The state of Texas hosted the mid-winter meeting of the BBFI for the second year in a row February 19-21, 2018. Hallmark Baptist Church and pastor Jon Haley went above and beyond to ensure every guest was treated with traditional southern hospitality. The Texas state BBF chipped in to provide lunch via food trucks for all the attenders Wednesday afternoon. The only complaint heard all week was the realization that it does actually get cold in Texas.
There were several things that stood out to me about this meeting. Here are six …
The legacy at Hallmark continues with new pastor
Hallmark has a great history with the BBFI. From its early days with Alvis Edmonson as pastor to a more recent history with Mike Haley as pastor, Hallmark has been one of the flagship churches of our movement. The church’s passion for world evangelism is evident. The church’s commitment to do ministry with excellence is seen in everything from the cleanliness of the facilities to the quality of the programming. In July 2016 Jon Haley was called as pastor of Hallmark. He is a great example of the “next generation” of godly leaders for the Fellowship.
Preach the Word
The theme for the meeting was “Preach the Word.” It sounds simple enough but it is a daunting challenge to live up to. This meeting went against recent trends for morning breakout sessions as everyone gathered together to sit under the preaching of the Word. Monday night’s preachers were Bruce O’Neal, founder of MANNA Worldwide, and Michael Haley, pastor of Cross Creek Church in Fountain, CO. Tuesday morning featured pastors from the Dallas/Fort Worth metro; John Meador, pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless, TX, and Jonathan Pokluda, campus pastor for Watermark Church in Dallas, TX. Tuesday night preachers were Randy Harp, BBFI Communication Director, and Brian Moore, pastor of Crosspointe Church in Anaheim, CA. Wednesday morning included Jim Baize, pastor of First Baptist Church in Coronado, CA and John Arnold, retired pastor of Crossroads Ministries in Finleyville, PA. The meeting concluded Wednesday night with a presentation by a restricted access missionary, and Steve Switzer, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Taylorville, IL. Each message can be heard in its entirety at www.bbfi.org and the BBFI mobile app.
Good reports from all across the BBFI
There is typically no official business during the February meeting but reports are still presented by the leaders of the various BBFI entities. One thing that stood out during the presentations was an extremely positive tone. This is not to say there are no struggles, but rather an emphasis on the good that God is doing throughout the BBFI. The Communication Office / Baptist Bible Tribune reported 2017 with the second highest income total since 2011 and over 22,000 copies of the Tribune being delivered bi-monthly. In 2017 BBFI missionaries reported seeing 112,742 salvations and 4,249 new churches started internationally. The Mission Office processed over $38 million last year. Baptist Bible College has launched a new initiative known as “BBC Cares.” This new ministry for students was birthed out of the response to Hurricane Harvey. BBC has also been able to install the new HVAC system in the fieldhouse and is preparing for student trips to Israel over Spring Break. Boston Baptist College has seen an enrollment increase of 7% and is preparing to take 75 students on field study mission trips to Ireland, Germany and Iceland. They have also been presented with a $100,000 matching donation. APEX, the new church planting entity, presented Drake Elkins, church planter in Boulder, CO, to be approved. They also have four individuals who have completed the work to be certified APEX trainers. For more information about any of these entities visit www.bbfi.org.
Tribune emphasis
Since 1979 when Florida pastor and Tribune editor, Wendell Zimmerman, revived the mid-winter meeting, the emphasis has been on the ministry of the Tribune. Financial commitments and a special offering are typically received to further the work of the Tribune. The goal this year is to raise $120,000 which will go toward the continuing publication of the print magazine, further development of the digital aspects of communication via multiple websites, social media and the mobile app. Other expansions of the ministry include a monthly leadership podcast, live streaming and on demand videos of all our national meetings, and a second year of a minister’s coaching network. To help this year’s offering a generous individual has offered a partial matching donation of up to $25,000. If you would like to participate please visit www.tribune.org.
Learn and Return
One of the best aspects of gathering with hundreds of other full-time ministers is the exchange of ideas and sharing “what is working” in local churches. Sometimes this happens in a formal setting but the most beneficial is one-on-one conversations in the hallway or over a good BBQ or Tex-Mex lunch. Sometimes a handful of guys will just gather together in a room off in a quiet part of the church to dream and share and brainstorm together. Yes, there is a benefit to going to other leadership and “best practice” conferences, but nothing compares to sharing with life-long friends the experiences you are going through and counseling with one another.
BBC Students Leading Worship
The BBC worship team Breakaway was allowed to miss a few days of classes to give back and serve the Fellowship that has given their school so much. The team, consisting of many second and third generation BBC students, did an outstanding job of leading in authentic worship. Their humble attitudes and consistent work ethic was seen before and after the services by helping in various ways and interacting with pastors and missionaries. The future truly is bright.
Upcoming Meetings
April 30 – May 3, 2018
Baptist Bible College
Springfield, MO
September 17-19
Park Valley Church
Haymarket, VA
February 2019
Crossspointe Church
Anaheim, CA
April 29 – May 2
Baptist Bible College
Springfield, MO
September 2019
Oakhill Baptist Church
Somerset, KY
