Preach the Word!

Cliff Johnson - It is with great honor and joy that I invite you to the 73^rd annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary Association of America on April 18-20, in Springfield, Mo. We will gather to celebrate what God has done in the last eight months through our association of churches and to look forward to what lies ahead.

Friends, the only time during the year that the entire BMA seeks to gather in a representative format is during this meeting. So, make your plans to be with us to worship together, learn together, be refreshed and conduct our business together.

“Preach the Word!” stands as this year’s theme for the association. The entire time we are gathered, this theme will center our thoughts.

We live in a day where many talking heads compete to rent space in your mind and heart and in the hearts and minds of your people. But one voice must silence all the others, and that is the voice of God. How does God make His voice known today? The proclamation of His Word must stand in a primary position in answer to that question.

At our upcoming meeting, you will be able to attend breakout sessions that build off of this theme. The topics are: “Preaching the Word and the Mission of God” (presented by BMAA Missions), “We Tell the Creation Story” (presented by Lifeword), “Cut it Straight” by Justin Peters (sponsored by the BMA Seminary), “Pastor Your Family Well” by Tim Brewer (sponsored by Ministers Resource Services), “Study the Word” (presented by Baptist Publishing House), “Pray the Word” (presented by Activate), and “Keeping the Word Central” in Student Ministry (presented by Daniel Springs Camp).

What I am most looking forward to are the four times of worship we will share together. Are we there to conduct our business? Absolutely, and we must do that. But as you read earlier, this is the only time in the year that we, as like-minded brothers and sisters, gather. Why wouldn’t we worship together every chance we get? During the worship services, we will hear sermons on the Necessity of the Word, the Power of the Word, the Sufficiency of the Word, and the Mission of All the Word to All the World.

Our joining together is a major highlight of my year, and I pray it will be yours as well. See you in Springfield!

Editor’s Note: For lodging information and other details about the meeting in Springfield, visit baptisttrumpet.com/bmaa2022 or bmaamerica.org/nationalmeeting.