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Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

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A new posture

September 9, 2025 By Nate Adams

Nate Adams

I was a church planter for only about three years. Like many planters, I was co-vocational. I have said many times that those three years were among the most difficult, and yet most spiritually rewarding of my life. They forever changed my perspective, not just on how churches get started, but on how church should […]

Company ready

August 21, 2025 By Nate Adams

Nate Adams

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, we lived next door to the church where my dad was pastor. The upside was that I could always roll out of bed and still get to church in less than two minutes. But on the downside, it seemed we always had to be ready for company. Living in […]

How ‘what’ and ‘why’ unify

June 30, 2025 By Nate Adams

Nate Adams

The 2025 Southern Baptist Convention is behind us, and with it the meetings, reports, motions, and actions that pleased some and disappointed others. I know that many church members and even pastors rarely or never attend an SBC in person. That was true for me until I was almost 40, so I appreciate the reality […]

Between summits

May 30, 2025 By Nate Adams

Nate Adams

Those who know me or who have been reading this column for a while know that I am on a bit of a quest to climb as many of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains as possible. My oldest son, Caleb, and I have summited 37 “fourteeners” together, some with other family members. My wife, Beth, would be […]

BF&M Articles IV and V: God’s plan from the beginning

May 22, 2025 By Nate Adams

Baptist Faith and Message

It’s telling that the original 1925 Baptist Faith and Message addressed the important topic of salvation with not just one or two articles, but with six. These were titled: The Way of Salvation, Justification, The Freeness of Salvation, Regeneration, Repentance and Faith, and Sanctification. Two additional articles were titled God’s Purpose of Grace (or election), […]

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Featured Columns

Scott Foshie

Two ways shared service works

Scott Foshie

This month, thousands of messengers and guests from around the SBC will converge in Orlando for our annual time of celebration, prayer, and family decision making. There will be lively debates, nomination speeches, and votes on multiple issues. However, the part I look forward to the most about our family meetings is the fellowship, worship, […]

Blackabys

Less produces more

Eric Reed

Richard Blackaby challenged the IBSA staff at our annual Spiritual Focus Day. “If glorifying God is the goal of life, how do I increase that each year?” For all of us in ministry, especially those who set goals and count results and live by metrics, that’s a tough question. Can we always do more than […]

SBC ’26: What we’re watching

Illinois Baptist Staff

The question at the Illinois Baptist each spring is “What do you think will come up at the convention?” Some things are obvious, because they’re on the agenda—such as the presidential election. Pastors Josh Powell and Willy Rice are in the ring. There have been no surprise announcements so far, unlike 2024 when we had […]

More Columns

Mohler narrows amendment to preaching, resolution addresses women’s roles

Eric Reed

SBC | Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler narrowed the language in his to proposed amendment to prohibit women “specifically preaching” in a pastoral capacity. His earlier version, planned for introduction at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando next week, had said that cooperating SBC churches would “not affirm, appoint, or endorse women serving as pastors […]

News

Kevin Alvarez

New regional consultant named

Illinois Baptist Staff

Springfield | Kevin Alvarez joins the IBSA staff as Central Region Consultant as of June 15. As a regional consultant, Alvarez will travel within his designated region to encourage local churches, provide resources, training, and support, and help churches discover and accomplish their next steps in sharing the Gospel. The Central Region includes Bay Creek, Central, […]

Two promoted in IBSA leadership

‘Blueprint’ for NextGen to reach the nations

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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