Missions Reports

How quickly this associational year has passed! It should remind us that what we are going to do needs to be done NOW and not put off to a “later date!” All of us have friends who are lost and need to hear the Gospel. Let’s not wait till it is too late!

Churches need to revitalize their methods and update their outreach. Someday it will be too late! God is patient and kind
but soon His wrath will be poured out against sin and evil. What are we doing to avoid that! May we start this new associational year with a greater desire to be busy about our Father’s Business and may we be able to say at the end of this new year in the Lord’s work that we have been faithful and can rejoice in the fruit of our labors.

We are blessed in many ways and should share the Good News of Jesus every opportunity we have. People are searching for answers and we know WHO has THE answers we need so we can look forward to eternity. God has blessed us with the funds needed to do what we had planned to this year. He will be faithful to provide more funds and the personnel to do the things He want us to do in the year ahead.

Let’s work together to do more for God and reach the lost in the days ahead. We need each other’s support, encouragement, and help and with it more will be accomplished. We are not in competition with one another, but we are encouraged to work together for God’s honor and glory.

That’s what being associated means. It’s part of God’s plan that we help one another in life through our homes and churches. Let’s renew this spirit and let God show what He can do in each of our localities. Continue to pray for God to call men into the ministry who will make the sacrifces necessary to lead our churches to greater heights of labor for the Lord. Look for ways you and your church can help others accomplish God’s will in their lives and ministries.

Thank you for your words of encouragement and for your support of the work of the churches of the BMA of Missouri Missions. There is no limit to what we can do as we follow God in our lives. I have started trying to attend more local association
meetings in an effort to get to know more about what is going on in our churches and to get better acquainted with our people. If you would like for me to visit your annual meetings please let me know ahead of time when your meeting takes place and I will try to come. I look forward to the opportunity.

by James Hoffman

By the time most of you read this we will be half-way through our fnal month in this associational year. The new associational year begins October 1st and all departments of our work will give their annual reports summarizing what we have done this past year and presenting recommendations for your consideration about what we plan to do in this new year.

Please pray that we will be sensitive to the needs and to God’s plan for meeting those needs. Our host pastor for the annual meeting in October, Ben Kingston, has invited Bro. Gene Hankins to preach in our worship service and I am looking forward to hearing him preach and to visit with him at this meeting. Bro. Hankins is a successful pastor and is also the Missions Director for the BMA of Oklahoma. He has led his church and the BMA of Oklahoma in church planting and I look forward to what he can share with us that might spark a fire of planting churches in our churches here in Missouri.

We continue to pray for churches in Missouri that are searching for pastors and hope God will burden more preachers to get involved in pastoring and not be satisfed with just “preaching” when the opportunities arise. Brethren, we need a burden
for ministry if our churches are going to grow and plant more churches!

Please pray for me as I try to encourage churches and preachers who are discouraged and who are searching for God’s leadership in their ministries. We serve THE MIGHTY GOD and need to give Him our best e?ort in all we do! If there is anything I can do for you please let me know.

If you have any ideas that will help us in the work in Missouri PLEASE share them with me or with any member of our Special Missions Committee so we can consider them when we meet before the annual meeting to formulate recommendations about the work in 2018 – 2019. This committee meeting will be taking place within the next few weeks so we need to hear from you as soon
as possible.

The members of this committee are: Ben Kingston, Chairman; Dan Wisely, Clerk; Claude Evans, Russell Chitwood, Dale Fish, Don
Burke, and Brian Meade. These men would welcome your input and help in doing the work the association has given us to do. If you need to meet with the committee that can be arranged if we know of your desire early enough to make the arrangements.

I look forward to working with you and enjoying your fellowship at our annual meeting at Bethel Baptist Church, Lonedell. Let’s pray that the year ahead will be a great year of seeing souls saved, preachers encouraged, and churches growing!

We continue to have several churches without pastors and it seems there is a shortage of preachers to call upon in times of need. That gets discouraging. At the same time we are hearing that some of our churches are growing and souls are being saved and that is encouraging. We need to remember that God is a loving and gracious God and that He is pleased when we are willing to do our best for Him. As someone has said, “The greatest ability we can have is our ‘availability’ to God. To be available to God and faithful to follow Him is the best we can do.

God is blessing our work and we need to remain faithful to Him until the Lord comes and takes us home. Let’s encourage one another as we work together for His honor and glory. God blessed us with another great camp with the lost being saved and the saved being revived. Remember to mark your calendars for the Annual Meeting of the BMA of Missouri that will take place October 27, 2018 at Bethel Baptist Church in Lonedell. The meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. Pray for a harmonious meeting where we can renew our determination to do God’s will. Pray for our churches to have the leadership they need to fulfill the commission our Lord gave us to go into all the world with His message of salvation. If I can be of help to you or your church please let me know. We can encourage one another and increase our effect on those around us. Remember, it is not “my” work or “yours” but God’s.

by James Hoffman, Mission’s Director

My wife and I thank you for the Christmas bonus that the messenger approved in our annual meeting. Your support encourages us to do our best in serving the Lord as He leads. Your words of encouragement are also uplifting as we face the challenges before us each day. We have had the privilege of working with the BMA of Missouri Churches in various capacities for 29 years and have grown to love the people whom we serve. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work for the Lord.

As we approach a New Year we are reminded that we need to plan our work and work our plan. Please pray for all the pastors and other leaders in our association as we carry the message of salvation to our world. Pray that we will have the wisdom to know God’s will, the desire to do His will, and the strength to finish His task before us There is much concern about our churches who are seeking pastors who are willing to lead them to grow in the Lord. Please pray for God’s will to be done in each of these churches as they seek God’s direction. We are also concerned about establishing new works in areas that need a greater witness for the Lord. We are praying for men who have a desire to start and establish new churches in our state. We serve the God who can do all things and who does all things well! Let’s make sure we do not hinder His work but that we will always be willing to do as He leads.

As we look forward we are seeking ideas for our 2018 Missions Symposium. If you have any ideas please get in touch with me and share your ideas. Working together we can meet the challenges before us and inspire one another to expand our horizons for the glory of God. We need to plan a meeting that will be of interest to as many as possible and that will challenge all of us to do our best. I welcome your input about this meeting that will take place at Zion Baptist Church in St. Louis May 18-19, 2018.

I have been invited to meet at our world headquarters in Conway, AR the first part of January with representatives from other states where the BMA has churches to discuss how we can coordinate the disaster relief work of our churches. Please pray
that this will be a productive meeting that will help us be better prepared “Helpers.”

Thank you for your cooperation and please pray for our Special Missions Committee as we try to make plans and as we seek ideas to grow the work of the Lord among our churches. Together we can be stronger and more e?ective in the work of the Lord. We
are not in competition with one another, but should be helping one another.

This is a particularly busy time as some local associations have their annual meetings, and the annual State Association meets which involves the closing of financial and record books of all our departments. As we review the past year we are reminded of God’s blessings upon His work among our churches.

I was able to attend the annual meeting of the Meramec Landmark Baptist Association which met at New Testament Baptist Church in Sullivan September 22nd. It was a joy to be welcomed to this meeting and to be able to give a report on State Missions, the Missouri Missionary Baptist and the Kenneth Gibson Seminary Student Grant Fund. Thanks to Bro. Michael Hearts for sending the summary of this meeting that is located elsewhere on this page.

Appreciation is expressed to these churches for their cooperation in our state work during the year and the special offerings that were given at this meeting. Your support and encouragement is a blessing to the Lord’s work.

It was a joy to attend part of the Men’s Retreat at camp Garwood the last weekend of September. It is great to fellowship with the men and boys of our churches and to enjoy a time of relaxation and fellowship at camp.

Our BMA of MO Special Missions Committee met September 14th at the Ponderosa in Perryville. Those present were: Russell Chitwood, Ben Kingston, Don Burke, Dale Fish, Claude Evans, and Dan Wisely. I appreciate these men and their willingness to take time to meet and help plan the work we need to be doing.

Our clerk, Bro. Dan Wisely has taken the time to provide a copy of the recommendations that we plan to present to the Missionary Committee at our State Meeting October 28th at camp Garwood. Those recommendations follow this article.

Please prayerfully consider these recommendations and come to the meeting prepared to vote on them or present recommendations you have that will guide us as we do the work of missions If you have any questions about any of these recommendations please contact me or any of the committee members and we will be happy to try to answer your questions.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Lord and His churches in this capacity and please pray with me that we might use all the opportunities God gives us to reach others with the Gospel and strengthen His Churches.

by James Hoffman, Assistant Missions Director

submitted by Michael Hearst

The Meramec Landmark Baptist Association annual meeting was held Friday, September 22nd at New Testament Baptist Church in Sullivan, MO. The following are some of the highlights of this meeting:
• Bro Joe Ginter, Pastor-Charity, Columbia, MO preached the annual message.
• voted to send $5000 to the BMAA Disaster Relief Fund.
• voted to send $2000 to the BMAA Seminary Chapel Fund as a memorial to Bro. Jim R. Ford.
• voted to send $1,500 to the Kenneth Gibson Scholarship Fund.
• voted to send $1,000 to the Missouri Missionary Baptist paper.
• voted to begin church revitalization e?orts at Charity Baptist Church, Columbia, MO and at Berean Baptist Church, Festus, MO
• authorized Moderator, Bro Ben Kingston, to work with the State Association on a joint “Revitalization” meeting at the State Camp in Garwood, MO and to help with the cost of the meeting.
• standing vote of appreciation for the special offerings from the former Springdale Baptist Church in Fenton, MO.
• standing vote of appreciation to New Testament Baptist Church, Sullivan, MO and Pastor Charles Idleman for their hospitality in hosting this meeting.
•Pastors and wives fellowship to be held Fri, Oct 13 at Meramec Retreat Center
• 2018 Meramec Association’s Annual meeting to be held September 21st at White Oak Grove, Potosi, MO. Brian Kingston was elected to bring Introductory Sermon with Charles Idleman as alternate speaker.

We continue to keep our eyes and ears open for preachers and missionaries who are interested in coming to Missouri to pastor or plant churches. So far we have not been very successful. Please contact me if you or someone you know is interested in working with us to spread the Gospel in our area.

The financial support of our churches continues to be good and we are trying to be good stewards of what God provides.
As I suggested and as instructed by the messengers at our Mid-year meeting, I have invested $100,000 in the BMA of
Mississippi Revolving Loan Fund in order to draw interest while we wait to use those funds in missionary support.

As you see in the financial report above, this still leaves us with immediate accessible funds of $ 44,549.02 in our checking account and $1,100.50 in a bank savings account. Please note that the bank savings account is maintained to keep us from having to pay a service charge on our checking account each month.

Please pray that we will follow God’s leadership in our ministries around our state. If you have any suggestions or
ideas about what we can do please let me or any member of the Special Missions Committee know so we can consider your ideas when we meet before our annual meeting in October. Your input is appreciated. The following men serve on our Special
Missions Committee: Russell Chitwood, Don Burke, Brian Meade, Dan Wisely, Dale Fish, and Ben Kingston. Any of us would be glad to listen to your suggestions and comments and present them to the whole committee.