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Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

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Nate Adams

Mom’s ministry

March 3, 2025 By Nate Adams

Romelia Ann Hooks Adams

I’ve now written a column in The Illinois Baptist for 19 years. But my father Tom Adams wrote a continuous column in this same paper for the previous 34. Dad went to be with the Lord one month after I started my service with IBSA. But I have always felt that I stand on the […]

Why we’re here

February 7, 2025 By Nate Adams

3:16 on 3/16

When I served at the North American Mission Board, one of my responsibilities was World Changers, a ministry that mobilized thousands of students each summer to help rehab substandard housing for residents in a hundred different cities. The projects gave students and their adult leaders many opportunities to interact with the residents they were serving, […]

The winds of 2025

January 2, 2025 By Nate Adams

The winds of 2025

Somehow 2025 seems a more consequential new year than usual. Maybe it’s because it feels like just yesterday that people were simultaneously hyping the year 2000 and dreading Y2K. Now, suddenly it seems, we’ve reached the quarter century mark. And a generation of young adults weren’t even born at the turn of the century—a phrase […]

Get-up-and-go

December 16, 2024 By Nate Adams

Nate Adams

Having attended Southern Baptist churches all my life, the Christmas season always brings to my mind the name of Lottie Moon and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Lottie, of course, gave her life as a missionary to China and as a passionate advocate for international missions. Last year when our family gave to international missions […]

Books of Reports

November 5, 2024 By Nate Adams

2024 IBSA Book of Reports

When messengers from our IBSA churches gather for the 2024 Annual Meeting at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park November 12-13, they will receive something we call a Book of Reports. In addition to a program for the meeting itself, it will provide numerous documents that overview the cooperative work and ministries of our network […]

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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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