Messenger

A publicat ion of the West Virginia State Associat ion of Free Wil l Bapt is tswww.wvfwb.org | the.messenger@wvfwb.org

Summer 2012 - Vo lume 12 Number 2

Th e Wes t V ir g inia

M arch, Apri l , and May were busy as

I preached revivals a t McCorkle FWB Church (Sod) and Bradley FWB Church (Bradley) . I a lso preached in two March for Missions revivals a t Holden 5 & 6 FWB Church (Holden)

and Evergreen Hil ls FWB Church (Cottagevi l le) . I had the pleasure of hear ing our former pastor, Rev. John T. Vance, preach in the March for Missions revival a t Pars ley Bottom FWB Church (Lenore) . I a t tended men’s prayer breakfasts a t Harmony FWB Church (Wayne) and Prince of Peace FWB Church (West Huntington) . Both preachers brought powerful messages. My wife and I accompanied Rev. Kei th Burden (execut ive secretary of the Nat ional Associat ion of Free Wil l Bapt is ts) and his wife Debbie as they t raveled to Huntington on Apri l 29. Brother Burden preached dynamic messages at Harmony FWB Church (Wayne) where Rev. Mike Dil lon pastors and at Sunshine FWB Church (West Huntington) where Rev. Jody Fortner pastors . Many responded to the invi ta t ions. John Preece, chairman of our State

Chris t ian Educat ion Board, J im and Linda Hutchinson, and other board members did a wonderful job coordinat ing the Apri l 28 Bible , Music , and Arts Fest ival a t McCorkle FWB Church. Jeff Bennet t brought four s tudents f rom Free Wil l Bapt is t Bible Col lege to help judge. The host church provided lunch. I look forward to our June 8-9 State Associat ion at Victory FWB Church (Pecks Mil l ) where Rev. Roscoe Chafin pastors . Our Nat ional Associat ion meets July 15-19 in Memphis , Tennessee. My wife and I hope that many from our s ta te a t tend both events . Rev. Jonathan Post lewai te and his wife and daughter found a place to l ive for two months while they vis i t West Virginia churches and conferences seeking support . They hope to be on the f ie ld in Bulgar ia by May 2013. May God cont inue to keep and bless you as we work together to bui ld His Kingdom unt i l His re turn for His Bride. Rev. Carl Li l ly State Promotional Director

I N P E R S P E C T I V Ew i t h t h e p r o m o t i o n a l d i r e c t o r

Missionary Jonathan Post lewaite (L) with the West Virginia Free Wil l Baptist State Mission Board

www.wvfwb.org �

I ’ve not yet heard the f inal resul ts of our March for

Missions effor t or the Apri l 29 World Missions Offer ing. However, I am trust ing the Lord to have done great things through you. From the depths of my hear t , I thank you for giving to the Lord. J .

Oswald Sanders once said, “The basic quest ion is not how much of our money we should give to God, but how much of God’s money we should keep for ourselves .” I pray that you’ve given generously to Him and kept very l i t t le for yourself .

What a pr ivi lege i t was for me to a t tend the Spring Luncheon of the WV State Woman’s Auxil iary, hosted by Prince of Peace FWB Church in Huntington. I was disappointed with the small crowd and sad that many ladies in our churches aren’t making an effor t to be par t of the Auxil iary. You just don’t know what you’re missing! Jonathan and Amy Post lewai te , appointees to Bulgar ia , were there . They are looking forward to vis i t ing WV churches for two months. Thank you for prayerful ly consider ing support of their missionary work.

News from Côte d’Ivoire ( Ivory Coast) indicates that the Lord cont inues to bui ld His church in that land, even in the turbulent af termath of a violent pol i t ical confl ic t . I can’t go into detai ls here , but please cont inue to pray for your Chris t ian brothers and s is ters . Their country, for the f i rs t t ime, is now being governed by a Musl im president . Ask for the Lord’s protect ion upon His chi ldren and for Him to enable them to be bold witnesses , no matter the cost .

Thank you for cont inuing to pray for my mother and for me as I care for her. We’re thankful that she was with us for another Mother ’s Day. Voicing her appreciat ion for her many gif ts , she said “I made qui te a haul , huh?” She cont inues to hold onto l i fe with al l her s t rength. At the

same t ime, she longs for the Lord to cal l her Home. She’s been suffer ing from laryngi t is for several months and gr ieves over the fact that she can’t s ing praises to the Lord. We are praying for the Lord’s heal ing, whether i t be here on ear th or when she is with Him. We rejoice that she remains mental ly a ler t .

May the Lord bless and keep you. I ’m asking the Lord to make a way for me to a t tend at least one day of the State Associat ion meet ing. My coming depends on how Mom is and the avai labi l i ty of a family member to care for her. I shal l look forward to seeing you there , the good Lord wil l ing.

Unt i l He Comes, Your missionary, Sis ter Alice Smith

M I S S I O N M I N D E Dw i t h S i s t e r A l i ce S m i t h

THE MESSENGER • SUMMER 2012�

Beckley: August 3 & 4

Brotherhood: July 7

Christian Fellowship: July 28

Eastern Panhandle: August 11

Elk River: August 18

Fayette: July 28

Freedom: October 20

Greenbrier County: October 13

Greenbrier Nicholas: July 21

Guyan Valley: August 18

Huff Creek: August 18

Kanawha: August 17 & 18

Liberty: July 27 & 28

Logan: August 4

Mingo #1: September 8

Trinity: August 3 & 4

Tug River: August 11

Unity: July 28

Upper Ohio Valley: July 28

Wayne: August 11

Wyoming: August 3 & 4

upcoming conference dates

Nolan Marches Forward for Chris tNolan FWB Church (Wil l iamson) received their 2012 World Mission Offer ing (WMO) on Apri l 29. Through coin banks and offer ings, the church raised $1,366.31. The church then matched those funds with a total WMO of $2,732.62. The funds wil l go direct ly to FWB Internat ional Missions.

Victory Church Bids Pastor Farewell

Pastor Brooks Nethercut t re t i red from Victory FWB Church (Hal l town) in March. He and his family plan to re locate to Mississ ippi . In honor of Pastor Nethercut t , the church hosted “Hawaiian Shir t Day.” Church member Kei th Powers said, “Pastor Brooks enjoys wearing Hawaiian shir ts , and we wanted to honor him by host ing this special day.”

The Victory Church Pulpi t Commit tee is accept ing resumes. When applying, please include professional references. The selected candidate must agree to a background and f inancial check. Send information to: P.O. Box 189; Hal l town, WV 25423.

Train Up a Child. . .

Big Elk FWB Children’s Minis t ry (Big Elk, KY) has par t ic ipated in the WV Bible , Music , & Arts Fest ival for the past three years . Par t ic ipants competed in numerous categories including choir, s inging, and puppetry.

Big Elk Church has the joy of witnessing the ta lent of chi ldren across the s ta te of WV. One youth worker commented, “We always teach our chi ldren that i t ’s not about compet i t ion, but ra ther i t i s an opportuni ty to fe l lowship with other Chris t ian kids and see what is being done in other churches. We actual ly s i t wi th paper and penci l and take notes on the wonderful things our s is ter churches have created.”

With a church membership of 50, Big Elk is ski l led in t ra ining s tudents in different minis t ry areas .

W V S TAT E W I D En ew s a r o u n d t h e s t a t e

www.wvfwb.org �

upcoming conference dates

The church recent ly incorporated a bus minis t ry to reach more youth. Big Elk Church invi tes you to vis i t their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BigElkFWB.

Hispanic Push for Jesus

The Hispanic minis t ry in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle is moving forward for the cause of Chris t . After a minis t ry-sponsored February Valent ine’s Day dinner focusing on I Corinthians 13, two new couples began at tending the church.

Monday night prayer gather ings were recent ly introduced to pray for the needs of the people . Pastor Josue Rivera said, “There is a great need for prayer in these t roubled t imes, and the Lord has been fai thful . Many prayer requests have been answered almost immediately.”

The Roca de Salvacion youth play a prominent role in Hispanic minis t ry. Pastor Rivera reports that they cont inue to reach their famil ies and fr iends for Chris t .

Roca de Salvacion thanks West Virginia Free Wil l Bapt is ts for their cont inued support and requests your prayers as the church moves forward plant ing Hispanic missions in the area.

West Virginia Bible , Music , & Arts Fest ival

2 0 1 2 W V S ta t e M ee t i n g

Pastor Roscoe Chafin and the Victory Free Wil l Baptist Church in Pecks Mil l , WV, (Logan Conference) invite you to prepare for the 67th annual session of the West Virginia State Association of Free Wil l Baptists.

June 8 - 9, 2012 | Theme: “Trust GOD to Reach Our Goal”

Special Singing Guests Rejoice (Free Wil l Bapt ist Bible Col lege - Nashvi l le, TN)

The Redeemed Quartet (Southeastern Free Wil l Bapt ist Col lege - Wendel l , NC)

For more information, visit our website: www.wvfwb.org

Friday Morning, June 8, 20129:30 Welcome by Host Pastor 9:35 Moderator ’s Chal lenge 9:40 Recogni t ion of Vis i tors 9:45 Execut ive Board Report of Conference Letters 9:50 Treasurer ’s Report 9:55 Elect ion of Commit tees Business Commit tee – 5 members: 3 ministers / 2 deacons Program Placement Commit tee – 7 members: 2 ministers / 1 deacon / 4 delegates Execut ive Commit tee – 2 members at large from Execut ive Board Audi t Commit tee – 5 members Nominat ing Commit tee – 5 ordained ministers 10:10 Group Session/Fel lowship. Possible commit tee t ime. 11:10 Devot ional – I rv in Scarberry Speaker – Kenny Samms12:15 Lunch

Friday Afternoon Session 1:15 Devot ional – Jeff Bennett Moderator cal ls session to order 1:30 Obi tuary Report 1:40 Mission Board recogni t ion of churches and plaque presentat ions 2:10 Part ia l Business Commit tee Report 2:25 State Associat ion Execut ive Board Report Adjournment

Friday Night Worship 7:00 Devot ional – J im Hutchison Offer ing for Missions Speaker – Steve Wil l iams Recogni t ion of ordained ministers and deacons with 30 years or more service

� THE MESSENGER • SUMMER 2012

Directions to Victory Church: From Charleston, WV (Southr idge): - Take Route 119 (Corr idor G) south toward Logan - 42 mi les - Exi t lef t on Old Logan Road - Go 2 mi les to t raff ic l ight and take lef t (across br idge) - Bear r ight onto Mi l l Creek Road (Route 8) - Go 1.7 mi les to Victory Free Wil l Bapt ist Church on r ight .

June 8 - 9, 2012 | Theme: “Trust GOD to Reach Our Goal”

Special Singing Guests Rejoice (Free Wil l Bapt ist Bible Col lege - Nashvi l le, TN)

The Redeemed Quartet (Southeastern Free Wil l Bapt ist Col lege - Wendel l , NC)

For more information, visit our website: www.wvfwb.org

Saturday Morning, June 9, 2012 7:30 Ministers, Deacons, and Wives Appreciat ion Breakfast at Host Church 9:00 Devot ional – Rev. Al len Whit t9:10 Moderator cal ls session to order 9:15 Hand of Fel lowship 9:25 Nat ional /Agency Reports Execut ive Off ice Home Missions Internat ional Missions Board of Ret i rement FWB Foundat ion Nat ional Master ’s Men Nat ional WAC Randal l House Col leges Chi ldren’s Homes Berea Ministr ies 10:00 Commit tee Reports / quest ion and answer per iod 10:10 In i t ia l Nominat ing Commit tee Report 10:20 Part ia l Business Commit tee Report 10:35 Fel lowship

Adjournment for Morning Worship Devot ional – Rev. Curt is MonkSpeaker – Guest f rom Nat ional Associat ion

12:00 Lunch

Saturday Afternoon Session 1:15 Devot ional – Bro. Larry Evans1:25 Moderator cal ls session to order 1:30 Program Placement Commit tee Report 1:35 Final Business Commit tee Report Adjournment

�www.wvfwb.org

THE MESSENGER • SUMMER 2012�

Free Wil l Bapt is t National Convention: Memphis 2012

The 2012 Nat ional Associat ion of Free Wil l Bapt is ts wil l meet in Memphis , Tennessee, July 15-18, 2012, in the Memphis Cook Convent ion Center. Services wil l begin Sunday morning, July 15, with Sunday School a t 10:00 a .m. CDT, fol lowed by Morning Worship at 11:00. Evening services begin at 7:00 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday night .

I f you reserved convent ion hotel rooms that you no longer need, please cancel them as soon as possible . Those rooms wil l be re leased back into the convent ion block and wil l be made avai lable for other convent ion at tendees. The Execut ive Off ice wil l serve as an information center for people seeking rooms. There is no “wait ing l is t” for those looking for reservat ions. By cal l ing the Execut ive Off ice (877-767-7659) , a t tendees can f ind out where cancel la t ions have been made and which hotels have rooms avai lable .

N AT I O N A L H E A D L I N E Sn e w s a r o u n d t h e d e n o m i n a t i o n

In the turbulent economic t imes we l ive, resources to expand your local minis t ry are scarce and sometimes non-exis tent . Whether you want to invest or borrow, the Church Extension Loan Fund (CELF) may be an opt ion for you.

CELF is a fund from which Free Wil l Bapt is t church-es can borrow money to bui ld bui ldings or buy prop-er t ies . The investment program is one way to provide the base. Here is how i t works. You can invest any amount over $500 in the program. In return, you re-ceive a good rate of interest on your money. The money is then loaned to Free Wil l Bapt is t churches. The church repays the loan at a reduced rate of interest . The repaid pr inciple is never spent , but ra ther loaned to another new church. The money

wil l be loaned to Free Wil l Bapt is t churches, so the longer the money can be invested, the more help i t wi l l be .

The CELF Investment Program affords you an oppor-tuni ty to help a church get a much needed loan and at the same t ime earn interest on your investment .

Let the Lord use your money through the CELF and enjoy the sat isfact ion of knowing that YOUR MON-EY is BUILDING while i t i s EARNING. I f you have any quest ions about the CELF Program, please cal l Sue Hayes at 1 .877.767.7674 (Direct Line - 615.760.6137) , or wri te to Church Extension Loan Fund, PO Box 5002, Ant ioch, TN 37011-5002.

Church Extension Loan Fund - Free Wil l Bapt is t Home Missions Department

www.wvfwb.org �

NASHVILLE, TN— Free Wil l Bapt is t Bible Col-lege conferred degrees on 57 s tudents f rom 16 s ta tes and two foreign countr ies in commencement exercises a t Memorial Auditor ium on Friday, May 4, according to President Matt Pinson. This was the largest graduat ing class s ince 2008. Students completed degrees in mult iple programs ranging from two-year associate’s degrees to four-year bachelor ’s degrees . Thir ty-seven percent of the class graduated with honors .

Reverend Terry Forrest , FWBBC’s pastoral minis t ry program coordinator, del ivered the com-mencement address , speaking 14 minutes f rom the second chapter of Judges on the importance of FWBBC. He chal lenged graduates to “Remem-ber” three things. “Remember what you have seen here ,” he said. “Remember what you have heard. Remember what you have fel t .” He brought the happy crowd to their feet for a s tanding ovat ion honoring President Pinson and his family for their sacr i f ices on behalf of the col lege. Forrest , a 1971 FWBBC graduate , pastored Free Wil l Bap-t is t churches 29 years in Tennessee and Arkansas before joining the facul ty in 1991. His youngest daughter Lauren is a member of the 2012 graduat-ing class .

Georgia pastor Bi l ly D. Hanna presented Thursday evening’s baccalaureate message from Matthew 9:35-38, reminding graduates they were

“blessed because they had been introduced to the wisdom of the ages in Jesus Chris t .” He advocated learning four pr inciples to diffuse the knowledge they received at FWBBC: see as Jesus saw, feel as Jesus fel t , pray as Jesus prayed, do as Jesus did. Hanna, a member of the FWBBC Board of Trust-ees and 1973 FWBBC graduate , has pastored Firs t Free Wil l Bapt is t Church (Albany) s ince 1985. He also served 12 years on the Randal l House Board and as a chaplain’s ass is tant with the U.S. Army.

Ron Cal laway, a member of the Theologi-cal Studies facul ty and Missions program coordi-nator, was named Academic Advisor of the Year. President Pinson presented plaques to re t i r ing vice president and senior f inancial counsel Tom Sass for 40 years of fa i thful service, and to Jack Wil-l iams who is shif t ing to a volunteer /mentor role as director of communicat ions.

The col lege commends to you and to the work of the Lord the members of the 2012 gradu-at ing class .

FWBBC Graduates 57 in Commencement Exercises

THE MESSENGER • SUMMER 2012�

I N T E R N AT I O N A L M I S S I O N Sn e w s a r o u n d t h e wo r l d

S hort ly before the halfway point , the heat got to me and I real ized I wasn’t going to f inish in the t ime I wanted. My morale was low

and I wondered i f I ’d even f inish. But around mile 17 something happened to help me keep moving toward the f inish. As I came around a corner in downtown Nashvi l le , my wife , my daughter, and my mother- in- law stood cheering for me and holding a s ign. . . i t d id remind me that I was being supported by others who bel ieved in what I was doing. I think that is one reason the World Missions Offer ing is so important—not only does i t br ing in resources to help put and keep missionaries on the f ie ld , but i t a lso reminds them a whole lot of churches are s tanding with them and bel ieve in what they are doing. -Jonathan Post lewaite

Jonathan par t ic ipated in the 2012 St . Jude Country Music Marathon which took place on Saturday, Apri l 28, one day before Internat ional Missions’ World Missions Sunday and Offer ing. Along with Jonathan, the r igorous route was tackled by Randy Riggs, Tennessee pastor ; and Steve Riggs, missionary to France. Together, they raised over $2,200 for the World Missions Offer ing.

Jonathan and Amy cont inue their deputat ion minis t ry, ra is ing prayer and f inancial support for their f i rs t term as missionaries . They wil l spend May and June t ravel ing around West Virginia , get t ing to know people and speaking in churches. They plan to re turn to South Carol ina for the bir th of their second daughter in ear ly August .

The Post lewai tes hope to leave for Bulgar ia in 2013.

Hawkins Resigns to Pursue Entrepreneurial Goals

Antioch, TN—Kiley Hawkins, development manager for Internat ional Missions, tendered his res ignat ion effect ive Apri l 30, 2012. Hawkins began his tenure with the Mission as execut ive assis tant to General Director James Forl ines in 2006. In 2009, his obvious ski l l and gif t ing for analyzing data led to his movement into the development manager posi t ion.

When asked about the t iming of his departure , the 31-year-old responded, “About 18 months ago, a f r iend and I s tar ted a coaching f i rm, Tai lored Fundrais ing Solut ions, through which we seek to help missionaries and mission agencies bui ld real and las t ing bibl ical par tnerships . God has given us wonderful opportuni t ies and I fe l t i t was t ime for me to be involved with Tai lored ful l - t ime.”

“A vi ta l member of the IM development team, Kiley wil l be great ly missed. Par t icular ly ski l led in analysis and planning, his contr ibut ions have been invaluable ,” said Mark McPeak, director of advancement . “Yet , more than his ski l l and professional ism, we wil l miss his passion, dedicat ion, and fr iendship. Kiley has worked t i re less ly with a wonderful a t t i tude to serve the denominat ion and our missionaries . I wish him the best in his new endeavor.”

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Journey of a Lifetime for New Members and Believers

● Gain a g rea te r unders tand ing o f the bas ics o f F ree Wi l l Bapt is t doc t r ine● Gives a so l id foundat ion o f fa i th● Per fec t fo r sma l l g roup s tudy

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The Messengerc/o Jef f Bennett100 West E lm StreetAshland Cit y, TN 37015

PRESOR T STDUS Postage

PAIDPermit 229

Huntington W V

Published Q uar terly by the West Virginia State Associat ion of Free Wil l Baptists

100 West E lm Street • Ashland Cit y, TN 37015

Rev. Car l L i l ly, Promotional Direc torHome: 740-867-4266

Cel l : 304-972-5507Emai l : c l i l ly21@zoominternet .net

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Jeff Bennett , Editor and Publ isherCel l : (304) 673-6959

Emai l : je f fb98@gmai l .comthe.messenger@w vfwb.org

C o v e r P h o t o : S t e ve S h a l u t a , W V D e p t o f C o m m e r ce

featured church

RVictory Free Wil l Baptist Church | Pecks Mil l , WV

Pastor Roscoe Chaf in