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by Coye Bouyer WHAT THE GUARD… Proverbs 4:23 says, “watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” The father says to his son, ‘Watch over your heart…’ The Hebrew word used here for the phrase ‘watch over,’ is ‘noser’ and literally means ‘to watch,’ ‘to guard’ or ‘to keep.’ This is important because unlike guarding material things like possessions, people or places, the son is to guard… ‘his heart.’ While the Hebrew word ‘lev’ does refer to one’s actual heart, abstractly it also refers to one’s inner self, one’s will, understanding or even one’s mind. In Solomon’s day, much like today, the heart and mind were seen as synonymous or interchangeable. Therefore, the son is being told to guard both his heart and mind. HOW TO GUARD… The Hebrew word used here for the phrase ‘with all diligence,’ is ‘misar,’ meaning ‘to pay careful attention to.’ Another example is Adam being told that he is responsible to protect or ‘guard’ the Garden. The concept of guarding in the present context of Proverbs 4 carries the understanding of guarding or protecting someone/thing from an external enemy. Here in Proverbs 4:23 the father is challenging his son to ‘guard’ or to ‘protect,’ with a careful conviction, a deliberate diligence of something internally, i.e. ‘his heart,’ from an external enemy. WHY GUARD… To better understand the significant weight of his father’s instructions, we must recognize the father’s previous instructions with regards to the path of both the wicked and the righteous. He has said that if his son wants to live he will not only hear, but he will hang onto and even heed his father’s wisdom. So, when the father says, ‘guard your heart… ‘, his son is not just guarding his heart from the attack of an enemy or from someone/something physically puncturing or hurting his heart, rather he is to guard the good and godly guidance/counsel given to him by his father (v. 3). For his father knows that just as he has deposited godly guidance into the heart of his son, there are those who will seek to somehow supplant the father’s Godly guidance and right thinking for ungodliness and wrong thinking. Therefore, his son must be intentionally insistent on holding/guarding his father’s wisdom for while information may come from outside sources, only what takes root in the heart of an individual flows from them to the rest of their world (for from it, that is one’s heart, flows the springs of life). CONCLUSION Dad’s, as we prepare to celebrate another Father’s Day with our children, let us take a moment to remind them of the good and godly wisdom we have imparted to them as we encourage them like this father, hear, hold onto, and heed the godliness, faithfulness and wisdom we have taught them so that this is what flow from their lives into the rest of the world. God Bless you men! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Coye L. Bouyer is the founding pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Lansing, MI where he has served since March of 2010. Pastor Bouyer recently stepped into the Diversity Ambassador role for the BSCM and firmly believes that he was not only called to Preach the Gospel as part of the process of reconciliation of man to God, but also using any platform as a bridge of reconciliation of man to man, and even more so amongst the brethren. Pastor Bouyer and his lovely wife Keturah (Gen. 25:1) have been married four over 20 years and have four children; Sierra, Seth, Cayla and Coye II. #JUNE22

by Mick Schatz ROSCOMMON, MI – I have a distinct love and appreciation of wooden instruments, especially acoustic guitars. I have owned quite a few over the years of various brands. Even though I don’t play them extremely well, I thoroughly love the look, feel and sound of the different types of woods with which they are made. Each wood is different in sound and depth of tone giving each guitar its own individual uniqueness. Along with owning an acoustic guitar, as with any wooden instrument, there is periodic maintenance required to keep them in good sounding condition. One very important fact I had to learn as an acoustic guitar owner is that guitars are thirsty. What does that mean you might ask - that sounds a little strange. Acoustic guitars, like all wooden instruments, require water to stay in good working/sounding condition. They must be kept in a humidified space, or the wood begins to dry out. The tops begin to crack, the neck begins to warp, and the instrument begins to sound bad and not function like it should. It can become unusable. They must have water to perform the task for which they were created - make beautiful music in the hands of an artist. Correct me if I’m wrong, but as Christians aren’t we supposed to be instruments in the hands of our Heavenly Father - the master artist - to be played and make beautiful sounds in this world to bring glory to Him and help others tune into His melodies of salvation and love? For us to stay in good-sounding repair we must keep our souls properly maintained. We must keep our souls hydrated. A thirsty soul is a cracked soul - a warped soul - a soul that sounds out of tune. A dehydrated soul cannot play beautiful music - it’s not pleasant to the ears or attractive to the heart. The only solution for a dehydrated soul is “Living Water”. In John chapter seven Jesus boldly declared, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”. It’s easy to become dehydrated. A dried-up soul doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen eventually if we don’t drink from the river of life. The “cares of this world” can squeeze us dry and make us unable to be used. We must continually drink in the Spirit of Jesus and let Him hydrate our souls. We must let His Living Water flow deep as it fills in the cracks of anger and frustration and reshapes our warped sentiments of hopelessness, loneliness, discontent, and unbelief. The more we drink the more we can be used/played by Him. His Living Water floods our soul to the point we begin to flow out onto those around us. And isn’t this what we were created for - to be a uniquely created instrument, masterfully played by our Creator bringing Heavenly sounds to a fallen world? Don’t be a thirsty guitar. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake. #JUNE22

by Karen Blanchard CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI – As we journey down the road of life, we face mountaintop highs as well as valley lows. The last few months have been a challenge for me. Over the years as my relationship with Jesus has grown deeper, he has taught me how to handle the struggles of life; however, with as much as I have learned, the last four months have shown me that I still have a lot to learn. God is so good and faithful to guide us through every step of our journey. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. I have learned over the years to try to look past the circumstance I am going through and look to God. The enemy is the one who is behind all the chaos and confusion that we experience in this world. Once we begin to recognize that, it then helps us to shift our perspective off of the person or circumstance and ask God to help us fight the battle. Personally, I have found in my life that the enemy tries to attack me before I do anything big for God. The past few months, I felt the warfare of the enemy trying to attack. With every attack that would come, my gaze began to fall a little more and a little more off God and onto the struggle. Before I knew it, the negative thoughts began to trump God’s voice, and I couldn’t figure out how I got to this place. I have learned that when I am in the struggle, I need to seek God more than ever. I would journal out my feelings and frustrations and I would read my Bible. Every time I chose to seek God, he would meet me there. Finally, God opened my eyes that I was grumbling and complaining about a situation I was in. Through grumbling and complaining about this situation, I opened myself up to the enemy which began to affect my thoughts and attitude. The Holy Spirit convicted me of this sin in my life. I am so grateful that when God reveals a sin in our life, he does it in a loving and gentle way. The enemy is the one who brings shame and condemnation, not God. I prayed and confessed my sin and decided from that point on with God’s help, I would keep my mouth closed and trust him through the circumstance. By the end of that week, God sent the answer to the prayers I had been praying. His answer was so much better than mine could have ever been. I was reminded during this difficult time, that God was teaching me things in the struggle that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. It is through the struggle that God strengthens us for the next thing he has prepared for us. It is in the darkness we learn to lean on God and allow him to light the path for us. Once God spoke to my heart that I had been grumbling and complaining, the fog started to lift, and everything began to become clear again. In James 1:2-4 Paul writes, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. We are never promised a struggle free life! When you feel like you are sinking and you don’t know what else to do, call out to God! He is there waiting to rescue you. This takes surrender! We must lay ourselves down and be willing to listen to the hard things God is trying to reveal to us. One verse that has been very dear to my heart during this time of struggle has been Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” You are stronger than the struggle! You know why? Because Jesus has already fought the battle and holds your victory. Don’t give up ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen is married to Scott Blanchard, pastor of Lakepointe Church, and moved from Florida to Michigan in the summer of 2009 to plant Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township. She enjoys mentoring and discipling women and also leads women’s life groups through her church. She is passionate about helping women find their purpose in who God created them to be. She is on staff at Lakepointe Church and loves being part of what God is doing in the Metro Detroit area! #JUNE22

by Clayton Knight WARREN, MI – For many people in the church, there’s a certain kind of dread that creeps in one Sunday every June. What is intended to be a holiday to celebrate dads, can easily become an opportunity for hurt—both old and new—to rear its ugly head. Sadly, life in this fallen world means that everyone’s dad is a sinner. Oftentimes, those sinful dads have caused tremendous amounts of pain to their own children. As a pastor, I’ve sat and wept with people in my church as they talked with me about their wicked fathers. As foster parents, my wife and I have cared for children who bear the consequences of their fathers’ poor choices, absenteeism, neglect, or criminal activity. For other men, Father’s Day serves as a painful reminder that they aren’t fathers yet, despite their deep desire to become one. For others, Father’s Day comes loaded with sadness. Maybe dad has passed away. Or perhaps it’s dad himself who’s faced with mourning the loss of a child who’s no longer here to celebrate. Added to the mix, pastors can be tone deaf to the complex emotions that many feel on Father’s Day. We can be totally unaware of what we’re doing when we walk up into our pulpits and thoughtlessly blab out, “Happy Father’s Day!” When we tailor our sermons to fathers and maybe even hand out gifts to dads in attendance (I once knew of a church that fried bacon for every dad who walked into the church building on Father’s Day), we may unintentionally be throwing salt in an open wound for many hurting people in our congregations. But I think it's time that we broadened our understanding of who a “father” is in the church. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19). Here, Paul is arguing that God is making one new humanity in Christ. And that “new humanity” is God’s household—the church. And in his household, there are spiritual mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers—as Paul makes abundantly clear elsewhere: Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity (1 Timothy 5:1-2). Paul himself, being a celibate, single man (1 Cor 7:7), understood that he was a “father” to the entire congregation at Corinth: Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 1 Corinthians 4:15 So, here's the truth that we need to grapple with: You don’t have to have kids to be a dad in the church. You don’t even have to be married. You just have to be a man committed to Christ and his plan for the world. People ought to be able to look at the mature, godly men in our churches and say, “That’s a father.” “What?” someone may respond, “But that guy doesn’t even have kids. What do you mean he’s a father?” To which we reply, “Oh yes, he does! That man is a father to many in the church.” I don’t know your family situation or your past, but I do want you to know the kind of family you are welcomed into now in Christ. The psalmist lamented, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in” (Psalm 27:10). Now, let’s ask ourselves this: How does the Lord take people in? The answer: he does it through the local church. So, let’s commit ourselves to shaping our church communities, our sermons, and our holiday celebrations according to the Word of God. So that, by God’s grace, we may see more spiritual fathers (and mothers!) rise up in our churches for the glory of God. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Clayton Knight is the Senior Pastor at Warren Woods Baptist Church in Warren, Michigan. He is married to Sarah and a blessed daddy to one sweet daughter. #JUNE22

by Josh Tovey GRANDVILLE, MI – In Spring 2015, we planted Redemption Church, and then we adopted our three kids in the Spring of 2018. When we planted a church, we were always processing what kind of culture we wanted as a church. Especially, what does it look like to build a Gospel culture in our church? When we adopted our three kids (ages 8,7,6) we started processing the same question, but from the perspective as parents. As I think about being a godly father, I am always processing the culture I want my home to have for my kids to thrive physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Our kids have experienced a significant amount of trauma, so at times we do not feel equipped. Yet, God in his sovereignty has allowed us to be their parents. As we study the scriptures, we learn that the kind of culture God wants for the church is the same culture God wants in my home. The kind of culture God wants in my home is the same culture God wants in his church. So, the question is, as fathers, how do we create a Gospel culture in our homes? This past winter, as a church, we spent 13 weeks in the book of 1 John, processing a framework for transformation. While studying 1 John we saw the kind of culture God wants every Christian to experience in their life. The culture God wants directly applies to every role in our lives, including fatherhood. In other words, the culture John unpacks is for every church and every home. John repeats a pattern in the book to help us answer what a Gospel culture is (see 1 John 2:1-6). A Gospel culture is like a three-leg stool. If one leg is broken the whole thing collapses. The strength of a gospel culture is found when all three legs are equally celebrated. Three Aspects of Gospel Culture 1. A Gospel Belief: What You Know A gospel culture first requires the good news of Jesus to be the focus of my home. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection changes everything - my identity in him, my intentionality for him, my eternity with him. A Gospel belief speaks to the story of the Bible in creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. As a father I want my kids to know that Jesus is the hero not me. I must point my kids to the beauty of Jesus whenever possible. Talk about Jesus at the dinner table, pray to Jesus with them, talk about Jesus in discipline, etc. 2. A Gospel Behavior: What You Do This means what I know changes what I do. I don’t obey for God to accept us, but I obey because I have been accepted. Teach your kids that the good news of Jesus motivates a specific response in our hearts. Showing your kids Jesus’ unwavering acceptance will empower obedience to him. Behavior is striving to make the things of Jesus visible. 3. A Gospel Belonging: Who You Are 1 John uses the word “beloved” many times, which speaks to the idea that God fully knows you yet fully loves you. Why? Because you belong to him. You are a part of his body, the church, and his kingdom. Belonging speaks to your identity, and when you know you belong you will never wish for anything else. I want these three things to speak to the culture we have in our home. Our world is offering a completely different worldview that produces counterfeit gospels and challenges each aspect of the three-leg stool. While the world is pulling at your kids’ hearts, how will you respond? The question each father must answer is what kind of culture do you want in your home? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Josh Tovey serves as the Lead Pastor of Redemption Church in Grandville, Michigan. Josh’s heartbeat is for people to experience life change that can only be found in Jesus and to see God advance a gospel movement through church planting. #JUNE22

by David Thompson NASHVILLE, TN – Nike is a Greek word more than 2000 years old, and it means “overcomer” or “victorious one”. The modern-day company that brands the name simply states “Just Do It”. Are you supposed to be an overcomer if you are a follower of The Lord Jesus Christ? The answer is simple—“Yes” and “No”... and you may want to slap me right now—“I forgive you”. First, the answer is no—not if the standard is set and determined by the world, not if it is based on who has the most tik-tok followers or has achieved some earthly success. Second, the answer is yes for every child of the King if the metric is from God’s vantage point… you see dear friend, every single one in the family of God has one eternal destiny—and that is to be an overcomer! Good news—it has nothing to do with your circumstances, “ they overcame by the (Blood of the Lamb)…And the word of their testimony” says the disciple whom Jesus loved—banished John. That absolute FACT does not dismiss your daily resolve. Here now an admonition from God—“whatever your hand finds to do… (Just Do It) with all your might” the Old Testament. That has everything to do with our testimony. Let’s examine how. President Reagan said in 1985, “there are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect”. I say, “Amen!” It was true then and it is true now. It has always been true. Then it begs the question, what wall is hindering you? Next question: What are you going to do about it? Your testimony has to do with your direction. Ralph Waldo Emerson noted, “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going“. Maybe you are stuck in neutral. My advice is to pick a direction for the glory of God and GO! What I suggest is the opposite of just “Dreaming Big”! In fact, Carl Jung puts it like this, ”Your vision only becomes clear when you look (deep) into your own heart… who looks outside, dreams… who looks inside—awakes”. Or as my good friend Mike Connor likes to say, “you just need to look in the mirror for a minute”. So, what’s the problem—why do we all get stuck in a rut? One reason is we stop growing, call it “a lack of faith“—more simply, we compromise. Ayn Rand touts, “live and act within the limit of your knowledge, but keep expanding it to the limit of your life.” Just as we only use 10 percent of our brain, some only live 10 percent of the potential of their life. Is this why God tells us—“whatever your hand finds to do—do it with all your might”? Now thankfully, I remind you that these efficacious efforts are not what gain you entrance to Heaven—ahhh! But it does determine your level of belief in it all. I love what one coach preached, “we have a mandatory dress code when we work out, practice or play as a team. We all dress exactly alike. If you want to draw attention to yourself around here, then outwork your teammates”. Coach Bear Bryant said that. I love it! Trust me—there are no “Super Children of God”. We all wear the same “blood of Jesus.” But shouldn’t we at least outwork the unbeliever. You may have the worst job or position or status in the world—doesn’t matter, ”Whatever your hand finds to do—JUST DO IT, with all your might… and for the glory of God! Because you, my friend, are an OVERCOMER!! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. David L. Thompson holds an undergraduate degree from Belmont University in Psychology and Religion, a graduate degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Education, and a doctorate in Counseling and Pastoral Psychology. He has served as a chairman of the Church Planting Group and Executive Committee Chair at the North American Mission Board for 10 years. He has been a Police Chaplain since 1991 and served as a Corporate Chaplain to the Coca Cola Bottling Company in Nashville, Tennessee where he resides with his wife. He has six children and five grandsons. #JUNE22

by Austin Collins In this two-part blog, we’ll first look at what the Bible teaches about what hospitality looks like. The next installment will contain a list of practical helps and tips for engaging in real life hospitality in your home. Biblical Hospitality JACKSONVILLE, FL – It’s a scary word – hospitality. It’s a word that often strikes fear in the hearts of Christians. We’re busy, and our homes can be messy, and – oh no – our kids just drew 13 smiley faces on the wall with permanent markers. “Hospitality” conjures to mind elegant table settings, fanciful three-course dinners, and spotless homes with well-mannered children. But thankfully, that’s not what biblical hospitality has to look like. Paul, in a single verse, provides for us a biblical definition of hospitality. In Romans 15:7 he says to “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” There are three keys to this verse - a what, a how, and a why - that explain what biblical hospitality looks like. What: We are called to welcome one another. Jesus Christ wants us to welcome everyone with open arms, smiling faces, and with a desire to serve above and beyond. Biblical hospitality means opening up our hearts, our homes, and our church to others. How: As Christ has welcomed you. The welcome that Christ gave us into the family of God cost us his life. Through his death on the cross, we were brought near to God. We who are his disciples should exemplify that sacrificial service in the way we go about welcoming others. Why: For the glory of God. The reason why we want to warmly bring others into our homes and greet them with love is so that God might be worshiped and glorified. Lord willing, through conversations with us, our guests will hear the gospel, repent of their sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus. When this happens, God is glorified above all! Hospitality isn’t always about having a Cordon Bleu-level dinner or a picture-perfect house. It can be, and the Lord has blessed some people with those things to share with others. But maybe for you it’s grabbing pizza and some cans of soda on your way home from work and calling a family in your Sunday School class to come over, eat, and fellowship in the backyard while the kids run around. Hospitality is about a willingness to have open hearts and open doors because Christ does the same for you. With this in mind, I want to share with you 4 avenues of grace that biblical hospitality opens up for us. Will you commit to walking down one of them in the next month with your family? An Avenue for Evangelism There is nothing like hospitality to grant you a captive audience. Inviting your neighbors or coworkers into your home for dinner is an easy way to get to know them better, to learn how to care for them, and eventually to share the gospel with them as your relationship with them deepens. Something about the warmth around a dining room table helps people lower their guard and be more open to the things you share with them. As you get to know unbelievers around a meal in your home, you’ll discover different pathways to take in leading them to Jesus. There are so many holidays that involve food and fellowship. At your next cookout or potluck for one of these holidays, challenge yourself to invite one of your unbelieving neighbors to come eat and hang out. Hospitality is as simple as that! It creates the opportunity for you to talk about the gospel with them. An Avenue for Discipleship The early church modeled hospitality for us. Early on, churches often met in people’s homes where they gathered to hear the Word taught, to pray together, and to grow in their fellowship with one another. And then in Acts 2, we see the fruit of the combination of hospitality and discipleship: “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” Acts 2:46-47 Do you see the direct result of discipleship taking place through hospitality? Salvation for more people! As Christians opened their homes for discipleship, God blessed their efforts, and the church grew! Hospitality can look similar to this today. Instead of braving the hustle and bustle of a busy café to meet with someone and study the Bible, open up your home, sit together at the kitchen table or in the den, and drink homemade coffee out of your favorite mugs as you open up the Word and pray. Maybe watch a sermon together and discuss it afterwards while you munch on chips and salsa. An Avenue for Care In Matthew 25:31-40, Jesus is commending his sheep for showing genuine care to him during their lives, and yet the people are confused because they had never personally encountered Jesus in the flesh. Jesus reassures them, when they showed care to “the least of these” they were glorifying him. Opening up our homes to the brokenhearted, the downcast, those in need of a place of refuge, the hungry and the thirsty – when we do this for Jesus’ people, we are doing this for Jesus’ sake. Hospitality means giving a warm embrace to the church member grieving a loss on your living room couch. Or reading Scripture with them at your dining room table and reminding them of the gospel. Though it might cost us something now, we can look forward to when Christ will restore anything we may have lost in our efforts to care for others: “The King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” Matthew 25:34 This past week some friends of ours found themselves without a working fridge and a kitchen under repair. We were already planning on having breakfast for dinner that night as a family, so we invited these friends over, threw a few more slices of bacon in the skillet, and rejoiced with them about how God was working wonders through a difficult season in their life. An Avenue for Community Showing hospitality provides us with one of the best ways to grow in our relationships with other Christians. In Philemon 1:12, Paul states that he is sending Onesimus “back to [Philemon], sending my very heart.” How many people can you say that same statement about? How many fellow church members would you say constitute the very core of who you are? When we invite people into our lives and our homes, we open up a setting of intimacy, comfort, and safety where we can truly get to know other Christians and grow in community with one another. A simple way to cultivate community through hospitality is hosting playdates for kids. In our neighborhood there is another Christian family who have a child around the same age as ours. At least once a month, my wife opens up our home to this mom and her son to come over. While the toddlers play, the moms talk about ministry, the Bible, and parenting. There’s no fancy tea or crumpets, but these two ladies have grown to love one another dearly in just a short time simply by letting one another into their homes, and through that, their lives. A Seat at the Table Hospitality begins and ends with Jesus Christ. Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has brought believers into the family of God. But even more than that, God has shown us “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7) through all he has given us. And at the same time, God’s generosity to us gives glory to him as the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). We are simply stewards of what he’s given to us. God has commanded us to share with others so that we might display the glory of Jesus to the world. God has given us more than we could ever need, so why should we be stingy with our homes, our belongings, our money, or our time (Philippians 4:19)? So, brothers and sisters, show hospitality on earth now, looking forward to the heavenly hospitality we will receive from God at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9). Invite someone over, share a meal, and talk about Jesus with them – no matter who they are. Welcome them as Jesus welcomes you. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Austin Collins (M.Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the Serve Pastor at First Baptist Church Jacksonville. Prior to joining First Baptist in 2018, he held roles in student ministry, as a worship pastor, and as the research assistant at the Institute for Biblical Worship. He is also a certified biblical counselor with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. Austin is passionate about turning strangers into servants and loves helping guests and church members take their next step of faith, whatever it is. #JUNE22

by BP Staff Editor’s note: This story was updated after its initial publication. NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Baptist Press has compiled a list of public statements from Southern Baptist leaders regarding the findings of an investigation by Guidepost Solutions into the SBC Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse claims. First, are statements from each of the three men running for president of the SBC. Following that are public statements from either a group of state Baptist convention leaders or from the state’s executive director-treasurer. Where the statement is from one person, he is named. A link also is provided to the full statement where possible. Baptist Press intends to add to this compilation as we receive more information. Tom Ascol — I was grieved deeply as I read the report of the SBC Sex Abuse Task Force. Sex abuse is horrific and failure both to work for its prevention and to respond Christianly in the wake of it should cause Christians and churches to look to the Lord with godly sorrow and repentance. Southern Baptists must recommit ourselves to uphold God’s standards of holiness and purity in all things, especially in caring for those who are most vulnerable among us. I also call on all Southern Baptists to join me in carefully studying the Task Force’s recommendations and their implications. There is much before us to consider, and we will need wisdom from above as we chart new paths of mercy and righteousness. I am confident that our Lord will enable us to do so as we depend on Him for strength and recommit ourselves to seek honor of our crucified and risen Savior. Full statement here. Bart Barber — The record represented in this report is clear. Men and women, boys and girls, have been abused in Southern Baptist churches. The churches belong to Jesus Christ, their Founder and Head. Every time abuse happens in a church, the abuser has committed a mutiny against Christ’s lordship over the church and has scandalized His little ones. Jesus said that it would be better for such a one to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea (Matthew 18:6). Sometimes the victims of that abuse or sometimes the leaders of those churches have called the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention to seek advice or to try to protect other churches from enduring the same abuse at the hands of the same abusers. Each of these contacts has presented the Executive Committee with an opportunity to help those churches and those individuals as much as possible. Instead, some people entrusted with leadership at that entity have deliberately helped as little as possible—deliberately refusing to return phone calls and messages, deliberately withholding information that they were collecting about abusers, and deliberately minimizing the amount of helpful advice that they would disclose. … The Executive Committee seems to have been operating under a different notion of local church autonomy—one arising less out of the Bible and more out of Blackstone.1 The biblical doctrine of local church autonomy in no way prevents churches from advising one another, critiquing one another, or establishing or withdrawing fellowship from one another. Yet, although these activities in no way endangered the biblical doctrine of local church autonomy, the Executive Committee’s counsel believed that these activities posed a threat to the Executive Committee’s legal arguments against ascending liability. The biblical doctrine of local church autonomy came to be conflated with that legal argument, although they are not the same thing. … Sometimes our assertions of local church autonomy have seemed insincere to the people on the receiving end of them. Do we want people to take seriously what we say about local church autonomy? Then we should demonstrate with actions our commitment to love them to the fullest extent and seek justice for them to the fullest extent that we can achieve within our beliefs. Regardless of whether I am elected as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, I pledge my efforts toward that end. Full statement here. Robin Hadaway — Like everyone in Southern Baptist life, I was troubled and saddened by the contents of Sunday’s release of the report by Guideposts Solutions and the Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF). We grieve for the victims and covenant to continue to pray for them. Guidepost Solutions’ report to the SATF presents 17 recommendations, plus 16 more if one of the 17 is not implemented. In the Baptist Press article today, the SATF indicates it will be “posting formal motions and suggestions before the annual meeting, it has listed a group of ‘a few initial needs’:” First and foremost on the SATF’s list will be a call for the next SBC President to appoint an Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force that will suggest steps for the Convention to consider over the next 3 annual meetings. This seems wise. This will allow the SBC, through her committee process to navigate this difficult situation so the SBC can continue her commitment to evangelism, missions, educational and benevolent causes.” Alabama (Rick Lance) — Now we all are saddened. We’re grief stricken, deeply grief stricken concerning those who had to endure experiences that no one should have to face. But we as Alabama Baptists need to join together with the larger Southern Baptist family in praying for those who have experienced this trauma. … Last Friday, our State Board of Missions authorized $200,000 for participation in churches to scholarship them to be involved in training for good policies, for prevention, for protection. That $200,000 will be a $200 scholarship for the first 1,000 Alabama Baptist churches wanting to participate. Full statement here. Alaska (Randy Covington) – Alaska Baptists grieve the existence of sexual abuse in any setting, but especially when it occurs in the context of the church. We affirm that sexual abuse must not be tolerated in any form, and every measure available should be utilized to prevent individuals from abusing those who are vulnerable. We offer our deepest concerns and prayers for those who have experienced abuse of any sort, and are committed to ministering with Christ’s love to the needs of these individuals. It is extremely heartbreaking to receive the Guidepost Solutions report. We are thankful that Southern Baptists have taken action to expose and deal with abuse that has occurred within our denomination. Now is the time for deep lamentation and sincere repentance for all Southern Baptists. We, as Alaska Baptists, have been and continue to be committed to giving this issue the attention it demands as we support the work of our churches in taking the gospel to a lost and hurting world. Statement here. Arizona (David Johnson) — While Arizona does not appear in the report released Sunday, May 22, by the Southern Baptist Convention Sexual Abuse Task Force, we grieve over the reports of sexual abuse that have taken place in SBC churches, institutions, and entities over the past 20 or more years. We are saddened by the conduct of our leaders, and our hearts are broken for the victims and their families. The Arizona Southern Baptist Convention stands against sexual abuse of any kind and has posted policies and procedures for our churches to follow to aid in preventing this type of behavior in our churches and among our leaders. Resources for churches are available at azsbc.org/caring-well/. We recognize the gravity of the recommendations made by Guidepost and the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force, and we commit to continue working toward making our churches and convention a safe place to be. Full statement here. Arkansas — The report is nothing short of heartbreaking. Its findings indicate that a problem exists at the highest level of the Southern Baptist Convention regarding the treatment of sexual abuse survivors within our denomination. We must do better! Our prayers are with survivors, and we are overwhelmed by their endurance and strength. Arkansas Baptists have taken steps to ensure that our state convention and its entities represent Christ regarding handling sexual abuse. With unanimous support from the messengers at the 2021 ABSC Annual Meeting, the Arkansas Baptist Sexual Abuse Task Force was formed. We have been working ever since to ensure the policies and procedures of our state convention and its entities are above reproach. Full statement here. California — The abuse brought to light in the report is a cause for us to grieve for those children, women, and men who have suffered sexual abuse. We are saddened by the pain these individuals have experienced. We are disturbed by the manipulation revealed in the report. We take these horrific offenses seriously. We commit to pray for the sexual abuse task force as they have an important responsibility in responding to the report and bringing necessary recommendations. Together we mourn with the victims and intercede on their behalf. We ask God for His will to be done. And we pray for wisdom as we move forward continuing to do the work of the kingdom. Full statement here. Colorado – (Mike Proud) [Statement released May 23] I cannot fully express the emotion I am feeling over this report. I am sickened, saddened, angry and extremely disturbed that these things have taken place in our denomination. I am grieved for the numerous victims who have not only experienced this violation, but the shameful way they were dismissed when they brought this to light. I want you to know your Executive Board was already scheduled to meet today and tomorrow (May 23-24) and on their agenda is a Sexual Abuse Protocol which was drafted in April. We are working diligently to put protocols into place as a convention and to provide resources to our churches so we may do everything within our power to be proactive, transparent, and spare others from this hurt within our state. Full statement here. Dakotas (Fred MacDonald) — Two words that come to my mind are ‘disturbing’ and ‘painful.’ It’s hard to put into words the feelings and recognizing the pain that has been caused over the years by men of God. Full video here. Florida — Executive Director Tommy Green shared in a letter to pastors that the “Florida Baptist Family grieves over the information shared in the recent Guidepost report. We pray for sexual abuse victims and survivors. We pray for the grace and mercy of God and healing in their lives.” Thankful for pastors as they continue to “fulfill their calling to the glory of the Lord,” Green asked Florida Baptists to continue to be in prayer in the days ahead. Those days, he said, “will be challenging as the SBC wrestles with how to move forward in response to the revelations in the report.” Georgia — We are all grieved by the findings of the Guidepost Solutions investigation. The report submitted through the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Force revealed disturbing and egregious acts committed on some of our most vulnerable. We recognize the courage of survivors who continued to share their stories and bravely pursue action from their leaders. We must pray for God to provide strength and healing for all survivors as well as wisdom for everyone dealing with abusive situations. Let us commit ourselves to doing all we can so every place of worship is a safe place for everyone. The Special Committee on Sex Abuse appointed by GBC President Kevin Williams will bring recommendations at our state convention in November to assist Georgia Baptists with safety policies, guidelines and procedures. Full statement here. Hawaii (Christopher Martin) — As Guidepost Solutions released its report to the Sexual Abuse Task Force of the SBC today, we all should be humbled as we grieve for the victims of sexual abuse. We offer our prayers for God’s healing of abuse victims, their loved ones, and others who are affected. Among the pages of this report, we find that those victims of deplorable and inexcusable acts opened their lives to needless scrutiny and pain to bravely share the sins committed against them by pastors and leaders in the SBC. But unfortunately, these sins remained hidden and disregarded for far too long. … Your Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention Executive Board has begun strengthening policies and resources to assist our churches in making them safe places of refuge. We ask for your prayers and support in the continuation of this work. We will release more information on these efforts in the coming weeks and months. Full statement here. Illinois (Nate Adams) — “Along with many others, I am grieved over the information released today by the SBC’s Sex Abuse Task Force, including the detailed findings in the Guidepost Solutions report. I’m grateful for the Task Force’s concisely stated recommendations, which I’m sure will receive sober and serious considerations by messengers to next month’s Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim. While the focus of the Task Force’s work has been at the national SBC level, any network of churches, including our association of churches here in Illinois, should carefully examine its own practices in responding to victims of abuse, as well as assisting churches in prevention. IBSA is doing so and remains committed to continuing transparent and proactive processes to assist churches in protecting the vulnerable and ministering to those who have experienced abuse.” Statement here. Indiana (Ryan Strother) — Today, may all Southern Baptists humble themselves and commit to caring for survivors of sexual abuse. I’m still processing Guidepost Solutions’ “Report of the Independent Investigation,” released last night. I’m deeply grieved and upset by what has been reported. No follower of Jesus should mistreat or intimidate abuse survivors, but rather should be like the Lord who works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed (Psalm 103:4). Yet, I remain hopeful that the Southern Baptist Convention will humbly change what is necessary to help our churches prevent further abuse. Last year, many messengers made clear that they wanted to take this issue seriously (which led to this investigation and report). The majority of members in SBC churches are committed to Scripture and faithful to God’s work. We can learn through this time of anguish and change the future of the Convention for the better. This is my prayer. Statement here. Iowa – Executive Director Tim Lubinus has not released a statement but told Baptist Press the convention is publishing regular updates regarding the investigation and report on its website. Kansas-Nebraska – We join Southern Baptists around the world in lamenting and repenting of those acts of commission and omission outlined in the report. … We have been in consultation with numerous men and women who are leaders in our KNSBC churches and associations to begin the process of formulating both better safeguards to protect and clearer pathways to report so that what happened nationally does not happen locally. Full statement here. Kentucky (Todd Gray) — After reading the report, the Lord led me to pray for sexual abuse survivors in a way I never had before. Romans 12:15 reminds us to “weep with those who weep,” and this is a time to grieve with our brothers and sisters in Christ. In November 2021, former KBC President Dr. Wes Fowler brought a motion to the messengers of the Kentucky Baptist Convention meeting in Elizabethtown to establish a Kentucky Baptist Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF). That task force was approved unanimously by the messengers and has been actively at work since that time. Full statement here. Louisiana (Steve Horn) – I, like many of you, read the report from Guideposts and experienced an array of emotions. We must do better. We must be better. Those affected by sexual abuse deserve better and certainly, our devotion to our Lord demands better. As promised during our Annual Meeting last November, we will seek to listen to, and support, those who have suffered abuse. In addition, we will be proactive in implementing strategies that endeavor to eliminate all incidents of sexual abuse among our churches. During our May Executive Board meeting, I updated our trustees on what’s been done since our November gathering. We will continue to review the report from the SATF and discern what recommendations can and should be adopted among our convention of churches. I urge Louisiana Baptists to pray this moment brings us to a place of acknowledgment of sin which leads to repentance that makes way for the fruit of repentance. For about a year now, we have been calling people to introspection, consecration, intercession, and decision through the personal revival guide, Change Me. Today, more than ever, we need to be praying, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. Lord, change me!” Maryland-Delaware — We are saddened by the Guidepost report released on May 22, and we grieve with the survivors. We admire and applaud their courage in coming forward with their stories. We see them. We hear them. And we support them. At the BCM/D, we are committed to helping churches create and cultivate a culture where vulnerable people are protected and cared for and are able to heal and thrive. Our work has only just begun. … Read the full statement here. Michigan (Tim Patterson) — After being immersed in the report, my emotions have been from one extreme to the other. Deep sadness, grief, heartbreak, intense empathy for the victims/survivors, anger, frustration, relief…and much more. There were revelations in the report that were shocking, especially concerning those in the past for whom I have had the greatest of love and admiration. Executive director Tim Patterson goes on to outline ways his state convention has been engaged in pursuing transparency and protecting people from abuse. Full statement here. Minnesota-Wisconsin (Leo Endel) — There is a time for every activity under heaven: … a time to weep… and a time to mourn… (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Today is a time for both. … [T]oday we grieve with those who have been abused, are outraged at those who abused them, and are broken by the lack of action from significant leaders who may have prevented some of this from happening. Full statement here. Mississippi (Shawn Parker) — Although it is difficult and heartbreaking to receive the Guidepost Solutions report, we are thankful that Southern Baptists have taken action to expose and deal with abuse that has occurred within our denomination. Mississippi Baptists have been and continue to be committed to give this issue the needed attention it demands as we support the work of our churches in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).” Full statement here. Missouri (Sexual Abuse Response Team) — We want to be clear. This report reveals an ongoing pattern of sin, idolatrous use of power, and callousness toward the abused. The report made several recommendations for institutional change and cultural repentance. We are grateful for those leaders and staff members whom the report revealed were serving faithfully throughout different levels of our denomination. In this time of shock and grief, we offer you two counsels that are prayerfully given and biblically sourced. First, this is a time for prayer, for the abused, for justice, for lamentation and repentance of the perpetrators and our denomination. Second, we urge you to consider careful and wise responses in this season and that we approach this with a spirit of humility and lamentation. Full statement here. New Mexico (Steve Ballew) — My heart is broken today. It is difficult to process another elementary school shooting. As of this morning, 19 children and two adults are counted as senselessly slaughtered. We live in a world broken by sin. While politicians and news pundits will debate various solutions, the one solution they will miss is the spiritual solution. The church desperately needs revival. The world around us needs a spiritual awakening. May this event drive us to our knees before the only One who can affect real and lasting change. We must admit our impotence and seek the omnipotence of our great God. … I am grateful for the work of Guidepost Solutions and the Sexual Abuse Task Force for bringing out into the open these disgraceful acts. I am optimistically prayerful that the messengers who gather in Anaheim in June will be presented with recommendations that will move us forward to a day when we with integrity can testify that we are doing all that we can to protect everyone in our care. Read the full statement here. New York (Terry Robertson) — Although it is difficult and heartbreaking to receive the Guidepost Solutions report, we are thankful that Southern Baptists have taken action to expose and deal with abuse that has occurred within our denomination. BCNY will continue to be committed to give this issue the proper attention it demands as we support the work of our churches in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).” Full statement here. North Carolina (Todd Unzicker) — Today’s release of the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force report marks a time for our family of churches to grieve, repent, reflect and respond. We recognize that the contents of this report will cause survivors of abuse to relive painful experiences and memories. I applaud the courage of abuse survivors who came forward to share their stories. We must demonstrate compassion and care to everyone who bears the pain of abuse. … People won’t trust our gospel if they don’t trust that they can be safe in our sanctuaries. As we pray for the gospel to bring healing and hope to everyone affected by this heinous sin, we must also be proactive in preventing abuse and taking the necessary actions to protect the most vulnerable among us. Read the full statement here. Northwest — We encourage Northwest Baptists to read the SATF’s cover letter and the full, detailed Guidepost Solutions report that were released Sunday afternoon. They contain the basis for much of the work in which the denomination in its various expressions will be engaged for a few years to come. Statement here. Ohio — When the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention voted to conduct a third-party investigation regarding sexual abuse in our convention, we knew the results would be disturbing. Ohio Baptists grieve with the rest of our SBC family as well as the watching world at the findings of the Guidepost report. We especially grieve with survivors who may feel wounded afresh with the revelations of the report. Sexual abuse is not only a barrier to the gospel; it is an attack on the gospel. The abuse of another person made in the image of God within the context of the local church is an unthinkable act of darkness. Just as light dispels darkness, however, truth dispels deception. The Guidepost report, while painful, is necessary to reform and healing. In November 2021, Ohio Baptists expressed our commitment to address the scourge of sexual abuse with the creation of the SCBO Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF). The SATF is conducting a review of all SCBO policies regarding sexual abuse and is drafting new policies and pathways for prevention and appropriate response within our convention. Just as we long for the day when God will wipe away all tears from every eye, we are grieved now by the tears of survivors. Now is the time for us to shed tears of grief and repentance which will lead to God-honoring reform in our churches and our convention. Oklahoma (Todd Fisher) — I am heartbroken and sickened as I read the findings of the Southern Baptist Convention Sexual Abuse Task Force. I am grieved for each and every one of the abuse survivors. Southern Baptists must unquestionably be more vigilant in preventing abuse, reporting abuse, and caring for survivors of abuse. This is a pivotal moment for the SBC. We must learn from this report and be faithful in protecting the vulnerable among us. Pennsylvania-South Jersey (Baptist Resource Network) (Barry Whitworth) — It is a serious day in the Southern Baptist Convention. On Sunday, May 22, Guidepost Solutions, an independent research firm hired by the SBC’s Executive Committee at the requests of messengers at last year’s SBC annual meeting, issued their 288-page report. … The Baptist Resource Network is committed to protecting against all abuse, whether children, women and/or vulnerable adults. We are so serious about this that in recent days, before this report came out, our Executive Board unanimously voted to adopt a “BRN Abuse Prevention” policy for our organization. Full statement here. South Carolina (Gary Hollingsworth) — We are grieved by the results of the Southern Baptist Convention Sexual Abuse Task Force report. Foremost, we are grieved for the survivors that have been overlooked, unheard, or dismissed. We lament the actions and abuses that have brought us to this point. In the midst of this grief, we are not without hope. At the South Carolina Baptist Convention Annual Meeting last year, we commissioned our own Sexual Abuse Task Force to respond and apply the results of the national report to our own internal processes, as well as the resourcing of our 2,100 South Carolina Baptist churches. Full statement here. Tennessee (Randy Davis) — I believe we have some serious and difficult decisions ahead of us as a people. Many of those decisions are going to hurt, but I don’t see any way forward unless we address what’s been disclosed. I am still trying to process the recommendations, but those need to be looked at closely for how we can ensure that every Southern Baptist church is a safe place for every woman, man, girl and boy to come and focus on worshipping the Lord. More here. BGCT — Our hearts break at the findings of the Guidepost Solutions report released by the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force. We join others across Texas and beyond in lament and earnest prayer, acknowledging the failures of the past, accepting the present report’s findings and recommendations and looking ahead with resolve to future change. … We continue to urge churches and staff towards a proactive approach focused on sexual abuse prevention, reporting, and compassionate care, even as we look for opportunities to strengthen efforts wherever possible. Full statement here. SBTC — The contents of the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force report cause us to grieve for those who have been affected by sexual abuse. We can only imagine the pain and trauma survivors have endured through the reliving and retelling of their experiences, and we are grateful for their courage in coming forward. As a family of churches, we must do better. We must repent of our sin, learn from our past, care for those affected, and respond with clear pathways forward. SBTC churches and church leaders can be assured of the SBTC’s commitment to embrace constructive pathways to restoration and healing, to work to comfort and minister to survivors of abuse in our own network, and to continue to evaluate and reform our own policies, procedures, and ministries toward prevention. The SBTC task force, authorized by unanimous vote of the messengers in our November 2021 Annual Meeting, has been working diligently to strengthen our efforts within our own network of churches. May God grant us forgiveness where there is sin, healing where there is hurt, encouragement where there is hope, and the mind of Christ in all things. Full statement here. Utah-Idaho — The details in the Guidepost Solutions report are egregious and deeply disturbing. We are heartbroken for the victims of sexual abuse. There is no level of sexual abuse nor mistreatment of women, children, or men that is acceptable. In honor of the courage of the survivors who came forward to report abuse, and for the sake of righteousness in our denomination, the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention heartily affirms the recommendations of the Sexual Abuse Task Force Report. In addition, we ask the messengers, churches, and those in leadership positions in the Executive Committee, the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention to pray for God’s wisdom, compassion, and strength to make the necessary changes to ensure the safety of all who attend our churches. Read the full statement here. SBCV (Brian Autry) — I can’t begin to imagine the hurt and grief of survivors whose trust in leadership has been broken. It grieves me to see more leaders failing to finish well or serve as God intends. It is heartbreaking, sobering, grieving, and challenging beyond words. We, indeed, must humble ourselves, learn, and seek solutions to serve and care better for people. Over the last year, our state convention launched a Caring Well Task Force to provide safe resources and information for survivors, churches, and individuals seeking to learn best practices for how to navigate the subject of spiritual and sexual abuse and domestic violence. This task force meets on a regular basis and has a regularly scheduled meeting this week. Read the full statement here. West Virginia — We strongly encourage you to intentionally carve out time in your schedule and read yesterday’s release of the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force report. The weightiness of these findings should humble us before God. We pray this process moves Southern Baptists towards repentance and an increased sense of urgency regarding such matters. … West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists remain faithful to God’s call to care for others. We have been proactive in recent years in how we recognize, prevent, and care for the abused through training and awareness. We are encouraged by our messengers’ initiative to create a WVCSB Sexual Abuse Task Force last November, and our Executive Board will hear their report in two weeks. A complete report will be given to our messengers in November. We want to continually improve and grow as shepherds who protect the sheep God has entrusted to us. Our churches should be places of safety for the vulnerable and healing for the hurting. Full statement here. Wyoming (Quin Williams) — Over this past week, I have read the report on sex abuse investigation by Guidepost Solutions. As I read the report and reread portions of the report, I was dismayed to know that vulnerable people had been victimized at the hands of church leaders. If there is any safe place for anyone in our society, it should be in the presence and under the protection of those of us who are kept in the hand of our Lord and Savior. Survivors of abuse, especially sex abuse should find a place of safety in our churches. Nothing less is acceptable. Then, to see the reports that some of them had their stress and emotional suffering was worsened when they sought relief from some of our national leaders added to the heartbreak. A few things Wyoming Southern Baptist need to do at this point are: 1) Pray for the survivors of sex abuse, both those named in the report and the many others who are not named. These folks still hurt every day. 2) Pray for our Executive Committee. The vast majority of the members of the EC were found to bear no responsibility for the mishandlings of reported abuse. They have a heavy burden now to bear. 3) While, to date, no one from a Wyoming Southern Baptist Church has been named as an abuser in this report, we cannot be naïve to the fact that these things could happen here. Therefore, each of our churches, regions, entities, and our Network in general must have a plan in place to report abuses and abusers to proper authorities. We must also must make every effort to see that the vulnerable are given a save place and that survivors must be given the best possible care. 4) As we move forward in the wake of this report and the difficult facts that it presents, we must do better in the area of caring for the abused. As we find ways to do better, we must add these advances as a means to better spread the Truth of the Gospel to a hurting world that needs Jesus. Let us all now turn ourselves to dependency upon the leadership of our Lord. Above all else, we need His comfort and direction to bring something of value from the troubling times we find ourselves in today. #JUNE22

by Nick Sandefur LEXINGTON, KY (BP) – As many of you are probably aware, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), in particular, the SBC Executive Committee (EC), has been under investigation for its handling of sexual abuse instances involving pastors or church members in local Southern Baptist churches from June 2001-June 2021. Following the will of the SBC messengers who voted in Nashville in June 2021, the current EC (which I have served since September 2021) authorized an independent investigation into our staff and committee. To ensure transparency, the trustees of the EC waived attorney-client privilege and fully funded the investigation conducted by Guidepost Solutions. The report from Guidepost is painful to read. It is painful because people who were harmed were not loved well, and their pain was often exacerbated by our leadership. Victims were ignored or shunned to avoid legal risk or avoid internal conflict. The report reveals, either indirectly or directly, we harmed survivors who came forward. Wrongs have been done. For this, every Southern Baptist church and member should grieve. Over the next few weeks, our convention will seek to take steps to correct this action. We will deal with past actions as best we can, and we will diligently work to protect the vulnerable who are entrusted to our churches’ care. Polity and feasibility will no doubt be a part of discussions. Safety of current and potential victims integrity, and transparency must be the outcome of our work. Please pray for our committee and for our convention as we lean into this difficult issue. The SBC has a very tainted past. Blatant racism, latent discrimination, controversy and sinful activity have been part of our history. They are a part of every organization of humanity. The latest actions could lead people to disengage from the SBC. I understand. However, I choose reform from within. Here are the reasons I choose to continue to invest in the SBC: Mission Funding Strategy – The cooperative program mission endeavor is still the most effective way of spreading the message of Jesus. Missionaries/Church Planters – Many current missionaries have left families and country to share the Gospel. They left with the promise of SBC support. Network of Believers – Staff, partners in ministry, and friends have been developed because of our SBC connections. Disaster Relief – When disaster hits, Southern Baptists seek to bring relief to hurting people. Theological Education – SBC seminaries make the best theological education in the world affordable to future generations. Survivor Protection – A network committed, although very late in its commitment, to rooting out the evil of sexual abuse from our congregations is better than 50,000 independent churches with little support to address the issue. Self-Correcting Capacity and Desire – We have a troubled past. We have fostered sinful behavior and will make more mistakes but thankfully some are in our past. I pray for the day that sexual abuse is a former issue facing the SBC. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nick Sandefur is senior pastor of Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky. #JUNE22

by Jamie Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – How does a godly woman and mother build up a strong home life? With all the craziness going on in our world and local communities, it’s difficult to know what the priorities are. Probably the easiest standard to evaluate your family and home life is by talking with other women and mothers while waiting to pick your kids up from school, chatting with your neighbor, or over coffee with your bestie. You weigh if the difficult things that are going on in your family are worse or better than your conversation-friend. If everything is going better than the lives of your friends, then you think you’re doing well enough. But is that the standard we should evaluate our home lives and family with? There are so many questions to consider when working to improve your home life. These questions below only touch the surface of what we need to work on with our families and take to God for wisdom and direction. But these are the current issues that cry out to me and affect our home life. May God lead us even in the small things to do what’s right and beneficial for ourselves and our families. MEDIA Where do we draw the line with screen time and content? What kinds of things should we allow and where should we draw the line and say these TV shows, videos or games aren’t good for us? With our kids, how do we decide about internet use, what age, how long, late-night texting friends, etc…? What is the best standard for us to use as Jesus followers? Since the Bible was written before the internet came into play, how do we find wisdom in leading our families? GAMBLING What about the battle of something being legal versus if it’s good for us and our family? Michigan Gambling is promoted constantly on TV. They even say they’ll front you the first $100. It is online and easy access on your phone 24/7. It is definitely a subject for your family conversations. It would be good during your family devotion time to search the Bible for what it says about gambling/money (I Timothy 6:9-10; Proverbs 13:11; I Timothy 6:10). MARIJUANA Marijuana is also legal in Michigan. Used for recreational use, is it helpful or hurtful to our families? It is a subject that is important to talk with your family about. With more and more people deciding to smoke/eat marijuana, you need to have set your standard on the Word of God and not on what the public chooses. These verses speak to the theme of marijuana use, Galatians 6:7-8, 2 Timothy 4:5, I Peter 4:1-6, Peter 5:7 and many more. Mothers, for all your questions about your family, search the Bible for Scriptures and ask God to help you know if it will build up your family or tear it down. God’s word says, “A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1. Think about the things you can do with your family to help build a strong godly home life. Make a list of those things with your spouse and kids. Find unity in what would make your family healthier. Start by choosing one thing from your list to work on or add to your family’s time together. Here's some good options: Pray and read Scripture together each day (mealtimes or other) Attend church together Have family conversations over issues that arise Make your home safe/peaceful/joy-filled Remove cussing and add in polite words Build each other up Spend time together as a family (not too busy in sports, clubs, separate activities) Have rules for resolving conflict Express your love for each other Here are some great guiding Scriptures: Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8 Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 Let’s not allow our family life to slowly decay and evolve into something that isn’t healthy. God is willing to help us. He not only created us, offered salvation from our sinful selves, but also gave us His Word to read for guidance and help with our families. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jamie Lynn is the Communications Director for the BSCM. Jamie loves working for the Michigan churches at the State Convention Office. She is married to Dr. Tony Lynn, State Director of Missions and enthusiastic follower of Jesus Christ. They have 3 married children and 9 amazing grandchildren. #MAY22

by Rick and Cindy Truesdail Happy Spring, MI COMers! We are so happy to be home and yet a little sad to leave the mission work at The Great Passion Play (GPP). We feel we accomplished what God had sent us to do there for six weeks. It was fun for us to have our son, Richard, work beside us for last two of those weeks. He enjoyed it a lot and loved this place just as much as we do, wishing he could stay longer. Kent is the director at the GPP, and Joe oversees the volunteer workers. For those who have been there, you know that both these dedicated Christian men are wonderful to work for. Many know that if you love your job, it’s not work. Well, we loved our jobs, and many days went past eight hours working because we didn’t want to quit. COMers are asked to work a minimum of 16 hours per week when they camp at a site. It’s amazing how easy it is to just keep on working until you know you must stop and grab a bit of dinner and get ready for bed. Not a requirement – a blessing! We hope you keep on mission for the glory of God’s kingdom and enjoy it as much as we do. This year we saw evidence of our work from last year and we just continued to build upon leaving our own little imprint on this ministry. Some of you have made a big difference here over many years. We can’t catch up with you, but we will keep doing our part each year. “I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life that God has given them, for this is their reward." Ecclesiastes 5:18 Sharing Christ as We Go, Rick and Cindy Bambi Work Week & Spring Rally 2022 May 9-14, 2022 Monday noon – Saturday AM Bambi Lake Baptist Retreat & Conference Center Roscommon, MI REGISTER NOW! Set aside this week to come to and be a part of MI COM on mission. We have four work teams: Construction, Cleaning & Beautification, Sewing, and Kitchen. There is always a place for you! Contact Cindy to make your reservation for a campsite or room in the lodge. Construction team will be installing an egress window in one of the cabins. Beautification team will have all kinds of yard work to do: - Cleaning leaves out behind buildings and flower beds, twigs, etc. from yard. - Clean-up of yard/landscaping at beach house. - Front sign area - Sand and paint registers on the first floor rooms. Sewing team will have some curtains that need hemming from the white trailer. If we have time, we will work on MI-COM sewing projects. Bring your sewing machine, materials (cotton, flannel, etc.) The SBC Disaster Relief team will be there too, and it is a joy to work beside them. Delicious meals are provided by Bambi Lake staff. This is a wonderful way to begin your summer! JACHIN ABC Youth Program Weekday evenings in the month of July 2022 Plan to be involved with MI COM and Jachin Baptist Church ABC Youth Program outreach in July – working with boys and girls in Flint to learn carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and sewing skills; AND telling them about Jesus! You will be able to work each weekday evening or pick a day(s) that suits your schedule. Even if you can come just one day, you will be blessed to see what this exciting ministry offers to Flint youth who really need this! More information to follow soon. 2022 COM National Rally June 7-9, 2022 North Florida Fairgrounds Tallahassee, FL Celebrate the Golden 50th Anniversary of Campers on Mission. "Renew in 2022" will be the theme. Many special speakers, lots of sings! Workshops, training, and networking! Send in your registration today! Click here to download the registration form. COM working at The Great Passion Play We did a lot of work during our 6 week stay at the Great Passion Play (GPP). Our son, Richard, came to work with us the last 2 weeks and loved it as much as we do. COMers can schedule a mission project there throughout the year, so put this on your bucket list! Chaplain's Corner The story is told of a teacher who gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?” When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word “Mother”. In this month of Mother’s Day celebration, my prayer is that Moms and Grandma’s will do much more than clean up the messes left behind by their children and grandchildren: but rather, that they (like a magnet) will draw their children to Jesus Christ, the One and only Savior and the very Son of God, who is the only One who can clean up their souls. I am praying for you! To the Praise of His Glory, Chaplain Chip MI COM Tees & Hats For Sale We have fun things and essentials for you to let others know you are a MI COMer!!! We encourage you to wear the tees whenever you are working or on a COM event. Tees are printed on the front and the back Patches are iron-on or easy to sew onto your shirts or jackets Key Chains are plastic on metal holder Hand-held fan is paper on wooden handle Hats are gray with embroidered logo, adjustable Lapel Pins are easily attached to a suit jacket or coat. Stickers to put on notebooks, computers, etc. Pens to accent your writing Contact Cindy for your purchase. MI COM Officers & Executive Board Presidents/Project Coordinator: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Vice-President/Project: Tony Morningstar Hospitality/Food Coordinator: Kim Norrington & Maria Hannuksela Sewing Project Coordinator: Cindy Truesdail & Terry Simmons Cleaning & Beautification Coordinator: Sharon Hessling & Ruth Farwell Secretary: Brandi Dyke Treasurer: Gary Hannuksela Chaplain: Pastor Chip Collins Historian: Cindy Truesdail Disaster Relief Liaison: Warren Hessling Networking Center Keep checking at our online Website and Facebook for announcements! Website: www.michigancampersonmission.org Facebook: Michigan Campers on Mission For more information, contact: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Phone: (810) 869-4716 Email: michigancampersonmission@gmail.com #MAY22

by Mike Durbin PLYMOUTH, MI – Recently, we met with a pastor who is interested in affiliating with us - becoming a part of our Michigan Baptist family. It’s a conversation we are having more often as churches look for a network where they can connect. As I gathered materials to share with him, I reread a document, ``Benefits of Affiliation with the Baptist State Convention of Michigan,” to make sure that it was up to date. It so encouraged me that I decided to share it with you. We identify with the national Southern Baptist Convention (the largest Protestant denomination and largest missionary sending body in America) which brings with it a commitment to Biblical orthodoxy and the reputation of diverse and autonomous Baptist churches working together to fulfill the Great Commission both locally and around the world. As a cooperating church of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (agree with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, give to Cooperative Program, and complete an Annual Church Profile), you enjoy many unique benefits: 1. Worldwide missions investment. Your church’s gifts through the Cooperative Program (CP) help support more than 6,000 missionaries in Michigan, North America and the world. These missionaries share the Gospel, make disciples of Jesus Christ, and help plant new churches, all from a foundation of sound, Baptist doctrine as expressed in The Baptist Faith and Message 2000. 2. Worldwide missions involvement. These 6,000+ missionaries also form a network throughout the world for your church to be personally involved in missions, through praying, giving, going on short-term trips or as missionaries themselves. In addition, coordinated SBC and BSCM ministries such as Disaster Relief, women’s ministries, church planting, church revitalization, and collegiate ministries give churches many connections and opportunities for mission service. 3. Training for effective ministry. Your church’s Cooperative Program (CP) giving helps support more than 24,000 students training for ministry in six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries, and that discounted education is available to members of your church as well. In addition, BSCM staff, supported through the CP, are available to help your church discern and clarify their next step forward in their vision. Webinars, distance learning, and downloadable web resources from BSCM and its partners can bring customized training right into your church or home. 4. Tax exempt status. If your church does not have its own 501(C)(3) non-profit status, you may qualify for that status under the umbrella of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Each church is required to have their own Employee Identification Number (EIN). 5. Church staff benefits. Qualifying church staff who participate in the GuideStone Retirement plan will receive protection benefit (death and disability) insurance through the national SBC’s GuideStone Financial Resources. GuideStone also offers health insurance. 6. Networking and fellowship. BSCM has about 290 member churches and is starting new churches each year in Michigan. BSCM can connect you quickly with other churches or experienced church leaders who can assist your church in whatever challenges it faces, from pastor search processes to church conflict mediation to church finance and management issues. And when your church is ready to relocate, expand to a new site, or plant a new church, BSCM can assist you with those processes as well. 7. Quality communications. In addition to the informative and helpful BSCM website, http://www.bscm.org, we have a monthly online news journal, the Baptist Beacon, baptistbeacon.net, that has encouraging, practitioner articles from Michigan Pastors and Church Leaders. 8. BSCM facilities and camps. The State Convention Office is at 41100 Plymouth Rd., Bldg. 1, Suite 315, Plymouth, MI 48170. You are welcome to stop by for conversations or lunch at any time. We also have the Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center in Roscommon, MI. This facility is available to your church for its own training and retreats. Several pre planned events and retreats are provided each year in this relaxing getaway location. For current events, please check the website: bambilakelife.squarespace.com. 9. Financial ministry assistance. Churches involved in evangelistic, or church planting strategies may receive financial grants or assistance from the BSCM in support of those efforts. 10. Fellowship and Encouragement. Isolation can be devastating for pastors leading a church in today’s culture. Being part of the BSCM provides the opportunity for true Biblical fellowship, inspiration and accountability for pastors and leaders through associational, regional, and state-wide gatherings. There are regional pastor cohorts that foster peer learning, sharing and encouragement that help strengthen pastors. 11. Connection and Collaboration. Here are some great connection points: Tim Patterson, BSCM Executive Director, tim@bscm.org, 904-408-9521 Tony Lynn, Church Planting Leader, tlynn@namb.net, 734-770-0608 Mike Durbin, State Director of Evangelism, mike@bscm.org, 248-631-7154 Coye Bouyer, Diversity Ambassador, bouyerfamily4@yahoo.com, 517-402-1191 Bob Kiger, State Disaster Relief Director, bob@bscm.org, 586-381-0626 Susan Hodnett, State Women’s Ministries/WMU Director, sue@bscm.org, 586-219-4192 Jamie Lynn, Executive Assistant, jamie@bscm.org, 734-770-0587 Dan Carty, Ministry Assistant, dan@bscm.org, 734-776-6495 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil. #MAY22