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Two women and a man. The phrase might conjure snippets from the old television sitcom, “Three’s Company” — but at Englewood Baptist Church in Gladstone, Mo., two women and a man make up a unique, entrepreneurial pastoral team.

While more opportunities are opening for women, pastoral roles, particularly as senior pastor, remain limited.

Members of Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union elected officers and honored emeritus missionaries when they gathered for their 91st annual meeting April 10-11 at First Baptist Church here.

Missionaries surrender to, sacrifice for and serve God as they minister where the Lord sends them.

National Woman’s Missionary Union Executive Director Wanda Lee challenged attendees at the Missouri WMU missions celebration and annual meeting at First Baptist Church in St. Charles, Mo., April 10-11, to embrace Mark 8:34: Those who want to be disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus — this year’s theme: All for You: Surrender, Sacrifice, Serve.

The sanctuary in First Baptist Church of Jefferson City, Mo., will sit mostly quiet and empty on Sunday, April 26 —- and Senior Pastor Doyle Sager grins widely at the thought.

Students, staff and faculty, donors and other friends of Missouri Baptist University honored the school's 50th anniversary with a celebration of its past and challenges for its future March 26 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in St. Louis.

[caption id="attachment_51569" align="alignleft" width="49"]James Layman[/caption]Chaplains —- military, medical and others —- work hard and sometimes can feel isolated in ministry. James Layman feels called to help change that in the Midwest.

Kingdom advancement depends upon volunteers, area church leaders believe.

Greg Morrow, pastor of First Baptist Church of California, Mo., is passionate about volunteering for missions. He leads his church on mission trips and is a volunteer leader for a parachurch organization that mobilizes people to give time to mission endeavors.

Pastoral Succession: Congregations and ministers will face leadership transitions. They can determine together how to facilitate a smooth change.

God's grace made pastoral succession work at Broadview Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas, leaders believe. Now the retired senior pastor still attends and still serves the congregation he led for nearly 38 years.