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Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

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SBC in rearview: 2 modest proposals

July 31, 2017 By Eric Reed

What actions from the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention will have lasting impact on our denomination and the effectiveness of our work in the world? Read…

Very bold prayer

July 19, 2017 By Eric Reed

“Give me Scotland, or I die!” A bold prayer for a man whose ministry is founded on the sovereignty of God, but that’s how John Knox believed firmly—and how he prayed fervently. Read…

Rites of Summer: VBS

July 18, 2017 By Eric Reed

LifeWay reports that 25% of all baptisms in SBC churches come through VBS. Southern Baptists in particular, still see its value for evangelism as well as discipling children (and adults). Read…

Prayer begets evangelism; New task force to explore baptisms decline, ERLC complaints fail to materialize at Annual Meeting

July 11, 2017 By Eric Reed

After another year of baptism declines and a decade of shrinking SBC church membership, SBC President Steve Gaines announced plans for a year-long study on evangelism in the denomination. Read…

‘Alt-right racism’ condemned Messengers call for rare special vote at SBC 2017

July 7, 2017 By Eric Reed

The 2017 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention will be remembered for actions it took that were not on the agenda—the condemnation of “alt-right racism.”  Read…

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Featured Columns

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 […]

Loophole

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 […]

A Committed Church: 2 Timothy 2:1-4

Maurice Gaiter

In a recent trip to Haiti, I heard a Haitian pastor illustrate to his congregation the need for total commitment to Christ. A man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn’t afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to […]

More Columns

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 […]

News

IMB Photo

IMB missionary dies while serving in the Philippines

IMB.org

Esther (Sook Hyung) Kim, a Southern Baptist missionary to Philippines, died July 16 after suffering a heart attack. She was 64. Kim was attending a team meeting when she began to feel ill and went to a local hospital for care. Hospital staff revived her after she collapsed on site, but she did not regain […]

Young returns to IBSA team

World Cup scores for digital witness

More News Stories

Mission

“While we have not yet arrived at the destination we envision, I believe we are clearly headed in the right direction,” said IMB President Paul Chitwood to trustees in the May 22 plenary session. IMB Photo

IMB trustees appoint new missionaries, elect first woman chair

Leslie Caldwell

Richmond | International Mission Board trustees approved 65 fully funded missionaries for appointment during their May 21-22 meeting near Richmond, Virginia. The missionaries approved for appointment will be recognized during a Sending Celebration on Tuesday, June 10, at 10:08 a.m. CDT in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas. The event will […]

Metro East church plant hosts multiplication meeting

Sallateeska baptism demonstrates SBC connections

More Mission Stories

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