The Semi-Annual Meeting of the BMA of Missouri met at Grandview Baptist Church, Springfield, May 18th. One of the highlights of the meeting was the growing anticipation of a new missionary, Bro. Dustin Wisely, coming to our state to work in the Columbia area. Bro. Wisely is entering the field as a missionary commissioned by and under the immediate direction of his home church, First Baptist, Magnolia, AR. The State and Meramec Associations are cooperating with First Baptist, Magnolia, to help provide a solid foundation for this work to become well established in our state.
Saturday morning Pastor Gary Longstaff welcomed the Association to Grandview. For the morning devotional Missionary-elect Wisely picked up where he had left off the night before as he energetically spoke on Being Madmen for the Gospel. After Moderator Ben Kingston called the meeting to order,a petitionary letter was accepted from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church of Belgrade.
The Association approved the Special Missions Committee recommendation to help support Bro. Dustin Wisely’s mission work in Columbia. The Association voted to give $2,000 per month, designated for salary, beginning the first of 2020. As that work develops we will monitor the need to provide work fund support as well. In response to a question raised in October about the Association’s liability concerns, the Special Missions Committee also made a recommendation to amend our bylaws (Article VI (Officers) Section 3) as follows (underlined portion added to the existing section):
The duties of the officers shall be such as usually devolve on such officers of a deliberative body. Officers are, however, not authorized to speak or act as an authority at any time on behalf of the Association for any matter to which the Association has not directly spoken. The body approved this change. The Special Missions Committee will be continuing their work on this project.
Highlights from the various department reports included….
Missouri Missionary Baptist Loan Program:
Treasurer David Griggs gave the financial report followed by President Dennis Baker’s report in which he noted the need for our church to give special offerings to the Grant Fund in order that we might be able to help churches with emergency funds when needed.
Camp Garwood:
Camp Director Chris Polk noted the camp schedule for this year and pointed out that no new projects would be started this summer due to lack of funds, but that some projects already started would be completed. He noted that much help is needed to get everything ready for use this year.
Alive:
The date for this year’s Alive Conference is December 29 – 31, at Chesterfield, Missouri.
Missouri Missionary Baptist:
Editor Jim Hoffmann reported that increased monthly offerings are needed or we will have to have a special drive to raise funds in a few months as our income has fallen seriously the first part of this year.
Miscellaneous:
The messengers voted to sponsor another Renewal Retreat with Bro. Ben Kingston as the leader.
After all business was completed, Bro. Ben Kingston gave the annual message, On Being a Man after God’s Own Heart, from Acts 13:22. Following the message all pastors met with missionary-elect Dustin Wisely in the altar for a time of prayer specifically for him and his missionary work in our state. We then enjoyed food and fellowship as the church provided the noon meal.
by Don Burke, Clerk
