved in February the nation’s most liberal abortion legislation to date, Right to Life Action have called Illinois’s Reproductive Health Act “more extreme.” The House Bill 2495 will not only create a fundamental right to abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy, but […]

The Briefing: IL churches celebrate increase in baptism, identify ministry needs in survey

February 19, 2019 By Andrew Woodrow

IL churches celebrate increase in baptisms Illinois Baptist churches celebrated 3,676 baptisms in 2018, an increase of 6.8% over the previous year. The increase is one highlight of the Annual Church Profile (ACP) reports completed by 97% of IBSA churches, a new record high. “We were encouraged to see baptisms increase … after four years […]

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Featured Columns

Scott Foshie and Heartland interns

Foshie: Seeking Spirit-led momentum

Scott Foshie

As a young man starting out in ministry, I was reminded by mentors many times that “serving the Lord is a marathon, not a sprint.” This admonition continues to ring true as we launch into this new season of Illinois Baptist life. While we celebrate many signs of growing Spirit-led momentum in our Great Commission […]

Mark Emerson

Worth every effort

Mark Emerson

When the news came, I was tired—Day 4 of VBS tired. Tired had been the theme of every drive home with my wife that week. Somewhere along the way I had finally asked the question only the overly weary ask: “How long are we going to keep this up?” Months of planning had become weeks […]

Messengers close loophole

Eric Reed

It seemed like no big deal at the time. Messengers quickly voted for a change to the Baptist Faith and Message in 2023, there was no great debate. The motion came up and it kind of slid through—and that’s the problem. In 2026 they voted to prevent that from ever happening again. At the 2026 […]

More Columns

Final claim dismissed in Johnny Hunt lawsuit

Scott Barkley

Nashville | A U.S. district court has once again sided with the Southern Baptist Convention and other defendants in a suit brought by former SBC President Johnny Hunt. Chief District Judge William L. Campbell Jr., of the Middle District of Tennessee issued today (August 12) a final summary judgment on the only remaining claim in the […]

News

Scott Foshie and Hispanic pastors in Chicagoland

Good signs (so far)

Illinois Baptist Staff

Springfield | In church life, some summers are marked by a slump—in giving, attendance or attitude. But not this year, and especially not for IBSA. With the new administration now entering its second quarter, there are notable signs of positive attitudes in the network of churches. Some observations are anecdotal, with stories coming from the […]

IMB missionary dies while serving in the Philippines

Young returns to IBSA team

More News Stories

Mission

World Cup scores for digital witness

Illinois Baptist Staff

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup roared to a close and Spain left holding the trophy, Southern Baptist churches and missionaries around the world prayed for impact that outlasts the hardware. Southern Baptists mission boards joined churches and associations in digital and in-person outreach, as North America hosted the World Cup for the first time […]

IMB trustees appoint new missionaries, elect first woman chair

Metro East church plant hosts multiplication meeting

More Mission Stories

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