It’s been two weeks now since the annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention. The dust is settled and I’ve caught up (it’s always a ministerial sprint when returning from convention activities). In the midst of catching up, I’ve given the proceedings a lot of thought. I’ll be praying about the following matters:
**It was good to see that we are continually exploring new relationships and opportunities for mission work. Several partnerships were Read the rest of this entry »
About the Conference…
Conference Date: October 26th, 2009
Conference Location: FBC Raytown, Raytown, MO
Conference Time: 8:45 AM to 4:45 PM
Conference Speakers: Dr.’s Russell Moore, Alan Tomlinson, Gordon Dutile, & Joe Braden
What comes to mind when you consider the words, “Look to Christ?” For most, these words produce images of lost souls being urged to trust in Christ and His saving work. This ought to be the case. How else is one to avoid eternal wrath? We have the distinct privilege of proclaiming the Gospel to a lost world in need of what only Christ has provided. They must ‘Look to Christ!’
Are there, however, any other thoughts that come to mind as you consider these words? I hope so. You see, the lost are not the only ones who must ‘Look to Christ.’ We too, must ‘Look to Christ’ as we serve as His co-laborers. We are saved by His gracious work. We are His sheep. We are to represent Him. We are to proclaim His truth. We are to worship Him. We are to minister in His name. All that we are, all that we believe, and all that we do is affected by our great and glorious Savior Jesus Christ. We, as ministers of Christ, must continually ‘Look to Christ’ if we are to remain faithful in our service to His church. In each session, we will be brought face-to-face with this reality.
I trust that you will find the conference messages challenging, thought provoking, and most importantly, Christ honoring. May God grant each of us the grace to hear and obey His truth.
On behalf of your Pastors’ Conference officers, thank you for allowing us the honor of serving you.
Your Fellow-Partner,
Doug Richey
President
Missouri Baptist Pastors’ Conference
The 2009 Missouri Baptist Pastors’ Conference officers have completed their initial efforts for this year’s conference being held October 26th at FBC Raytown. The theme, LOOK TO CHRIST!, will deal with a number of pertinent topics facing today’s pastors. The scheduled speakers are: Russell Moore, Alan Tomlinson, Gordon Dutile, and Joe Braden. Conference President Doug Richey worked with each speaker in identifying their God-given passions for this important event. Read the rest of this entry »
Southern Baptist cooperation is phenomenal. Thousands of local autonomous congregations work together accomplishing great ministry. Thankfully, we are often reminded why we cooperate at our conventions and conferences. Most participating Southern Baptists will tell you that we cooperate primarily for the purpose of missions. We work together to provide for education, religious liberty, etc., but worldwide evangelization is our main thrust. If there is one thing we communicate well, it is the reason for our cooperation. Recently, however, another important question has surfaced; one that is equally important but often overlooked. Read the rest of this entry »
Considering our (Missouri Baptist Convention’s) current struggles, I thought a little ‘Lewis’ (C.S. Lewis) would be helpful. Dealing with the value of reading old books, in his book entitled God in the Dock, Lewis points out, ‘We are all rightly distressed, and ashamed also, at the divisions of Christendom. But those who have always lived within the Christian fold may be too easily dispirited by them. They are bad, but such people do not know what it looks like from without. Seen from there, what is left intact, despite all the divisions, still appears (as truly it is) an immensely formidable unity.’ These words are encouraging.
I think C.S. Lewis observed what is often overlooked. Read the rest of this entry »