Austin Gardner

Pastor Johnny Hunt of the First Baptist Church of Woodstock has announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will begin treatments in January.
Let me say that I am very encouraged in my heart to believe that they were able to locate this cancer early and Janet and I are now praying for [...]

Pastor Paul Chappell, Lancaster Baptist Church / West Coast Baptist College, asks prayer for his son, Larry. This is the text of the prayer request:

This past Saturday I received a call from my son Larry, who presently serves as one of our youth pastors at Lancaster Baptist Church. He had received a call from his [...]

For those that have prayed for Ethan Howeth we would love to say a big thank you. They have great news. Ethan will be coming home tomorrow. He should check out around 6:30 or 7 AM, go to the doctor, and then home. He really hopes to be at Vision tomorrow night for the Thanksgiving [...]

Pastor Brent Armstrong sent this picture from China out. I hope that it impresses you as much as it has impressed him and me. Chinese people need the gospel. There are literally millions of them that have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.
I have several friends already working over there. You could go [...]

More from “A History of the Baptists” by John Christian.
The Donatists arose in Numidia, in the year 311. They taught:
First, for purity of church members, by asserting that none ought to be admitted into the church but such as are visibly true believers and true saints.
Secondly, for purity of church discipline.
Thirdly, for the independency [...]

I am currently reading and studying “A History of the Baptists” by John Christian. I thought that you might like to read along with me on the things that I want to remember and write down.
This particular set of notes come from Christian’s book. It discusses one of the first doctrinal errors that entered [...]

I am really looking forward to spending time with all of you on Tuesday evening. We had great services yesterday. God blessed us with visitors and decisions in both services.
Now I am looking forward to our special Thanksgiving time together. We will be starting the line around 6:45 pm and eating together. I know that [...]

Today we fear persecution. The early church responded very differently. They stated that the cruelties only served as a lure to the sect. Under persecution they filled the cities and country with new believers. God give us the courage to step forward and face what ever the devil may hurl at us with boldness and [...]

I am a lifetime member of LibraryThing. I enjoy using it very much. Now that I have come back to the states I do not have very many books. I left my library with my son, Chris Gardner, in Arequipa, Peru.
However I try to enter each new book that I get into LibraryThing. It is [...]

Last night I preached a message that would cause all of us not to be so politically correct. I think that we have made a mistake in much of what we do in our churches and as Christians. We are more concerned about impressing those that are not believers instead of our Lord and Savior [...]