The Ohio Baptist Messenger is the monthly news publication of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. Visit www.scbo.org to learn more...
VOLUME 73 ISSUE 5 MAY 2025
Celebrating the Cooperative Program Episode One: “CP100 Pastor Darrell Deer”
Full story on page 8
2 | May 2025
Featured This Month Church Planting, Replanting Working in Ohio by Dr. Jeremy Westbrook
3 4 5 6 8 8
Pick Up Your Cross and Follow the King by Adam Pursel
Changing Hands But Continuing the Mission
Florida-Ohio Partnership: “Only God Could Have Written That Story” CP100: How the Cooperative Program Fuels the Great Commission in Ohio Celebrating the Cooperative Program Episode One: “CP100 Pastor Darrell Deer”
God is Not Done with You Yet
10 11 12 13 13 14 15
SCBO Welcomes New Ministry Assistant Tis The Season for Disaster Response
Bearing Burdens Conference set for May 13 in Mansfield Free SCBO Resource Explains SBC Entities, Acronyms
Testimonies of God’s Faithfulness across Ohio
New SCBO Website ONLINE NOW!
The Ohio Baptist Messenger Staff
Dr. Jeremy Westbrook, editor-in-chief Stephanie Heading, managing editor
Seth Wicker, digital communication assistant AJ Frasure, director of IT
-- Tell us your story -- The Ohio Baptist Messenger is a monthly publication highlighting what the Lord is doing in SCBO churches or min- istries, and we need your help! Tell us your story and we could feature it in an upcoming issue of The Messenger . Please submit your stories to messenger@scbo.org. For more information, please contact Stephanie Heading at messenger@scbo.org.
Published monthly by The State Convention of Baptists in Ohio for members of Southern Baptist churches in Ohio. | 9000 Antares AveColumbus, Ohio 43240
May 2025 | 3
Church Planting, Replanting Working in Ohio It’s working.
their lives open-handed and to hold everything loose - ly.” What if we as pastors held the families and finances of the church we lead loosely and open-handedly? Our God is a sending God, and we must follow that example. When I served as Senior Pastor in Marysville and we commissioned our first church plant, I told our church planter he was free to preach and ask our entire church to go with him. To be completely honest, I was a little nervous that some of our faithful covenant members might walk out the door alongside him. However, God reminded me that they are not my people, but His. They’re not my resources, but His. It’s not my church, but His. Pastor, will you stand and ask your leaders that you have spent years investing in to go with your planter and trust God? Remember, we gain by losing. A phrase we must champion is that we are not losing members but launch- ing missionaries. Be encouraged Ohio Baptists...it’s working. Moving Forward,
Recently, SCBO held its first-ever SEND Ohio retreat for current church planters, replanters, and their spouses here in the Buckeye State. Dr. Paul Akin, provost at The Southern Baptist Theolog - ical Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, traveled to Colum - bus to both challenge and encourage our planters. Also, his wife Kari accompanied him to share and have a spe - cial gathering with the wives. The weekend was a time to sharpen one another from the Word of God and to also be reminded of who we are as Southern Baptists. A historical reminder of the origin of the Southern Baptist Convention, State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, and the Cooperative Program were well received and appreciated. The prioritization and educa - tion of the SBC are foundational as we plant and replant churches here in Ohio. Nearly 80 planters, replanters, and their spouses gath - ered in Columbus for this two-day event, with many staying an extra night to enjoy a special date night pro- vided by the SCBO. Dr. Paul Akin said he left extremely encouraged and energized by this event and thanked Ohio Baptists for making this a top priority. I want to encourage all of our churches to continue to pray for and support our church planters and replanters. Is the Lord calling your church to plant a church? Dr. Adrian Rogers was famous for calling Christians to “live
Dr. Jeremy Westbrook Executive Director-Treasurer, SCBO
4 | May 2025
President’s Pen Pick Up Your Cross and Follow the King
Ohio is full of people who are trying to gain the world. Now, most likely, the people in our communities aren’t angling for global domination…they’re probably really nice people who are just trying to get a little more money, a little more pleasure, a little more power. How should we respond to this? First, we have to recognize that we are impacted by our time and place. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. The world calls us to prioritize our own needs and desires…to pursue more money, more pleasure, and more power…and the world is really effective in this temptation. Thus, we must daily resolve to follow the Lord - not the world. Second, we have to remember our mission to the world. Given the first point, there is a temptation to isolate ourselves from the world. We can end up in a place where we do not know or have a close relationship with any non-Christians. We can end up in a place where we rarely, if ever, share the Gospel with a non-Christian. This is not the way of Jesus. This is not the way of self-denial and cross-carrying to which He calls us. Following Jesus includes proclaiming Jesus to a lost and dying world. So, let’s pick up our crosses and follow the King! He is worthy of obedience, and He is worthy of proclamation! If you’re not sure where to begin, we can help! It’s just an email or phone call away. There are amazing resources in our state to help church leaders. You can always reach me at president@scbo.org. 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 16:24-26). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
Grace and Peace, Adam Pursel SCBO President
May 2025 | 5
Changing Hands But Continuing the Mission On a chilly day in late October 2024, I received a phone call from James Risner, associational mission strategist, Greater Dayton Association of Baptists. James asked if I’d be willing to meet with Adam Chanin, pastor of North Central Baptist Church (NCBC) in Riverside. By Chad Keck, West Region catalyst
Awakenings Church in Troy. I had just finished preaching at NCBC the previous weekend and had no idea how divinely appointed this lunch would be. As Matt shared what God was doing at Awakenings Church, I was blown away. They were reaching people on the margins—those who were homeless, in recovery, or coming out of incredibly hard places. The more he described their ministry, the more I thought, These are the same kinds of people living around NCBC. So I asked, “Have you ever thought about planting a church like Awakenings in Dayton?” His eyes lit up as he replied, “We’d love that, but we don’t have a place.” I couldn’t hold back my excitement. “I do,” I said. That conversation quickly turned into action. I connected Adam and Matt, and throughout the winter, a friendship and shared vision developed. Then, on April 6, with great anticipation and unity, the members of NCBC voted to give their property to Awakenings Church to launch their second campus in Dayton. Pastor Matt recently shared the vision for the new cam - pus: “We hope to create an atmosphere where people en- counter the living God, whether through worship, the preaching of the gospel, prayer, giving, or simply through food, fellowship, and casual conversation. We’re plan - ning to host a wide range of events: life skills classes, ad - diction recovery groups, youth nights, trauma recovery meetings, youth basketball, and of course, the preaching of the word.” What began as a conversation over barbecue has be - come a beautiful picture of God’s sovereignty, provision, and power to bring new life. NCBC may be changing hands, but the mission continues. God is on the move in Dayton—and this is just the beginning.
He shared that NCBC was facing serious challenges and wondered if perhaps the state convention, or even my church, might be able to help. I agreed and soon set up lunch with Adam. Over some delicious City BBQ, Adam opened up about the story of NCBC. Like many churches in Dayton, it had once thrived as a neighborhood congregation. But over the years, the neighborhood changed, and the church struggled to adapt. As he spoke, I could sense his deep love for his church, but also his awareness that the ten remaining members couldn’t bring about the revitalization that was needed. We prayed together and scheduled a Wednesday night visit a few weeks later so I could meet with the congre - gation. When I pulled into the parking lot that evening, I imme - diately saw that the church was situated in a neighbor- hood filled with opportunity and need. The building was in good shape, but the community clearly needed hope and healing. As I listened to the people share their hearts, I was moved by their sincerity. I heard things like, “If only our kids would come back,” and “Hopefully the Lord will fill this building again.” Then someone asked the question on everyone’s mind: “What options does a church like ours have?” I walked them through several possibilities: They could attempt to re-engage their community, consider merging with another church, offer the property for a replant, or, if it came to it, close and donate the property. As I spoke, it was clear they had a deep love for both their church and their neighborhood. The thought of closing was difficult for them to imagine. We agreed to keep praying and seeking God’s direction. I left that night with a heavy heart and a deep burden for this church. That burden only grew stronger after I returned in ear- ly December to preach one Sunday morning. I even engaged my church, First Baptist Kettering, to explore whether we could take on a replant. As much as we wanted to help, the Holy Spirit made it clear that it wasn’t our assignment. Around that same time, in my role as West Region Cat- alyst, I arranged a lunch with Pastor Matt Wendell of
North Central Baptist Church, Riverside
6 | May 2025
Florida-Ohio Partnership: “Only God Could Have Written That Story” By Stephanie Heading, managing editor
While patrolling the streets of Monroe, Ohio, Officer Drew White regularly stopped to make sure the doors of First Baptist Church, now Life Church, were locked. Frequently the doors were open, so Drew and his ser- geant, also a believer, entered the building. “It was pretty often we would come into that old chapel when it would slow down at night, and we would be able to take a break, and we would just pray,” Drew recalled. “We would pray over the church in the city, in our depart - ment, and God did that.” Today, Drew is the pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Lakev - iew, Florida. In 2024, he shared this story with Bill Sar- gent, pastor, Life Church, Monroe, as they became part- ner churches in the Florida-Ohio partnership between Ohio’s Southwest Region and Florida’s Central Region. However, serving as a senior pastor in a Florida church and partnering with an Ohio church are a long way from where Drew thought he would be. Born in West Chester, Ohio, Drew graduated from Lako- ta East High School and spent the first 33 years of his life in southwest Ohio. “I always wanted to be a police officer, and that was my goal,” he said. “That was my plan, and so when I grad- uated high school I got an associate’s degree and then enrolled at the academy in Sharonville.” Drew became a police officer in 2007, was hired full-time by the city of Monroe police department in 2009, and served there until 2018. “The interesting thing was that towards my last three or four years, God really put the call to preach on my heart,
Pastor Drew White and family.
and I ran from it because it wasn’t a part of my plan – it just wasn’t in the cards,” he remembers. “I was a police- man. I’m working the streets. I’m in a city that I love, and I’m close to home. However, God had a plan to get Drew’s attention and brought him to his knees. He was diagnosed with a blood disease called IHA–autoimmune hemolytic anemia. He developed jaundice as his body destroyed his red blood cells and endured a year of treatment to no avail. “It ultimately led to a surgery where I had to have my spleen removed,” he said. After surgery, he stopped running. “I made a commit- ment to him,” he said. “I said, ‘Lord, as soon as I get raised up and you give me health, the very first service I get to I’m going to surrender to the call of ministry.’” As Drew transitioned from police work to full-time min- istry, working nights on patrol in Monroe and attending seminary part-time, God gave him a burden for the offi - cers he worked with. “God also put on my heart to start a Bible study at our local police department,” he said. “I just felt that most of our department was lost or claimed Christ in name, but there was no fruit. I just knew that whatever way God would use me, I needed to be a shining light.” The Monroe police station didn’t have room for groups to meet, so Drew contacted First Baptist Church, now Life Church, where he had stopped to pray on nights when the building was unlocked. “We got permission to use the smaller chapel building, and we started meeting there once a month on Tuesday Story continues on the next page...
Pastor Bill Sargent and family.
May 2025 | 7
nights giving this Bible study,” he said. “We did that for a year and God really grew it. We had about 30 people that were attending.” Eventually, Drew left the Monroe Police Department to serve in ministry full-time, and just a few years later, he accepted the pastorate of Faith Baptist Church, Lakev - iew, Florida. As the Florida/Ohio partnership grew, SCBO Southwest Region Catalyst Reagan Wagoner contacted Bill and asked if he was interested in having someone from Flor - ida preach one Sunday at Life Church. “I like preachers to come in and preach,” Bill said “I’ll preach three and give one to someone else to share.” Wagoner told Bill his guest preacher would be a former Monroe police officer. Bill says he got “Those Holy Ghost goosebumps. You start to get what’s going on.” According to Bill, he jokingly warned his church before Drew came to speak. “My wife is a police dispatcher, and I’m an ex-drug deal- er, so it’s a weird combination,” he said. “I told our peo- ple the Sunday before, if you have a warrant, maybe stay home next Sunday – a cop is coming to share.” However, Bill felt an instant connection to Drew as they shared a meal during their visit. “My buddy, Drew, was sitting next to us,” Bill said. “There were no other churches in the room, and they didn’t even put us together at first.”
Since their first meeting, Bill and Drew have stayed in contact through Facebook, developing their partnership. Their churches have a shared Facebook page enabling church members to get to know each other before they meet in person during a pair of reciprocal mission trips this August. God’s plan to bring them and their churches together has been overwhelming to both Drew and Bill. “God’s sovereignty is a gift that involves Drew and me coming together,” Bill said. “If I think about when I was in Trenton or Franklin, God was already orchestrating what he was going to in Monroe, Ohio, with me, who thought we were planting somewhere else. He just said, no, no, no, no, no, no, you need to be here. I have you here.” Drew agrees with Bill. “Here I am getting to partner our church in Florida with him, but also being able, it was just such an honor, to preach and help a church replant-revitalization work that my ministry started in just years ago. It was only God. Only God could have written that story.” For more information about the Florida-Ohio Partnership and how the Lord is using this cooperative effort, please visit http://go.scbo.org/FloridaPartnership to view our latest partnership video.”
8 | May 2025
Pastor Darrell Deer and Buzz Kocher, SCBO director of strategic initiatives
CP100: How the Cooperative Program Fuels the Great Commission in Ohio
In 2025, Southern Baptists are celebrating the 100th an - niversary of the Cooperative Program (CP) which was formulated in 1925 as a unified giving plan for Southern Baptists. CP was designed to be the financial fuel that funds the advancement of the Gospel regionally, state - wide, nationally, and globally. It allows churches every - where to participate in a collective mission. Churches support the Cooperative Program by submit - ting contributions through a network of state and regional Baptist conventions. Those conventions use a portion of these funds to fuel the ministry and mission goals estab- lished by their churches. Each state Baptist convention then forwards a percent - age of those funds to the Southern Baptist Convention, providing financial support for Convention entities to send missionaries, train pastors and ministry leaders, plant churches and address ethical and religious liberty concerns related to our faith. Cooperative Program funds forwarded from the states also provide support for the SBC operating budget. SCBO is celebrating this Cooperative Program milestone with “CP100,” a series of interviews highlighting the im - pact of the Cooperative Program on churches and indi - viduals in each of Ohio’s six regions. Cooperative Program information courtesy of https:// www.sbc.net/about/
Celebrating the Cooperative Program Episode One: “CP100 Pastor Darrell Deer”
SCBO is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Cooperative Program with “CP100,” a series of in - terviews highlighting the impact of the Cooperative Program on churches and individuals in each of Ohio’s six regions. Our series kicks off in the Northwest Region of Ohio. Pastor Darrell Deer, College Heights BC, Elyria, is an Ohio Baptist through and through. His salva - tion, ministry calling, and 35 years in the pastorate have been in SCBO churches. Through the triumphs and the challenges of ministry, he
remains an ardent supporter of the Southern Baptist Conven - tion and the Cooperative Program. Don’t miss the first episode of our cele - bration of the Cooperative Program, “CP100: Pastor Darrell Deer.”
May 2025 | 9
10 | May 2025
God is Not Done with You Yet While I am a planter at heart, I also love seeing dead or dying things come back to life. I love doing what I do as a pastor, an AMS, and a coach/consultant in church health and revitalization for SCBO. This month, I wanted to share a testimony of how God has moved through my life pastoring churches in need of revitalization. I am currently the pastor of Freedom Hill Community Church in Stow. Before that, I was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Vermilion. Both churches were in serious decline. FBC Vermilion had gone from 35 to 17 due to physical death in the church. The median age was 80+ and 75% were widows. My predecessor asked me to take care of the church as he was dying of cancer and I was the AMS at the time. We started a Wednesday Bible study simply reading and journaling the Bible. Nine months into the journaling, it was a joy to listen to these sweet ladies share in tears how God was revealing himself through his scriptures. These sweet ladies began to pray, and God convicted them that this church was his and not theirs. We spoke of true surrender to the Lord and returning to their first love (Revelation 2). It was easy for me to say I would be their pastor. I would love to take credit for all of this, but my prede - cessor did all the prep work. Pastor Nile Hill would go to the church and lie prostrate on the floor asking God to move in the congregation and community. During COVID we grew to 40+ and ministered to the community with a drive-thru lunch line. The church that had a bad reputa - tion in the community brought hope during COVID and more than $4,000 came from the community to keep the lunch drive-thru going. By Mark Jones, revitalization consultant
Freedom Hill Community Church had 27 when I arrived, but this church was different. They had a desire to live and love the community around them. They just did not know how to do that. My predecessor had led them to this point but admittedly struggled with outreach. Years prior, this congregation was told they would not survive and should consider closing or surrendering to a replant. Three and a half years ago we took a health assessment. On a scale of 1 to 5, this congregation of 27 scored 1.87 overall. Their struggle revealed the greatest weakness in evangelism, discipleship, and worship. In 2022, that was the target and in 2024 we scored on a 10-point Pulse scale greater than 8 with an average attendance of 50+, giving to local outreach and overall mission more than 22% and baptizing an average of 3 per year. I wish I could take credit for this, but God opened doors for us that we cannot explain. I am friends with the may- or and the city has shown grace with our building proj- ects. We prayed for children to come to our church and God has brought a homeschool Co-Op group with over 70 children in attendance every Tuesday. God is NOT done with your congregation. When we sur - render everything to Him, he will reveal himself in greater ways than you could ever imagine. Pastor, when we first love the people that we are called to lead, we will actually be able to lead, and they will love it. I would love to have a conversation with you about church health and revitalization. This is why I love to do what I do. Connect with me at mjones@scbo.org.
Freedom Hill Baptist Church
May 2025 | 11
SCBO Welcomes New Ministry Assistant In April, SCBO welcomed Kaitie James to the role of Ministry Assistant for Events.
“I wasn’t looking for a job or expecting it, but when I was approached about working for the SCBO, God worked it out perfectly,” she said. “I love do - ing ministry and being part of kingdom growth, taking care of things behind the scenes so others can focus on the event and what the Lord wants to say. I’m excited to get to do that while still hav - ing time with my family and church family.” Kaitie hopes her work at SCBO will make a king - dom impact. “Whether by relieving others of workload so they can use their abilities for other things or for rest, or by personally sharing the gospel with someone, my goal is to work as if for the Lord and see others be saved,” she noted. Already a familiar face at Worship 4:24, Kaitie is married to Zac James, SCBO worship consultant. “I am blessed to be married to the only man I’ve ever dated, a godly leader, and wonderful hus - band and father,” she said. “We have two sweet, healthy babies who are so loved and know it! We love being together, doing ministry at our home
Katie James
church of FBC Lancaster and out, gaming, read- ing stacks of books, movie nights, disc golfing, and going for walks, plus so many other hobbies and joys that I couldn’t list them all.” As she begins her work with SCBO, Kaitie is thrilled that she can serve the Lord and pursue other interests. “I get to be a work-from-home mom, homes- chooling my children while doing photography and T-shirt design on the side, and being thankful for my many blessings,” she said.
12 | May 2025
Tis The Season for Disaster Response By Dr. John Heading, Ohio Disaster Relief state director
take one day off from their regular jobs instead of an en - tire week away from work. During a day trip to the area, new Ohio DR team leader Paul O’Bryant from First Baptist Church, Waverly, led a team to New Richmond to assist two families. One was a man who was able to get a few things done but really needed help doing the heavy tear out. The team also included chaplains Mark and Mary Leigh Snowden from Clough Pike Baptist Church. The role of the chaplain can be challenging. They are try- ing to have conversations with homeowners, assessing their stress levels and assisting in any needed trauma care. In addition, they are responsible for the emotional and spiritual care of the DR team they serve alongside. While local individuals feel trauma after an event, our DR volun - teers experience stress as they help others. Much of the work in disaster relief is done for people who can’t do it themselves. In New Richmond, Ohio, DR as - sisted a couple, Samantha and Kevin. Kevin recently had heart surgery and was unable to work. Samantha spent time talking with Chaplain Mary Leigh Snowden and shared that she was grateful for Ohio DR coming to help with the flood recovery in her home. For nearly two hours, Mary Leigh listened to Samantha as she poured out her heart about the hardships that had befallen her family in recent years. Everything Ohio Disaster Relief does comes from a heart for compassion ministry. That’s our mission. We bring help, hope, and healing to people in crisis. Our work helps people pick up the pieces and begin to move for - ward. What we do also opens the door for all our DR volunteers, not just our chaplains, to share the hope and peace that come from a life with Jesus Christ.
There’s hunting season, vacation season, and even off-season. But in Ohio Disaster Relief, the seasons are a little different. We have spring tornado and flood season which gives way to summer/fall hurricane and flood season. These are followed by random ice storms and man-made di- saster seasons. In the southern United States and the Ohio River Valley, April was marred by serious tornadoes and flooding. In Cincinnati, the Ohio River rose to 60.9 feet, well over its normal 25.4 feet. The high water caused flooding in sev - eral counties along the Ohio River. To help residents, the city of Cincinnati hosted a Commu- nity Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 12, at the LaBlond Recreation Center. Ohio Disaster Relief provided food service. Our feeding unit handed out bottled water, snacks, cof- fee, and chicken noodle soup. LeAnn Byford, mass care coordinator for the Hamilton County emergency manag- er, commented that she had many comments about how much people liked the coffee and soup. Team chaplain and feeding unit cook, Sarah Jo Wright from Urbancrest Baptist Church, had the opportunity to talk to and pray with the mayor of Cincinnati and other officials at the event. Supporting the community cleanup was just the begin- ning. To best meet the needs of impacted residents in Hamil- ton and Clermont Counties, Ohio DR deployed teams in a targeted way through day trips into the affected areas. Day trips allow Ohio DR volunteers the opportunity to Ohio DR Chaplain David Bonnell, University Baptist Church, Beavercreek, presents a Bible to New Richmond homeowners who were helped by Ohio DR.
Severe storms caused the Ohio River to overflow into New Richmond, Ohio.
Bearing Burdens Conference set for May 13 in Mansfield May 2025 | 13
In Galatians 6:2, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers,“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” On May 13, pastors and church members can learn how to care for those in crisis during the Bearing Burdens Conference at Lincoln Heights Baptist Church, Mansfield. Buckeye Central/Erie Baptist Association (BCEBA) is sponsoring the one-day conference and Josh Swinehart, BCEBA moderator, encourages both pastors and church members to attend the event. “The focus of this is going to be mostly on soul care and counseling topics,” he said. Swinehart says the event is open to both pastors and their church members. “Sometimes as a pastor it is overwhelming to figure out what to say to someone in a difficult situation,” he noted. “But what about when it’s the person next to you in the pew who’s going through something. We want to equip our pastors but we really want to push them to bring their Dr. Paul Tautges - Paul Tautges serves as senior pas - tor at Cornerstone Community Church, Mayfield Heights, Ohio. He is a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, a teaching fellow with the Association of Cer- tified Biblical Counselors and has completed the Forma - congregations and encourage that.” Speakers for the Conference include:
tion Certificate from the Christian Counseling and Educa - tional Foundation, Glenside, PA. He will lead a breakout session based on his book “Counseling One Another.” Dr. David “Gunner” Gundersen - Dr. David “Gunner” Gundersen is the Dean of Faculty at the Christian Coun- seling and Educational Foundation, Glenside, PA. During the conference he will lead a breakout session on hard topics in counseling. Drs. Bob and Susan Burnett - Drs. Bob and Susan Bur- nett, Mt. Gilead Glory Baptist Church, will discuss the burdens of ministry on couples during their breakout ses- sion. Pastor Rick Williams - Pastor Rick Williams is Senior Pastor of Violet Baptist Church, Pickerington, Ohio. As a firm believer in leading from a healthy soul, Rick’s passion lies in encouraging and coaching other leaders to do the same. His breakout session will address ministry burnout. In addition to the breakout sessions, the speakers will participate in a panel discussion during the lunch break. Register now for the Bearing Burdens Conference, Sat- urday, May 13, at Lincoln Heights Baptist Church, Mans - field, from 10 am to 2 pm. Registration is $20, and lunch will be provided. To register, visit https://bceba.ticketspice.com/bear - ing-burdens-conference.
Free SCBO Resource Explains SBC Entities, Acronyms
If you have ever needed a concise resource to explain the Southern Baptist Convention to those who are new to the SBC, that resource is now available for you. SCBO has compiled and printed a new booklet, “Understanding the Southern Baptist Convention,” and it’s available NOW at https://scbo.org/whoweare . Buzz Kocher, SCBO director of strategic initiatives, created the new resource after requests from Ohio pastors.
“The idea of the booklet came from the SCBO Vision Tour in 2024,” Kocher said. “Some pastors mentioned it would be helpful if we had a resource that described the SBC in layman’s terms so pastors, new pastors, new church planters, and even church members could get a better understanding of all the different letters and acronyms that we have in the SBC.” The booklet gives brief explanations of everything from the Executive Committee to the local association with acronyms included. “I hope the booklet will help educate people about the SCBO/SBC and that this is a tool they could use in their churches when talking about the impact the SBC has locally and globally whether in informational classes or membership classes within their churches,” Kocher said. “It’s something small and simple to use to help people see the impor- tance of cooperation in Ohio and around the world.” To view “Understanding the Southern Baptist Convention,” visit our web - site at https://scbo.org/whoweare .
14 | May 2025
Testimonies of God’s Faithfulness across Ohio
Freedom Hill Community Church utilized part one of the initiative evange - lism grant awarded this year to impact over 600 children during a city of Stow Easter event engaging families and providing a gospel QR cartoon code for families to view. I just wanted to thank you for providing many of the resources used to impact / engage families. Alongside of us, were three other gospel-cen- tric congregations in the mix. These pastors and I have been praying together for the city of Stow. –Mark Jones, Pastor, Freedom Hill Community Church The planters and wives retreat was a life-giving experience. Each and every detail was prepared with care and a desire to communicate that we were seen, understood, and valued. The message was received loud and clear. Thank you Dr. Westbrook and SCBO staff for loving us well. Let’s win Ohio!” –Jonathan Howard, church planter, Bridge City Church, Cincinnati Church Planters and Wives Retreat Easter Outreach, Freedom Hill Community Church
Spring Break Outreach to Xavier University, H2O Church, University of Cincinnati
The VBS event at Rolling Hills Baptist Church was a great success. The team did a wonderful job in preparing, planning, and presenting. We had 21 people and six churches represented from Cincinnati to Columbus. Thank you for partnering with the CABA association. Everyone left en - couraged and excited about VBS this summer. VBS Training Event, CABA Association We had to cut evangelism a half-day short because of this, but by that time we had already met so many students so that was ok. The money SCBO contributed paid for our food for the week and made the trip a lot cheaper for each of our students. Thank you so much! –Johnathan Stichweh, pastor, outreach director, H2O Church UC Quick update about the evangelism spring break trip. It was awesome. We had at least 120 gospel conversations with Xavier students and we are hoping to start an H2O life group on their campus in the fall. By the end of the week the Xavier faculty discovered that we were doing evangelism on campus. Because Xavier is a Catholic university, we were asked to stop doing that and were told we weren’t allowed to have a Bible study on campus unless we are an approved organization.
May 2025 | 15
New SCBO Website ONLINE NOW! By AJ Frasure, SCBO director of IT
The SCBO website has long needed a new design—and now it’s finally here! You deserve a platform that’s easy to navigate and ready to equip you for ministry. This isn’t just a facelift—it’s a whole new way to connect, discov - er resources, and stay in step with what God is doing across Ohio. Along with cleaner navigation, we’re also producing new content every week to highlight how God is working in Ohio.
Everything has been redesigned with pastors and churches in mind. We believe you’ll find it easier than ever to register for events, find discipleship tools, and most importantly, be reminded that you’re not alone in the work. This site is built to help us multiply the Gospel more effectively—together. Check out the new site at scbo.org, and don’t miss the first episode of our brand-new CP100 Series!
16 | May 2025
Job Postings
PASTOR Woodsfield First Baptist Church, Woodsfield
Woodsfield First Baptist Church is seeking a pastor. We are a conservative Southern Baptist Church with a blended style of worship, located in the small southeastern Ohio community of Woodsfield. Our church has the desire to grow and we seek a pastor who has the same desire, as well as the ability to work with compassion and love with all types of people. The church is seeking a man called to be a Southern Baptist pastor who agrees with the Baptist Faith and Message. He should also meet the biblical requirements listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. Pastoral experience and pastoral education are preferred. Send resume to: Pastor Church Committee Chairperson, Woodsfield First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 604, Woodsfield, OH 43793, or Email to: fbcwoodsfield@gmail.com . The church’s Facebook page is 1bcwoodsfield.
BI-VOCATIONAL PASTOR Bethel Baptist Church, Bethel
Bethel Baptist Church is seeking a bi-vocational pastor. We are a conservative Southern Baptist Church with a blended style of worship, located in southwest Ohio just east of Cincinnati. We have a small congregation with a desire to increase our fold by reaching the lost in our community and are seeking a like-minded pastor. Our mission is to “Go Make Disciples!” We are a Bible-believing church and prefer the King James Version of the Bible. We encourage all applicants to view our Sunday morning worship services on our Facebook page. The church is seeking a man called to be a Southern Baptist pastor who agrees with the Baptist Faith and Message. He should also meet the requirements listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. Pastoral education and experience are preferred. Send resume to: Pastoral Search Committee, Bethel Baptist Church, 211 E Plane St., Bethel, OH 45106, or Email to bethelbaptist@fuse. net. The church’s Facebook page is Bethel Baptist Church, SBC . Terry Davis, Chairman of the Pastoral Search Committee can be reached at 513-354-0414.
MINISTER OF MUSIC Calvary Baptist Church, Wilmington
Calvary Baptist Church, Wilmington, is seeking a part-time minister of worship. The church uses a blended approach to worship that leans contemporary. Calvary BC has a full worship band with one Sunday morning worship service a week and a few special events throughout the year. This is a part-time position of approximately 10-20 hours per week. Reach out to Pastor Dave Frasure at pastordave@ cbcwilmington.net or 513-315-7575 for more information.
Let the Ohio Baptist Messenger help your church find a new pastor or staff member! The Messenger is offering classified ads free of charge for Ohio churches searching for new pastors and staff members. The Messenger is read by churches and individuals in Ohio and across the country. To submit a classified ad, please send brief information about the position along with a return phone number or email: classifieds@scbo.org
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16Made with FlippingBook Converter PDF to HTML5