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SBC

Q&A: Sandy Wisdom-Martin elected to lead National WMU

September 2, 2016 By Lisa Misner

The news spread quickly among Illinois Southern Baptists that one of their own was named to serve as executive director/treasurer of Woman’s Missionary Union. Sandy Wisdom-Martin, an Illinois native who grew up near the small town of Marissa, was unanimously elected by the WMU executive board at a special-called meeting July 29-30 in Birmingham, Ala.  Read…

Lee honored in St. Louis; Search continues for new WMU head

August 16, 2016 By Illinois Baptist Staff

Wanda Lee, who has served 16 years as executive director of Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), was recognized during the Southern Baptist Convention in June for her long-standing commitment to missions. Lee announced in January that she will retire from the Birmingham-based Southern Baptist auxiliary once her replacement is named. A search committee, including Illinois WMU President Jill McNicol, currently is reviewing resumes for the post. Read…

Baptists defend Muslim rights

July 23, 2016 By Lisa Misner

The 2016 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting has been hailed for its show of unity on race, the Confederate flag, and election of the SBC president, but messengers were not in agreement on all issues. Most obvious: Should Southern Baptists support Muslims’ rights to build mosques? Read…

Pastor urges ‘yes’ to refugees

July 23, 2016 By Illinois Baptist Staff

“Our citizenship is in a different place. We want to communicate clearly we belong to a different Kingdom. It’s not an American Kingdom, it’s the Kingdom of God. We want to tell all those who are orphans and refugees, you’re welcome here. I don’t care what religion, what background, you’re welcome because we believe the gospel can rescue and save everyone.” – Phil Nelson, Pastor of Lakeland Baptist, Carbondale. Read…

Iowa pastor-blogger elected

July 23, 2016 By Illinois Baptist Staff

The Midwest pastor elected president of next year’s SBC Pastors’ Conference has pledged the lineup will represent small and medium-sized Southern Baptist churches. “I am both excited and I’m terrified. Brutally terrified,” Dave Miller posted on the SBC Voices blog following the election. Read…

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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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