Baptist Missionary Association of Missouri
Are you getting anxious about going to Camp Garwood again? Are you wondering when and what will be happening there this year? Do you want to know if you can do anything to help at Camp Garwood?
Dear churches of Missouri:
As you know we have a missions symposium in May each year coupled with the Mid-year Association meeting on the following day. May 14th and 15th will be this year’s dates for the missions symposium on Friday and the Association meeting on Saturday. The meetings will take place at New Testament Baptist Church in Sullivan. Bro. Josh Wright is the pastor and he has made some hotel recommendations that will be included in this article.
We are begging, yes, I said begging all our pastors and pastors wives and their respective church members to come. We are in unprecedented times and many of our churches and church staffs are struggling and need encouragement and the Friday service has been prepared to meet this need
The first hour will be an overview of the missions efforts of the Missouri churches in the Philippines and in St. Louis with Bro. Juan giving a report. We will take a break with some refreshments and then Bro Josh. Wright will share a special message of encouragement for our churches and pastors and their families.
This message will be born out of a heartfelt concern for where our churches and staffs are as a result of the pandemic and the daily struggles of life and ministry.
Pastor, please ask your people to prayerfully consider attending and churches, please ask your pastor to go with you. Bro. Josh and I feel strongly that the need for encouragement is association wide.
Friday Missions Symposium:
6:00-6:40 pm 1st Session
6:40-7:00 pm Break
7:00-8:00 pm 2nd Session
Saturday we will have our Mid-year State Association meeting at New Testament at 9:00 a.m. The schedule for this business meeting and time of fellowship is under the direction of Moderator Jerry Adams.
Each church of the BMA of Missouri is allowed 3 messengers to represent them at this meeting and everyone is welcome to attend as our guests. Meal provided after the meeting.
The hotels we would recommend and their addresses are:
Budget Lodging
866 S. Outer Rd.
St Clair, MO 63077
(636) 629-1000
-and-
Comfort Inn
736 S. Service Rd.
Sullivan, MO 63080
(573) 468-7800
Jason Alexander, owner of the Budget Lodging said he would do this for our group: “reserve at budgetlodging.com and the hotel will donate 15% of your stay to the BMA missions fund. You “must” include “BMA” on your reservation. We are very grateful for this kind gesture from Bro. Jason.
We look forward to seeing you on May 14th and 15th at New Testament Baptist Church in Sullivan, Missouri.
by Ben Kingston, Missions Director, BMA of Missouri
Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, DeSoto
March 6, 2021 • 10:00 a.m.
Come Meet our New Missouri Missionaries
(Juan & Hannah Hernandez)
Morning Message • Bro. James Hoffmann
Alternate • Bro. Benjamin Kingston
Lunch will not be served by the church.
A Page From My Heart….
As you know, we have passed motions in both the Meramec Association and the BMA of MO to support Bro. Juan Fernandez as a North American missionary in the St. Louis region. We are not the lead in this effort, but God has used the fact that we are in a healthy financial situation to get this ministry started. Bro. Juan is excited to get started and so are we!
The Meramec Advisory Committee and Bro. Hoffmann met with Bro. Juan for prayer during his forty days of prayer campaign, Thursday, January 28th. It was a joy to hear what was going on and to pray for him and his family. He has joined Bethany Baptist Church and they have voted to allow him to use their building as home base. The hope is to build small Bible study groups in the area and eventually start holding services in the basement of the church. Bethany has wonderful facilities, and we are so appreciative of them assisting Bro. Juan in this effort. I know they are excited, also.
Bro. Juan received His citizenship last week, and we congratulate Him for that tremendous achievement! He has expressed a desire for anyone in our work that has contact with Hispanics to please get their contact information to him so he can begin building bridges with them for the Gospel’s sake. Currently, Bro. Juan is looking for people to reach in the St. Louis region, but I know He is open to any contacts. You can call or text those to Bro. Juan (618-581-8056) or myself (636-629-2526).
Please pray for Juan and his family as they dive into this wonderful ministry.
P.S. The following is from Bro Juan himself:
Hi! I’d like to add two items: By God’s grace this 2/8/21 my wife and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary and this new stage of 40 days of prayer and evangelism prayers will be for protection and guidance as we will be knocking on doors in the neighborhood around to share the gospel from 2/1 to 3/12 This stage starts today. Also, we have a page in Facebook to connect with our Hispanic friends: Ministerio para familias hispanas en Missouri.
Thank you, brother!!
Juan
Amen, Bro Juan!
So, if you will, dear reader, read this next part as a prayer:
Dear Father, you know and see the requests that are listed here from Brother Juan. We’re praying first of all, that you would continue to bless the marriage and this family as they join hands and arms together in this ministry to reach the Hispanic community, and anyone that You bring them to, for Your glorious gospel. We pray for protection as they knock on doors and as they share your gospel in these next 40 days and beyond. We pray that you will give them souls for their labors and give them additional laborers to help in this effort. We ask all these things in your Son’s holy and precious name, Amen.
Bro. Ben, BMA of MO Missions Director
Jeff Swart, BMAA President
Happy New Year!
On the last evening of each year, a celebration is held throughout our land. This celebration climaxes at the stroke of midnight at Times Square in New York City when multitudes of people cheer and shout “Happy New Year!” They blow toy horns and other noisemakers, laugh and embrace and kiss someone. This spectacle is repeated in succession in the various time zones from the Atlantic Seaboard to the far away islands of Hawaii.
For Americans, the new year symbolizes new opportunities, new hopes and new dreams; yet the stroke of the midnight hour simply marks the dawning of another day. Whether the year really will be “new” lies within each person. If, when the celebrating is over, we fall back into the same old life — then nothing has really changed except the date on the calendar. New Year’s only becomes “new” if we make it so.
As you face the new year, I want you to understand that God is far more interested in your future than He is in your past. Some folks think God is fixated on their past, reminding them of the things they’ve done wrong. The simple truth is that God isn’t interested in your past —He is interested in your future. God reminds us that we are to “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18-19). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul made a similar statement: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Phil. 3:13).
Regardless of the failures you’ve had in your life this year; financial, moral, relational, marriage, etc. God is offering you a new beginning. You are not a failure because you fail, you are only a failure if you quit. You matter to Jesus Christ, and He can make the rest of your life turn out in a whole different way if you give Him the pieces. He wants to exchange His peace for your pieces.
God specializes in new beginnings because He possesses the power to change lives. God doesn’t want you to turn over a new leaf – He wants to give you a whole new life if you will let Him. Give this new year to God and you will be amazed at what He can do with it. Remember, it is never too late to start anew.
2020…what can I say? It is been a crazy year to say the least. We have all used and overused some words this year such as: Unprecedented, Pandemic, COVID-19, Coronavirus, and more! I know you all experienced many things as a family and at your local churches.
First and foremost, we know that God is still on His throne and in control! Praise the Lord!! We also are very thankful for you, our prayer and financial partners. Without your prayers and gifts and the Lord’s multiplication math, we couldn’t do what He has called us to do. Thank you again!!
As the year kicked off and as we headed into March, we were trending towards excellent growth headed towards year 4 as a church. Based on our attendance numbers, we were all set to launch to two services towards the end of March. And then…the pandemic hit us all! We had to close our doors to the public just as many other churches did. This obviously put a halt on two services. Thankfully, we had already been streaming our services live to Facebook for a couple of years so we were ahead of the curve and were able to help many churches get going as they started online streaming.
After being closed to the public for almost 3 months, we were able to open back up for in-person services in June on Father’s Day. We went ahead and launched 2 services when we reopened to allow for social distancing and growth. We were thankful to be able to meet back in person but the pandemic and closure certainly hurt our growth.
In September, after much prayer, we decided to go from two services back to one service due to the lower numbers returning in person and the taxing on our worship team and volunteers. Within a month we began growing again and things were looking promising. Unfortunately, around Thanksgiving, many in our church, including all of our staff, came down with COVID-19. We closed the doors again to in-person services for 3 weeks and I preached online only. We are all better now and were able to reopen for in-person services again December 20th.
We also lost two special women in our church this year. In March we lost Nan Brown to her battle with cancer. Nan started coming to our church about 6 months after our launch and came to help her aunt find a church. She ended up falling in love with us and us with her. We were able to hold her funeral at StonePoint a week before the shutdown.
In November, we lost the wife of our former worship leader to cancer as well. Rebecca Rothenberger was a sweet young lady and mother of 2 boys. She gave her life to the Lord while at StonePoint and was baptized on our 1 year anniversary. She battled lung cancer a year and was in remission when the cancer came back very aggressively. Our church continues to minister to the Rothenberger family and has help set up a college fund for the boys.
Praises from 2020 – StonePoint is still reaching people, preaching the Word, discipling others, baptizing believers, helping in our local community, nationally and internationally!! We know God is still in control and He is still faithful so we must continue to be faithful to what He has called us to do and we know He will provide as we continue to step forward in faith! This year, we have helped more people and more ministries than ever before.
Locally, we have helped families affected by the pandemic through sickness or job loss/reductions. We still partner with The Place which provides food, clothing, job assistance, and financial assistance to those in need. We partner with Family Promise which helps local families that have found themselves homeless. We continue to provide backpacks for students in need as well as providing presents for children in need during Christmas. This year, we provided 40 electronic Bible Sticks to military personnel that didn’t have a Bible.
StonePoint is also partnering with the Risner Family in Romania, as well as sponsoring children in need in Indonesia and other areas. We are a Mission Church living out the Mission and supporting other Missions!!
God has worked mightily in the lives of many people since we moved to Georgia and starting meeting people and holding Vision Casting meetings in our house. What started from our family is now over 40 families representing over 100 people that call StonePoint home in 4 years is amazing!!
We have had nearly 60 Baptisms and many of those have been entire families! We’ve seen over 20 professions of faith, and countless lives have been changed! Marriages being healed, and families being restored through accepting and giving forgiveness. People have been released from the bondage of sin and the shame of their past. We have also seen the miracle of God’s healing touch as several people have been completely healed of many things!! Praise God and help us celebrate Life Change for Christ!! We Are Thankful for YOU!! Because of your faithfulness, StonePoint has been able to reach out to many people in North Georgia. Your investments have also helped us invest into the lives of hundreds of different people that have come through our doors. Lives have been transformed by the power of Jesus. People have been Saved, Baptized, Rededicated their lives, Addictions have been broken, Marriages have been healed and restored, families have gotten control of their finances, people have asked for and given forgiveness and shown grace. All this has happened through the combined efforts of everyone’s prayers and financial support and willingness to get involved and make a difference. Thank you for making a difference!!
by Dr. John M. Adams • Executive Director, Moral Action
Proverbs 29:2 “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” It seems today that the wicked are ruling. So many true Christian believers are disillusioned. So many watch as the streets are filled with violence and corruption. Anarchy is defined as “a state of disorder due to the absence or non-recognition of authority. Synonymous words are revolution, disorder, chaos, mayhem and mobocracy. There seems to be a lack of punishment and a lack of obedience to the laws of the land.
Punishment for wrongdoing is operative in this world although man has not faced his responsibility in performing it. Paul the Apostle has summed up the principle in the words of Galatians 6:7; “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” This axiom of truth is far-reaching, invading all of creation.
• The Basis for Punishment
Historically the basis for punishment in our society has been man’s belief in God – the God Who is Sovereign over the universe, the God Who has revealed Himself as moral, having a standard of right and wrong with punishment for the wrongdoer. This punishment is not based particularly on its being a deterrent to wrongdoing, but rather as the wage for wrongdoing. Romans 6:23 bears witness in these words, “For the wages of sin is death.”
Today the philosophy of unbelief with its rejection of the living and moral God and the exaltation of man to a supremacy that is subject to no higher power than himself is demanding a hearing in our land. Such a belief is not new, having always been present; but our intellectual climate and our growing freedom of expression have provided man with liberty to accept or reject the declarations of Scripture.
Our concept of right and wrong and the punishment of wrongdoers will be determined on the basis of our belief or unbelief in the living God. Humanism does not believe in God.
Believing that God is and that He alone is the Director of this universe, we must submit to His dictates; and in the realm of punishment we must obey His commands. God rules according to His standard of right and wrong. This includes punishment for wrongdoers!
• Manifestations of Punishment
It is Observed in Creation
Punishment is seen in the operation of natural law. Violation of these laws have their results. To jump off a cliff, expecting a reversal of the law of gravity, in no way stays off a broken body. Punishment is also manifest when one tampers with the animal kingdom. To antagonize the “king of the jungle” would be to receive a recompense of reward.
It is Observed in the Societies of the World
As societies develop, they include regulations and punishments. Even those which fall under the caption of being freedom fighters, a term which implies deep concern for the common man, have punishment – severe punishment – for all who do not conform to the rules. It is difficult to conceive of a society continuing which does not incorporate into its life a system of punishment for offenders.
It is interesting to note that before the Pilgrims landed on the shores of the new world, they covenanted to be ruled by a document which would control each member of the company.
It is Observed in the Scriptures
Believing that God has spoken and that the Bible is that message, we shouldn’t be surprised to find many passages dealing with the subject of punishment.
Punishment Inflicted Directly by God.
Consider the following examples: Cain: (Genesis 4:11-16). When God made His pronouncement, Cain responded, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.”
The Flood: (Genesis 6:1-8:22). Rejection of God’s warning resulted in the removal of that society. When the door of the ark was shut, there was no change in the announced punishment.
Sarai: (Genesis 12:17). In protecting His “chosen,” God inflicted punishment on Pharaoh’s house although his offense was in ignorance!
Ananias and Sapphira: (Acts 5:1-11). As a definite and shocking example of God’s righteous indignation toward lying – and that to God – these two met immediate physical death.
Punishment Administered by Man.
(Genesis 9:1-7) Disrespect and destruction of human life were the first offenses to be placed under man’s jurisdiction. Capital punishment was to be the consequence of murder. This principle continues throughout Scripture, being affirmed in the New Testament by Christ and the Apostle Paul (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-14).
Exodus-Deuteronomy, “If we knew, we would do,” sums up Israel’s appeal to Moses (Deuteronomy 5:27). This prompted God to give the Law, coupled with specific punishments for those who failed to comply. A careful analysis of Scripture will reveal the severity of punishment accompanying the Law.
• Responsibility in Punishment
Man’s responsibility in punishment is divided between the family, the church and the state. When each is diligent in the task, the entire society functions with a measure of peace and prosperity.
The Family
Being ordained of God, the family stands as a very important part of God’s plan for mankind. Although some sociologists don’t accept the family as an absolute, God does. He calls for a man to leave his parents, cleave to his wife and, living together, rear their children according to God’s rules (Genesis:24; Matthew 19:6)
Children Need To Be Trained.
No child comes into this world programmed to do that which is right (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23). Right actions are the result of right training, beginning the first day and including God’s plan of salvation.
Life must be directed if it is to develop the kind of character acceptable to God and one that will function in society. In order to accomplish this task there must be a penalty for disobedience (Proverbs 22:15; Ephesians 6:1-4).
Children Need to Understand Punishment.
Abraham must have been an example of this kind of parent (Genesis 18:19). Having made clear to the child the difference between right and wrong, the rewards and penalties must also be clearly presented (Proverbs 22:6).
Parents Must Carry Through in Punishment.
Consider Proverbs 13:24 and 23:13, 14. When rules are established and broken, it is the parents’ responsibility to administer the punishment. If children don’t learn this lesson at home, will they learn it in society? If we neglect our responsibility as parents, can we rightfully criticize state officials who have become soft in administering punishment?
• The Church
It is an established principle in Scripture that all who are born-again believers are to be identified with a local church. In this communion there are certain rules laid down by God, including the discipline of the offenders.
The Guiding Principle (Matthew 18:15-17; I Timothy 3:1-16). A church congregation is responsible to maintain a good testimony in the community. This is possible only when each individual member keeps the rules. If sin is allowed to reign and situations are overlooked which scream for correction, the church is failing in its responsibility.
• The State
The state with its rule is ordained of God. It has been authorized to administer punishment on wrongdoers to protect society (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-14). This is a basic principle in the structure of our government.
According to Scripture, governmental officers are just as responsible to God as are gospel ministers. They are commissioned by God to “carry the sword.” They are guardians of human life and are to use all means available to maintain decency and order including capital punishment of those committing deliberately planned murder.
Growing Softness in Punishment
Today’s softness in punishment reigns from the home to the church to the state. It appears that all too frequently the offender received greater protection than does the offended! The older generation, observing the moral breakdown, blames the younger generation; and the younger generation, beholding the hypocrisy of the day, blames the older generation. Yet all the while there is a philosophy which is sapping the very heart of our great nation.
Why Such Softness Against Crime
God and His Word are excluded. Once God’s Word controlled the decisions of our government and our courts. Punishment was meted out as the just penalty for crimes committed.
Walter Lippmann saw this change coming in his day. In his book, The Preface to Morals (1929), he showed that a switch from the living and true God to the created god of the liberal mind would change the moral standards and stamina of America. His conclusion is apparent today!
To teach that man is the product of evolution without responsibility to the supreme God and that there is no destiny beyond the few days of this life which is destined to annihilation, is to foster an attitude of “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
Once again to the Scriptures, we find that when “the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2). The designation “wicked” in this text is used in the Old Testament of those who walk apart from God’s Word and His authority! Without question the answer to our plight in regard to honest punishment for crimes committed will be realized only through a spiritual revival which enthrones God and His moral standard of right and wrong!
Revelation 2:8-11
by Dennis Baker, President BMAMO Brotherhood
It costs to be a dedicated Christian, in some places more than in others. In the midst of persecution and poverty the Lord’s evaluation of the Smyrna church was that she was rich and encouraged her to be faithful unto death. The church of Smyrna was poor in material possessions because of not being able to secure employment due to strong labor unions that did not respect their Christian values. Other religions considered them atheists because they did not worship God like they did or because they worshipped a different god.
Included in American history is God’s blessings on His churches to have the resources to not only evangelize the people of America but to be able to send God called individuals into other countries so that they can share God’s blessing of salvation through Jesus Christ. But as the Lord’s churches move forward, Satan is rising up strong opposition from governments and religious organizations. Biblical values concerning family, marriage, morals, and death are being challenged in our schools and courts. The current economic situation is not only affecting the family budget but the budget of the local churches.
As the Lord’s churches move forward how will they respond to these increasing pressures? Do our Mission, Focus, and Core Value Statements still have any value? Are we willing to be faithful unto death?
In John’s day, Caesar was looked upon as a god and anyone refusing to say, “Caesar is Lord” would be subject to execution or at the very least excluded from the labor unions. Being excluded from the labor unions resulted in unemployment and poverty. The large Jewish community was accepted by the Roman government, but they did not cooperate with Christianity.
Polycarp, a disciple of John and pastor of the Smyrna church suffered a martyr’s death in 155 AD, at the age of eight-six, because of his faith in Jesus Christ. Polycarp when under threat of being consumed by fire if he refused to recant responded by saying, “Thou threatens the fire that burns for an hour and in a little while is quenched; for thou knowest not of the fire of the judgment to come, and the fire of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why delayest thou. Bring what thou wilt.” When the authorities tried to persuade Polycarp to recant his faith by asking, “Now what harm is there in saying “Lord Caesar” and offering incense, and so on, thus saving thyself? Polycarp responded by saying, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
As end-time pressures increase persecution will also increase. I Peter 4:12-13. In my opinion Polycarp was not a super Christian but a man who genuinely loved his Lord and Savior. As I think about what it means to die for my King, and Savior, I wonder what would happen to my family if I were called by the Lord to die for my faith. How would God provide for my family’s needs? The best answer I ever received was from one of my seminary professors, Dr. Hal McNeil.
As we studied the life of Polycarp in his class, someone commented, I wonder if I could stand for my faith in Christ and die for Him? Dr. McNeil responded by saying, if God were to call on me to die for Him, He would give me the grace to do so.
We should be encouraged by the reassurances that God is in control!
Be faithful unto death.
Dear Church Ladies of Missouri BMA,
Kewanee Baptist and First Baptist of Matthews would like to invite you to our event, POUND IN A PURSE. We did this last year and it turned out to be a GREAT fundraiser for our WMA National Project. This year our project is CAMP GARWOOD!
What takes place at this event is you get to bid on a purse of your choice and inside this purse will be a pound of something. This is done in a silent bidding fashion and at the end of the bidding you will be able to reveal what’s inside!
This will take place at Matthews’ fellowship hall on March 13, 2021 from 11AM to 3 PM.
We will be serving a lunch and our speaker this year will be Deanna Wisely George.
Please let us know if you plan to attend and how many ladies from your church. This is not a WMA event, this is an event for all ladies from our churches.
We look forward to seeing as many ladies as possible. We love our camp and what a great way to support it.
Your Pound in a Purse Committee
Respond to Terri Adams 573-380-0331 or email.