Stories tagged with: southern baptist convention

• Wildfire skirts CA church, pastor shares scary moments

  by Diana Chandler, posted Friday, December 08, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from Reuters

  VENTURA, Calif. (BP) -- When the massive Thomas wildfire rushed the boundaries of Springs of Life Baptist Church in Ventura, Calif., Dec. 5, pastor Doug Jones was onsite with firefighters and others working to save the church, nearby homes and livestock.

  Jones described the "terrifying" scene to Baptist Press today (Dec. 8). His church serves as a staging area for perhaps 60 Unified Command firefighters who manned 12 fire engines near the church in the quaint mountain community of Casitas Springs in Ventura. Read More

• So. Calif. churches in wildfire path; DR on standby

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, December 06, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from WeatherNetwork.com

  VENTURA, Calif. (BP) -- With five wildfires burning in California, the latest in Los Angeles, Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers are on standby and several church facilities are unreachable, ministry leaders there told Baptist Press.

  The Thomas fire in Ventura, the largest, is threatening churches in the Gold Coast Baptist Association that are included in mandatory evacuation zones, Director of Missions Vern Hancock said. Springs of Life Church in the Casitas Springs community of Ventura was in imminent danger, but Hancock had been unable to contact its pastor Douglas Jones by BP's deadline today (Dec. 6). Read More

• Ariz. So. Baptists increase CP, report church planting

  by Elizabeth Young, posted Tuesday, November 28, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Photo by Lainee Pegelow

  TUCSON, Ariz. (BP) -- During their 89th annual meeting, Arizona Southern Baptists were challenged to multiply disciples, leaders and churches for the sake of the lost in their cities. Looking beyond Arizona, messengers adopted a 2018 budget that will send more to Southern Baptist Convention causes.

  "Multiply" was the theme of the meeting held at First Southern Baptist Church of Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 17. It was attended by 243 messengers and 36 registered guests from 99 of Arizona Southern Baptists' 460 churches. Read More

• Puerto Rican pastors 'not forgotten' by SBC

  by Diana Chandler, posted Tuesday, November 14, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Photo by Bobby Sena

  SAN JUAN, P.R. (BP) -- The "heart and spirit of Southern Baptists" are evident as churches and leaders help Puerto Rico recover after Hurricane Maria, pastor Jorge Alvarez said Nov. 11 in San Juan.

  Alvarez, executive director of the Convention of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, was among 150 local pastors and guests who attended an appreciation dinner held in their honor. The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and the North American Mission Board sponsored the event. The Hispanic Baptist Pastors Alliance (HBPA) and LifeWay Christian Resources also supported the event, held at the Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel. Read More

• Wyoming Baptists adopt new convention name

  by Karen L. Willoughby, posted Wednesday, November 08, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Photo courtesy of the Wyoming Southern Baptist Mission Network

  CASPER, Wyo. (BP) -- The new name of the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention is Wyoming Southern Baptist Mission Network, messengers decided during their 34th annual meeting on Nov. 2-3.

  Wyoming Baptists also approved selling the property on Casper Mountain Road that it has owned for 23 years, a budget $110,000 smaller than last year's budget, changing the name of its state missions offering, and a re-working of responsibilities for state convention vocational staff. Read More

• Calif. Baptists highlight 'The Power of One'

  by Terry Barone & Holly Smith, posted Thursday, October 26, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Photo by Duane Tadlock

  RIVERSIDE (BP) -- Messengers to the 2017 California Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting welcomed a new executive director, re-elected the convention president and approved a 2018 budget during their 77th session that highlighted "The Power of One," based on John 17:22.

  Held at Magnolia Church in Riverside Oct. 24-25, the Tuesday evening session featured Bill Agee, elected as CSBC executive director in May, who presented his vision for the convention as well as details about a restructure. Read More

• Utah-Idaho Baptists report numeric & financial gains

  by Karen L. Willoughby, posted Wednesday, October 25, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Photo courtesy of the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention

  MERIDIAN, Idaho (BP) -- Key numeric increases -- including church plants and baptisms -- were celebrated by the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention during their Oct. 20 annual meeting.

  A total of 140 people -- 109 messengers and 31 guests -- gathered at Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, for the two-state convention's 53rd annual meeting.

  Brian Catherman, pastor of Redeeming Life Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, ... Read More

• Prayer, new partnerships highlight Montana conv.

  by Karen L. Willoughby, posted Friday, October 13, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  BILLINGS, Mont. (BP) -- Six church plants and a new three-year partnership with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention were among highlights of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting.

  The convention, known in-state as Refresh Montana, held its Oct. 5-6 sessions at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Billings, where Paul Jones has been pastor for 28 years.

  "Ministry in Montana is challenging on many levels," Executive Director Barrett Duke told the 203 attendees, which included 89 messengers from 52 of the state convention's 135 churches. "But you have proven that through dedication, hard work and God's leadership, great things are possible." Read More

• Puerto Rico churches doing best to help, NAMB catalyst says

  by Diana Chandler, posted Thursday, September 28, 2017 (6 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from MSNBC

  PUERTO RICO (BP) -- More than a week after Puerto Rico suffered its greatest natural disaster, the condition of most of the Southern Baptist churches on the island is still unknown, a church planting catalyst on the island told Baptist Press.

  But the 12 churches Carlos Rodriguez has been able to contact are doing all they can to help survivors of hurricanes Irma and Maria, he said in a telephone interview Sept. 27. Rodriguez had been unable to contact the remaining 75 or so Southern Baptist churches on the island because of damaged infrastructure and communication services, he said. Read More

• SBC staffers serve on World Changers mission team

  by Diana Chandler, posted Tuesday, August 15, 2017 (7 years ago)

  

  Photo by Sharon Robinson

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- A group of Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee staff members participated in 2017 World Changers youth mission initiatives that combined Gospel conversations with service projects at 712 sites nationwide.

  Four members of the Executive Committee (EC) staff participated in the Nashville outreach July 17–21, leading a team of youth from 12 churches in projects across the city. The volunteers were among 8,000 who served in 50 cities in June and July that led to nearly 5,000 Gospel presentations and 281 decisions for Christ, according to LifeWay Christian Resources, which has partnered with World Changers ministry since 2011. Read More