Baptist

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Heartland installed new coordinator Jeff Langford and celebrated the 25th anniversary of national CBF during its fall assembly Oct. 21 at First Baptist Church of Jefferson City, Mo.

More than 40 former International Mission Board journeymen who were appointed in the second year of the two-year overseas missions program celebrated the 50th anniversary of their commissioning Oct. 13-16 at the International Learning Center in Rockville, Va.

John Howell, an original faculty member of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas, Mo., was remembered fondly following his death at 92 on Sept. 6 after a short illness.

John, of Village of Oaks, Mo., taught Christian ethics, served as faculty dean and vice president of academic affairs at the seminary during his tenure from 1960 until his retirement in 1999. Then he was named dean emeritus.

American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region (Missouri and Illinois) upended the traditional tithe of 10 percent by giving 90 percent of a recent bequest to the denomination’s International Ministries for overseas missionary work.

Churchnet directors elected Brian Ford as the organization’s executive director-elect and named longtime staff member Brian Kaylor as associate director on Sept. 10 during their annual retreat at Windermere Baptist Conference Center, according to a news release.

The Missouri Baptist Foundation lost its final appeal Sept. 20 in the legal action filed against it by the Missouri Baptist Convention 14 years ago. As a result, current trustees will be required to surrender governance to MBC-elected trustees.

As a young man, Robert L. “Bob” Perry wanted to be an architect, but he believed his Ozark upbringing made that dream impossible. Instead, his Ozark qualities have made him an architect of leadership foundations for church leaders and a promoter of following dreams.

As the director and founder of Safe to Sleep, Romona Baker (left), a former public school teacher and member of University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield, sometimes describes her directorial position like a roller-coaster ride, but there is no doubt that she is God’s person for the demanding ups and downs.

Communications Assistant Jan Conley, who joined Word & Way’s staff 18 years ago, has left to accept a position with the Cole County Collector of Revenue In Jefferson City, Mo.

The Missouri Baptist Foundation has named two couples and five individuals to its Fellowship of Christian Stewards for 2016. The awards recognize those who have been generous with their life and resources to benefit God’s kingdom, according to MBF.