LETTER FROM THE RBM NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
Greetings in the name of our wonderful Lord Jesus!
School bells ring, signaling classes beginning—elementary school children, middle and high school students, and collegians reporting for duty. While the new year begins January 1, the real new year begins with the opening of school, for with September’s arrival comes fall ministries in churches.
Jeremiah 8:20 plaintively notes, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!”
Living in our “post-postmodern age,” we must fight despair and buttress our faith with the teaching of God’s Word. Every age has been exceedingly wicked, yet God’s church—your church—must shine the light of the gospel in a dark day. Paul noted:
“That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain” (Philippians 2:15–16).
In City on a Hill: Reclaiming the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century, Philip Graham Ryken wrote these important words:
What God has given in the church is exactly what a post-Christian culture needs. . .The charter members of the first church in Jerusalem were a remarkable group of men and women. By the power of God’s Spirit they turned the world upside down, starting the most remarkable institution in human history. Yet anyone who has ever been to a good church cannot help but notice that what they did was thoroughly ordinary. There was Bible reading and preaching. There was corporate worship, including prayer and the sacraments. There was fellowship and evangelism. They simply did the things that Christians since then have always done—which is exactly the point! Wherever Christians have joined together to establish teaching, worshiping, and caring communities, they have been able to meet the unique challenges they faced from the surrounding culture. (p. 30)
So meet the challenges this fall in your life, in your church, and in your city!
In His Grace,
David E. Strope, D.D.
Interim National Representative
MINISTRY UPDATES
DAVID STROPE, Interim National Representative
August ministry brought a slightly less arduous schedule, allowing me the opportunity to catch a breath and take a brief vacation.
Ministries in August included my typical administrative responsibilities, along with representing Regular Baptist Ministries and preaching at Faith Baptist Church, Cambridge, Iowa; Fosterburg Baptist Church, Bethalto, Illinois; Brown Street Baptist Church, Alton, Illinois; and Wheelersburg Baptist Church, Wheelersburg, Ohio (online). Several interviews were conducted in RBM’s search for a director of Regular Baptist Press. We pray that God’s choice for this position will soon be made known.
Council of 18 committees were identified and organized. Pray for these men as they serve their churches and our fellowship. The council will meet for its annual fall meeting in November in Elgin, Illinois.
Office Updates
A marketing firm will assist in promoting the first volume (Matthew) of Regular Baptist Books’ New Testament Exposition Commentary. Responses to this new commentary series are positive. Plans call for the second volume, Romans, to be published in 2024. Coeditors Dr. Daniel Davey and Dr. Chris Miller are guiding the immediate and long-range publication of this important commentary series.
My Itinerary
Sept. 3 and 10: Calvary Baptist Church, Grinnell, Iowa
Sept. 5–7: RBM office, Elgin, Illinois
Sept. 17: Calvary Baptist Church, Forest City, Iowa
Sept. 21: Baptist Mid-Missions council meetings, Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 24: Berea Baptist Church, Berea, Ohio
Sept. 28: Virginia Beach Theological Seminary Chapel, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Oct. 1: Colonial Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2024 Conference
Keep June 24–27, 2024, clear for next year’s Regular Baptist Ministries conference. The RBM staff and Council of 18 are already working on the many details for this annual conference.
Soon we plan to revive RBM’s podcast, first populating the audio from the last two years of annual conference messages.
Closing Thoughts
As I labor for Christ in a sinful, gospel-opposing age, I constantly remind myself of the sovereign might of God in accomplishing His purposes. I particularly quote Daniel 4:34–35 to remind my fearful, timid heart:
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” (ESV).
Even as God brought clarity to Nebuchadnezzar’s mind, so God can use us—individuals and churches—to make disciples of all nations. Remember that Jesus Christ possesses all authority and promises to be with us to the end of the age. Be faithful and fruitful in ministry until Jesus comes again!
KERRY WATKINS, Director of Church Engagement & Human Resources Director
We are searching for someone to fill the position of RBP director. Ideally, this person will be a strong leader, have writing and editing experience, have experience in the publishing industry, and be strong theologically. If you know a strong candidate to fill this position, please let that person know of the opportunity. Get more details and apply on our website at. Or if you just want to know more, call me at 847-585-0837 or email me.
We have begun the search for the next national representative of the GARBC. Visit our website to see the specifics of the job, send your résumé if you’re interested in the position, or nominate someone who meets the qualifications. Please be in prayer about this role.
As head of operations, I am continuing to make improvements in Regular Baptist Ministries’ overall service delivery. I’ve had many discussions on how to do that in almost every area of RBM. I am excited about the future of this ministry as I see and learn of good opportunities to grow our ministry impact. Keep your eyes and ears open for some of these new opportunities in upcoming months.
MARK JOHNSON, Treasurer and Controller
Among the constant challenges of moving your church forward are the numerous regulations that must be followed and the risks that need to be minimized. At Regular Baptist Ministries, our goal is to support churches in effectively handling these issues so ministry leaders can dedicate more time to their churches’ mission and less time dealing with bureaucratic hurdles and concerns.
We provide all Regular Baptist churches with access to free and confidential consulting services on a wide range of administrative matters. Some of the topics we can assist churches with are risk management and safety programs; compliance with government regulations, including 501(c)(3) requirements; tax considerations for pastors, churches, and donors; retirement and financial planning; church finance and accounting; and legal issues.
If you have questions regarding these or any other business-related topics in ministry, please reach out to us. We would also greatly appreciate hearing about any successful strategies your church has employed in navigating administrative or legal challenges.
DARRELL GOEMAAT, Coordinator of Regular Baptist International
Two grants this summer from Regular Baptist International are helping partnering ministries build churches and make disciples.
Construction has begun on two churches in Congo. Pastor Napoleon Baluki, who leads the Evangelical Baptist Mission of Congo, says, “We are thankful and appreciate so much the grant to support both churches: Duwuta Baptist Church and Highland Baptist Church. Thank so much for everything you are doing to help this ministry.” The grant helped these churches purchase pews, cement, lumber, roofing, flooring, doors, and windows.
A networking grant will enable Pastor Ndiho Pascal to host a youth training conference called Soul Winners to Christ in Goma. Ndiho is president of the Community of Baptist Churches in Central Africa. He says, “Thanks for your support.”
The situation in India is still dire. Prasad Sakile, a pastor with the New Life Regular Baptist Society of Andhra Pradesh, says Christians and churches are still being persecuted by Hindu radical extremists. He says in the state of Manipur 230 churches have been burned, along with 3,000 Christians’ homes. “Many Christians are injured, and 200 Christians were killed,” he says. Prasad says the Lord allowed him to visit some of the places where our partnering ministries are suffering and help them. “Please continue to pray for India to get peace,” he says.
Because of the humanitarian crisis, Prasad says construction has ceased on a new church his association is building in an area where many converted Muslims live. “In this critical situation all our funds are used for suffering church people in Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, and Manipur states, so we stopped the construction,” Prasad says. Prasad is appealing to our ministry to pray for the relief work and to help with funds to resume the church construction.
Please pray for peace and safety to return to India. And please consider a gift to Regular Baptist International so we can continue supporting the needs of our partnering ministries.
MANNING BROWN, Director of Regular Baptist Chaplaincy
Regular Baptist Chaplaincy continues to grow, with two new chaplains endorsed—one chaplain in the Civil Air Patrol, and one lay chaplain with law enforcement. It is exciting to see those answering the call being enabled to serve. Please pray for our chaplains and their families and for Regular Baptist Chaplaincy. We are reaching our communities and the world.
CLARE JEWELL, Director of Generate
Generate’s 50/50 initiative launched at the end of August. The concept is for 50 churches to commit to give $50 per month to Generate so we can invest more funds in grants for Regular Baptist churches. If we reach this goal, Generate would receive $30,000 per year. This would be a huge help in fulfilling our mission to fuel the health and reproduction of Regular Baptist churches and their leaders.
By mid-September I will send out a disciple-making survey to every Regular Baptist church. We will use its results to help equip Regular Baptist churches to make disciples who make disciples. Churches will receive one survey for the pastor and another for church members.
This survey is a unique opportunity for us to gain a realistic understanding of disciple-making in churches.
Itinerary
Sept. 1–4: Meeting with Afghan missionaries in Idaho
Sept. 7: My Circle Outreach Training in Iowa
Sept. 11–15: Baptist Network Northwest Refresh Conference, Cannon Beach, Oregon
Sept. 17: Bethany Baptist Church, Salem, Oregon
Sept. 23–24: Visiting Spanish-speaking ministry leader in Tucson, Arizona
Sept. 25–28: Rio Grande Bible Institute, Texas, to discuss residency programs for church planters
