The second American Baptist Churches Mission Table met November 9-11, 2015, at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The Mission Table brought together representatives from American Baptist regions, affiliated ministry partners, national staff, executives and officers, to join in conversation with one another and highlight denominational priorities.

The event began with three anticipated outcomes: to narrow the list of 21 Mission Summit Conversations topics to a manageable list of priorities, to build case statements for each of the final priorities encouraging ABC entities to engage these priorities over the next two years, and for Mission Table participants and American Baptist Churches USA as a whole to continue to champion ministries associated with the final priorities.

American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) announces the fall 2015 awards for its Matthew 25 Grant.  A total of 69 applicants received funding ranging from $500 to $5,000, with a total of $169,140 awarded. The Matthew 25 Grant, sponsored by ABCUSA and the Board of General Ministries, is funded by a generous donor whose goal is to help meet the needs of "housing, feeding, education and health with regard to the less fortunate."

Learn more about types of ministries that received Fall 2015 grants, here.

The Rev. Paul H. Gibson, a native of North Dakota, has been named as the next Executive Minister of the Great Rivers Region of American Baptist Churches. Rev. Gibson comes to this position from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Bismarck, North Dakota.  Having served as pastor of churches in Arizona, Nevada and Missouri as well as North Dakota, he will assume his new position on January 1, 2016.  He and his wife, Melissa, will reside in Springfield, Illinois. Read more.

The Executive Minister Search Committee for the American Baptist Churches of Ohio announces the call of the Rev. Dr. Ernest H. Jones of Brooklyn, New York, to serve as the region's next Executive Minister. The committee, chaired by the Rev. Dr. Marva Hughes of Dayton, Ohio, made the recommendation to call Jones to the Region Board at their November 7, 2015, meeting, and the Board voted unanimously after meeting with the candidate. Read more.

View the Fall 2015 issue of Connections featuring ABCUSA General Secretary A. Roy Medley.

   

We held a Webinar, Generosity and Stewardship Trends, on October 20, 2015, sponsored by the Office of Mission Resource Development, a ministry of ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary.

Featuring Marcia Shetler, Executive Director and CEO of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center (ESC), the Webinar is online and available for American Baptists and friends to view as a resource.

Please keep this initiative in your prayers:

The United Mission is the Vehicle initiative highlights United Mission to our American Baptist family. In fall 2015, new resources were rolled out to three pilot ABC regions - American Baptist Churches of the Central Pacific Coast, American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island, and American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin. 

As American Baptists, we know that God's family extends beyond our local churches. United Mission gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our caring and commitment to congregations on the regional, national and global level. As we give, we also receive: 2/3rds of all United Mission dollars are dedicated to regional initiatives, including leadership training, church planting, pastoral development, youth ministries, local church support and disaster response.