Illinois Baptist
Mission Illinois Offering & Week of Prayer September 13-20
SEE STORIES & PRAYER GUIDE ● MISSIONILLINOIS.ORG
The Fix
in focus
25 P. 13
SCOTT FOSHIE
Moving ‘Faith Forward’ How Dad did it P. 3
IBSA NEWS
3 partnerships develop With IMB, NAMB, Tennessee P. 4
SBC NEWS
A solution for the pastor shortage is sitting in your pews. ● P. 7
Prayer requests For new prez Willy Rice P. 5
PLUS: 5 things bivo pastors want you to know P. 9
IllinoisBaptist.org
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
SEPTEMBER 1, 2026
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Springfield, Illinois Permit No. 964
Vol. 120 No. 9
IB
Big names, bigger plans For IBSA Annual Meeting
Springfield | The 2026 IBSA Annual Meeting promises to be a standout in the 120-year history of Illinois Baptists. The leaders of three Southern Baptist Convention entities, one sister state convention, and one auxiliary will be on hand at the first meeting under the leadership of Scott Foshie. Their participation comes as part of an enthusiastic wave of support for the new Executive Director. International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood will be the Wednesday evening main session speaker in the two-day event to be held at Metro Community Church in Edwardsville, November 3-4. Under the theme “It’s all about the Gospel,” Chitwood will highlight IMB work and Illinois’ contribution to the work on global mission fields. IBSA churches currently have 73 missionaries serving with the IMB mission force of more than 3,500. Wednesday afternoon, SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Jeff Iorg will take the main stage, speaking on the impact of cooperative partnership. Iorg has been a frequent presence in Illinois as the Executive Committee leader and before that as Gateway Seminary President. New President of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Evan Lenow will speak in the Wednesday afternoon session. The former Mississippi College and Southwestern Seminary professor, who was discipled at Bellevue Baptist Church under the teaching of late Southern Baptist statesman Adrian Rogers, has been received Continued P. 4
Faith in action at Go Chicago P. 11
Make better leaders Carmen Halsey-Menghini P. 13