Read Online Now - International Baptist Convention

Highlights 

Volume 46, Issue 3 Published by the International Baptist Convention December 2008 

Jimmy Martin 

Some Things 

Never Change 

Annual Meeting 

Convention Approves 

Summary of Basic Beliefs 

Missions Endowment Fund 

Bucharest Receives 

Grant

Some Things Never Change … 

Contents 

Highlights 

Volume 46, Issue 3 

Convention Continues 

Celebration of Jubilee ............ 8 

IBC Summary of Basic Beliefs .9 

IBC Bucharest Receives 

Missions Endowment Fund 

Grant .................................. 10 

First Global Missions Offering 

to be taken in December ..... 10 

From the Editor’s Pen .......... 11 

Virginia Team Provides 

Training in Bremen .............. 12 

News from the Churches ..... 12 

Highlights 

Published by the International 

Baptist Convention 

Am Dachsberg 98, 

60435 Frankfurt/Main, 

Germany, Phone: +49 

(0) 69 9540 8505, Email: 

admin@ibc-churches.org 

www.ibc-churches.org 

Jimmy Martin, General 

Secretary 

Judith Lynn Maxwell, Editor 

Cover photo by Judith Lynn 

Maxwell 

2 | Highlights 12/2008 

• The vision and mission of the IBC today 

are similar in many ways to the first days. The 

current Mission Statement of the International 

Baptist Convention lists six major areas of focus 

for our cooperative work. They include: 

• Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ 

• Plant new churches 

• Strengthen member churches 

• Enhance fellowship among member churches 

• Support other Baptist groups 

• Promote world-wide Christian missions 

During 2008, our 50 th year as a family of English-language 

churches, we have much to celebrate. 

Brian Kirby and the Summer Assembly 

Ministry Team and Dorothy Hayner and 

those working with her on the Jubilee Work 

Group helped us to celebrate our Jubilee year 

this summer in Interlaken, Switzerland. We 

looked at the “great cloud of witnesses” and 

remembered our past. We continued that celebration 

and remembrance from 27-30 October, 

in Wiesbaden, home of the first of two 

churches that started the Association of Baptist 

Churches in Continental Europe (ABCE) 

which became the European Baptist Convention 

(EBC), which is now the International 

Baptist Convention (IBC). 

We also looked forward at these celebrations. 

God’s work of Yesterday has prepared 

us for his plans for Tomorrow. His faithfulness 

has been evident, and there is every reason to 

have hope for the future. 

In many ways the challenges and opportunities 

of 1958 are the same as 2008. After 50 

years, people still need to be reached. Churches 

still need to be planted. Disciples still need 

to be developed. Hurts still need to be healed. 

Fellowship still needs to be cultivated. The 

Gospel still needs to be shared. The Lord still 

desires to be worshiped. 

In other ways, our challenges today are 

quite different. The U.S. military presence in 

Europe is much less. Whereas the first English-language 

churches were all U.S. militarymajority, 

only about one in four IBC churches 

are military-majority. Likewise the makeup of 

churches then was 95+% U.S. citizens. Now 

an increasing number of our churches have 

no or very few U.S. citizens in them. Our pastors 

then were almost exclusively from America, 

even Southern Baptist. Today, about onehalf 

of our pastors came from SBC churches. 

Others come from South Africa, Ghana, England, 

Wales, the Philippines, and Croatia. We 

celebrate our diversity. 

The path from Yesterday to Tomorrow travels 

through Today. It is profitable to see some 

of the ways we are seeking to meet today’s 

challenges by looking at the six focus areas 

of ministry. 

Proclaiming the Gospel 

Gospel preaching and teaching is done most 

effectively through our local churches. IBC 

churches display a variety of preaching styles 

and models of biblical preaching, reflecting 

the various needs and struggles inherent in 

our churches and the diverse backgrounds of 

our pastors. 

At the end of September, I visited IBC Lisbon, 

Portugal. In addition to serving as pastor 

of the church, Joseph Momoh from Ghana 

works a demanding full-time job in an environment 

where Africans are sometimes discriminated 

against and often taken advantage 

of. He has very little formal training for Christian 

ministry, having been asked to lead the 

church by the founding missionary. IBC Lisbon 

is made up mostly of Africans from Ghana 

and Nigeria. 

Joseph took his text from Mt. 10:16 – “I am 

sending you out like sheep among wolves …” He 

talked about our weaknesses in life and ministry 

in the face of the obstacles and opponents 

we face. What chance do sheep have against a 

pack of wolves Joseph cited biblical examples 

when God’s people faced seemingly hopeless 

situations and how God’s abilities more than 

compensated for their disabilities. His challenge 

– “Glory in weaknesses” because God is 

working on our behalf when we look to Him 

and do what He calls us to do. He preached 

with passion and compassion. He encouraged 

those who had no hope to find their hope in 

the Gospel and to trust Christ for their salvation. 

He challenged the group to be wise and 

harmless in their dealings with people. I left 

stirred. 

IBC Sofia, Bulgaria, is also an example of effective 

proclamation of the Gospel in an international 

context. The church has never been 

large, and statistics of the church would probably 

not impress many. Several years ago, an 

Iranian family came to Christ through the witness 

of the church. This father and two sons 

began seeking to reach other Iranians. The 

sermon each week was translated into Farsi. 

Over a year ago, this father and one of the 

sons moved to Athens, Greece, where many

Others Constantly Change 

Farsi-speaking people were relocating. They started a 

church there and are reaching Iranians, Afghanis, Iraqis, 

and others. Pastor Ray Smith, who is a young 70+ years 

in age, continues to encourage these IBCS missionaries 

while leading the Sofia congregation to be faithful in 

sharing the Good News. 

These two churches are examples of the effective 

work that many churches, large and small, are doing 

to share the Gospel. Whether it is focusing on reaching 

students in places like Prague or Kiev or Bielefeld, 

or military members and their families in Kaiserslautern 

or Heidelberg or Aviano or the Azores, or international 

business people in Leidschendam or Brussels or Düsseldorf 

or Zurich, or refugees in Rotterdam or Sofia or Lisbon, 

or nationals in Stuttgart or San Jose or Bremen – let 

us never lose sight of the importance of announcing the 

message of Good News by every means possible. 

I am thankful for all our pastors and members who 

are preaching and living the Gospel. I think we probably 

need to spend more time in spiritual and mental 

preparation week by week. I think we need to seek to 

“draw the net” more effectively and more clearly challenge 

our hearers to respond to God’s voice. 

The ratio of members to baptisms last year in IBC 

churches was about 13:1. If we see baptism as an important 

step of discipleship, this figure should challenge 

us. We serve in different kinds of churches with diverse 

challenges. Baptisms are not the only, or perhaps even 

the best, indicator of spiritual health. However, if our 

calling is to “make disciples of all nations,” a significant 

question for each church should be whether or not it is 

reaching the lost with the Gospel and teaching our people 

to obey all Christ commanded us to do. 

Let us be diligent to plant and water Gospel seeds 

regardless of the spiritual soils. I challenge IBC pastors 

and leaders to disciple our people to become passionate 

Christ-followers possessed by the goal of discipling 

the nations to Jesus Christ the Lord. 

Planting Churches 

The IBC, from its earliest days in the late 1950s as the 

Association of Baptists in Continental Europe (ABCE), 

has always made planting new churches a priority. Although 

there has been a steady stream of new churches 

planted, there have been two periods of exceptional efforts 

during our history. The first two ABCE churches in 

Wiesbaden and Frankfurt were themselves new church 

starts. In the first six years, 1958-1964, the ABCE saw 32 

churches and missions established, mostly in Germany 

but also in France, Spain, and Luxembourg as increasing 

numbers of U.S. military members and their families 

started New Testament churches. 

Later, in the early 1990s, with the collapse of communism 

and the fall of the Berlin Wall, there was a resurgence 

of church planting in Central and Eastern Europe. 

More than 25 IBC churches were planted to reach English-speaking 

internationals, mostly in large cities. Most 

of the church planters at this time were missionaries appointed 

by the Southern Baptist Convention. Some of 

these churches grew to become self-sustaining; others 

continue to struggle as mission churches; a few closed 

several years after starting. 

We cannot plant new churches at the expense of 

strengthening existing churches. We need to do both. 

God has called some to plant churches in places and 

ways we had not anticipated. Some of these church 

plants, like Kiev and Ramstein, have become strong; 

others have not made it. During this past year, we saw 

two very young church plants in Oslo, Norway, and 

Warsaw, Poland, close. In both cases, there was pain 

and frustration, but also a desire to learn from mistakes 

and recognition that they were not failures because 

people had been reached with the Gospel. We have 

learned a few lessons to guide us. We have also seen 

new church plants in Goettingen and Nuernberg go 

through challenges this year, but they remain committed 

to growing. Their sponsoring churches have helped 

to encourage them. 

Our partnership with the Baptist General Conference 

(Converge Worldwide) began with the intention of developing 

an effective church planting movement. We 

are making significant progress. We have determined 

to build a firm foundation by formulating good policies 

and procedures, and at the same time seek to start 

several pilot church plants that will have a high possibility 

for long-term, healthy sustainability. We are developing 

processes for selecting, assessing, mobilizing, 

and mentoring church planters and the churches 

they plant. We also want to help equip the sponsoring/ 

mother churches. 

Our commitment comes with an increase in the IBC 

budget directed toward church planting. The budget 

for 2009 contains an increase in church planting. 

We are in the midst of taking our Jubilee Church Planting 

Offering, with a goal of E 50,000 by the end of the 

year. At Interlaken this summer we initiated the offering 

with E 12,000 given at the conference. I was encouraged 

that on IBC Day, 12 October, many of our churches 

participated in this offering. I happened to be at IBC 

Stuttgart on IBC Day and was encouraged at their eager 

response. I was given some envelopes that same night 

from ICF Oberursel with their contributions. At the Annual 

Meeting, our pastors and leaders gave toward 

church planting. I am thankful that many churches and 

individuals are joining in this church planting effort. 

In addition, our Global Missions Offering, which we 

will take in December, includes a percentage – to be 

increased each year for the next three years – to go toward 

IBC church planting. 

Copies are still Available! 

50 th Anniversary DVD 

With 

• IBC Church Histories & Pictures 

• Highlights (from beginning to now) 

• Interviews with the “Clouds of Witnesses” at Interlaken 

• 50 th Anniversary Song written by Babbie Mason & Scott Sontag 

Cost: E 10,– + postage 

Contact the IBC Office at celebrate50@ibc-churches.org 

3 | Highlights 12/2008

Another significant way the IBC has engaged in 

church planting is through the European Baptist Federation’s 

Indigenous Missionary Project. Daniel Trusiewicz, 

IMP coordinator, presented this church planting dream 

to us in 2004 in Aviano, Italy, and challenged us to get 

involved at some level. We committed to begin sponsoring 

two missionary church planters in Moldova. In 

addition, Sam Owens, pastor in Aviano, pledged to lead 

his church to sponsor several missionaries. 

From this start, the current number of missionary 

church planters sponsored through the IBC and its 

churches is 12. In addition to the two missionaries supported 

through our convention’s Home Missions account, 

several IBC churches sponsor church planters 

in Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Iraq, and Belarus. 

Sponsoring churches are Kaiserslautern, Aviano, 

Frankfurt, and Stukeley. 

I challenge IBC churches to look beyond their local 

needs and see what an investment in church planting 

can mean to the Kingdom. Some of our churches can 

sponsor one or more IMP church planters. I challenge 

our CDMT to move ahead with a clear vision and strategy 

for church planting in significant places where God 

is opening doors and to communicate that to our IBC 

family so we can pray and plan with you. We need to 

commit to support in every way the churches that have 

already started. I challenge our regions to look at possible 

ways they can support existing and new church 

planting efforts. It is always a temptation to make the 

decision between planting and strengthening, but one 

of the best ways to strengthen our churches is to look 

beyond ourselves to fields that are “ripe unto harvest.” 

Strengthening Churches 

Healthy churches are growing churches. Healthy churches 

are strong churches. The IBC may be unique among 

organizations that relate to international churches in its 

commitment to strengthening churches. Given the diversity 

of our churches and leaders, our constant turnover, 

our geographical separation, and the nature of 

our cooperation together as autonomous churches, I 

find this to be one of our greatest challenges. We can 

and should do better, but I trust that we are making 

progress and improving in our ability to support and 

strengthen. I have always believed that the real strength 

of the IBC is the local church. In military terms, the local 

church is the “tip of the spear” when it comes to 

advancing the Gospel. 

Among the most pressing local church needs currently 

are effective leadership, training for ministry, and help 

in times of crisis and transition. Sometimes the greatest 

need is for financial help in a time of crisis, but usually 

there are other needs to be addressed beyond financial 

ones. 

A church that loses its pastor is in a critical situation 

during the interim time. More than in the “normal” 

church, this time of transition often creates tremendous 

turmoil that can threaten an international church’s future. 

I spend a lot of time every week working with pastoral 

search committees on one end and with potential 

pastoral candidates on the other. Interim pastors and 

intentional interim pastors have been a help this past 

year in bridging the gap and keeping churches focused 

on moving ahead. 

It is never easy for a church to find the leader that 

best fits their church, but it is rewarding when it happens. 

I am thankful for our new pastors who have come 

on board this year and for the interims who have served 

for varying lengths of time. 

At our convention-wide meetings, we try to provide 

encouragement and training that will assist pastors and 

other leaders in their ministries. At this year’s Annual 

Convention Meeting, we focused some attention on 

preaching. I am hopeful that forums like this will provide 

assistance in our ministries. Our Interlaken seminars 

always provide training and encouragement not 

only for the pastor but for all who minister in the local 

church. Our Women’s, Men’s, Singles’ and Youth Ministry 

Teams planned conferences this year that sought to 

provide some training for those involved in leading local 

church ministries as well as inspiration for people in 

our churches. The Education Ministry Team is currently 

seeking to find out the greatest areas of need in our 

churches and provide resources to meet those needs. 

We hope in the next months to expand our website 

so that it becomes a more effective tool in providing 

resources to help churches with their ministries. We 

also want to provide avenues of sharing resources between 

churches. 

Our partnership with the Baptist General Association 

of Virginia began last year with the focus of strengthening 

churches in mind. We hope to set up local and 

regional training to assist churches and their leaders in 

their ministries this coming year. Whether it be deacon 

training, age-level training for teachers, help with small 

groups, conflict resolution, lay counseling, strategic 

planning, or other areas of need, we hope to be able to 

provide help to strengthen churches. We have already 

seen some of this, and we need to increase it. 

Sometimes strengthening churches means going to 

churches in times of conflict or uncertainty. This past 

year I have met with a number of churches wanting to 

move ahead but operating in crisis mode. Several situations 

involved severe conflict between the pastor and 

other leaders, loss of vision by the church as a result of 

a focus on urgent needs but failing to focus on essential 

mission, legal issues related to calling a pastor longterm, 

and uncertainty after the loss of a pastor. In a few 

cases, doctrinal issues were involved. In most, personality 

issues drove the conflict. Some of these churches 

are now thriving; others still struggle. 

Through our cooperative efforts financially we 

strengthen one another. It is through the giving of IBC 

churches that we are able to assist churches in need 

and to implement strategies that help churches to grow 

strong. I am thankful for churches who have given faithfully 

for many years. Some of them, because of changes 

in their situations, have recently needed and received 

help. This mutual support is a beautiful illustration of 

what Paul encouraged in 2 Corinthians 8:14: “At the 

present time your plenty will supply what they need so that 

in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there 

will be equality…” I am grateful for every church, large 

and small, that faithfully gives to support the work of 

the IBC. It is a privilege for us to support one another 

in times of need. 

For as long as I can remember, the IBC has always 

had approximately 20 churches in a given year who 

gave nothing to the convention’s cooperative budget, 

which hinders the work we do and violates the covenant 

agreement we make as members. Every church 

can make an equal sacrifice if not equal gifts. I encourage 

each pastor to look seriously at his commitment to 


Officers and Ministry Team Coordinators for 2008-2009. 

the work of the IBC. Just as in your local 

church membership involves mutual 

commitment to the Lord and to 

His people, so membership in the 

IBC calls us to mutual commitment 

to the Lord and to other member 

churches as we work together. 

I am thankful for the International 

Baptist Church Ministries, a non-profit 

organization that enables Americans 

who wish to give to IBC churches 

and IBC causes to receive tax credit 

for their contributions. Rudy Oswald, 

former IBC member and continuing 

IBC supporter, serves as the current 

president of this organization. Every 

year the IBCM makes available several 

thousand US$ in grants for specific 

needs of churches or pastors in 

the IBC. They have also helped to encourage 

the work Tom Hill began in 

Central and South America, which 

has become the Fellowship of International 

Churches of Latin America 

(FICLA). Several FICLA churches 

have now joined the IBC, including 

IBC Brasilia, Brazil, this year. Find out 

more about the IBCM at www.ibcmworld.org. 

This year we celebrated IBC Day 

on 12 October. We tried to highlight 

some of the ways we support one another. 

The day also gave us an opportunity 

to share specific prayer needs 

and to increase future prayer support. 

I hope we can make this annual 

day a time of celebration for what 

the Lord is doing among us. It will 

also help to meet the continual need 

to inform IBC church members about 

our work together. 

I challenge the Church Development 

Ministry Team to review our 

guidelines for providing assistance 

to churches in times of crises so that 

we deal more effectively with the 

underlying causes of crises. Help us 

deal with these challenges in a proactive 

way. 

I challenge the Education Ministry 

Team to facilitate regional and 

church seminars and training times 

in the next year that deal with the 

challenges of IBC churches. Our Virginia 

partners stand ready to assist, 

as do other partners in ministry. 

I challenge the Executive Council 

and Sub-Council to talk about 

and recommend actions that can 

strengthen our churches. I also challenge 

the Education Ministry Team to 

provide within the next year online 

training materials and small group 

and other resources that are relevant 

for our churches. 

I challenge the Nominations Ministry 

Team to help us identify and recruit 

people who have expertise in 

these areas to serve. I challenge our 

pastors to consider seriously your financial 

commitment to the work of 

the IBC. Also, find at least one area 

where you can make a difference beyond 

your local church and contribute 

in some way. 

Enhancing Fellowship among 

Churches 

I grieve when I hear about a church 

or pastor that feels isolated and without 

anyone who understands their 

struggles or cares about their needs. I 

rejoice when I hear of churches working 

together and encouraging one 

another in some way. The biblical 

view of the New Testament church 

is not independence but rather interdependence. 

Autonomy says we are 

self-governing, but we are not selfsufficient. 

We need one another. And 

we belong to one another. As GS, I 

struggle with trying to implement 

this lofty sense of fellowship, which I 

see as crucial to the survival of some 

Photo by Judith Lynn Maxwell 

of our churches and the effectiveness 

of all of our churches. We are trying 

to build healthy fellowship among 

our pastors and leaders and between 

our churches. It takes a commitment 

on the part of all. 

As a community of churches seeking 

to share with a lost world the reconciling 

message of the Gospel, we 

must seek to maintain our unity in a 

spirit of love. It is simply not an option 

for us to refuse to seek reconciliation 

by every means possible when 

that is needed between pastors or 

between churches. We need to commit 

to one another and to the Lord 

to hold each other accountable for 

striving to live together in unity. 

Our Regions – now 10 including 

the newly established Latin American 

Region – were formed for fellowship 

and mutual support. Some 

of our regions this past year have 

joined in prayer times, training seminars, 

pulpit exchanges, joint mission 

and church planting projects, 

and overnight pastor sharing times. I 

am grateful to Regional Coordinators 

like Richmond Ofori, who has made 

it a priority to keep in touch with the 

churches of his region and to serve as 

an advisor, mentor, even reconciler 

this past year. In northern Germany, 

Nathaniel Thomas initiated a weekly 

Skype prayer time for pastors in his 

region. Paul Dreessen, in the newest 

region, has communicated with 

other churches in the Latin American 

countries to seek to be of help, 

even though several of these are not 

yet members. He is representing one 

of the churches making a request for 

membership this year. Our regions 

hold a lot of promise for building fellowship 

among our churches. 

Our times together at the Ministry 

Leadership Conference, Interlaken 

Assembly, and Annual Meeting 

are opportunities for relationshipbuilding. 

Our President Dan Marshall 

is right in his assessment that 

the benefit of these times together 

is, as much as anything, the opportunity 

to sit together, share together, 

pray together, and encourage 

one another. This is one reason we 

need to strive to make it possible 

for every pastor and wife to be able 

to attend these meetings, if possible. 

An evangelist from the U.S., 

Phil Waldrep, has helped to provide 

scholarships the last two years 

to help bring the cost down for our 

pastors and leaders to attend the 

MLC. Pastor Aaron Johnson, from 

Atlanta, Georgia, has also helped 

with this. Several anonymous donors 

have also helped. It is an in- 


vestment that can make the difference 

in whether or not a pastor and 

wife stay on the field. We need to 

build on the investments of money, 

time, and energy if we are to maintain 

healthy fellowship and unity in 

our convention. 

This year we have tried to keep 

our churches better informed of 

prayer needs from sister churches on 

a weekly basis through CareNet. One 

of the most important ways we can 

build genuine fellowship is to pray 

for one another. 

Our Highlights Editor Judith Lynn 

Maxwell continues to provide helpful, 

informative, inspirational, highquality 

information through the IBC’s 

Newsmagazine. Highlights reaches 

into each IBC church and beyond to 

friends, former members, and partners 

around the globe. 

Our diverse experiences cause us 

to have different expectations with 

regard to fellowship. For some, who 

have never been a part of a caring 

family of churches, it is a new experience. 

I challenge you to invest time 

in getting to know other pastors and 

leaders. For others, who come from 

large conventions that were able to 

provide full services in many areas, 

realize that the IBC depends on each 

pastor and church to take an active 

part so that we can support one another. 

For some who come from fractured 

fellowships where strife and 

disunity and theological tensions are 

common, join us as we respect the 

diversity of backgrounds and perspectives 

within the bounds of evangelical 

theology. The intent of the 

recently approved Summary of Basic 

Beliefs is to bring us together on 

the essentials while respecting each 

Ministry 

Leadership Conference 

For pastors, church staff, key leaders and 

spouses 

Friday-Tuesday, 13-17 March 2009 

Tivoli Carvoeiro Hotel, Algarve, Portugal 

Carvoeiro is approx. 50 km from the Faro airport. 

If you cannot get a flight to Faro, it is possible 

to get a train from Lisbon. 

Reservations should be made with the IBC Office 

by 15 December. 

church’s need to express locally the 

“faith that was once for all entrusted 

to the saints” (Jude 3). 

I challenge our IBC leadership, 

pastors, and other leaders to recommit 

to strengthening the spirit of unity 

we enjoy. Christ intends that we 

live together in love, overcoming obstacles 

that could divide us. I am 

thankful that there are no significant 

rifts that threaten our fellowship. I 

believe, however, that a deeper fellowship 

is needed for our “partnership 

in the Gospel.” Our local ministries 

will be more effective when we 

take the time and effort to work together 

as churches. In our fractured 

world, such a commitment to pursue 

Christ’s vision for unity will make 

a deep impact. It will also please 

Christ. 

I call on the Church Development 

Ministry Team to take a look 

at our process for receiving new IBC 

churches into the convention to assure 

that we are communicating effectively 

both the expectations and 

benefits of being a part of the IBC. 

We also need to review our expectations 

of current member churches 

and seek to challenge every pastor to 

lead his church to take its membership 

commitment seriously so that 

genuine fellowship can flourish. Perhaps 

the Executive Council needs to 

address the issue of inactive members 

in the IBC. 

I call on our Regional Coordinators 

in the coming year to prioritize 

genuine fellowship among the 

churches in their region. Each region 

can do something that will enhance 

its churches’ effectiveness in ministry 

and mission. 

Supporting Baptist Groups 

When Herman Stout and family 

came to Wiesbaden in 1957 to begin 

an English-language church, he 

immediately made contact with the 

local German Baptist pastor Gideon 

Dreisbach. Together they formulated 

plans for the establishment of 

an English-speaking Baptist work. A 

year later, when twin brother Herbert 

Stout and his family arrived in 

Germany to begin “Bethel Baptist 

Church,” German Christians participated 

in the first service as a sign 

of their partnership. This pattern of 

cooperation has been followed for 

many of our churches. As was true 

for the first two “IBC” churches, it is 

common still for many of our churches 

to share facilities with local national 

Baptist churches and to work together 

in various ways. 

English-speaking international 

churches have a unique mission. We 

reach and minister to some people 

who would not be reached by national 

churches. This unique ministry 

should complement the work of the 

unions and churches where we serve. 

A spirit of competition and independence 

among ministries is foreign to 

the calling of Christ. I have seen in recent 

years the benefits and blessings 

of getting to know national leaders in 

our work as Baptists. Most are interested 

and eager to help when asked. 

National churches have a lot to teach 

us about the communities where we 

serve. There are many reasons to cooperate, 

and none to compete. 

It is often advisable for IBC churches 

to affiliate directly with the national 

Baptist unions. It is always 

advisable for us to seek strong relationships 

with local churches and national 

Baptist unions where we serve. 

In many cases, they can help with legal 

and tax issues that can hinder our 

churches from getting pastors. They 

can also provide mutual encouragement. 

Several times this past year, it 

proved beneficial to enlist the advice 

and assistance of leaders of national 

unions and pastors in local national 

churches. 

We continue to enjoy a good relationship 

with the Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher 

Gemeinden in 

Deutschland, or German Baptist 

Union. Because the IBC offices are in 

Germany, we depend on the GBU for 

legal and charitable status through a 

trustee agreement. Our bank in Europe 

as a convention is owned by 

the GBU. At our request, a member 

of the Executive Board of the Sparund 

Kreditbank, Bernd Primke, serves 


as one of our IBC trustees. We were happy to have 

Regina Claas, General Secretary of the GBU, with us 

for this year’s Annual Meeting. We are thankful for 

this partnership. 

The IBC is a member of the European Baptist Federation, 

a family of more than 50 Baptist unions, 

representing 13,000 churches and 800,000 members 

from nearly every country in Europe and Central 

Asia including five unions in the Middle East. Although 

our most prominent involvement in the EBF 

is through the Indigenous Missionary Project, we 

also help to support all efforts of the EBF – mission 

and evangelism, human rights and religious freedom, 

theological education, and humanitarian aid. 

We were happy to have Tony Peck, EBF General Secretary 

and a prince of a man, to speak for our Annual 

Meeting. For more information about the EBF, go 

to www.ebf.org. 

We are also members of the Baptist World Alliance. 

The BWA is a fellowship of 214 Baptist conventions 

and unions comprising a membership of 36 million 

baptized believers and a community of 105 million. 

Learn more about the BWA by looking at their website, 

www.bwanet.org. 

I challenge IBC churches to celebrate the partnership 

with other Baptist churches around the world. 

Locally, every pastor should seek to establish healthy 

relationships with other pastors and churches. Certainly 

you should pray for them and with them regularly. 

Work together on projects where your visions 

intersect. 

Nationally get to know those who serve as leaders 

of the union where you serve. Certainly there are 

ways you can bless their work, and let them know 

about yours. See how you might work together. International 

churches can offer a vital spark of Gospel 

fervor if they will engage meaningfully, particularly in 

spiritual environments often described as post-Christian. 

There is an excitement about our ministry that 

can encourage and stimulate others. 

I challenge our military churches to make every effort 

to work with chaplains and others who minister 

to military members. If they see you as a friend and 

a person willing to help, and not just someone who 

wants to use them for access, they will usually embrace 

you. If you consider them a threat, you will almost 

certainly cripple your own ministry. 

Let’s support in appropriate ways the work of other 

Baptist groups around the world. Former BWA 

President Denton Lotz used to say often, “We belong 

to each other because we belong to Christ.” 

Engaging in World-Wide Missions 

The heartbeat of our convention since its inception 

has always been missions, whether locally or globally. 

Most pastors come to IBC churches out of a compelling 

sense of global awareness and mission commitment. 

Most live outside their countries of birth. 

This is also true for most IBC church members. Bringing 

the Gospel to the whole world seems like a natural 

result of our Christian commitment and global 

representation. With churches in more than 25 

countries, members from over 125 countries in our 

churches, and many churches with up to 50 nations 

represented in one church, we have the world not 

only at our doorsteps but also within our walls. 

One of our cooperative mission efforts as a family 

of churches is through the European Baptist Mission. 

In recent years the EBM has gone through a transformation 

to involve in leadership people from its traditional 

mission sending countries and mission receiving 

countries to serve together more effectively in 

Europe, Africa, Latin America, and India. Hans Guderian, 

who has led the EBM for many years, will be 

leaving at the end of this year to serve as a pastor in 

Berlin. We are grateful to Hans for the good way in 

which he has worked with the IBC in our support of 

the EBM missionaries. 

I am still looking for the day when an IBC church 

member will serve the EBM as a long-term or shortterm 

missionary. There are current needs including 

a finance manager and two medical doctors to serve 

in Cameroon, and an experienced missionary couple 

to start and lead an HIV-AIDS children’s home in Mozambique. 

Perhaps God will call someone from an 

IBC church to serve. Until that day, we can continue 

to pray and give toward the good work of the EBM. 

More information can be found on their website at 

www.ebm-masa.org/index_eng.html. 

Every IBC church is involved in direct missions of 

some kind. The Gospel of a gracious God who sent 

His Son to hurting and needy people is our motivation 

for sending and going to the entire world with 

Gospel. It is natural that every church be involved 

in strategic ways as the Lord leads them. In addition, 

the EBF’s Indigenous Missionary Project offers 

us good opportunities for personal mission involvement. 

We are planning for 2009 a joint mission trip 

with our partners in Virginia. I hope members from 

several IBC churches will be able to join other IBCers 

and Virginia volunteers to work with some of the Indigenous 

Missionary church planters. The Missions 

Ministry Team is working with Virginia’s Partnership 

Coordinator Craig Waddell to plan this trip which 

will probably involve working in several locations in 

Moldova. There could be an additional trip or two 

planned, perhaps to Romania, if there is interest. 

Last year, we approved a new plan for our cooperative 

mission giving. The IBC Global Missions Offering 

will be emphasized during the month of December 

and combines a number of special mission 

offerings that previously were taken throughout the 

year. In 2008, the distribution of the offering will be 

as follows: 

International Mission Board, SBC: .........22.5% 

European Baptist Mission: ...............22.5% 

Indigenous Missionary Project: .............5% 

IBC Church Planting: ....................5% 

Together We Build: .....................20% 

IBC Home Missions (previously May Missions):.20% 

Emergency Projects: .....................5% 

The Missions Ministry Team took the decision to recommend 

combining all IBC Special Offerings as a result 

of requests from churches to reduce the number 

of appeals during the year. We hope this once-a-year 

special emphasis will help our churches to promote 

effectively and give generously. As with other emphases, 

the key will be pastoral leadership. If the pastor 

leads, the church will follow. 

I challenge our pastors to make it a priority in their 

churches to promote the IBC Global Missions Offering 

this year. If you will promote it, your people will 

gladly give. I challenge our churches to make mis- 


sions not one part of the church’s many programs, 

but who we are and what we do as Baptist Christians. 

175 years ago the Father of the Baptist movement in 

Europe, Gerhard Oncken, coined the phrase, “Every 

Baptist a Missionary.” We need a revival of that spirit 

in our churches. 

We stand on the shoulders of hundreds of thousands 

who have marched in the IBC parade before us. For 

50 years, countless believers have labored to grow the 

churches that now make up our family, the IBC. Many 

of those saints have now joined the “great cloud of witnesses” 

who cheer us on. Many churches have come 

and gone, each leaving its mark for eternity. 

God calls us to be faithful to the tasks He has given 

us to do today, while it is still day. We do not know 

what the next 50 years will hold. It is doubtful that any 

of us will be around to see. The question is, “What will 

we leave for those who follow us” Will they find that 

we were faithful More importantly, will the Faithful 

One find us faithful The answer depends on us and 

how we use the opportunities God is giving us today. 

Let’s commit together to be Christ-followers worth 

the Name. 

As we look at our past, and toward our future, may 

these words from Scripture guide us: 

Sing to the LORD a new song; 

sing to the LORD, all the earth. 

Sing to the LORD, praise his name; 

proclaim his salvation day after day. 

Declare his glory among the nations, 

his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; 

he is to be feared above all gods. 

For all the gods of the nations are idols, 

but the LORD made the heavens. 

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns”. 

The world is firmly established, 

it cannot be moved; 

he will judge the peoples with equity. 

Psalm 96:1-5, 10 

• 

Jimmy Martin 

General Secretary 

Convention Continues Celebration of Jubilee 

• The 45 th Annual Meeting of the International 

Baptist Convention was held 

27-30 October, hosted by the Immanuel 

Baptist Church of Wiesbaden, Germany, 

one of the founding churches of the 

convention. The meeting continued the 

year-long 50 th Anniversary celebration of 

the convention. 

The Association of Baptist in Continental 

Europe was founded in 1958 and while 

annual meetings were held during that 

time, the numbering began when the 

convention changed its name to the European 

Baptist Convention in 1963. 

The convention meeting opened with a 

celebration dinner on Monday night. The 

opening session featured a question-andanswer 

time with current IBC General Secretary 

Jimmy Martin and former General 

Secretary James Heflin and his wife Wilma. 

Heflin served as general secretary from 

1996-2001. The evening concluded with 

all enjoying the 50 th Anniversary cake. 

In its business sessions, the convention 

messengers welcomed three new churches 

into membership in the convention – 

extending the reach of the convention 

Photos by Judith Lynn Maxwell 


IBC Summary of Basic Beliefs 

We do not view our Summary of Basic Beliefs as a creed or a statement 

to which our staff, volunteers, or churches are forced to subscribe, 

but rather it is a basic summary of beliefs and emphases generally 

held by Baptists. It is what “we believe” when we serve God together 

within the structures and Ministry Teams of the IBC. It does not take 

the place of the Bible, which is our standard for faith and practice, 

but emerges out of it. 

even more. Voted as full members were 

the Belleville Baptist Church in Cape 

Town, South Africa, and the International 

Baptist Church of Brasilia, Brazil. The 

International Mission Baptist Church in 

Freiburg, Germany, was voted as an associate 

member. 

The convention also adopted a Summary 

of Basic Beliefs replacing the Statement 

of Faith in the IBC Constitution (see 

sidebar for the complete text). A committee 

has been working with the Plans and 

Policies Ministry Team for three years to 

formulate this new statement of beliefs. 

Also changed was the way the president 

and vice-president will serve. Beginning 

with the election in 2009, the vicepresident 

will serve also serve as president 

elect. He or she will succeed to the presidency 

the following year and then serve 

a third year as past-president. 

Elections for this year’s officers (under 

the existing guidelines) were also held. 

Dan Marshall, pastor of the Emirates Baptist 

Church International, Dubai, UAE, was 

re-elected president. Brian Kirby, pastor 

of Emmanuel International Church, Paris, 

France, was elected as vice-president. 

Lorraine Stringer, IBC administrative assistant, 

was re-elected as clerk. Alistair 

McCallum, an elder at the International 

Christian Fellowship, Oberursel, Germany, 

was also re-elected as treasurer. 

The convention also approved a budget 

of E 439,541.07, a 1.82% decrease 

from the 2008 budget. 

The meeting also featured messages 

by Heflin; Tony Peck, General Secretary 

of the European Baptist Federation; and 

Bob Marsh, well-known IBC speaker and 

interim pastor. The convention also heard 

reports from Martin; Regina Claas, the 

German Baptist Union’s General Secretary; 

Daniel Trusiewicz of the EBF’s Indigenous 

Missionary Project; and Bill 

Laughlin and Darryl Evetts from the IBC’s 

Church Development Ministry Team. Heflin’s, 

Peck’s, and Marsh’s messages may 

be downloaded from the IBC website: 

www.ibc-churches.org. Amy and Patrick 

Fata, musicians from Carmel, Indiana, led 

the times of worship each morning and 

evening. 

• 

International Baptist Convention – Summary of Basic Beliefs 

(2008) 

We believe … 

• in one God: Father, Son, and Holy 

Spirit – co-eternal, co-existent, co-equal 

and co-operative, as affirmed in Scripture 

and as summarized in the ancient 

Christian confessions of faith. 1 

• that the Bible is inspired by God and is 

the standard against which all Christian 

belief and behavior is measured. 

• that human beings are incapable of 

saving themselves and stand in need 

of God’s gracious love and that Jesus 

Christ, who is fully God and fully human, 

has, through His death and resurrection, 

done everything necessary 

for us to have a personal one-to-one 

relationship with God; we begin to experience 

the benefits of this when we 

repent from and confess our sin, and 

commit our lives under the Lordship of 

Jesus Christ, our only Savior. 

• that each local church is an autonomous 

assembly of believing disciples responsible 

to discern the mind of Christ 

for that body of Christ – in the light 

of Scripture, with the leading of the 

Holy Spirit, and under the Lordship of 

Christ. 

• that Christ has, according to the Scriptures, 

instituted two church ordinances 

for believers: 

• believer’s baptism as an act of obedience 

and an expression of a personal 

commitment to Christian discipleship. 

The baptism of the believer into 

and under water “in the name of the 

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” 

is symbolic of the death, burial, and 

resurrection of Christ; the end of an 

old way of life; and the beginning of 

a new life in Christ. It affirms the Holy 

Spirit’s work that is already experienced 

by the believer and this public 

baptism is an outward visible sign of 

the ongoing and life-long sanctifying 

work of the Holy Spirit; and 

• the communion of the Lord’s Table as 

a repeated and frequent reminder of 

our communal life in Christ, whose 

death we remember, whose resurrection 

we celebrate, and whose return 

we eagerly await. 

• that church membership is only for 

those who can testify personally of 

God’s saving grace. 

• that each local church is to model a 

better way of life according to the principles 

of the Kingdom of God. Because 

a Christian disciple’s first and highest 

loyalty is to God, so also each church, 

while respecting those secular laws not 

in conflict with the commands of God, 

should be free from state control. 

• that in every country all people should 

be entitled to the freedom of religious 

expression, while respecting the laws of 

that country and the beliefs of others. 

• that we, in response to the Great 

Commission, 2 have been sent out 3 and 

given the task of making disciples – disciplined 

followers of Jesus Christ – from 

among all ethnic groups (nations). 

• that just as the Trinity is the model 

of eternal co-operation so we as IBC 

churches are to co-operate together 

in mission with God, with each other, 

and with other like-minded Christian 

churches and organizations: locally, nationally, 

and internationally – so that the 

world may believe. 4 

As the International Baptist Convention 

we celebrate and affirm our unity in diversity 

as part of the worldwide body of 

Christ. We seek no uniformity in worship 

or service but are “many faces, 

many places, one message” not restricted 

by national or cultural bounds. We 

live and serve together here on earth 

in anticipation of our future celebration 

and service of God in Glory with 

the redeemed of every nation and generation. 

5 

Footnotes 

1 This refers to the Trinitarian formulae of the 

Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. 

2 Matthew 28: 18-20 

3 John 20: 21-22 

4 ibid & John 17: 21 

5 Revelation 7: 7-12 


IBC Bucharest Receives 

Missions Endowment Fund Grant 

• At the Annual Meeting of the International 

Baptist Convention, messengers voted to award this 

year’s grant from the Missions Endowment Fund to 

the International Church of Bucharest, Romania. Bucharest 

will receive $40,000 which will help them finish 

the construction of their new worship center and 

pastor’s apartment. 

The new building will be used for worship, fellowship, 

Bible studies, training institute, mission activities, 

community activities, church office, bookstore, 

an apartment for the pastor, and possibly a preschool. 

Some additional space to assist with a preschool 

could be completed in the future. Most of the 

building is already paid for. The grant will allow the 

completion of the building without the church going 

into debt. 

The church had been given the property but were 

unable to build on it for lack of funds. A Romanian 

land developer approached them wanting to buy 

the property. The church said no. The developer returned 

with a proposal. If he could build an apartment 

building, the church would have one floor as 

a worship center (completely finished) and a second 

floor for an apartment for the pastor. The church 

agreed and construction began. The church will 

move in in January. 

• 

photos by Bill Tully 

The property in May 2008 and the nearly completed building in October 2008. 

First Global Missions Offering 

to be taken in December 

• The first International Baptist Convention Global 

Missions Offering will be taken on 7 December, the 

first Sunday in December, in churches across the convention. 

The Global Missions Offering combines all of 

the former missions offerings into one offering. 

This year’s offering will be divided as follows: 

Year IMB EBM IMP IBC/CP TWB MAY M EP Total 

2008 22.5 % 22.5 % 5 % 5 % 20 % 20 % 5 % 100 % 

IMB: International Mission Board (Southern Baptist 

Convention-related missions) 

EBM: European Baptist Mission (work in Africa, Middle 

East, and South America) 

IMP: Indigenous Missionary Project (European Baptist 

Federation-sponsored support of indigenous 

church plants) 

IBC/CP: IBC Church Planting (assists church planters 

working within the IBC) 

TWB: Together We Build Offering (helps local IBC 

churches with small construction or renovation projects) 

May M: IBC Home Missions Offering (special designated 

projects, normally in countries where the 

IBC has churches, for example, Chernobyl Project 

2007) 

EP: Emergency Projects (Projects which arise such 

as disaster relief, hunger aid, etc. which the Missions 

Ministry Team identifies and responds to). • 


From the Editor’s Pen 

• In the final edition of Highlights 

during our Jubilee year, I 

thought it was appropriate to 

take a look at the history of 

Highlights. Although Highlights 

is not quite 50, it did celebrate 

its 45 th birthday in February of 

this year. 

The first edition was published 

in February 1963 and 

was nameless. The first editor 

Lewis Krause offered a few 

suggested names (including 

The Overseas Baptist and the 

ABCE Informer) but the name 

selected was Highlights. The 

first two editors, Lewis Krause 

(1963-1965) and Don Rose 

(1965-1968), were also 

the associational missionary 

(the fore-runner to the 

general secretary). The third 

editor William Guess (1968- 

1971) later was named the 

executive secretary-treasurer 

for the convention. My guess 

is that our current general secretary 

is glad this tradition has 

changed. 

The first two years were single 

page editions, typed and 

copied on colored paper. In 

February 1965, the paper increased 

to four pages, and in 

May 1965, the first pictures 

were included. When Don Rose 

took over as editor in November 

1965, he introduced a more traditional 

newspaper look to the 

paper. This format remained for 

the next 13 years. The masthead 

(the heading that says Highlights) 

changed in 1978 when a graphic 

of the world was added. This was 

changed to the IBC logo in 1980. 

Sometime in the 1980s, single color 

was added to the paper. The 

most striking change happened 

in 2002 when the newsmagazine 

grew to 16 pages in full color. 

Through the years, for the 

most part, the editor of Highlights 

has been a volunteer. They 

have served as editor while also 

serving as pastor’s wife, pastor, 

homemaker, personnel specialist 

in the military, and software 

production coordinator. They 

have struggled with no news 

from the churches, communicating 

with a German printer, 

and changing technology. I 

want to say thank you to those who have served in 

the past (and I hope I haven’t missed someone): 

Top: Highlights 1963, middle: Highlights 

1985, lower: Highlights 2002 

things never change.” 

Helen Ruchti, 1971-1974 

Larry Yoder, 1974-1975 

Art & Faye Palmer, 1975-1976 

Velma Merritt, 1976-1978 

Bea Guthrie, 1978-1980 

Julie Tanner, 1980 

Richard Walker, 1980-1982 

Robert Catudio, 1982-1985 

Neal Schooley, 1985 

Elizabeth Merritt, 1985-1986 

Glenn Dyer, 1986-1987 

Dorothy Baker, 1987-1989 

Deane Langdon, 1989-1990 

Debbie Baird Buie, 1990-1991 

Becky Walter, 1991-1992 

Jack Walls, 1992-1995, 1999 

Deonne Beshear, 1999-2001 

I served as editor from 1995-1998 

and began my second “tour of duty” 

in 2002. 

I recently heard from former editor 

Deane Langdon, and so I asked her 

for some of her favorite memories 

from her days as editor. She wrote: 

“One of the special things about editing 

Highlights was the opportunity 

to meet many of the pastors and 

their families as well as lay people in 

the churches. We still visit with one 

family who now lives in Tennessee. 

Seeing ways the people cared about 

and helped one another cope with 

being so far away from their larger 

family was a special joy. Learning 

to work with a German printer 

who had difficulty deciding that I 

really did mean ‘and’ so it was not 

necessary to change that word to 

‘und’ was an interesting experience. 

He was so understanding 

when I asked him to go back to 

my original. My year of editing 

the newsjournal was a great experience 

for me. After 30 years 

of writing for [the Baptist Sunday 

School Board] I was able to 

continue writing but from a different 

perspective.” I’m sure others 

who have served share her 

feelings. 

During the past year, all of the 

Highlights have been scanned and 

saved in a digital format. These are 

part of the 50 th Anniversary DVD, 

available from the IBC Office (see 

page 3). 

In 1963, the name Highlights was 

selected because its purpose was 

to share the highlights from the 

work and ministry of the churches 

and the convention itself. As Jimmy 

Martin said in his article, “Some 

• 

Judith Lynn Maxwell 


Virginia Team Provides Training in Bremen 

by Diane Smith 

Children’s Ministry Strategist 

Virginia Baptist Mission Board 

Richmond, Virginia 

Smith 

Bradley 

• September 25, 2008, we 

stepped off the train in Bremen, 

Germany. And we wonder, “How 

will we know Alina Surely, she 

will have a sign to indicate who 

she is.” 

We clear immigration and notice 

two dark-haired, smiling ladies 

with sign “IBC”! Well, that 

must be our hosts! Hugs and 

smiles for everyone! Everyone talking 

at same time. 

Gayle Bradley and I are in Bremen 

at the invitation of the IBC 

to minister with three churches in 

the area of Children’s Ministry. Alina 

and Paul Prodan, who serve the 

International Baptist Church, Bremen 

as Children’s Ministry Coordinators, 

much desired a time of 

encouragement, motivation, and 

equipping of the children’s leaders 

at Bremen. They contacted the 

IBC Office and learned of a partnership 

between the IBC and Virginia 

Baptist Mission Board. They 

logged the request with the IBC 

and Craig Waddell, partnership 

coordinator with Virginia Baptist 

Mission Board. 

Gayle and I responded to the 

request for seminar leaders for 

teachers of children, ages 2-13. 

On Saturday, September 27, 

42 children’s leaders from three 

churches (Bremen, Hanover, and 

Celle) gathered in Bremen for a 

day of laughter, conversation, 

singing [“I have a new friend; Joan 

is her name”, appropriate for a 

3-year old], and participation in 

new ways to help children learn 

about God and God’s great love 

for them. 

Children’s leaders ‘ran into 

walls’ as they portrayed the Bible 

study of Jesus healing a blind 

man. Children’s leaders learned 

about the thinking skills and abilities 

of 3’s-6’s. 

Children’s leaders said “I wish 

more information.” “When can 

we do this again” 

Blessings gathered from the 

seminar: children’s leaders were 

affirmed in their calling to teach 

children about God; children’s 

leaders met other children’s leaders; 

children’s leaders had fun 

while learning (and children do also!); 

children’s leaders prayed together 

for God to move to touch 

the heart and lives of the children 

and families in their churches. 

Would I go again to Germany 

Oh, yes! We met wonderful 

people, wonderful children’s leaders, 

wonderful Christians! We have 

a bond now. I can see the faces 

of Alina and Paul; Susan, Walter 

and daughter Lauren; Joan and 

her mom Peggy; Lydia; Ole and 

Nunia. And I pray for them, for 

their ministry in Bremen as they 

pray for Gayle and me and our 

ministry in Virginia. 

Thank you, thank you, thank 

you IBC, Bremen (and the IBC) for 

a marvelous blessing! • 

News from the Churches 

Kaiserslautern, Germany 

• On Sunday, 5 October, Faith Baptist 

Church in Kaiserslautern, Germany, celebrated 

the 10-year ministry of Jan Horak. 

Recognition Sunday offered the church 

family the opportunity to express appreciation 

to both Jan and Ginger Horak for 

their ministry at Faith Baptist Church. 

Jan, who currently serves as youth pastor, 

first came to Faith Baptist in 1987 as a 

high school student when his parents, Ralf 

and Gisela Horak, moved into the Kaiserslautern 

community. Jan initially started as 

an active participant in the youth group, 

subsequently served in various youth ministry 

positions, and, in 1998, was hired by 

then Pastor Jimmy Martin as a full-time 

minister. In 2000, Jan was married to Ginger 

Perry whom he first met when Ginger 

and her family attended Faith Baptist 

while her father was stationed in Germany 

with the U.S. military. Their courtship 

The Horak family 

spanned several years, two continents, 

and two military assignments to Germany. 

To this day, Jan and Ginger believe that 

email was invented just for them. 

During the Sunday morning service, 

presentations were made to both Jan and 

Ginger. A well-attended reception also followed 

the evening service during which 

time gifts were presented. Letters of congratulations 

and words of appreciation 

were received from many current and former 

coworkers, parents, and students. IBC 

General Secretary Jimmy Martin wrote “I 

know the love Jan has for the Lord, for 

youth, and for the church. Jan is a bridgebuilder 

to the military community and an 

asset to the German community also.” Altus 

Newell, current pastor of Faith Baptist 

Church, commented on Jan’s willingness 

to minister in any way that will help 

the church. “He does so many things often 

behind the scenes to help all our ministries.” 

Jan and Ginger currently have three 

children, Nehemiah, Naomi, and Gideon, 

who also participated in the church-wide 

celebration. 

• 

Stan Garn 



Lagos, Portugal 

• 2008 has been a year of change for 

the International Community Church, Lagos, 

Portugal. We have continued to see 

new faces with us, but sadly some have 

moved on. 

Kym from the U.K. was with us for six 

months, enabling us to do Kidz Klub and 

many more things with the teens. We miss 

her. The work with the local orphanage continues 

to grow with approximately 8-10 attending 

church each week. We also take the 

same number out on Saturday afternoons. 

The Sunday School has just finished working 

through Pilgrim’s Progress. Four of our 

teens went to Newday in the U.K. during 

the summer, meeting up with 7000 other 

teens; they came back very different. 

The outreach to the homeless continues 

to grow; we feed them twice a week 

in the town and once every two weeks 

they come up to the church building for a 

hot meal. Pray we may see fruit from these 

lovely people as they struggle with many 

addictions. 

Keep praying for the work here in Lagos 

as we seek to be a genuine local church, 

loving each other as Christ commanded. 

We long to see genuine commitment as 

we grow together in Him. The Algarve can 

be a “me first” part of the world; may we 

see us become a “Christ-first” people. • 

David and Linda Chester 

ICC works with a local orphanage 

each week. 

Kiev, Ukraine 

• God continues blessing Kiev International 

Bible Church in Kiev with continued 

outreach, sending people in ministry, 

and seeing people come to Christ. Even 

though 2008 continues to be a transition 

year for the church with numerous families 

leaving, God’s faithfulness and blessings 

continue unabated. Currently former 

KIBC people are serving in more than 20 

cities in nine countries including Sweden, 

U.S., China, Norway, Germany, Afghanistan, 

and Thailand. 

Recently KIBC commissioned Maxim 

Sidorchuk as an English-teaching missionary 

to Bangkok, Thailand, where he 

is working with an American missionary 

and also an international church. American 

Doug Clark has recently been added 

to the Pastoral Leadership Team. In addition, 

the PLT added another member to its 

team as it continues providing leadership 

to the church. 

The Persian ministry continues to expand 

both locally and in other cities. The 

leadership core now consists of approximately 

eight young men, four of whom 

serve as a leadership team. They had their 

first formal Sunday worship service on 19 

October, and continue their week-night 

Bible study group. The leaders are also 

meeting periodically with another group 

in Kharkiv, and recently they made contact 

with a group of approximately eight 

young men and women in Poltova who 

are wanting someone to come and help 

them study the Bible. 

After just over three years serving as 

founding senior pastor at KIBC, Bob and 

Jo Ann Tolliver are concluding the transition 

time of their ministry and will completely 

phase their work out in early December. 

They will return to the U.S. on 11 

December and will headquarter in Missouri 

from where they will continue international 

ministry as well as doing stateside 

conferences. They are available for 

interim pastorates and other related ministries. 

• 

Hamburg, Germany 

• On 1-2 November, the International 

Baptist Church of Hamburg, Germany, 

celebrated 20 years of existence. What 

started small – four women – has grown 

to a multi-cultural congregation of more 

than 250. Jimmy Martin and his wife Laurie 

came to celebrate with us, and in his 

welcome he urged us that even though 

IBC-HH is in a time of transition, not to 

give up and not to give in, like those before 

us did not do. Hamburg is an amazing 

place, and, for those who do not know it, 

next year German baptized Christians will 

celebrate 175 years in existence which all 

started right here in the Elbe River. 

Every pastor that has come into our 

church has left his mark. First was James 

Foster in 1988, and his motto was “Staying 

together.” J.R. Duncan followed him 

in 1994, and they stayed with us for six 

years. His motto was the “American way 

of loving God.” In 2000 IBC-HH installed 

its first Pastor Search Committee and in 

2001 called Craig Rees and his family. His 

motto was “We connect and move to the 

center.” Now led in the interim by Francis 

Ofori and assisted by Christian Bach, we 

wait on what the Lord has in store for us. 

The festivities over the weekend included 

a variety concert put on by some 

of our very talented members. This included 

dances, songs, poems, and skits, 

and we also heard about how it all began. 

We then, in true IBC-HH style, had 

a wonderful dinner and then enjoyed an 

amazing worship concert. On Sunday, we 

had a really special service where Jimmy 

Martin preached on “The Importance of 

the Cross.” After which we all enjoyed an 

amazing buffet with dishes from all over 

the world. 

• 

IBC General Secretary Jimmy Martin cuts 

IBC-HH’s birthday cake. 



Bremen, Germany 

Vacation Bible School: 

Blast Off to Cosmic City 

The first day was one of the best because 

I learned how God had created the 

earth. In the Lab (it was called Wonder U), 

I had much fun every day. When I grow 

up, I want to become a scientist. The 

Theater of the Galaxies, which we visited 

every day was very good. On Thursday 

one of the actresses told us her testimony 

– how God saved her and her husband 

when a burglar broke into their house. I 

can understand it much better if I know 

the person who God has helped. That has 

strengthened my faith. 

In Supernova (arts and crafts) I made a 

comet out of balloons and peas. Asteroid 

alley was our game time. I liked especially 

the game with the wet sponges. My favorite 

song was “Blast off to Cosmic City.” We 

sang it every day. Only one thing was not 

so good. My best friend was away on vacation; 

together with him, it would have 

been even more fun. 

Michael, 8 years old 

Church Retreat 

Die Wattwanderung, worship, and water 

were all key features of the recent church 

retreat enjoyed by more than 50 people 

from the International Baptist Church, 

Bremen, Germany. The retreat was held 

in the lovely seaside town of Norden, at 

Gästehaus To Huus. Families, couples, singles, 

young and old all joined together for 

a weekend of fellowship, teaching, worship, 

and fun. The first night was Thursday 

and after a traditional meal of Wurst 

and potato salad everyone settled down 

to watch the inspirational film, ‘Facing 

the Giants.’ Popcorn was plentiful, and 

the evening got off to a good start with 

everyone taking turns with making drinks, 

snacks, and sweeping up. 

Friday morning devotions set the tone 

for the day as the early risers came together 

for prayer and worship. House group 

leaders headed teams who took responsibility 

for preparing two meals each over 

the weekend and doing the clearing up 

in the industrial-size kitchen. This was actually 

one of the unexpected highlights 

of the weekend as teams worked together 

to produce some very delicious meals 

for everyone. Much laughter and a real 

sense of family was apparent in the kitchen! 

Each day, time was set aside for a variety 

of leisure activities and many people 

set off on the Wattwanderung mud. Yes, 

that was expected, but add to that a tropical 

downpour, and you have some very 

wet, bedraggled people for lunch. However 

this all added to the sense of adventure 

with everyone having a different story 

to tell-certainly it seemed with each telling 

each person had been a little bit wetter 

than the one before! 

Friday evening started with a time of 

worship led by members of the IBC worship 

team. Prayer and praise prepared our 

hearts and minds for the first workshop 

‘Who is the Holy Spirit’ led by our pastor 

Neville Johannie. This was an introductory 

session and reminded us that the Holy 

Spirit is a wonderful person, with wonderful 

power and holding wonderful potential 

for us. We were challenged to “point 

our hearts in the right direction” and to 

“ask God to increase our capacity and to 

pour into our life.” This was followed by 

a short time of silent prayer and reflection 

as we each focused on what we felt God 

was saying to us. Many felt a real sense of 

God’s presence in our midst and this deepened 

as the weekend continued. 

Later in the evening a game of “Saintly 

Who wants to be a Millionaire” was great 

fun, with our pastor acting as ‘Phone a 

friend’ for all teams – no pressure! There 

were some tricky questions but two teams 

successfully won a million – blessings rather 

than euros, I think. For details of the 

game you need to contact our fantastic 

Retreat Organization team. 

Saturday was sunny, and there was an 

air of excitement and anticipation as the 

baptism of Heike Herzog in the North Sea 

had been carefully planned for later in the 

day. The second workshop took place in 

the morning, and we heard our pastor answer 

the question, “What does the Holy 

Spirit do” As he shared some of his own 

personal experience of the work of the 

Holy Spirit in his church in South Africa, 

we were all aware of the mighty power of 

the Holy Spirit, not just in New Testament 

times but in our world today. 

After an afternoon of horse riding, visiting 

the Sea Lion Centre, or enjoying the 

beach, we all came together at the harbor 

to share in the wonderful baptismal 

service. We sang and praised our Lord Jesus, 

drawing the attention of the people 

around who watched and listened to the 

words of Pastor Neville. Heike’s testimony 

conveyed how she had come to this moment 

of complete commitment and desire 

for renewal and as she stood in the 

sea, the sun streamed through the clouds 

and God smiled, sending His love shining 

down and blessing us all, filling us anew 

with wonder and delight at His gracious 

gifts to us. This was a very special moment 

and one of great testimony. 

That evening a time to share talents was 

planned and despite the fact that everyone 

was tired, no one wanted to go to bed 

and an evening of worship and praise continued 

until very late. Volunteers played 

the flute and guitar and sang songs and 

even the smallest children joined in with 

some great acrobatics. The Worship team 

led the singing and dancing as we were revitalised 

by the Holy Spirit’s amazing presence. 

Eventually after a time of prayer and 

thanksgiving the house settled down for 

the last night together. 

After breakfast on Sunday, the final 

workshop, “How should I respond to the 

Holy Spirit” was led by Pastor Neville, 

and we were directed to “begin our journey 

by being immersed, to continue with 

constant fillings, and to keep trusting God 

to release His Spirit.” We recognized that 

we need to be hungry, to be available, and 

to be “ready to be surprised.” After sharing 

the Lord’s Supper together and spending 

time in prayer, we were open to hear 

what the Holy Spirit was saying to us, and 

we left with a sense of great joy and anticipation 

knowing there was more to come 

on our return. 

We were grateful to the team of workers 

from IBC Hamburg who came and looked 

after our children so that everyone could 

take part in the workshop sessions. The 

children had a great time and not only 

played games but produced some great 

artwork too. 

After a final meal together everyone 

slowly departed to prepare for the week 

ahead. It was a great blessing for all of us 

there – a special time of fellowship when 

we could really get to know each other 

and to enjoy being part of a rich church 

family. It was special, and the only thing 

that was wrong – it was too short!! 

Susan Turner 



Spiritual Gifts Workshop 

Following our church retreat in Norden 

in August where Pastor Neville Johannie 

shared in three sessions about the ministry 

of the Holy Spirit, a need was felt to further 

explore our spiritual gifts and how we can 

use these to build up the Body of Christ at 

the International Baptist Church, Bremen. 

It was decided to hold spiritual gifts 

workshops over two weekends to enable 

as many people as possible to participate 

in the workshops. The first of these were 

held on Friday night and Saturday, 10-11 

October, with 23 enthusiastic (and very 

blessed) participants! 

We commenced with an assessment of 

how much we as a group knew about the 

whole subject, then studied Scripture and 

looked at definitions of the various gifts, 

in order to lay a Biblical foundation for all 

that followed. 

On Saturday morning, we scored our 

(previously completed) questionnaires to 

determine what our spiritual giftings are. 

It was exciting and so encouraging to get 

together in small groups and affirm these 

gifts as seen in our lives by others. More 

teaching followed with an assessment of 

our ‘motivational gifts,’ using a further 

questionnaire. 

We had an opportunity to see how our 

major gifts tie in with those that motivate 

us and ended with a meaningful time of 

prayer together in our small groups. 

The second workshop was held on the 

last weekend of October with a possibility 

of two more to follow. 

One Sunday in October was a very special 

time at the close of our worship service 

as many in the congregation were prayed 

for by others whom the Lord prompted. 

We sense the Lord is already doing ‘new 

things’ at IBC Bremen through his Body as 

we minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

• 

Dorothy Johannie 

Pastor Neville Johannie leads IBC Bremen 

in a spiritual gifts workshop. 

San Jose, Costa Rica 

• These are exciting days at the International 

Baptist Church, Costa Rica! During 

the months of October and November 

we took the 30-day challenge based 

on the book One Month to Live. More than 

200 of our people committed to reading 

the book. Many of those reading the 

book also participated in a small group 

based around the same topic. Essentially 

we were all asking the question, “What 

would you do if you had only one month 

to live” and the follow-up question of 

“Why not make those changes now” 

We continue to try and keep up with all 

the new people God is bringing our way. 

In the last year we have counted 68 nations 

represented by people who have attended 

our church. 

In the month of November we will have 

a MissionsFest which recognizes all the 

various ministries we support. We will also 

host a student luncheon for the many 

students who attend our church from several 

universities. In December we look forward 

to our annual Christmas presentation. 

This is one of our major outreach 

events, and last year more than 600 people 

attended. 

We would covet everyone’s prayers as 

we seek to reach the international community 

living in Costa Rica. 

• 

IBC Costa Rica in worship. 

Prague, Czech Republic 

• A baptism is always a time for celebration 

as individuals publicly affirm their 

commitment to Jesus Christ. The baptism 

at the International Baptist Church of 

Prague on 28 September was even more 

meaningful as a time of reconciliation in 

the families of Tom and Emma who were 

baptized. They shared their wonderful testimonies 

but just as wonderful was the 

way the Lord used their baptisms to move 

in their family situations. 

Both Tom (Czech) and Emma (English) 

have parents who divorced more than 30 

years ago. In Tom’s case, his parents had 

not spoken since. In Emma’s, her parents 

John, Tom, Emma, and Pastor Gareth Morris 

on baptism day. 

had met since their divorce, but there 

remained much tension and discomfort 

in their relationship. The baptism service 

(and Emma’s wedding) brought both sets 

of parents together and resulted in them 

talking (and even laughing) together. 

This was indeed a case of the truth 

of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 

(abridged): “…God was reconciling the 

world to himself in Christ… And he has 

committed to us the message of reconciliation. 

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, 

as though God was making his appeal 

through. We implore you on Christ’s 

behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Our prayer 

is that the process of reconciliation that 

began at the baptism would result ultimately 

in reconciliation with God. • 

Gareth Morris 



Sofia, Bulgaria 

• The International Baptist Church, Sofia, 

Bulgaria, is an English-speaking church 

in a Cyrillic-alphabet nation. During the 

past year, people from 33 nations came to 

worship with us. Our congregation consists 

of everyone from street dwellers to 

ambassadors. In the Spirit of the Lord, we 

sing and worship together as one blessed 

family. 

Enjoying fellowship with people from 

such diverse backgrounds is an educating 

and eye-opening experience. When some 

of the very poor pray, their prayers reveal 

an amazing kinship with God. Many of 

us pray for “our daily bread,” but we relax 

and trust in our well-stocked pantry 

or regular income. When these folks pray, 

their only possible hope is in God and His 

goodness. They have nothing else. When 

our only hope is in God, our prayers take 

on an entirely vibrant significance. 

“Listen my dear brothers: Has not God 

chosen those who are poor in the eyes of 

the world to be rich in faith and to inherit 

the kingdom He pomised those who 

love Him” (James 2:5). Hence, by worshiping 

and serving together, everyone 

in our church is an invaluable member of 

the body of Christ. We learn that being last 

may actually be better than first place, just 

as the Lord told us. 

• 

Ray Smith 

Madrid, Spain 

• Greetings from Immanuel Baptist 

Church in Madrid. We have had a challenging 

fall as we have begun a second 

Sunday morning worship service. This has 

entailed involving more people in serving, 

as we now have two worship teams, 

two greeter and usher teams, two hospitality 

teams, and two children’s Bible 

class teams. Pastor David Dixon and Associate 

Pastor Tim Melton alternate Sundays 

preaching, giving the same sermon 

in both services. The same worship team 

leads in both services, alternating Sundays 

between the two teams. The results 

have been positive, with increased attendance 

and involvement, though it is a 

challenge. 

Our congregation is always changing, 

so we are trying to help newcomers get 

Immanuel, Madrid youth enjoy a bonfire. 

involved quickly. We have begun several 

new home groups this fall, including a 

group in Spanish and a group for study 

abroad university students, most of whom 

are American this year. 

Our middle school and high school 

youth have just returned from their fall 

retreat where our own Madrid-based university 

student group took on some new 

roles, such as leading worship and creative 

workshops and sharing devotionals. The 

35 kids from 14 different countries were 

challenged by Pastor Tim to find joy in 

leading a life of obedience and discipline 

now, for the greater joy that comes later. 

Sharing and singing around a bonfire was 

a significant experience for all. • 

David and Susie Dixon 

Cologne, Germany 

• The Glory of God is upon us – we are 

a blessed church and precious to our Creator. 

From week to week we find ourselves 

celebrating the goodness of God unto us. 

Months back, we were worried and longed 

for moments of celebrating Jesus in truth 

and honesty. With heavy hearts, it’s hard 

to do no matter how long one tries. Those 

times of hurt are gone away, far away. 

We bless the Lord for our pastor Lorin 

Cranford to whom God spoke, concerning 

the “apple of His eye” – our church 

here in Cologne. God uses ordinary people 

for extra-ordinary things. Thanks to Pastor 

Cranford’s efforts, love, and patience to the 

sheep in IBC Cologne, we managed to land 

and stand on our feet and give structure 

back to the church. We are grateful for what 

God has in store for us, as we continue our 

journey in the Lord together in 2009. 

By God’s grace, our pastor managed 

to get in touch with our founding pastor 

Calvin Hogue in California. Pastor Hogue 

left IBC Cologne in 1997, and after a period 

of time, we unfortunately lost contact. 

For the church’s 10th anniversary in 2001, 

Pastor Hogue’s attendance was wished, 

and everyone tried to get in touch with 

him, but even the IBC Office couldn’t help 

us in this matter. Many were sad about this 

but couldn’t do anything about it. So naturally, 

it was a miracle that Pastor Cranford 

managed to get hold of him in just 

one month. This left even the IBC General 

Secretary marveling … 

Pastor Hogue’s interim time with us is 

simply God’s sent blessing, which we do 

not at times fully understand. Calvin and 

Betty Hogue are giving their time to the 

people and are dedicated to see the house 

of God full again. People are coming back; 

the joy of the Lord will not leave anyone 

behind. There is worshiping and singing in 

the house of the Lord at IBC Cologne. 

All nations are gathering together at 

the Lord’s Table and sharing as brothers 

and sisters. So being called an “International 

Baptist Church” is not just part of 

our name any longer but is our main attribute. 

Love and peace are back with us, 

for God never left us. Today we are dedicating 

children, celebrating anniversaries 

and weddings, and above all baptizing in 

the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Kick-off 

to our “World Worship Day” will be 7 December, 

and we ask for prayers that we 

may be able to reach out to the 191 nations 

in Cologne and worship the Lord in 

all tongues. 

• 

Linda Akinyi Okundaye

Read Online Now - International Baptist Convention

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?