Illinois Baptist SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
Field expands Four run for president
Nashville, Tenn. | The race for the SBC presidency gained three additional contenders in January in Randy Adams, Ed Litton, and Mike Stone. They join R. Albert Mohler Jr., who announced his intention to run again after a bid in 2020 was stalled due to the canceled Southern Baptist Convention. The candidates, who announced earlier than previous years’ candidates for president, represent various views on several of the most pressing issues facing the denomination, including social justice, racism and reconciliation, and overall strategy and direction. Randy Adams, NW convention executive Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention, planned to run for SBC president in 2020 before the SBC annual meeting was canceled due to COVID-19. “Although the 2020 Annual Meeting was canceled, the rationale for my candidacy a year ago has only strengthened,” Adams wrote on his personal website. “The SBC is in crisis. We inherited a cooperative mission system where every church mattered and could contribute to sharing the gospel around the world. We are now destroying much of our mission capacity through failures in accountability, self-dealing, top-down centralized strategies, and broken partnerships.” Adams said he will confront those issues. “I will push for transparency and
Don’t miss your shot! Sammy Simmons on hunting season P. 10
Moving upstairs
in focus
Why the new disciples’ journey is much like the old one ILLINOIS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: Today’s churches face 1st century challenges P. 6
MISSION Cooperative Program giving annual report card inside See special section B
P. 3 Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325
Faith and first days P. 8 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Top SBC leaders discuss race and ideology RELATED: Nate Adams seeks
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
common ground
IBSA plans town hall Feb. 4
FEBRUARY 1, 2021 Vol. 115 No. 2
IB IllinoisBaptist.org
Anne Graham Lotz to speak at April conference P. 5
New head at Christian Activity Center Rural living makes a comeback