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Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

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What rural churches can do

July 20, 2026 By Karen Willoughby

Hurbanovo, Slovakia

Sicily, Italy | “The goal is to get the gospel out,” said Steve Brown, a missionary in Europe serving as a team leader through the International Mission Board (IMB) for 22 years, the last five based in Palermo, Sicily. He recently came up with a new strategy for doing so, specifically designed to appeal to […]

Myanmar Baptists respond to chaos from earthquake, war

April 9, 2025 By Karen Willoughby

Members of Agape Myanmar Mission

Mandalay, Myanmar | The power is out here. So is water, telephone and the internet in this city of 1.3 million people where 80% of the infrastructure (roads, bridges, power lines) have been destroyed and between 40-60% of the buildings damaged or destroyed by the 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar’s second-largest city and the region […]

Freedom BC stretches its impact with CP despite Coronavirus

April 3, 2020 By Karen Willoughby

Freedom Baptist Church

Picture an old-style, white, wooden structure with a bell tower capped by a steeple, set in the middle of corn fields, alongside a cemetery. The church looks to be far from the coronavirus and yet is as affected by it as any church in America. But the people at Freedom Baptist Church, organized by 10 […]

‘We want people to pray’

February 9, 2017 By Karen Willoughby

Woodland Baptist hosted three block parties in a nearby park last summer, and is planning another three this summer to reach families living in apartments just across the street from the churc Read…

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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