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The right we don’t have

October 10, 2022 By Heath Tibbetts

Heath Tibbetts

When did American Christianity decide it had the right to be angry? We enjoy plenty of rights in this nation to worship freely, but sometimes it’s valuable to remember what we don’t have the right to do. We don’t have the right to love selectively. We don’t have the right to withhold forgiveness. And we […]

IBSA President on abuse response: From difficulties to determination

June 3, 2022 By Heath Tibbetts

IBSA President on abuse response: From difficulties to determination

A 288-page report on any subject is daunting, but as a Southern Baptist, pastor, and president of IBSA, I felt a responsibility to keep the report open all last week and slowly read through it. I made notes and wrote down personal thoughts, and as I reviewed them afterwards, I was surprised to discover a […]

Building the cheerful giver

July 26, 2021 By Heath Tibbetts

You know God’s in the middle of something when your church experiences both its lowest year of attendance and highest year of giving at the same time. This was our experience in 2020, and the realization caused me to take stock of how he brought us here. Truly, I believe God is the great provider […]

IBSA President urges prayer and hope ahead of SBC

June 8, 2021 By Heath Tibbetts

Heath Tibbetts

IBSA President Heath Tibbetts’ statement offers encouragement and hope to Baptists discouraged by the ongoing discussion of controversies leading up to the June 15-16 Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville. A video version of the message is available on Tibbett’s Facebook page. As President of IBSA, I’m encouraged by weekly conversations with church leaders around our […]

Sweat hour of prayer

October 19, 2020 By Heath Tibbetts

Your pastor is sweating a lot, and I don’t just mean during that sermon or business meeting. He’s sweating out the moments you can’t see. Your pastor is sweating in prayer for you. He’s also sweating out whether it’s perceived in this time of low-contact church life. When I accepted the role of IBSA Vice […]

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Featured Columns

After another leadership failure, forgive? Yes. Forget? Maybe later.

Eric Reed

My cousin Holly’s house burned down in July. The family and their dog were saved, but they lost everything. Literally everything, except her grandmother’s ancient roasting pan just big enough for a 12-pound turkey and a diamond ring. Everything else in their rural home was gone in under an hour. The irony was that my […]

Nate Adams

Positive purpose

Nate Adams

Without question, more of my time and passion is invested in encouraging churches to give to missions through the Cooperative Program than through any designated offering, including our own state missions offering. I believe that’s as it should be. Yet both the CP and designated offerings have vital, important purposes. My conviction is that the […]

What personal missions commitment looks like

Meredith Flynn

“Your partnership is needed now.” That sentence jumped out as I looked over this year’s Mission Illinois Offering materials. This time of year always reminds me of the things that unite Illinois Baptists: the shared prayer that more people will come to know Jesus; the shared burden for our communities in need of transformation; and […]

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Newsmakers Interview with Bart Barber, Part 3

Eric Reed

Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber is featured in the September issue of the Illinois Baptist. An hour-long interview focused on key issues including women in pastoral ministry and “friendly cooperation.” Editor Eric Reed asked Barber to look ahead to the 2024 SBC in Indianapolis. They discussed the role of social media in our Baptist […]

News

SBC EC votes at September 2023 meeting

Recap of this week’s SBC Exec Comm meeting

The Baptist Paper

While the anticipated next step regarding who will temporarily lead the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee in the interim period changed mid-way through the trustees’ meeting this week, trustee chair Philip Robertson plans to begin a new search right away. Recently retired Kentucky pastor Dan Summerlin provided this statement yesterday afternoon (Sept. 19) after alerting […]

Barber recalls ‘bold’ Southern Baptists, urges cooperation amid trials

Quick look at SBC Exec Comm agenda, Sept. 18-19

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Mission

Metro East church plant hosts multiplication meeting

Metro East church plant hosts multiplication meeting

Ben Jones

Pastors and church leaders from around the Metro East area gathered in Collinsville May 17 for the second Multiply Illinois Hub. These quarterly regional events are designed to encourage and equip those interested in church multiplication. Heights Community Church, planted in 2016, hosted the gathering in their newly renovated home. With the St. Louis skyline […]

Sallateeska baptism demonstrates SBC connections

A first-time ministry to migrant workers is very fruitful

More Mission Stories

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