14 | July 2025
college, College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview, Texas. He said College Heights “gave me a great foundation, encouraged my pursuit of doing mission work, which was the beginning of when I realized God was calling me. This church helped me realize that missions isn’t just something you do; it’s who you are.” Messengers participate in praying and sending Heather Huggins, who will serve in South America with her husband Caleb, challenged churches with a spoken word presentation titled “Missionary Prayer.” “You make new; Only You; Holy You; God, thank You; Dark to light; Death to life; You, unchanged; Me, trans- formed. A multitude. Every. All. Me,” Heather said, con - cluding the recited prayer.
Chitwood closed the celebration by urging continued commitment to send more missionaries to the nations. During a time of responsive reading, attendees voiced their commitment. “We pray for you, that God would open doors to share the mystery of the Gospel with those who have never heard,” said the nearly 10,000 church messengers in at- tendance. The Sending Celebration ended with a time of prayer, during which Chitwood invited messengers to gather around missionaries. The next Sending Celebration will be Oct. 27, 2025, at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in Lubbock, Texas. Article courtesy of Baptist Press
Ohio Pastors Experience “Southern” Hospitality in Louisville By David Gray, pastor, First Baptist Church, Garrettsville Testimony:
A group of 25 Ohio pastors, mostly African American, vis- ited The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) and Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky recently. Reg- gie Hayes, SCBO senior staff, coordinated the trip with the assistance of Jeremy Pelton, SBTS admissions co- ordinator. As an outgoing member of The Southern Seminary Board of Trustees, I desired to help minority pastors from Ohio understand the value of a strong biblically-based college and seminary education that is provided by the seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention. The six seminaries of the SBC are some of the finest ed - ucational institutions in the country. The schools are also solidly Southern Baptist in their theology and orientation. Our visit to Southern was designed to remind pastors of the value of religious education in leading churches in Ohio and around the world. SCBO is working to create a pipeline of pastors prepared to lead now and in the future. Our Executive Director, Dr. Jeremy Westbrook shares a desire to raise leaders that are sound theologically and understand the value of co- operation. Southern’s staff rolled out the red carpet and made a credible case for the world-class education they provide. The pastors were treated to interactive talks with the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Ad- ministration, Dr. Paul Akin; Victor and Louise Lester Pro- fessor of Christian Preaching and Dean of The School of Theology, Dr. Hershael W. York; and the President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. R. Albert Mohler.
Dr. Akin encouraged the group when he shared his circu- itous path to accepting his current assignment. Dr. York inspired the attendees as he explained his confidence in the staff and direction of Southern Seminary. Dr. Mohler was frank and engaging while discussing the SBC history concerning race and how the path forward should look. We also enjoyed impressive presentations about the many offerings at the college and seminary. The Ohio pastors, ranging in age from the twenties to the seventies, warmly received this impressive remind- er of the opportunity of available Christian education for themselves and those in their churches. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaks to a group of Ohio minority pastors during their recent visit to Louisville.
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