STATE MISSIONS: Read the Instructions
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14).
I encourage our brothers and sisters to do their due diligence when they seek godly men to serve in their church. Jude and other New Testament writers warned us about evil doers, those who prey upon churches: “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves” (Jude 10).
So many today speak in semantics. Their answering with just a “yes” or “no” will not always reveal what they really believe. Those that would infiltrate our church bodies are experts at speaking in such a manner. Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” is the real deal.
That is why we need something in writing to serve as a guide. Seeing as each church is free to do as she chooses, this would afford them some direction. So often, churches have had their pastor for decades and many in her membership have never had to call someone to take his place.
Too many church bodies are being deceived by wolves in sheep’s clothing. One of these clouds without rain tricks is as follows: they find a weak or failing church and come presenting themselves as God’s answer to the church’s prayer. They bring renewed vitality and soon the church begins to gain new members. All is great until the time comes that these filthy dreamers decide to vote to leave the Baptist faith (which was their plan from the beginning) and become something else. That is when the Baptist members who welcomed them in with open arms realize the new members who outnumber them are not Baptist at all. They see decades of faithful service sharing the truth dissolved in minutes — property gone, money gone, witness gone. And sadly, it happens all the time.
Now for the good news. I am glad to share that our publishing ministry, the Baptist Publishing House (BPH) has an excellent booklet filled with information concerning proper procedure of how to function as a church, even in times when they may lack knowledgeable leadership in these areas. Nearly every church ministry procedure is presented, as well as questions to be asked, along with the scriptural answers to protect the church family from those who do not hold to our beliefs.
The title of this manual is Associational Baptist Church Manual, an updated and expanded version of Cobb’s Church Manual that is endorsed by the BMA of America. You can contact our Baptist Publishing House (P.O. Box 279, Jacksonville, Texas 75766) at 800-333-1442 or download a free digital copy at baptistpublishinghouse.com/resources.
Keep in mind these booklets are not just to fill a pastor’s bookshelf. One should be kept with the permanent records of the church, either by the clerk or treasurer, and should remain with the church’s records until such a time as it is needed. I encourage every pastor to have one for reference and/or to gift to a man answering the call.
Last, I encourage each association to seriously consider forming a list of preachers who are available in their area to fill the pulpit if needed. When a church in your area loses its pastor, encourage preachers in your congregation to step up to fill the gap. No church family should be left without a shepherd, even if it is just temporary. What a wonderful way for your church to minister to their extended family.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “We had the Mother’s Day celebration Sunday. The men cooked delicious ribs, chicken and various sides and, of course, we bought a tasty cake. The children had a special song and prepared some cards for their mothers, which were the manual work during the last two Sunday classes.
Each card had a photograph of each child. The youth decorated the sanctuary and the fellowship room with flowers and spatial details alluding to the celebration. They also prepared a presentation with photographs of the mothers and their children. Each mother received a gift, we prayed for them and, in the biblical reflection, we gave some ideas to honor them.
“After lunch, we recognized some dynamics and the winners received additional gifts. We had several visits from first-time people and others who had visited us before. The gospel was shared with them, and we hope they will make the decision to follow Christ in the future. It was beautiful to see the entire congregation doing their best to encourage the sisters. We thank God for this fellowship and evangelism.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “There are times in church planting when we face many challenges. This week has been one of those times at Ebenezer. A Venezuelan family recently arrived from New York, and he was unemployed, the children were looking for a school, she was looking for a more stable job and, as a family, they needed a car to get around.
A couple from Aguascalientes, Mexico came to our congregation a month ago. They have been a great blessing, but he is in need of a good job, she is looking for a job, both need of a place to live and a car. These are the moments that, as a missionary, I don’t have many tools I can use to help, and what I have left is to pray, pray and pray. God does wonderful things. Thank you for praying.
“We had a good service Sunday and honored the mothers on their day. I thank God the men of Ebenezer are getting active. The sisters are already organized, and now the men must do the same. For years, I have organized everything for Mother’s Day, but this year, for the first time, the men did everything — flowers, a special song, they made tacos, a cake — and everything turned out very well. They were the waiters who served the whole congregation. It’s good that I can now rest in that area! Ebenezer is moving forward, but there is still a lot of work to do, so I always thank God for you who support us and pray for us. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had a great week at Faith Chapel! Even with a few families out, we had a really good number for worship. A first-time visitor from Florida came this morning. He said he is moving here, and they are looking for a church.
He liked it and came back for the evening service, and says they will come back, especially when his wife gets here. He stopped by the new building and found out where we currently meet. That building has already brought several people to our church, and we haven’t even moved in yet! Praise God!
“The Master’s Builders are here, helping with our classroom additions, and boy, did they make a good showing. Both sides are framed, and one side is dried in. We will finish it this week. Praise God again! But I have to tell you, those guys will wear you out! Some of them have gone home to other obligations, and we already miss them. But there are still several campers on the hill next to the church, and we will get back to work in the morning, Lord willing. Even with forecasted rain, there is always something you can do. We thank the Lord for them, and we thank the Lord for all of you that pray for us, support our building project and our mission with your kind and generous donations. We couldn’t do this without you!”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “We hope everyone enjoyed their day celebrating their mother or someone in their life that has been a mother figure to them.
“We took the opportunity this week to recognize all the mothers at the nursing facilities and the adult day center where we have Bible studies each week. We took them flowers and they were so excited that someone thought of them and loved on them on their special day. The staff said that they held on to the flowers all day and took them with them wherever they went.
“Faith Journey also enjoyed celebrating the ladies of the mission. The kids made special Mother’s Day cards with family pictures inside that were decorated with sweet messages and stickers to give their moms! We sure loved showing our moms how much they are appreciated for all they do for our families everyday, but especially on Mother’s Day!”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA:Roberto Marcelletti writes, “Greetings from the mission field, this week was very busy. Monday, I was able to evangelize seven people and two accepted Christ as their Savior! They are Marilin Betancouurt and Jose Antonio Anguiano. I ask for your prayers that we can follow a discipleship process with them.
“Tuesday, Patty and I went to breakfast with Paul White, who came to visit us. He listened to our testimonies of what was happening in the mission, encouraged us and prayed for us.
“Sunday, we were able to celebrate Mother’s Day. We prayed for them and, at the end, the men prepared some delicious hamburgers for them.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “This was a ‘normal’ week of Epic Life. Some Connection Groups met, one didn’t. Nothing spectacular except that one of our Connection Groups met during a tornado warning, and we joked about the 18 of us squeezing into a bathtub together.
“We did start the week off with a big pick me up as Bro. Paul came up and took our family out to eat. My girls said, ‘He even wants us to go!’ It is great knowing that you’re not alone. I think we needed that encouragement. I appreciate the gesture by Bro. Paul and the support of BMA of Arkansas churches that make all this possible. The week ended on a good note, too, as one of our leaders told us how the Discovery Bible Studies have completely changed the way He looks at Scripture.”
El Faro #2 Hispanic Mission, Cabot/Jacksonville: Michael Hight writes, “This was a good week for meeting people! Guilmar brought over a team from Alexander, and we hit the streets in Jacksonville. I look forward to meeting with some of the people again.
I especially ask you to pray for a young girl named Diana. We met her in a restaurant. She is one of the few people from Peru I have met here. Jorge and I also met a gentleman from Spain. He had been here on a soccer scholarship from Central Baptist College, but broke his leg. He has now withdrawn from school and is working to support himself. We hope to follow up with him through some of the members of El Faro. As always, thank you for prayers and continued support.”
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Paul White
Arkansas State Missions Director Paul White pens a weekly column to inform the BMA of Arkansas concerning Arkansas Missions’ activity and includes individual reports from each church planter.
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