Letter from the RBM National Representative
Greetings in the name of our wonderful Lord Jesus!
Christmas is almost here! Descending winter chill; long, dark days; childlike wonder and excitement; Christmas music, especially carols, heard.
An early hymn found in Scripture is 1 Timothy 3:16:
“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He [Jesus] was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory” (ESV).
To think that God the Son became flesh, accepting the full essence of humanity—mortality, limitations, and ultimately our sin. Truly, the coming of the Son of God not just to live but to die for our sins is a mystery!
John Murray wrote, “The person who encounters no unresolved mystery in the incarnation of the Son of God and his death on Calvary’s tree has not yet learned the meaning of 1 Timothy 3:16. . . . The questions are often perplexing. But they are more often the questions of adoring wonder rather than the questions of painful perplexity.”
Glory this Christmas season in the mystery of godliness, not in “painful perplexity” but in adoring wonder of God the Son incarnate!
By the indescribable grace of Jesus Christ,
David E. Strope, D.D.
Interim National Representative
December Pulse Ministry Updates
DAVID STROPE, Interim National Representative
This past month brought much travel, ministry, and personal anguish. Debbie (my wife), her father, and I began the month on a weeklong funeral trip to New York to bury her mother at Hope Cemetery in Newark Valley. Debbie’s mom died in September. A memorial service and committal was held November 5 (my schedule having that weekend free from representing ministry) at First Baptist Church, Newark Valley, Debbie’s and my hometown church. God is good in His grace even as we mourn. How grateful we are for the gospel of Christ. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Much of last month was consumed by preparing for and participating in Council of 18 meetings November 13–14. The November meeting of the council is always our “heavy-lifting” meeting: hearing reports, reviewing financial reports, adopting a proposed budget, planning for coming ministries, receiving a national representative search report. Imagine 19 men of any kind, let alone Regular Baptists, initially agreeing about everything. Yet we experienced collegial, Christ-honoring discussions, with decisions made in collective unity. I greatly appreciate each of the men who serve and the churches and ministries that give their leaders to the fellowship to serve on the council.
The council meetings were held at the Regular Baptist Ministries office in Elgin, Illinois, where the RBM’s annual conference will take place in 2024. During the meetings, we unveiled a new portrait of past national representative Mike Hess, recognizing his years of service for the GARBC.
Emmanuel Baptist Church of Warrenville (Naperville, Illinois) was the site of my representing and preaching ministry. Dale Williams has served for over three decades in this locale, eager yet in service for Christ.
RBM Conference 2024
June 24–27 are the dates for next year’s Regular Baptist Ministries annual conference, to be held at the RBM office in Elgin, Illinois. Office personnel are already planning and setting things in order for the conference. Do plan now to attend. Pastors, communicate to your church leadership and congregation the value of attending the conference. Congregations, encourage your pastor and wife to attend, and set aside adequate funds for them to be part of this important event.
RBM Office Updates
Matt Olmstead began his role as director of Regular Baptist Press October 31. He has been meeting with all the RBP staff and working with Kerry Watkins, head of operations, to become familiar with every aspect of RBP. Matt and his wife, Rhoda Jane, have three children and will soon move from Michigan to Illinois. Pray for the Olmsteads as Matt assumes this role.
My Travel Schedule This Month
December 3: Grace Baptist Church, Harlan, Iowa
December 8: RBM Christmas luncheon, Elgin, Illinois, area
December 10: First Baptist Church, Perry, Iowa
December 31: Ankeny Baptist Church, Ankeny, Iowa
RBM Annual Fund PLUS
I am making a personal effort to raise $100,000 in 2024 for the RBM Annual Fund PLUS. The administrative leadership team of RBM and the Council of 18 have already given or promised $9,400 toward this goal. Would you as an individual donor and as a church pray about this opportunity and give?
You may donate online at GARBC.org/give (choose “RBM Annual Fund PLUS” in the dropdown menu) or send your gifts to Regular Baptist Ministries, PO Box 7321, Carol Stream, IL 60197-7321. Thank you so much!
Personal Notes
Debbie and I continue adjusting to her retirement, to the death of her mom, and to my ministry representing RBM. We continue to find joy and grace in this unique season of our lives. In November and December my travel schedule lessens, so I’m “working at rest.” Earlier in my life this was an easy pursuit, but now it is not so easy. To sleep, to read, to walk, to be free of the immediate demand of unaccomplished tasks—all parts of my schedule in addition to my work.
I have so profited from this quotation from John Piper’s Future Grace, commenting on 1 Thessalonians 1:11–12:
Grace is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it—we call this “undeserved favor”; God’s grace is also a power from God that acts in our lives and makes good things happen in us and for us—which we also don’t deserve. Paul said that we fulfill our resolves for good “by His power” (v. 11). And then he adds at the end of v. 12, “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The power that actually works in our lives to make Christ-exalting obedience possible is an exertion of God’s grace. . . . So grace is an active, present, transformative, obedience-enabling power.
Finally, from “Morning Dedication” in The Valley of Vision (p. 221): “Today may I speak each word as if my last word, and walk each step as my final one. If my life should end today, let this be my best day.”
KERRY WATKINS, Head of Operations and HR Director
With 2023 rapidly coming to a close, the home office staff is working hard on projects for the upcoming year. I just had a meeting this morning that involved planning for RBM’s annual conference. That work is well underway. The conference will be in Elgin, Illinois. Please plan to join us.
The second volume of the New Testament Exposition Commentary series will also be published in 2024, and we are working on some new Bible studies and books for next year as well.
Please know that the staff at the home office works hard to serve our churches well. That is why RBM exists, and our staff is committed to that mission. We are working on some things with our staff to help us do this even better in 2024 and beyond. Please pray that the Lord would bless our efforts and bless RBM greatly in 2024
MATT OLMSTEAD, Director of Regular Baptist Press
Thank you to those who prayed over the last year and a half for the filling of the role of director of Regular Baptist Press. I am grateful God has brought me here. It’s been a long journey for the team, and I’m glad God has rewarded the team’s diligence and faithfulness in searching for a replacement.
I started October 31 and learned quickly that I have big shoes to fill and big expectations to meet! I can already tell these are good people dedicated to the mission of RBM, and I am grateful to join them. I’m in learning mode, seeking to understand our products, processes, and people. This is an amazing group of people, and I hope I will begin adding value soon.
By God’s grace, Regular Baptist Press will be the primary source for discipling Regular Baptist churches with God-honoring resources for men and women, for boys and girls, and in Sunday School classes, Vacation Bible Schools, Adult Bible Fellowships, and discipleship groups.
The path toward this vision requires knowing our churches. Growth opportunities abound, and I want to learn as much as I can about our churches to best help them with what they need. I hope to meet you personally as I represent RBP at conferences. Be sure to introduce yourself!
MARK JOHNSON, Treasurer and Controller
As we approach the end of the year, I am reflecting on the ministry that you help make possible. Your generosity and commitment have fueled our mission to make disciples through healthy local churches across the country and around the world, and we are excited about the opportunities to grow in the coming year.
This Christmas, we invite you to join us in making a difference by giving a special year-end contribution. Every gift, no matter the size, will enable us to continue providing important resources for churches and pastors. We’ll continue to build a network for fellowship, service, and prayer; offer guidance in pastoral transition and conflict resolution; offer consultation for revitalization, planning, and operational or financial matters; and provide continuing education and enrichment for pastors and servant leaders.
With your help, we’ll continue to expand our reach in all these areas in 2024 and have the opportunity to pursue new ministry initiatives. Thank you for being a vital part of the Regular Baptist Ministries family. Wishing you a joyful Christmas season filled with warmth and gratitude.
DARRELL GOEMAAT, Coordinator of Regular Baptist International
Last month the Regular Baptist International committee welcomed two more ministry leaders into the Biblical Baptist Partnership International.
Richard Okello is pastor of Seven Mile Road Church in Gulu, Uganda. During the interview process, he met with our long-time partnering leader Joshua Masaba of the Eastern Uganda Baptist Association, and now the two pastors have agreed to work together on ministry activities. This type of collaboration is what Regular Baptist International hopes to enable and inspire among our leaders and ministries.
The second ministry leader is Pastor H. C. Stephen, who is no stranger to our association. He joins BBPI with 26 churches in the Calvary Baptist Churches Fellowship of India. His ministry also operates an academy, a children’s home, and Engedi Camp and Retreat Centre and Pastoral Outreach Training School.
We received good news and bad news from Timothy Odhiambo, pastor of Revelation Baptist Church in Kenya. This church is planting a church in Jacob Town village. “We recently showed the Jesus film in our dialect, and 47 persons accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We also baptized eight persons and served communion for the first time,” Timothy says. But sadly, flooding has brought malaria-carrying mosquitos to his orphanage, sickening the children in his care. Timothy needs about $600 worth of mosquito nets to protect the orphans from malaria.
The Chinese editorial team has completed its work on a Mandarin translation of RBP’s Kids4Truth Clubs materials. A website has been created, and the delivery system and payment functions are being tested. We hope to soon announce that the website is live. Chinese pastors are excited about this discipleship tool for teaching Bible doctrine to children.
We get weekly reports of blessings, challenges, and prayer requests from partnering leaders who are faithfully serving the Lord in often difficult circumstances and amid persecution. Our ministry wants to support them with prayer and finances. Please consider a gift to Regular Baptist International.
MANNING BROWN, Director of Regular Baptist Chaplaincy
Regular Baptist Chaplaincy is a self-supported ministry, made possible through the giving of individuals and churches. To find out how you can support this ministry, please visit RegularBaptistChaplaincy.org. Your giving ensures their going, intersecting lives with truth at the greatest points of need.
CLARE JEWELL, Director of Generate
Itinerary
December 1–4: Strategic planning, Fort Meyers, Florida
December 5: M3 Conference, Fort Meyers, Florida
December 9-10: Church consultation, Grace Baptist Church, Pendleton, Oregon
