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 wisdom from Heaven to know exactly what procedure to choose to deal with this cancer, probably around the second week in January. We would appreciate your prayers on this journey.
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 doctor indicating the need for emergency surgery. A few hours later, we sat with Ashley, Larry’s wife, as the doctors removed a malignant tumor from his body. Larry came through surgery and is presently recovering, but the coming weeks will be critical.
We are praying, and asking you to pray, that the cancer was localized to the tumor and that further tests will reveal that no further surgeries or treatments will be necessary.
Larry is a godly young man with a strong faith. Watching him bear this news and trust the Lord through it has taught me much. We know that the Lord is in control, and we continue to trust His guiding hand. Surely, “He knoweth the way that I take…” (Job. 23:10).
Your prayers for Larry and Ashley and for our entire family are much appreciated.
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 Service but that still remains to be seen.
He was also excited that, Lord willing, he will be at the Youth Service this Sunday night.
I would still like to ask you to be praying that God would provide a van for the Howeths. They will need a van to get Ethan around comfortably. They are still under a great deal of financial pressure so pray for them that God will meet their needs. Check here to find out more about how to help the Howeths.
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 also. They do not need an English teacher, they need a church planter. Would you consider asking God today if He might have you go to China.
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 of each church.
Fourthly, they baptized again those whose first baptism they had reason to doubt. They were consequently termed rebaptizers and Anabaptists.
The Donatists rejected infant baptism and were congregational in their form of government.
It is evident that the Donatists held, at some period of their history, many of the principles which are regarded as axioms by modern Baptists. In their later history, after a stern discipline of persecution, they maintained, as cardinal truths:
absolute freedom of conscience,
the divorce of church and state,
and a regenerate church membership.
The form of baptism, according to Optatus, was immersion.
Vision Baptist Church Baptists Committed to World Evangelism