Here's a closer look at what's happening around RBM this month!
Letter from the RBM National Representative
Greetings in the name of our wonderful Lord Jesus!
Our big news is the Council of 18’s recommendation that Clare Jewell serve as national representative. Clare is eminently qualified to serve in this role. He is director of RBM’s Generate and executive director of ABWE’s EveryEthnē. In both roles, Clare serves local churches, encouraging and equipping them for the health and reproduction of Regular Baptist churches and their leaders.
Clare previously served as pastor of Lakewood Park Baptist Church, Auburn, Indiana, and taught as adjunct faculty at Corban University. He received his undergraduate degree in pastoral ministry from Clarks Summit University and a master of social science degree from Eastern Michigan University. On May 4, he will graduate from Corban University with a doctor of ministry degree in strategic leadership.
Clare and his wife, Donna, have been married 43 years and have four daughters and 13 grandchildren.
A vote to call Clare to the role of national representative will occur at RBM’s annual business meeting in Elgin, Illinois, June 25—during the RBM Conference 2024. Each Regular Baptist church may send six messengers to vote. A two-thirds majority vote is required to extend a call to this office.
Please pray for our fellowship’s decision, for Clare and Donna, and for God’s blessing upon the ministry of His Word at the RBM Conference 2024. Register for the conference at garbcConference.org.
See you in Elgin, Illinois, June 24–27!
In His grace,
David E. Strope, D.D.
Interim National Representative
May Pulse Ministry Updates
DAVID STROPE, Interim National Representative
If April showers bring May flowers, then months of RBM’s prayers bring April’s news of a national representative candidate. The Council of 18 is recommending Clare Jewell to serve as national representative.
A vote to call Clare to this role will be held in RBM’s annual business meeting June 25 during the RBM Conference 2024. Each church is encouraged to send six messengers to vote. Clare will preach and answer questions during the conference.
RBM Conference 2024
The RBM Conference 2024 is nearly here. The conference will be held at Harvest Bible Chapel, Elgin Illinois, the site of RBM’s office. Register at garbcConference.org. Pray for Dr. Mike Bullmore, Clare Jewell, Ken Fields, Sam Choi, Stephen Muindi, Mark Wood, and Jeremy Scott as they preach in the main sessions. The conference theme is “Together: The Incredible Value of Biblical Fellowship.”
RBM Annual Fund Plus
The RBM Annual Fund PLUS is an effort to receive an extra $100,000 in giving to RBM in 2024. Approximately $25,000 has been received or promised from churches and individual donors. Designate an RBM Giving Day in May or June at your church, encouraging your church to give to RBM. Please consider participating in this giving ministry.
The Baptist Bulletin
The Spring issue is now in your hands. Subscriptions of both the hardcopy and digital version may be made at BaptistBulletin.org. The Summer issue will arrive in mailboxes in July. RBP Director Matt Olmstead has assumed the role of managing editor of The Baptist Bulletin. Many thanks are shared with Melissa Meyer for her service as managing editor during our time of transition in the RBM office.
Ministry Opportunities
The month of April was full of fruitful ministry opportunities. I preached and represented RBM at Bob Jones University’s chapel and BJU Seminary’s chapel, Greenville, South Carolina; the Nebraska Association of Regular Baptist Churches spring conference in Gretna, Nebraska; Grace Baptist Church, Westlake, Ohio; Appalachian Bible College’s chapel, Mount Hope, West Virginia; First Regular Baptist Church, Wellington, Ohio; the Northeast Fellowship’s Serve Boldly conference, Breesport, New York; and Grace Baptist Church, Batavia, New York.
My schedule has been quite frantic but rewarding.
Travel Schedule
May 5: First Baptist Church, Lapeer, Michigan
May 26: Anchor Baptist Church, Des Moines, Iowa
May 27–29: RBM office, Elgin, Illinois
Personal Notes
God continues to manifest His faithfulness to our fellowship, and the RBM staffs continues its excellent labor for Christ and our fellowship. We rejoice in the Council of 18’s fruitful labor in its search for a national representative candidate and in Clare’s recommendation for the position.
I continue to exclaim, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him” (Psalm 18:30).
KERRY WATKINS, Head of Operations and HR Director
A loose paraphrase of Regular Baptist Ministries’ purpose statement is this: we exist to help churches be healthy, disciple-making churches. I am excited about the work being done to truly emphasize this purpose in our association. We recently met with about 30 pastors who have been doing successful things in their churches and who are interested in helping other churches and pastors do the same. If this kind of ministry interests and excites you, I strongly suggest you come to the RBM Conference, June 24–27, to hear more about the work that is being done.
MARK JOHNSON, Treasurer and Controller
Registration is now open for the Regular Baptist Ministries Conference June 24–27! We are so excited to welcome you to Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, Illinois, where the RBM office has been located since late 2022.
Harvest’s facility will provide a spacious venue for this year’s conference, and we can’t wait to gather with you for fellowship, singing, and learning. For those with children and teens, we have a terrific program planned that will nourish them spiritually and provide fun opportunities in the community. If you are connected to an organization or business that serves Regular Baptist churches, consider joining us as an exhibitor to strengthen and expand your connections with ministry leaders.
You won’t want to miss this time of refreshment. Register today for discounted early bird pricing (ends May 15).
DARRELL GOEMAAT, Coordinator of Regular Baptist International
The Council of 18’s international committee awarded grants last month to 13 Regular Baptist International partners. These grants will help our partners build and furnish churches, repair a pastor’s home, purchase Bibles, conduct Vacation Bible School, and buy food for people displaced by warfare. The unfortunate news is that some requests were not able to be funded because of our lack of resources. Regular Baptist International’s compassion fund is often the most requested type of grant. Please consider giving to the compassion fund.
On Palm Sunday, David Chhetri of the Fundamental Baptist Churches Fellowship, Manipur, India, baptized six people during a ministry trip to an association church in Natjang village. After David preached on Saturday night, he spoke with a group of young people and a 74-year-old man about salvation and baptism.
“The Lord blessed the ministry trip,” David says. “We had a good time of fellowship and services. All glory to God for people professing Christ as Savior. In spite of unrest clashes in our state, we still could witness the Lord’s mercy in our ministry.”
Pray for our partners who desire to attend the Regular Baptist Ministries Conference this June in Illinois. Many partners are trying to raise expenses for travel, get visas, and receive permission from their countries’ embassies to travel. These are challenging tasks for them.
On behalf of our RBM staff and our international partners, thank you for your prayers and financial support of Regular Baptist International.
MANNING BROWN, Director of Regular Baptist Chaplaincy
Institutional chaplaincy includes ministry in prisons, hospitals, hospice care facilities, businesses, sports teams, and even government. The need for Christ-centered, Biblically based care is limitless. To find out how you can support Regular Baptist Chaplaincy or even become a chaplain yourself, please visit RegularBaptistChaplaincy.org.
Itinerary
May 30–31: Retirement ceremony of Ch. (MAJ) Patrick Ireland, US Army, El Paso, Texas
CLARE JEWELL, Director of Generate
Please pray for the Generate board as we evaluate 15 grant requests. We want to be good stewards of God’s resources as we do our best to fuel the health and reproduction of Regular Baptist churches and their leaders.
Itinerary
May 2: Generate board meeting online
May 4: Graduation for my DMin degree, Corban University
May 26: Connell First Baptist Church, Connell, Washington
