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Church staffer dismissed during criminal investigation

August 23, 2023 By Illinois Baptist Staff

Marion | The executive pastor of Cornerstone Church in Marion was dismissed after allegations of inappropriate behavior involving church members who were under age 18 at the time. The allegations were brought to the church leadership team late last week. After investigation by the elders and their engagement with local law enforcement, Tivo McCrary was […]

MIO 2023: Pastors mentor men to be men

August 21, 2023 By Illinois Baptist Staff

Pastor Bruce Kirk leads a panel of men in discussing their personal and cultural experiences with the problems caused by fatherlessness.

More than one-in-four children in America live without a father in the home. That is over 18 million kids. It’s an epidemic that affects every community. For pastors Robert Crowley and Bruce Kirk in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, it’s a problem they want to fix. “We believe that God through His word, because of […]

McLaurin resigns after false credentials discovered

August 17, 2023 By Illinois Baptist Staff

(Photo by Sam Evans/The Baptist Paper)

SBC Executive Committee interim president and CEO Willie McLaurin resigned Thursday afternoon (August 17) after false credentials were discovered on his resume. McLaurin appeared to be the leading candidate to take the post permanently according to recent information from the search committee seeking a new EC president, and the announcement appeared likely ahead of the […]

States ranked for religious freedom

August 15, 2023 By Illinois Baptist Staff

Church

Illinois falls in the middle on a new ranking of religious freedoms for non-profits, which includes churches. The new Faith and Freedom Index released in July measures the protections afforded faith-based organizations. At 48%, Illinois scored much better than neighbors Wisconsin (26%) and Michigan (22%). Nevada scored lowest (18%). Alabama (86%) and Texas (70%) ranked […]

Pastor arrested in Wisconsin

August 14, 2023 By Illinois Baptist Staff

Stock photo

Kenosha, Wisc. | The bivocational pastor of a church in Lake County, Illinois was arrested Aug. 10 in Somers, Wisconsin, and charged with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and lewd and lascivious actions. Thomas Bartmer, 57, was taken into custody in the parking lot of Walmart in the village just north of Kenosha. He […]

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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 […]

More Columns

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

More News Stories

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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