New name, new schedule, same purpose: Advance Conference offers new elements while pursuing evangelism
Oklahoma Baptists will experience a new name this year to a traditional event that maintains its consistent purpose. What has been known for many years as the State Evangelism Conference will now be called the Advance Conference, which will convene Jan. 27-28 at Del City, First Southern. Alan Quigley, associate executive director of Oklahoma Baptists’ church resources group, explained the purpose behind the Advance Conference and gave...
Nash, Bethel Hawley observes 125th Anniversary
NASH—In 1895, Dan and Catherine Russell, an African-American couple who lived in Nash, but attended a church in Anthony, Kan., wanted to have a church in their hometown, so they donated land to establish the congregation of Bethel Baptist Church. The emergence of another church named Bethel nearby led to local residents referring to Bethel Baptist Church as Bethel at Hawley. The church was incorporated in the 1980s, and members voted...
CP prayer focus: Travel takes Dilbeck to new strategy
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article is a weekly excerpt of the 2020 Cooperative Program Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. For more information, please visit www.oklahomabaptists.org/cp. Grass doesn’t get much chance to grow under the wheels of Hance Dilbeck’s convention vehicle. Dilbeck has traveled about 35,000 Oklahoma miles a year since he began serving in March 2018 as the executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists. “I...
‘Advance’ breakouts dive deep into evangelism & discipleship
DEL CITY—Fresh on the heels of the launch of a new brand identity, the New Year will bring another new beginning for Oklahoma Baptists, as the annual State Evangelism Conference (SEC) will be relaunched with a new name and a new emphasis. On Jan. 27-28 at Del City, First Southern, Oklahoma Baptists will experience the SEC as the annual “Advance Conference.” The conference breakouts will feature a new format and will immerse conference...
YEC brings ‘Clarity’ in 2020, Jan. 19-20
DAVIS—Playing off the year being 2020, Oklahoma Baptists’ Youth Evangelism Conference (YEC) has “Clarity” as its theme. YEC will meet again at Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center Jan. 19-20, and Oklahoma Baptist leadership envisions many students at the encampment near Davis. Brian Baldwin, student evangelism and missions ministry partner for Oklahoma Baptists, said 2,700 students have pre-registered for YEC. With the possibility of...
Tragedy offers church planter ministry opportunities
MIAMI, Fla. (BP)—Fire alarms began sounding in the three-story Le Club Apartments in South Miami on Wednesday night, Dec. 11, while church planter John Michael Gibson and his wife Brittany were settled in their second-floor apartment. We heard the alarms, walked outside and saw that the building was on fire, so we went back in and helped get everybody out,” said Gibson, who is planting Village Church in nearby Cutler Bay....
