2017 Annual Report East Central Illinois Baptist Association

Transcription

1 2017 Annual Report East Central Illinois Baptist Association Annual meeting was held October 7, 2017 Bethel Baptist, Danville Next year s meeting October 20, 2018 Location TBA

2 Table of Contents Church, Pastor, and Staff Directory... 3 Associational Staff Associational Directory... 5 Officers, Committees, and LEAD Team Associational Board Members Messengers... 7 Constitution... 8 REPORTS Minutes of the 2017 Annual Meeting Minutes of the 2017 Board Meetings Collegiate Ministry Reports Urbana/Champaign BASIC Student Ministries Normal/Bloomington MOSAIC Student Ministries LEAD Team Report DOM Report Treasurer s Report Nov./Dec Financial Summary Budget IMB Report IBSA Report Baptist Foundation of Illinois Report Calendar of Activities Annual Meeting Planning Committee Report Events of Historical Interest Missions Sponsored by Churches Members Deceased This Year Church Directories Statistical Tables Summary of Church Profiles Historical Table... 39

3 Church, Pastor, and Staff Directory (Spouses' Names in Parenthesis) Bement Baptist, 748 South Macon St., Bement / Pat (Tracy) Tieman*, 201 N Macon St., Bement / Salon101@yahoo.com Bethel Baptist, 2533 Perrysville Road, Danville / Mark (Pat) Carpenter*, 1405 E. English, Danville / bro.mark529@yahoo.com Calvary Baptist, PO Box 403 (West Bridge St & Foothill Rd), Monticello / Josh (Holly) Bledsoe, 806 Adams Ct., Monticello / pastor@monticello-calvarybaptist.net Blake (Kelsey) Brewer}, 808 W William, Monticello / blake@monticello-calvarybaptist.net Christian Center of Hope-Danville, PO Box 804 (401 Gilbert St.), Danville / R Crenshaw>, 522 E. Main, Danville / ; mladycren@yahoo.com Ronald Payne~>, 785 Willow Pond Rd. Rantoul / ronaldpayne5713@yahoo.com Church of the Cross, 1204 N. Rolling Hills Dr., Mahomet / Derrick (Julie) Baker>, 1613 W. South Shore Dr. Mahomet / ; pastor@churchofthecrossmahomet.org Chad (Stacey) Westfall^, 1639 County Rd. 500 E Champaign / cewestfall@gmail.com College Avenue Baptist, 1320 East College Avenue, Normal / Clark (Karen) Killingsworth, 1402 Shannon, Normal / cabc_clark@yahoo.com Cornerstone Baptist 702 E Church St., Savoy / Luke (Brianne) Henry, 312 Deerpath St., Tolono / luke.henry@cornerstonesavoy.org Farmer City, First Baptist, 221 North Lincoln Street, Farmer City / Randie (Margie) White*, 219 N Lincoln St., Farmer City / crossroads.randie@gmail.com Gibson City, First Baptist, 628 South Church Street, Gibson City / Dennis (Linda) Norton, 622 S Church St., Gibson City 60936; dennoril@yahoo.com LeRoy, First Baptist, PO Box 21 (306 West Vine Street), LeRoy / Chris (Julie) Baker*, 704 E Center, LeRoy / c.williambaker1198@gmail.com Paxton, First Baptist, PO Box 174, (430 S. High St.), Paxton / Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist, 600 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Urbana / Rich (Linda) Gregory, 1510 Cobblefield Road, Champaign / grichardgregory2@aol.com Davis (Jill) Coy*', 2710 Summit Ct., Urbana / PABCstudents@aol.com Phil (Patty) McGarvey, 1809 Melinda Ave, Champaign / phmcgarvey@yahoo.com Korean Church of Cham-Bana, Chung Bai Kang>, 130 Paddock Dr E, Savoy holy7752@hanmail.net Redeemer, Urbana, 202 W Illinois St., Urbana / admin@redeemerchurchcu.com Chet (Phyllis) Daniels, 1508 S. Smith Rd., Urbana / chet@redeemerchurchcu.com Caleb (Keli) Billingsley*, 504 S Cottage Grove, Urbana / pieheaven@hotmail.com 3

4 Temple Baptist, 1100 Broadmoor Drive, Champaign / Scott (Carol) Boyd, 2611 Cherry Creek Rd., Champaign / Champaign Korean Baptist Church Tolono, First Baptist, PO Box 247 (204 West Holden Street), Tolono / Michael (Audrey) Frazier, 205 N. Pease St., Tolono / Vale Community, 1304 Morrissey Drive, Bloomington / Ted (Amy) Max Lead Pastor; Jeff (Sonya) Gonzalez Executive Pastor; Chris Torres - Family Pastor; ctorres@vale.church Mike Watkins Student Pastor; mwatkins@vale.church Cory (Liesel) Stanley Worship Pastor; cstanley@vale.church Kyle (Katherine) Hornsby Media Director; khornsby@vale.church Jenny Gentes Elementary Director; jgentes@vale.church Abbey Rusher Preschool Director; arusher@vale.church Matt Vagle Discipleship Pastor; mvagle@vale.church Holy Light Bloomington Chinese Christian Church Ministry, Ben Bian; angus.bian@gmail.com Weldon Baptist, PO Box 178 (Route 48 & Grove Street), Weldon / Clyde (Beckie) Shreve*, 839 Sunset Dr., Lincoln starling542@yahoo.com Minister of Music/Worship *Bi-Vocational Pastor 'Minister to Students } Minister of Youth ^Discipleship Coordinator >Volunteer ~Associate Pastor Director of Missions: Missionary Emeritus: Ministry Assistant: Campus Minister, BASIC, UC Campus Minister, MOSAIC, BN Associational Staff David Hutton, 908 Berwick #1, Champaign / davidrayhutton@gmail.com Duane Davis, 1210 N. Rolling Hills Dr., Mahomet / eciba@mchsi.com Becky Fouts, 2112 Robin RD, Mahomet / rfouts@mediacombb.net 1008 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL Scott Boyd, 2611 Cherry Creek Rd., Champaign / boydscott7@aol.com Clark Killingsworth, 402 Shannon, Normal / cskillingsworth@juno.com 4

5 Associational Directory Officers, Committees, and LEAD Team Moderator Rich Gregory (19) Finance Committee Derrick Baker Ch. (18) 1510 Cobblefield Road, Champaign W South Shore, Mahomet / / grichardgregory2@aol.com pastor@churchofthecrossmahomet.org Vice-moderator Randie White (19) (19) 219 Lincoln St., Farmer City / crossroads.randie@gmail.com ^Karen Killingsworth (20) 402 Shannon, Normal Clerk Becky Fouts** 309/ Robin Rd. Mahomet kjkillingsworth@juno.com 217/ ^elected at board meeting rfouts@mediacombb.net Nominating Committee Faye Ballard (18) Assistant Clerk Eulonda Dreher 108 E Garwood, Champaign Woodhaven Dr. Champaign / / eballard@illinois.edu eulonda@mchsi.com (19) Treasurer Becky Fouts** 2112 Robin Rd. Mahomet / (19) rfouts@mediacombb.net **ECIBA Ministry Assistant (20) Assistant Treasurer Eulonda Dreher 2816 Woodhaven Dr. Champaign (20) 217/ eulonda@mchsi.com Personnel Committee Moderator Vice-Moderator LEAD Team David Hutton Finance Chair 908 Berwick #1 Champaign / davidrayhutton@gmail.com Trustees/Building & Grounds Committee: Chet Daniels (18) Ron Williams (20) 1508 S Smith Rd Urbana S Deer Run Dr. Mahomet / / chet@redeemerchurchcu.com Duane Davis (18) Clark Killingsworth (18) 1210 Rolling Hills Dr. Mahomet Shannon, Normal / / eciba@mchsi.com cabc_clark@yahoo.com Chris Baker (20) 704 E Central, LeRoy / c.williambaker1198@gmail.com 5

6 Endowment Fund Trustees: Christ on the Campus Fund Sower s Fund Chet Daniels (18) Roger Neal (19) 1508 S Smith Rd., Urbana Edgewater Pl, Danville / / chet@redeemerchurchcu.com mrneal7664@yahoo.com Woman's Missionary Union Consultant Dixie Moody Eulonda Dreher (18) 804 Adams Ct. Monticello Woodhaven Dr. Champaign / / eulonda@mchsi.com 2018 Associational Board Members Bement: Joyce Baker, 501 S. Morgan St., Bement / Betty Harper, 26 Moery Dr, Bement Bethel, Danville: Margaret Neal, 4116 Edgewater Pl, Danville / Roger Neal, 4116 Edgewater Pl, Danville / mrneal7664@yahoo.com Calvary, Monticello: Dixie Moody, 804 Adams Ct., Monticello / Jo Terhark, PO Box 197, DeLand / ; josteve7@mediacombb.net Christian Center of Hope-Danville: Ronald Payne Beverly Frison Church of the Cross, Mahomet: Randy Fouts, 2112 Robin Rd., Mahomet / ; foutsrc@gmail.com Chad Westfall, 1387 Abram Dr. Rantoul / ; cewestfall@gmail.com College Avenue, Normal: Cornerstone, Champaign: Gary Dreher, 2816 Woodhaven Dr., Champaign / ; e-maieandgdreher@yahoo.com Eulonda Dreher, 2816 Woodhaven Dr., Champaign / Farmer City, First: Gibson City First: LeRoy: Jim Spence, 110 N. West St., LeRoy / Geneva Mayer, 303 S West St., LeRoy Paxton: Pennsylvania Avenue, Urbana: Redeemer, Urbana: Temple, Champaign: Tolono, First: Vale, Bloomington: Weldon: Board Members also include all pastors, officers, LEAD Team, committee chairs, and campus ministers of the Association. All Board Meetings in 2018 will be held at the ECIBA Building in Mahomet. (January, April, July) Note: Please report any errors in names, addresses, phone numbers, or addresses to the Associational office. Board Meeting Agenda and information will be sent by one week prior to each Board Meeting. 6

7 Messengers Bement Cornerstone, Champaign Redeemer, Urbana Joyce Baker Luke Henry Chet Daniels Betty Harper Dennis Cummins Jon Mahan Pat Tieman Donna Cummins Kyle McKay Gary Dreher Barb Forde Denise Howell Travis Ross Bethel, Danville Farmer City Temple, Champaign Mark Carpenter Deron O Daniel Alice Davis Pat Carpenter Gary Henderson Dennis Fye Ruth Fye Gibson City Tolono Delmar Case Jennifer Fortenberry Calvary, Monticello Dan Hill Steve Terhark Lucy Preston Vale Jo Terhark Becky Terhark Josh Bledsoe Blake Brewer LeRoy Weldon Dixie Moody Chris Baker Denise Davis Judy Jocelyn Linda Prather Ann Malcolm Debbie Miller Geneva Mayer Julie Baker Christian Center of Hope-Danville Paxton Beverly Frison Ronald Payne Church of the Cross, Pennsylvania Ave. Urbana Mahomet Rich Gregory Derrick Baker Phil McGarvey Randy Fouts Borah Kang Chad Westfall Registration: Ron Williams Messengers registered 49 Messengers attending 32 College Avenue, Normal Visitors registered 7 Clark Killingsworth Pastors attending 8 Karen Killingsworth Churches represented 8 7

8 Constitution (Adopted October 7, 2017) Article I General Section 1. Name: The name of this Association shall be East Central Illinois Baptist Association (ECIBA). Section 2. Purpose: The purpose of ECIBA is to empower its churches to accomplish the Great Commands and the Great Commission. Section 3. Authority: This Association is a self-governing body under the Lordship of Christ. It determines its own membership and ministry but has no authority over the churches affiliated with it. However, the Association may, upon invitation from a church, consult with that church. Article II Articles of Faith and Rules of Order Section 1. The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and is the basis for any statement of faith. This Association subscribes to the doctrinal statement of The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in Section 2. The current edition of Robert s Rules of Order shall govern parliamentary rulings. Article III Membership Section 1. This association, in session, shall be composed of the elected messengers from the affiliated churches, who are in their doctrine, polity, practice, and financial contribution in voluntary cooperation with the purposes of this Association. Section 2. Any church seeking fellowship in the Association shall present, at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of consideration, a petitionary letter giving the following information: 1. A brief history of the church's organization, 2. Evidence of cooperation or intention of cooperation with East Central Illinois Baptist Association through attendance and financial contributions, 3. Copies of the articles of faith, covenant, and constitution adopted by the church, and, 4. A brief record of the program of the church to the date of petition. This letter will be presented to the Associational Board, who will authorize the Credentials Committee to investigate the petitioning church. The Credentials Committee will be appointed by nomination from the floor at a regular meeting of the Associational Board. Three members will be elected by a simple majority of those Board members present and voting. Each church affiliated with the Association shall be notified, not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date of consideration, of the petition for membership. The Credentials Committee shall bring its recommendation to the annual meeting. A three-fourths (3/4) majority vote shall be required for admittance. Representative members from the petitioning church shall be present and shall be introduced at the meeting when their letter of petition is presented for discussion and vote. Section 3. Each qualified church shall be entitled to have five (5) messengers for the first one hundred (100) resident members or fraction thereof and an additional messenger for each additional fifty (50) resident members or fraction thereof, providing that no church shall have more than ten (10) messengers. Pastors and members of missions may be elected by and included as messengers of the sponsoring church. Section 4. Should any church maintain doctrine, polity, or practices contrary to the purposes of the Association, or fail to send an Annual Church Profile, messengers, or financial contributions for three (3) consecutive years, the Credentials Committee may, upon failing to reconcile such church, recommend dismissal. A three-fourths (3/4) majority vote in annual session shall be required to withdraw fellowship from a church. Section 5. All persons filling elected positions in the Association shall be members of affiliated churches. Article IV Officers and Duties Section 1. The Association shall have the following officers: Moderator, Vice-moderator, Clerk, Assistant Clerk, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and three (3) Trustees. 8

9 The Moderator shall be elected for a one (1) year term and may be reelected to a second one (1) year term. All other officers shall be elected for one (1) year and shall be eligible for reelection to succeeding terms. All officers, with Trustee chairman designated, shall be recommended by the Nominating Committee. Section 2. The duties of Associational officers shall be those defined in our policy manual. Other specific duties may be assigned to the officers by the Association. Article V Committees and Duties Section 1. The Association shall have the following standing committees: Budget and Finance, Nominating, and Personnel. The Association may have other committees which it deems advisable. Section 2. The duties of Associational committees shall be those defined in our policy manual. Other specific duties may be assigned to the committees by the Association. Article VI Associational Leadership (LEAD) Team Section 1. The Associational LEAD Team shall have the following members: Director of Missions (DOM), as Chair, and members elected for the purpose of evaluating, overseeing, planning and implementing the overall strategy of the Association. Section 2. The duties of the LEAD Team shall be those defined in our policy manual. Other specific duties may be assigned by the Association. Article VII Funds Section 1. Associational funds shall be deposited promptly in a bank approved by the Trustees, in the name of East Central Illinois Baptist Association. Section 2. Requisitions shall be required for all purchases excluding salaries. All bills shall be paid by check according to the budget or other specific authorization by the Association. Section 3. The Budget and Finance Committee shall arrange for an annual audit of the Association's financial records. Section 4. The Associational Board shall provide a sufficient surety bond on all who handle funds. Article VIII Meetings Section 1. The time and place of meetings of the Association shall be proposed by the LEAD Team and approved by the Association. Section 2. The LEAD Team or the DOM of the Association may call the Association or Board into special session at the time and place set by the LEAD Team or DOM, but all affiliated churches must be notified of the special meeting at least ten (10) days before said meeting. Such notice shall include the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. Section 3. Representation of twenty-five percent (25%) of the churches shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the Association. Section 4. The Moderator shall be responsible for the preparation of an agenda which shall be distributed to each Board member at least one (1) week prior to the Board meetings and Annual Meeting. Only items on this agenda can be presented for a vote. Members of the Board may submit items for the agenda at the beginning of the meeting for discussion only. Such items shall be added only by three-fourths (3/4) vote of those present and voting. Article IX Associational Board Section 1. Membership: The Board shall be composed of officers of the Association, the pastors of all churches and missions, the Director of Missions, LEAD Team members, committee chairmen, and two (2) members recommended by each cooperating church, upon being elected by the Board of the Association in regular meeting. All Board members shall be members of churches affiliated with the Association. Section 2. Organization: The officers of the Association shall serve in the corresponding office of the Board. Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Board to transact the business of the Association during the interim between annual meetings. Section 4. Meetings: The frequency and date of the meetings of the Board shall be decided by the 9 Board or the Association in regular session.

10 Section 5. Prior to each Board meeting a copy of the minutes of the previous meeting shall be mailed to each member of the Board. Article X Amendments This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the members present and voting, providing each amendment proposed has been submitted in writing, mailed with the agenda, and read at the last Board meeting prior to the annual meeting. (This constitution was adopted October 12, 1987 and amended October 7, 1991; October 18,1994; October 28, 1997; October 21, 2003; October 7, 2017) REPORTS Minutes of the 64 th Annual Meeting Saturday, October 7, 2017 Bethel Baptist Church, Danville 1. Worship was led by Phil McGarvey, Lou Ann Smith, and Borah Kang. The opening song was To God Be the Glory. 2. Mark Carpenter welcomed everyone to the meeting and prayed. Moderator Mark Carpenter called the 64 th Annual Meeting of ECIBA to order. 3. Becky Fouts called the roll of churches and made a motion that the messengers be seated and authorized to conduct the business of the Association. Motion was seconded and carried. (See Messengers, pg. 7) 4. Mark Carpenter made a motion to adopt the proposed program as printed. Motion was seconded and passed. 5. David Hutton introduced pastors and staff who are new to the association. This included: Josh Bledsoe, Calvary Monticello Chad Westfall, Church of the Cross, Mahomet Luke Henry, Cornerstone David followed the introductions with a prayer. 6. Becky Fouts gave the treasurer s report. (See pg. 17) Motion was made by Phil McGarvey to accept as printed; seconded by Rich Gregory and passed. 7. Campus ministry reports are printed in the Book of Reports (pg. 14) Clark Killingsworth spoke on some highlights of the ministry. 8. Laurie Ingram from the Baptist Children s Home and Family Services gave a report. BCHFS started 99 yrs. Ago as an orphanage after WWI. Now, it is place for teens who have made some bad choices about life. Referrals come from pastors, social workers, schools and they have a very diverse group. Last year they served 1,346 people. In 2018, they are planning another trip to Uganda. 9. Sylvan Knobloch brought greetings from IBSA and a video of Nate Adams. There were 16 churches that joined IBSA in the last year and almost 4000 baptisms statewide. Sylvan also brought a handout and gave a promotion for the Midwest Leadership Summit in January. 10. David Hutton gave a combined Finance Committee, LEAD Team, and DOM report. The LEAD Team and DOM have written reports in the BOR (pg. 15 and pg. 16) We want to be a part of church planting but have to plan long term. There is a potential start in Onarga, Bob Stilwell is working towards a plant in Buckley, and Thomas Lee is interested in planting a Chinese church in Champaign. PAB and Redeemer are in talks to come alongside. David brought some books that are available for pastors. We want thriving churches to come alongside struggling churches to help them catch on. 11. Phil, Lou Ann and Borah led singing of A Mighty Fortress and 10,000 Reasons. 12. The Business portion of the meeting started with the Credentials committee report on Redeemer Church, Urbana. Derrick Baker mentioned that although Redeemer has been an active participant in the association there was no record of them formally joining ECIBA. The committee reviewed and recommended that Redeemer be accepted as part of the association. Motion carried. 10

11 13. David Hutton spoke on behalf of the Nominating Committee. He proposed Rich Gregory be Moderator, Randie White for Vice-Moderator and Ron Williams for Trustee. Motion carried. 14. Chet Daniels brought the business items from the LEAD Team. The first item is the changes to the Constitution. The changes have been presented at the last 2 board meetings. No second needed and the changes carried. 15. The second item is a new direction. This has two items for vote. One is combining the Endowment Funds and changing their usage slightly. The vote today is just to move forward with this item. We have a year to discuss and prepare to implement changes. LEAD Team will be clarifying Endowment Trustee job descriptions, accountability for the collegiate ministers, and present a detailed resolution at the 2018 annual meeting. Nothing will be finalized until the 2018 vote. LEAD Team members are available to discuss and make presentations to churches. No second needed. Vote carried with slight dissention. 16. The second part of the new direction is to begin the process of possibly selling the ECIBA property to Church of the Cross. This carried with no opposition. 17. Chris Baker was presented to be added to the LEAD Team. Motion carried. 18. The 2018 Annual Meeting will be on one day, Saturday, October 20, location to be determined. Motion carried. 19. Karen Killingsworth presented the 2018 budget. Coming from the Finance Committee, no motion was needed. Budget passed. 20. Board Members for 2018 were presented. Motion was seconded and carried. 21. Phil, Lou Ann and Borah led the singing of Revive Us Again. 22. David Hutton brought the Annual Sermon on Matthew 16. Who do you say that I am? We must embrace Christ s ownership of His church. We must make disciples, not just converts. Challenge: Revival is not the answer Revitalization is. Time to get real with God. 23. Mark Carpenter recognized the leadership of the association and they were acknowledged with applause. 24. David gave the benediction and a wonderful time of lunch and fellowship followed. *mp3 audio is available for this meeting upon request. January 31, Associational Board Meeting Minutes ECIBA, Mahomet 1. Moderator Mark Carpenter opened the meeting with prayer. 2. Bob Stilwell gave a short devotional with a football theme. Accomplished players keep their eyes on the ball. Just like Peter walking on the water, if we change our focus, we sink. When we are truly focused on Jesus, he saves us. 3. Highlights from the association: Bethel surpassed their goal for Lottie Moon with $769. Collected PopTarts for collegiate ministry. Gibson City Mission trip coming up in March and everyone is invited to participate. Surpassed their Lottie Moon offering also. Several new members. Paxton Revival in March. Calvary Pastor Search Committee continues to work toward a new pastor. College Ave. 40+ people involved in disciple making. Church of the Cross searching for a part-time assistant pastor. Redeemer Baptism class for teens and pre-teens with follow-up mentorship. 4. Moderator Mark Carpenter called the business meeting to order with 21 board members and 1 visitor present. 5. The Treasurer s report was approved as printed. 6. Building and grounds committee needs help to fix the soffit on the building. Someone is coming to 11 work on the tractor February 1.

12 7. Scott Boyd gave the BASIC report. He is thankful for the gifts from our churches Basic has $5800 and CEG has $4200. Under the BASIC umbrella is ministry to ROTC, CEG and a new Korean CEG that's starting with Paul Chun. 8. Clark Killingsworth has a written report focusing on disciple making. 9. David Hutton gave the DOM and LEAD team report. Disciple making is not just making converts. The difference between mission minded and missional: not just giving when convenient or prompted but praying without ceasing, giving sacrificially, "as you go". With the pastors, we are meeting monthly to have conversation. Ted Max has loaned us video clips from Vale for these. David is trying to connect the association with missionaries from IL who are overseas. He has made some contacts and is still working on finding an unengaged, unreached people group. 10. Amending the constitution: a) so additions to an agenda can be discussed but NOT voted on. b) changing the Baptist Faith and Message from 1963 to 2000 to address issues of gender identity. c) Finance committee and annual audit remove or make it happen. Changes will be available at the July board meeting for a vote in October. 11. Handbook is outdated and needs review. Specifically, about the endowment funds and guidelines for the trustees. 12. Concerns regarding employment issues and Paul Chun and the paying of legal fees on his behalf. 13. Redeemer Church has not gone through the credential process to be a member of the association. A committee will be formed to address this. 14. Contracts will be voted on for Scott Boyd and Clark Killingsworth. Scott presented options for the vote with information about his situation. Temple is unwilling to be responsible for BASIC. NEW BUSINESS 15. Credentials Committee Rich Gregory and Dennis Norton nominated Mark Carpenter. Dennis Norton volunteered to be on the committee. Rich Gregory and Dennis Norton nominated Derrick Baker. They will review the guidelines, interview the pastor, vote and present at the annual meeting. 16. Collegiate Ministry Contracts approved with some adjustments. 17. Clark Killingsworth closed in prayer. Respectfully submitted, Rebecca Fouts, Clerk *mp3 audio is available for this meeting upon request. April 18, 2017 ECIBA, Mahomet 1. Vice-Moderator Rich Gregory opened the meeting with prayer. 2. Derrick Baker read I Corinthians 15 as a devotional. 3. Highlights from the association: Bethel Margaret Neal reported that they are having a Women s Brunch on April the 22 nd and Shannon Hutton is the scheduled speaker. Calvary Pastor Search Committee continues to work toward a new pastor. College Ave. Kara Killingsworth is finishing her time in India and deciding where God wants her to go from there. LeRoy They enjoyed a community breakfast on Easter Sunday with about 40 in attendance. Pennsylvania Ave. They had a prayer service on Thursday before Easter and shared the Lord s Supper. Also, a community event occurred on Saturday. Redeemer Jon Mahan has been meeting regularly with a student who is excited about his Christianity. Chet Daniels recently baptized his son. Temple They have a ministry to Eden assisted living apartments. They frequently give out toiletries and necessities. 2 people from Eden attended on Easter. Weldon They had a community breakfast on Easter Sunday. 12

13 4. Vice-Moderator Rich Gregory called the business meeting to order with 18 board members and 1 visitor present. 5. Rebecca Fouts gave the Treasurer s Report. Question was asked: how does our expenses compare with income and what is the shortfall? She directed attention to the handout from David Hutton which addresses this question. Basically, income averages $2400 per month and expenses $ Scott Boyd gave the BASIC report. 7. Duane Davis reported on CEG ministry. Some Chinese students have recently cleaned the Davis house and planted flowers in gratitude for the work they do. One of the students, Steve, gave his testimony at Cornerstone recently. 8. Clark Killingsworth gave the MOSAIC report. Kyle, a student, feeling called into ministry and has had opportunities for spiritual conversations. 2 young ladies will be baptized. 9. David Hutton gave the DOM and LEAD team report. He presented 3 books on revitalization that he is willing to go through with anyone. He is finishing preaching at Calvary and will resume visiting other churches. David has still been in contact with Thomas Lee. Share2Sharpen is happening monthly with videos and discussion. LEAD Team has been working on the Constitution and finances. David has had contact with 5 Illinois families who are IMB missionaries and is working on developing partnerships. 10. Copies of the revised Constitution were available for everyone. The major changes are: Article II-Change the Baptist Faith & Message to 2000 rather than This has a better dialogue on gender roles and family. Article VI-Change all references to DOM from the current statement AM/S. Article VIII-section 4 dealing with agenda items. Article IX- Special called meetings The changes will be reviewed and presented again at the July Board meeting with a vote happening at the Annual Meeting in October. 11. Clark Killingsworth spoke on behalf of the LEAD Team. When David was hired last year, the Search committee, Finance committee and LEAD Team understood that churches would increase their giving once he was in place. Even though it appears the association has ample funds, the Endowment funds and Designated funds cannot be touched. Churches need to consider the question: Do we want a DOM? LEAD Team is asking pastors to go back to their churches and bring this issue up to them. LEAD Team members are willing to come to any churches that want a presentation or more information. 12. Roger Neal made a motion to adjourn. Derrick Baker seconded. 13. Chris Baker closed in prayer. Respectfully submitted, Rebecca Fouts, Clerk July 18, 2017 ECIBA, Mahomet 1. Moderator Mark Carpenter opened the meeting with prayer. 2. Highlights from the association: Calvary Has been struggling but had 85 at potluck and things are progressing. Search committee has settled on a candidate for senior pastor. Church of the Cross Aug. 1 st, Chad Westfall is coming on as discipleship coordinator. Aug. 6, pastor from Kentucky speaking at COTC. He and his wife are going overseas to translate an unreached language. Recently started a father/son mentoring ministry. Cornerstone They have a new pastor, Luke Henry. Pennsylvania Ave. They had 10 new families for VBS. Redeemer They have 4 men going through the preaching lab. 25 women are doing a book study on Titus 2. They hired a new administrative assistant Barb Forde. 3. Moderator Mark Carpenter called the business meeting to order with 17 board members and 4 13 visitors present.

14 4. Rebecca Fouts gave the Treasurer s Report. (See attached to original Minutes.) Questions were asked concerning collegiate ministries and answered. Question was asked about income versus expenses and David addressed. Report accepted as printed. 5. Credentials committee met and recommends Redeemer be a member of ECIBA. Vote will happen at the annual meeting. 6. Nominating will be meeting soon. 7. Finance committee will be meeting with the treasurer soon. 8. Trustees have hired Dillman Brothers and they will be repairing the soffett in the next few weeks. 9. CEG attended the parade in Urbana, cookout at Davis and fireworks. Last year s number was too high to really connect with, but this year s number is lower so far. 10. Clark Killingsworth provided a written report attached. 11. DOM Report. Witnessing should be part of your normal daily rhythm. David has been meeting with pastors and discussing, where is your church, really? Share2Sharpen. Life Cycle of Churches. 11 of our churches have a decline in worship attendance over the last 10 years. 2 of them over 75%. Only 3 of our churches have grown. Revitalization. 12. LEAD Team changes to constitution is available. This will be voted on at the annual meeting. 13. Thomas Lee: church planter. He has several months of training to complete before he comes. 14. New Business: future of the association. (handout) 15. Scott Boyd: (handout) 16. Rich Gregory made a motion to adjourn. Derrick Baker seconded. 17. Sylvan Knobloch closed in prayer. Respectfully submitted, Rebecca Fouts, Clerk *mp3 audio is available for this meeting upon request. Collegiate Ministry Reports Champaign-Urbana BASIC Student Ministries To My ECIBA Family, The school year has started, the students are back, and it has been a great semester for BASIC thus far. The other Thursday night one of our female students was led to make a profession of faith by one of the members of Calvary Baptist Church. The same member of Calvary is now in a one-on-one discipleship relationship with our brand-new believer. Four and sometimes five ECIBA churches are still actively involved in supporting CEG. Additionally, the U of I ROTC programs are in full gear and I will be ministering to them with ECIBA provided bottled water, pop-tarts, and the Word of God. I have always been very honored and thankful to serve as ECIBA's BASIC student missionary to the University of Illinois. Scott Normal-Bloomington MOSAIC Student Ministries The past year has been focused on disciple-making. A sermon series entitled, His Last Words Our First Priority during the fall 2016 resulted in forty individuals signing-up to participate in disciple-making either one on one, in micro-groups, or in small groups. In January 2017, CABC became one of more than fivehundred churches world-wide participating in the launch of Disciples Path: The Journey a four volume (year-long) process of disciple-making developed by LifeWay Christian Resources. Of the forty persons at CABC committed to the process in 2017, at least seven were college students. 14

15 Our journey on the Disciples Path received a shot in the arm on Saturday, August 26, Cara Killingsworth and Paige Lewis led a group of ten members at CABC through Priority One Day: Rediscovering the Heart of God in Disciple-making. Cara and Paige are stateside after having spent two years in Asia teaching children of missionaries serving there. In the coming months Cara and Paige will be transitioning to church planting efforts in Asia. In the meantime, God is using Paige and Cara in a BIG way to help lead CABC to remain focused on evangelism and disciple-making as our primary purpose and calling. After the Priority One-day training on August 26, we have consistently had teams going out into the harvest in our local community and on the college campus. In addition, we are gathering every evening for prayer in my home and prior to the Bible study hour on Sunday morning, to cry out to God for the harvest. Consequently, we are just a month into the new school year, yet, countless numbers of the people we ve approached have been open to receive prayer. The gospel has been shared with dozens of people including undergraduate and graduate students, campus workers, and with people in the community. A handful of unchurched people have welcomed the invitation to re-connect for further discussion or Bible study. Furthermore, the Lord seems to be opening doors for us to minister among international students and possibly the local Chinese population of Bloomington/Normal. It s harvest time! The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:37-38, CSB) Yours in His Service, Clark Killingsworth. Pastor College Avenue Baptist Church Normal Lead Team Report We began the year recognizing that the association was not financially healthy. When we were looking to hire a DOM, we knew that the finances were down from previous years but we also were informed by many churches that the giving would increase when a new DOM was in place. That increase in giving has not happened. So, we ve been praying about and discussing various ways to address the issue and continue pursuing what God wants for ECIBA. We ve decided on a new direction that will put the emphasis on helping churches develop disciple making strategies, assist struggling churches in revitalization or replanting efforts, assist churches to develop campus ministry strategies and look into how we can engage in mission partnerships that will be gospel focused. One of the things we are pursuing to do is to dissolve the corporate resolution that gives oversight on how the endowment funds are used. Currently, almost $500,000 is used for campus ministry and $150,000 is used for church planting ministry. We had hoped to combine those funds and use them for the new direction talked about above. On one side, the corporate resolution says that it takes 2 annual meetings to make any changes to them. But there are questions about how binding these resolutions are since they seemed to be voted on prior to the documents existence and never approved once they were written. But with everything the way it is, we have decided to move forward cautiously so that we do not do anything that may be unethical or illegal. Therefore, at this annual meeting in 2017, we will present a motion to dissolve the corporate resolutions and then present them for a final vote to dissolve them at the 2018 annual meeting. At that time, we will present a motion for the association to approve the combining of those endowment funds and that the funds be used for revitalization/replanting, church planting, mission partnerships and campus ministry. We would prefer to move forward with this now but believe that it would not be wise to do so without full certainty that everything was done right. 15

16 The other thing the we would like to do is look into selling the ECIBA property to the Church of the Cross. The trustees could find the value of the property and discuss this with the churches leaders to see if this is something doable. If no one is able to do that at this time, then we would suggest that we table this discussion until further notice. We do not want to sell the property to anyone but prefer to keep it in the family. These are just a couple of items we ve discussed as we ve considered what to do in the current financial situation. The finance committee is going to put a deficit budget before the association for approval. We know this is not the best way to move forward but there are only a few things we can do. 1. Churches can give more. It is unlikely that many of our churches can do this but there are some who can. In 2014, the churches gave $74,136 to ECIBA. In 2016, that number dropped to $29,310. Three of our largest giving churches gave $35,000+ in 2014 but in 2016, they gave under $4000 combined. And according to their ACPs, their undesignated giving in their churches was the same or higher in 2016 as it was in So this is an option for a few of our churches but not a reality for most. 2. Cut spending. At this point, we are not budgeting for much outside of salaries, insurance and utilities. We could cut the DOM salary and that may have to happen in the near future if things do not turn around. 3. Cut the DOM position. David has said that he will move on if the association can t afford to support the position. We ve tried to come up with creative ways to help but it may come down to the fact that we will be without a DOM in the near future. This is what the Lead Team has been working on for the past year and our prayer is that whatever happens, we will move forward with these new direction initiatives and join God is what He is doing in our communities. The Lead Team Director of Missions Report David Hutton My first full year has been uniquely interesting and challenging. I wrapped up a 7-month interim as pastor of Calvary in Monticello this spring. It had its ups and downs but overall, it was awesome. I got to know many people there and they were fun to get to know and even though there may have been a few bumps along the way, they came together and recently called Josh Bledsoe to be their pastor. Over the past year, I ve been able to meet with each pastor to get to know them better and how things are going in their churches. I ve met with some multiple times to further evaluate their churches situation and brainstorm strategies that might be helpful. Several pastors get together over our S2S lunches each month. We cover topics on discipleship, leadership development, small groups, pastoral issues, etc. as we ve share a meal together. Whether we watch a video or read an article on the subject, it s always good to hear from each other about how these things might look in our churches. My prayer is that this will be a time of encouragement but also challenging us to think outside the box on how we can move our churches to intentionally engage our communities. I ve also been trying to work with our pastors to assess the health of our churches. I ve forwarded a document on Life Cycles of Churches and have discussed this with several pastors. And I ve shared IBSA links with some to have them put their church s information in a database to get an idea of the health of their church. But I ve not heard back from any of the pastors on this. 16

17 My hope is that pastors and/or church leaders that recognize the health of their church is not good will reach out to ECIBA or IBSA to check out what is available for them to begin the process of revitalization. God is not glorified when churches are unhealthy and communities are not impacted by His church. But this does not have to be the reality for us. Let s be honest about how we re doing and do whatever is necessary to see God glorified in our congregations. I recognize that my being here is causing some financial stress for the association. As I ve said before, Shannon and I came here with the understanding that the churches would increase their giving. With that being said, I am preparing my resume and sending it out in case the association can t support a DOM. We can t wait until the association is out of funds and we see no indication that things are going to turn around. But as long as I am here, I plan on serving the association and getting it ready to pursue the vision of making Jesus last words our first priority with or without a DOM. I submit this report to you not to guilt anyone or to manipulate the churches in giving more. The fact is that there is much to be done to turn the association around. But I want to make one thing perfectly clear here. I am not trying to save the association. I m trying to figure out how we can save our struggling churches. We are like the lepers sitting at the gate in 2 Kings 7. They know the situation in the gates and consider their next actions. The conclude that if they stay where they are, they will die. And if they go back, inside the gates, they will die. And if they go out into the unknown, toward the enemy, they may still die but it s the only chance to possibly live. It s the same for EICBA and its churches. We can t stay where we are and we can t go back to what we used to be. Sure, if we move forward, we may die but it is the only chance to make ourselves relevant again. I say we brave the new reality and push forward to that which will be our best option to bring glory to the Father. David Hutton Treasurer s Report Rebecca Fouts, Treasurer INCOME 4000 Total Church Gifts 4100 Bement 4101 $ $ $0.00 Bethel, Danville , Calvary, Monticello , College Avenue, Normal , Cornerstone (GHBC) , Farmer City , Gibson City , LeRoy Paxton , Pennsylvania Ave, Urbana , Temple, Champaign Weldon CCH-D Church of Cross, Mahomet , Redeemer, Urbana , , Korean Ch of Cham-Bana Subtotal Total Church Gifts , , Budgeted Non-Budgeted 4, , OFFICE REFUNDS 4200 Util & Maint Refunds Checking Acct Int

18 CAMPUS MINISTRY 4300 MOSAIC Gift Income , BASIC Gift Income , Subtotal Campus Ministry , Budgeted Non-Budgeted , Subtotal Office Refunds , Budgeted Non-Budgeted , CAMPUS MINISTRY 4500 BASIC income , , MOSAIC income , , Subtotal Campus Ministry , , Budgeted Non-Budgeted 18, , MISCELLANEOUS INCOME 4600 Miscellaneous Income , Church/Cross Build Use , Subtotal Miscellaneous Income , Budgeted , Non-Budgeted , NEW WORK 4700 New Work Receipts ECIBA Min. Fund Subtotal New Work Budgeted Non-Budgeted BAPTIST FOUNDATION 4800 ECIBA Funds Inc & Int TOTAL INCOME 23, , Budgeted , Non-Budgeted 22, , EXPENSES 5000 SALARIES 5100 DOM Salary 5101 $1, $13, $14, DOM Housing , , , Ministry Assist Salary , , , Subtotal Salaries , , , Budgeted 3, , , Non-Budgeted 0.00 MINISTRY EXPENSES 5120 DOM Reimbursables , , DOM Health Insurance , , AM/S Health Insurance , , Subtotal Ministry Expenses , , , Budgeted 1, , , Non-Budgeted 0.00

19 EMPLOYER TAXES 5130 Employer Soc Sec Employer Medicare Subtotal Employer Taxes Budgeted OFFICE EXPENSES 5200 Equipment: Pur & Maint , , Office Supplies Insurance , , Utilities & Telephone , , Postage Mailing Newsletter Miscellaneous expenses , Subtotal Office Expenses , , Budgeted , , Non-Budgeted 0.00 MAINTENANCE/REPAIRS 5240 Maint, Bldg & Grounds , , LEAD TEAM EXPENSES 5300 LEAD Team Expenses , CAMPUS MINISTRY 5400 BASIC CM Subs , , MOSAIC CM Subs , , Subtotal Campus Ministry , , Budgeted 3, , Non-Budgeted 0.00 DESIGNATED EXPENSES 5500 CAMPUS MINISTRY 6000 MOSAIC gift expenses , BASIC gift expenses , Chinese Student Min , Subtotal Basic Gift Expenses , Budgeted Non-Budgeted , Subtotal Designated Expenses , Budgeted Non-Budgeted , NEW WORK EXP 6200 ECIBA Min. Fund BAPTIST FOUNDATION 6400 Baptist Foundation Expens , TOTAL EXPENSES 9, , , Budgeted 9, , , Non-Budgeted , EXCESS INCOME\EXPENSES $13, $29, $61, Budgeted -8, , , Non-Budgeted 22, ,684.26

20 East Central Illinois Baptist Association Nov./Dec Financial Summary November 2017 Budget funds available 12/11/17 $3, DESIGNATED FUNDS: Taxes w/h * State taxes w/h *80.84 COLLEGIATE MINISTRY BASIC (gifts balance) *6, MOSAIC (gifts balance) *5, BASIC (subsidy-coc) *1, MOSAIC (subsidy-coc) *1, ECIBA Funds-BF $6, ECIBA Life/Min Fund - BF $2, New Work Receipts, Nov New Work Expenses, Nov New Work Acct. Bal. 11/10/17 6, Sower's Fund Acct bal. (Edward Jones) 155, COC Fund Acct bal. (Edward Jones) 510, *totals checkbook balance ($19,072.95) December 2017 Budget funds available 01/10/17 $4, DESIGNATED FUNDS: Taxes w/h * State taxes w/h * COLLEGIATE MINISTRY BASIC (gifts balance) *5, MOSAIC (gifts balance) *5, BASIC (subsidy-coc) *9, MOSAIC (subsidy-coc) *9, ECIBA Funds-BF $6, ECIBA Life/Min Fund - BF $2, New Work Receipts, Dec New Work Expenses, Dec New Work Acct. Bal. 01/10/17 6, Sower's Fund Acct bal. (Edward Jones) 159, COC Fund Acct bal. (Edward Jones) 502, *totals checkbook balance ($34,017.77) Note: summaries based on paper ledger/journal Church gifts + ind. Gifts: November 2017 December 2017 $3, $4, November 2016 December 2016 $3, $1,

21 2018 Budget INCOME: Gifts from Churches & Contributions 61, Church of the Cross rent 3,000 TOTAL BUDGET INCOME 64,000 EXPENDITURES: Education & Program Promotion 3. LEAD Team 1,000 Office 4. Office Equipment: Pur. & Maint Office Supplies Postage/Mailing Newsletter Insurance 1, Utilities & Telephone 6, Bldg & Gr: maint. & supplies 1, Miscellaneous 200 Personnel 11. DOM salary 13, Housing 16, Ministry Assistant 9, SS/Medicare (7.65%) 750 Ministry Expense 15. DOM Reimbursement (travel, etc.) 5, DOM Health Insurance 12,000 TOTAL EXPENDITURES 70,650 PROJECTED DEFICIT (6,650) 21

22 IMB REPORT 2017 As Southern Baptists, we celebrate a rich history of mission among unreached peoples and places. The heritage and identity of the SBC centers on delivering the good news of Christ to those who have not heard. And through cooperation, the International Mission Board has partnered with more than 47,000 churches to see disciples made and churches planted among them. MILLION Lottie Moon Christmas Offering The IMB has seen a disheartening decline in the number of missionaries around the world. This year, however, because of faithful, generous giving, we are once again on firm financial ground. By God s grace, the reversal of that decline is underway, and the pathways for the sending of those missionaries are more broad than ever before. MILLION through the Cooperative Program NEW BELIEVERS NEW CHURCH IN JUST TWO YEARS, A CITY IN EAST ASIA THAT HAD NO CHRISTIAN PRESENCE HAS NOW SEEN 4 NEW CHURCHES START. IN EASTERN EUROPE, THE BIBLE HAS NOW BEEN TRANSLATED AND PRINTED IN THE UDMURT LANGUAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY. A MISSIONARY SHARED THE GOSPEL WITH A MAN WHO BECAME THE FIRST KNOWN BELIEVER AMONG HIS PEOPLE. NOW, 19 BELIEVERS MEET REGULARLY IN HIS VILLAGE. IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, WE RE EQUIPPING A NATIONAL COUPLE WHO WILL GO FOR TWO YEARS THIS AUGUST TO REACH A DIASPORA PEOPLE GROUP OF 500,000 MIGRANTS. A MAN IN SOUTH ASIA PUT HIS FAITH IN JESUS, WAS BAPTIZED, AND THEN LED 10 OF HIS FRIENDS TO CHRIST AND STARTED A DISCIPLESHIP GROUP WITH THEM. THE FIRST CHURCH EVER STARTED AMONG A MUSLIM PEOPLE CALLED THE MWANI IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. AFTER 2.5 YRS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, ONE FAMILY HAS SHARED THE GOSPEL WITH OVER 800 PEOPLE IN THEIR HEART LANGUAGE ARABI Explore your next steps at imb.org/next.

23 A Report to Our Partners in Ministry IBSA 2016 Annual Report Delivered to Local Associations Fall 2017 See the video at IBSA.org/partnershipreport For our statewide family of churches, 2016 was a reminder that our Baptist faith and message is increasingly counter-cultural, and that now more than ever we must be creative, winsome, and determined to reach and disciple the people of our Illinois mission field. The summary report totaled from Illinois Annual Church Profiles (ACP)reflects the trends among Southern Baptists nationally: more churches with slightly smaller memberships, decline in baptisms, but advancement in missions. Illinois Baptists continue to show commitment to cooperation and missions. Our almost 1,000 partner churches, church plants, and mission congregations gave $6,073,404 to missions through the Cooperative Program. That is 2.5% less than the previous year s total of $6,230,083, though 2017 receipts through mid-year are back up around 4%. IBSA forwards 43.5% to the national SBC for missions, while 56.5% remains in Illinois for our missions and equipping work here. The totals for attendance and involvement from IBSA-member churches show the ongoing challenge of retaining and building membership in today s spiritual environment. Membership was down from 193,972 to 184,545 (-4.8%). Average worship attendance declined from 76,344 to 71,022 (-7.4%), and Sunday enrollment slipped from 83,552 to 79,912 (-4.4%), though attendance was up by almost 1,000. Baptisms dropped from 4,400 to 3,953 (-10.1%). On average, IBSA churches baptized 4.1 people each in It should be noted, however, that 352 churches reported zero baptisms, so among churches that reported baptisms, the average was 7.2 each. In missions involvement, 20,979 church members were reported active in their church s Acts 1:8 mission fields. That represented 1-in-4 worship attenders who take their faith to the fields. And more than 20,000 times last year, IBSA engaged church leaders with specialized training for ministry. The IBSA Church Resources Team provided equipping in leadership, discipleship, missions, and worship. And the IBSA Church Consulting Team provided on-site assistance for pastors and churches in 10 zones. Entering 2017, IBSA again prioritized evangelism as critical in our calling to advance the gospel, and IBSA s Pat Pajak assumed leadership in this area, training churches and mentoring pastors in faith sharing. Our Church Planting Team assisted in establishing 16 new IBSA congregations, with more than 80 church plants currently in progress. Our missionaries and ministry leaders appreciate the partnership of IBSA churches in advancing the gospel in Illinois. Please contact us if we can assist you, your church, or your association in fulfilling our shared calling. 23

24 Baptist Foundation of Illinois 3085 Stevenson Drive Springfield, IL BaptistFoundationIL.org Baptist Foundation of Illinois exists to encourage Illinois Baptists to respond, both individually and corporately, to God's call of stewardship upon their lives, connecting them with ministries that transform the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Along with IBSA and BCHFS, BFI operates under a Board of Trustees elected by the Illinois Baptist State Association. These 21 men and women were chaired this year by Ted Zimmerman of Bethel Baptist Church in Troy, IL. BFI expresses its mission above in five areas of service. The Foundation supports these areas of service with approximately $37 million under management in various asset classes. 1. BFI Loan and Bond Program BFI provides a way for Illinois Baptist savers to help Illinois Baptist church's capital loan needs while earning interest paid. One year rates are currently at 1.25%, two year at 2.25%, three year at 3.0%, four year at 3.6% and five year at 4.25%. Churches benefit from a fixed rate 20 year amortized loan currently at 4.75%. 2. BFI Scholars Program Illinois Baptists have long believed that education is crucial to the success of our children. In 2017 BFI set a new record awarding $78,500 to 37 students. The scholarship awards were made possible by endowment funds established by Illinois Baptists at BFI. 3. Life Stewardship Emphasis BFI provides complimentary planning services for those interested in creating a Christian Estate Plan, supporting both heirs as well as Christian causes. To date, Illinois Baptist families have made plans creating a charitable gift expectancy of more than $52 million which will support ministry causes in perpetuity. 4. Custodial Investment Service BFI offers custodial investing covering a full range -- from high yield cash management with immediate access to quasi-endowment that produces a net 5% yield for mission and ministry. An up to date Custodial Funds Abstract is available at BaptistFoundationIl.org. 5. Church Legacy Program (NEW PROGRAM) For the church that is in significant decline and church leadership has determined it is unlikely to be returned to health, BFI s Church Legacy Program may be a helpful way to bring forth a positive solution to an otherwise challenging and possibly hurtful season. The Legacy Program attempts to accomplish three goals: Preserve the legacy of the declining church. In truth, God has worked there and that alone is worthy of memory and celebration. Often many decades of church members have given and supported to set aside assets for the gospel s purpose. Further, as a Baptist church, the church has likely established it s own missional pattern giving to support local, regional, and international missions work. BFI works with the church to establish a Legacy Fund into which assets pass and are later used to fund the causes they wish to support and often have supported for many years. Preserve the Kingdom Capital that s been accumulated. Church money and property are not easily accumulated and when a church is in significant decline, those assets are placed at significant jeopardy. To date, BFI has helped the larger church hold onto almost $750,000 in resources that may have been lost to decay or others taking advantage of a declining church. By holding the assets, the remaining church is stabilized and healthy, appropriate actions can be taken without the pressure and anxiety felt by the remaining few members. Through a careful resolution process, BFI helps ensure that appropriate documents are filed to legally 24

25 convey assets and dissolve the corporation. Help a new church become established. BFI works to help a new church (either a new plant or an established church looking to move) purchase the facility at a price that s affordable for them. These funds go back into the Legacy Fund previously established and begin to support the ministry of the former church. We help ensure property stays on the exempt tax rolls and legally is maintained as a church property. As of this writing, BFI has helped churches in Chicago, Sublette, Colona, Pana, Galesburg, Medora, Glenview, Belvidere, Poplar Grove, Peoria Heights, St. Elmo, and Valmeyer, establish legacies benefitting both the former church and current and future Kingdom. Respectfully submitted, Larry Douglas Doug Morrow, Jr., CFRE Executive Director At left is the stained-glass window above the altar at the former Lamon Avenue Baptist Church, now Starting Point Community. The Lamon Avenue Legacy Fund is supporting Pacific Garden Mission, BCHFS, NAMB, & IBSA Church Planting with its Legacy Fund. 25