The 54th Annual Spring Conference continued this evening at Thompson Road Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. We were all thankful to be worshipping inside as it was raining and starting to get a bit chilly outside!

♪ Bro. Donnie Hamilton led the congregation in “Love Lifted Me” and in a new song by the Gettys called “Hear the Call of the Kingdom”. [You can listen here.] ♪

♪ Shirley Messer and Heather Messer Carrus sang “The Power of the Cross” just before the message. ♪ Took the blame, bore the wrath, we stand forgiven at the cross! ♪

Bro. Jim Orrick, Director of BFM, gave a history of the beginnings of BFM. Bro. Orrick has been at every Spring Conference since they started in 1961 (except for one when he had fallen off a ladder and broken his hip, but he still received a phone call from the pulpit so his perfect attendance would stay in tact!).

You can’t read the Bible without seeing that God has a heart for missions. In fact, God was a missionary. “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son…” –Galatians 4:4 // John 3:17

BFM has been in existence for 72 years. Hundreds of churches have been established and are still functioning all over the world. 

It all began in the land of Brazil. Before BFM came along, at the end of the Civil War, some in the South decided to move to Brazil. A Confederate officer who had moved there with his family ended up returning to the States and wrote an article about the need for missionaries in Brazil. A man named William Bagley read the article and heeded the call, arriving in Brazil in 1881. He also wrote articles about the need for missionaries in Brazil, which were read by E.A. Nelson in Kansas. Nelson went to Brazil in 1891. With the help of Solomon Ginsberg, a saved Jewish man who was a missionary, they organized a church in 1897 and the first Baptist converts were baptized in the Amazon River. In 1900, Nelson organized the First Baptist Church of Manaus.

Meanwhile, in western Kentucky, a very mission-minded pastor, Boyce Taylor, had founded the Western Kentucky Bible Institute. His brother, WC Taylor, shared with him about “poor old Nelson” who was all alone down in the Amazon Valley. In 1922, WC went to Brazil and upon his return, the First Baptist Church of Murray, Kentucky, organized the Amazon Valley Baptist Faith Mission with the purpose to raise support for E.A. Nelson and any other preacher called to the Amazon. They raised $3,000 to buy a boat they called “The Buffalo”–it was the first oil-burning oil boat on the Amazon River.

In 1936, LM Bratcher (Harold’s uncle) went on a river trip with Nelson where Nelson became very ill and had to return to Manaus. He died in 1939 and all the stores in Manaus closed for his funeral.

The Amazon Valley BFM had sent out 8 missionary couples, but only 2 of them had stayed on the field any length of time. The first was Joseph Brandon who went to Brazil in 1923. He organized the first Baptist Church in all of the Acre Territory, where Bro. Mike Creiglow is now.

Brandon changed sponsoring churches often and ended up losing his support. He met with HH Overbey and ZE Clark and they agreed if Brandon would go back to Brazil, they would raise support for him. HH Overbey promised to print monthly mission letters. This was the beginning of BFM.

There were 30 copies printed of the first Mission Sheet in which the offerings were recorded (a grand total of $14.50 for the first month).

The second missionary was RP Hallum who went to Peru with his family in 1935. They were supported by leftover funds in the Amazon Valley BFM at First Baptist in Murray. In 1937, they organized the First Baptist Church of Iquitos with 11 members, the oldest Baptist Church in Peru.

There have been many missionaries who have served in different countries over the years, including a native missionary in Columbia, a family in Honduras, the Carvers in Korea, 3 families in the Philippines, in addition to our current missionaries who are serving in Brazil, France, Kenya, and Peru.

Our missionary family has not been large, but their service has been long and their faithfulness has been great. 

In closing, Bro. Orrick mentioned four things churches can do to help BFM.
1) Invite the missionaries into your churches when they’re home so you can get to know them.
2) Encourage people to read the Mission Sheets.
3) Promote offerings, special offerings, and projects
4) Give Memorial Offerings when people pass away

 ♪ Following the first message, we sang “Send the Light” and then the conference offering was given as Bro. Stanley & Sis. Emily Keyes from Illinois ministered in song through trombone, piano, and voice.  ♪ O What Love  ♪ (Lyrics)

There was a record number of BFM-associated families who were present and we recognized their years of sacrifice and faithful service. Missionary families represented included the Turners, Lauermans, Bratchers, Hatchers, Creiglows, Adams, Drapers, and Radfords.

♪ Wanda Hatcher, missionary to Brazil, sang a beautiful version of ‘Tis So Sweet, part of which was in Portuguese.

Paul Hatcher, missionary to Brazil, brought the second message from John 17. He started by reminding us that it’s all about sowing and plowing, and sowing and plowing, and sowing and plowing, and eventually, there will be a harvest.

The Gospel has to be put out there and sown day after day. Even in all of our goof-ups and mess-ups, God has taken all of these things and has made it work. The Gospel has been sown and God makes it produce. From Christ to our day, people have been sowing and reaping and sowing and reaping. So here we are, sowing and reaping. And since we are sowing and reaping, there will be another generation who will sow and reap. The work doesn’t depend on us though–our Heavenly Father makes it all grow.

No one will come to salvation without knowing the Son. People have to hear about and be introduced to this wonderful Jesus.

How marvelous that He would choose to dwell in earthly vessels like you and me.

God loves sinners who don’t have anything to return. Our world is reciprocal and the love of the world is reciprocal. Give to them and they give to you. But that is not God’s love. His love is love because He loves. It is His nature to love. 

Our unity, which is a product of our love, is what will convince the world that Christ has come. “I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved Me.” -John 17:21

What do you have that is different? God became a man and lives inside of you!

The day of salvation has arrived because you have arrived. But it’s not because of anything you have–but because HE dwells within you. 

We ended the evening by singing, “Jesus, I am Resting”.

♪ Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed! ♪

We hope you can join us tomorrow! [Schedule]