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Archives For November 30, 1999

Illinois Baptist State Association

Mission Illinois Week of Prayer: Day 8

Meredith Flynn —  September 22, 2013

MIO_blogDAY 8: Watch “Churches Together”

“Illinois is a mission field. It’s our mission field,” IBSA executive director Nate Adams said. But do Christians here really feel that responsibility?

“We simply have to have more aggressive evangelism, church planting, collegiate ministry, ministry centers – all these kinds of efforts to get out into the lostness of our state.” Illinois is a big state, and as believers, we are charged with sharing the Gospel here. At least two-thirds of Illinois residents don’t know Christ. And the lostness is concentrated in the urban centers.

1,000 churches and church plants comprise the Illinois Baptist State Association. IBSA can help churches “win lost people to Christ on their own mission field and in an Acts 1:8 ripple effect on the world,” Adams said. The impact of churches together is far greater than the sum of our individual efforts. Churches together advancing the Gospel can bring hope and faith to the 8 million or more lost people in our state.

Read: Matthew 12:38-41

Think: What is my personal responsibility for missions in Illinois?

Pray for the $475,000 goal of the 2013 mission offering. Pray we surpass the goal in order to expand our work. Pray about your commitment.

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What churches do together

Meredith Flynn —  September 5, 2013

MIO_blogCOMMENTARY | Nate Adams

Editor’s note: This column is the third in a three-part series, interpreting IBSA’s 2013 state mission offering theme statement: Mission Illinois – Churches Together, Advancing the Gospel. Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.

When Beth and I were first married, she was a third grade teacher and I was director of marketing at a Christian magazine publisher. It was always easy for me to explain to others what my wife did for a living; everyone knows what a teacher does. But when people asked Beth what I did, exactly, at Christianity Today, she usually simplified my role quite a bit by saying “You know those annoying little cards that fall out of magazines when you open them? He makes those.”

Now to me, what I did for a living seemed much more important and complicated than that. But I had to admit that, in 20 words or less, Beth gave the average person a pretty clear picture of my job. It was to get subscribers to our magazines.

In fact, my task of creating those “blow-in cards” was very similar to the challenge Beth faced in quickly telling people what I did. In just a couple of square inches, we had to tell prospective subscribers why they should spend $20 or more on a magazine subscription. By the time you printed a picture of the magazine and gave the subscriber space to write their name and address, you only had a sentence or two to describe what the magazine could do for them. It’s not always easy to deliver an important or powerful message in just a few words.

As we looked for just a few words to describe what “Mission Illinois” is and why we should all support the Mission Illinois Offering, we chose the words “Churches Together, Advancing the Gospel.” In two previous columns I wrote about the significance of the words “churches” and “together.” Some churches tend to mind their own business and do their own thing. But Mission Illinois describes churches that believe the same core, biblical doctrines, and that choose to work together for both the fellowship and the effectiveness that cooperation brings. And the noble cause that our cooperation serves is the advancement of the Gospel, both here in Illinois and around the world.

There are lots of good phrases that could follow “Churches Together…” and that would be true heart cries of Illinois Baptists. With equal enthusiasm we could say, “Believing the Bible” or “Seeking the Kingdom” or “Making Disciples of Jesus” or “Growing Stronger and Multiplying.”

But in the phrase “Advancing the Gospel” we have identified, at least for now, the few words that best summarize why we as churches choose, even in our autonomy, to sacrificially work together. We want to see the good news of the Gospel delivered lovingly and effectively to every person in our home mission field of Illinois. We want to see Bible-believing, disciple-making congregations established in every community of our state. And we want devoted Christians from those churches to go boldly into all their Acts 1:8 mission fields. The “ripple effect” image of our third Mission Illinois icon symbolizes the advance of the Gospel from local churches, throughout Illinois, to the ends of the earth.

When we place “Mission Illinois” in front of that phrase, we declare who we are as an association of churches, and what we intend to do together. It is our five-word “blow-in card” to one another, and to the world. We are not independent churches; we are interdependent churches. We are not doing the Great Commission alone; we are doing it together. And even if we do a lot more than can be quickly communicated in a few words, we will seek to do these few words above all others.

We will advance the Gospel.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

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How will you celebrate your 120th birthday?

Meredith Flynn —  August 13, 2013

Tuesday_BriefingTHE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

A majority of Americans don’t want to be centenarians (plus 20 years), but they think their neighbors might, according to a new study by Pew Research. The survey of 2,012 American adults found 56% of them said they wouldn’t choose to undergo medical treatments in order to live to 120. But 68% expected most people would.

According to the survey, 69% of people place their ideal life span in the 79-100 range.

Pew also asked leaders from a variety of religious groups about their views on radical life extension. Jeffrey Riley, a professor at the Southern Baptist seminary in New Orleans, said evangelicals’ acceptance of life-extending technology and methods would depend on how those strategies are framed.

“If this was being advertised as never dying, I think a lot of people and the leadership of my church would be opposed,” Riley said in an article on Pew’s website. “However, if this was incremental and was seen as a way for people to continue flourishing, my church would more readily accept it.”

To read more about religious leaders’ responses and the study itself, go to PewForum.org.

Other news:

Judge orders new name for baby “Messiah”
A judge in Tennessee has ordered the parents of 7-month-old Messiah DeShawn Martin to change his first name because, “The word Messiah is a title and it’s a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ.”

According to ChristianPost.com, Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew first met the parents when they appeared in her courtroom to argue over the child’s last name. Judge Ballew helped settle that dispute, but may find herself in the middle of another, as the baby’s mother plans to appeal her ruling. Christian Post reports more than 700 babies were named Messiah last year in the U.S., making it the 387th most popular baby name.

Read the full story at ChristianPost.com.

Warren returns to pulpit after son’s death
Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Ca., stood in his church’s pulpit July 27 for the first time in 16 weeks. Warren, the author of the bestseller “The Purpose Drive Life,” took a leave of absence after his son, Matthew, committed suicide in April following a long struggle with mental illness.

Warren received a standing ovation that Saturday evening, and thanked Saddleback staff, members, his family and local pastors who supported him. Then, with comments from his wife, Kay, he shared the first message in a series titled, “How to Get Through What You’re Going Through.”

Read writer John Evans’ full story on BPNews.net.

Carmen Halsey to lead IBSA mobilization, WMU
Carmen Halsey will serve as the Illinois Baptist State Association’s new director of Missions Mobilization beginning this month. As part of the role, she also will give IBSA staff leadership to Illinois Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), and serve on the national WMU board along with Illinois WMU President Gail Miller.

Read more in the new issue of the Illinois Baptist, online now at http://ibonline.IBSA.org.

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Recommending the trustworthy

Meredith Flynn —  August 1, 2013

pull quote_ADAMS_augustCOMMENTARY | Nate Adams

This month two important committees will meet at the IBSA Building here in Springfield. Each typically meets only once per year, but when their jobs are done well, hours of preparation and follow up buttress those single meetings.

I’m referring to the IBSA Committee on Committees and the IBSA Nominating Committee. And it’s those hours of prayerful preparation prior to the meetings that deserve the attention and involvement of every one of us that understands what it takes for a thousand Baptist churches to work together here in Illinois.

You see, when IBSA churches cooperate, they give more than $6 million annually through the Cooperative Program, and they steward more than $9 million in annual resources through the IBSA budget. They provide a staff of around 40 to assist churches throughout the state in hundreds of different ways, and provide funding for dozens of church planters and other missions personnel.

Each year those churches provide the services of the Baptist Foundation of Illinois, and of Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services. They facilitate the operations of two statewide camps. They determine how much of their missions giving should go to the ministries of the national Southern Baptist Convention and how much should go to work here in Illinois.

And while the above only scratches the surface of their financial stewardship, IBSA churches work together to steward much more than money. They also steward the doctrinal and missional criteria for what it means to be a faithful, cooperating IBSA church. They set the riverbanks for how member churches will work together procedurally. They both preserve our history and seek to protect our future.

I could write much, much more about all our churches do together, but the more I would write, the more the question would emerge, “How do they do all that? How do a thousand diverse, geographically dispersed, busy churches of all sizes and styles work together to accomplish so much?”

As unglamorous or even mundane as it may sound, the answer to those questions, and the genius of how so many diverse churches are able to work together, is rooted in responsibilities like those of the Committee on Committees and the Nominating Committee. Year in and year out, these committees select trustworthy leaders who work within well-established processes to facilitate the near-miracle of cooperative missions among autonomous Baptist churches.

Have you guessed yet the point, the appeal, toward which I’m writing? This Great Commission system of cooperative missions depends on IBSA churches putting forth their most trustworthy, mature, and dependable members as candidates. The quality and effectiveness of our work together rises or falls on the servant leaders you recommend, whether from your church or from another.

This year’s deadline for submitting recommendations to these two important committees is August 9. You can download nomination forms quickly and easily from the home page article on http://www.IBSA.org. And you can read more there about the specific requirements of each IBSA committee or board. Or call Sandy Barnard at (217) 391-3107 for help submitting your nominations.

It’s been my privilege to work with some wonderful committee and board members over the past few years. But I’ve also observed that the number of churches supplying leaders for our committees and boards is fewer and less representative than it could be, and that each year we have far fewer recommendations than we have vacancies.

Between now and August 9, please consider recommending the most trustworthy servant leaders you know to serve on an IBSA committee or board. And be ready to say yes if you learn that someone has recommended you.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

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Five summer prayer action steps

Meredith Flynn —  July 4, 2013

Phil_MigliorattiCOMMENTARY | Phil Miglioratti

We’ve entered the dog-days of summer, this often oppressive and sweltering time of year that coincides with traditional summer slumps in church attendance as families scatter for summer vacations and other summertime activities.

But our need for prayer is never greater. Here are five suggestions to make your dog days of summer sparkle with spiritual freshness:

1. Family table time. Ask each church family to use at least one family meal each week to pray for their neighbors, whether those who live nearby, people they work with or fellow students. Keep a log of the names and needs of those the Lord leads toward in prayer. During a Sunday morning service in August, ask families to come prepared to share their prayers and God’s responses.

2. Schedule a church picnic. Before the festivities begin, ask every family to form a circle and to pray (facing inward) for the church, its spiritual health, its ministry vision and its evangelistic effectiveness. Reverse positions to face outward and pray for the community, its needs, its leaders and the church’s influence on it.

3. Weeknight prayer meeting. Take the midweek prayer service outside. Those who cannot handle the walk or the heat may stay inside and pray using this as a template. Ask everyone to pray with their eyes open, looking at and praying for:

  • God’s good creation
  • The church facilities
  • Residential areas, schools, recreational, medical or business districts to the north, to the east, to the south and to the west

4. Secret saint. Ask everyone in the congregation to become a secret intercessor. Prepare cards with the names of your church family for distribution on a Sunday morning – perhaps a reverse offering where everyone picks a name as a basket is passed. Ask the church family, including youth and older children, to pray each day for a week for the person whose name they drew. The following Sunday simply ask for testimonies of what it was like to pray once a day for their person or if anyone sensed a special blessing from the Lord because someone was praying for them.

5. Pastoral prayer. Recruit volunteers to pray aloud for the pastor each Sunday during the summer. Encourage them to pray from their deepest passion.

So, rather than succumb to the slow-down, casual atmosphere of summer, put those dog-days to good use. Prayer – encourage every member and family to invite the Holy Spirit to alert them every day to special summertime opportunities to pray for people they may only see in July or August. Care – show the love of Christ to them through practical and appreciated acts of service or mercy. Share – invite them to investigate the often misunderstood message of the Gospel. Let’s love our communities to Christ!

Phil Miglioratti is IBSA’s Prayer Ministries consultant. This column is from Baptist Press. Read more from Phil in the current issue of Resource online here.

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National Day of Prayer brings Christians to the Illinois Capitol steps

Meredith Flynn —  May 2, 2013
At a worship service on the National Day of Prayer, some knelt in prayer in front of the Illinois State Capitol, while others lifted their hands in worship.

At a worship service on the National Day of Prayer, some knelt in prayer in front of the Illinois State Capitol, while others lifted their hands in worship.

NEWS | Meredith Flynn

A crowd gathered on the steps of the Illinois State Capitol Thursday to celebrate the National Day of Prayer with singing, words of encouragement and – of course – prayer.

Tim Sadler, the Illinois Baptist State Association’s director of evangelism, also had an opportunity to share about “My Hope with Billy Graham,” a strategy touted as the 94-year-old evangelist’s last crusade. (The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is producing a DVD for Christians to show in their homes, and then present their personal stories of faith.)

IBSA's Tim Sadler shares about "My Hope with Billy Graham."

IBSA’s Tim Sadler shares about “My Hope with Billy Graham.”

In his prayer, Sadler shared the Gospel:

“Father, we come this day to affirm our need for you, the very source of our hope. We realize that our attempts at lasting change have proven futile. Real change, transformational change comes through a relationship with you, and only a relationship with you.

“We know we are living in a pluralistic, if not increasingly relativistic and secularistic culture. Remind us that we are all the creation of God, but that we are not all the children of God. You tell us in your Word that only those who have placed their faith in Jesus and His death in our place on the cross have the right to become the children of God.

“Break out hearts todayFather, for those who are not yet in a relationship with you.”

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Photo Gallery: Fred Luter in Springfield, Ill.

Meredith Flynn —  April 18, 2013

Posted by Meredith Flynn

Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter was in Springfield, Ill., earlier this week to meet with pastors and leaders, and to preach a three-day festival of hope at Union Baptist Church, a congregation affiliated with National Baptists. The May 6 issue of the Illinois Baptist will feature full coverage of his visit; the photos below show a few of the highlights:

FredLuter_IBSA

Near the end of his first term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, New Orleans pastor Fred Luter visited Springfield, Ill., and met with pastors and leaders from around the state. Luter is up for re-election at this year’s SBC Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas, June 11-12.

Choir_Union

A community choir sings during the Festival of Hope, a three-day event at Union Baptist Church in Springfield. Luter preached all three evenings, and the choir, composed of singers from several churches, led in worship.

Luter_preaching

The Festival of Hope and Fred Luter’s visit was designed to help churches in the Capital City Baptist Association connect with African American churches in the city, said David Howard, the association’s director of missions. Howard, who once pastored in the New Orleans area, envisioned Luter’s visit more than a year ago. “…Fred is just a unique guy – if you can’t like Fred, you’re not going to like anybody. So I wanted him to come and help us build bridges.” Here, Luter preaches at Union Baptist while T. Ray McJunkins, the church’s pastor, worships along with him.

Worship

Elizabeth and Fred Luter (center) participate in a worship service at the Illinois Baptist State Association Building alongside IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams (far right) and his wife Beth (far left).

Q&A

During an hour-long Q&A session, Luter answered questions from Illinois Baptist pastors and leaders, like “What has surprised you most as SBC President?” and “How would you encourage pastors of small churches?”

Baseball

Adams presented Luter with Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals camps, telling him, “You brother are a unifier, and a bringer-together, not only for baseball fans, but for believers in our state.”

Pictures

Guests at the “Meet the President” event received a souvenir photo with President Luter to commemorate the occasion.

Chicago_pastors

Dale Davenport (left) helped gather a large group of Chicagoland pastors at the event in Springfield, including (from left) Don Sharp, Bryan Price, and David Sutton.

Prayer

“If you’re doing anything for me, I need you to pray for me,” Luter said. “I don’t want to mess this thing up. I really want to honor this position, to honor my family, my church, my state convention, the Southern Baptist Convention, and I want to honor God in all I do.”

Diner

The Luters and David Howard (far right) met with reporters from the Illinois Baptist newspaper for breakfast at Charlie Parker’s diner in Springfield. Look for our Q&A with them in the next issue of the IB, due May 6.

 

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Tuesday Briefing: 900 volunteers serve during Illinois’ Children’s Ministry Day

Meredith Flynn —  March 19, 2013

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/62112542″>CMD 2013 recap</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/ibsa”>IL Baptist State Association</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

A story is told every year around this time, about a little girl from an IBSA church who knocked on the door of a crisis pregnancy center one Saturday in March. She wasn’t alone; bolstered by several others her age, she answered the question, “Who is it?” with a bold proclamation:

“We’re missionaries!”

It was Children’s Ministry Day, and the young missionary was delivering handmade blankets to mothers and babies in need.

Hundreds of kid took up her rallying cry in mid-March, as the third annual IBSA Children’s Ministry Day sent 900 volunteers into five communities. At the Mt. Vernon site, IBSA’s Rex Alexander told the story to help motivate more than 200 kids who gathered at Park Avenue Baptist Church before scattering to their ministry sites.

“The church is often guilty of overlooking children when it comes to mission action,” Alexander said later. “We send youth and adults on mission trips, but we limit mission involvement with children to teaching ‘about’ missions.

“Our kids are very capable of serving the Lord outside the walls of their church and having an impact on their world.”

Children’s Ministry Day is an Illinois expression of a nationwide initiative created by Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU). Mark Emerson, IBSA’s associate executive director for missions, has let the statewide project from the beginning, when it started in 2011 with several projects in the Springfield area. Children’s Ministry Day expanded to three last year, and this year, host associations coordinated various projects in five cities – Bourbonnais, Carbondale, Mt. Vernon, Springfield and Troy.

A total of 903 volunteers, including kids, their leaders and host site helpers, served at the most recent event, a 25% increase over last year. The number of churches represented also increased, from 50 to 64.

For more about Children’s Ministry Day, see the upcoming issue of the Illinois Baptist, online Friday at ibonline.IBSA.org.

Other news:

Alabama cop turns over badge
But Montgomery Police Chief Kevin Murphy did so willingly. While speaking at First Baptist Church as part of the 13th Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Alabama, Murphy (right in photo) gave his badge to U.S. Rep. John Lewis (left) and apologized to him on behalf of the police department, Baptist Press reports. The Georgia Congressman and long-time Civil Rights activist was beaten along with other Freedom Riders at a Montgomery bus station in 1961, while Montgomery police stood down. “He us my hero,” Murphy said of Lewis. Read the full story at BPnews.net.

NAMB sends Bibles to every church
The North American Mission Board will send this spring a case of New Testaments to every Southern Baptist and Canadian National Baptist church. “If your church hasn’t been out in your community sharing Christ in a while, we think these Bibles are a great tool for outreach,” said NAMB President Kevin Ezell. The New Testaments are part of NAMB’s vision to see every Christian sharing the Gospel by 2020, and should arrive in churches by early April. Read more at BPnews.net.

Tomlin gives spotlight to God
On any given Sunday, worship artist Chris Tomlin’s songs are sung in at least 60,000 churches. And it could be as many as 120,000, estimates Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI). In a recent CNN interview, Tomlin said he likes stepping back from the microphone during his concerts so he can listen to others worship. “It’s about a greater name than my name,” he told CNN. “My name is on the ticket, but this is about a greater name.” Read more at CNN’s belief blog.

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IBSA Board affirms sending additional 2012 funds for national CP ministries

Meredith Flynn —  March 5, 2013
The IBSA Board of Directors votes to affirm sending an additional $31,392 for national Cooperative Program ministries.

The IBSA Board of Directors votes to affirm sending an additional $31,392 for national Cooperative Program ministries.

SPRINGFIELD | By Lisa Sergent

On Tuesday, the IBSA Board of Directors affirmed Executive Director Nate Adams’ decision to send an additional $31,392 to the SBC Executive Committee for national Cooperative Program ministries. The funds come from IBSA’s 2012 income over expenses, and bring the amount sent from 2012 CP receipts to the equivalent of 43.75%, the highest percentage in IBSA’s history.

IBSA currently sends 43.25% of its receipts through the SBC Executive Committee for Cooperative Program, the fifth highest among state conventions. Just prior to the affirmation vote, the Board voted to keep the Association’s 56.75%/43.25% split at the same level in 2014.

In his report to the Board, Adams said that, prior to the recent Great Commission Resurgence actions of the national SBC, Illinois had already begun gradually increasing its percentage of Cooperative Program funds sent on to national CP ministries. The down economy, combined with reductions in funding from the North American Mission Board, have led IBSA to hold its CP percentage steady.

“This gift from our year-end income over expenses gives us a way to continue that heart of giving more through CP to national and international SBC ministries,” said Adams. “It brings our total CP gifts for the year to the equivalent of 43.75%, a higher percentage than Illinois Baptists have ever sent beyond our state to national CP ministries.  We feel this is a creative way to help us manage reduced resources and still be generous as God provides.

“It will be my pleasure to send [SBC Executive Committee President] Frank Page a letter and a check, saying we are grateful to be able to do more this year.”

Board Chairman Duncan Locke said Adams was acting in the scope of his responsibilities in his decision to forward the extra 2012 funds, but had asked for “the full board’s affirmation.” Locke shared, “This is a testimony to the way our executive director is being used by the Holy Spirit to make decisions to do something that’s often unheard of, to give a little more.”

IBSA churches gave nearly $6.3 million to the Cooperative Program in 2012.

Look for additional coverage of the March 5 IBSA Board Meeting at the IBSA Building in Springfield in the March 25 issue of the Illinois Baptist.

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Placing a high value on unity

Meredith Flynn —  September 20, 2012

COMMENTARY | Nate Adams

A couple of days after the recent IBSA Board of Directors meeting, I traveled to Texas for a meeting with other State Executive Directors and leaders from the North American Mission Board. Our special speaker during that meeting was Dr. Jimmy Draper, past president of LifeWay Christian Resources and respected Baptist pastor and statesman for many decades.

Speaking primarily from John 17, Dr. Draper focused our thoughts on Jesus’ prayer for unity, and invited us to consider what might happen if we as Baptist leaders enjoyed the type of unity for which Jesus was praying. To be frank, relationships between many state conventions and NAMB have been strained for the past couple of years, as NAMB’s new strategies have reduced funding through state conventions.

During that same meeting, however, a committee of State Executive Directors that has been studying NAMB’s new direction and its impact on state conventions presented a very encouraging report. The committee and NAMB President Kevin Ezell then presented a new plan for state conventions and NAMB to move forward together that met with unanimous approval.

More important than the consensus being unanimous, however, was the fact that it was unifying. And there is a difference. As Dr. Draper shared with us later that evening, Jesus did not ask that everyone agree on everything (unanimity), or that everyone be the same (uniformity), or that everyone express themselves the same way (unison). In praying for our unity, Jesus was asking that our deep and resilient love for Him and for one another keep us together in spite of our differences, harmoniously moving toward a lost world in His name.

Listening to this teaching on unity, and watching it unfold in our Texas meeting, my mind returned to Illinois, and the IBSA board’s recent consideration of acquiring property for a leadership center in Springfield. You can read about that decision in the September 24 issue of the Illinois Baptist (online here), so I won’t recount the details in this post. But what pleased me most about the board’s action was that it also placed a high value on unity.

It’s challenging to know, sometimes, the common direction in which a thousand diverse Baptist churches from all over the state should go. Though most of the IBSA board and staff felt positively about the value and strategy of a Springfield leadership center, we decided to write a letter outlining the opportunity to all IBSA churches, in addition to the information provided in the Illinois Baptist and the IBSA website.

For the next two weeks, about 50 e-mails, phone calls, and personal conversations helped me “take the pulse” of Illinois Baptists on the subject. A majority of the feedback was positive toward the opportunity, but a significant minority expressed concerns or opposition.

The IBSA Advisory Committee and I, who had been studying the opportunity most closely, then faced a challenge. It appeared that both the decision to move forward with the acquisition and the decision to back away from it would be met with some disappointment. We prayed and discussed, and in the end we proposed an amended motion that we believed was a vote for unity, rather than for or against property.

The amended motion, adopted overwhelmingly by the full IBSA board, backs away from the property at the current price, and backs away from borrowing money. At the same time, it leaves the door slightly open for donors to step up with contributions, or for the seller to step down in price, though both of those scenarios are unlikely.

As I wrote earlier, it’s challenging to know, sometimes, the common direction in which a thousand diverse Baptist churches from all over the state should go. We can’t always count on unanimity, or uniformity, or unison. But we can explore new ideas, listen to one another, and make decisions that place a high value on unity, trusting God to keep moving us forward, together.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

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