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May Pulse Ministry Updates

By May 3, 2023May 4th, 2023No Comments

MINISTRY UPDATES

DAVID STROPE, Interim National Representative

My ministry in the month of April was again busy and productive. I preached and presented Regular Baptist Ministries in Punta Gorda, Florida; Glendale and Tucson, Arizona; and Grimes, Iowa. I also gave a downhome update to the Forever Young prayer group in my home church, Ankeny (Iowa) Baptist, and enjoyed worshiping with my church family on Easter Sunday. While in Arizona I visited several pastors, attended the men’s retreat of the Arizona Association of Regular Baptist Churches, and spent a day at International Baptist College and Seminary, where I profited from interacting with President Nathan Mestler. I also gave a brief summary of RBM at the Iowa Association of Regular Baptist Churches annual conference in Ames, Iowa. In each of these visits, people have expressed appreciation for the ministries of RBM.

RBM Office Updates:  Kerry Watkins began serving as head of operations May 1. Our search for a director of Regular Baptist Press is yet ongoing. Pray with us as we seek God’s person for this important role.

We are coming to the homestretch in the publishing of the first volume of RBP’s New Testament Exposition Commentary series. This first volume, Matthew, will be presented and available for sale at the 2023 GARBC Conference.

I am scheduling ministries for summer, fall, and winter. Ministering in churches and at associations continues to be a great blessing and encouragement. I’d love to come to your church or association meeting to preach and represent RBM.

My Preaching and Presenting Opportunities for May:

May 7: Evangel Baptist Church, Hagerstown, Maryland
May 9: DelMarVa Association of Regular Baptist Churches Conference
May 17–21: RBM home office, Elgin, Illinois
May 18: Valparaiso, Indiana, pastors’ fellowship
May 21: First Baptist Church, Valparaiso, Indiana
May 22: Conference on the Church for God’s Glory, First Baptist Church, Rockford, Illinois

2023 GARBC Conference: Registration is now available for the 2023 GARBC Conference June 26–29 at Corban University in Salem, Oregon. Register today. The early-bird deadline is May 15. Philip De Courcy, pastor of Kindred Community Church, Anaheim, California, and host of the daily media program Know the Truth, will preach four messages from the book of Acts on “Ready, Steady, Grow!”

Council of 18 Nominations: If you are a pastor and have not yet updated your individual and church’s contact information, do so today. GARBC churches are also invited to nominate leaders to serve on the Council of 18 no later than May 15.

The apostle Paul served capably and fruitfully by God’s grace and personally suffered much in his ministry for Christ. Paul’s burden for churches was evident, and as I visit, observe, and participate in ministry in our churches, I’m beginning to sense the same.

Paul noted, “Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28, CSB). Earlier he noted, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). A great and effectual door for ministry was opened for him, and there were many adversaries. Not “but,” but “and.”

God has given each of our churches a great and effectual door and many adversaries. Persist in God’s service! Know that along with fruitful ministries will be opposition and adversaries. Don’t be discouraged in such opposition, for this is normal, the routine. When you have a stretch of unopposed fruitful ministry, such times are unusual, not the norm.

Whether in our ministry of giving financially or giving our lives, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

KERRY WATKINS, Director of Church Engagement

David Strope and I continue holding online meetings for friends and pastors of GARBC churches. If you would like to better understand the purpose of the GARBC or if you have a question for David Strope, GARBC interim national representative, you are welcome to attend one of these meetings. You can get scheduled into one by contacting me at kwatkins@garbc.org. The meetings are about an hour long. David speaks for about 30 minutes, and the rest of the time is available for you to ask questions. We purposely keep the meetings small so we can interact and answer your questions.

Registration is now open for the 2023 GARBC Conference June 26–29 at Corban University in Salem, Oregon. The early-bird deadline is May 15. Go to garbcconference.org to find all the conference details and to register. We would love to see you there. You will be challenged and encouraged by great preaching and enjoy worship and a concert led by Matt Papa.

The Northwest offers great vacation opportunities as well. You will be only four hours from Seattle and six hours from Redwood National Park in Orick, California. Conference first-time attendees will receive a free copy of the first volume (Matthew) in RBP’s New Testament Exposition Commentary series.

Email Kerry

CLARE JEWELL, Director of Generate

On May 4, the Generate board will evaluate several grant requests for church plants, church renewals, and facility improvements. Please pray for wisdom in making decisions and for God to provide more resources so Generate can fuel the ministry health and reproduction of leaders and churches within the GARBC.

I had a great time interacting with pastors at the annual conference of the California Association of Regular Baptist Churches. I shared four messages focused on movements that lead to revitalization: “Make Disciples,” “Live on Mission,” “Cross Cultures,” and “Live by Faith.” The pastors seemed to respond well to these concepts.

Across the country, churches need to invest in relationships with lost people, make disciples who make disciples, and reach people for Christ. Pastors and churches need to be willing to live by faith—willing to put everything on the line for the mission of God.

Generate also completed its 16th Church Solutions Conference! Through these conferences over the past two years, Generate has equipped more than 100 GARBC pastors to establish a culture of ministry reproduction in their churches. We are praying that many of these churches will multiply disciples and leaders in preparation for church planting.

Itinerary

May 4: Generate board meeting
May 8–11: Meeting with Afghans in Vancouver to set up church plants
May 18: Leadership meeting at ABWE
May 19–20: Heart Mind Soul workshop training at ABWE
May 29: Afghan training in Idaho

Visit Generate

MANNING BROWN, Director of Regular Baptist Chaplaincy

With the new Regular Baptist Chaplaincy website fully designed and functional, the application process is more streamlined by being completely online. Two new applications have already come in through this system. It is the goal of Regular Baptist Chaplaincy to get those individuals called to be chaplains into places of ministry. To find out how you can become a chaplain or to give to Regular Baptist Chaplaincy, please visit RegularBaptistChaplaincy.org.

Give to Regular Baptist Chaplaincy

DARRELL GOEMAAT, Coordinator of Regular Baptist International

We received a wonderful report from David Chhetri, a Regular Baptist International partner in Manipur, India. At his Bible camp, five boys and girls accepted Christ as Savior and six young people made spiritual decisions. “By the grace of God and your prayers, the Lord has been blessing our ministry,” David says.

Despite evangelism restrictions from the government, Nabin Singha, pastor of Alipur Baptist Church in Assam, India, is praising God for a thriving ministry. Nabin joined four other people from his church in sharing the gospel with 362 people and distributing 1,065 gospel tracts and booklets. The church also baptized two people, held two prayer meetings, and led its annual one-day children’s club. Nabin asks people to pray that “God might open new ways to share the gospel with our neighbors and seekers, as a number of old methods of evangelism, like open-air preaching, are becoming restricted in India.”

Joseph Akakpo of Togo says his association is completing church and parsonage construction projects. Construction of a church in Tagbolokope is nearly finished. “The building costs more than we estimated,” Joseph says. His association is also rebuilding a storm-damaged home for a pastor and his family in the town of Kati. Joseph praises God that donations sent to Regular Baptist International will help meet these needs.
We have received letters from many partnering leaders who want to attend the 2023 GARBC Conference this summer. These letters assist in the ministry leaders’ appeals to their countries’ embassies for permission to travel. Please pray that the Lord will allow as many partnering leaders as possible to attend.

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