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Partners in the Mission:
Church Focused on Missions
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| Release Date: 09/16/2008 |
| a message from Dr. Bill Mackey, executive director |
My wife, Kay, and I recently had the privilege of being present for the 78th anniversary and homecoming of the First Baptist Church of Cannonsburg, a giving church focused on missions. It was an exciting day as a congregation of nearly 240 witnessed two decisions for Christ as well as see two adults and two teens being baptized during the service.
Through the leadership of Pastor Stan Williams, church leaders, and part-time staff, the church has grown by 77 percent in worship attendance, by 173 percent in Sunday school attendance, and by 190 percent in undesignated receipts over the past 10 years.
Williams, who has served the church for 21 years, places emphasis on lifting up Jesus Christ in his preaching and leadership. He says it has been a blessing to see young people who grew up in the church become leaders.
The church has considered going to two worship services and will soon add Sunday school space to accommodate growth. An offering of more than $18,500 was received for the building fund the day I was there.
It has actually not been that long since the church built new facilities. When the church voted to build in 2000, members voted the same night to increase Cooperative Program giving by 1 percent each year for three years. Missions giving increased and the building was paid off by 2006.
The 2000 educational building has a large youth center upstairs, some Sunday school rooms, kitchen and a half-size gym, which also serves as fellowship hall.
The church now contributes 15 percent of undesignated gifts to missions through the Cooperative Program, exceeding $30,000 each year. The significance of this decision is that 60 percent of the church’s total gifts to CP since 1925 have been given in the past eleven years.
The church is also strong in supporting all of the missions offerings. IMB missionaries Mark and Susan Hatfield have ties to First Baptist and inspire church members.
The church has been very involved in partnership missions in Russia, South America, Africa and other places. The church even financed and constructed a church building in Marmont, Haiti.
Cannonsburg FBC is also strong in its support of Greenup Baptist Association ministries and Williams has been very active on association, state convention and KBC Mission Board committees.
He is also very interested in Kentucky Baptist history and has become a founding member of The J. H. Spencer Historical Society.
I am grateful for pastors like Stan Williams and for churches like the First Baptist Church of Cannonsburg who are so strongly focused on global missions and reaching their local area for Christ and His church!
Dr. Mackey's column appears weekly in the Western Recorder. To subscribe to the Western Recorder, call (502) 489-3535. |
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