Sincere Thanks!

Lin and I want to make sure that all of you know how thankful we are for the outpouring of appreciation and best wishes lavished on us last Thursday evening! It was a joy to serve Jesus by serving you for the past sixteen years. It is my wish for every pastor and his wife that you will be treated as well as we have been over these years.

We are especially thankful for the generous gifts given to us. Transitions are always difficult in some ways, but you have made our transition to FBC Atwood a very pleasant experience indeed.

Thank you and God bless you. Lin and I look forward to both fellowshipping and working with you in the future.

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY!

1950 was a wonderful year! In 1950:

The average American made $3,216.00 per year
A new house cost about $14,000.00
A new car cost about $1,500.00
A new television was about $200.00
A gallon of milk was .82
Gasoline was .20 per gallon
A loaf of bread was .14
A postage stamp was .03

“All about Eve” starring Anne Baxter and Betty Davis won the Oscar for Best Movie of the Year!

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Mona Lisa”, and “The Tennessee Waltz” were #1 hits on the radio and in record sales!

In 1950, the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 0 in the World Series!

In June of 1950, President Harry Truman committed US troops to repel North Korea’s invasion of South Korea beginning our involvement in the Korean war which ultimately cost the lives of 36,940 US soldiers. Today, South Korea is (by percentage of population) one of the most Christian Nations on earth!

On Monday, July 17th, 1950, at about 10am Eastern Standard Time, in Clearfield, Kentucky, I was born!

And, on Thursday, August 10th at 10am, Central Standard Time, “Moderator W.T. Waring (Pastor of Herald of Hope – now Pennsylvania Avenue – Baptist Church in Urbana) called the Association together after which the congregation sang, ‘Standing on the Promises’. Brother Avery Abbott led in the opening prayer. Elder Floyd W. Bandy (Pastor of Oakland Avenue – later, Lakeview Baptist in Decatur) led the devotions from Psalm 119:108 on the subject, ‘The Written Word.’”

Evangelist Hyman Appleman, who was conducting a city-wide crusade in Decatur at the time, preached the dedication sermon. An offering for the work was received in the amount of $130.98.

And thus was born, on Thursday, August 10, 1950, the Sangamon Valley Baptist Association, now known as the Central Baptist Association of Decatur, Illinois.

Happy Birthday CBA! We thank God for the hundreds of Pastors and their families; thousands of lay leaders; and tens of thousands of dedicated lay men and women who have prayed, given, and labored over the past sixty years to share the light of the gospel to the people of Central Illinois, North America, and the World -  and for all who continue to do so to this very day.

May our Association have many happy and fruitful years yet to come!

10 Years Ago Tonight... the Most Terrifying Night of My Life!

"This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."
Psalm 34:6-8 (ESV)

I spent several scary nights in Viet Nam, and like most people I have had a few scary moments in my life; but, without any doubt, Friday Night, July 28th, 2000, was the most terrifying night of my life. The next morning, Saturday, July 29th, 2000, I would undergo surgery in my mouth and neck to remove three tumors due to my having been diagnosed with stage four oral and lymphatic cancer. It was the night before surgery, and I was very afraid.

Yes, I had been a Christian and a Minister for eighteen years. I had been to Bible College, Seminary, and Post-graduate School. I had taught others and was serving as your Associational Missionary, but I was very, very afraid.

I am writing this evening from a thankful heart for the last ten years that God has preserved my life and health. I thank Him for all of the joys and opportunities He has given me over this decade. I thank Him that I have come to a place of peace of heart and mind over this traumatic event.

Yes, there have been lots of tears and fears, and lots of terrifying nights since then. I was amazed at how often I had panic attacks and night terrors - always about believing that my cancer had returned. Well, it has not returned. Thank You, Jesus.

At prayer meeting this evening at Tabernacle I read the names of dozens of good and godly people who are struggling right now with cancer; and some them are (as was I) in stage four. As I pray for them this evening, I am testifying to the mercy of God in healing me and I am asking Him to heal them also. I hope you will join me in praying for them.

I want to thank so many of you who prayed for me then and over the years since. Only eternity will reveal how the Lord used the means of your prayers to work His grace in my life. Thanks and God bless you!

May our Lord grant the blessing of good health to all of our families, all of our friends, and all of our fellow church members. Grant it Lord, please; in Jesus' Name.

THE GREAT DEBATE - SPEAKING IN TONGUES

On Sunday, August 1, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:30pm, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur will host a debate on the subject: The Gift of Speaking in Tongues. Dr. Wes Feltner, Senior Pastor of TBC will Moderate the Debate and the Guest Speakers include:

Pastor Ron Strack of Champaign arguing the Charismatic View
Dr. Alan Phillips Jr of Bloomington arguing the Open but Cautions View
Dr. Mark Coppenger of Evanston (SBTS Professor) arguing the Cessationist View

Everyone is welcome to attend. A love offering will be received to offset the cost of the event.

Whose Job is it to Win Illinois Anyway?

The Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention for 2010 is now history. The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force recommendations have been approved by the Messengers present and voting. Done. What now? While no one knows for sure, it would appear that with the exceptions of Chicago and (maybe) Metro St. Louis, we are going to be on our own to win the eight million lost people in our beloved State.

As NAMB is restructured and the partnership agreements are phased out, a larger and larger percentage of our missionary personnel and resources will be devoted to reaching the urban areas of our Nation. I suppose that mathematically this is the right thing to do.

The simple fact is Illinois is our Judea! Jesus sent “them” to evangelize “their” Judea; and "we" are going to have to evangelize "ours!" It is possible that having NAMB missionaries over the years has created an unhealthy dependency not unlike many church members who depend on their Pastor to carry out their Commission for them.

God bless these wonderful men and women who have served us and those who still serve us, but, the day is soon coming when we may no longer have them to carry out "our" commission for us!

The seven recommendations passed overwhelmingly. It is clearly what the majority of Southern Baptists want. Good thing? I don’t know. But I do know this… Illinois is OUR JUDEA! Beloved Ones, they’re out there, let’s go get them!

400th Anniversary of the KJV

2011 will mark the 400th Anniversary of the publishing of the King James Version of the Bible. This is an event that ought to be celebrated by every English-speaking Bible-believing Christian! In fact, we ought to celebrate for the entire year!

Mankind has received no greater gift than the Word of God; and the publishing of the King James Version in 1611 marked the beginning of an unprecedented spread of the gospel around the world! England and the Commonwealth would be used of God to bring His Word, and thereby His salvation, to millions of peoples around the world.

Now, let me be clear: I am not one who believes that the King James Version is the "only" accurate translation in the English language. Neither am I one who believes that God used this wonderful translation to "correct the original languages." That is utter nonsense bordering on idolatry!

I do believe that God gave the King James Version at the birth of the world-wide dominance of the English language, (which continues to this day) to facilitate His will that His word be taken into all the world!

I do believe that the methodology of "word-by-word" translation from the original languages known as "complete equivalence" is still the right way to translate God's Word into new languages!

I do believe that the quality, beauty, and majesty of the language used in the King James Version is still unsurpassed in our day!

And, while I also believe that the changes in the uses and meanings of English words over the last 400 years require that the Word of God be continually updated into the language of ordinary English-speaking people today; I remain eternally grateful to God and the faithful translators of the King James Version of the Holy Bible for their labors and sacrifice to bring this gift to the world!

I intend to spend 2011 testifying to the grace of God by which He moved on the hearts of an English King and several godly Anglican and Puritan Churchmen to produce this treasure of divine instruction!

I intend to use it exclusively in my preaching and teaching throughout 2011 as a testimony to the grace of God that allows us to have the living Word of the living God in our native language.

Since more than 2,000 people groups on earth still do not have a single word of Scripture in their langauge, I intend to do what I can to support Wycliffe Translators, and others, who are giving their lives to bring the Word of God to them.

Yes, I still prefer newer translations; and, I still believe that the English Standard Version of 1991 is the most accurate and useful of all contemporary English translations; but, I also recognize the value of celebrating historical events of great consequence. No other event since 1611 has proved to have such a positive impact on the world and on God's work in the world than the publishing of the King James Version of the Holy Bible!

REVIVAL TIME !

It is "Revival Time" in our churches! We hope you will attend as many of these meetings as your schedule will allow. We have been praying for revival in CBA; and here are some opportunities for you and your family to experience it:

April 23 to 25 @ Argenta! IBSA Evangelism Director Tim Sadler will be the guest speaker. Friday and Saturday will be at 7pm; Sunday will be at 6pm.

April 25-28 @ FBC Atwood! Bobby Boyles is the Guest Speaker.
Sunday is at 6pm; Monday to Wednesday is at 7pm.

May 2-5 @ Galilee Baptist Church! Lonnie Short is the Guest Speaker.

May 16-19 @ Forsyth Baptist Church! Don Whitt is the Guest Speaker.
Sunday is at 6pm; Monday to Wednesday is at 7pm.

If your church is having revival, please let me know and I will add your meetings to this list. God bless you and may the Lord bless CBA with sweeping revival this year!

Acts 1:8 Challenged?

I have a new shirt! It is a beautiful tan color with a terrific logo on the front that says, ACTS 1:8 CHALLENGE - ILLINOIS

It was given to me on Tuesday at the DOM Retreat by the New Work Team at IBSA. Thanks guys!

I wore it this morning when I spoke to the IBSA Staff at Chapel service. Cool.

The more I thought about it today, the more I began to think that if they had added one more letter on the end of the first line it might be more appropriate. It would read, "ACTS 1:8 CHALLENGED"

We often see and hear this word, "challenged" used as a kind way to say that a person is handicapped in some specific way. You know, bald people are "follicly challenged"; short people are "vertically challenged"; old people are "chronologically challenged" etc!

I am afraid that the truth is that many of us - including me - are "Acts 1:8 Challenged!" What I mean by that, of course, is that we do not seem to be capable of fulfilling the Great Commission as given in Acts 1:8. It seems that the majority of Southern Baptists have an insurmountable handicap that keeps us from obeying the clearest purpose of the Church. We do have such a handicap. It is fear-driven disobedience!

Many of us are afraid of what someone will say to us, or that they will ask us a question we cannot answer, or that we will make a mistake that will make things worse.

The unsaved are going to hell; how could we make that worse? The simple truth is that we need to accept the "Acts 1:8 Challenge"! We need to be trained and get busy obeying this command and commission from Jesus Christ.

We know what to do... it is time we do what we know!

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Church of the Week!

Each week, we will feature one of our churches on the masthead of our website at www.cbadecatur.com As you see these churches highlighted for a week, I hope that you will take time to pray for the Pastor and his family and for the members of the church.

All of our churches deserve "special" attention, and I hope this small effort will help you remember to pray specifically for our churches!

Southern Illinois Bible and Evangelism Conference

The Annual SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BIBLE AND EVANGELISM CONFERENCE will be held at FBC, West Frankfort, IL on Sunday evening, 1/17 to Monday evening 1/18.

Sunday evening's session begins at 6pm and the speaker is Dr. Robert Smith from Birmingham, AL.

Monday morning's session begins at 9:30am and the speakers are Dr JD Payne and Dr Robert Smith.

Monday afternoon's session begins at 1pm and the speakers are Dr Thom Rainer and Dr Robert Smith.

Monday evening's session begins at 7pm and the speaker is Dr JD Payne.

This is always a great conference; I hope you will be able to attend!

Happy New Year!

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (ESV)

“Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Bears all its sons away; They fly forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day." (“O God Our Help in Ages Past”) Isaac Watts’ Meditation on Psalm 90

2009, like an ever-rolling stream, will soon have gone away! 2010, the first year of the second decade of the 21st Century, will arrive to great fanfare as a clean slate of high hopes and heart-felt dreams. Through 2009, we lost much and gained much. Hopefully, we learned much and achieved much. Change has been constant; the old has passed away and behold, new things have come.

Our beloved Nation has been financially, morally, and spiritually damaged to a degree unprecedented in our lifetime. Shall we see revival? Or, shall we go the way of all Nations that forget God? God knows. Even if God is not willing to save America, (and I pray that He is) He is willing to save Americans! May He graciously use us to bring many sons and daughters into His Kingdom.

If the Lord tarries His coming, in August of this New Year we will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the founding of Central Baptist Association. Please join me in praying that 2010 will be the most fruitful and productive year in our history! God bless you, our Churches, and Central Baptist Association!

Happy "Thanksgiving" ?

I seem to have my holidays mixed up! Last Friday was Christmas, next Friday is New Year’s Day; but, I am sitting here engaged in Thanksgiving!

I have been feeling overwhelmingly thankful that the Lord is bringing Tom and Pauline Miller and Don and Ruth Ann Lusk back to serve CBA Churches. I am happy for the Churches, our Association, and for me!

I must admit that I am feeling a bit guilty about being so happy because this means that two other IBSA Churches: Youngblood Baptist and First Baptist Ashmore (respectively) have had to say goodbye to these dear friends.

2009 has been a wonderful year in many ways, and it is great to see it capped off by the return of these two godly families! May God bless the Youngblood and Ashmore Churches; may God bless Trinity and SBC Sullivan; and, may God continue to richly bless all of us throughout all the years ahead.

IBSA Annual Meeting

Well, the 103rd Annual Meeting of Illinois Baptists is history! All-in-all, it was a pretty routine meeting, and as Baptist business meetings go - that is a good thing.

I missed the first night of the Pastor's Conference due to an Elder's meeting at Atwood, but on Wednesday morning I was able to hear a great message by John Franklin about Elijah on Mt Carmel, and I was privileged to nominate our own Adam Cruse to serve as the Treasurer for the Pastor's Conference. He was unanimously elected!

The annual meeting itself was a refreshing time of reunion, worship, inspiration, and a sense of unity that results from the respect and confidence Illinois Baptists have in our Staff and Officers. Several CBA friends were elected or re-elected to serve in leadership positions in IBSA:
Tom Miller (OK, he is a former CBA'er) to serve on the Nominating Committee
Seth Ventress (another former CBA'er and the brand-new Pastor at Taylorville Southern) on the Committee on Order of Business
Randy Moon (Tabernacle) on the Constitution Committee
Adam Cruse (Mt Zion) Board of Directors Strategy Planning Committee
Charles Bayless (Tabernacle) Baptist Foundation Trustee

A Cooperative Program goal of $6,850,000.00 was set and a budget totaling $9,060,400.00 was adopted!

IBSA President, Dr. Kevin Kerr, did his usual great job of leading us and his President's Message was a blessing!

Dr. Doug Munton, who spent several of his childhood and youth years at Macon where his father was Pastor of FBC, was elected as our new President!

New Work was highlighted on Wednesday evening with several of our Church Planters giving brief presentations of their work.

I got to visit briefly with some famous folk including Tom Miller, Don and Sharon Evans, Ed Hollis, Mitch and Linda Flesch, Adam Powers, Adam Cruse, Don and Ruth Ann Lusk, and some other friends from all around the State including Bob Carter, my former DOM!

A tribute to Dr. Earnest Moseley, Kay Shipley, and Dr. Fred Winters was a special blessing to everyone there.

The annual sermon by Pastor Michael Allen of Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago was excellent!

Finally, Tabernacle Baptist Church was chosen as the site for the 2012 Annual Meeting! I am already looking forward to it!

GREAT NIGHT AT ARGENTA!

What a happy night at Argenta. I stopped by for my regular visit and found a completely repainted interior, a beautiful new Church Sign, and (best of all) a debt-free Church! Last Sunday, they paid off their mortgage on the new addition!

AWANA was in full swing this evening. Lots of happy kids and faithful workers enjoyed their Opening Assembly and watched a skit featuring Pastor Brian Minott and some "Loco Lady" (who bore slight resemblance to AWANA Commander Kathy Rybolt) as they prepared to teach the kids about the Plague of Locusts that God sent upon Egypt just before bringing His people out of bondage! A hot contest is going on, but (thank the Lord) the Israelites are slightly ahead of the Egyptians!

*Imagine the theological difficulties they will have if the Egyptians win!

Please keep Pastor Brian and this happy Church in your prayers as they continue to faithfully witness the Word of God to the people of Argenta and the surrounding areas, and as they continue to minister to "Boys and Girls of All Ages!"

Another Great Annual Meeting!

The 60th Annual Meeting of Central Baptist Association was a joyous occasion of fellowship, blessing, and good stewardship of the Lord's business. Nearly 80 messengers and visitors from 16 CBA Churches were in attendance. Thank you to all of the faithful members of FBC Atwood who made us so comfortable and prepared a great dinner!

Highlights of the meeting included wonderful music and singing led by Power of Praise, Bill Fleming, Mike Rutledge, and Chris Granda. Pastor Adam Cruse of FBC Mt Zion brought a blessed Bible Study on our theme of, "Standing on the Word" from Ezra 7:10; and Pastor Doug Davis of Arthur Southern Baptist Church preached the Annual Sermon from Exodus 33 on the theme, "Waiting on the Presence of God."

Pat Pajak of IBSA brought greetings and news about the 2010 "Find it Here" campaign as part of the "Across Illinois" evangelism strategy. Ken Stewart brought greetings and an update from the Baptist Children's Home in Carmi, Illinois.

2008-2009 was an "UP!" year as we were ahead of last year in 10 out of the 13 areas in which our Denomination keeps records! 11 of our 23 Churches were recognized with "Excellence in Ministry" Awards! A benevolence offering in excess of $200.00 was received; and, all reports and the 2009-2010 Budget were adopted.

Pastor Adam Powers was re-elected as our Moderator, Glenn Baker as Assistant Moderator, Sharron Jones as Clerk, Dawn Brown as Treasurer, and Chris Granda as Assistant Treasurer. Thanks to these dear friends for investing so much time and effort into your Association!

Next Year's Meeting, which will mark our 60th Anniversary, will be held October 16, 2010 at the Tri-Valley Baptist Church in Bloomington. Pastor Wes Feltner of Tabernacle Baptist will lead our Bible Study and Pastor Mike Arthur of Emmanuel Baptist will bring the Annual Sermon.

DON'T MISS YOUR CBA ANNUAL MEETING !

I hope you will take time out of your already too-busy schedule to attend the 60th Annual Meeting of YOUR Association this coming Saturday!

The meeting is being held at the First Baptist Church of Atwood, 231 N. Illinois Street, Atwood. The church is located one block west and one block north of beautiful downtown Atwood. (From US Highway 36, turn North on Atwood Road and go to the bank; turn left (west) on Forest Street and go one block to Illinois Street and turn right (north). The church is in the middle of the block on the left!

We have had an overall "UP!" year this year and we will recognize several of our churches with "Excellence in Ministry" Awards! It appears that the weather will be lovely, and I know the meeting will be a source of great encouragement to you!

Power of Praise will provide pre-session music beginning at 2:45pm. The meeting will begin at 3pm, and we will have dinner together at 5:45pm. There is no charge for the meal, which is being provided by the members of the church. Following the meal, we will have a second session and we should be done by 8pm.

We will have great worship led by Power of Praise, Bill Fleming, and Mike Rutledge. Chris Granda will provide special music in the evening session. You will be blessed by our Annual Bible Study led this year by Pastor Adam Cruse of FBC Mt Zion, and our Annual Sermon by Pastor Doug Davis of Arthur Southern Baptist!

Oh yeah, we'll hear reports, vote on the budget, and all of our usual business; but, we will also have a great and encouraging time of fellowship. Pat Pajak, Associate Executive Director of IBSA will bring us a special report on the new SBC Evangelism initiative, "Across Illinois".

Why Revival Tarries?

One of the oldest of our complaints and cries is "Why does revival tarry?" I have been thinking about this today because of the upcoming revival at Calvary SBC in Decatur. On Sunday, October 4 to Wednesday, October 7, the church will host Dr. Richard Tribble as the evangelist for these meetings. Richard is a good man and an excellent preacher; if a man could bring revival, Richard could!

But, we know that no man can. Only God can send revival, so we continually cry out to him as did the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 64:1-5:

1 "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2 as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?"

Of course, God's answer to this question is given in Isaiah 65... it is our sins that keep Him from sending His blessings!

May God use these meetings at Calvary to convict us, cleanse us, and change us!

I hope to see you there!

Friday Night at Revival!

Let me encourage you again to come out to revival at FSBC, Boody Friday night at 7pm to hear Dr. Jesse Powers! Tonight he preached one of the best sermons on the person and purposes of Jesus that I have heard in over 30 years of listening to preaching.

Come on out, bring the family. You will be blessed!

One of the "Greats" tonight and tomorrow at Boody!

All of us will be thankful that we had the privilege to sit under the teaching of Dr. Jesse Powers! He has been - over many years - one of the most fruitful and most used evangelists in America and around the world. In God's gracious providence, he has led many revival meetings in Illinois.

He will be preaching tonight (9/24) and tomorrow (9/25) at First Southern Baptist Church at Boody at 7pm. I hope you will be able to attend!

Pastors Luncheon with Roger Ellsworth

We will have a "Bring Your Own" lunch tomorrow (9/23) at the CBA Office at 11:30am with Roger Ellsworth. We will eat and talk together and have some time to "pick Roger's brain" about ministry and pastoring issues. I hope you will be able to join us!