Missionary Committee Approves New Missionaries
By Jeff Herring, Executive Editor
On Thursday, Feb. 10, approximately 40 pastors and guests gathered in the fellowship hall of South City Church in Little Rock to hear the recommendation from the Missions Advisory Committee concerning two new full-time missionaries. Chairman David Inzer, pastor of Landmark in England, opened the meeting at called on Derek Bremer, pastor of Denver Street in Greenwood, to pray. He then recognized Scott Smith, pastor of Zion in Fordyce, to share a devotional.
Following the devotional, Bro. Inzer called the meeting to order and recognized Executive Director Paul White to present the missionaries under consideration. Before introducing the missionaries, Bro. White shared that a vote to proceed with hiring the two new missionaries would be authorizing spending reserve funds. He also shared that the Revolving Loan Fund was low.
Bro. White recognized Hispanic Coordinator Michael Hight to introduce Roberto and Patty Marcelletti who were recommended to serve with Epic Church in Northwest Arkansas and Pastor Jake McCandless of Epic Church, their sending church. Bro. Roberto is originally from Venezuela and Patty is from Columbia. They shared their vision for planting churches and making disciples from Acts 14:21-23 and that they have “come to serve.” (See Roberto’s Missionary Personality Profile in the Feb. 2 issue.)
Allan Eakin, pastor of Celebration Baptist Church in Haskell, then came to introduce Bryan Clay. Bryan is a member of his church and Celebration will serve as the sending church for him and his wife, Kelley. They plan to plant a church in the Benton-Hot Springs area. Bryan shared his testimony and why he felt this was God’s direction for his ministry at this time. (See Bryan’s Missionary Personality Profile in the Feb. 9 issue.)
Bro. White then recognized Joe Owens, chairman of the Advisory Committee, to present the recommendation. Advisory Committee Secretary Randy Shepherd then read the minutes and recommendations from their meeting. Bro. Inzer then called for and received a motion and second to approve the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, which was approved by a unanimous vote. These two men will begin serving on March 1.
To close the meeting, Bro. White shared that Missionary Darrin Smith has resigned effective Jan. 31. The work in Fort Smith will be dissolved, but he praised the Lord for the 144 souls who made a profession of faith during Bro. Smith’s six years of ministry there.
Bro. Inzer then ended the meeting by asking Paul Bullock, pastor of College View in Magnolia, to close in prayer.
Journey with Jeff
By Executive Editor
Jeff Herring
By Jeff Herring, Executive Editor
I am excited to share what is going on with the ministry of the Baptist Trumpet as we begin our time of Special Emphasis — “The Power of Connection.” The packets of promotional flyers, along with a letter to the pastor and the church, should be arriving in your mailbox by the end of the week. I encourage you to join us in this time of Special Emphasis and use the included posters to help promote the ministry of the Baptist Trumpet in the following ways over the next two months:
• Post the flyers in places around your church to let people know that we want to continue to be the connection between your church members and the work of the BMA on every level.
• If you are not already subscribers, please set up a church plan subscription for your members. The best way to ensure that the ministry of the Baptist Trumpet continues to connect for years to come is to provide the opportunity to reach your members and keep them “informed and inspired,” as our mission statement says.
• Set a goal and a time to collect a special love offering on or before Baptist Trumpet Day on Sunday, April 24. Please prayerfully consider how you can help us meet our goal of $45,000 to continue to be your ministry connection.
• Please visit BaptistTrumpet.com/SE2022 to follow our progress and download digital resources to help promote this time of Special Emphasis.
The following is a modified version of the letter that is included with the Special Emphasis packets that were mailed out:
The past 14 months since I began serving as the executive editor of the Baptist Trumpet have been exciting. We have continued to produce the only weekly newspaper in the BMA and have been able to connect with many of our subscribers across the state of Arkansas and beyond. It is truly a remarkable thing to see how God uses this ministry to provide the connection between what is happening in the BMA — locally, in Arkansas, nationally and internationally — to the people in our churches. I truly believe that the “Power of Connection” is something we can’t do without if we are going to continue to do the work of the association to the best of our ability.
As we enter the time set aside by the BMA of Arkansas for us to raise the needed support for this ministry, I want to let you know where we stand. The much-needed rate increase, along with a 50% funded Trumpet Team, has helped to stabilize our finances. As we begin this time of Special Emphasis (March 1), we are exactly 50% through our fiscal year (September-August). This means that the 50% funded Trumpet Team has carried us this far to help cover our deficit, but we must raise the other 50% during this time to complete the fiscal year strong. We need to raise just over $20,000 to offset the planned deficit.
For the past two years, we have been transitioning to a new circulation management system that allows us to better connect with our subscribers and provides a way for them to connect with the content on our website. The program we use is working well, but it has one major drawback — the ongoing monthly cost. We are working to develop our own software that can do what we need without the monthly cost, but it requires an upfront investment. This investment can easily be recovered once we are able to stop the cost associated with our current program and will be a big help in keeping our finances stable going forward. The initial estimated cost for the development of this software is $20,000, but we are hopeful it can be done for much less.
As you are reading this, we will have launched our new website. Please go check it out at www.BaptistTrumpet.com! While we are excited to present it to you, there are some other resources we are looking to provide in the future that will require more investment to develop. We are in the process of creating a resource for churches that are looking for pastors or staff members and also a place where those that are available can post their information. Our goal is to make this a searchable and sharable resource that will help our churches find God’s man to fulfill their ministry needs. We are budgeting $5,000 to help develop this resource and others for our churches.
As you consider each of these goals, I hope you see, as we do, that they will help us continue to provide the needed connection between the people in your church and the ministries of the BMA on all levels. Please prayerfully consider how you and your church can help us meet our goal of $45,000.
I would love to come and share about how God is working through the Baptist Trumpet with your church. You can contact me by email at editor@baptisttrumpet.com or by calling the office at (501) 565-4601.
Governor Hutchison Declares Days of Prayer for Ukraine
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchison has issued an executive proclamation that March 1-3 be designated as “Special Days of Prayer for Ukraine in Arkansas.” The official proclamation states:
“WHEREAS: As Arkansans, we strengthen our faith through prayer and worship, and today, we come together united as a state seeking reassurance and guidance for our fellow brothers and sisters; and
“WHEREAS: On Feb. 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, after months of military buildup along Ukrainian borders. This unprovoked and brutal attack on Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and freedom has resulted in the flight of thousands of refugees, damage to local infrastructure and multiple casualties, all of which continue to rise; and
“WHEREAS: Despite sanctions placed upon Russia by the international community, the fate of Ukraine’s democracy and future continues to be threatened as Russian encroaches the capitol city of Kiev from northern, eastern and southern borders; and
“WHEREAS: During this challenging time, families, communities and the preservation of democracy across Ukraine, Europe and the rest of the world are threatened by Russian aggression. We ask God to bless Ukrainians of all faiths and to give world leaders the strength, guidance and wisdom to overcome this deadly conflict; and
“WHEREAS: Recognizing the love and power of God, we unite with fellow citizens to pray for those who are affected by Russian aggression, whether it be Ukrainian citizens courageously taking up arms to defend their nation or refugees fleeing from the frontlines, and we gather in prayer for the protection they seek; and
“WHEREAS: In Deut. 31:8, we are reminded of God’s promise, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” and
“WHEREAS: We specifically thank God for his love and mercy and ask for peace and healing throughout the nation of Ukraine and the rest of the world;
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, ASA HUTCHINSON, Governor of the State of Arkansas, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the state of Arkansas, do hereby proclaim March 1 to March 3, 2022 as Special Days of Prayer for Ukraine in Arkansas across the state, and I urge all citizens of all faiths and backgrounds to join in prayer for the citizens of Ukraine and the international community. These three days will include a special time of prayer dedicated to the citizens of Ukraine at the Arkansas Leadership Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed this 28th day of February, in the year of our Lord 2022.
New Websites Launched
By Jeff Herring, Executive Editor
• The Baptist Trumpet has launched a redesigned website — www.BaptistTrumpet.com — to better fulfill our mission of keeping you informed and inspired. The new website will feature all the content that appears in the paper each week, but it will be restricted to only subscribers. You will be able to access the content using your login if you already have that set up in your customer portal. If not, please contact us at the office and we will help get you going. Our goal with the new website is to be your go-to source for information and inspiration. Please check it out and let us know what you think.
• The BMA of Arkansas now has its own web presence. For years, the www.BMAofArkansas.com website has been the state missions home, but we are transitioning that site to be a landing page for all things related to the BMA of Arkansas. You will find quick links to each department, contact information for the Arkansas state officers and leaders, state meeting information and other resources. While the site is live and ready for your visit, it is still a work in progress, and we would welcome any suggestions for improvement.
• Arkansas State Missions now has a new home on the web along with a new website design. Executive Director Paul White, along with the website designer, Wes Hulvey, pastor of Springdale Baptist Church in Springdale, invite you to visit the new website at www.bmaARmissions.com. You can find information about our missionaries, including the weekly updates that are featured in the Baptist Trumpet each week. Bro. Paul and Wes are working with us to develop the future resource that will help churches search for a pastor or staff members and pastors connect. This resource will be featured on all our websites when it is ready.
I hope you will take some time to visit each of these new websites and give us some feedback about what you like, don’t like or how we can do better. Thanks for your faithful support for the work of the BMA of Arkansas.
MOVING with Ministers and Staff
To view previous listings from this column, visit our website at
www.baptisttrumpet.com.
Josh Firey is the new directional pastor at Grace Hills in Bentonville.
Dwayne Thomas has resigned as pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Greenbrier effective Feb. 27.
BMAA Ukrainian Crisis Relief Fund
As the war in Ukraine escalates, the need for relief support increases. To support fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, BMA Global Missions has set up the Ukrainian Crisis Relief Fund. Donations can be made online at bmamissions.org. From there choose “Give” and then “Designate My Offering.” On the next screen, you will need to click “Show All” and select “Ukrainian Relief” from the list to designate your offering. You may also mail donations to BMA Missions Ukrainian Relief, P.O. Box 878, Conway, Ark. 72033.
Continue praying for churches and pastors as they minister in their communities during this horrific crisis. Pray for men who have joined the army, including Pastor Yuri (Church to All Nations in Lutsk), a former army captain who rejoined the army to fight for his country. Pray for his wife and four children.
In This Issue
Continued Violence in Myanmar (pg. 8)
Small Groups in Student Ministry (pg. 2)
Is the American Church Special? (pg. 5)
Team Building Strategy (pg. 3)
Traditions that Trap (pg. 7)
Roberto and Patty Marcelletti
Bryan and Kelley Clay