Taking the platform to deliver his report, Doug Morrow, Executive Director of the Baptist Foundation of Illinois, said, “You’ve heard me address this body now for 15 years. You can read the statistics; you can see the graphs… What I’d like to do is just have a little bit of a conversation.”
Joining him was Scott Nichols, senior pastor of Gospelife Church in Carol Stream. The two men struck up a friendship over a decade ago during a church building project. However, a recent Church Legacy Project between BFI and the church strengthened their friendship and two churches.
Founded in 1950, First Baptist Church of Washington had long been a faithful congregation, but it was aging and dwindling in numbers. Seeking a restart, Gospelife in Carol Stream adopted the legacy, and BFI stepped in as conservator.
The Carol Stream church helped renovate the central Illinois facilities and locate a planting pastor to move to the field.
In September, the newly renamed Gospelife Washington held a building dedication with three baptisms, that included a grandfather and granddaughter, and confetti cannons. Eight people have been baptized by the church so far this year.
At the close of that dedication service, Nichols said a 99-year-old woman, who was a member of the original church, came down the aisle and said, “I’m so happy we did this.”
The Foundation also financed a $5.6 million building expansion loan for Gospelife in Carol Stream at a rate that’s two points lower than local banks. Nichols praised, “We think that’s a great ministry. We love that every dime we’re paying in partnership with BFI is going to fund other gospel work, not just shareholders of some national bank. That’s huge for our elders. That’s huge for our congregation.”
Morrow said a year-end donor gift of $80,000, stewarded through BFI became seed money for eight young Southern Baptist, North American Mission Board-approved church planters in Illinois. Each received $10,000; all completed training in preaching, counseling, and leadership.
“We are delighted to be a part of this unique work that’s going on,” said Morrow.
In other business, messengers approved BFI’s 2026 operating budget of $544,922.